Killing Dao Fruit

Whoosh—!

Suddenly, a shrill whooshing sound came from beside his ear.

Wang Yuan abruptly stretched out his hand to flip over the table in front of him, which was set with food and drinks.

The next moment, "thud, thud, thud," three flying knives were firmly nailed into the tabletop, their force astonishing, almost completely penetrating it.

However, when Wang Yuan and the bandits, startled by the sudden change, looked up toward the entrance of the hall,

they saw no one; they could only faintly hear very soft footsteps in the night, moving back and forth, constantly shifting.

Recalling the spell just heard, Wang Yuan had a thought.

After quickly scanning the memories of "Thief Cat" Cui Tong, he stared at the empty night in front of him and suddenly sneered:

"Shadowless Rat Wen Juncai? You dare approach, seeking death rather than fleeing at the sight of your grandpa Cat?

Are you in such a hurry to reunite with your brother?"

Having taken on someone else's identity with "Human Face Painting," he naturally inherited their causality too.

In fact, when he first realized this was a good opportunity to infiltrate the enemy, Wang Yuan had already prepared mentally to face the original body's enemies.

He just hadn't expected it to happen this quickly.

If he was not mistaken, this enemy who drew his knife before even seeing him must be "Shadowless Rat" Wen Juncai from the Two Rats of Ningchuan.

Four years ago, when Cui Tong was still an arrest officer in Guning County, he had already crossed paths with him.

Back then, he was not "Thief Cat" but "Imperial Cat."

The Two Rats of Ningchuan were already somewhat renowned river and sea bandits, although their Taoist military skills were mediocre, they each possessed a unique abnormal skill.

The elder rat "Hairless Rat" Wen Junsheng, had mastered a technique called "Thieves' Greasy Technique."

As long as he drank a bowl of talismanic water and spread medicinal oil on his shaven scalp, his whole body would become as slippery as if coated in oil, untouchable by anyone.

Even if surrounded by groups of government officials, beaten with clubs and cut with knives, the damage would be absorbed by the talismanic water in his stomach, allowing him to escape easily time after time.

But the only precept of this technique was: he must not drink raw water, or the magic would instantly be broken.

At that time, the increasingly audacious brothers were preparing to steal the silver from Guning County's treasury but were caught red-handed by Cui Tong, who was on duty by chance.

During the ensuing chase, a sudden heavy rain caused "Hairless Rat" Wen Junsheng to accidentally drink the raw water, giving Cui Tong the opportunity to easily kill him.

However, the earlier lost silver could not be reclaimed, and after being falsely accused, Cui Tong angrily left Guning County.

The younger rat "Shadowless Rat" Wen Juncai, however, practiced an even more mystical "Invisibility Technique."

To cultivate it, one needed to find a chopstick offered to a woman who died accidentally on the first day of the lunar new year, steal it while her family was unprepared, making sure no one saw him during the process.

He would then wrap it with talisman paper and store it in a clean, ventilated place until an eclipse night, when he would carve the chopstick into a hairpin with a knife that had never touched blood, chanting spells all the while until the eclipse ended.

Placing the enchanted hairpin on his head, he could recite the spell in emergencies to become invisible in front of others.

The spell Cui Tong had once heard went, "Imperial Decree! Thunder rolls, stars boil and capture!"

Unexpectedly, today's bandit alliance meeting brought them together.

Vengeance for a murdered brother is inexorable: "Shadowless Rat" did not hesitate to seek revenge, despite being in another's territory.

Hearing Wang Yuan taunting in Cui Tong's tone, he remained silent but raised his hand and shot out two flying knives with the force of thunder.

From Wang Yuan's sleeve, a brilliant golden cold light sprang forth, pivoting in the air to knock down the two incoming flying knives starkly.

His body, however, appeared like a wisp of green smoke, rushing out of the hall in an instant.

After reaching "Integrated Force," his power reached his teeth, tongue, nails, and hair—his senses keenly alive to stimulation.

He had already pinpointed "Shadowless Rat"s position through these few attacks.

For an old Jianghu, vision wasn't everything; discerning location by sound had become an instinct.

However:

Jingle, jingle, jingle...

The flying knives shot by "Shadowless Rat" all had bells attached, which immediately covered the extremely faint sound of his footsteps with the evening breeze.

Then, even more flying knives and needles came hurling towards Wang Yuan like a torrential downpour.

Now that "Shadowless Rat" had been active for many years, he was very aware of the strengths and weaknesses of his own techniques and had long prepared countermeasures against his enemies.

Otherwise, how could he continue to roam freely with a 3000-silver bounty from the government on his back?

Wang Yuan paused in his steps, his situation suddenly precarious.

If he could only defend and not attack, even a non-human realm "Daoist Soldier" would be gradually worn down by this invisible man.

"I've long heard of the great name 'Shadowless Rat,' of being traceless; what treasure could he not steal if he can turn invisible in front of others? Even the County Magistrate's head cannot escape his elusive hands, right?"

"'Thief Cat,' despite his great fame, is still merely a mortal; how can he contend with a practitioner of magic?"

"To see the Cat played by the Rat, truly disappointing."

"'Shadow Following' is no match for 'Traceless.' I bet this cat will be caught within thirty seconds."

"I bet too, a hundred silver, within twenty seconds."

"Haha, a hundred and twenty silver..."

The bandits who had just been calling Cui Tong a brother were all laughing and pointing, starting a betting pool with peanuts, clearly just fair-weather friends.

Ready to sell each other out at any moment.

The noise inside the hall further disturbed Wang Yuan's ability to discern location by sound.

