Just then, Guo Xiao suddenly drew a dagger, snarling, "Which one of you is going to talk first?"
Hall Master Li and Hall Master Qian exchanged a look once more. Hall Master Li sneered, "Go ahead and kill me if you dare!"
Guo Xiao's eyes flashed with deadly intent. "You're forcing my hand!" he shouted. Rage surged within him, courage turned into wrath. With a sharp clang, he drew the dagger from his waist. Cold light shimmered along the blade; killing aura surged.
A scream split the air — Guo Xiao had stabbed Hall Master Li straight in the chest. Blood gushed forth. The man screamed in agony, writhing only briefly before going limp, dead.
Guo Xiao then turned to Hall Master Qian. "Don't push me! If I don't make it out of this alive, I'll take anyone I can down with me!"
Hall Master Qian was petrified. "Guo Xiao, I treated you well — why do this?"
Guo Xiao's voice turned cold and sharp. "Treated me well? So I should thank you for dragging me into this bandit life? Don't worry — I won't let you die that easily."
He turned to Ling Xian'er, saying, "I want five horses."
Ling Xian'er raised an eyebrow. "Why do you need horses?"
"I'm going to have him torn apart by five horses."
Ling Xian'er clapped and laughed, "Excellent idea! Tie each limb and the head to separate horses, whip them to run in five different directions. Perfect!"(This was a brutal execution method used during the Warring States period — known as "Five Horses Dismemberment." It is said that Shang Yang met his end this way.)
At this, Hall Master Qian collapsed in fear, his soul nearly leaving his body. Trembling, he cried out, "I'll talk!"
Ling Xian'er shouted, "Where are they?"
Hall Master Qian stammered, "The Heaven and Earth Saint King Su Song and the Sun and Moon Saint King You De led the western force to meet the Grandmaster. They've gone to trade with western nations near the Tianshan Mountains, specifically in the Chaha Valley, on the twentieth of July!"
When he finished, Guo Xiao asked, "Lady, can I leave now?"
Liu Yun nodded, "I said anyone who helped us uncover where the women were taken would be spared. You did well. Go."
Guo Xiao bowed. "Thank you, lady." He turned and fled quickly.
Ling Xian'er then shouted sternly, "You all followed these so-called Saint Kings and committed unspeakable evils. Death would be mercy, but you'll suffer instead. Three corpses lie here — dig the graves by hand and bury them!"
The cultists dropped to their knees. "Thank you for sparing our lives!"
"Then move!" Ling Xian'er roared.
The Western Sect members rushed to carry the bodies and began digging into the desert sand with bare hands. Liu Yun noticed they were digging only one pit.
"You lazy curs!" she snapped. "One grave? Aren't you afraid these Saint Kings and Hall Masters will come back as ghosts to haunt you? Dig three!"
Soon, three large graves were dug. The bodies were buried. Though the sand was easy to shift, the cultists' hands bled from the effort.
Liu Yun looked down coldly. "Frightened now? Consider this a lesson. Were it not for the mercy of the Loyal Righteous Hall's Master Wu, you would all be dead. Now leave — and reflect well on your actions."
The cultists bowed, crying out,
"Thank you, master, for sparing us!""Thank you, lady, for sparing our lives!"
Then they turned and fled eastward.
The Return and New Mission
By now, Wu Tong and his companions had been fighting the Western Sect for over ten days. On this day, they returned to the capital of the Uyghur Khaganate with tribal chief Roge. Word of their victory had already spread; the entire nation awaited their return with eager hearts.
As news of Wu Tong's triumph reached the capital, the streets were filled with cheering crowds. Citizens lined both sides of the road, eager to catch a glimpse of the heroes. Wu Tong and his two companions waved back humbly.
That night, the Khagan held a grand banquet in their honor. He also dispatched thirty elite cavalrymen to accompany Wu Tong's party to Chaha Valley near the Tianshan Mountains, to continue the pursuit of the cult.
The feast was splendid, and the reward generous. The next day, without delay, Wu Tong and his group set off with the cavalry at full speed toward the west.
Across the Desert
Their journey westward was long and grueling. It was midsummer — the days blazed with brutal heat, while the nights turned bitter cold. The extreme shifts were torturous.
One afternoon, under a scorching sun, they arrived at a small desert oasis town to rest and resupply. Just then, a caravan came racing in — hotly pursued by a large group of bandits.
The number of thugs grew rapidly — more than a hundred, all armed and encircling the caravan.
A mocking voice rang out:
"Thunderblade He Ping, you handled yourself well earlier, but we've got the numbers now. Lay down your blade and leave — we won't stop you."
The speaker was none other than the Snowblade King of the Western Region — Hu Tian. Around him stood renowned Western martial artists: "Road Tiger" Wang Ba, the Three Eagles of Tianshan — Baili Tian, Baili Yun, Baili Feng — and more.
Wu Tong's ears perked up. Even more unsettling were the figures behind them:
Yin Envoy — Unkillable
Yang Envoy — Undead
Soul Chaser — Irredeemable
Wandering Ghost — Untraceable
These infamous assassins had gathered — but why?
What was this caravan carrying that attracted so many elite warriors?
Thunderblade He Ping stepped forward and scoffed,
"I was hired to protect this caravan. Betraying my duty would be shameful. You want the goods? You'll have to go through my blade first!"
With danger closing in and no one else standing, this lone warrior became the last line of defense — ready to show the world what true heroism meant.