When Master Mu arrived, not a single big shot came out to greet him. He stopped before the decorated entrance where there were three steps.

He silently gazed at those steps while behind him, people silently gazed at him.

In the quiet room ahead, the martial overlords showed mocking smiles.

No matter how arrogant you are, how do you plan to enter gracefully now?

These steps were poured and sealed granite stone – they couldn’t be removed or flattened.

Without assistance, entering this door would be embarrassing, and the airs put on earlier would instantly collapse.

Face, ultimately, wasn’t earned by trampling others but gained bit by bit through real strength.

He stopped before the steps and without looking at the people ahead, said lightly: “Level it.”

Everyone’s lips curved in mocking smiles – using wooden planks to level the steps and pushing the wheelchair up was a solution, but could he borrow a plank from the surrounding shops?

Thinking of his guards seeking to borrow or buy planks from shops and meeting repeated cold stares, everyone laughed with increasing satisfaction.

The feeling of regaining face without saying a word was truly satisfying.

Luo Sha glanced through the window at Second Protector Lei Shengyu, who maintained a respectful expression, standing aside, looking like a loyal subordinate who followed only his master’s commands.

The surrounding shops had many wooden planks – shop boards were wooden planks. The shop owners took down their boards, weighing them in their palms with crackling sounds, watching Master Mu’s group with sideways smiles, waiting for them to come begging or demanding, then they could properly beat them senseless.

But the guards didn’t go borrowing or seeking planks.

A man stepped forward several paces. He looked perfectly ordinary, but with each step his body expanded a circle. By the time he reached the base of the steps, his enlarged body had burst his clothes. He simply threw off his garments, revealing muscles black as iron and gleaming with oil.

Then with a thud, he threw himself down on the steps. With a slight circulation of qi, muscles all over his body bulged firmly.

He used his own body to “level” the steps.

Before the dumbstruck overlords could react, the guards had already surrounded Master Mu’s wheelchair and rolled it over the man’s body. Several hundred jin of weight pressed over a human body, yet everyone heard no sound of bones breaking.

The entire Jade Tower District fell silent.

The moment the wheelchair entered the building, the man exhaled and leaped up, completely uninjured. His companion threw him an outer robe, which he casually put on. Visibly, his body slowly shrank back to normal size, looking like an ordinary person.

The quiet room was very quiet. The overlords’ expressions weren’t pleasant.

Iron Shirt horizontal training kungfu – many people had it, but thinking of this move at such a moment was rare.

This Master Mu possessed a kind of silent dominance that commanded respect.

More importantly, those who practiced horizontal training usually showed it in their appearance, looking tall and mighty, different from ordinary people. But this guard could hide his horizontal training skills at will – this technique was something the overlords had never even heard of.

Now when they looked at that group of unremarkable guards, their gazes carried more scrutiny. Who knew what strange methods were hidden beneath those ordinary faces? That Shadow Pavilion could rise in such a complex place as Hawksbill, where others could no longer gain a foothold, in just five years – they indeed had some real ability.

In the room, Great Protector stood up first. The Thirteen Protectors organization had recently suffered repeated setbacks, and deep down he hoped more for allies.

With someone taking the lead, the others also stood and came forward.

In the entrance hall, the person leaning against the wheelchair slowly raised his head and smiled.

The silver mask gave off a cold, dim light, yet the curve of his lips was as clear and beautiful as summer lotus.

Everyone felt a moment of breathlessness.

…

Jing Hengbo reached the second-floor private room. Not far across from the private room was the banquet hall – three rooms opened up to form one spacious chamber of utmost luxury and magnificence.

The room had originally gathered many women, chattering noisily. When she entered, everyone suddenly fell quiet.

Women were always sensitive to others’ beauty.

Jing Hengbo paid no attention to others’ gazes and entered composedly. Those women had occupied all the stools, leaving her no place to sit. Jing Hengbo didn’t mind and was preparing to stand against the wall and listen when a young girl stood up and offered her stool.

