At the East Gate, the Thousand-Slaughterer Strikes

But at that moment, the surrounding disciples of the Yanmo Hall all had bloodshot eyes, struggling like zombies unleashed from their cages.

“Give me the Blood Pill! Why isn’t the Blood Pill ready yet?”

“I want the Blood Pill, blood... blood!”

“Who dares to snatch my Blood Pill, who dares?!”

One after another, the disciples started writhing and fighting, like a horde of zombies. This made Ji Liancheng break out in a cold sweat: “Hey, brothers, don’t just stand around chatting! There are three thousand people here—how am I supposed to hold them all back by myself? They’re too strong!”

As soon as he finished speaking, a disciple in the Golden Core stage suddenly broke free from the vines and lunged at Xie Wuji. Xie Wuji countered with an uppercut, stopping him in his tracks.

Yet the disciple’s strength had grown monstrous, far beyond normal, making everyone tremble with fear.

“The Blood Pill must be taken once a month, or terrifying consequences will follow. We haven’t taken it for that reason. It’s crafted with all sorts of sinister herbs and the hearts and livers of children...” a disciple explained as he approached.

Dongmen Swordmaster waved his hand, and nine swords appeared, arrayed around him. Yu Bao Si hurriedly blocked his path: “Young Master, what are you planning?”

“What am I planning? If these people escape the stone fortress and flood into the surrounding villages, the destruction will be catastrophic. More will die then. It’s better to kill them all here, to nip this disaster in the bud,” Dongmen Swordmaster replied, his face devoid of emotion.

“But... but these are my fellow disciples...” Yu Bao Si said painfully.

Dongmen replied coldly: “Do you have an antidote?”

“No.”

“Can you guarantee they’ll be imprisoned?”

“No...”

“Can you protect every innocent villager nearby?”

“I... I can’t.”

Dongmen sneered, “You can’t do anything. What are you sighing for, wanting to protect these people? They’ve already lost their minds. As for the Blood Pill—I’ve heard of it. If you give it to them now, they’ll regain their senses, but it would cost countless children’s lives, and it’s only a temporary fix. The Ten-Thousand Demon Hall only uses Yanmo Hall as a pawn. They will never give out the antidote.”

“But... but...” Yu Bao Si dropped to his knees, tears streaming down his face.

Dongmen shot him a glance: “There’s no saving them now.”

With that, the nine flying swords around Dongmen Swordmaster spun into motion. He pushed forward, and the swords swept through the crowd like a harvest of heads. Wherever they passed, heads flew, leaving no one alive.

Xie Wuji couldn’t bear to watch, but he understood Dongmen Swordmaster’s reasoning. If they showed mercy now and spared these people, they might escape and wreak havoc on the innocent villagers later. Villagers and Yanmo Hall disciples alike are born of parents, their lives equally precious.

Xie Wuji’s hatred for the Ten-Thousand Demon Hall deepened. He never expected them to use such vile methods as Blood Pills to control the fate of small sects. Their actions were truly abhorrent!

Heads fell like rain, blood spraying from necks like fountains, splattering everywhere. Whether man or woman, ugly or beautiful, all those suffering from the Blood Pill's effects were killed. Their faces showed no pain at death, only vacancy, as if they hadn’t even realized they’d died.

Shua!

The nine flying swords returned simultaneously to Dongmen Swordmaster’s back, sliding into the enormous sword case. Dongmen said, “Let’s go. The task is done.”

“Wait!” Yu Bao Si suddenly knelt, crying, “This enmity will never be forgotten. I will avenge my master and my comrades. I will destroy the Ten-Thousand Demon Hall! I will be their mortal enemy!”

“Are you capable of it?” Dongmen Swordmaster looked back indifferently.

With a thud, Yu Bao Si pressed his forehead to the ground: “I beg you, Young Master, take me in. I have more than twenty brothers with me. I... I wish to join the Danxia Sect. Please accept us!”

“If you’re men and seek revenge, Danxia Sect always welcomes you.” Dongmen Swordmaster took out a silver token from his robe. “Take this to Danxia Sect and start as outer disciples, doing chores.”

“Thank you, Young Master! Thank you!” The group wept bitterly.

Xie Wuji remembered he still had to search for the Eighth Protector, so he said, “Senior brothers, I’ll go ahead. I have some private matters to attend to nearby.”

“Here.” Dongmen Swordmaster tossed him a bottle of medicine. “This is for bruises and injuries. Keep it. Hurry back—Qianyun is probably worried about you.”

Xie Wuji nodded with a smile. “No problem.”

Everyone departed in turn. Suddenly, a cackling sound came from above—the Fire-Tailed Chicken King had flown in. Xie Wuji thought the chicken king had gotten lost in the forest, but it appeared now, to his surprise.

He stroked the chicken king’s feathers and sighed, “Dongmen Swordmaster is truly the son of our master—decisive and fierce. Three thousand lives, and he doesn’t even blink. No wonder everyone in the sect fears and respects him, even the seven elders give him their due.”

Xie Wuji mused that if he were in Dongmen Swordmaster’s shoes, he probably couldn’t have acted so ruthlessly. Though those disciples who took the Blood Pill resembled mindless zombies and were extremely dangerous, they were still living people.

Xie Wuji couldn’t bear to kill, and he had only ever taken lives when absolutely necessary.

He thought to himself that if he continued to mix in these circles, killing would become unavoidable. Of course, killing is never a glorious thing.

It was said that Huang Ruonan even wished to offer herself to Dongmen Swordmaster, wanting to follow him back to Danxia Sect, but was coldly rejected. The reason was simple: Huang Ruonan had no cultivation and would only be a burden. Dongmen Swordmaster didn’t want to be held back, to hesitate on the battlefield because of attachments.

In a sense, Dongmen Swordmaster was a man who relished combat.

Arriving at Bluestone Village, Xie Wuji consulted Song Xiao’s notes and found that this should be the location of the Protector Chu Sheng.

Chu Sheng—Beast? Xie Wuji found the names of the Immortal Longevity Sect’s protectors utterly baffling; each was unforgettable, almost bizarre.

Bluestone Village was tranquil, nestled between a great lake on one side and mountains on the other. The scenery was beautiful, famous for its fertile lands and rich harvests. The villagers lived in abundance, partly because there was no sect here, and partly because there were neither water bandits nor mountain thieves. People seemed genuinely happy, and it was rumored that a nameless hero had always silently protected them.

Xie Wuji rode the Fire-Tailed Chicken King down to the ground. Such a remarkable mount drew the attention of many nearby, who marveled at the sight.

“I’ve seen people ride donkeys and horses, but riding a chicken? That’s a first.”

“This chicken is so big—roasting it would be so satisfying!”

“This chicken looks fierce, as if it could kill someone at any moment. How terrifying...”

The villagers chatted, making the village entrance lively.

There was a small market at the entrance. Xie Wuji dismounted and said to the attendant, “Fetch some meat for my mount.”

“Meat?” The attendant chuckled. “Sir, your mount is truly unique! What kind of meat?”

“Snake meat. Ten pounds of the best snake meat, for my mount,” Xie Wuji replied. In truth, raising the Fire-Tailed Chicken King was an expensive affair—even in the Pill Refining Hall, Xie Wuji’s daily spending on its feed was astonishing.

The attendant agreed and led the chicken king away. Meanwhile, Xie Wuji entered the inn, ordering a pot of wine, two taels of meat, three plates of stir-fried dishes, and a bowl of meat soup.

He ordered so much because he hadn’t eaten all night. From yesterday until now, he was exhausted and planned to rest and recover before searching for his target.