Chapter 151: When We Are Together

TL: FoodieMonster007

The village seemed ordinary. No, it only looked ordinary.

Passersby and merchants filled the streets, and children even ran around playing. Seeing this scene, no one would ever guess this village was in the Valley of Evil.

But while it looked normal at a glance, the wary gazes and the tense feeling from the people were anything but. I could feel them secretly exchanging glances, but we pretended not to notice and continued walking.

"Not everyone here follows the Evil Valley Lord. In fact, many are covetously eyeing his position. You can think of it as being similar to the Viridian Forest."

That was why we did not use movement arts to rush in. We had to ensure our movements were not seen as an invasion or an attack. If they judged it an attack, every villain in the Valley of Evil would come forward to protect their home, whether they liked it or not.

But we were simply unfamiliar visitors walking through. This was a significant difference, a strategy we could use because we had the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon, who knew the valley's nature better than anyone.

As we walked, we saw about a dozen men and women sitting in a circle in an open lot, drinking. They laughed and chatted boisterously, as if having a wonderful time.

The moment we passed them, they shot to their feet to throw hidden weapons, but before the weapons could even leave their hands, a blur of motion stopped them.

SWIIIIISH.

KWAKWAKWAKWAKWA!

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon's blade qi swept through them a step ahead of their attack. We had already anticipated their ambush.

Their acting was decent, but not a single one of them had glanced at us as we passed. With two or three people, that might have been believable. For a group of a dozen, it was completely unnatural.

"Most of the villains in the Valley of Evil would sell their souls for money. The Evil Valley Lord has probably put a bounty on our heads in preparation for our arrival."

I laughed at the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's explanation.

"He'd have to offer at least a million taels."

The Drunken Demon remarked, "Per person, of course, right?"

We joked as we walked on, but ambushers soon jumped out from the woods on both sides.

This time, the Sword Supreme flew lightly into the air. She spun once, her sword scattering qi in every direction.

The attackers fell, sliced apart by the deadly energy. Not a single sliver of sword qi missed its mark.

The Sword Supreme then landed gracefully, returning to her walking position.

We continued walking and resumed our conversation as if nothing had happened.

"The Evil Valley Lord isn't the world's number one tycoon. How could he possibly offer a million taels per person?"

"That's probably why only trash like this is coming after us."

The moment the Drunken Demon finished speaking, hidden weapons flew from the bushes ahead.

We all twisted our bodies lightly to dodge. The weapons flew between the five of us with a ferocity that seemed impossible to evade, yet everyone dodged them easily.

The Drunken Demon moved next. His figure flashed and disappeared into the bushes. He returned to his original spot even faster than he had left. Not a single scream was heard, leaving no clue how he had dealt with the ambushers.

He returned, took a sip of alcohol, and said, "I gave them all a drink, and now they're sleeping it off."

I had never properly seen the Drunken Demon fight, but this display alone showed his martial arts were not to be taken lightly.

We started walking again and soon arrived at a ferry dock.

"From here, we have to cross the river by boat."

So, we got a boat at the dock and started to cross the river.

"I'm the youngest, so I'll row."

Seeing me row, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon asked, "When did you learn to handle a boat? You look very skilled."

"Is there anything I can't do?"

The other three Demon Supremes also stared intently at me.

"Why are you all staring at me like that? It's embarrassing. It just makes me… row even better, you know? I do love being the center of attention."

I was joking, but they all looked at me with strange expressions. It was probably because I was good at too many things.

The boat cut swiftly through the water.

The Drunken Demon, who had been gazing at the river, suddenly spoke to the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.

"Seeing you in action against our enemies just now, Senior, you are still as vigorous as ever."

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon was clearly flustered by the Drunken Demon's sudden praise.

"Well, I don't drink much alcohol."

The Flower Sword Supreme then chimed in.

"In times like these, just say thank you. How can you be so old and still so cantankerous?"

