Build a snowman?
Leo looked back at the Black Snake and said cryptically, "I saved your life."
The Black Snake was taken aback. He looked at Zha Meng and his men, then thought about what would have happened if he had encountered this group with the Golden Silk Armor. His face instantly turned deathly pale. "This subordinate thanks the Young Master for saving my life!"
This time, his tone was utterly sincere.
The White Snake also understood and followed suit. "Thank you, Young Master, for saving my life!"
Leo wanted to say he didn't need thanks, but then he considered that without his intervention, the White Snake would have died at Ah Fei's hands too. So, in a way, he had indirectly saved his life as well.
A blessing in disguise.
Compared to their lives, the humiliation they had suffered in the tavern suddenly seemed trivial.
Though impressed by Alba Li's ability to win people over, Tie Chuanjia couldn't help but urge, "Young Master Bai, now is not the time for idle chat!"
Tie Chuanjia was well aware of their respective strengths.
The opposing lineup was formidable.
He and the Twin Snakes combined might not be a match for Zha Meng and Yu the Second, let alone the four disciples of the Disciple of Extreme Bliss.
Moreover, his own team included the Twin Snakes, who could betray them or flee at any moment.
Beset by enemies from within and without.
Tie Chuanjia had never faced such a difficult predicament.
He was incredibly tense, terrified that something might happen to the drunken Li Xunhuan.
After all, it was he who had insisted on not waking him.
No matter how demonic Alba Li's sword skills were, how many people could he handle?
And yet, at this critical moment, Alba Li was discussing life-saving favors with the Twin Snakes.
Tie Chuanjia's heart was so tired.
If the Twin Snakes could take a life-saving grace to heart, they wouldn't be called the Jade-Blooded Twin Snakes.
In the Jianghu, there are only wrongly given names, never wrongly earned nicknames.
He really didn't know if Alba Li was just that confident or had a death wish.
"Uncle Tie is right. It's freezing out here, not suitable for dawdling with them. Better to deal with them and get back on the road." Leo smiled.
At the same time, Master Yu also spoke up. "Chief Ranger Zha, to avoid any complications, we should secure the Golden Silk Armor as soon as possible."
As he spoke, he flicked his wrist.
A glint of cold light flew towards Alba Li.
Master Yu excelled at lightness skill and hidden weapons. Clearly, he wasn't one to abide by the rules of the Jianghu.
When the dart was thrown, Leo, being essentially a normal person, didn't react at all.
Just as he was about to be hit, the Black Snake suddenly lunged forward, shielding Leo with his body.
Thwack!
The dart quivered, embedded in the Black Snake's shoulder.
In the icy landscape, Leo broke out in a cold sweat. That was close, he thought, then quickly raised his Green Lotus Sword and swung it down.
Opposite him, Master Yu, who was about to throw a second dart, uncontrollably rushed forward.
Worthy of the name Shadow-Walker, his lightness skill was superb.
A black shadow streaked across the snow. Before Leo could even register it, Master Yu was already kneeling before him, hands raised high, catching his blade.
Chief Ranger Zha and the four disciples followed suit, sprinting forward.
The men all assumed the same posture, forming a neat triangular formation in the snow.
Tie Chuanjia, who had been ready to make a move, froze in place, his expression one of utter shock.
Cinematic Disarm.
It never disappointed. The more people, the more stunning the effect.
"Sorcery! It really is sorcery!"
Master Yu's face twisted, his voice distorted with terror.
Leo maintained his sword-swinging posture, his expression solemn as he seriously reflected on his mistake.
Just now, Master Yu had taught him a solid lesson.
The villain dies from talking too much, and the hero dies from showing off.
How could he have forgotten the number one rule of the Jianghu?
He had gotten cocky.
After defeating a few nobodies like Zhuge Lei and the Twin Snakes, how could he have gotten so complacent?
That was unacceptable.
If he hadn't figured out the secret of Gilded Influence beforehand and hired the Twin Snakes, his career as a Dreamweaver would have ended with Master Yu's dart.
Although he had two divine skills, he was still a mortal. He would bleed if injured and die if hit in a vital spot.
He had to be cautious. Extremely cautious.
The Jianghu was a treacherous place.
He handled them again?
Tie Chuanjia stared at the perfect equilateral triangle kneeling before Leo, scratching his messy hair. What in the hell kind of martial art is this?
Is there no limit to the number of people it can affect?
The Demon Sword, Alba Li!
The Jianghu really has no wrongly earned nicknames!
I fear even the Young Master would not be his match.
After a moment of silence, Tie Chuanjia forced his thoughts away. He would go mad if he kept dwelling on Leo's martial arts. He cupped his hands and apologized to the Black Snake. "Black Snake, I was wrong about you. To sacrifice yourself for your employer, regardless of your past deeds, you are a righteous man!"
The White Snake looked at his brother with confusion. Brother, have you lost your mind?
The Black Snake pulled out the dart, blood gushing from the wound. He seemed to have forgotten the pain, staring blankly at the dart.
What did I just do?
Take a blade for someone else?
This isn't my style.
What the hell?
The Black Snake carefully recalled the moment. It seemed that when he noticed Master Yu throwing the hidden weapon, his mind went blank, and he recklessly threw himself in front of Alba Li.
Could it be? The youthful chivalry from when I first entered the Jianghu is still buried deep within my heart?
After drifting in this cesspool of a Jianghu for half my life, do I still retain that small flicker of softness from my early days?
At this moment, the Black Snake was plunged into a deep existential crisis.
"Demon Sword! Demon Sword!"
Hearsay is never as profound as personal experience. Chief Ranger Zha's lips trembled. "It really is the Demon Sword! Hong Hanmin was right. We should have struck to kill on sight, never giving the Demon Sword a chance to draw his blade. It's too late! It's all too late!"