She smiled shyly, wearing blue silk soft gauze, adorned with white jade hairpins, with clear and beautiful features. Among the heavily made-up women, she had a particularly touching charm. Especially her hands – like jade, like snow, with crystal fingertips, very small and delicate. She seemed to cherish her hands greatly, having inlaid tiny crystal fragments on her nails. Though not valuable, they flashed in the light as she moved, adding several degrees of grace.

Jing Hengbo originally didn’t like such white flower-type women, but felt her smile was pure and different from the woman she most detested, so she smiled and pulled her to sit together and listen.

After listening for a while, she understood that there was a rule for martial world banquets – for honored guests, there were “first offering,” “second offering,” and “third offering.”

The so-called “first offering,” “second offering,” and “third offering” referred to the appetizer, main course, and final soup and dessert, respectively served by the most beautiful selected women. The first offering naturally went to the most honored guest, second offering to the most honored companion, and third offering to the host.

Generally speaking, first offering was the best assignment, earning heavy rewards, and the first woman to go out easily gained the overlords’ favor – flying up to become a concubine or such was common.

Third offering would also receive some reward. Only second offering sometimes led to trouble – martial people loved competing for rank, and who was the most honored companion could sometimes be difficult to determine – like today’s occasion.

So the girls were all competing to be the first offering, to avoid disaster.

But the shop owner’s gaze fell on Jing Hengbo. First offerings always chose the most beautiful girl. Previously this had been quite troublesome – spring flowers or autumn chrysanthemums, who counted as most beautiful? But today there was no such problem.

Jing Hengbo also planned to go out and see what was happening, but from the corner of her eye she saw the girl beside her, head lowered, face flushed, seeming to have something to say but not daring.

During the earlier competition, she had maintained this appearance throughout, so from beginning to end, no one paid attention to her.

“You want to go?” She nudged her new companion’s knee.

“Mm…” The answer was thin as a mosquito’s buzz. “…I… I want to buy my freedom, but I’m still short some silver… Mother said if I don’t bring it soon, she won’t let me leave the profession…”

Jing Hengbo made a sound of understanding. Another story of a brothel woman meeting her heart’s desire and wanting to leave the profession.

This was a good thing. She immediately said: “I suddenly feel unwell – how about I take second offering? But this sister beside me, I think she’s very suitable for first offering.”

The shop owner looked carefully. Being a martial world person himself, he naturally had great expertise with women. Usually he would feel this girl was too plain and simple, but now compared to this room full of orioles and swallows, she seemed to have a different style that was refreshing to the eyes. Seeing her wonderful hands, his eyes lit up: “The first course is precisely bird’s nest mint lotus soup. Having these lotus-like hands present it would surely create perfect harmony. It’s you.”

The girl gratefully squeezed Jing Hengbo’s hand – her palm was warm and smooth, with the beautiful touch of silk satin.

Jing Hengbo watched her slender figure disappear into the brilliant lights ahead, and for some reason, her heart suddenly jumped.

…

The banquet had begun, with the young Master Mu seated in the guest’s place.

Everyone’s expressions were floating and drifting, everyone’s words were all over the place, and everyone’s gazes secretly swept toward him.

Threats and probes, cold mockery and sarcasm, hints and insinuations, invitations and warnings – all linguistic techniques were employed, all methods of intimidation were used. But the person before them was like wind without trace, like mountains towering high, like flowing water, like a strange and mystical dream – you felt you had discovered much and encountered much, but upon reflection, realized there was actually nothing there.

After all that pointless talk, they still knew nothing about his scale, how he started, his strength, or future plans. Everyone only saw his lips curve in a faint smile, hooking this night’s particularly desolate moon.

Everyone felt somewhat frustrated, their expressions gloomy.

As the atmosphere grew cold, knocking came from outside at just the right moment.

“Gang Leader, may we serve the first course?”

“Come in.”

As the door opened, the girl entered this gathering place of martial overlords somewhat nervously.

She walked with graceful lotus steps, her skirt trailing silently across the floor. The soup bowl in her hands didn’t spill a drop.

At this moment the overlords were all in poor moods and had no mind to pay attention to the girl. The girl kept her eyes lowered, trembling slightly, unable to hide her slight disappointment.

