"Vice Commander Cheng, Vice Commander Yan."

"Here."

"Here."

"Vice Commander Cheng, take forty men to the front stronghold. Coordinate with Wang Yue and the others from within and without. You must take the rest of the Black Snake Stronghold. Vice Commander Yan, take the remaining men to clear out the rest of the bandits in the stronghold and seize its wealth."

Chen Sheng gave his orders immediately, without hesitation.

The two men dared not hesitate, quickly bowing in acknowledgment. Vice Commander Cheng, in particular, now looked at Chen Sheng with a hint of terror. The reason was a scene he had accidentally witnessed just moments ago during the chaotic battle with the Black Snake Stronghold.

Chen Sheng had shattered the back of Chuyue Mountain’s skull with a single palm strike!

The man hadn’t died at the hands of the bandit chief, Ink Water Flood Dragon, at all—he had died at the hands of Chen Sheng. But he didn’t dare say it. He didn’t even dare mention it, terrified that if Chen Sheng found out, he would be silenced forever.

Every time Chen Sheng’s gaze fell upon him, he was struck with terror, his heart turning to ice.

Only after everyone had left did Chen Sheng have a moment to spare a glance at Chuyue Mountain’s corpse. A faint smile touched his lips. He had certainly gone to great lengths in his planning to kill him.

As a Martial Master of the Marrow Transformation Realm, Chuyue Mountain was naturally not an easy target. Especially since, upon stepping into Marrow Transformation, one’s five senses become exceptionally sharp. Even if he had launched a sneak attack, the man might have been able to dodge it.

That was where Li Huai Sheng had proven incredibly useful.

He had secretly and silently poisoned Chuyue Mountain. The moment the man circulated his qi and blood, the poison would flare up, and that would be when Chuyue Mountain was at his weakest.

It was also the perfect time for him to strike.

"Be more careful in your next life."

Chen Sheng murmured, staring at Chuyue Mountain’s body, then turned and vanished into the darkness.

It was time for the bandit chief, Xu Meng, to be sent on his way.

.....

At the front of the Black Snake Stronghold, chaos reigned. Due to the steep terrain, even though the government soldiers outnumbered the water bandits several times over, they were still unable to take it by force.

Wang Yue, who was charging ahead under the cover of his shield, felt a surge of frustration. He knew he was destined to achieve no great merits this time. Worse, if Chen Sheng’s side failed to create a breakthrough, this entire assault on the stronghold might end in failure.

However, just as this fleeting thought crossed his mind, he suddenly saw chaos erupt on the walls of the Black Snake Stronghold, accompanied by the fierce, disordered sounds of battle.

’Chen Sheng succeeded?!’

The possibility immediately struck Wang Yue. But then, another thought occurred to him: ’If I don’t coordinate with him right now, does that mean he won’t be able to claim the primary credit?’

But this thought was also fleeting. Besides, he wasn’t the sole commander here, and he certainly couldn’t control the two hundred-plus men around him. He could only roar:

"Brothers, the bandit stronghold has fallen! Charge with me! Promotion and fortune await us today!"

"Kill!"

.....

In stark contrast to the chaotic slaughter at the front of the Black Snake Stronghold, a chamber deep within the rear stronghold was deathly silent. Ink Water Flood Dragon, Xu Meng, sat cross-legged, leaning against a wall. His face was ashen, and a strange, blood-colored talisman was visible on his right arm.

This was his final, life-saving trump card: a Blood Evil Demon Talisman he had obtained by chance in his early years.

As long as it hit its mark, its power was great enough to easily annihilate any Foundation Establishment Martial Master below the Innate realm.

It could even pose a certain degree of threat to an Innate Powerhouse.

But the price for using it was immense. Once activated, it would instantly devour more than half of his vital essence and blood, which was why he had been unwilling to use it earlier.

The government forces had at least two Marrow Transformation Realm Martial Masters, but the Blood Evil Talisman could only kill one. After suffering the backlash, compounded by the poison coursing through his veins, he would be completely at their mercy.

That was why he had fled for his life without a moment’s hesitation. As long as there was even a sliver of hope for survival, he would never risk it all in a fight to the death.

His face was so ashen, half from the poison and half from pure rage.

He had already cursed Chuyue Mountain and Gao Yuanfeng countless times in his heart. They didn’t even know the extent of their enemy’s strength, yet they dared to plot an ambush. And look what happened. The enemy turned their own plot against them, not only killing Chuyue Mountain but also conquering the Black Snake Stronghold and achieving great merit.

They had all become stepping stones for their enemy’s success.

His only consolation at this moment was that he was still alive. Although poisoned, he was already purging it from his system. He estimated it would only take a few hours to expel it completely.

