Li Muyang’s gaze swept around the inn’s lobby before he asked.

    “Fairy, are we waiting for someone here?”

    Fairy Liuli dressed in green seemed indifferent, but her eyes constantly watched the direction of the inn’s door.

    From her demeanor, it was clear that the fairy was growing impatient.

    Li Muyang, who had no understanding of the game’s storyline, sat down and immediately dove into the plot, proactively seeking information.

    Hearing Li Muyang’s question, Fairy Liuli glanced at him and said, “The gates of Loushan City have been sealed. I am waiting here for an old acquaintance who will come from the city to guide us.”

    Fairy Liuli explained the situation briefly.

    After the fairy finished speaking, the task bar in the upper right corner of Li Muyang’s vision also changed.

    【Meet with Fairy Liuli — Completed】

    【New Task — Ensure Fairy Liuli’s safety while waiting for the guide to arrive】

    The updated task bar made Li Muyang breathe a sigh of relief.

    It seemed that the danger in the inn was still present.

    Li Muyang’s gaze swept around the inn’s lobby once more.

    Including the innkeeper and the waiter, there were a total of eight people.

    The other six were sword-carrying travelers of the rivers and lakes, looking travel-worn, merely stopping at this Horse Relay Station for a brief respite.

    (TLN: Like my other series, I’ll use rivers and lakes instead of Jianghu. Personal preferences.)

    So, is the danger coming from these six people?

    Could it be that someone doesn’t want Fairy Liuli to enter Loushan City?

    Li Muyang pondered in his heart, silently observing.

    At this moment, the waiter came over with a smile, carrying a tray of food.

    “Dear guests, here is your pork knuckle.”

    The waiter placed the steaming, fragrant plate of pork knuckle on the table.

    Fairy Liuli slightly frowned: “We didn’t order pork knuckle.”

    This statement instantly put Li Muyang on alert.

    He discreetly glanced at the waiter in front of him, his hand quietly resting on the hilt of his waist saber.

    (TLN: Saber/Knife (刀) here is also a sword but refers to a single-edged blade. Instead of a double-edged normal sword (剑).)

    But the waiter just smiled: “This is a treat from the shopkeeper to the two guests.”

    Li Muyang looked towards the counter and saw the shopkeeper, dressed in a grey cotton-padded jacket and a dogskin hat smiling.

    In the blink of an eye, the strong man transformed into a monstrous creature over two meters tall, covered in scales like a wild beast, yet his massive head remained human, though his face too was covered in black scales.

    His thick claws firmly grasped the sword embedded in his chest, and for a moment, it couldn’t break free.

    The other guests of the inn transformed as well.

    In an instant, the inn was filled with a demonic aura as six bizarre half-human half-demon figures appeared before Li Muyang.

    Fairy Liuli’s indifferent face finally showed a change.

    “Demonic cultivators?!” she exclaimed in disbelief, looking at the six demonic shadows before her.

    “Are you the cause of the turmoil in Loushan City?”

    The six demonic cultivators sneered, “There’s a road to heaven yet you choose not to take it. There’s no door to hell yet you come knocking.”

    “Fairy Liuli, today is the day you die!”

    The demonic cultivator who was pierced by the flying sword and did not approach, instead standing still, gripping the sword tightly to prevent it from escaping his control, and the other five demonic cultivators all charged at Li Muyang and Fairy Liuli.

    Seeing the demonic energy soaring in the air, Fairy Liuli grabbed Li Muyang’s shoulder. “Move!”

    Having lost her sword, Fairy Liuli had no intention of entangling with them and planned to escape with Li Muyang.

    But as soon as her hand touched Li Muyang’s shoulder, the ground beneath Fairy Liuli suddenly exploded, and a gaping maw full of sharp fangs emerged from the ground, biting down on Fairy Liuli’s feet in an instant.

    Were there demonic cultivators underground too?

    Li Muyang immediately activated Time Stop, and in an instant, everything in the world fell into monochrome.

    The grotesque faces of the demonic cultivators, Fairy Liuli unable to move with her feet caught in the jaws... every movement and expression was frozen when Li Muyang activated Time Stop.

    The demonic cultivators had moved too quickly, almost instantly completing their attack and encirclement, leaving no time for Li Muyang to react.

    Fortunately, Li Muyang activated Time Stop in time, preventing Fairy Liuli from being killed on the spot.

    There was no time to think about anything else. After all, Time Stop only lasted for 7 seconds.

    While Time Stop was active, Li Muyang drew his waist saber and slashed at the nearest demonic cultivator.

    The sharp blade viciously aimed for the monster’s head—if a heart pierced by a sword didn’t kill it, surely decapitation would?

    Li Muyang’s attack was ruthless and deadly. However, Li Muyang felt as if he had hit solid steel when the blade that carried immense force struck the monster’s neck.

    The huge recoil numbed his palm, and the sturdy long saber shattered under the force of the impact.

    Li Muyang was dumbfounded. “F*ck? Such strong defense?”

    Could ordinary blades not penetrate these monsters’ defenses?

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