Chapter 15 - Dagger Revealed, Vengeance Begins

Under normal circumstances, Gu Han’s heightened spirit perception would have allowed him to detect the approaching figures well in advance.

But at this moment, he was in the middle of breaking through to the next realm. His mind was strained to the limit, and his perception had weakened considerably compared to usual.

“Young Master! They’re—”

“It’s him!”

Ah Sha stiffened.

The moment he heard that familiar voice, Gu Han’s eyes snapped open, and an overwhelming surge of hatred erupted in his heart.

“Gu Cheng!”

The scene of his framing that day resurfaced vividly in his mind, accompanied by intense loathing.

At the time, he had been attacked from behind and knocked unconscious. When he woke up, he saw Gu Tian charging at him, seemingly in a state of madness and with a sword impaled through the chest—his own sword!

Gu Han tried to get closer to the severely wounded and delirious Gu Tian. However, Gu Tian struck him hard on the shoulder with his palm, and then... everything turned black.

When he regained consciousness again, Gu Tian had vanished without a trace, leaving only the sword with blood stains on the ground. Inside his own pocket, he found a golden seal, and lingering in his ears were Gu Tian’s final words, warning him never to rashly attempt to explore the seal’s secrets.

Immediately after, Gu Chang and his followers arrived, accusing him of killing his own father. His cultivation was crippled, and he was expelled from the Gu family.

He knew full well that Gu Chang and his followers were the masterminds behind the entire scheme. But with his cultivation at the time, facing several Acupoint Unsealing experts left him completely powerless to resist.

Memories of Gu Tian’s kindness over the past seventeen years flooded his mind, making his eyes turn blood-red in an instant.

His father’s murderer was right before him!

“Young Master...” Seeing the state he was in, even Ah Sha found Gu Han somewhat terrifying.

Gu Han turned around, clinging to the last shred of his rationality. “Ah Sha, stay here. Wait for me to return!”

“Young Master... You... you can’t die...” Ah Sha was on the verge of tears.

“They’re the ones who’ll die!” Gu Han rose slowly and took out the Firecloud Sword.

Amidst the turmoil of his emotions, the spirit qi within his body surged like raging tides, instantly breaking through to the seventh stage of the Meridian Opening realm. It was the very realm he had been at before he was crippled.

The sword in his hand brimmed with sword qi, condensed to its limit, poised but not yet released.

“I will make those who harmed you pay!”

A blurry afterimage remained in his place as Gu Han’s figure shot forward like an arrow.

***

In the distance, Gu Cheng and his five companions advanced confidently.

Among the rogue cultivators, a young man seemed uneasy and turned to Gu Cheng. “After killing him, don’t forget the essence crystals and spirit item you promised!”

Earlier, he had considered pursuing the bounty of two thousand essence crystals. However, Gu Han’s combat achievements were far too great, and he wasn’t confident in his chances of victory, nor did he want to split the reward by teaming up with others. After much deliberation, he had chosen not to act.

He wasn’t the only one; the other two shared the same sentiment. But this time, Gu Cheng had offered five thousand essence crystals, along with high-grade spirit items. Even if it was split among them, it was still a considerable fortune, one they couldn’t resist.

Moreover, among the six of them, Gu Cheng and one of the elders were at the fourth stage of the Acupoint Unsealing realm, while the remaining four were at the third stage. With this lineup, they were practically invincible in this area, unless they were suicidal and ventured deeper into the wilderness.

Gu Cheng laughed coldly. “Don’t worry! In Tianwu City, the Gu family’s reputation is second to none! Kill him, and the essence crystals and spirit items are yours! But remember, you must give it your all—”

Before he could finish, a voice sounded like a beast roaring erupted, “GU CHEEENG!”

The voice hadn’t even faded when a chilling blade of sword qi appeared just a few zhang away from him.

Gu Cheng’s eyes narrowed, and a faint red glow enveloped his body. He twisted sideways, narrowly dodging the sword qi. Behind him, several ancient trees were cut apart by the sword qi, collapsing with deafening crashes.

“Gu Han!” Gu Cheng’s face twisted in fury.

He’s strong. Too strong!

Indeed, Gu Han was like a new person. He was far more powerful than before he was crippled. If not for the considerable distance between them when Gu Han struck, Gu Cheng wouldn’t have had the slightest chance of dodging that sword qi.

Beside him, the three rogue cultivators broke out in cold sweat. Thankfully, they had been cautious earlier and didn’t act. Facing that sword qi alone would have been a death sentence.

Ignoring the others, Gu Han pointed his sword at Gu Cheng. “Gu Cheng! Today, you will pay with your life for murdering my father!”

“Pay with his life?” The young man was taken aback and glanced at Gu Cheng. “Didn’t you say this brat was the one who killed his father? Why is he demanding your life instead?”

Gu Cheng’s expression darkened. “It’s none of your business! If you still want those essence crystals, keep your nose out of matters that don’t concern you!”

The young man immediately shut his mouth. Compared to essence crystals, the truth of the matter was irrelevant.

“You little bastard! You have the thing, don’t you? Hand it over, and maybe I’ll be merciful enough to leave your corpse intact!” Gu Cheng glared coldly at Gu Han.

“Go to hell!”

“What did you say?!”

Gu Han slowly raised his head, his eyes blazing with hatred. “I said... Go to hell!”

Gu Cheng trembled with rage. “You little bastard! The moment Gu Tian picked you up, I knew you were a traitor at heart, a curse on our family! And now, it’s proven true! You’re not one of us. Your loyalty was never with the Gu family. You’re nothing but a stray. Gu Yang is the true blood of the Gu family, he is our future! And because of you, what rightfully belonged to him was taken away!”

