8mi Chapter 45 Kill
Chapter 45 Kill
Lin Mu, carrying a long spear, strode onto the roof of the west wing.
The tiles clattered softly beneath his feet, and he immediately crouched down, like a bat spreading its wings, hiding in the shadows of the roof ridge.
The night wind blew in from the direction of the city wall, making his clothes flutter. He pressed his elbow down on his clothes to stop them from making a sound.
At that moment, the courtyard gate was suddenly pushed open.
The Xuanwu Hall Master strode in, the lantern in his hand shaking violently, its light and shadow dancing wildly on the ground.
His steps halted in the courtyard—the Vermilion Bird Hall Master lay prone under the eaves, and the White Tiger Hall Master slumped against a pillar, blood seeping from beneath them, gleaming black in the moonlight.
"Guards! Everyone, come here!"
The Xuanwu Hall Master's voice was sharp and piercing, like a blunt knife scraping across a bluestone slab.
The gang members from the front yard swarmed in, a dozen or so carrying knives and guns, their lanterns illuminating the backyard.
With red eyes, the Xuanwu Hall Master directed his gang to search every corner—the woodshed, the side rooms, the base of the backyard wall, and even the old locust tree.
A group of people ransacked the place, kicked open doors, and overturned water tanks, while the beams of lantern light swept haphazardly across the night sky.
Lin Mu lay on the roof, suppressing his breathing to the point of being almost inaudible.
Someone climbed onto the roof of the east wing to check, the tiles creaking under his feet, just a few feet away.
He closed his eyes, buried his face in his arms, and kept the gun barrel pressed against the roof tiles, motionless.
The search lasted for nearly half an hour.
Standing in the courtyard, the Xuanwu Hall Master watched as his followers returned empty-handed, and gradually calmed down.
He knew that the person who could kill the Vermilion Bird and the White Tiger silently would not stay put and wait to be captured.
"Go back and rest."
Be careful.
"Even though he killed someone and left, he probably won't come back, but you never know."
He waved his hand, his voice hoarse, "Wait for the gang leader to come back and take revenge."
The gang members dispersed in twos and threes, and the backyard returned to silence.
Most of the lanterns had been taken away, leaving only two lit under the eaves, their dim light illuminating the empty blue brick floor and the two pools of blood that had turned black.
The Xuanwu Hall Master stood in the courtyard, looked up at the moon, and then at the roof of the west wing.
He turned and went into the west wing, closed the door, and the light came on.
His silhouette was reflected in the window paper as he sat motionless at the table, seemingly lost in thought.
Lin Mu lay on the roof, waiting.
Wait until his light goes out, wait until his breathing becomes heavy, wait until he lowers his guard.
The lanterns under the eaves swayed in the wind, their flames flickering a few times before settling back down.
The barking of dogs in the distant alley gradually stopped, while the leaves of the old locust tree continued to rustle, the sound growing fainter and fainter, as if it were about to fall asleep.
About an hour later, the light in the west wing finally went out.
Lin Mu waited for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, and only after confirming that there was no sound in the room did he slowly raise his head.
He moved the gun barrel from his side to his chest, with the tip pointing downwards.
The sudden gust of wind exploded on the roof, tiles shattered beneath his feet, and his body plummeted downwards like a meteorite, spear tip in front, hidden force enveloping the spear shaft, breaking through tiles, rafters, and mortar, crashing into the house with a deafening roar.
"boom--"
Rubble flew everywhere, wood chips flew, and dust rose.
Moonlight streamed down from the broken roof, illuminating the mess inside.
The bed was on the left and the table on the right. Xuanwu Hall Master had just sat up in shock from the bed, the quilt slipped to the ground, and his hand was reaching for the short knife beside the pillow.
Lin Mu's feet landed heavily on the ground, his knees slightly bent to absorb the impact, and the tip of his spear pointed straight ahead.
Tiles of broken tile fell from his body, and moonlight shone on his eagle-head mask, casting a huge, menacing shadow on the wall behind him.
Dust still floated in the air, like a thin veil covering the entire room.
The Xuanwu Hall Master's pupils suddenly contracted.
His body sprang up from the bed, his right leg sweeping like a whip towards Lin Mu's side.
