Chapter 68: Fuyuan Manor

Chapter 68: Chapter 68: Fuyuan Manor

They were at least two hundred paces away from the manor! More importantly, it was pitch dark, visibility was poor, and archery... He didn’t quite trust Lu Yuan’s Archery Skill either. Hitting a bullseye at a hundred paces was one thing, but at two hundred paces, the deviation could exceed two feet. Not only would he fail to injure the enemy, but he might also accidentally shoot one of their own. Furthermore, the six of them were already on edge. If Lu Yuan didn’t join the frontline...

"I can do it. I have absolute certainty," Lu Yuan said, brimming with confidence. "With just a single hand signal from you, I can take out the targets. I can also cover your backs."

Once a person possessed True Qi, their vision would significantly improve, and the effects of Gang Qi were even better. Archery Skill was also a process of honing one’s vision. Lu Yuan’s vision was naturally superior. As long as there was a sliver of moonlight or firelight, he could easily spot targets two to three hundred meters away. Meanwhile, the Eight-Ton Strong Bow could deliver an arrow to a target in an instant...

"Don’t shoot anywhere near me. Stay away! I don’t trust you!" Jianng Hongfei immediately declared.

"I don’t need your help either!" Yu Qiuyang echoed.

Lu Yuan nodded. "Fine, I’ll leave you two alone."

"Brother Lu, please don’t shoot me," Liu Zhi added cautiously. He wasn’t afraid that Lu Yuan would intentionally harm him, but he was terrified of the Eight-Ton Strong Bow. A single arrow could effortlessly skewer him through.

Lu Yuan was speechless. He thought, "Am I really that scary? Fine, you’ll regret this later!"

"My goal tonight is to shoot down ten of them!"

"You... don’t force it. If you can’t hit them, come over for close combat immediately!" Chen Qiang said, growing tense. Ten enemies naturally wouldn’t be Ninth Grade targets; they had to be Eighth Grade. However, there were only fifteen Eighth Grade Martial Artists in the entire manor. It was impossible to knock everyone out with poison; neutralizing half the threat would already be a good outcome. Therefore, the pressure on them would still be immense.

The others felt the hairs on their arms stand up. If the Eight-Ton Bow started firing blindly...

"I only hope that after tonight, you will all keep my Archery Skill a secret," Lu Yuan said with a smile.

The other six experienced a subtle shift in their expressions. They wondered, "How is this kid so confident? What does he mean? Has he already mastered it?"

"Alright, I’m heading in first. The moment there’s a huge commotion, charge in from all four directions!" Chen Qiang gave his final instructions before leaping down. He was as light as a swallow, rapidly approaching the estate before slipping inside silently.

"Squad Leader Chen’s Lightweight Skill is truly excellent," Liu Zhi praised.

"He’s at the Seventh Grade. It’s nothing special," Jianng Hongfei said dismissively. The Seventh Grade involved merging with the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi to open one’s acupoints. It was a completely new realm; once a Martial Artist entered it, they became entirely different. The combat power of their Cultivation Technique would become unimaginable.

"Alright, hurry up and get into position," Lu Yuan said, waving his hand. He thought, "They’re dilly-dallying too much. Who knows when Chen Qiang might get exposed? But this is my domain now."

WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

Mu Lingche, Jianng Hongfei, and Yu Qiuyang quickly departed.

"Don’t shoot me," Liu Zhi reminded him once more before heading down the mountain to circle around to the opposite side.

Lu Yuan unbuckled his two sabers and planted them into the ground. Then, gripping the bow in one hand and three arrows in the other, he waited quietly.

Meanwhile, at Fuyuan Manor.

"Drink up!"

"Drink!"

"The meat stew tonight is excellent."

"I picked it out specially. It’s a fat sheep."

"Why isn’t Old Third here?"

"He went to have some fun with a slave."

"That son of a bitch. He just loves playing with female slaves. He doesn’t even find it filthy."

"No, he’s changed his ways now."

"Still not as wild as you, Second Brother, with your taste for raw meat..."

