Desperados Attack - Chapter 56 - The Hidden Guest

A wolf’s howl?

Why is there a wolf’s howl?

Though confused, Su Xinghe remembered clearly why he had come to the Western Regions – to find wolves.

But why were wolves appearing at Nine Star Manor?

Without pondering further, Su Xinghe stepped forward and declared, “Demon, prepare to meet your end!”

His sole aim was to eradicate demons and devils. Raising his sword, he thrust it towards the swirling smoke.

The people inside the hall assumed Su Xinghe was still unsatisfied after killing the young lady, and was leaping to strike the corpse in anger.

The grand manor lord’s sisters, upon seeing this, rushed forward and protested, “What do you think you’re doing?”

Despite their wariness of Su Xinghe, they didn’t favor their domineering sister but had to guard their positions, thinking of appearances and the future leadership.

“Get out of the way!”

Su Xinghe didn’t want to explain; he had nothing to say to these superficial sisters, whom he inherently looked down upon.

“Hmph, make way, and we’ll see if you possess the skills to match your words!”

A woman dressed in green stepped forward, identical in appearance to her sisters. Su Xinghe, confused, asked, “May I know who you are?”

His respect for them had long faded.

“Fourth manor lord of Nine Star Manor, Duanmu Yun!”

Su Xinghe didn’t hold her in high regard, but Duanmu Yun’s beauty made him reluctant to attack. He simply said, “Your sister is possessed by a demon. Allow me to exorcise it, then I’ll explain!”

Hearing this, Duanmu Yun pointed her fingers at Su Xinghe’s face and scolded him, “You, demon, spewing lies to deceive people! First you killed my sister, and now you make grand excuses. Do you really take me for a fool?”

Hearing this, Su Xinghe regretted his impulsiveness but knew he couldn’t delay. The demon could escape any moment.

He didn’t want to explain. He didn’t have time for explanations.

Pointing his sword at the swirling smoke, he wielded it to call forth a blue light.

The blue light streaked through the golden hall, making the entire place shimmer brilliantly.

For someone like Su Xinghe, his attack aimed directly at the smoke without deviation. But to onlookers, it seemed as though he was striking at the young lady’s body.

At that moment, the remaining sisters stood in front of the young lady’s body. They called out techniques like “Shifting Form and Shadow,” “Move Mountains, Change Seas,” “Transplant Flowers, Graft Trees,” and “Change Flowers and Move Willows,” revealing similar skills.

Su Xinghe had known of their formidable techniques. Even he could not be sure if his attack could break through their combined defense.

Mirrors of varying sizes, thicknesses, and appearances manifested before them.

The sword glinted ominously as Su Xinghe’s strike was surrounded by the sisters, the attack failing to penetrate.

As expected, Su Xinghe’s move was mirrored and redirected by the sisters back at him. Naturally, Su Xinghe anticipated this, skillfully dodging the attack as he bent down to pick up the frail Tu Ning’er, and with a swift jump, evaded the strike.

He glanced back at Qiusui, whose pallor and frailty were stark contrasts to her prior vigor and vitality.

“Those wicked women must have harmed Qiusui,” Su Xinghe thought. He eyed the overbearing specters valiantly opposing him and set Tu Ning’er down gently.

Taking up his sword again, he approached and announced, “My friend is dead, and I killed her. Was I overstepping?”

Duanmu Yun retorted, “Of course not. It’s only fair that a life taken should be compensated. But you must know, an eye for an eye is a foolish concept. My elder sister killed that woman, then you killed her. Now, I must kill you!”

Revenge only breeds more revenge!

Su Xinghe chuckled at this notion, saying, “Young lady, I advise you to remove your clothes.”

“Hmm?”

Duanmu Yun was bewildered, responding, “What did you just say?”

“I said you should remove your clothes to avoid splattering them with blood when I kill you.”

Provoked by Su Xinghe, Duanmu Yun seethed, “Boy, you truly overestimate yourself. In Nine Star Manor, I’ve never encountered someone as audacious as you.”

“Hmph!”

Su Xinghe’s laugh sent chills through those in the hall.

“Little thief, I’ll see you in the next life!”

Duanmu Yun stepped forward, her stance ready for battle, her presence formidable.

Noticing Duanmu Yun’s readiness, Su Xinghe casually flicked his sword, embedding it into a dragon pillar.

Duanmu Yun’s palm sliced through the air, but Su Xinghe knew this was just for show, as they always relied on mimicking others’ techniques.

Duanmu Yun’s palm landed squarely on Su Xinghe’s forehead, yet he remained unfazed.

“As expected, her skills are as limited as a frog in a well,” Su Xinghe mused. He swiftly parried with his foot, striking Duanmu Yun’s ankle, sending her sprawling with a “thump.”

“Hmph!”

Su Xinghe scorned everyone. With Duanmu Yun subdued, he remarked, “You’ve lost!”

“Lost?”

Since the events at Deer Manor, Su Xinghe had become cautious. Sensing her confidence was perhaps a trap, he stated, “Indeed, you’ve lost!”

Suspecting deception, he used a finger to seal Duanmu Yun’s acupoint, wary of any underhanded tricks she might have.

Seeing Duanmu Yun defeated, the smoke slipped past the barrier and fled towards the back room.

Su Xinghe chased after it, shouting, “Demon, you can’t escape!”

However, upon passing the barrier, even the fearless Li Xiuluo hesitated, stepping back cautiously, gripping his sword tightly as if expecting something to appear.

Sure enough, with a sinister “hee-hee,” Su Xinghe leapt back to Tu Ning’er’s side.

“Young Master, you are well met!”

Men were a rare sight in Nine Star Manor, yet he was one of them.

……

“What? A man?”

“It really is a man.”

“How could a man appear inside the Manor?”

Is it unusual for men to be in Nine Star Manor?

It’s both unusual and not. While it is unsurprising for the Manor to have inhabitants, what was peculiar was the discovery of a man in Nine Star Manor, which did not accept male guests.