Although she was meddling, her tone was gentle. The Blood Heaven Blade Demon, who would have been more stubborn at any other time, backed down.

"Thank you."

He had meekly thanked the Drunken Demon.

"Don't mention it. I was just speaking my mind."

The Flower Sword Supreme looked at the Blood Heaven Blade Demon with an expression that said, What's gotten into you?

I could feel the Drunken Demon was making an effort. That effort was creating change.

My gaze met the Drunken Demon's. Thank you, Hyung. You're doing great.

The attacks continued.

When the boat reached the middle of the river, ambushers burst from the water, throwing hidden weapons.

This time, I leaped up with an oar in hand and struck the bastards down.

I struck one, used him as a foothold to strike another, then used that one as a foothold to strike the next. It looked simple, but it was a technique that combined supreme movement arts with their combat application.

All the men who jumped out were struck by the oar. Their heads burst open as they fell back into the water. They were the Yellow River Water Ghosts, dressed in fish-scale armor. They once roamed the Yellow River area, plundering ships and slaughtering passengers, but were eventually chased into the Valley of Evil.

The very moment I was about to land back on the boat, an explosion erupted.

BOOM!

The ferry boat shattered to pieces.

The Demon Supremes and I all leaped into the air. The water ghosts poked their heads out of the water and shot poison needles from blowpipes.

FWIPFWIPFWIPFWIPFWIPFWIPFWIP!

However, not a single Demon Supreme was hit. They moved their bodies in mid-air, dodging the entire ambush. This time, the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon acted.

PING! PIIING! PING! PING!

He unleashed the Blood Calamity Finger in rapid succession. It was the first time I realized the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's finger qi bullet could be fired continuously like that.

The men who had shot the poison needles floated to the surface like dead fish.

The Demon Supremes and I each landed on a piece of the shattered boat. We did not sink, despite standing on fragments smaller than a man's forearm.

SHWAAAAAAAAA.

The wooden planks carrying the Demon Supremes cut through the water, moving forward.

In the distance, more water ghosts poked their heads out, but they did not dare to attack. The sight of us using our qi to cross the river on shattered wood was enough to make them lose their will to fight.

Just like that, we reached the opposite bank in an instant.

About 330 meters from there, we were blocked by men whose names were recognizable. The movement arts displayed by the five martial artists blocking our path were extraordinary.

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon recognized them.

"The Five Evils of Chongqing!"

They were villains who had once committed evil deeds based in the Chongqing area.

"After all these years, there are few who can recognize us. Old man, who are you?"

"You've forgotten me."

"You know me?"

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon merely gave a faint smile.

"Seeing as you're blocking our path, it seems that when you get old, your judgment fades just as much as your memory."

The first evil's expression hardened.

He had come out to kill, but an unknown sense of unease pricked at him. He was sure he had seen this old man somewhere before, but he could not remember.

"Kill them!"

Although the first evil gave the order to his subordinates, it ultimately served as a command for the Demon Supremes.

Before the words were even finished, we each took on one of them.

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon unleashed the Blood Calamity Finger. The fourth evil could not dodge the close-range attack, and his forehead was pierced. The Flower Sword Supreme's swordsmanship beheaded the second evil. My Blue Sky Strike split the fifth evil's chest in an instant. The Drunken Demon's gourd smashed the third evil's head.

Only the first evil remained. The moment the others died, he remembered.

"Ah! You… Why are you here?"

His voice trembled. There was a time when the Blood Heaven Blade Demon had shaken the jianghu. Back then, the first evil could not even meet his gaze properly. Now, after so many years, they had met again here.

The first evil desperately threw himself into a retreat, but the Blood Heaven Blade Demon's giant dao sliced his body in half.

As we fought together, I sensed something. The Demon Supremes seemed to be fighting nonchalantly, but they were conscious of each other. They used each move with care, pretending not to watch but keenly observing what techniques the others used. Their real opponents were not the villains, but each other, and of course, they observed my movements and martial arts most intently.

