https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-222-Mountain-and-Sea-Blade-Scaring-Away-with-One-Glance/12619313/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-224-Reverse-Scale-Squashed-Underfoot/12619315/
Chapter 223: Pebbles Destroy Internal Organs, All Are Slain
"Elder?!"
This sudden turn of events took everyone by surprise.
No one expected the gray-robed man, who had been skirting the battle, to suddenly flee.
Not only was Ma Gu, who had been on guard against him, taken aback, but the disciples of the Flowing Cloud Sect were also astonished beyond measure.
They had been fighting desperately, unflinching even in the face of Ma Gu's formidable swordsmanship, precisely because they had the Elder to rely on.
They knew that if they faltered, the Elder would intervene.
And at that time, no matter how powerful Ma Gu was, he would surely be no match for the Elder.
The gap between the Internal Organs realm and the Sinew Changing realm was not something that could be bridged by swordsmanship alone.
But now, the Elder was fleeing without even putting up a fight?
For a moment, the Flowing Cloud Sect disciples still engaged in battle were unable to accept this turn of events.
"Do you think you can get away?"
Lu Qing chuckled, his fingers flexing slightly.
A whistling sound rang out as a pebble pierced through the air currents, speeding towards the gray-robed man who had already fled dozens of feet away.
In an instant, it reached his back.
"What?!?!"
The gray-robed man, in the midst of his escape, felt an extreme sense of danger emanating from his back. Startled, he didn't have time to think and abruptly flung himself to the side, rolling on the ground to narrowly avoid the pebble.
Boom!
The pebble struck the official road, and the immense force created a crater in the ground!
The gray-robed man's pupils constricted sharply. A tiny pebble had such immense power; if it had hit him, the consequences would have been dire!
However, before the gray-robed man could even feel relieved, his body suddenly trembled, and he lowered his head in disbelief, looking down at himself.
He saw that his chest had been pierced through, a gaping hole front to back, and his heart within had been reduced to fragments.
It was then that he heard the second whistling sound rushing towards him.
The gray-robed man lifted his head, his eyes reflecting his disbelief as he stared at Lu Qing.
"A feint! Your hidden weapon skill has reached such a profound level that the pebbles you shoot out are faster than sound itself. You're definitely not at the Qi and Blood realm. Even a true master of hidden weapons wouldn't be any better than this. Who exactly are you?"
Although his heart had been destroyed, the gray-robed man's robust life force at the Internal Organs realm kept him from dying immediately.
He took a breath, determined to find out Lu Qing's true identity, or else he would never rest in peace.
"What's the point of asking so many questions when you're about to die?"
However, Lu Qing had no interest in answering the scoundrel's queries. He flicked his fingers again, sending another pebble flying towards the gray-robed man's brow.
This fatal strike caused the gray-robed man's body to shake violently, and he fell backward, lifeless, his eyes wide open, reflecting his unwillingness and fear.
"Elder!!!!"
Witnessing the death of their Elder, who had attained a small success in the Internal Organs realm, the remaining Flowing Cloud Sect disciples were shocked to their cores.
Moreover, he had been slain by a few unremarkable pebbles.
The surviving disciples of the Flowing Cloud Sect were terrified.
Their hearts and minds shattered, and the looks they gave Lu Qing were filled with dread.
If they hadn't been entangled in a fierce battle with Ma Gu and his apprentice, unable to break free, they would have scattered and fled immediately.
But under the shock, their fighting spirit wavered, and their martial arts became disorganized and full of gaps.
Ma Gu and Wei Zi'an naturally seized this opportunity, unleashing a barrage of lethal attacks and cutting down the remaining Flowing Cloud Sect disciples in quick succession.
All of this happened within a dozen breaths. When the official road finally returned to calm, bodies lay strewn about, blood flowing freely.
Seeing this gruesome scene, the old doctor sighed but didn't say much.
Although he disliked taking lives, he also knew that these Flowing Cloud Sect disciples, who would slaughter ordinary civilians and even spare no children, had to be stopped.
Persuasion would be useless; only killing could end the killing.
As for Zhao Qianlin, she had already gone completely numb.
She stared blankly at the corpses littering the ground.
