8: There is endless blood in the rivers and lakes, and endless heads of evildoers!

Lu Jiuyuan stopped, "Just the two of us?"

"Of course not. I set up a gathering and found twenty people, all of whom are somewhat famous. With you and me, that makes twenty-two in total. If we pull this off, we'll be able to live lavishly for several years!"

"Why me?"

"It has to be you. I found out you were once recruited by them to be a flower boy, so you must be very familiar with the place! And the people inside.

It's a big business worth tens of thousands of taels. You'll get paid for how much effort you put in. If you're useless, you won't get a single coin!"

Lu Jiuyuan laughed heartily, "Useful, I am very useful indeed!"

Ninth Girl's pouch swayed gently in the wind, the golden beans clinking together with a crisp sound.

Lu Jiuyuan held the pouch in his hand with a smile, "This money is for the deposit. Don't worry, I'll definitely get things done once I take the money."

"It's just, how do you plan to send yourselves to Hell?"

"Send ourselves to Hell?" Ninth Girl snorted, "If this were a few days ago, with all three great masters present, we would indeed be sending ourselves to Hell.

But unfortunately, Liu Yuhang and Dugu Fang were killed by a mysterious person three days ago. That villa only has the Heartbreak Swordsman Xiao Qiuyu left as a master. This person always guards Princess Danfeng.

This gives us a lot of room to maneuver. We won't steal from the Great Golden Peng King, nor rob Princess Danfeng. We'll just kidnap Shangguan Xueer, who is the most inconspicuous, least valuable, and easiest to deal with inside."

"The Great Golden Peng King's Treasure Trove is of unknown size. We only need tens of thousands of taels in ransom, which is merely small change to them. They definitely won't fight us to the death."

She snatched the golden-threaded pouch from Lu Yuan's hand and tied it back around her waist, "What, scared?"

"Scared?" Lu Jiuyuan chuckled, "I'm afraid you all will drag me down. A lean camel is still bigger than a horse. Without two great masters, are there no other people? She has plenty of money, so she won't lack people to help.

Just the twenty-one of us, charging in? You have to let me see who our people are.

Know yourself and your enemy, and you will win a hundred battles. I don't want to lead twenty pigs to attack that Golden Peng Villa."

"Follow me!" Ninth Girl raised an eyebrow and led the way.

Lu Jiuyuan followed Ninth Girl out of the city gate, through several dense forests, and arrived at a small town ten li east of the city's outskirts.

At the east end of the small town was a dye house, built by the river, with few houses around, making it quite secluded.

Entering the courtyard, Lu Jiuyuan saw several corpses piled in a corner. They looked like a family of six: two men, two women, and two children.

Each of them died with their eyes wide open, and the two adult men had eyes bulging with rage.

With just a glance, Lu Jiuyuan could tell that the two women had been violated. The men had their hands and legs broken first, then after extreme anger, their throats were slit.

Many poisonous insects, of various rare forms, crawled on the bodies.

"Don't mind them. It's their family's bad luck to encounter us doing business. This courtyard is good, and those who come here are all ruthless individuals. They have a lot of pent-up Qi, so it's understandable to vent it."

"This is it." Ninth Girl pushed open the creaking wooden door and winked at Lu Jiuyuan, "Don't be scared. You're with me. If you lose face, I lose face too. Get to know these comrades properly!"

"Comrades? In what way are we comrades?" Lu Jiuyuan said with a smile, suppressing the killing intent in his heart, "Don't worry, I'm not a good person either!"

"Put away your lecherous eyes. This old lady is just unrestrained, not promiscuous. If you don't look good enough for this old lady, don't even think about getting into her bed.

The kind of comrade you're thinking of, not just anyone is qualified for that."

"As for you saying you're not a good person, of course I know you're not a good person! What good person would freeload and sleep around?"

Inside the dye house, candles burned brightly. Twenty or so Jianghu figures of various appearances sat or stood. Seeing Ninth Girl enter, they all rose to greet her.

