Chapter 11
Zheng—

The short-haired Daoist drew a long sword made of copper coins strung together from behind him, using the square holes in the copper coin blades to block the poisoned dagger's edge.

The prison breaker, dressed in night clothes, narrowed his pupils, seemingly not expecting the Daoist's reaction to be so quick.

He applied force to the right hand holding the dagger's hilt, resisting the strange force extending from the copper coin sword.

With a flick of his left hand, three slender crossbow bolts shot out from the sleeve of his left arm, attacking the short-haired Daoist's face.

The [Shui Wu San She] skill effect activated, and without any warning, the air in front of the prison breaker exploded, directly blowing away all the crossbow bolts.

Time seemed to slow down artificially.

In the prison breaker's pupils, he clearly saw the ordinary-looking fist of the short-haired Daoist, carrying an unknown, wild wind, attacking his head.

Boom!

The fist struck the bridge of his nose squarely, and the prison breaker flew out almost horizontally, crashing heavily into the prison's pillar, breaking the solid wooden pillar.

Fresh blood gushed out from the fractured and collapsing bridge of his nose, staining the night clothes mask covering his mouth and nose.

The prison breaker had no time to worry about whether he would be disfigured later. Enduring the pain, he used one hand to push off the dirty ground of the prison, leaping backward nimbly, barely avoiding the short-haired Daoist's foot as it stomped down.

The stone bricks under the Daoist's foot shattered and burst open, and countless dust fell from the prison ceiling due to the vibration.

One step faster leads to step after step.

The short-haired Daoist seemed to have no intention of stopping his attack, just wielding the copper coin sword expressionlessly.

Although there were no discernible techniques or stances, he relied on irresistible power and bizarre speed to force the prison breaker to retreat constantly, without a chance to breathe.

In the narrow prison corridor, there was not much room to maneuver. Seeing that he was gradually being forced to the front gate of the prison, a gleam flashed in the prison breaker's eyes.

He forcefully used the dagger to block the copper coin sword, grabbed the jailer behind him with his left hand, and threw him fiercely at the pursuing Daoist.

The Daoist remained silent, expressionless, holding the sword in the same downward chopping posture, without the slightest hesitation because of the terrified jailer blocking the blade.

Seeing that the jailer was about to be split in the head and killed on the spot, the short-haired Daoist's wrist suddenly twisted violently.

His entire arm bent into a huge arc like a snake.

The copper sword's blade just grazed the jailer's scalp, heavily striking the prison breaker's waist.

Although the copper coin sword had no blade, the terrifying force applied to it was enough to cause fatal damage.

The prison breaker flew out like a rag doll, and along the way, blood poured out from the cracked night clothes as if it were free, splattering all over the prison corridor.

"Cough, cough."

The prison breaker barely managed to get up, and the blood he spat out landed on the inside of his mask, dripping onto the ground along his chin.

Without asking his identity, without demanding surrender, the Daoist held the copper coin sword and walked towards the prison breaker step by step, calmly and indifferently.

Even the guards with dull senses could feel the cold killing intent emanating from him.

This was completely different from the ethereal, kind-hearted young Daoist from daytime...

Bang!

A loud noise from the corner of the prison broke the terrifying pressure of the moment.

The short-haired Daoist looked back, and thick smoke poured out of the cell where the suspect Wu Hu was supposed to be imprisoned, with pebbles shooting out.

At the same time, a pair of scarlet arms stretched out from the pool of blood beneath the prison breaker, grabbing his limbs and dragging him towards the pool of blood, completely disappearing.

The pool of blood also seemed to have never existed, seeping into the cracks in the floor tiles.

An escape technique?

The Daoist frowned, pushed aside the guards blocking the corridor, and rushed into the smoky cell, scanning it.

The thick stone wall of the cell had been blasted open by something, collapsing and falling down for the most part. Moonlight shone in, illuminating the broken stone bricks all over the ground.

The suspect Wu Hu had disappeared.

This cell was located at the innermost part of the prison. Outside the stone wall was the courtyard wall, and beyond the courtyard wall was the intricate residential complex of Goose City.

It seemed that the prison breaker had an accomplice who used a feint to rescue Wu Hu and escape.

The Daoist stood silently, seemingly pondering something, the hand holding the copper coin sword drooping at his side, swaying slightly.