Master Mu sat very casually, his hand lightly supporting his chin. In the lamplight, only his beautifully lined hand and equally beautiful pale red lips were visible.

He had glanced at the girl when she first entered, but afterward never raised his head again.

The girl knelt to present the first course – in the jade porcelain bowl, lotus-shaped bird’s nest bloomed gracefully.

Her hands were also like lotus flowers – snow-white and tender, thin but not bony, with tiny crystals on her nails that sparkled and flashed in the room’s brilliant lights.

Luo Sha’s gaze fell on these hands.

In her eyes, slight malice suddenly surfaced – since probing and warnings had no effect, why not try something heavier?

“What a beautiful woman serving the first course,” she smiled. “Master Mu, what do you think of this girl?”

Master Mu slightly lifted his eyelids for a glance.

But that glance only reached those hands.

“Beautiful hands,” he smiled lightly and tossed out a pearl as reward.

Everyone heard the perfunctory meaning in these words, and their faces grew even more unpleasant. Especially his attitude – according to custom, if he truly intended to accommodate the host, he should have requested this woman, and the more eager the request, the more face it gave the host and the more humble his attitude.

Such casual indifference, then tossing out such a precious pearl as reward to a prostitute – the pearl was large as a longan, round and pure white, worth a thousand gold. The girl’s eyes showed such surprise she nearly fainted.

This was simply trampling their faces harshly.

Luo Sha’s smile grew more malicious.

“Yes, beautiful hands,” she smiled. “Good that you like them.”

She waved, signaling the shop owner. The shop owner smiled slightly, bowed, and left with the excited girl.

At the stairway corner, he handed the girl to his subordinates, laughing: “Be careful, don’t make it unsightly, and don’t make noise to disturb the honored guests’ pleasure.”

“Yes.”

The girl opened her confused eyes wide as the waiter gently pushed her down.

His smile also seemed to carry malice.

“Go on, your good days are about to come.”

…

Jing Hengbo suddenly felt restless.

She seemed to have a bad premonition, as if something unpleasant was happening.

Unable to sit still, she rose and paced to the window for air. Outside, the shop owner was notifying her to prepare the second course, and she casually acknowledged.

This window faced the back courtyard. Unlike the front building’s brilliant lights, it was dark and hidden, lit only by dim wind lanterns. In the pale light, she saw several people hurriedly enter a small room.

One figure seemed to be the girl who had just served the course.

Strange – hadn’t she gone to serve the course? How had she ended up in the back courtyard? And it looked somewhat involuntary.

Then she seemed to hear a scream.

It was distant, the sound faint, and drowned by the silk and bamboo music from the front building. Jing Hengbo couldn’t be certain it was a scream.

The wind carried some trembling sounds, impossible to determine their source.

Vaguely, the small room had lit a stove, with smoke rising from the chimney, but no one came out. Jing Hengbo stared unblinkingly – she didn’t know why, but the darkness of the courtyard, the mystery of the figures, and the floating white smoke from the chimney made her feel chilled.

After a while, someone pushed open the door and came out carrying a plate covered with a silver lid, heading toward the front building.

Wasn’t the kitchen in the front building? Why were people bringing dishes from the back courtyard too? And that room didn’t look like a kitchen.

She leaned forward and saw several more people emerge from the small room, dragging a sack that was mottled and didn’t look clean.

Those people moved the sack to a cart.

The sack shifted, its mouth loosened slightly, and suddenly something white dropped down.

Jing Hengbo’s hair suddenly stood on end!

She saw clearly!

It was a severed arm!

A snow-white severed arm still dripping fresh blood!

Jing Hengbo’s whole body stiffened, feeling infinite terror approaching from the bottom of her heart, seeing deeper darkness in the dark depths, with bloody traces peeling everywhere.

She raised her hand slightly, and the sack in the courtyard suddenly flipped to another side, this time revealing a face.

That face beautiful as a water lotus.

Belonging to the girl who had just been smiling, who had given her a seat, who wanted a chance at first offering but didn’t dare compete – the shy, timid little girl.

She had given the first offering chance to this little girl, sending her to her death.

Jing Hengbo stared at that pale face in the night, her whole body alternately burning and freezing.

