Prologue

The cold star vanished, and the knight's massive body trembled violently, letting out a gasp as a mist of blood was expelled, yet his momentum surged even more fiercely.

The Bu family member said: "From today onwards, there will be no more Bu Qilong in this world, only Bai Xiangtian."

The leading black-clad masked man, in a state of disarray, rose from the ground. Angered that this person had taken advantage of his unpreparedness, causing him such embarrassment, he coldly snorted and said, "You have quite the audacity."

With a thunderous strike, the rain began to pour even more heavily

Those black-clad masked individuals clearly anticipated his move. With a slight evasion, they each displayed their exceptional skills and simultaneously launched an attack on the knight.

One of the masked figures in black, clearly a leader, chuckled and said: "Young Master, you are feigning ignorance. All you need to do is leave the item behind."

The person with the surname Bu scoffed, "How can a grain of rice dare to compete with the brilliance of the sun and moon?" The water sword dissipated, transforming into countless tiny points that swiftly darted towards those masked figures in black

The knight faced eight opponents alone, and in a brief moment had already exchanged over ten blows with them. The rain intensified, and with a powerful punch, the knight sent one of the sword-wielding assailants flying. With a flick of his right hand, the whip suddenly shattered into pieces, scattering like raindrops, resembling sharp arrows as they shot forth.

The knight spat out a mouthful of blood mist, a hint of relief appearing on his face as he whispered, "Brother Bu."

The "drunkard" placed his palm against the knight's heart, slowly channeling his internal energy to help him expel the poison

The man with the surname Bu, a notorious drunkard, suddenly revealed a sharp glint in his eyes and said in a deep voice, "Tang Sect?" The group of black-clad masked individuals who had just pursued him shuddered at his gaze, nearly wanting to turn and flee.

The person with the surname Bu unwrapped the bundle, and inside was indeed a long sword, measuring approximately three feet in length, as thin as a cicada's wing. Holding it in hand felt almost weightless, akin to holding a book.

A group of black-clad masked individuals was momentarily unsettled when a knight suddenly let out a loud shout. In an instant, he unleashed a flurry of seventy-seven strikes, totaling forty-nine palm techniques. The enemies, armed with swords, spears, and hooks, were momentarily taken aback. After a few breaths, they suddenly lost sight of their opponent.

The knight of the Bai family struggled to sit up, opened his eyes with a glimmer of light, and said: "Brother Bu, could you do me a favor?"

Want to escape?" The figure in black, with a cold laugh, sent out several cold stars from his sleeve, becoming even more elusive in the heavy rain

The person with the surname Bu sneered and said, "Do you want to escape?" Their form shifted again, already blocking the way of the crowd.

With a sound of "peng," the figure in black, masked, swayed a few times before suddenly exploding into a cloud of blood mist, vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye

The knight, with fierce eyes, was filled with overwhelming hatred and shouted: "One day, I will ensure that the Tang Sect has no place to bury its dead."

The man in black, wielding a sword, was taken aback. Without a moment's thought, he raised his sword to parry, only to feel a sudden lightness in his hand as his long sword effortlessly pierced through his opponent's weapon. It was then that he recalled that his opponent was merely using a water sword, which could not possibly block his attack. Before he could execute a follow-up move, he felt a chill at his neck, and his head flew high into the air, his eyes wide open, truly unable to close them in death

The man with the surname Bu nodded repeatedly, while the knight with the surname Bai slightly closed his eyes, then suddenly opened them wide and said: "I kindly ask Brother Bu to take care of my family on my behalf, do not, do not..." Before he could finish his words, he had already faded away into oblivion

His right hand was not idle either; reaching forward, the white curtain of rain converged like myriad streams returning to their source, gathering in his hand to form a water sword approximately one zhang long

"It is probably you, my lord, who is impatient with life." The knight snorted coldly, and with a flick of his right hand holding the riding whip, he stirred up a cloud of murky water and splashed it towards a group of masked figures in black.

"No way." The knight rubbed his palms together and threw out several dark objects, which exploded into colorful clouds of smoke, causing his figure to vanish within them

Run! The other masked figures in black narrowly avoided the raindrops, exchanged glances with each other, and prepared to make their escape

As he spoke, a series of explosive sounds erupted from his entire body, and in an instant, his tall figure seemed to shrink by several inches

The black-clad masked figure, who was overly pleased with himself, was unexpectedly sent flying a considerable distance, landing with a thud on the ground and remaining motionless for a long time

The knight's aura suddenly intensified, and the man with the surname Bu whispered in his ear: "Brother Bai, please wait a moment while I take care of these dead men for you"

A series of soft hissing sounds emerged, as those water droplets unexpectedly penetrated his protective vital energy, striking solidly at his vital points.

On a day of bright sunshine, this tactic might prove effective; however, at this moment, heavy rain pours down, and the mist dissipates in an instant under the downpour. Several dozen yards away, the silhouette of the knight fleeing can be faintly seen.

The knight remained unperturbed, responding with remarkable swiftness. With a point of his toes on the saddle, he soared into the air and landed on the ground, his white attire already splattered with considerable mud

The man with the surname Bu slowly helped the white-clad knight, who was barely breathing. Upon probing with his internal energy, he realized that the poison had attacked the heart; even a Great Luo Golden Immortal would be unable to save him. He secretly lamented that it would have been better if he had arrived half an hour earlier.