The jailer swallowed, mustered his courage, slowly approached, and asked cautiously, "Daozhang… should we notify the Goose City soldiers to pursue the suspect?"

"..."

The short-haired Daoist twisted his neck stiffly, looked at the jailer blankly, forced out a smile slowly, and said hoarsely, "No need, I'll go after them myself."

Under the moonlight, the jailer's face was pale, "Daozhang, your eyes..."

"My eyes?"

The Daoist casually pulled at his eyes and actually pulled out a green plant mycelium that had grown from under his eyelids.

The mycelium was long and tough, like yarn, hanging in front of his eyeballs, terrifying and horrifying.

"I haven't washed my eyes in too long, so some eye boogers grew."

As the Daoist spoke, he held the sword upside down and used both hands to pull out the long thread bit by bit, coiling it in his hand.

"Okay."

The Daoist pulled out the last section of thread, smiled stiffly at the terrified jailer, "Don't worry, I'll find them."

With that, he picked up the copper coin sword and rushed out along the crack in the cell.

————

Outside Goose City.

This was an unmanaged burial ground, with low earthen mounds and simple wooden tombstones everywhere.

Fireflies fluttered, and several mangy wild dogs were lured by the strong smell of blood, lowering their heads to lick a pool of black blood in the middle of the burial ground.

Suddenly, an arm stretched out from the shallow pool of blood. The severely wounded night traveler climbed out of the blood, covered in blood, scaring away all the wild dogs.

His waist had been struck head-on by the copper coin sword, and he did not know how many ribs had been broken. Scarlet blood was constantly gushing out.

"The White Lotus is born, the Ming King descends..."

His forehead was covered in sweat, and he murmured as he took out a wide, dry piece of leather with faded tattoos from his night clothes and gently covered the wound on his waist.

After a few breaths, blood no longer seeped out.

"The skin stripped from the Tiansha Guxing (ill-fated loner) and nourished with fresh blood every day for ten years was actually used here..."

The prison breaker, or rather, Ruan Tian, a member of the Ren Zi Gate of the Holy White Lotus Sect, muttered to himself, his tone filled with undisguised heartache and hatred,

"And my Huang Pizi (Weasel)... was also killed by that Daoist.

If I don't avenge this, I, Ruan Tian, am not worthy of being a man!"

Before he could finish speaking, footsteps approached from afar, and Ruan Shan, his younger brother, also dressed in night clothes, rushed into the burial ground carrying a figure on his shoulder.

"Brother, Wu Hu has been rescued."

Ruan Di put the person he was carrying on his shoulder on the ground, "Let's go to the broken temple quickly to report to the Shi Nv (Envoy)."

"The Shi Nv..."

Ruan Tian couldn't help but gnash his teeth when he heard this, "If it weren't for her incomplete intelligence and her insistence that we go to Goose City to rescue someone, how could I have suffered such a great loss!"

"Brother, be careful what you say."

Ruan Di frowned.

Within the Holy White Lotus Sect, the hierarchy was clear, and the punishments were cruel.

The two brothers belonged to the Luzhou Branch of the Ren Zi Gate of the Holy White Lotus Sect and were not qualified to discuss or even criticize the two noble Shi Nv who were close female attendants of the Holy Son of the White Lotus Sect.

Moreover, there was a third person present.

"Ugh... where am I?"

Wu Hu, who was lying on the ground, woke up slowly, looked at the two men in black, and cupped his hands, "You two are..."

"It's me, Ruan Tian."

Ruan Tian took off his hood, stared at Wu Hu, and said in a low voice, "Hmph, you kid, even a wild goose can get pecked in the eye, and you actually got caught in prison by a farmer. What a joke."

"You can give me pointers, but don't point your fingers at me."

Wu Hu frowned and said, "Don't think that just because you saved me, I have to be grateful to you. A fierce tiger descends the mountain, a dragon roars, little brother, don't be too arrogant. The righteous path of the world is full of vicissitudes, don't live too arrogantly."

"???"

Ruan Tian was stunned.

Wu Hu seemed to realize that his words were a bit inappropriate, shook his head, and said painfully, "Sorry, that Daoist seemed to have done something to me when he was interrogating me..."

"Okay, let's not talk about so much yet."

Ruan Di interrupted, "That Daoist might chase after us at any time. Let's hurry to the broken temple, we can't miss the time the Shi Nv ordered."