For a moment, she felt bone-deep hatred toward Hawksbill, and even all of Dahuang.

This man-eating world, these killing powers.

The people carrying the sack in the courtyard seemed puzzled that it had suddenly come open, muttered something, sealed the sack again, and quickly carried it toward the courtyard exit.

Jing Hengbo gripped the window frame tightly, hearing the shop owner’s melodious voice behind her: “Miss, time for the second offering.”

She turned around somewhat stiffly and saw the tray in the shop owner’s hands – a fine, delicate apricot-yellow cloud-patterned large porcelain cup, still covered with a silver lid, not a wisp of steam escaping.

Inside this – were those hands?

She walked over, took the tray, and glanced at the shop owner.

The shop owner was about to smile and speak when he suddenly met her gaze. He felt as if ice water had been poured over his head, shocked into trembling, momentarily forgetting what he wanted to say.

By the time he recovered, Jing Hengbo had already left the room with the tray, her steps quick and steady.

The shop owner stood there dazed for a while before saying “Ah!” and calling out: “I haven’t told you who to serve it to yet!”

…

Jing Hengbo left the room but didn’t immediately go to the main banquet room. She leaned against the door and took a deep breath first.

Her mood was too foul – she feared it would affect her upcoming action.

Yes, action.

Originally she had only wanted to understand Hawksbill’s martial overlords and today’s guest – she already knew the guest was that mysterious Master Mu. She also wanted to hear what important plans these Hawksbill overlords had.

But now she had changed her mind. Today she wouldn’t be satisfied until she turned this grand banquet completely upside down.

The tray in her hands felt very heavy. She stared at the lid, wondering whether to open it but truly lacking the courage, afraid of seeing a pair of hands if she opened it.

As she leaned against the door to steady herself, she suddenly saw a waiter carrying a tray walking from the end of the corridor. On the tray was a shallow dish, also covered with a silver lid.

She flashed forward and blocked the waiter.

“What dish are you carrying?” she asked.

The waiter was startled to suddenly find someone in front of him. The silver lid slid to one side, and he hurriedly used his hand to block it, his face already changed.

“This is none of your business. Move aside,” he said coldly.

Jing Hengbo stared at him for a moment, then slowly stepped aside.

No need to look anymore – she knew.

She watched the waiter carry his tray into the banquet room.

…

This banquet had no joy between host and guest.

Master Mu was a very strange person. Though he wore a mask, his temperament wasn’t cold – he could even be considered gentle and modest. Speaking of worldly affairs and classical stories, he was also composed and natural. But somehow, everyone felt uncomfortable in his presence, and when talking to him, everyone unconsciously had to weigh their words, unable to be relaxed. He seemed to possess a kind of weighty power that made no one dare be presumptuous.

For these overlords who commanded the martial world and enjoyed utmost respect, this “younger brother” feeling was truly unpleasant. Especially when the other party was actually quite amiable, yet they still unconsciously acted humbly – it was like degrading themselves.

So the atmosphere at the table gradually cooled, and everyone was somewhat unwilling to speak. Only Luo Sha still smiled, her eyes glancing toward the door.

When the waiter brought up a new dish, she smiled even more smugly.

“This is a dish we specially prepared for our honored guest. You personally praised it earlier, so we used it fresh to make this for you.” Luo Sha personally stood up and placed the blue-and-white large porcelain plate in the center.

Her hand rested on the silver button of the silver lid as she smiled at Master Mu: “Guess what it is?”

Master Mu raised his eyes.

For a moment his pupils were deep as a still lake, with fine snow and ice floating on the water.

Meeting such a gaze, Luo Sha couldn’t help but shudder, but after the shock came an even stronger desire to “capture and subdue him.”

She gazed back at him without yielding, knowing her leaning angle was very beautiful, making her chin appear sharp and pointed with an elfin beauty. This angle also perfectly displayed her curves – extremely full where full, extremely slender where slender.

But Master Mu’s gaze slid past her as if she were no different from the wall opposite.

He lightly turned his wine cup with his fingers, slightly tilted his head to glance outside the door, and said: “With Sect Leader Luo Sha’s such grand recommendation, it must naturally be the finest.”

