Chapter 18 Five Poison Smokes

Not only were there guards defecting, but even the front, back, and side gates of the Chang family mansion were wide open. One by one, the maids and servants walked out with their hands raised, shouting, "Spare us, spare our lives!"

The Hua Yue Gang's side changed their expressions.

Shouting 'Those who surrender will not be killed' to shake the enemy's morale was their usual tactic. It was normal for a few guards to defect occasionally, but for even the maids and servants to line up and walk out meant it was premeditated.

"Be careful," Elder Feng said coldly.

The captain of the Scarlet Moon Squad next to him nodded.

"Death to those who betray their faith!" Accompanied by angry shouts, dark red spheres were suddenly thrown from all directions of the Chang family mansion's courtyard walls. Some of these spheres collided with the walls of the street, some were cut down by Hua Yue Gang members with a single slash, and some fell to the ground.

But without exception, these dark red spheres eventually burst open, and a red mist spread out.

"Ah."

"Ah ah~~"

Immediately, some gang members clutched their chests in pain, their bodies trembling as they fell. The red mist caused panic among some of the Hua Yue Gang members.

"Hold your breath!" The Scarlet Moon Squad captain shouted. The five hundred Scarlet Moon Squad members stood calmly in place. They were the elite of the entire Hua Yue Gang. Even the most ordinary member could generally hold their breath for ten minutes, and the slightly more skilled could hold it for twenty minutes. If they were third-rate experts, they had cellular-level control, and their breath-holding ability was even stronger.

The Scarlet Moon captain looked at the red mist, which was spreading and thinning, and said indifferently, "This is the most common Five Poison Smoke! The surroundings are not enclosed, and with the wind blowing, the Five Poison Smoke will become thinner and thinner. In just ten breaths, it will no longer be a threat."

"To be able to acquire dozens of Five Poison Smoke balls, this young master Chang is quite resourceful," Elder Feng chuckled.

In his life of wandering, he had experienced countless crises. He had seen many methods that were ten times more powerful than Five Poison Smoke. As a first-rate expert, with his sense of control over the surrounding environment, it was almost impossible to threaten him with some insidious tricks.

After ten breaths, the Scarlet Moon Squad was unharmed. However, more than thirty of the five hundred elites of the Phoenix Lake Hall had died, making the Phoenix Lake Hall Master, 'Cui Xiaodao,' look ugly. The remaining gang members were also somewhat timid and became more cautious.

"Attack!"

The Scarlet Moon Squad captain ordered coldly.

The five hundred members of the Scarlet Moon Squad, led by their squad leaders, heavily surrounded the Chang family mansion. With the order, all the members took out a flying axe from their waists! The Phoenix Lake Hall Master, 'Cui Xiaodao,' also gave an order, and all the gang members took out a flying axe from their backs.

The flying axe was the most commonly used throwing weapon for gangs.

There was no threshold to using it! Just throw it in a general direction. No accuracy was needed, because under the dense coverage of flying axes, accuracy was unnecessary!

"Whizz whizz whizz!!!"

Countless flying axes, illuminated by the lights of the night, were blurry and indistinct. One could vaguely see cold glints reflected in the air as countless flying axes whistled through the air, enveloping the Chang family mansion.

"Enter!" The Scarlet Moon captain ordered again.

Bang bang bang!!!

One by one, the squad leaders stepped forward, all of them were entry-level experts. Their strength and speed were already at the same level as Xu Jingming and the others, only their weapon skills were slightly inferior. But with a single kick! The walls of the Chang family mansion collapsed, creating more than a dozen gaps in the courtyard walls.

The five hundred members of the Scarlet Moon Squad charged in through the dozen gaps.

"Kill."

"Kill." While charging, the Scarlet Moon Squad members threw out flying axes again!

Each member carried three flying axes! With each of them throwing the axe with a force of at least a thousand pounds… the sheer number of flying axes was enough to make many enemies tremble with fear.

…

The Chang family had already abandoned the outer perimeter, and all their manpower had retreated to the core inner residence.

"The Chang family has supported me for three years; today is the time to repay them."

"Young Master, if they want to harm you, they'll have to step over my dead body first."

"Young Master, just hide in the house; leave the outside to us."

These guards were all fearless.

Those who were afraid of death had already fled!