Nevertheless, I did not deliberately hide my skills. I did not show everything, but I did not hold back my abilities either. I was the one who would become their leader. I had to make them believe in and follow me.

Next, attackers who used poison smoke came at us. A few men revealed themselves from hiding and sprayed the smoke.

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the Flower Sword Supreme stepped forward at the same time. They swung their sleeves, sending the poison smoke flying back at those who had released it.

The attackers collapsed in agony, spewing blood from every orifice.

This was the first time since entering this place that the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the Flower Sword Supreme had coordinated. They looked at each other, and the gazes they shared were growing softer.

"Once we cross that field, we'll reach the Evil Valley Lord's residence."

About 330 meters from the residence, a horde of spear-wielding villains poured out from one side. The man at their head was enormous and carried a spear as large as a pillar.

He was the Ghost Spear Superman, infamous in the murim for his single spear. A master of unorthodox sects, he had established his own school of spearmanship. He had disappeared after being branded a public enemy for attacking a Murim Alliance Branch, only to reappear here.

From the opposite side, dozens more villains appeared. They were assassins dressed in black martial arts uniforms with masks covering their faces. Their leader was the Hidden Moon, once a renowned top-tier assassin who now led an assassin organization here.

From another direction came men wearing only loincloths. They stood with vacant eyes, intoxicated by drugs.

However, anyone who let their guard down because of their appearance would be torn to shreds. Their martial arts were far greater than they looked, and they felt no pain. If they decided to charge like madmen, few could withstand their momentum.

Not only them, but a group of women also appeared, along with men in hunter's attire and a band of beggars.

These people were not under the command of the Evil Valley Lord. They were individuals with their own factions who lived by their own rules, constantly fighting amongst themselves for supremacy in the Valley of Evil.

These factions were also why the Evil Valley Lord felt his position was in jeopardy after his subordinates were killed.

The killing intent directed at us was extraordinary, but the Demon Supremes were completely unfazed.

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon, wearing his blood-stained mask, stared at them with his arms crossed arrogantly. His composure alone was overwhelming the opponents.

The other Demon Supremes were the same. Their arrogant stances were enough to keep the hundreds of villains from daring to attack.

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon stepped forward and shouted in a booming voice.

"If you're going to attack, then come at me all at once."

RUUUUUUUMBLE!

Blade aura formed on his lowered Heaven Destroying Dao.

His enhanced qi was as red as blood. It was the first time I had seen his blade aura. Perhaps because of its blood-red color, it was truly intense and impressive.

Following his lead, the other Demon Supremes each released their own auras. Enhanced sword qi, pure white, formed on the Flower Sword Supreme's White Flower Sword. The color suited her perfectly.

As the momentum of the five of us spread out, the villains took another step back as if pushed by an unseen force.

If I had come alone, or with just the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon, we would have had to fight all of them.

However, with the four Demon Supremes, no one dared to challenge us.

Hundreds had gathered, but they only watched from a distance. When we were together, we were unstoppable.

In the end, they could not bring themselves to attack. Our momentum was one reason, but they also knew our destination was the Evil Valley Lord's residence. Their greed was now aimed at something bigger.

We started walking again. At the end of the road was the manor where the Evil Valley Lord lived.

The plaque above the main gate read 'Dong-ak-sang-jo'. It meant that even villains help each other to achieve evil.

"He must have been informed of our arrival, so he'll be waiting with his own preparations."

At my words, the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon shattered the plaque with the Extremely Savage Demonic Palm. The entire section where the plaque had been attached vanished without a trace.

At the same time, the other Demon Supremes unleashed their palm techniques. The main gate and the front wall crumbled into dust.

"If I had come alone, it might be a different story, but with four of us together…"

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon added as he led the way.

"If preparations were enough to stop us, we'd have to give up our titles as Demon Supremes, wouldn't we?"