The man holding the stick was afraid of being entangled by them and dying under the siege, so he took the two swords regardless of everything and ran away covered in blood.
Shi Hao and Hou Bomin had expected this, so they left the man with the stick alone and rushed towards Huang Facai.
In the fierce fight, with two loud bangs, Huang Facai stood up, his left arm was hooked off by a mushroom, and his back was chopped by Shi Hao.
But he was a fifth-rank master after all, and with a bang, the poison burst out.
How could they dare to be touched by his poison? They either rolled or retreated, and were forced to disperse.
Huang Facai let out a shrill scream and flew into the air.
Shi Hao rolled on the ground, his sword energy as fast as a rainbow, chasing straight ahead, and stabbed again with the sword.
Unfortunately, Huang Facai was still alive. Although he spilled blood all the way, he accelerated further, flew out of the village, and jumped directly off the cliff.
Shi Hao chased to the edge of the cliff and looked down. He saw Huang Facai using trees to slow down his momentum and escape.
He was helpless for a moment.
After returning to the manor, Shi Hao paced a few steps, looked at the bodies of Zhao Xuanding, Yu He, the man with the knife, and the arm left by Huang Facai on the ground, and sighed.
Du Yuejiao floated over and said, "Brother Shi, we have won a great victory, why do you look a little unhappy?"
Shi Hao said: "Although we have won, we have not won completely. Apart from defending Bashan, I am afraid that there will not be much change in other aspects."
As he was talking, there was a hurried sound of running outside. Someone rushed in and said happily, "Master, we won! The Hanyang Gang was defeated!"
Shi Hao asked: "So fast?"
The man said, "We fought hard, and although we had the upper hand at the beginning, it was difficult to win so quickly. As a result, the Hanyang Gang had internal strife, and some people came from behind them and attacked us from both sides.
"When we asked, they said they were from the Danyang Society. They said they had long since been fed up with what the Hanyang Gang had done and were contacting various heroes to fight alongside us."
Shi Hao nodded: "Yes! I understand!"
When it was daybreak, Chuan Daoren, Gong Muhong, He Guangtao and others returned happily together.
Everyone settled the wounded, rested, and sent people to inquire about the news in Danjiang, Nanhe and other places.
Various good news came one after another, and the Hanyang gang members who had committed many evil things in the past were being massacred.
Diao Hongyan and Jin Ba, two of the three villains of Hannan, were both killed. After Huang Facai, the culprit of the Hanyang Gang, withdrew from Bashan, he was intercepted by Xiong Wanghu, the "Tiger Swordsman", and was killed by Xiong Wanghu himself.
The Hanyang Gang completely collapsed, and Xiong Wanghu's reputation as a hero became even greater, and he was at the peak of his power on both sides of the Han River.
In the afternoon, the "Tiger Swordsman" Xiong Wanghu sent an envoy to ask for a moment.
At the appointed time in the evening, Shi Hao led his men down the mountain and met the "Tiger Swordsman" Xiong Wanghu on the bank of the Nan River.
Behind Xiong Wanghu, the morale was high as well as a long bamboo pole with Huang Facai's head hung on it.
After seeing the head of Huang Facai, leader of the Hanyang Gang, with their own eyes, even the Jiuzhai warriors behind Shi Hao started cheering.
"This must be Master Zhongyun, Master?" Xiong Wanghu was tall and strong, and stepped forward with a vigorous momentum. He bowed and said, "Master Zhongyun is a young hero, and he is even more famous than you think when you meet him."
Shi Hao followed and bowed, saying, "Hero Xiong is famous and renowned throughout the world. It is my honor to meet him at this moment."
Xiong Wanghu said: "I am ashamed to accept this! This time, Master Shi united the Bashan Jiuzhai to resist Huang Facai's atrocities and prevented the Hanyang Gang from unifying Hanshui Bashan. This is admirable!"
Shi Hao said: "Fortunately, the hero Xiong took action and contacted the righteous people who were oppressed by the Hanyang Gang to overthrow the Hanyang Gang and kill Huang Facai. He acted on behalf of heaven and eliminated harm for the martial arts world. I have admired him for a long time!"
Xiong Wanghu said, "Now that Huang Facai is dead and the Hanyang Gang has collapsed, I wonder if the Bashan Jiuzhai would be willing to form an alliance with our Danyang Association to protect the peace of the people during this extraordinary time?"