For about ten days, a continuous autumn rain fell, making the roads muddy and difficult to traverse. Half a day passed on the official road that once flowed unceasingly from Tongguan directly to the ancient capital of Chang'an, yet not a single cart or horse was seen. At dusk, during the time of the evening meal, a rider finally appeared from the direction of Tongguan. The person on the horse had a square face, thick eyebrows, and large ears, appearing to be in his twenties, exuding an air of righteousness, undoubtedly a remarkable and extraordinary hero. He was lightly equipped, carrying a long, narrow bundle on his back, galloping swiftly through the autumn wind and fine rain.

"I fear you will not see that day." The figure in black, with a cold laugh, gathered internal energy and struck with a palm.

Eight shadowy figures shot out, each clad in black and masked, wielding sharp blades, surrounding the knightly order.

Just as he climbed a small hill, the young knight's steed suddenly let out a mournful neigh, its four legs buckled, it foamed at the mouth, and it could rise no more

The knight let out a muffled groan, his face as pale as death, clearly indicating that he had suffered severe internal injuries

The cries of anguish echoed, leaving behind only seven nameless corpses in the wake of the Bu family.

The man in black raised his head and laughed heartily: "The young escort leader says such things; he must be tired of living."

A series of thunderous explosive sounds echoed from ten zhang away, clearly audible amidst the rain. It turned out to be the masked man in black, leading the charge, grappling hand-to-hand with the knight.

The knight barely escaped several miles away. As he took a deep breath and soared forward, the effects of the poison began to manifest. A faint dark aura appeared on his originally pale face, and he suddenly felt a wave of dizziness in his mind. The pursuing soldiers were closing in rapidly, and he knew he had no hope of survival. Nevertheless, he forced himself to hold on, biting his tongue to increase his momentum. The rain had nearly soaked through his thin garment, and the outline of the items in the burden on his back became apparent, revealing what seemed to be a long sword.

The knight with the surname Bai slowly unfastened the burden from his back and handed it to the person with the surname Bu, saying: "Could you please help me return this item to the Zhenwei Escort Agency"

In late autumn, the cold wind blows gently, and the rain falls. The sky seems to be shrouded in a layer of gray, with not a trace of sunlight visible, creating an overwhelming sense of oppression

Mr. Bu said: "Brother Bai, what are your wishes? Please speak freely, and I will do everything in my power to fulfill them, even if it means going to the ends of the earth."

The figure in black, masked and cloaked, trembled violently, blood gushing from his wounds like a torrent, forming several clouds of crimson mist. As the rain poured down, it stained his entire body a vivid red. With his last breath, he shouted fiercely: "You, with the surname Bu, there will come a day when we will ensure you die without a burial place."

"Young Master Shao, why struggle in vain? Wouldn't it be better for me to grant you a swift end?" Unbeknownst to him, the figure in black had already closed in, within less than ten paces of him.

The two individuals' gazes met for an instant before quickly parting. The figure in black, with a masked face, coldly laughed and said: "Does the young chief escort wish to be a rat crossing the street?"

The knight clasped his hands together and said sternly: "Who are you? What is your intention?"

The knight said with a bitter smile: "The poison of the Tang Sect is unparalleled in the world; even the Sage of Medicine is at a loss when faced with it. Brother Bu need not waste any more internal energy."

The eighth brother!" The leading figure in black clothing, masked, let out a cry of despair, disregarding the droplets of water nearby, and charged forward with all his might

The man with the surname Bu killed two people, yet walked leisurely as if in a spacious garden, calmly stating: "I fear you will not see that day." The two responded as if they were just speaking moments ago, but the one who spoke had changed.

Chase! The masked figure in black let out a triumphant laugh, leading his subordinates as they soared away.

The man with the surname Bu gently placed the body of the knight with the surname Bai onto the stone. With tears glistening in his tiger-like eyes, he slowly said: "Brother Bai, rest assured, from now on, I will not allow your family to suffer the slightest harm"

The two, having briefly come together, soon parted ways. After exchanging several blows, the knight could not help but retreat, blood seeping from his seven orifices, his body swaying precariously, and his face bearing an extremely tragic expression

The person with the surname Bu murmured, "Cicada Wing Sword, do you know how many lives you have taken?" With a single swing of the sword, a corner of the square stone, several zhang in area, was actually cleaved off by him

The knight mocked, "Things? A group of worthless beings hiding their tails in broad daylight, are they not afraid of being ridiculed by the people of the world?"

The person with the surname Bu suddenly changed shape and vanished before the crowd. Half a breath later, they appeared behind a swordsman, striking out with a sword at chest level.

The knight shouted sternly: "Unnamed rat, there is no need to hide, come out." The autumn wind whipped the cold rain against his head, causing it to trickle down his jaw, yet it did not cause the resolute expression on his face to change in the slightest

After a long time, the man with the surname Bu carefully stored the sword, picked up the knight with the surname Bai, and was about to leave when suddenly several items fell out from the corpse. Upon picking them up and examining them, he found a few martial arts manuals. A thought suddenly struck him, and he said to himself: "Brother Bai, for the sake of this secret, I have a brilliant idea."

Behind the knight appeared a man with unusually long hair and beard, dressed in tattered clothes. He held a wine gourd in his left hand, resembling a complete drunkard. Strangely, despite walking several dozen miles in the heavy wind and rain, not a single drop of rainwater touched his body

The person with the surname Bu said in a cold voice: "Do you also have the surname Tang?" With a wave of his left hand, the knight with the surname Bai seemed to soar through the clouds, flying over several dozen zhang, landing precisely on a large stone that had been washed clean by the rain, in front of him was also that enormous wine gourd

The figure in black, with a masked face, said: "Leave the items behind, I swear to the heavens that I will not make things difficult for the Chief Escort."