Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

Inside the quiet guest room of the inn, Shen Hanyi slowly opened her eyes. A glint of sharp, cold light flashed in their depths before instantly receding into a pool of calm.

She had completely refined the medicinal potency of the three Dew Return Pills. The heavy internal injuries that had plagued her were now fully healed. In fact, she had turned misfortune into fortune; the Sword Embryo coiled within her dantian had become even more condensed, its edges sharper than before.

The Dew Return Pill was reputed to revive the dead and regrow flesh on white bones. For an ordinary cultivator teetering on the brink of death, a single pill would suffice to pull them back from the gates of hell.

That Shen Hanyi had required three top-grade pills in succession to recover spoke volumes about the severity of her previous injuries and the near-collapse of her foundation. It also highlighted the terrifying tenacity of her will to survive.

She stood up, stretching her limbs. Invisible Sword Intent flowed around her body like a gentle breeze. Although her blade remained sheathed, a razor-sharp aura naturally emanated from her, cutting the air.

Creak.

The wooden door was pushed open. Wang Qiaoqiao poked her head in, her face beaming with a bright, infectious smile.

“Sister Shen, you’re awake? How do you feel?”

Shen Hanyi gave a slight nod. “I am fine now. Thank you for the pills, Senior. This kindness is something Shen Hanyi will carve into her heart.”

Her tone remained cool and detached, her hand reaching for her sword. “I shall take my leave now.”

“Ah, don’t be in such a hurry to leave!” Wang Qiaoqiao stepped forward quickly, her hand warmly grasping Shen Hanyi’s sleeve, stopping her in her tracks.

“Meeting is fate! We’ve just gotten acquainted and haven’t even shared a proper meal together. Brother Zhou has already ordered the best food and wine downstairs. Consider it a welcoming feast to celebrate your recovery. You wouldn’t refuse a sister’s toast, would you?”

Shen Hanyi initially intended to refuse. She was accustomed to solitude. However, Wang Qiaoqiao’s words were flawlessly persuasive, weaving a net of social obligation that was hard to cut through. Coupled with the significant debt she owed Zhou Kai for the pills, she pondered briefly before relenting.

“Very well.”

…

In the main hall of the inn, at a table by the window, Zhou Kai beckoned.

“Hanyi, have a seat.”

Everyone sat down. The food was exquisite, and under Wang Qiaoqiao’s lively chatter, the atmosphere was quite harmonious.

At that moment, fragments of a loud conversation drifted over from a neighboring table of rough-looking cultivators.

“Have you heard? Those beasts from Blood Fang Stronghold have come down the mountain again!”

“Ah, what a sin! This time it was Zhangjia Village, thirty miles east of the city. The entire village… tsk tsk… slaughtered.”

“Did anyone survive?”

“All the men were beheaded. The women… they say even girls as young as four or five weren’t spared. They were all dragged up the mountain! You know what those bandits do.”

“Isn’t anyone going to do something about it? Is there no law anymore?”

“Law? In the eyes of those desperadoes, their blades are the law! As long as they don’t provoke the Foundation Establishment experts in the city, they roam free.”

Zhou Kai took a sip of wine, his eyes narrowing. This is bad.

Sure enough.

Tap!

A crisp sound drew everyone’s attention. Shen Hanyi had abruptly set her chopsticks down on the table.

Her beautiful face was frosty, her eyes filled with a bone-chilling coldness. Invisible sword energy suddenly diffused outward from her body, causing the ambient temperature in the inn to plummet several degrees.

The cultivators at the neighboring table shivered, startled by the sudden surge of killing intent. They fell silent, looking at the white-robed woman with fear and uncertainty.

Shen Hanyi stood up abruptly and walked directly to their table. Her voice was as cold as glacial ice.

“Where is Blood Fang Stronghold? What is the cultivation level of their leader?”

Intimidated by her sharp Aura Pressure, the loose cultivators stammered, pointing a shaking finger.

“East… about a hundred miles. The leader is Blood Three Blades… he’s at Meridian Opening Grand Completion… He has about a hundred brothers under him… all desperate men.”

“Scum!” Shen Hanyi snorted coldly.

She turned and headed straight for the door, her hand gripping her sword hilt. It was clear she intended to storm the stronghold alone.

Zhou Kai knew that given Shen Hanyi’s temperament—where sand couldn’t be rubbed in her eyes—he couldn’t stop her unless he suppressed her by force.

Moreover, since the bandit leader was only at the First Realm (Meridian Opening), it was unlikely there would be any Second Realm (Foundation Establishment) experts in the stronghold.

He quickly stood up. “Sword Fairy, wait!”

Shen Hanyi paused and looked back at him, her brows furrowed slightly.

Zhou Kai smiled, stepping forward.

“Blood Fang Stronghold has many men and fierce terrain. Going alone, even if you can kill their leader, the rats might slip through the net. If they escape, they will only harm more innocents later. How about I go with you?”

He gestured to the woman beside him.

“Coincidentally, Zhiwei is here. She has considerable expertise in arrays. If we set up a trap, we can ensure that not a single one of them escapes.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhiwei gave Shen Hanyi a firm nod, her expression serious.

Shen Hanyi’s gaze softened slightly. “In that case, thank you for your assistance.”

She didn’t engage in excessive pleasantries. She turned and walked out.

Zhou Kai instructed Wang Qiaoqiao and Chen Ziqing to stay at the inn for safety. He then left the city with Lin Zhiwei and Shen Hanyi, disappearing into the night.