Shi Hao said: "The Bashan Mountains are high and deep. The Nine Villages were only forced to unite under the threat of the Hanyang Gang. From now on, each village will return to its own village. I just hope that there will be no more atrocities by the Hanyang Gang in the Hanshui area, and everyone can live in peace and safety."
Xiong Wanghu said, "Don't worry about this matter. Bashan and Hanshui are originally one, and we should help each other in the future. I can guarantee that as long as I am in Hanshui, the violence of the Hanyang Gang will never appear again."
Shi Hao cupped his hands and said, "In that case, I am relieved. We still have a large number of wounded who need to be rescued after the battle last night. I think you also have a lot of Hanyang Gang remnants to clean up. I will not bother you, Hero Xiong."
Xiong Wanghu also bowed, and the two turned around.
Du Yuejiao raised his head and looked at the head hanging high on the bamboo pole. He snorted, "We clearly already severely injured him last night, but this Danyang Society took advantage of us. It's really unacceptable."
Xu Xiaoyan shook her head and said, "Whether it is really Huang Facai's head or not is still unclear."
Du Yuejiao turned around in surprise: "Can this be fooled?" He looked at the head again and muttered: "At least it looks similar."
Shi Hao returned to the formation, sighed deeply, and said, "Let's go!"
Everyone returned to the mountains. In the village, Shi Hao called important figures such as Gong Muhong, Chuan Daoren, Yan Zhuxia, Jing Shilong, etc., but did not let other people participate in the meeting.
Gong Muhong looked at Shi Hao and asked in confusion, "We have won a great victory this time. The Hanyang Gang has been completely destroyed, and Huang Facai has been executed. Why does Master Shi still look so sad?"
Shi Hao looked around and whispered, "If I tell you that Xiong Wanghu and Huang Facai are actually in the same group, would you believe it?"
Chapter 165: Girl from the East Sea
Shi Hao's words shocked Dechuan Daoren, Gong Muhong, Yan Zhuxia, He Guangtao, Jing Shilong, Zhao Peng and others.
Shi Hao sighed and said, "If you want me to produce evidence, I actually can't. I can only tell you that this 'Tiger Swordsman' Xiong Wanghu is most likely the same as the so-called 'Huang Facai', both of whom are Hong Leichi's men."
"In addition, they are probably related to the Demon Sect. Huang Facai was tyrannical and committed many murders. He killed many people who would hinder them, and at the same time aroused the wrath of heaven and people.
"After Huang Facai provoked public anger, Xiong Wanghu secretly gathered forces to resist him and overthrew the Hanyang Gang. He recruited all the forces that resisted the Hanyang Gang and took the opportunity to take over the Hanyang Gang's territory."
"At this moment, 'Huang Facai' is dead, and the three villains of Hannan who were notorious in the past have been executed. However, after the chief culprit was executed, many other members of the Hanyang Gang changed their identities and became members of the Danyang Society. This Xiong Wanghu has gained the reputation of a hero and prestige, and then he established a 'Hanyang Gang' with a better reputation and not burdened by the bad reputation."
"It is foreseeable that, with Xiong Wanghu's good reputation, the Hanshui League will still be established, and there won't be many people who would object. As for Huang Facai, he was originally an identity that suddenly appeared, and he had already prepared for his death."
"Even the head we saw hanging on the bamboo pole, there was no way to confirm it was really him."
Such news made everyone change color.
Shi Hao said: "The only thing to be thankful for is that according to their original plan, we would both suffer losses with the Hanyang Gang. At best, the nine villages in Bashan would suffer heavy casualties. After the Danyang Association completely replaces the Hanyang Gang, the villages in Bashan that have suffered heavy losses will be forced to rely on the Danyang Association."
"In this way, the Danyang Society has accomplished something that even the Hanyang Gang could not do."
"This is also the main reason why the Hanyang Gang attacked with all their might last night, and even Huang Facai and Zhao Xuanding joined in to kill me. They were paving the way for the Danyang Society. This also makes me further believe that they are definitely related to the Demon Sect. Because this is a way for the Demon Sect to control the situation in secret. Of course, on the surface, you will never be able to find evidence that Xiong Wanghu is related to the Demon Sect."