Seeing this, Chang Yi sighed inwardly, "Among the ordinary guards, there are three 'third-rate experts' who are Cosmic Professional Players that I hired! The others are all natives. These natives are truly loyal and righteous."

"Everyone, today I face a great calamity," Chang Yi said loudly. "Everyone who stands by me, all guards, as long as you survive today, I, Chang Yi, will give each of you ten taels of silver."

"Thank you, Young Master," the guards said, feeling even more grateful.

After Chang Yi finished speaking, he glanced at Xu Jingming and the other two, nodded slightly, and retreated into the house.

Xu Jingming, Mr. Lu, and Ziyun were together.

"They are truly loyal and righteous; so many people didn't escape," Xu Jingming said softly.

"Those who betray their faith are looked down upon. This world is chaotic, and people admire those who are righteous even more," Mr. Lu said in a low voice.

Xu Jingming nodded.

"They're here," Ziyun said, looking outside.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Flying axes shot over first!

The guards immediately raised their shields. Xu Jingming and the other two stood still, only slightly moving to dodge when the flying axes approached!

"Let's go out and fight. It's no fun always hiding," Ziyun said, her eyes full of excitement.

"Let's go," Xu Jingming said, his eyes also filled with battle intent. Before becoming a cosmic lifeform, his combat boost had reached 500%. After the transformation, he had been studying the first part of *Transformation of Light*, and his understanding of the *Flowing Water Scroll* among the five spear techniques had deepened.

Today was the time to test it!

"Kill," Mr. Lu said, also filled with killing intent.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

The three of them charged out at the same time. The Scarlet Moon Squad members swarmed over from all directions like a tide, but the three of them were too fast, like three ghosts in the night. In the blink of an eye, they charged through a distance of more than twenty meters and into the Scarlet Moon Squad's formation.

As the three of them passed, many Scarlet Moon Squad members were thrown into the air, and some fell directly to the ground. Blood splattered, and the ground was covered in blood, which quickly gathered into streams.

"Kill them!"

The Scarlet Moon Squad members were somewhat shocked and angry.

Xu Jingming and the other two were too strong!

Second-rate experts were very strong! Their speed and strength far surpassed those of ordinary Scarlet Moon Squad members, and their weapon skills were even more superb! Even those in the Scarlet Moon Squad who had reached the 'third-rate' realm seemed clumsy in front of them. Three 'second-rate experts' working together were terrifying, and when they were not afraid of death! They were even more terrifying!

Truly invincible! Reckless slaughter! Wherever they went, Scarlet Moon Squad members were constantly killed!

"These three are crazy!"

There were also five second-rate experts in the Scarlet Moon Squad, but the higher their strength, the more they cherished their lives! Five against three, they might not necessarily win. Because the battles between experts were not just a simple comparison of numbers. Even if they were both in the 'second-rate realm,' there were still differences in strength.

Could a combat boost of 500% be compared to a combat boost of 800%?

Could those who were fearless be compared to those who were timid?

"Elder!" The Scarlet Moon Squad captain looked at Elder Feng. "Too many members have died. I can't explain it."

"Leave it to me," Elder Feng nodded indifferently.

The Hua Yue Gang Leader had spent a thousand taels of silver to get him involved in order to deal with the tough bones!

Boom!

Elder Feng also charged out! Although there seemed to be a large number of people, Elder Feng's figure moved forward like a ghost, quickly approaching Xu Jingming and the other two.

Xu Jingming felt wonderful at this moment. In the fear and madness of the Scarlet Moon Squad, even under the flying axes thrown from close range, Xu Jingming's spirit was highly concentrated, and his mind and consciousness sensed all directions. There was no need to deliberately calculate every point; instead, everything around him naturally existed in his heart.

"The *Space-Time Scroll* of the five spear techniques records that within space-time, there exist all living things and all aspects of things," Xu Jingming vaguely understood. "These Scarlet Moon Squad members each have their own will. Some are brave, some are cunning, some are retreating, and some are insidious… aren't these precisely the aspects of all living things?"

"Only by controlling the aspects of all living things can one better understand the changes in momentum. In the *Flowing Scroll*, the flow of water is even more in accordance with the changes in momentum!"

He had been practicing the five spear techniques, but only the *Flowing Water Scroll* had reached the entry level, and he was ignorant of the other four scrolls.