The leg strikes are fierce, with hidden force wrapped around the leg surface, carrying a spiraling power.
Lin Mu thrust the tip of his spear downwards, aiming for his calf.
The Xuanwu Hall Master changed his move extremely quickly. He bent his leg in mid-air, kicked the spear shaft with his toe, and deflected the spear. At the same time, he followed up with his left leg and kicked Lin Mu in the chest.
Lin Mu stepped back, blocking with the gun barrel across his chest. His leg struck the gun barrel with a muffled thud, and the hidden force traveled through the gun barrel into his arm, making his hand go numb.
The Xuanwu Hall Master landed without pausing, unleashing a flurry of kicks, each one faster than the last, like two iron whips intertwining in the air.
Lin Mu's spear tip blocked and thrust left and right, the spear shadows and leg shadows entangled in a fierce battle, the clanging sounds echoing throughout the room.
The Xuanwu Hall Master's leg techniques were tricky, targeting Lin Mu's lower body and joints. Each kick carried hidden force, attempting to disrupt his center of gravity.
Lin Mu's spear technique was fierce yet spiraling, with each thrust attempting to leave a seed of hidden force in the Xuanwu Hall Master's leg.
The two fought fiercely in the cramped room, overturning tables and chairs, shifting beds, and splattering blood on the walls.
The Xuanwu Hall Master's leg techniques became faster and faster, and Lin Mu's spear shadows became denser and denser, but Lin Mu's strength was greatly depleted, and the spiraling force on the spear shaft gradually weakened.
The Xuanwu Hall Master noticed this and launched an even fiercer attack, sending a high sweeping kick straight for Lin Mu's temple.
Lin Mu ducked to avoid it, his leg brushing past the mask, making the strap snap.
He swung his spear horizontally, striking the Xuanwu Hall Master's waist. The spiraling, hidden force entered his body, and the Xuanwu Hall Master groaned and took two steps back.
But the Xuanwu Hall Master did not fall.
He gritted his teeth and slammed his right leg down like a battle axe, aiming for Lin Mu's shoulder.
Lin Mu raised his gun to block, but his leg slammed into the gun barrel, causing it to bend violently. Lin Mu's arm jerked, and his hand split open, splattering blood.
He didn't let go; he flicked the tip of his spear upwards, aiming for the Xuanwu Hall Master's thigh.
The spiraling internal force entered his body again, and the Xuanwu Hall Master's legs went weak, causing him to kneel down.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Lin Mu thrust repeatedly with the tip of his spear, stabbing him in the shoulder, arm, and waist, each thrust taking away a portion of his strength.
As expected of a veteran of internal strength, the Xuanwu Hall Master withstood more than a dozen spear thrusts and, with his indomitable will, suddenly stood up, his right leg whipping out like a dragon's tail, striking Lin Mu hard in the chest.
Lin Mu was kicked and sent flying, crashing into the wall. The wall plaster crumbled and fell away, and he spat out a mouthful of blood onto the inside of his mask.
His left arm hung limply, his shoulder joint was dislocated, and he felt a sharp pain from his broken ribs.
The Xuanwu Hall Master staggered forward, trying to deliver the final blow.
Lin Mu gritted his teeth, pointed the spear tip at the Xuanwu Hall Master's chest with his right hand, and threw it.
The Xuanwu Hall Master lunged forward, the tip of his spear piercing his chest and exiting from his back.
His body stiffened. He looked down at the gun barrel on his chest, then looked up at Lin Mu, his eyes filled with disbelief.
He opened his mouth, a gush of bloody foam rose from his throat, then his knees buckled, and he knelt down, lying motionless at Lin Mu's feet.
Lin Mu leaned against the wall, panting heavily.
At this moment, flames raged in the courtyard, and the battle here had awakened everyone.
Tonight's battle was extremely dangerous.
The advantage is not obvious when fighting against a master of internal strength whom you have never observed before.
He pulled the gun barrel off the body, intending to use it for self-defense.
But as soon as he turned around, the gun barrel made a muffled sound—cracks spread from the tip to the butt, the ash shaft shattered in his hand, wood chips fell from between his fingers, and the steel gun head fell to the ground, clattering and rolling a few times.