Zhao Peng hesitated and said, "But... But in the end, these are just guesses?"
Shi Hao nodded: "Well, I said, I can't produce any evidence. Xiong Wanghu is a well-known hero, and we can't do anything to him based on these 'guesses'."
Taoist Chuan looked around and said resolutely: "I am willing to believe Master."
Gong Muhong and Yan Zhuxia nodded together, but the others were a little hesitant.
Shi Hao said: "Thank you! But at this point, it doesn't matter whether we know about this or not. We can't do anything at all. We fought the Hanyang Gang to protect the Bashan Jiuzhai, so we can unite as one."
"If we attack the Danyang Society based on these unfounded speculations, then in the eyes of the world, we will become ambitious and the Danyang Society will do its best to protect itself. Even our own subordinates will have all kinds of complaints. They will think that we resisted the Hanyang Gang in the name of resisting violence, and now the war has finally ended, and we have suffered many casualties. Now we suddenly turn around and attack other gangs. What's going on?"
"Fortunately, in order to maintain their reputation as chivalrous and accumulate a good reputation in the coming chaotic times, the Danyang Association will not embarrass Bashan Jiuzhai in the short term, so as to avoid being criticized. Bashan Jiuzhai and the Danyang Association should be able to maintain peace for three to five months."
Gong Muhong hesitated and asked, "So what should we do now?"
Shi Hao shook his head: "You don't have to do anything. I told you this just to make you prepared. In the next period of time, Danyang may not attack Bashan Jiuzhai directly, but he will use various secret means to weaken you."
"There will be no more major wars, but small disputes will continue endlessly. Just keep this in mind. In fact, all kinds of small matters don't matter. The key is that Bashan Jiuzhai must remain united. As long as Bashan Jiuzhai is not defeated one by one, Danyang will have no way to stop it."
"The reputation of a hero is the secret of Xiong Wanghu's ability to replace the Hanyang Gang and rule the upper reaches of the Han River so quickly, but it is also a constraint for him. At least he would never dare to be as unscrupulous as Huang Facai, nor would he dare to be so violent and despicable."
"The militia still needs to be established, and it has to be established. As long as Bashan Jiuzhai has its own militia, it will be able to protect itself in the upcoming chaos. After all, Bashan is a mountainous area. Once the militia is strong, it will be easy to defend and difficult to attack. No matter which force it is, it will only be difficult to eliminate it in the future."
Taoist Chuan said: "Master, please continue to help us..."
Shi Hao shook his head: "No, I'm leaving!"
Everyone was shocked, and all looked at him.
—
Xu Xiaoyan was walking in the garden behind the village.
On the other side, Yueyaer was pulling Du Yuejiao and talking nonstop.
On the grass in the distance, Shiitake was sitting as usual, fiddling with her bottles and jars.
Xu Xiaoyan walked through the garden and came to the back mountain.
At this moment, the sun has not set long, the crescent moon rises, and night falls quickly.
Some people hung lanterns high up, and some scattered evacuated people were returning home.
The "Monkey Thief" Hou Bomin sat on a big rock, holding a dry pipe in his hand, with the spark at the tip of the pipe flickering from time to time.
"Old monkey!" Xu Xiaoyan stepped forward and said, "What exactly do you want to tell me? Why have you been dragging it on until now?"
Hou Bomin sighed and said, "I have been hesitating whether to tell you, because I am not sure what will happen if I let you know."
Xu Xiaoyan frowned: "What is it?"
Hou Bomin glanced at her and finally said, "Someone saw a girl who looks exactly like you."
Xu Xiaoyan was shocked, her expression began to change, her eyes were full of expectation, and she blurted out:
"Who saw it? Where?"
Hou Bomin took a puff of his pipe and said, "It was Old Man Zhong who was seen in the East China Sea. But he was not sure..."
Xu Xiaoyan asked: "Why can't we be sure?"
Hou Bomin said: “Because he said that although he saw it, he felt like he was dreaming.
Xu Xiaoyan stared at him: "What's going on?"
Hou Bomin put down his pipe and tapped it on the stone edge. He said, "He said that it was an evening when the sun and the moon were shining together, and he went out to sea alone to catch stone milk fish for refining immortal materials. You know Old Man Zhong, he is used to doing this kind of thing, and going out to sea alone is not a big deal for him."