Until today! Facing the siege, seeing the myriad forms of life, and controlling all directions with his mind and consciousness… he understood the true meaning of the *Space-Time Scroll*.

Once he understood! As long as he spent some thought, he would be able to reach the entry level of the *Space-Time Scroll* in ten days or so.

The most important thing was that Xu Jingming was comprehending the aspects of all living things in the *Space-Time Scroll*, clarifying the 'changes in momentum'! This complemented the *Flowing Scroll*! For a time, Xu Jingming's spear techniques, changes in speed, and various spear moves were combined. It seemed like there was no difference, but in reality, the changes were more natural and more in line with the situation on the field.

The same spear techniques, even with slightly slower power and speed at times, were more efficient!

On the combat power panel, the combat boost had soared from 720% to 850%.

"Hmm? Be careful!"

Just as Xu Jingming was immersed in comprehension and the transformation of his spear techniques, he suddenly felt a jolt.

In his perception, there were indeed some 'third-rate experts' who occasionally posed a threat, but they were all within a controllable range. But at this moment, a thin old man was rapidly approaching, and unlike the others, this thin old man's clothes were different from those of the Scarlet Moon Squad, and he was the only one who was charging up at high speed.

"Be careful," Mr. Lu and Ziyun also noticed the difference in this thin old man.

The thin old man rushed over at high speed. He first attacked Mr. Lu, who was 'slaughtering' the most wildly. Mr. Lu's five bladed wheels made the surrounding Scarlet Moon Squad members afraid to approach, and they had all made way for him.

Whoosh.

The thin old man pounced directly at Mr. Lu! As he approached, a terrifying mind and consciousness erupted!

Boom——

Such a terrifying mind and consciousness, as if substantive, impacted the surroundings. Xu Jingming, Mr. Lu, and Ziyun all felt their minds tremble.

"Hmm?" Mr. Lu quickly threw out two bladed wheels to block the thin old man. Ziyun also threw out flying needles to help her companion. Xu Jingming immediately took a step forward and thrust his spear!

A black saber light lit up, easily passing the bladed wheels and blocking the flying needles. The thin old man blocked these hidden weapons with ease, even with a sense of unrestrained imagination.

"What exquisite saber techniques," Xu Jingming sensed the surrounding environment and perceived the aspects of all living things! He could clearly sense the horror of this saber technique. "My spear techniques, whether the *Flowing Scroll* or the newly comprehended *Space-Time Scroll*, are all good at change! But this old man's saber technique is upright and dignified, like a meteorite falling, difficult to break."

All Xu Jingming could do was to take advantage of the fact that the other party's saber light was blocking the flying needles and thrust his spear suddenly and unexpectedly!

"Hmm?"

The thin old man immediately felt awkward. Xu Jingming's spear happened to be at the time when he was blocking the flying needles and the power was changing! He was forced to change his strength again, using his left-hand saber to block the spear. "This spearman is much more terrifying than the other two."

The left-hand saber was specially used to block Xu Jingming's spear, while the right-hand saber flashed and slashed at Mr. Lu.

Mr. Lu held two bladed wheels and retreated while blocking.

Clang clang clang!!!

The thin old man's right-hand saber was like a phantom. Each saber light was very gentle, and he slashed three times in a row in the blink of an eye! The saber light changed three times in a row! Mr. Lu held two bladed wheels, but he felt that the saber light was too fast, exceeding the limit of his nerve reaction. Relying on experience, he blocked two strikes, but the third saber still grazed his brow, and his consciousness plunged into darkness!

Mr. Lu, dead!

"He's a first-rate expert, retreat!" Ziyun said immediately.

"Retreat."

Xu Jingming also felt a tightness in his heart and retreated without hesitation!

He had exchanged a move with his opponent just now! That old man was able to block his attacks while still killing Mr. Lu… This showed the gap between them.

First-rate experts, according to intelligence, all had combat boosts exceeding 1000%. A combat boost exceeding 10 times made one a first-rate expert, and exceeding 12 times, 13 times, or 15 times still made one a first-rate expert. Xu Jingming was not sure how big the gap was between him and this thin old man.

But he was sure that the gap was not small! Xu Jingming was still planning to go to the imperial capital, so he did not want to fight to the death with his opponent.

"Stop them!" The second-rate experts of the Scarlet Moon Squad were also brave at this time. With Elder Feng charging in front, they also had enough courage.

