C31 The Six Demons of the Mao Family

In a bustling town, people milled about, some eating, others trading. Fei Liang found a modest stall, took a seat, and ordered a bite to eat.

"Master Liu, it's him, that's the guy!" Fei Liang's meal—a simple steamed bun—was suddenly interrupted. He sensed a crowd converging on his location.

"There's the punk. Heh, kid, you're not getting away this time." The voice was smug, dripping with self-satisfaction as if a major feat had been accomplished.

Fei Liang's brow creased. That voice... it sounded eerily familiar. Could it be?

Indeed, as Fei Liang glanced up, he recognized the two thieves he'd previously sent packing, now flanked by a group of some thirty individuals. The speaker was none other than the thief who had confronted Fei Liang before, let's call him Thief A.

"Have you had enough? Scram, or believe me, I'll break your leg," Fei Liang retorted, clearly irritated. These ruffians had spoiled his dining experience.

"Master Liu, did you catch that?" Thief A groveled obsequiously, "That's the guy. I told you, I'm a follower of the Six Immortals of the Mao Clan. And this fellow dared to say, 'The Mao Clan? What a load of rubbish. Never heard of them. The Mao Clan is nothing but hot air!'"

"That's right, that's right. I can vouch for Old Wang; every word is true. This kid has no respect for us—no, for the Mao Clan," Thief B hastily agreed.

Fei Liang was at a loss for words. When had he ever uttered such things? He was a man of civility, and besides, they hadn't even mentioned the Mao Clan.

"Kid, did those words come from you?" The man known as Sixth Master charged toward Fei Liang, fury in his eyes. He positioned himself in front of Fei Liang and slammed his palm down on the table. The table splintered into a heap of wooden planks with a loud crash. He bellowed, "Dare to disrespect the Mao Clan? Are you seeking death?"

The other patrons, witnessing the commotion, had already scattered to the winds.

"I didn't say it," Fei Liang uttered coolly, not sparing Sixth Master even a glance.

Fei Liang had unraveled the true identity of this so-called "Sixth Master." He was the youngest leader of the Mao Family's Six Fiends, the most notorious bandit gang near Black Fiend Ridge, with his cultivation level merely at the early stages of Soft Sword. For Fei Liang to even offer an explanation to such a character was generous, considering bandits were hardly the sort to be deemed honorable.

"Ah, so now you're trying to squirm your way out of this? I heard everything, no use trying to weasel your way out," Bandit A interjected, eager to silence Fei Liang. The thought of the Sixth Master discovering his lie was enough to make him fear for his skin, if not his life.

"Snort, spare me your excuses. Whether you said it or not, I'm going to give you a lesson you won't forget today!" The Sixth Master of the Mao Family declared, before hefting a large saber and slashing it towards Fei Liang. A direct hit would mean certain death.

"Bravo, bravo! Sixth Master is invincible!" The bandits roared with approval, anticipating Fei Liang's imminent demise.

"Looking for trouble?" A glint of ice flashed in Fei Liang's eyes as he swiftly dodged. The Sixth Master's blade came down again, cleaving a nearby table in two. In Fei Liang's mind, the Sixth Master's fate was sealed.

Without wasting another word, Fei Liang sidestepped and delivered a crushing palm strike.

"Thud!" The Sixth Master hit the ground hard. The other bandits stood there, stunned. How had the tables turned so quickly?

"Argh, I swear I'll kill you today!" The Sixth Master scrambled to his feet and lunged at Fei Liang once more.

"Thud!" But he was met with a swift kick from Fei Liang. The Sixth Master was sent sprawling, landing flat on his back.

Spitting out a mouthful of blood, the Sixth Master struggled to speak through his fury and pain, "Attack, brothers, attack! Take him down!"

The bandits hesitated briefly before swarming Fei Liang, who effortlessly danced through the fray. Among them, the highest cultivation was only at the middle stage of Soft Sword, with a couple at the early stage, and the rest merely at the Sharp Sword level. While other martial artists at the Profound Level Middle Period might have been overwhelmed, Fei Liang handled them with ease.

"Bang, bang, bang!" Like a boxer hammering a punching bag, Fei Liang sent his assailants flying with each strike. Even the three martial artists wielding Soft Swords couldn't withstand more than a few moves against him.

"Kill him!" Fueled by fear and malice, the bandits unsheathed their weapons and charged at Fei Liang.

"Seeking your own death!" Angered by their murderous intent, Fei Liang drew his saber and struck with lethal force. Within twenty exchanges, he had slain over half the bandits. The survivors, gripped by terror, fled in disarray. Remarkably, not a single drop of blood stained Fei Liang.

Despite his victory, Fei Liang's complexion was ashen—not from injury, but from the discomfort of taking a life for the first time. He had slain countless Zombies in the Apocalyptic Civilization, but they were not truly human. And although he had killed ninjas on Sky Rock Mountain, the darkness of that night had dulled his senses, making it feel no different from dispatching Zombies.

Mao Lao Liu, having witnessed the carnage, was huddled in a corner, shaking with fear, dreading that Fei Liang might turn his wrath upon him. He had already sent a message to his elder brother via carrier pigeon, but he knew it would take time for his brother to receive it and come to his aid. Mao Lao Liu was desperate to live, yet he clung to thoughts of vengeance, believing his brother's arrival would spell Fei Liang's doom.