"But at that time, the weather was fine, but suddenly there was a violent storm.
"He had originally hoped for good weather before going out to sea, but he did not expect the weather to change so suddenly. He struggled to get through the area where the rain was pouring, and suddenly saw fog rolling ahead.
"He didn't know where he was. There was fog everywhere and it was difficult to tell the direction. He rowed forward and then he saw a group of people walking on the sea in front of him.
"There were both men and women, all dressed beautifully. Most of them wore straight-collared or long-collared robes, just like the people of the pre-Qin period. Four of them were carrying an extremely gorgeous sedan chair, with pearls strung around the edges."
"There was a young girl sitting in the sedan chair. She was wearing a colorful dress with a rare flying fairy bun. She was looking straight ahead, motionless. At that moment, Old Man Zhong saw her profile... He thought that girl was you."
Xu Xiaoyan murmured, "East China Sea?"
Hou Bomin nodded: "Old man Zhong wanted to call you, but he felt something was wrong. The girl looked exactly like you, but her temperament was completely different. While he was hesitating, a war broke out there."
"Many pirates rushed into the fog by boat and attacked the group. Those pirates were very powerful, with at least nearly ten mid-level masters, and the others were also high-level masters. Old man Zhong recognized that they were from the Sea Shark Gang, and he didn't know how that group of people offended the Sea Shark Gang."
"But the strange thing is that four people in that group took action. There were two men and two women, and they all used swords. Just those four people killed all the pirates of the Sea Shark Gang."
"Old man Zhong said that he had never imagined such a scene before. The masters of the Sea Shark Gang were like chickens and ducks waiting to be slaughtered in front of them. There was no room for resistance at all. One of them even looked at him after killing someone. At that time, old man Zhong thought he would not survive either."
"But the man ignored him, and the four men didn't come to kill him. They killed all the pirates, even the sailors and cooks on the ship, and then left. They protected the girl and walked away on the water. During the whole process, the girl didn't move at all."
"Later, the fog gradually dissipated, and Old Man Zhong saw the moon again. He felt like he was dreaming.
"After returning to the shore, he began to inquire about your whereabouts. Apparently, you had already left Jiangsu and Zhejiang at that time. Taoist Tieyu told us that you were with Old Man Zhong on the day he mentioned. You brought a guy named Shi Hao with you, saying that you were going to help him find the Blood Killing Sword, and you even tricked him into taking a sword."
Xu Xiaoyan opened her eyes wide: "That was not long after the last full moon night. Counting it, it should be a month ago? Grandpa Zhong...did he really see another me?"
Hou Bomin sat on the stone, nodded slowly, and looked up at her again: "Where are you going?"
Xu Xiaoyan turned around resolutely: "I want to go to the East China Sea! I want to find her!"
Hou Bomin sighed and said, "I have been hesitating whether to tell you because I know that once you know the news, you can't wait a moment. But this time, I really hope you think it through!"
Chapter 166 When Will We Cut the Candle Together in the West Window
Xu Xiaoyan sighed quietly: "No matter what, I must go find her."
Hou Bomin said: "So, you have to think clearly, that group of people are definitely not ordinary people. Besides, the East China Sea is so big, the vast ocean, where are you going to look for them?"
Xu Xiaoyan said: "I'll go find Grandpa Zhong first!"
Hou Bomin shook his head and said, "It's useless. According to old man Zhong, there is no island in that area, and those people don't know where they came from. Besides, the fog came inexplicably, and those people were walking on water in the fog.
“According to him, it’s hard to say whether those people are human or ghosts.
"Even if you find old man Zhong, I'm afraid he won't be able to lead you to find that group of people."
Xu Xiaoyan looked at the crescent moon slowly rising in the sky: "No matter what, I have to go!"
Hou Bomin sighed: "Forget it! Anyway..." He pointed towards the villa and said: "Have you ever thought about asking him to go with you?"
Xu Xiaoyan shook her head: "The East China Sea is so far away, and it's my own business. I don't want to trouble others."
Hou Bomin said, "In my opinion, as long as you ask, he will definitely be willing to go with you. Would you like to consider it?"
Xu Xiaoyan hesitated for a moment, then shook her head resolutely.