Beside him, the two elders wore equally cold expressions.

Gu Han is a nuisance to every Gu family member!

Had he been mediocre, it might have been tolerable. But he was too outstanding, so much so that everyone in the Gu family paled in comparison. And the more exceptional he became, the deeper that thorn pierced their hearts.

“Gu Tian was no different! He was a member of the Gu family, yet he never once considered Gu Yang’s interests. He always favored strays like you. How funny! On the brink of death, he still dared to use that thing to bargain with my father, demanding your safe passage out of Tianwu City! Hah! What a touching father-son bond. It makes me sick!” Gu Cheng continued to provoke Gu Han.

“Father...” Two streaks of bloody tears streamed down Gu Han’s face.

The last bit of his rationality was completely gone.

“All of you will die.”

The moment the word “die” left his lips, he vanished from where he was, his sword radiating a chilling qi as it thrust straight toward Gu Cheng.

“Attack! The Gu family’s essence crystals aren’t so easily earned!” Gu Cheng sneered.

The young rogue cultivator seemed to specialize in speed, as he moved even faster than Gu Han. His figure blurred, leaving behind afterimages as he instantly blocked Gu Han’s path.

At the same time, from the left and right, the two rogue cultivators arrived in tandem.

The young man had a well-thought plan. Faced with such a coordinated attack, Gu Han’s best option was naturally to retreat. Once he did, the young man could use his agility to work with the others and wear Gu Han down to death.

It was a great idea... in theory.

Consumed by fury, Gu Han’s sole focus was killing Gu Cheng. He neither dodged nor evaded, taking the two heavy blows head-on. He spat out a mouthful of blood, but rather than stopping or being forced back, he attacked once more, three times as fast!

A soft sound echoed as a chilling blade of sword qi flashed past, piercing straight through the young man’s forehead. Even in death, the young man’s eyes retained a trace of confusion, as if he couldn’t fathom why Gu Han would choose such a mutually destructive approach.

And now, only a zhang separated Gu Han and Gu Cheng.

“You little bastard!”

With a sly grin, Gu Cheng whipped out a long saber. Flames coiled around his body, instantly engulfing the weapon. It was the Blazing Flame Scripture.

“Today, I’ll rid the Gu family of this pest!”

As he spoke, the saber tore through the air with a scorching heat, slashing directly at Gu Han.

A metallic clang rang out as the sword and saber collided. To Gu Cheng’s shock, Gu Han’s battered sword sliced his blade cleanly in two. The sword’s momentum was still going as it swept horizontally, chopping off Gu Cheng’s right arm at the elbow.

A scream of pain erupted. “

AHHH!

Kill him! Kill this bastard!”

For a brief moment, Gu Cheng had sensed the shadow of death. In that instant, fear took over him.

Suddenly, another agonized shriek tore through the air. “

AHHHH!

”

Looking up, Gu Cheng saw Gu Han drenched in blood, his immense hatred visible on his face, while one of the two remaining rogue cultivators had already fallen.

Ignoring the others, Gu Han charged toward him like a madman. “Gu Cheng! Go to hell!!!”

Shit!

Gu Cheng’s heart dropped, and the last shred of courage left him. He had severely underestimated Gu Han’s strength. If he stayed any longer, he might actually die here.

Without hesitation, he channeled all his energy into fleeing. Behind him, the sounds of curses, roars, and screams gradually faded.

After what felt like an eternity, he glanced back, confirming no one was pursuing him, and finally slowed his pace, gasping for breath.

He couldn’t understand what had happened.

He’s too strong! How did Gu Han grow so terrifyingly powerful? Six Acupoint Unsealing cultivators weren’t enough? We’d likely need twice that number to stand a chance!

“That fucking bastard!”

His eyes burned with resentment and dissatisfaction. It was already humiliating enough to be frightened into such a state, but when the fright was caused by the person he despised most...

“Just wait! I’ll definitely—”

Suddenly, a voice straight from the depths of hell sounded behind him, “Gu Cheng!”

Fuck!

Gu Cheng’s heart dropped again, but he didn’t dare look back, scrambling to flee once more.

Suddenly, a searing pain shot through his legs, and then he face-planted into the foul, black mud. Discarding all dignity, he struggled to lift his head, only to see Gu Han looming over him. His entire body was soaked in blood—some his own, but most from others.

“Gu Han! I—” Gu Cheng’s mind raced, desperately searching for a way to survive.

But Gu Han gave him no chance to speak. The sword flashed, and a head rolled to the ground.

“Father, this is the second one.”

***

Inside the cave, Ah Sha hugged her knees, curled up in a corner. She was filled with helplessness and worry as she listened to the faint sounds of battle outside.

“Young Master... You mustn’t die! If you die... I... I won’t listen to you anymore!”

Amid her murmurs, the light at the cave entrance was suddenly blocked.

“Young Master!” Ah Sha looked up instinctively, only to see Gu Han, who seemed to have emerged straight from the blood pond of Hell.

“Are you alright, Young Master...

Waahh...

Why... Why won’t you let me help? I know... I know I can help you...”

“Hey, don’t cry now! These minor injuries won’t kill me! It’s about time. Let’s go.” Gu Han’s voice carried a hint of exhaustion.

Ah Sha wiped her tears. “Go? Where to?”

“Back.” Gu Han gently took her small hand, and his voice turned soft. “For vengeance.”