Meanwhile, Fei Liang remained unflustered. He casually selected an intact table, sat down, and bit into a steamed bun. He had no interest in pursuing Mao Lao Liu, whose petty scheming he had observed but chose not to confront. Fei Liang could easily walk away, but he was aware that if these ruthless bandits didn't find him, they might vent their fury on the innocent villagers—a consequence he was unwilling to accept.

The other servants had either fled or were hiding under tables and cabinets, shivering with fear.

As time slowly ticked by and Fei Liang finished his meal, the distant sound of hoofbeats grew louder. Dozens of riders bore down on the scene like a volley of arrows. Fei Liang braced himself, sensing that the true confrontation was about to begin.

"Sixth Brother!" the middle-aged leader bellowed.

"Second Brother, I'm right here!" Sixth Brother scrambled out of the corner, shouting, "Second Brother, it's him, that's the guy. Kill him!"

"Kill!" In unison, with a swift whoosh, dozens of riders unsheathed their gleaming sabers, the blades catching the light as they bore down on Fei Liang. They had arrived ready to kill rather than let their target escape, and now that they had identified him, there was no room for mercy.

"Hah!" Fei Liang barked, vanishing from sight in an instant.

Less than a second after his disappearance, the sabers cut through the air. With a resounding whoosh, the table and chairs he had occupied were reduced to splinters.

"Eh, where'd he go?" the burly man at the front demanded.

The bandits scanned the area, but Fei Liang was nowhere to be found.

Fei Liang had deftly used his invisibility skill to dodge the deadly strike. He also realized that among the bandits were three of the notorious six: Er, with the early-stage heavy sword skills; and Si, flanked by two others, wielding late-stage Soft Sword skills.

"An Earth Level expert, this just got complicated," Fei Liang whispered to himself.

"Damn, where did that kid vanish to?" The bandits resumed their search to no avail. Si grumbled in frustration.

"Ah!" But suddenly, Si was silenced. He looked down in terror to find a deep gash across his neck, blood gushing out, quickly soaking his chest. He collapsed without a sound—fear had overtaken any sense of injustice.

"Si!" Er cried out, stricken with sorrow and rage.

"Fourth Brother!" Si's voice echoed his distress.

"Ah! Ah!" Their calls were met with more screams as bandits were struck and tumbled from their horses. Er and Si were stunned and enraged, while Sixth Brother shivered in fear at the sidelines.

"Ah! Ah!" More screams followed as additional bandits were hit, falling from their mounts one after another.

"There's a ghost!" The cry rang out, sending the bandits into a panic.

Hidden in the shadows, Fei Liang chuckled to himself, pleased with the chaos he had caused. The bandits had several Soft Sword martial artists among them, but now they were practically harmless to him. He had targeted Er first because of his proximity and because he had recently advanced in skill, leaving him vulnerable—a decision that now seemed quite astute.

"Ghosts, my foot! What ghost in broad daylight? If there were any, they wouldn't dare show their faces, and if they did, I'd cut them down myself! It's an enemy attack! Dismount and prepare to fight!" Er bellowed, leaping off his horse with a dark scowl. While the others might have missed it, he had noticed something. Every time Fei Liang struck, Er caught glimpses of a fleeting shadow. The figure was too quick, vanishing before he could act.

"This guy's definitely a master; we've got a real challenge on our hands," Er concluded about Fei Liang. Still, he didn't believe Fei Liang was better than him, attributing his prowess to speed and agility alone.

The other bandits, taking their cue from Er, found their courage and dismounted, brandishing their sabers defensively to guard against Fei Liang's ambushes.

"Hmph, think you're safe now? You're underestimating me," Fei Liang thought with a cold laugh, seizing the moment to strike. His next victim was none other than the fifth brother of the Mao family.

With a cry, Fifth Elder Mao's body tensed, a premonition of death washing over him. He tried to dodge, but Fei Liang's attack landed. Before he could even process what happened, Fei Liang delivered the final blow, ending his life.

"Fifth brother!" Er cried out in anguish and fury, "Whether you're of flesh or spirit, I, Er, vow to be your eternal adversary. I swear on my honor to sever your head and offer it to my beloved fifth brother!"

The six brothers, though sharing the same father, were half-siblings. However, Er and his fifth brother were full-blooded, sharing the same mother. Their bond had been strong since childhood, so this intense reaction was only to be expected.

Upon confirming his fifth brother's death, Er was like a lion enraged.

Fei Liang, standing to the side, silently counted his blessings. Had he not chosen the perfect moment to strike, even a successful attack wouldn't have been so effortless. Watching Er's reaction, Fei Liang couldn't help but smirk. They were sworn enemies, after all, and killing one another was simply the nature of their feud.

And now, he had another to dispatch.

A blood-curdling scream pierced the air as the sixth brother's head lolled to the side, his lifeblood pouring from a wound in his chest.

"Check on the sixth brother!" Er commanded, his eyes bloodshot with suppressed rage, to a nearby bandit.

"Second boss, the sixth master... he's gone," the bandit stammered, terror-stricken after confirming the death and hurrying back.

With a wrathful cry, Er lashed out, his blade cleaving the bandit's head from his shoulders in one swift motion. The remaining bandits blanched in fear.

"Er, your wicked deeds are countless, and today marks your end!" Fei Liang declared, emerging within striking distance and aiming his blade straight for Er's throat.