He had left no trace of his entry on the outside, and no one in the entire stronghold knew of this hidden chamber. Plus, he had enough food here to last for several days.

As long as he could hold out, he could find the right moment to fight his way out.

When that time came, the first people he would take revenge on wouldn’t be Chen Sheng or Wu Kuang, but the three great families of Changshan County. If not for their extreme stupidity, how could he have ended up in this disastrous situation?

Just as he was seething with resentment, he suddenly heard footsteps from outside. Xu Meng hastily held his breath.

Outside the chamber, Li Huai Sheng had a look of shame on his face.

"My lord... I failed to catch Xu Meng. The man is too familiar with this place. I’ve searched the surrounding area several times and found nothing amiss. He must have escaped the stronghold. I await your punishment, my lord."

"No matter. He can’t escape."

Chen Sheng chuckled, walking over to a strange-looking rock with his saber in hand. He pressed a spot on it, and in the next instant, a section of the rock wall silently slid open, revealing a small, pitch-black hole about half a foot wide.

He leaned against one side of the opening and said in a low, firm voice:

"Chief Xu, are you going to come out on your own, or must I invite you out?"

No sound came from within the hole, as if Chen Sheng were talking to himself. Inside the cave, however, Xu Meng’s expression changed drastically. He subconsciously gripped the Blood Evil Talisman, a vicious glint in his eyes.

"Commander Chen, wait! Don’t act rashly! I, Xu, am willing to surrender! I only hope Commander Chen can spare my life. From now on, I am willing to be your dog, to serve you in any way you see fit."

"Do you think that’s possible?" Chen Sheng retorted.

The cave fell silent again for a few breaths.

"I know Commander Chen intends to deal with the Gao, Huang, and Yang families! I have proof of their crimes. Can that trade for my life?" Xu Meng hurriedly threw out his bargaining chip. Seeing no response from Chen Sheng, he continued:

"Besides that, I am also willing to offer you a treasure that can increase one’s Cultivation! It could even help break through to the Innate realm."

"Really?"

Hearing this, Chen Sheng finally seemed to be moved.

"Really! Absolutely! I wouldn’t dare lie about this!"

"If such a treasure truly exists, I can spare your life."

Chen Sheng pondered for a moment, his eyes narrowed as he spoke in a low voice.

"Thank you for sparing my life, Commander Chen! This lowly one will come out right now," Xu Meng replied hastily.

Then, a rustling sound came from the opening. A head poked out, a fake smile plastered on its face. It looked up at Chen Sheng, about to say something, but what greeted it was the bright flash of a saber.

SHLICK...

Xu Meng’s round head fell to the ground, his eyes wide with what seemed to be a mix of unwillingness and terror.

"Commander, you..."

Li Huai Sheng was completely stunned by Chen Sheng’s actions.

Chen Sheng flicked his saber, sending a spray of blood drops sliding off the blade, and sheathed it before replying casually:

"How can you believe the words of a water bandit? I was just tricking him into coming out."

Li Huai Sheng opened his mouth, wanting to ask how Chen Sheng knew from the very beginning that Xu Meng was hiding here. But looking at the commander’s expressionless face, he ultimately didn’t dare to ask.

He could only feel that this Commander Chen was growing ever more mysterious and unfathomable, his actions swift and decisive.

"The battle at the front stronghold is still raging. Go and provide support immediately."

Chen Sheng had no intention of explaining. After all, maintaining an air of mystery before one’s subordinates was also a way of managing them.

"Yes, yes."

Li Huai Sheng nodded hastily and departed at once.

As for Chen Sheng, he dragged Xu Meng’s headless corpse out of the chamber. He slit open the right arm with his saber and, sure enough, found a slender Blood Talisman hidden inside, the length of a little finger and shaped like a small sword.

"The Blood Evil Demon Talisman."

Chen Sheng held the Blood Talisman, studying it for a moment, his gaze profound.

He had learned of some secret lore and knew this was no ordinary item. It was crafted by Demon Cultivators using a Secret Technique. Its power was so immense that a single, successful strike could execute a Marrow Transformation Martial Master. Even an Innate Powerhouse would be injured if hit.

Of course, with the five senses and speed of an Innate Powerhouse, hitting one would be extremely difficult. Therefore, this item posed a greater threat to Martial Masters below the Innate realm.

The item’s only drawback was its backlash. Once activated, it would cause grievous harm to one’s Primordial Qi.

However, despite its many flaws, the item was undeniably a Secret Treasure.

After all, its power was truly tyrannical. It was a mystery how someone like Xu Meng was qualified to obtain such a treasure.

But that no longer mattered. What mattered was that the item was his now.

With this item in his possession, he would fear no one below the Innate realm in all of Changshan County.

He would have that much more confidence when it came to settling old scores.

————