You Shame the Righteous Path

Zhong Yi's heart seized instantly.

A surge of unprecedented anger and killing intent gathered within his chest.

He immediately threw out his two most expensive trap talismans and threw open the door.

Two streaks of sword Qi surged violently toward his head, but having anticipated this, he dodged them with ease.

The three heavily armed officers leading the charge rushed through the doorway, only to be instantly swallowed by the traps Zhong Yi had laid in advance, melting into a pool of bloody water.

With a cold glint in his eyes, Zhong Yi’s figure merged into the shadows, vanishing into thin air.

"One, two, three..."

Through the scent of blood, Zhong Yi used his arts to carefully probe the situation outside.

There were many people.

And every single one of them was a cultivator at the Peak Qi Refining stage.

Clearly, this was high-level backup the local government had called in from the Demon Suppression Division.

"Su Di'er... is alright."

Sensing that Su Di'er hadn't been harmed and was merely being held hostage, Zhong Yi breathed a sigh of relief.

[Mission: Take a hostage, exchange for Su Di'er]

As the mission updated in the top right corner of his vision, a white light illuminated the character standing in the middle of the trio guarding the entrance.

Zhong Yi sized him up; the man was wearing equipment far superior to the others, obviously a squad leader or similar role.

Having made up his mind, he seized the perfect moment. In the instant he emerged from the shadows, two of his spells precisely executed the minions on the left and right, while a dagger gleaming with cold light was pressed against the target's throat.

"Captain!"

Just as he expected, a commotion erupted from around the corner as countless arrows and talismans were aimed in his direction.

"Don't move! One move and he's dead!"

Confirming that the hostage was someone of importance, Zhong Yi waved the dagger with fearless confidence, then glared viciously at the crowd.

"Hand over the girl, or else... I'll make him be buried right alongside me!"

The officers surrounding the inn exchanged grave looks and whispered among themselves.

Their mission was to eliminate Li Ang; the little girl was an insignificant character.

As long as Li Ang died, the girl in front of them could be killed or cut to pieces later—it wouldn't take more than a stomp of a foot.

Very quickly, they agreed to Zhong Yi's exchange proposal.

"Li... Li Ang..."

With red-rimmed eyes, Su Di'er sprinted toward Zhong Yi.

At the same time, under the state of [Assassin's Focus], Zhong Yi noticed the subtle movement of the enemy preparing to draw their bowstrings.

Zhong Yi yanked Su Di'er into his embrace. As he circulated his spiritual sense, a blood-colored talisman behind the captured squad leader flashed with a red light.

"Boom—!"

A massive roar accompanied a gruesome explosion of flying flesh and blood.

"No honor, corrupting the law, trampling on human lives..."

"You are a disgrace to the Righteous Path."

"Damn you all!"

Zhong Yi muttered coldly to himself as he held Su Di'er and rapidly retreated back into the room.

From outside came the sound of more footsteps, chaotic and numerous.

Zhong Yi keenly perceived that the location was being surrounded by countless weapons.

Furthermore, more and more arrays were being deployed around the room.

If they didn't leave now, they never would.

"Li Ang, I... I just went out to buy goat milk, and on the way back..."

Su Di'er was clearly traumatized, weeping incoherently.

Zhong Yi rubbed the young girl's short hair and gently patted her shoulder.

"I know, Su Di'er. You did very well."

The brief moment of warmth was quickly shattered by a series of bombardments.

Su Di'er had never seen such a scene; she immediately hugged her shoulders, trembling violently.

"What... what should we do!"

Su Di'er bit her lip, shaking.

"Listen to me, it's time for us to move again."

Zhong Yi forced a relaxed smile. After setting up a simple defensive array around them, he quickly activated [Assassin's Focus].

In the state of [Assassin's Focus], he quickly discovered a weak point in the formations laid down by the Demon Suppression Division.

Zhong Yi picked up a chisel specifically designed for breaking arrays. Pouring all his demonic Qi into it, he chiseled away bit by bit.

With a *crack*, the barrier and the wall shattered simultaneously, revealing a narrow fissure.

Zhong Yi lifted Su Di'er into the tunnel, then wrapped up the green plant that had been with him all this time and placed it in Su Di'er's arms.

"It's too narrow here, you can't fit..."

Su Di'er immediately realized something was wrong and tried to climb back out, but was instantly pushed back by Zhong Yi.

"I'm not going, I don't want to leave!"

Tears instantly streamed down the girl's cheeks.

"Listen, Su Di'er... if we move together, neither of us will get away."

Zhong Yi looked at Su Di'er earnestly, smiling as he pinched her cheek.

"There are some things only I can do."

In this moment, even though his actions weren't controlled by Li Ang, he spoke words identical to the original story.

"I saved a lot of money with Old Li. Go to the wine shop first. Once I've finished my business here, the two of us will take the money and fly far away, okay?"

"No, you're lying to me, you're just trying to trick me into leaving..."

Su Di'er cried even harder upon hearing this.

"I don't want to lose you, Li Ang."

Zhong Yi's nose stung with emotion. "You won't lose me, I promise you."

Sounds of movement came from outside the door; a sense of crisis rose from behind him.

Zhong Yi took a deep breath and shoved Su Di'er further into the tunnel. "There's no time, go quickly."

Su Di'er gritted her silver teeth. Hugging Li Ang's plant, she moved outward, looking back as she walked, crying out, "Li Ang, I love you."

The sudden confession caused Zhong Yi, who had turned to face the enemy, to pause slightly. He shook his head with a smile.

A massive explosion shattered the defensive barrier he had set up.

Blown back by the heatwave, Zhong Yi rose from the ground in a sorry state, staring like a tiger at the several figures glowing with golden light amidst the pervasive smoke.

"As expected..."

Zhong Yi sighed.

"Do I still have to use that move?"

He took a small, transparent bottle from his backpack; inside, viscous blood sloshed around.

Facing this inevitable death trap, he had no choice but to use Li Ang's forbidden technique as a demonic cultivator: [Blood Curse].

Only now did he finally understand why Lu Ze had insisted on arranging this final assassination mission.

Clearly, in a battle against the Demon Suppression Division, it was impossible to retreat safely without the [Blood Curse].

Just as he prepared to swallow the blood and cast the [Blood Curse], a glaring system notification appeared before his eyes:

[Blood destroyed by spell arts, unable to activate skill: Blood Curse]

"!!"

Zhong Yi turned pale with shock.

The blood was destroyed by a spell—the enemy had come prepared!

They clearly knew about his trump card, the [Blood Curse]!

Besides Su Di'er, only one person knew about this skill of his—

That was the wine shop owner, the one who issued the assassination mission: Li Youqian!

Intelligent as he was, Zhong Yi quickly deduced the truth:

He had been sold out by Li Youqian!

Su Di'er was heading to the wine shop right now, she was likely...

At this thought, Zhong Yi's fists clenched instantly.

He downed a bottle of health potion, slowly recovering his state, and launched a proactive attack with burning anxiety, slaying the leading enemy.

"I have to be fast..."

"I have to get there before she reaches the wine shop..."

"I'll kill this entire pack of 'Righteous' dogs!"