"Swift Sword Lu Jiuyuan, I don't need to introduce him, do I! This is a master I invited with twenty taels of golden beans!

He infiltrated the Golden Peng Villa alone and hid himself near Princess Danfeng.

He accepted my invitation and is willing to cooperate, so he's here to see what kind of quality you all are."

"See our quality?" A burly man with a scarred face grinned, "Ninth Girl, with just this pretty boy? A silver spearhead with a lead shaft, what good is he? Can he satisfy you?"

Ninth Girl giggled, "Xiong Lie, don't underestimate him. Although Swift Sword Lu Jiuyuan has a terrible character, his martial arts skills are not to be trifled with."

She turned to everyone, "Everyone, this is Lu Jiuyuan, who infiltrated the Golden Peng Villa as a flower boy. With him leading the way, we'll achieve twice the results with half the effort."

Lu Jiuyuan's gaze slowly swept over everyone in the room, committing each face to memory.

His fingers gently caressed the Guhong Sword in his sleeve, a harmless smile on his face, "Greetings, brave heroes, I've heard much about you."

A tall, thin man stepped forward, eyeing Lu Jiuyuan sinisterly, "I heard you're familiar with the layout of the Golden Peng Villa?"

"I know a little," Lu Jiuyuan nodded. "I worked there as a flower boy for half a month, so I'm familiar with the villa's terrain, everyone's living quarters, and the guard rotations."

"Alright then!" The tall, thin man clapped his hands, "Ninth Girl says you're worth twenty taels of gold. I want to see what skills you have."

Lu Jiuyuan chuckled, "How about this, everyone introduces themselves, so I know who I'm working with."

Ninth Girl clapped her hands, "Good point! Come, let me introduce you to our comrades..."

"Great Strength Demon Xiong Lie, Soul-Shattering Blade Sun Wushe, Poison Scorpion Li Sanniang, Primordial Iron Hand Zhou Tong, this skinny guy is Five-Step Snake Duan Kun..." These names are familiar, but why do they all sound like they're covered in blood debts? Are there no decent people among them?

"Hahahaha!" Xiong Lie burst into laughter, "What decent person would engage in kidnapping and extortion!"

We brothers are naturally scoundrels with similar tastes.

Besides, you, Lu Jiuyuan, who freeloads and sleeps around, aren't a good thing either. Otherwise, why would Ninth Girl choose you over others? We're all the same kind of people."

"Hahahaha!" The crowd roared with laughter.

"We're all scumbags, there's nothing that can't be said. It's just that you, this scumbag, are a little better than us, at most a minor scumbag."

"We are major scumbags, old scumbags! Hahahaha..."

"Brother Lu is also a talent. He had the idea earlier than us, specifically going deep into that villa to gather information. He acted on it, and back then, all three great masters were still alive. He's a man.

After we kidnap Shangguan Xueer, I suggest Brother Lu gets the first taste. What do you all think?"

"I'll be second!"

"I'll be third!"

"I'm fourth!"

..."Leave the corpses for my insect babies! The young lady, accustomed to fine food and clothing, has good skin and flesh, perfect for a nest!"

"You're even planning to kill the hostage?" Lu Jiuyuan expressed his shock.

"Of course we'll kill the hostage. How can we let such a noble person know anything about us? If she seeks revenge, how can we resist?

Once we act, we'll exterminate them all, leaving absolutely no trace.

Then we'll scatter, to the ends of the earth, change our names, like fish entering the sea, never to meet again.

No matter how powerful they are, they're just a declining Dynasty. They can't cause trouble in our Great Ming Dynasty."

"That makes sense! But I'm very angry right now!" Lu Jiuyuan nodded in agreement, and with a raised hand, the Guhong Sword thrust out.

Triple speed!

"Whoosh—"

A sound of air being torn echoed, and a blood-filled hole suddenly appeared on the throat of the Great Strength Demon Xiong Lie.

