In a corner of the dungeon, Kang Jinlong and his group were advancing cautiously.
By now, the subordinates they had recruited from the dungeon were few and far between, and even the people Kang Jinlong had brought with him were reduced by half.
Thinking back to their arrival, they had been high-spirited and full of confidence, believing they could move through the dungeon as if it were an empty place.
But now they were reduced to mere fish on a chopping block, fleeing like stray dogs.
While Jiang Chengan and Lu Kui had no objections, the villains temporarily incorporated into the group were different.
They had been doing fine in the dungeon, some even close to being released, but Kang Jinlong's actions had put them in a predicament. They had offended Longhu Mountain and were still trapped in the dungeon.
Just moments ago, they had even been killed by a Taoist who kept dogs and a bare-chested martial monk.
Who wouldn't harbor resentment in such a situation!
"I say, are you guys completely useless?!"
A villain couldn't help but stop and say, "With your little ability, you dare to cause trouble at Longhu Mountain? You must have eaten bear's heart and leopard's gall!"
Kang Jinlong ignored the grumbling fellow and walked forward in silence. However, the look in his eyes under the mask revealed that Kang Jinlong was furious and trying to suppress his anger.
Seeing Kang Jinlong remain silent, the villain mistook him for someone easily bullied. He immediately gave up and started to slack off:
"I'm not following you anymore!"
Kang Jinlong stopped and turned to look at the man coldly.
Jiang Chengan and Lu Kui's eyes also glinted with killing intent.
Upon seeing this, the villain felt a surge of fear. He took a few steps back and said nervously, "Who exactly were those two strange people? If we offend them, do we still have a chance to live? I say, why don't we obediently return to our cells? Then, when Longhu Mountain investigates, we can all pretend to be ignorant, and perhaps we'll have a sliver of hope. If we continue like this, and those two strange people catch up..."
The other villains also hesitated upon hearing this, as they had lost too many men.
Before, when they had a larger force, they had the upper hand and a chance to escape the dungeon.
But now, after suffering heavy losses and becoming like stray dogs, they had no hope of escaping the dungeon. Why should they continue to follow these guys and rush to their deaths?
"Do you want to be the first to step forward?" Kang Jinlong asked the villain.
The villain swallowed hard: "I just don't want to be cannon fodder."
Kang Jinlong suddenly appeared in front of the villain, grabbed him by the neck, and lifted him into the air!
"Do you think this is something you can decide on your own?"
The villain panicked and frantically called for help from others. But now, everyone was struggling to save themselves, and it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble, so naturally, no one stepped forward.
He immediately regretted it and hastily begged for mercy: "I was wrong, let me down, and I'll follow you!"
"No need."
Kang Jinlong suddenly pulled out a wooden stake and fiercely drove it into the villain's forehead!
The villain's eyes widened, and before he could even scream, he met his demise!
His soul immediately seeped out from his seven orifices and was absorbed into the wooden stake!
"Since you don't want to follow us, go to hell first and scout the way!" Kang Jinlong said with a cold smile.
His three souls and seven spirits drained, the villain's body withered like a dry branch, devoid of any vitality, as if he had been dead for days.
Kang Jinlong casually threw the villain's corpse in front of everyone and asked, "Does anyone else want to quit?"
This brutal display of killing a chicken to warn the monkeys left no one willing to be the first to step forward.
They would rather be bitten to death by that ferocious dog earlier than die at Kang Jinlong's hands.
Seeing that everyone had no more complaints, Kang Jinlong relented, but a fire still burned within him.
Damn it! Why did they have to encounter them in the dungeon?!
Despite all his calculations, he never expected the Old Celestial Master to join forces with Yan Chou, staging a trap of "bottling up the turtle"!
If he had known Yan Chou was here, he wouldn't have brought the White Tiger Seven Mansions today, but the Azure Dragon Seven Mansions!
Alas, there are always no "if onlys" in this world.
Half of the people Kang Jinlong brought were slaughtered by Yan Chou and his group!
Not only that, but they also failed to complete their mission of killing the heir of the Nuo Gui Xi!
It could be said that they lost their wife and soldiers!
All of this was thanks to Yan Chou!
Just as Kang Jinlong was fuming, the shadowy Jiang Chengan suddenly said, "Lord Kang Jinlong, the exit is ahead. It seems... there's someone there."
"Someone?" Kang Jinlong's heart leaped. "It's not He Zhijing and Chen Tang?"
Jiang Chengan shook his head: "He Zhijing and Chen Tang seem to be dead."
Kang Jinlong gritted his teeth: "Then the few people at the exit must be Yan Chou's accomplices! Let's kill them first, then leave the dungeon, and then we'll make further plans!"
"Alright!"
Everyone rallied their spirits and approached the dungeon exit.
At the dungeon exit, He Xiping was guarding Agong and Zhao Yiyao.
He suddenly noticed someone approaching and realized it was Kang Jinlong and his group, his heart struck with alarm.
If Kang Jinlong and his group had come out, did it mean Yan Shouyi and his party were trapped in the dungeon?!
Now that both sides were in direct contact, and the poisonous gas outside the dungeon had not yet dispersed, He Xiping and the other two were in a desperate situation, with no way to escape!
"Agong!" He Xiping couldn't help but call out.
Agong frowned: "We're about to find their true forms. I need quiet."
"It won't be quiet anymore..." He Xiping gritted his teeth. "Kang Jinlong and his group are coming for us."
Agong closed his eyes, but his expression couldn't help but darken.
However, he didn't choose to wake up. Instead, he said, "I believe in Brother Yan. You stall for time as best you can! Even if the final outcome is death, we must take down Jiang Chengan and Lu Kui!"
With the situation as it was, He Xiping had no other choice.
He took a deep breath and stepped forward alone to face Kang Jinlong and his group.
The dungeon tunnel was narrow, but the space behind He Xiping was empty, while the space behind Kang Jinlong and his group was densely packed with people.
He Xiping stood firm, silently opening his arms, giving the impression of standing guard like a pass that thousands of troops could not breach.
Jiang Chengan chuckled upon seeing this: "Just you alone?"
"Even if I can only hold you back for half a second, it will be worth it," He Xiping said with a determined expression.
Kang Jinlong didn't want to waste time on He Xiping. He merely flicked his fingers and sent out Jiang Chengan and Lu Kui.
Jiang Chengan, being a shadow, immediately slipped into the darkness, while Lu Kui revealed his blade arm and rapidly approached He Xiping.
He Xiping fiercely swung his Immortality Rope, whipping it with a crack that immobilized Lu Kui. He then spat a mouthful of Fire Dragon Oil towards Jiang Chengan's direction, and the instant flames made Jiang Chengan nowhere to hide!
Kang Jinlong's eyes narrowed: "I didn't expect you to be a trickster. You're somewhat from the same lineage as us. Since that's the case, I'm willing to spare your life. Move aside now, and all past grievances will be forgotten!"
But He Xiping seemed to be nailed to the middle of the corridor, showing no intention of retreating or making way:
"Don't defile our folk sects! I am not of the same ilk as you!"
Kang Jinlong was furious: "You're seeking death!"