Zha's face was a mask of regretful anguish.
Leo's expression tightened. Has my weakness already been exposed?
He had only used Cinematic Disarm twice, and they had already figured out a way to counter it.
He truly couldn't underestimate anyone from the world of Gu Long.
"Kid, I advise you to release us immediately. Our master is the Disciple of Extreme Bliss," the red-robed disciple shrieked. "If he finds out you've harmed us, you'll die without a burial place!"
"If you dare to harm us, our master will not spare you," the green-robed disciple threatened viciously.
"Our master has countless poisons and kills without a trace. If you harm us, you will live in eternal nightmare," the black-robed disciple added.
"Release us and the Chief Ranger, and we can forget this ever happened," the yellow-robed disciple said.
"White Snake, kill those four idiots," Leo said impatiently.
His mind was a mess of thoughts about his Cinematic Disarm being countered. He had no patience for these four ugly freaks.
If there was anyone in the world of Xiao Li Feidao on Leo's must-kill list, the Disciple of Extreme Bliss would be at the top.
That guy's poisoning methods were just too disgusting.
He didn't have Li Xunhuan's experience or resilience to play mind games with the Disciple. The best choice was to eliminate him early.
As for hiring these disciples as guards?
With their looks and evil reputation, he could probably forget about ever setting up Li Xunhuan and Roxanne Tang.
A man has to have standards. He wasn't running a scrapyard.
And if he let them go, who knew what trouble they'd stir up behind his back?
Better to kill them and be done with it.
"Young Hero Bai, the Disciple of Extreme Bliss has a fearsome reputation in the Jianghu and has almost never been defeated. Are you sure you don't want to reconsider?" the White Snake hesitated.
"No need." Leo glanced at him, full of righteousness. "As children of the Jianghu, the Jianghu is our home. We have a duty to clean up the bad elements, get rid of those who follow deviant paths, and restore justice to the world!"
"But…" the White Snake tried to argue.
Leo shot him a glare. "I'm the one telling you to kill them. If the Disciple of Extreme Bliss comes for revenge, he'll come for me. What are you afraid of? I never knew the White Snake of the Jade-Blooded Twin Snakes was such a coward."
Coward?
A vein throbbed on the White Snake's forehead. With a clang, he drew his sword and strode over to the four disciples. "Gentlemen, my apologies."
With that, his sword rose and fell.
The four disciples fell, their faces etched with disbelief.
It had to be said, the White Snake's sword technique was truly made for killing. Swift and clean.
Leo sighed in relief. Having bodyguards certainly made cleaning up much easier. Otherwise, he'd be stuck in a stalemate again.
In an instant, a swarm of scorpions, centipedes, and other venomous insects poured out from the disciples' bodies, greedily drinking the blood flowing from their throats.
Backlash?
Leo stared at the pile of insects, lost in thought.
"Young Master Bai, is there a problem?" Tie Chuanjia asked. He didn't think there was anything wrong with killing the four disciples, but Leo's expression made him nervous.
"Old Tie, don't you find it strange? It's winter. How did these insects survive?" Leo looked away from the bugs and asked.
"…" Tie Chuanjia opened his mouth, then closed it. He was better off staying silent.
The White Snake, holding his dripping sword, silently returned to Leo's side, interrupting his thoughts on evolutionary biology. "Young Master, should we kill Zha Meng and Yu the Second as well?"
The White Snake's ferocity had been ignited. His mind was filled with the thought of finishing the job, eliminating everyone, and leaving no loose ends.
"White Snake, you dare?!" Powerless to resist, Master Yu's face was filled with terror.
"Why wouldn't I? I've already killed the disciples of the Disciple of Extreme Bliss," the White Snake sneered. A leopard can't change its spots. Though he had temporarily submitted to Leo, he was no saint.
"Wait. Only kill them if they don't agree to my terms," Leo stopped him. Then, he pulled out two silver ingots from his robes and looked at the captive Master Yu with a smile. "Master Yu, Chief Ranger Zha, I have a few taels of silver here. I'd like to hire you as my guards for three months in exchange for your lives. Are you willing?"
"…" Tie Chuanjia was dumbfounded. Again?
Master Yu was completely baffled. What kind of tactic is this?
He glanced at the menacing White Snake behind Leo and hesitated for a moment. "Do you mean it?"
"The Jade-Blooded Twin Snakes are a living example." A successful case study always instilled confidence during negotiations and saved Leo a lot of talking.
"I am willing!" With the fate of the four disciples right before his eyes, Master Yu chose survival over dignity without a second thought.
"Yu agrees. Chief Ranger Zha, what about you?" Leo looked at Zha Meng.
The muscles on Zha Meng's face twitched. He gritted his teeth. "I agree as well."
"During your employment, you must not flee. You must not harm your employer in any way, shape, or form. You must faithfully carry out every task given to you by your employer. When your employer is in danger, you will be prepared to take a blade for them, even at the risk of your own life… Can you agree to these terms?"
Signing a second contract, Leo was now a seasoned pro. His tone was unhurried, like a priest at a wedding or a pope at a knighting ceremony, his expression pious and solemn.
This guy is a psychopath.
The moment I'm free, I'll kill you.
Master Yu's eyes widened, and he grunted, "Willing."
Zha Meng reluctantly added, "I am also willing."
"Willingly and without coercion?" Leo confirmed.
"Willingly and without coercion!" To save their own lives, Zha Meng and Master Yu had completely abandoned their pride.
Nearby, the Black Snake, having treated his wound, watched this familiar scene unfold. A cold sweat instantly drenched his back.
He looked at Leo's back, and as if he had understood something, his face turned deathly pale. His body began to tremble uncontrollably, but he clenched his jaw, not daring to make a sound.