Chapter 22: Chapter 22: Killing Mu Li
"Our Young Master entered the mountains following the route used by Thousand Medicine House for gathering medicinal herbs, while the Third Captain took the path commonly used by mercenaries."
The mercenary quickly explained, then looked up at Lin Feng nervously and whispered, "Sir, I've told you everything I know. Can I go now?"
"Hmm, go ahead." Lin Feng nodded and waved his hand, signaling that the mercenary was free to leave.
"Thank you, thank you!"
The mercenary clasped his hands in gratitude, but a trace of venomous hatred flickered in his eyes. He thought viciously, "Brat, just wait until I reunite with the Young Master. Once we call for the experts in the mercenary group, let's see if you can still survive!"
However, his expression remained flattering as he turned to leave.
"Crushing Rock Fist!"
"Boom!"
Just as he was celebrating his escape, a young voice shouted from behind him.
In an instant, his body was sent flying. When he landed again, he had already entered eternal slumber.
"Heh, I still think it's better to kill you rather than let you go back."
Without paying any attention to the fresh corpse on the ground, Lin Feng turned toward the direction where Mu Li was.
A cold smile appeared on his face. "Wolf Head Mercenary Group, since you dared to kill and rob me, let's see if you can withstand my revenge!"
As the sun set, mercenary teams that had spent the day searching the Magic Beast Mountain Range began heading back toward their camp in small groups.
Most of them had relaxed expressions.
After all, in their minds, Lin Feng had long been scared out of his wits and was likely running aimlessly through the mountains. How could he possibly pose a threat?
Moreover, many had never witnessed Mu Li's miserable defeat. They all assumed Lin Feng had only managed to land a lucky hit on their Young Master in the darkness.
However, hidden in the shadows, a pair of sharp eyes was locked onto them.
Perched among the tree branches, Lin Feng surveyed the area. He noticed that this particular group of mercenaries had no other teams nearby.
With a swift movement, he vanished from his position, transforming into a black blur that shot toward them.
"Boom!"
As his fist connected with flesh, a mercenary instantly vanished from the sight of his companions.
"Enemi—"
Another mercenary, quick to react, had just opened his mouth to shout for help when a fist struck him, sending him flying into the unknown.
Lin Feng landed lightly, glancing at the corpses scattered in the underbrush along the roadside.
"Seventeenth… by now, Mu Li's group should only have him and a few personal guards left."
With a few swift leaps, he followed the only road leading to Mu Li's valley camp.
Around the campfire, a Wolf Head Mercenary Group guard looked around at the empty campsite, puzzled. "Why is everyone so diligent today? It's almost dark, and no one has returned yet."
Another guard, busy brushing honey onto his roasted meat, replied casually, "Maybe they're all tempted by the Young Master's bounty of 100,000 gold coins. It's not like they were all killed by that brat, right?"
"Hmm?!"
The first guard froze.
Some mercenaries might be greedy for the 100,000 gold coins, but surely not all of them!
Panicking, he ran toward the central tent and shouted, "Young Master, something's wrong! None of the mercenaries who went out have come back!"
"What?!"
Mu Li, who had been sleeping, was about to lash out in irritation when he heard the words. His drowsiness disappeared instantly.
Without even putting on his shoes properly, he rushed out of the tent.
Usually, at this hour, the camp would be lively and bustling.
But now… it was completely silent.
Under the cover of night, the empty camp gave off an eerie, lifeless feeling.
"Quick, we need to leave and head to the Third Captain!"
Although Mu Li didn't know what had happened, the unsettling atmosphere made it clear that something was seriously wrong.
Reuniting with the other group was the safest option.
"Yes, you guys, stop roasting meat! Escort the Young Master to the Third Captain's camp immediately!"
The guard hurriedly called over two more guards to prepare for their departure.
The two guards quickly dropped what they were doing, surrounding Mu Li as they moved toward the camp's exit.
"Where are you all heading?"
Just as they stepped out of the camp, they saw a young man standing in the middle of the road, smiling at them.
"It's you!" Mu Li's pupils shrank as he instantly recognized Lin Feng.
His body trembled slightly, and with a mixture of disbelief and self-deception, he stammered, "The mercenaries… you just lured them away, right?"
Lin Feng's smile deepened. "Those mercenaries? They're all waiting for you."
His face was filled with killing intent, and his smile carried a hint of cruelty. "Don't worry, I won't let them wait too long. I'll send you to join them now!"
Upon hearing this, Mu Li looked at the towering peaks on both sides of the valley, his heart filling with endless regret.
When he had chosen this valley as his base, he thought it was easy to defend and difficult to attack.
Now that his only escape route was blocked, he couldn't even run for his life, let alone fight back.
"Scarlet Flame Palm!"
Lin Feng stomped the ground, using the recoil to propel himself forward. In a flash, he was right in front of Mu Li.
"Wood Hardening!"
Mu Li hastily activated his Dou Technique to block.
"Bang!"
The moment their attacks clashed, Mu Li was sent flying backward toward the camp.
However, Lin Feng didn't immediately go for the kill.
Instead, he maneuvered around the battlefield, swiftly eliminating the three Five-Star Dou Zhe guards.
Once done, he walked leisurely toward Mu Li.
The Young Master lay on the ground, pale-faced. His arms were mangled, the broken bones protruding through his skin.
Because of Lin Feng's powerful palm strike, he was now completely helpless, struggling just to move.
Lin Feng gazed down at him, his tone calm. "Don't worry, the other mercenary group Captains of your Wolf Head Mercenary Group will be joining you soon. You can go ahead and scout the road for them."
Mu Li knew that Lin Feng would never let him go today.
He coughed up blood and sneered, "If I had known, I would've used everything I had to kill you back in that cave."
"Heh, but did you even have the ability to do so?"
Lin Feng chuckled coldly. He had no mercy for those who had tried to kill him.
Raising his right hand into a fist, he smashed it down toward Mu Li's heart.
Mu Li coughed up more blood but suddenly let out a weak laugh. "Heh… The whole of Qingshan Town knows that you and Xiao Yixian obtained high-level cultivation techniques and Dou Techniques in that cave. I'm sure even Thousand Medicine House wants them now… You should be worrying about your little lover's safety… Hahaha—ugh!"