“Indeed it’s the finest – something you like.” Luo Sha smiled and suddenly lifted the silver lid.

All eyes at the table focused, then laughter arose.

“Indeed fine cuisine!”

“Personally selected by Master Mu – naturally we must give Master face.”

“Tender as jade shoots and lotus roots, delicate and fragrant – Master must be extremely pleased.”

“This is truly the proper courtesy for the most honored guest.”

In the blue-and-white porcelain plate lay a pair of hands.

The hands stood upright, arranged in a graceful pose. Delicate and refined, with slender fingers, snow-white backs and pink palms, with tiny crystals on the nails that flowed and turned like swords in the brilliant lamplight of the full hall.

Only that white was no longer alive, showing the white of cooked flesh.

The hands had been cooked.

All gazes – some cold, some mocking, some disgusted, some probing – suddenly fell on Master Mu’s face.

He looked at those hands without expression.

Because even those beautifully lined lips showed no change – no cold laughter, mockery, or the shock and disgust everyone expected.

He simply looked once, as if viewing a wall.

“What does Master think?” Luo Sha asked with a smile.

He didn’t answer immediately. After a pause, in everyone’s breathless waiting, he said calmly: “Not bad.”

Everyone pursed their lips, slightly disappointed. The same thought crossed all minds: This person’s heart is as deep as the ocean floor.

But Luo Sha wouldn’t give up.

“Freshly steamed beauty’s hands are most tender and fragrant.” Luo Sha immediately picked up one hand and placed it in his bowl. “Master, please taste first.”

His eyes lifted.

Luo Sha’s heart jumped – she suddenly sensed killing intent.

Before she could react, suddenly “BANG!” – a tremendous crash.

The door was kicked open.

This sound came so suddenly and violently that the cups and dishes on the table jumped from the shock. The “dish” in Luo Sha’s hand fell into Master Mu’s plate.

The hand fell in the plate, still standing upright toward heaven, as if crying out.

Master Mu didn’t look at the hand. He turned toward the door, his gaze suddenly jumping. This gentle, quiet person showed such shocked expression that everyone felt surprised. Following his gaze toward the door, those preparing to shout and scold suddenly forgot their words upon seeing the person at the door.

A beauty stood at the door.

Snow-white dress trailing on the ground, purple silk with gold trim – the heavy dress and skirt carried noble air, while thin gauze and light silk created a sense of ethereal floating, as if touched by celestial qi.

From the large snow-silk skirt hem upward was an extremely beautiful, flowing body curve. While others’ gazes still lingered on the graceful form, suddenly they discovered her snow-white neck like carved jade. Just as they marveled at the delicacy of her neck and collarbones, suddenly they discovered that face of devastating beauty – extremely deep eyes with rippling water light, dark-blue brows like distant mountains, red lips a stroke of brilliant color, or perhaps a blade of fatal beauty. When men’s gazes touched them, they trembled, hearts split by stunning wounds.

She stood in the depths of the magnificent hall, gathering all the world’s colors. Before and behind her remained only vast, profound darkness. Like a famous painting with her at the center, stealing all light from heaven and earth.

For a moment, everyone felt dazed, as if seeing a sovereign arrive or a fairy descend.

However, this breathtakingly beautiful woman had a slightly incongruous appearance – she held a tray in her hands.

It was precisely this tray that reminded Luo Sha. She was a woman, and though shocked by another woman’s beauty, she wouldn’t be lost in it. She reacted fastest, coldly shouting: “You’re the woman for the second offering? How dare you be so rude, why don’t you…”

Before she finished speaking, the snow-colored dress silk swirled, and Jing Hengbo had appeared before the banquet table.

This was a large round table that could seat eighteen people. Hawksbill people liked using round tables for discussions to increase intimacy.

She saw the “dish” in the table’s center at first glance, fire flashing in her eyes.

With a second glance, she saw the masked man in the guest seat.

The masked man was looking at her. He had never let his gaze linger long on anyone, but from the moment she appeared at the door, his gaze had remained on her.

