Chapter Twenty: The Killing Intent

A person?

The sword in Chen Fan’s hand hesitated slightly as he asked, “Who are you?”

At that moment, the shadow abruptly froze, turned its head toward Chen Fan, revealing sharp fangs and blood-red eyes.

A roar erupted!

It was a person, yet not quite human.

Its eyes were filled with savagery as it lunged straight at Chen Fan—pure aggression!

Chen Fan raised an eyebrow and shook his head. Unable to communicate and driven by such fierce hostility, he naturally would not hold back.

With a swift motion, the Three-Foot Sword sliced through the air.

“Sword Qi that corrodes the heavens!”

A black light tore through the atmosphere as the sword’s aura detached and shot forward!

Having broken through the fifth realm of martial cultivation, Chen Fan was now able to manifest his true energy outside his body, forming a sword aura that greatly expanded both range and power.

Whoosh!

One stroke later, the creature—neither man nor demon—was cleaved cleanly in two, its head separated from the body.

Chen Fan stepped forward to examine the limbs and torso, noticing strange patterns beneath its grimy skin, and sharp, blade-like claws extending from its hands.

“What kind of monster is this...?”

Its strength was mediocre—weak even among those in the fifth realm—but its appearance was undeniably bizarre.

Chen Fan shook his head. “The world is vast and full of wonders. Could this creature be some hybrid of human and beast...?”

Though he harbored many speculations, he quickly dismissed them. He was here to complete a mission, not to satisfy curiosity.

***

Half an hour later, as the sun set and night deepened, Chen Fan set off once more toward his next destination.

But just half an hour after Chen Fan’s departure, several riders arrived at Chengshan Village.

Some entered to gather intelligence and soon emerged, faces heavy with frustration.

“Indeed, someone accepted the task to eliminate the enemies here, but they have already completed it and left. Only just a short time ago—we’ve come too late.”

“Not sure if it was that Chen Fan...”

Meanwhile, around a hundred miles from Chengshan Village, in a remote wilderness...

Within the torch-lit Black Wind Stronghold—the bandits’ lair—two formidable warriors voluntarily pledged their allegiance today.

The Black Wind Stronghold’s leader, known as the Black Wind Bandit, was himself a fifth realm martial artist. Among the bandit forces in Qinghe Commandery, he was somewhat notorious. Thanks to his caution and prudence, he had managed to survive relatively unscathed in Qinghe Commandery, though he remained unaware that he had been marked as a target by the Martial Institute.

With two experts, both at least fifth realm, joining his ranks, the bandits naturally celebrated with lavish drinking and revelry.

They caroused well into the night.

***

Meanwhile, Chen Fan traveled overnight to Qingchun County, arriving at his second mission location.

Qingchun County housed a branch of the White Cloud Sect, whose head personally led a contingent to assist Chen Fan.

This time, his target was a cult stronghold.

If the cult were merely superstitious and fraudulent, it might be tolerable, but this sect actively encouraged followers to seek death as a supposed form of liberation—their doctrines twisted and corrupt.

Chen Fan instructed the branch leader to surround the sect’s base, then, sword in hand, he charged in alone.

Apart from the ordinary civilians who had been brainwashed, from high priests and low priests to fanatical devotees, all were swiftly cut down by Chen Fan’s single sword.

Seventy-two lives extinguished in total.

None higher than the fifth realm, none able to withstand his blade.

Yet Chen Fan knew that killing was easy; eradicating the root of the cult’s growth was beyond the power of his sword alone.

The problem ultimately lay with the Great Qian Dynasty itself.

Still, as his Three-Foot Sword drank blood with each strike, his cultivation surged rapidly. It would not be long before he broke into the subtle realm.

With the mission complete and night growing deeper, Chen Fan’s Nightwatch Lion steed, though possessing excellent nocturnal vision, still required Chen Fan himself to rest.

So he spent the night in Qingchun County.

***

At dawn the next day, Chen Fan set out alone once more.

“Next target: Black Wind Stronghold, one hundred miles from Qingchun County... But the Black Wind Bandit is cunning, with many hideouts. I’m not sure if this mission will go smoothly.”

His Three-Foot Sword had slain dozens the previous day and was on the verge of breaking through into the subtle realm.

This sword technique was merely at the stage of basic mastery, yet its power was already formidable—far surpassing the strength of the Nine Suns Overbearing Tiger Fist at the same stage. Chen Fan eagerly anticipated the breakthroughs to come.

Riding alone, it took him less than an hour to reach the vicinity of the Black Wind Stronghold.

He dismounted and stealthily approached the bandit camp, guided by the map.

After a short incense burn’s time, he arrived outside the mountain fortress.

His sole target was the Black Wind Bandit himself; he chose not to bring the White Cloud Sect’s forces along, wary of alerting the enemy.

“Take it slow. It’s still early; most of the bandits should be asleep. Once I locate the Black Wind Bandit, there will be no escape.”

Confident in his strength but average in stealth, Chen Fan had prepared by cultivating several secret techniques during his downtime, including breath-holding and the Turtle Breath Method, allowing him to invoke his inner energy without heavy breathing.

Activating the Lightning Flash of Three Thousand Thunders, he flickered across the side of the camp, vaulting over the perimeter and hiding beyond the line of sight. Once assured he was unseen, he crept toward the main building.

Carefully avoiding the patrolling bandits on the open grounds, Chen Fan finally slipped inside.

Exhaling with relief, he turned forward and entered a narrow corridor lined with many rooms.

Just around the corner, he spotted a tall bandit wielding a long spear, standing silently before a door like a statue, staring directly at him.

Chen Fan froze for a moment; the bandit was equally stunned before his expression shifted.

“You are...”

Lightning Flash!

Chen Fan’s body blurred like a phantom, black light flashing from his hand.

Slash!

The bandit’s neck snapped instantly; his head thudded to the floor, blood spurting like a fountain from the severed body.

At that moment, voices sounded from within the room.

“Who’s there?!”

Knowing his stealth was compromised, Chen Fan didn’t hesitate. He kicked the door open.

Inside were seven or eight burly bandits drinking, their muscular frames and clothing marking them as leaders rather than mere foot soldiers.

Seeing Chen Fan’s bloodied sword, they rose in surprise.

One immediately charged, knife raised.

Though strong, none could compare to Chen Fan.

With his subtle realm agility, even in confined quarters he moved with fluid grace.

Slash!

Black light flashed as his sword danced like a dragon. Each strike extinguished a bandit’s life.

At fifth realm cultivation, with abundant vitality, Chen Fan was stronger than many sixth realm opponents. His Three-Foot Sword was lethal—ordinary fifth realm fighters could not withstand a single blow.

When only one bandit remained, Chen Fan paused, not ending his life immediately.

“Tell me—where is the Black Wind Bandit?”

Few bandits were truly loyal. Seeing Chen Fan’s godlike killing prowess, this one was already shaking with tears and snot.

He pointed behind Chen Fan, at a man lying on the ground with a bloodied neck wound, eyes unable to close.

“That... that’s our leader, the Black Wind Bandit himself!”