But Xu Jingming and Ziyun were both good at movement speed. With a flash, they had already approached the inner residence, and only Elder Feng was chasing after them.

"Clang clang clang!"

Ziyun continuously shot out hidden weapons.

Xu Jingming swept his spear over, the spear being longer than a saber, with the advantage of a greater weapon attack range.

Elder Feng used one saber to block the hidden weapons and the other saber to attack Xu Jingming, colliding with the spear one after another. Xu Jingming was skilled in the *Flowing Scroll*, and his spear did not seek to attack, only to be watertight! After continuously blocking three saber strikes, he turned around and fled back to the inner residence with Ziyun.

"Charge in," Elder Feng ordered, standing outside the wall of the inner residence. Even as a first-rate expert, he would not rashly charge in.

The Scarlet Moon Squad members from all directions stepped forward and kicked the walls, and the walls of the inner residence collapsed, revealing a group of guards holding shields. These guards were guarding the front of the house, and Xu Jingming, Ziyun, Qingyu, and the coachman were all behind the guards.

"Protect the Young Master!"

"Killing one is enough, killing two is a profit!"

The guards roared ferociously.

There were still twenty-two guards left! Among them were also Cosmic Professional Player 'third-rate experts' hired by Chang Yi, as well as native experts.

"Surround and kill them," the Scarlet Moon Squad captain ordered. At the same time, he walked in front of Elder Feng. "We'll deal with those second-rate experts."

If they let the second-rate experts slaughter them, the threat to the ordinary members would be too great.

"Go."

With Elder Feng in the lead, the five second-rate experts of the Scarlet Moon Squad joined forces and charged forward like an arrow!

If they let the second-rate experts of the Scarlet Moon Squad charge forward alone, they would hesitate, but following behind Elder Feng, they were full of confidence!

"Here they come." Xu Jingming held a spear in front, and Qingyu, Ziyun, and the coachman followed closely behind, instantly engaging in a fierce battle with Elder Feng and his group.

"Qingyu and the coachman are also second-rate experts." Xu Jingming could feel their strength. The four of them working together could only temporarily resist the six opponents!

"So many experts?"

Elder Feng was also somewhat surprised, but the killing intent in his eyes was even stronger. "But all of you must die!"

He avoided Xu Jingming because he realized that this spearman's 'spear defense' was relatively good. It might take dozens or hundreds of moves to kill him, so he chose to attack Qingyu, who looked the weakest! When Elder Feng attacked her, a bright light flashed around her waist, and a soft sword drew a curve, already cutting towards Elder Feng. Xu Jingming rolled his spear and swept it towards Elder Feng while repelling a second-rate expert.

The other five second-rate experts of the Scarlet Moon Squad were also cooperating with Elder Feng!

At the same time, a large number of Scarlet Moon Squad members were besieging the guards. The guards were only as elite as the Scarlet Moon Squad. Twenty-two against more than four hundred! Even if only a hundred Scarlet Moon Squad members besieged them at the same time, the guards began to fall one by one.

"Kill kill kill," the guards gritted their teeth and fought hard.

"Killing two and I'll make a profit." These guards had long been prepared to fight to the death.

The situation was very unfavorable for Xu Jingming and his group.

Elder Feng's saber light was unpredictable, putting too much pressure on them!

"Pfft."

The coachman was the first to be unable to withstand it, his chest grazed by Elder Feng's saber!

But at this moment—

"Whoosh!"

In Xu Jingming's mind, he suddenly sensed a very terrifying cold light!

He only noticed it when it appeared.

And as soon as it appeared, it had already passed through Elder Feng's body! Elder Feng's reaction was also extremely fast, dodging while blocking with his saber, but he was still a little slow! Elder Feng's right arm flew up.

"Ah!" Elder Feng screamed in pain, and quickly retreated in horror.

"Escape?"

A down-and-out man holding a shield in one hand and a sword in the other suddenly stepped forward, his speed a little faster than Elder Feng! He was originally an ordinary guard, but once he revealed his fangs, he became incomparably terrifying.

"Protect the Elder!" The Scarlet Moon Squad captain shouted angrily, but the five second-rate experts began to retreat. Elder Feng drilled into the crowd.