When her gaze turned over, he lightly shifted his gaze away.

Jing Hengbo didn’t look at him, only saw the dish before him, saw that hand.

He was really eating it!

Her long-suppressed fury burst out with a whoosh. She raised her hand and with a “crash,” smashed the pot of angelica century-old ginseng chicken soup right over his head!

A figure flashed, followed by a miserable “Ouch!” Hot oil splattered. The men stunned by the beauty and her fierceness finally reacted, letting out continuous angry shouts.

“Assassin! Assassin!”

“Someone come!”

“Seize her!”

Jing Hengbo timely floated back three zhang, dodging a blade that stabbed toward her.

With too many people in too much chaos, she couldn’t see clearly who attacked. She didn’t care who attacked either. After dodging back, she immediately flashed forward, whooshing to the table’s edge. Raising her hand, she violently overturned the entire table.

Cups overturned, soup and dishes splattered, the crisp sound of breaking porcelain continued endlessly. Everyone at the table retreated in panic. Those near windows even raised their legs planning to escape through the windows.

Jing Hengbo raised her hand and with a “snap” closed the window. The big shot preparing to rush out crashed into the window, getting a bruised and swollen nose.

Behind her came frantic sounds of climbing stairs – footsteps thumping as people below heard the commotion and rushed up to rescue.

Jing Hengbo waved her hand, and a heavy cabinet from the wall that stored tea sets flew up, blocking the door. Immediately came “bang bang bang” as another pile of people crashed into the door.

With doors and windows blocked on both sides and porcelain pieces scattered everywhere, Jing Hengbo waved her hand and the broken porcelain flew up.

The martial overlords looked up in shock.

They witnessed a marvel.

Countless colored porcelain fragments soared and danced in the air like countless hidden weapons floating and sinking in air currents, enveloping this huge private room. Those porcelain pieces’ sharp edges glinted in the lamplight, whistling around them, surrounding them densely.

Everyone watched this scene in amazement, not understanding how all these porcelain pieces could fly up. Controlling objects with internal force – everyone present could do it. But to control all these shattered porcelain pieces, large and small, making them dance like falling snow in such a huge space for so long without falling – no one had such deep internal force.

Everyone stood there drenched and dripping with oil, knowing in their hearts that these porcelain pieces could at any moment drill into their bodies, creating countless wounds, possibly cutting their meridians, drilling into their organs, piercing through their bodies…

Everyone shivered, unable to help looking toward Jing Hengbo. But at this moment, Jing Hengbo was still busy closing windows, blocking all who tried to escape through window exits – this wine house’s windows were specially made with iron reinforcement outside. Once closed, escape wasn’t easy.

Everyone’s expressions grew even more amazed. They didn’t believe Jing Hengbo could control the porcelain pieces’ continuous dancing while simultaneously closing windows.

At this time, with porcelain pieces flying, most people dared not move, fearing that any movement would cause those pieces whistling around them, seemingly searching for soft flesh on their bodies, to immediately stab into them.

This feeling of waiting for disaster was unpleasant – everyone’s faces turned pale.

Naturally it was Jing Hengbo acting. Simultaneously controlling windows, doors, and porcelain pieces wasn’t difficult for her now. Ever since practicing singing “Uneasy” while washing underwear and sorting them by color into drawers, doing several more things was no matter.

She controlled the doors, trapping these people, vaguely feeling one or two people seemed missing, but had no mind to check at the moment.

She didn’t notice that on the back side of the large round table, in a dead angle the porcelain pieces couldn’t attack, two people pressed tightly together.

Great Protector Qu Shaohong and Second Protector Jian Zhizhuo from the Thirteen Protectors organization.

When Jing Hengbo threw dishes and overturned the table earlier, most people either ran toward the door or window. Qu Shaohong also planned to run toward the window but was grabbed by Jian Zhizhuo.

Jian Zhizhuo pulled Qu Shaohong under the table, both pressing against the table’s underside. Air currents stirred by Jing Hengbo whipped up the table skirt, hiding the two men’s traces.

In the darkness under the table, Jian Zhizhuo listened to the commotion outside, his expression thoughtful.