"Hey, if he could use real skills, why would he need all these tricks?

"Gathering Beasts Magic Skill can summon swarms of insects to attack, Transformation into Tiger Technique can summon a fake tiger, easily dragging out this old rat.

Sadly, even if I use magic to kill this guy, I'll probably have to run right after, too wasteful for such minor characters."

Although he couldn't use magic, Wang Yuan was not without means.

Invisibility was not intangibility, just like back then, a light drizzle was all it took to reveal his true form immediately.

The "Golden Winged Jade Belt Slave" in Wang Yuan's hand suddenly shot towards the pavilion behind him, and while a bandit was still unaware, it suddenly coiled around a wine jar on his table like a spirit snake.

No matter which school of Martial Arts and Military Skills one practiced, the cultivation of power mostly did not diverge from:

"Rolling, Error, Fold, Grinding, Bouncing, Cold, Correct, Side, Fixed, Broken, Saber, Saw, Slap, Dust off, Pulling, Holding, Stepping, Heavy, Away" these nineteen Jin Techniques.

Cui Tong, who practiced the intricate Dharma Sect of the Butterfly Soldier Skill, was particularly adept at this.

With a flick of his finger using the Pulling Force, the wine jar immediately soared into the air, not flying towards the already indistinguishable footsteps, but straight up into the air.

Next, the splendid golden cold light in Wang Yuan's palm contracted and relaxed.

Snap!

The wine jar instantly burst in the air, and the slightly thick and viscous wine was exploded into a large mist by the power infused in the steel dart, scattering down like a drizzle.

The intoxicating scent of aged Dukang wine immediately filled the courtyard.

There was no need to listen for positions; "Shadowless Rat", drenched by the wine, immediately revealed his form.

At the same time.

A tinder was flicked by Wang Yuan into the air, where the wine vapor had condensed into a gel, instantly igniting into a fireball soaring into the sky.

"Shadowless Rat" couldn't help covering his face, frantically dodging backward because the Invisibility Technique borrowed the power of Ghosts, which naturally fear water and fire.

It couldn't operate in rain or near firelight, only at night could it be completely invisible.

But by the time the firelight dispersed, the figure of "Thief Cat" was already nowhere to be seen.

Holding a flying knife, he patrolled around.

Yet suddenly, he heard a light laugh behind him:

"A rat is a rat, when exposed to light, it can no longer control its fate."

He abruptly turned around, only to find nothing behind him.

For the first time in his life facing another "Invisible Man," the bandit swallowed hard and shouted,

"Cui Tong, where are you... come out!"

With a wary face, he slowly turned his body until he had made a complete circle around the scene and still could not pinpoint where his opponent was hiding.

Nor did he hear any footsteps.

But he noticed that all the noisy bandits in the pavilion had quietened down, staring straight at something behind him.

They seemed to see something unbelievable, their faces full of shock.

"Shadowless Rat" quickly turned around again, but still, there was nothing behind him.

After several instances, his face was left with nothing but a ghost-like breakdown.

However, in the eyes of the bandits in the pavilion.

That "Thief Cat" Cui Tong, with his miraculously skilled movements, had always stood just three feet behind "Shadowless Rat," right in his blind spot.

Even for a martial arts master like "Thief Cat," it didn't matter at this distance whether he could see his target or not.

According to Wang Yuan's own nature, an enemy who had a fratricidal grudge naturally deserved to be chopped to death cleanly with a saber.

But Cui Tong with his fondness for "good reputation" and "appearing divine before others" disagreed.

He insisted on showing off his skills in front of others.

To let the audience witness his martial arts invisibility technique that was akin to "Shadow Following."

With movements as quick as a Spiritual Cat, even if someone was in the same cramped room with him, and walked around checking, they still couldn't spot his presence.

That was the masterful skill of "switching the beams without being detected."

'This guy, not even a Non-Human, is so vainly in love, truly deserved an early death.'

The bandits in the hall watched this miraculous scene, akin to a spiritual cat playing with a mouse, and had already unconsciously held their breath.

Wandering in Jianghu, most had seen some Abnormal Skills.

But a scene like this, achieving the effects of Abnormal Skill through true skill, and even in turn suppressing a similar Abnormal Skill, was unheard of.

"Brother Cui has remarkable skills, truly eye-opening!"

"What did I say? 'Shadowless Rat' is merely a buffoon; how could he be a match for Brother Cui?"

"Exactly, exactly! Brothers should try to get closer to him in the future."

Meanwhile.

The task of caring for the emotions of the "Painting Spirit" by "appearing divine before others" was finally achieved.

And these miraculously skilled steps and use of force were absorbed by Wang Yuan like a sponge, rapidly solidifying the shortcomings accumulated by his too rapid progress.

In his own White Tiger Military Art's bold and vigorous style, a few clever Jin Techniques were added.

No longer toying with this rat, he tapped the ground with his toe and swiftly retreated, his palm's splendid golden cold light shot out like a wandering dragon again, aiming directly for the back of "Shadowless Rat's" head.

Under Wang Yuan's explosive force, the steel dart even exploded in mid-air, creating a fierce wave of air.

The skull of "Shadowless Rat" was about to burst open like a watermelon, spilling brain pulp all over the ground.

Clang—!

Suddenly, a Tiger Head Saber turned into a bright whip, shot forth from outside the arena, and collided fiercely with the steel dart that was almost upon its target.

Producing a huge metallic clang.

From the darkness, a figure who had been watching from the sidelines for an unknown duration, with a hint of admiration, leisurely said to him:

"Brother Cui, please spare the man under my weapon, and perhaps let me save face as a landlord?"