Chapter 27 Arrest

The streets outside Wangchun Tower were dimly lit.

Shen Lian and Li Hu quietly followed behind the man, who walked leisurely westward along the East Market Street.

"Brother Lian, it seems he went in the direction of the west city," Li Hu whispered.

"No rush." ​​Shen Lian's gaze remained fixed on the man.

The man crossed two street corners and suddenly turned into a narrow alley with high walls on both sides, where the alleyways were intricate and complex.

Shen Lian and Li Hu exchanged a glance and quickened their pace to catch up.

The man walked to the middle of the alley, then suddenly stopped, slowly turned around, and looked at Shen Lian and Li Hu who had followed him.

"Aren't you two tired after following me all this way?" the man chuckled.

Shen Lian clenched his fist and said, "You have repeatedly violated several respectable women in Qinghe County. The Demon Suppression Division has been ordered to arrest you. You'd better surrender obediently."

The man threw his head back and laughed loudly, "You little brats from the Demon Suppression Division, you've got some skill in tracking me down. But do you think the two of you can catch me?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the man suddenly sprang up and pounced on Li Hu. His right hand, with its five fingers forming a claw, went straight for Li Hu's heart.

"Tiger, retreat quickly."

Shen Lian gave a low shout, reminding Li Hu.

Li Hu immediately pushed off with his feet and stepped back.

"You lecherous thief, prepare to die!"

A loud shout rang out, and a figure leaped down from above. The one who made the move was Wang Lin, who used the "Mountain Splitting Strike" to fiercely chop down on the man's head.

Upon seeing this, the man quickly dodged to avoid it.

Bang!

Wang Lin cleaved the ground with his sword, creating a large crater.

He swung his left hand sharply, throwing two long swords to Shen Lian and Li Hu, who caught them and the three of them surrounded the man.

The man glanced at Shen Lian and his two companions and sneered, "Three little brats from the Demon Suppression Division, you dare to stop me? You really aren't afraid of death."

Shen Lian pointed his long sword diagonally at the ground: "Your lightness skill is quite good, and you know the streets well, but you won't be able to escape tonight."

The man stared at Shen Lian and said contemptuously, "You were the one who ruined my plans at the Zhang family mansion that night, weren't you? You're quite perceptive to see through my disguise. Too bad, I'm leaving, and you can't stop me."

"Then let's give it a try!"

Shen Lian and his two companions surrounded the man with knives, glaring at him menacingly.

Li Hu struck first, unleashing a "Mountain Splitting Strike" that cleaved through the air, aiming a fierce blow at the man's head.

The man chuckled, sidestepped Li Hu's attack, and reached out with his left hand to grab Li Hu's wrist.

Li Hu parried with his sword, the impact nearly causing him to drop his longsword.

Seeing this, Wang Lin swung his sword horizontally, using the "Wave-Slaying Style" to strike directly at the man's waist and abdomen.

The man stumbled backward, throwing three iron caltrops at Wang Lin's face.

clang!clang!clang!

Wang Lin managed to parry three consecutive blows.

"Can you get away?"

Just as the man was about to escape, Shen Lian lunged forward with his knife, unleashing a "Mountain-Slaying Strike" diagonal slash aimed straight at the man's left rib.

The man spun around quickly, and a short blade slid out from his sleeve, blocking the long sword with a clang. Both of them took half a step back.

"Such superb swordsmanship." A hint of surprise flashed in the man's eyes. "It's quite unexpected that there's a talent like you among the new recruits of the Demon Suppression Division."

A fierce glint flashed in the man's eyes, and he stepped forward, preparing to leap onto the wall.

He knew he shouldn't get entangled too much; once the Demon Suppression Division's reinforcements arrived, he wouldn't be able to leave even if he wanted to.

"Trying to leave?"

Shen Lian lightly touched the ground with his toes and immediately gave chase.

He slashed three times in quick succession, using the "Wave-Slaying Style," aiming straight for the man's back.