"Haha, raw meat and cooked meat taste completely different! Especially the flavor of demon blood, tsk tsk, it’s a great tonic! How do you think your Second Brother achieved great mastery in organ refinement so quickly and reached the Eighth Grade Peak? That’s a huge part of the reason!"

"Really? It works that well? I’ll have to give it a taste some other day."

"Why wait for some other day? Let’s go try it later."

"Alright, let’s go right after we finish drinking!"

Around a long table, twenty to thirty Martial Artists were gulping down alcohol, tearing into meat, and boasting loudly. The group was centered around six Eighth Grade Martial Artists, while the rest kept them company, chimed in, and even served them. The atmosphere was incredibly festive.

CRACK! CRACK!

Beside them, in front of a rack, a shirtless Martial Artist wielded a leather whip wrapped in iron wire. He relentlessly lashed a bound prisoner, tearing open a large chunk of flesh with every strike.

The victim was already on the verge of death, clinging to life by a thread. There were several other wooden racks nearby, each holding a captive. Furthermore, a small figure hung from a tall wooden pole, its body long since dried out. It swayed gently in the night breeze, a silent testament to blood and tears. Brutality and slaughter ruled this place. The ground was slick with bloody mud, and racks were filled with instruments of torture. Shrouded in the deep moonlight, the courtyard brimmed with sin and resentment, resembling a living purgatory.

SWISH!

Somewhere in the backyard, a figure drifted over silently.

Chen Qiang swept his gaze around and headed for the kitchen first. The busy hours had already passed, leaving only a greasy, burly man sitting at the door eating meat.

THWACK!

With a light point of his finger, Chen Qiang sent a burst of qi through the air, knocking the man out cold. He then quickly slipped inside and poisoned the meat pot, the soup, and the water. Next, he made his way to the liquor storeroom, and finally, the water well... Everything was done without making a sound.

CRACK! CRACK!

The occasional popping of burning firewood echoed in the courtyard. The various rowdy shouts and chaotic noises masked his movements. This place was well-hidden and had been incident-free for a long time, so everyone couldn’t help but lower their guard. After administering the poison, Chen Qiang withdrew and waited quietly. They had the entire night to complete their mission, so there was no need to rush. Beyond this, he had to inflict heavy damage on one of the Seventh Grade experts at the very first opportunity. Only then would they have a chance at victory tonight; otherwise...

Time ticked away, minute by minute.

THUD! THUD!

Inside the manor, people began collapsing one after another. At first, everyone assumed they had simply drank too much or fallen asleep from exhaustion. That was until they realized far too many were dropping, and their conditions seemed somewhat off.

"Drunk? Wake up."

"Hey, wake up! What’s going on?"

SLAP!

A slap to the face yielded no response.

SLAP!

Another slap, and still no reaction.

"Not good, they’ve been poisoned!" a Martial Artist suddenly yelled.

"What?"

"Poisoned?"

"Poison!"

The manor instantly erupted into chaos. A large number of people hurriedly scrambled out from their rooms and various areas. Those with disheveled clothing and the on-duty guards were almost all alerted.

WHOOSH!

A burly man with a bushy beard appeared in the center of the yard. "What’s going on? Did someone infiltrate us?"

"We don’t know, but it looks like it..." The crowd was unsure. After all, besides an outside infiltration, it was also possible that someone on the inside had messed up.

WHOOSH!

A scrawny Martial Artist stepped forward to inspect the fallen men. "They were drugged with knockout drops!"

"Knockout drops?" Dou Kun frowned deeply. "Everyone, on high alert! Inspect everything in the manor. If you spot an enemy, shout immediately!"

"Yes, sir!" the crowd obeyed. Aside from the stationed guards, everyone else began scouring the manor. Very soon...

"Zhao Da, the cook, is missing!"

"What?"

"Damn it, so he was the one behind this!"

"He dares to run? Send a few men out to drag him back!"

The crowd went from being tense and terrified to breathing a sigh of relief, followed by sheer anger. Then, they relaxed again.

Right at that moment...

SHING!

A fierce blade glare suddenly slashed toward Dou Kun.