She found it hard to believe that those vicious Flowing Cloud Sect disciples, who had brought her endless despair, had been slain by Ma Gu and his group in the blink of an eye.
"Over a dozen Sinew Changing realm warriors!" Zhao Qianlin exclaimed, still in disbelief over what had just transpired. "Especially that gray-robed man, a formidable warrior who had achieved a small success in the Internal Organs realm. Even my master was once wounded by his sword."
Yet, that same man had just been killed by Lu Qing with merely three pebbles.
The incredulousness of it all left Zhao Qianlin wondering if she were still dreaming.
"Hahaha, your hidden weapon skills have improved again, Lu Qing. Even an Internal Organs realm expert couldn't withstand a single stone from you," Ma Gu praised, his laughter echoing as he surveyed the defeated enemies, his body devoid of any wounds.
"You all did well too, especially you, Wei Zi'an. Elder Wei would be very pleased if he knew," Lu Qing said with a smile.
Wei Zi'an, feeling embarrassed by the praise, lowered his head, his grip tightening on the iron rod as excitement filled his heart. This was his first true battle, and he realized just how much stronger he had become.
"Little Yan, have you bandaged Zhao's injuries?" the old doctor asked, his attention turning to the young girl within the carriage.
"All done!" Little Yan's voice floated out from inside the carriage.
"Good, Lu Qing, get ready. We're heading into town," the old doctor instructed.
"Yes, Master," Lu Qing replied.
They moved the bodies blocking the road, and the carriage resumed its journey. The corpses would have to be left there for the time being; the old doctor's priority was the town's civilians, and he couldn't afford to waste time dealing with the bodies.
"Old Doctor Chen, are we going into the town?" Zhao Qianlin asked, her voice filled with anticipation as she snapped out of her daze. By now, she was well aware that the old doctor and his companions were incredibly powerful, their true strength hidden beneath an unassuming facade.
"Yes, Miss Zhao. As you mentioned earlier, the disciples of the Flowing Cloud Sect are running rampant in the town, slaughtering innocents. We must put a stop to it," the old doctor affirmed with a nod.
"Please, Old Doctor Chen, save my master, senior martial brother, and junior martial sister as well. They were captured by the young master of the Flowing Cloud Sect and must have endured untold torture. If we don't hurry, I fear they won't be able to hold on much longer," Zhao Qianlin pleaded.
"Of course, we get along quite well with Manor Head Fang, so we wouldn't stand by and let him suffer," the old doctor assured her.
Lu Qing, his curiosity piqued, asked, "Is the young master of the Flowing Cloud Sect also in the town?"
"Yes, that madman personally led a large group of Flowing Cloud Sect disciples here. While we were taking shelter at the Taoist temple during the rain, the disciples of the Flowing Cloud Sect were also staying in the town. After we left the temple, we had planned to buy some supplies in the town before continuing our journey, but we happened to run into them," Zhao Qianlin explained. "Lu Qing, the young master of the Flowing Cloud Sect is a lunatic. If he doesn't kill us immediately, he'll take pleasure in torturing us slowly to satisfy his sadistic desires. While we were hiding and listening to their conversation, we learned that the reason they're massacring the townspeople is because they feel that during the days they stayed here to wait out the rain, the townspeople didn't treat them well enough. They had already decided to teach them a lesson."
"And by 'teaching them a lesson,' they mean killing them?" Lu Qing's expression turned solemn.
"Yes. That's why my senior martial brother Dai Shi couldn't hold back and charged out to fight them," Zhao Qianlin added.
Lu Qing's gaze shifted towards the town ahead, his silence speaking volumes.
However, Zhao Qianlin felt a chill run through her body, but it wasn't born of fear. Instead, her heart raced with determination.
Her eyes fixed on the town, her face resolute, she thought to herself, "Master, junior martial sister, hold on just a little longer. I'm coming with Old Doctor Chen and the others to rescue you!"
With the situation being urgent, Ma Gu drove the carriage at a faster pace than before, rushing towards the town.
Soon, they arrived at the town's entrance, and even before they entered, a strong scent of blood assaulted their senses. Several corpses lay there, their bodies brutally decapitated.
(End of Chapter)
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