The man felt an extremely strong blade aura surging from behind, forcing him to turn around and swing his short blade to block Shen Lian's attack.

Wang Lin and Li Hu simultaneously surged forward, appearing on either side of the man.

"Prepare to die!"

The two men simultaneously swung their long swords down at the man.

Upon seeing this, a hint of panic flashed in the man's eyes. He hadn't expected the three young men in front of him to cooperate so well, instantly blocking his escape route.

Shen Lian's sword strikes were relentless, forcing him to fight back with all his might.

Forced back by Shen Lian's blade, the man swung his short blade, deflecting Wang Lin and Li Hu's longswords with two strikes, leaving both men's hands numb.

Knowing that continuing the entanglement would make escape impossible, the man changed his footwork and immediately pulled something from his pocket—the smoke bomb he had used to escape last time.

"Trying to use the same old trick again?"

Shen Lian was prepared. Almost at the same time the man made his move, he preemptively slashed at the debris beside him with his knife.

With a crash, debris fell down.

Although it did not hit the man, it successfully disrupted his movements.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Shen Lian closed in on the man and simultaneously used the "Mountain Splitting Style" to slash his long sword down at the man's arm.

The knife was swift and ruthless; if the man hadn't let go, his arm would have been severed.

Damn it.

The man cursed under his breath and had no choice but to let go and retreat. The smoke bomb fell to the ground. He dodged Shen Lian's attack and shot out two more iron caltrops from his sleeve.

They were shot at Shen Lian's eyes and throat respectively.

Shen Lian swung his sword to block, knocking the iron caltrops away, which then embedded themselves in the earthen wall beside him.

Wang Lin and Li Hu had already flanked the man from both sides, and the three of them surrounded him in the middle.

"Your lightness skill and hidden weapons are indeed remarkable," Shen Lian said calmly, pointing the tip of his knife at his opponent. "Unfortunately, we are well prepared. You can't escape tonight."

The man scoffed, "The three of you can't stop me."

"Take it down."

Shen Lian gave Wang Lin and Li Hu a wink.

The three attacked simultaneously.

Wang Lin's sword strikes were fierce and powerful, with the "Mountain Splitting Style" pressing down on him.

Li Hu's sword strikes were slanted, using the "Wave-Cutting Style" to block the left flank.

Shen Lian stepped into the center of the palace, and his "Mountain-Slaying Style" pierced straight into the heart.

The man gritted his teeth, his short blade flashing in his hand. Even when surrounded by three people, he was still able to deflect their attacks. At the same time, he slashed out with his short blade, forcing Li Hu to retreat repeatedly.

"His movement technique is strange," Wang Lin shouted.

He noticed that the man's footwork was mysterious, clearly indicating that he possessed a remarkable skill in light-body techniques.

Shen Lian slashed out with his longsword, unleashing the "Wave Slash" technique, delivering three consecutive strikes that rushed straight at the man. The speed was so fast that the man struggled to parry.

The limited space in the alleyway reduced the man's advantage in light-footed skills.

The next moment, Shen Lian unleashed the "Mountain Splitting Style," slashing down at the man with his sword.

The blow was powerful and heavy, causing his blood and qi to surge.

Wang Lin and Li Hu simultaneously lunged forward, holding their long knives horizontally to the man's neck.

The man gritted his teeth and said, "The Demon Suppression Division lives up to its reputation; even the newcomers are so troublesome. However, I won't let you have your way."

"Stop him..."

Before Shen Lian could finish speaking, black blood gushed from the man's mouth, and he died moments later.

Wang Lin examined him and said, "There's poison in his mouth."

Li Hu sheathed his longsword: "Damn it, I didn't expect him to have this trick up his sleeve."

Shen Lian laughed and said, "No matter what, we've caught the flower thief. Let's take the body back to the Demon Suppression Division to report."

Wang Lin and Li Hu nodded slightly, then took the body back to the Demon Suppression Division.