He stared with wide eyes, covering his neck in disbelief, blood gushing from between his fingers.

"A scumbag!" Lu Jiuyuan's voice was as cold as ice, "Lu Jiuyuan invites everyone to help him vent his anger!"

"Damn it! He actually attacked? How bold! Get him!" Soul-Shattering Blade Sun Wushe roared, drawing his saber and slashing towards Lu Jiuyuan.

Lu Jiuyuan's figure flickered, easily dodging the blade. At the same time, he raised his right hand, and the Guhong Sword, like a flash of lightning, instantly pierced his throat.

"Ah!" Sun Wushe screamed, clutching his throat and stumbling backward.

"The second one."

The room instantly descended into chaos. Everyone drew their weapons, and a melee ensued.

Poison Scorpion Li Sanniang flung out three poison darts. Lu Jiuyuan dodged sideways, and the darts directly embedded themselves in Five-Step Snake Duan Kun, who was trying to ambush him.

"You bitch, can't you see straight? You hit the wrong person! How dare you use poison darts in such close quarters? Are you crazy?"

"The third one." Lu Yuan pulled the sword from the Poison Scorpion's throat, calmly counting.

"Kill him!" Primordial Iron Hand Zhou Tong roared, charging forward, his iron palms whistling in the wind.

Then a flash of sword light, like lightning, broke through his clasped hands and emerged from his throat.

"Why so loud? The fourth one!"

Ninth Girl's face was ashen. She retreated to the corner, "Lu Jiuyuan! Are you crazy? Why are you killing them?"

"I'm very angry!"

"If you're angry, find a woman to vent on. If not, this old lady can help you vent. Why are you doing this to us?"

"Aren't you all fond of venting? So am I!"

"The fifth one."

Lu Jiuyuan's voice was as soft as a sigh. The Guhong Sword was pulled from the throat of Ghost Head Saber Li Xu, bringing out a line of blood.

He flicked his wrist, and the blood droplet traced a graceful arc in the air, landing precisely on a flickering candle flame, making a "hiss" sound.

The dye house instantly became terrifyingly quiet.

Twenty Jianghu experts, and in the blink of an eye, five had fallen.

The remaining fifteen involuntarily retreated, their eyes filled with terror.

Everyone looked at Ninth Girl with hatred, wishing they could flay her skin, pull out her tendons, and chop her into pieces to feed to dogs.

"Ninth Girl, you're the one who brought him here! You brought this guy to us, wishing us all dead, didn't you?"

Five-Step Snake Duan Kun, clutching his arm grazed by a poison dart, gritted his teeth and said, "Such a fast sword, truly a technique of extreme simplicity."

"A sword this fast, a person this strong, how could he just be a flower boy? Two of Princess Danfeng's three great masters are dead, is that related to you?"

"Indeed! It is related to me." Lu Jiuyuan nodded.

"If so, why are you attacking us? We share a common enemy." Duan Kun asked resentfully,

"If you want the big share, we'll give you the big share. You take the big share, we'll take the small share.

The Great Golden Peng King has plenty of money. As long as there's profit, we have no objections."

"With your strength and ours, we can kill Xiao Qiuyu, then capture the Great Golden Peng King and Princess Danfeng together for torture. How much gold and silver can't be extracted from them?"

"Still the same thing, I'm very angry right now!

You scumbags, I usually can't find you even when I look for you. Now that you've actively run into my hands, aren't you going to leave your lives behind?"

Duan Kun's face instantly turned pale. He took two steps back, his voice trembling, "A crow landing on a pig, do you only see us as black? Aren't you a scumbag yourself? Killing to vent anger, how are you any different from us?"

(Pigs in ancient China were all black pigs. White-skinned pigs were introduced after the founding of the country.)

Lu Jiuyuan chuckled, the tip of his sword pointing obliquely at the ground, "Killing to protect life, severing karma, not people. I just need to know that you are black, and that is enough."