…

Blood Fang Stronghold was located in a steep mountain col about a hundred miles east of Wangchuan City—a natural fortress, easy to defend but hard to attack.

At this moment, torches blazed brightly within the stronghold. The air was filled with the stench of alcohol, roasting meat, and the deafening clamor of bandits.

The Chief, Blood Three Blades, sat on a tiger-skin throne. He was a burly man with a face covered in horizontal flesh lines and a chest thick with hair. Currently, he was embracing two captured women, his rough hands roaming their bodies as he drank heavily and laughed wildly.

“Brothers! Drink up! These women will keep us entertained for a while! Tonight we drink until we drop!”

“Thank you for your generosity, Chief!”

The underlings cheered in unison, their lewd laughter mixing with the sobbing of the captives.

Just then—a clear yet icy female voice rang out above them, cutting through the noise like a judge’s gavel from hell.

“Scum! Come out and die!”

The clamor within the stronghold ceased abruptly.

Blood Three Blades’ expression darkened instantly. He roughly shoved the women aside, grabbing the large ringed broadsword beside his throne. He roared furiously at the darkness above.

“What insolence! Who dares provoke me right under my nose?! Show yourself!”

Before his words could fade—a dazzling sword light descended from the sky like a sudden flash of lightning tearing through the night!

It moved with extreme swiftness, carrying unparalleled sharpness, aimed directly at Blood Three Blades’ neck.

Having fully recovered and with her foundation repaired, Shen Hanyi’s sword energy surpassed its previous intensity significantly.

As a bandit leader at the Meridian Opening Grand Completion stage, possessing a solid external martial arts foundation, Blood Three Blades reacted with instinct born of a hundred battles. He roared, swirling his broadsword to create a bloody wind, attempting to block the attack.

“Break!”

Yet, under Shen Hanyi’s stunning sword strike, all defenses proved utterly useless.

Clang!

The ringed broadsword shattered.

Blood Three Blades’ pupils contracted sharply. He felt the chilling aura of death envelop his entire body. He wanted to dodge, but the locking pressure of the Sword Intent immobilized him completely.

Thud!

The sword light flashed past.

Blood Three Blades’ head soared skyward, a fountain of blood gushing from his neck and staining the ground crimson. The headless corpse stood for a moment before crashing down.

“The… the Chief is dead!!”

Seeing this scene, the underlings within the stronghold were terrified out of their wits. They cried for their parents, dropping their wine bowls and scattering like headless flies.

“Trying to run? Too late!” Zhou Kai’s voice echoed through the night sky. “Zhiwei, activate the array!”

Buzz!

In the next moment, streams of azure light shot upwards from around the perimeter of Blood Fang Stronghold. They connected rapidly at the apex, forming a massive glowing dome that enveloped the entire mountain col.

Within the Entrapment Array, an invisible force permeated the air. The running bandits suddenly felt their Mana circulation stagnate, their limbs growing heavy as lead.

After beheading Blood Three Blades in a single stroke, Shen Hanyi didn’t pause. She transformed into a white streak of lightning, charging into the chaotic crowd.

Sword light flickered. Each strike drew sprays of blood, accompanied by screams rising and falling one after another.

She moved through them like a reaper in a wheat field. These ordinary bandits couldn’t withstand a single blow.

Zhou Kai also joined the fray. He summoned several Fiend Gold Sword Talismans, three small golden swords whistling forth to target those attempting to resist or the few elites with slightly higher cultivation.

He picked up the large ringed broadsword originally belonging to Blood Three Blades, swinging it with brutal force. He sent several underlings flying, their bones shattering and tendons snapping upon impact.

Within the time it takes to burn a single incense stick, the entire Blood Fang Stronghold fell silent.

Apart from the dozens of captured women huddled together, trembling as they awaited rescue, not a single living soul remained inside the stronghold.

…

After plundering the wealth inside the stronghold and setting the captives free with travel expenses, the trio finally set off to return to Wangchuan City.

The night was as dark as ink. The moon was hidden, and the stars were sparse.

They flew through the air, their speed neither fast nor slow.

Zhou Kai flew alongside Shen Hanyi, with Lin Zhiwei slightly behind them.

“Hanyi, after this matter is concluded, where will you go?” Zhou Kai broke the silence.

Shen Hanyi replied indifferently, staring ahead, “Travel. Wander. Temper the sword.”

Zhou Kai smiled, about to say something else, when suddenly his expression froze. He sharply lifted his gaze toward a mountain peak not far ahead of them.

Upon the summit, several dozen figures stood silently in the darkness.

The leading person had sinister features and was staring directly at them with eyes full of mockery.

A unique Aura Pressure, characteristic of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, transmitted distantly towards them, pressing down like a mountain.

“This is bad!” Zhou Kai’s heart tightened alarmingly.

Almost simultaneously, the person on the mountaintop spotted them and emitted a sinister, cold laugh that echoed through the valley.

“Han Cheng! And Lin Zhiwei! You two despicable dogs… this Young Master has finally found you after half a year of searching!”

Zhou Kai’s pupils contracted violently.

Behind him, Lin Zhiwei trembled, her delicate frame turning deathly pale.

Fu Weilun!

The Young Master of the Golden Copper Dock! How could he be here?!

And how did he know the alias “Han Cheng”?

Numerous thoughts flashed through Zhou Kai’s mind at lightning speed, but his hand was already reaching for his weapon.