Li Chonglou focused his gaze and saw a man in black standing before him.
Because those who entered did not wish to be recognized, they almost all wore accessories to obscure their faces. The man in black before him wore a mask.
His words undoubtedly indicated he had been waiting here for a long time.
However, whether the one before him was a fish or a crocodile remained uncertain.
Li Chonglou sprang forward, and from the brief clash of moves, he assessed that the man before him was not particularly strong. He had no intention of wasting time with him.
“Interesting.”
Perhaps sensing Li Chonglou’s intention, the man in black chuckled and suddenly drew a short knife from his robes.
A knife wielder?
Li Chonglou’s eyes narrowed slightly, but his speed did not abate. In moments, he was before the man.
In terms of techniques, Li Chonglou was naturally more proficient than most. He had no fixed stances; each move was direct and effective.
Thus, the moment Li Chonglou attacked, the man in black recognized the difference. However, the man did not panic. He raised his left hand to block Li Chonglou’s punch while his right hand, holding the knife, aimed directly for the heart.
“Die!”
This too was a killing blow from the outset. In the man’s eyes, Li Chonglou’s actions were no different from seeking death. A dismissive sneer appeared on his lips.
The man’s name was Black Snake. The name was inspired by a highly venomous viper, the silver-iron. This was a type of snake rarely found in the north, but its venom was tens of times stronger than that of a king cobra!
This name perfectly represented him as a master poisoner. Every part of his body, even his fingernails, was coated with potent poison, let alone the short knife he wielded.
This was one of his trump cards.
In this era, many people harbored a subconscious disdain for such cold weapons. After all, at their level of cultivation, they could control the muscles within their bodies. Sometimes, a stab might only pierce the skin.
Because of this, many people simply ignored him after he drew his short knife.
Li Chonglou’s current actions were no different in Black Snake’s eyes.
But the truth was that most enemies who made such a move would meet their demise the very next second! For his knife, as long as it pierced a little skin, it could deliver venom into the body. Within seconds, it was enough to turn an internal energy expert into prey!
Thus, just as Li Chonglou disregarded his short knife, Black Snake also ignored Li Chonglou’s fist.
Even though the fist was far faster than his short knife.
“What use is a fist in front? Can it kill a man with one punch? But if my poisoned dagger hits, even an immortal cannot save you!”
Black Snake stared intently at Li Chonglou’s heart, his sneer intensifying into a wild grin.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye, from Li Chonglou’s move to Black Snake drawing his knife.
The next moment, Li Chonglou’s fist landed on Black Snake’s shoulder.
It was only then that Black Snake realized a fatal problem.
Did he underestimate the opponent’s strength?
*Bang!*
There was no exchange of blows where each party suffered damage. Li Chonglou’s punch slammed Black Snake into the ground. The short knife had long since flown somewhere.
*Pfft.* Black Snake vomited a mouthful of blood, feeling his entire right arm completely numb. Simultaneously, a savage force surged through his body, causing his internal organs to ache and making it difficult to breathe!
From Ah Niu’s perspective, Black Snake was now embedded in the ground, his body contorted into an unnatural posture.
For any ordinary person, this would mean being half-dead.
However, as Li Chonglou prepared to lead Ah Niu further in, Black Snake suddenly leaped up from the ground, his hands like venomous snakes lunging for his neck.
The speed was astonishing, but another punch landed on his face.
This time, however, it did not have the same effect. Li Chonglou felt as if his fist had struck a smooth surface, sliding off the man’s body.
“Hmm?”
At this moment, Black Snake’s hands had already coiled around his neck.
“Scram!”
Li Chonglou grunted, and a potent killing intent erupted from his body. Even Green Ox, who was still unconscious nearby, was startled by this aura and groggily opened his eyes.
Black Snake, the closest, felt his scalp tingle. Without a second thought, he released Li Chonglou and fled rapidly down the passage.
The entire process was brief.
Ah Niu felt a blur before his eyes and a sudden chill. The Black Snake on the ground had vanished.
At the same time, Green Ox, whom he was carrying, mumbled confusedly, “What happened?”
“Boss, you’re awake?”
Ah Niu was overjoyed and tried to set Green Ox down, but Li Chonglou stopped him. “Don’t move him. If you don’t want him dead, don’t put him down. Keep him in this position.”
Ah Niu’s expression turned serious, and he tightened his grip, daring not to make another move.
He also noticed that Li Chonglou’s expression was grim, and he could even sense a faint, elusive killing intent.
Although Ah Niu had never truly experienced what killing intent was, he could feel the aura that instinctively instilled fear.
It was clear that the other party was desperately suppressing something!
However, when Ah Niu shifted his gaze to the surroundings, he suddenly understood why Li Chonglou reacted this way.
Brutal, inhumane.
Less than an hour ago, when he and Green Ox had left, dozens of hostages were bound in this passage. Green Ox had not considered freeing them then, thinking they could be recaptured later if needed.
But now, all of them had become cold corpses.
The most crucial point was that a normal kill would not result in so much blood spilling. Yet, at this moment, bright red blood was visible everywhere in the passage.
The passage, which was not wide to begin with, now resembled a hellish inferno! Bodies lay scattered haphazardly, and some of the deaths were so horrific as to be unbearable to witness.
It was evident that these people had endured a degree of torture before their demise.
Even Ah Niu, with his hardened heart, felt a chill upon seeing this scene.
The most critical aspect was that the perpetrator, despite being an internal energy expert capable of killing with a single blow, had chosen to torture his victims to death. This was a matter of mutual despair!
“This is too…”
Green Ox, who also saw the scene, couldn’t help but speak slowly.
He too had killed countless people, but he never found pleasure in torture. He believed that killing and torturing were the acts of two different kinds of people: one normal, the other a pervert!
It was then that Li Chonglou finally spoke.
“Wait for me here.”
His voice was icy cold. Before Ah Niu and Green Ox could react, Li Chonglou’s figure vanished from their sight.