Before his words finished, his figure flickered like a ghost. The Guhong Sword traced a cold arc under the candlelight, aiming straight for Duan Kun's throat.

"The sixth one."

Duan Kun hastily raised his poisoned dagger to parry, but Lu Jiuyuan's wrist flicked, and the sword's momentum suddenly changed, piercing his right eye from an incredible angle.

"Ah—!" With a scream, Duan Kun fell backward.

"Foolish, I like to stab throats, but I'm not limited to only stabbing throats!"

Ninth Girl had by now retreated to the window, a delicate crossbow in her hand, appearing from nowhere.

She shrieked, "Everyone attack together! Grab his legs, grab his arms! No matter how fast his sword is, he's only one person!

Don't hesitate, hesitation will only give him a chance."

The remaining fourteen Jianghu experts exchanged glances, then suddenly pounced simultaneously.

The room was already small, and with everyone desperately trying to grab him, the threat was indeed very great.

Lu Jiuyuan activated Triple Speed and Ghost Shadow Maze to their fullest, his figure moving with extreme speed and mystery like smoke, weaving through the dense crowd of grasping hands.

Every time the Guhong Sword thrust out, one person would fall.

"The seventh... the eighth..."

His voice was terrifyingly calm, as if he were just counting ants on the ground. With each number he called out, a corpse fell.

Bringing immense psychological pressure to everyone!

The candlelight in the dye house flickered wildly, illuminating the slaughter like a scene from Hell.

Blood flowed along the cracks in the bluestone floor, gradually forming a dark red puddle.

When he counted to "the twentieth," only Ninth Girl remained standing in the room.

Her crossbow had long since run out of arrows. Now, she leaned against the wall, her face ashen.

"You... who exactly are you?" Her voice carried an unprecedented fear.

Lu Jiuyuan flicked the blood from his sword and walked slowly towards her, "I'm just an ordinary person who studied for sixteen years and knows a little swordplay!"

Ninth Girl suddenly drew a short sword from her waist and held it to her throat, "Stop! Lu Jiuyuan, for the sake of our passionate encounter, spare me!"

"This is the first time I've seen someone threaten like this. What an eye-opener!"

"Please, don't be shy. If you die, it just saves me the trouble."

Ninth Girl's hand trembled, and the short sword drew a bloody line on her fair neck.

She suddenly threw down the short sword, falling to her knees with a thud, displaying her graceful figure in an extremely alluring posture:

"Great Hero Lu... spare my life! I really don't want to die. I... I can do anything..."

As she spoke, she gently swayed her hips.

Lu Jiuyuan shook his head, "The skeletons in the corner outside must have begged you too, but you didn't agree."

A flash of sword light, and Ninth Girl's plea for mercy abruptly ceased.

Her body slowly collapsed. The expression in her eyes was not regret, nor remorse, but a look of resignation, as if she had the worst luck in eight lifetimes to meet this bastard.

"The twenty-first."

Lu Jiuyuan sheathed his sword, pulled a handkerchief from his Pregnant and wiped the blood clean, then tossed it onto Ninth Girl's equally wide-eyed, lifeless face.

He looked around. Inside the room, twenty corpses lay scattered, the stench of blood so thick it was suffocating.

He patted the corpses, collecting the silver and bundling it up.

Only then did Lu Jiuyuan go to the side room, sit cross-legged, and circulate his Internal Skill, digesting the twenty-one strands of Qi that had been transmitted into his body from the Guhong Sword.

About half an hour later, his Internal Energy became a little purer and a little more profound.

He walked out, found a tool in the courtyard, and dug a pit. He buried the original family of six, allowing them to rest in peace.

Then he used a torch to ignite various corners, setting the dye house ablaze. The raging flames burned, burying all evil.

With the fire burning and the wind blowing, it was as if they were reduced to ashes!

"Endless Jianghu blood, endless heads of villains. Then, I'll kill as many as I encounter!"