Outside, Jing Hengbo blocked the windows and looked at this group with a cold smile.

The porcelain pieces surrounded Master Mu most densely. At this moment she deeply detested this person – regardless of whether he had ordered this dish, he was actually going to eat it!

In an instant, all previous good impressions of this person were destroyed.

Eat! Eat! Eat yourself to death!

She waved her hand, and porcelain pieces fell toward Master Mu first!

The surrounding crowd hadn’t expected her to target Master Mu first and all showed expressions of satisfaction.

Just as the porcelain pieces were about to pierce Master Mu full of holes, he suddenly flashed and disappeared.

The next instant, Jing Hengbo felt coolness, then heat on the back of her neck.

Someone had placed fingers on the back of her neck, then blew a breath.

This breath startled her so much that even her hair stood up – how was there someone behind her? Behind her was clearly the cabinet! How did he get over?

From the corner of her eye she glimpsed a corner of blue silk robes, a light and elegant color. She recognized it as Master Mu’s.

He sat on the cabinet, one arm pressed on her shoulder, his lips close to her cheek. It looked like he was supporting her shoulder in an intimate gesture, whispering secrets in her ear.

But with this support, she could no longer teleport.

Her heart grew cold, feeling somewhat incredulous. She was now incomparable to her former self – why would she still encounter people who could restrain her everywhere?

Unable to teleport, controlling objects still worked. Without hesitation, she waved her hand and porcelain pieces whistled down.

Whatever this Master Mu wanted to do, first give these disgusting Hawksbill overlords some deep memories!

But Master Mu at this moment shook his sleeve behind her.

The porcelain pieces dancing through the sky suddenly gathered into a bundle, rushing straight toward Luo Sha!

Luo Sha was very clever. She had been hiding in a corner, back against the wall. This way, porcelain pieces couldn’t surround her, only suspend before her. She planned that once pieces really stabbed down, she’d smash through the wall to escape.

Even if such escape was too dramatic and embarrassing, she couldn’t care about face now.

But just as she congratulated herself on her cleverness, all the porcelain pieces in the room suddenly seemed drawn away, gathering into a bundle before her!

In an instant she opened her eyes wide, seeing porcelain pieces before her gather into a colorful giant pestle charging at her chest.

Panicking, she raised her hand and swung her blade, trying to deflect the pestle while smashing through the wall.

But suddenly she lost strength – the wall couldn’t be broken, and when her blade struck the pestle, porcelain pieces suddenly scattered, flying in all directions around the blade.

Passing beyond the blade, porcelain pieces suddenly gathered again into a bundle and with a “whoosh” swept past her raised wrist.

Luo Sha’s scream shook heaven and earth.

The martial overlords stood frozen in the room, staring dumbfounded at the scene before them.

Countless porcelain fragments sliced past Luo Sha’s wrist. The fragments were small, naturally creating small wounds, but there were many fragments following one after another, cutting Luo Sha’s wrist repeatedly like a saw slowly cutting wood. Countless pieces of flesh fell like wood shavings.

Luo Sha screamed beyond control from pain, desperately running and dodging, trying to escape these damned, ghost-possessed terrifying porcelain pieces. But wherever she ran, the pieces followed, flying in rainbow colors, truly like an insubstantial ghost that scattered and gathered, persistently chasing and cutting bit by bit by bit…

Fresh blood spilled everywhere. At first what was sawed off was skin and flesh, gradually becoming white bone fragments. Unable to escape this terrible lingering saw, Luo Sha trembled and fell to the ground, rolling in the greasy filth. Those porcelain pieces still slowly sawed and sawed…

Now Luo Sha wished she were the one who had both arms chopped off with one blow. Only now did she realize that having arms severed with one blade was fortune, was swift mercy.

She rolled and struggled on the ground, regardless of whether dishes were still scalding or sticky. Finally she let out heart-rending pleas for mercy, her voice so miserable it could give people nightmares for three days.

“Ahhhh let me go let me go!”

“I shouldn’t have cut off your hands to cook! Spare me! I’ll give you a proper burial! Build a shrine! Worship you for generations!”