Whoosh——

The seemingly down-and-out man was extremely fast. Wherever he passed, a cold light flashed, and a bloody mark appeared on the bodies of the Scarlet Moon Squad members, each split in two. In just three steps, he caught up with Elder Feng! The two quickly fought fiercely!

"Spare my life, everything can be discussed," Elder Feng desperately blocked with his left-hand saber, begging for mercy. "I'll give you silver, one thousand taels of silver, five thousand taels—"

Pfft!

A cold light grazed Elder Feng's neck, leaving a bloody mark. Elder Feng's eyes widened.

This scene made the Phoenix Lake Hall Master, 'Cui Xiaodao,' who was watching from behind, change his expression drastically. "Elder Feng is dead?"

The Scarlet Moon Squad experts were also trembling.

Xu Jingming and the others looked in surprise at the down-and-out man. This man was previously one of the guards, looking ordinary, but he was actually a first-rate expert?

"Such an expert, even if he joined the three major gangs, would be revered as a guest of honor. How could he be willing to be a guard?" Xu Jingming and the others were very surprised. "Chang Yi shouldn't be willing to hire such an expert. Hiring such an expert would cost much more."

The down-and-out man held his shield and sword. With a step, his figure blurred and he came to Xu Jingming and the others.

"The Young Master has already escaped. Let's go too. The Hua Yue Gang will definitely have reinforcements coming," the down-and-out man said.

"Okay," everyone responded.

The down-and-out man led Qingyu and the others away along the collapsed wall.

None of the Hua Yue Gang members left on the field dared to stop them! After all, everyone could see that this down-and-out man was a first-rate expert.

A first-rate expert plus Xu Jingming and the other four second-rate experts, could the remaining four hundred members of the Scarlet Moon Squad stop them? No one was willing to stop them!

"First-rate expert, where did a first-rate expert come from?" The Phoenix Lake Hall Master, 'Cui Xiaodao,' and the Scarlet Moon Squad captain couldn't believe it.

"Chang Yi, oh Chang Yi, if you had a first-rate expert guarding you, and had revealed it earlier, how would we dare to think of harming you?" Cui Xiaodao felt wronged. This Chang Yi was hiding too deeply. Was it necessary to do so? If he had revealed it earlier, wouldn't he have avoided disaster?

"Captain, Elder Feng is dead. What should we do now?" The vice-captain said in a low voice.

"Elder Feng."

The Scarlet Moon captain looked at Elder Feng's staring corpse. He was a first-rate expert! He immediately said, "Quickly report to the gang leader!"

…

In an alley.

The down-and-out man looked at Qingyu, Xu Jingming, and Ziyun, as well as the guards: "Let's separate here."

"Thank you, Senior," Qingyu nodded. She looked at the other guards. "Everyone, you are loyal and righteous. The Young Master has instructed to give each of you ten taels of silver. Disperse and leave. There's no need to follow the Young Master anymore." As she spoke, Qingyu took out silver from her bag and gave it to them one by one.

At this moment, only eight guards were still alive.

The eight guards accepted the silver, clasped their fists, and turned to leave! They were already used to living on the edge of a blade.

"That Hua Yue Gang expert was no weaker than me," the down-and-out man said, watching the guards leave. "So I had to look for an opportunity to wait for the best time to strike and turn the tables in one fell swoop! I'm sorry about the deaths of your companions."

The down-and-out man still regretted the deaths of Mr. Lu and the coachman. After all, they were also two second-rate experts.

Who knew that Xu Jingming and the others wouldn't care, because these were all Cosmic Professional Player players.

"If it weren't for Senior, few of us would have escaped," Qingyu said. "Senior, please come with me to see the Young Master. The Young Master will definitely be grateful to Senior."

"No need."

The down-and-out man said, taking out a letter from his arms and handing it to Qingyu. "Qingyu, this is a letter left by Master Chang before his death. Please hand it over to your Young Master! Since I have taken action once, I have repaid Master Chang's kindness! I should also leave Lanyue City. I believe that with my deterrence, the three major gangs will not dare to easily attack your Young Master! But you must be cautious in your actions in the future."

Qingyu took the letter.

The down-and-out man turned and left, quickly disappearing into the night.

"That was actually Master Chang's arrangement?" Ziyun exclaimed in amazement.

"That Master Chang was also doing it for his son," Xu Jingming nodded. "Maybe he was worried about his son."

Qingyu held the letter.

There were four words on the letter—"To my son!"