“Spare me! Spare me! I’ll kowtow to you! Spare me ahhhhhh…”

The hall full of martial overlords stood frozen in place, staring at this nightmarish scene with rigid eyes. They felt their chests tighten, breathing stopped, cold spreading from fingertips to toes.

Especially when they remembered it was precisely Luo Sha who had ordered the girl’s hands cut off, they felt even their blood seemed to freeze.

They had lived lives of violence, treating human life as grass, with thousands of souls dead by their hands. They never believed in fate, never feared ghosts and gods – didn’t dare believe, didn’t dare fear.

If they themselves became guilty and weak-handed, how could they lead so many people to raid and exterminate families, fight for their lives in this law-of-the-jungle martial world, kill to stop killing, compete for benefits, and expand territory?

Yet at this moment, the threads of chill rising from their hearts and this terrifying scene before them made them ask for the first time a heart-stopping question.

Could there really be unquiet vengeful spirits in this world? Could retribution really be unfailing?

…

Jing Hengbo also stared wide-eyed.

She didn’t know this was Luo Sha’s handiwork. She instinctively wanted to retaliate against everyone, but Master Mu behind her lightly waved, and all porcelain pieces rushed toward Luo Sha.

What happened afterward was naturally her doing. She now possessed extremely subtle control abilities – forget making porcelain pieces become ghosts, she could probably even make them become Master Mu.

When she heard Luo Sha shouting pleas for mercy, she finally understood why Master Mu did this. Remembering that Luo Sha was also the mastermind behind the honey trap, she felt even more satisfied.

However, she was still somewhat dissatisfied that Master Mu had spared the others.

These people all deserved to be taught lessons.

But now she had lost the initiative. These people had awakened from chaos. They weren’t weaklings either – trying to embarrass them all by herself was no longer very possible.

Master Mu’s arm lightly pressed behind her neck, still in that pose of a friend’s shoulder-lean watching a show. His voice softly sounded by her ear: “If you still want to establish yourself in Hawksbill in the future, why immediately antagonize everyone from the start?”

This voice was slightly lazy, slightly hoarse, but pleasant, reminding one of wind blowing through soft wooden leaves on distant mountains.

Jing Hengbo was stunned.

Was this sentence about himself or advising her?

As she lost focus, she lost control of the porcelain pieces. With a “crash” they fell to the ground, each piece stained with deep blood traces, like scattered poignant flower petals on the ground.

Luo Sha’s screams gradually stopped – she had fainted. At her wrist, only a section of skin and flesh remained connected.

The martial overlords in the room gradually awakened. Their gazes toward Jing Hengbo were filled with shock and wariness. Someone rushed over shouting: “Master Mu, please disable her first!”

Master Mu smiled lightly: “Very well.”

Jing Hengbo’s heart jumped in alarm. Her body was suddenly spun by him. His sleeves flew without anger as he carried her in a circle. Her snow-colored dress gracefully rose, blocking everyone’s vision.

“Clang!” A sound rang as cold light flew from his sleeve, pressing toward her shoulder blade.

But her body had regained freedom through that spin.

That spin’s flying skirt hem still danced, creating arc lines like falling snow and flowers in everyone’s view.

The next instant her figure had disappeared.

The fastest person rushing over had touched her clothing corner but only grasped a strand of gold-trimmed purple silk, soft as a dream, slipping through fingers like a dream.

The martial overlords stared blankly at the empty room – windows closed, door still blocked, everyone watching Master Mu strike with killing intent. How had she slipped away under everyone’s gaze?

If not for the mess everywhere, blood covering the ground, and the cabinet still blocking the door, they would almost think this was a dream – a nightmare.

Was she a mountain spirit? Or a ghost?

The latter thought made everyone shiver.

Someone forced themselves to speak, voice also dreamlike.

“Was she a seductive ghost? The… soul of that girl just now?”

Master Mu lightly arranged his sleeves, which still held faint osmanthus fragrance – the scent from her body just now.

Light rippled in his eyes, as if still reflecting her image.

Such noble, pure, magnificent dress and makeup – how long had it been since he’d seen such…

He smiled slightly while answering: “Perhaps.”