The Deadly Martial Arts of Online Games

When Wangchuan returned to the game, the rivers and towns within 《spirit realm》 were also shrouded in a faint crimson glow.

The clear waters of the Sanhe River now looked like a river of blood, dyed red and filled with an eerie, unsettling aura.

A group of Sanjiang Branch Helm disciples stared at the river, discussing among themselves.

“The middle of the seventh month—the Gate of Ghosts opens.”

“Today really feels sinister.”

“No wonder Offering Master Liu, whom the gang hired with a huge sum, ordered every hall, branch helm, and affiliated gang to suspend operations. Look at the sky now—and it’s still early in the day...”

“With weather this strange, there are actually people who dare to leave the dock.”

Hearing this, Wangchuan froze and immediately climbed onto the roof to take a look.

Sure enough—

On the blood-red river, several well-decorated pleasure boats were drifting over from the direction of the prefectural city.

The boats were brightly lit, and occasionally the sound of drinking and laughter drifted across the wind.

Wangchuan frowned slightly and shouted toward the disciples near the dock.

“Whose boats are those?”

“Reporting to the Helm Leader! I can’t see clearly. The three major brothels in the prefectural city each have their own pleasure boats. They are probably young masters out looking for entertainment.”

Under normal circumstances, such pleasure boats were common on the river.

They were not under the control of the Caobang, and no one dared to interfere with them.

But today, they seemed unusually conspicuous.

Wangchuan said,

“Keep a close watch. If anything unusual happens, report immediately!”

“Yes!”

The disciples at the dock answered in unison.

Wangchuan’s reasoning was simple.

Since someone was willing to take the risk, he could take the opportunity to observe and see whether anything happened to those pleasure boats.

As time passed,

the sky grew darker and darker.

Yet strangely, with the Blood Moon hanging in the sky, everyone’s vision was barely affected. Standing atop the roof of the Branch Helm, one could easily overlook the entire situation within Hejiang Town.

Inside the Sanjiang Branch Helm, all the disciples had already eaten their fill and were gripping their weapons, ready for battle.

No one knew how much time passed.

Suddenly, Wangchuan felt a wave of unease for no reason.

Perhaps it was because the river and the sky were becoming increasingly red, but he felt as though a faint scent of blood was drifting through the air.

He thought of the pleasure boats on the river and sent someone to ask.

Chen Ergou soon returned to report.

“Helm Leader!”

“Those pleasure boats are still on the river. The people below say there has been no movement.”

“No movement?”

“They haven’t left yet?”

Wangchuan frowned slightly.

Chen Ergou nodded.

“Yes.”

“I saw that the three pleasure boats are still drifting on the river.”

“Alright. I understand.”

Wangchuan waved his hand, thinking perhaps he had simply been too tense and was imagining things.

Just then, Yang Feiyue entered the front hall.

“In another three hours, it will be midnight.”

Yang Feiyue smiled faintly.

“As long as we hold out for those three hours, nothing should happen.”

“I hope so.”

Wangchuan still felt uneasy.

It was only six in the evening.

There was still a long time to go.

At that moment, the smell of blood in the air seemed to grow even stronger.

Just then—

Someone on the roof shouted loudly.

“Helm Leader!”

“There is movement on the river! Fog is rising!”

Immediately afterward, a disciple rushed in from outside.

“Helm Leader!”

“The pleasure boats are moving! They are heading toward our dock!”

Wangchuan and Yang Feiyue exchanged grave looks and immediately walked outside.

Sure enough—

A thick fog had risen on the river and was drifting toward them.

The water slapped against the dock as the pleasure boats approached, becoming clearer and clearer.

At that moment, Zhao Heiniu came out of the Branch Helm. He sniffed the air, his expression turning severe as he pointed toward the river.

“Helm Leader… there is a smell of blood.”

“You smelled it too?”

Yang Feiyue rubbed his nose and muttered,

“I thought it was just my imagination.”

“I smelled it too,” Wangchuan said.

All three men’s expressions changed simultaneously as they turned to look at the three pleasure boats.

The smell of blood…

was being carried by the river wind.

The pleasure boats!

Something had happened to the pleasure boats!!

Wangchuan had the sharpest eyesight. From afar, he could see that although the pleasure boats were brightly lit, there was no sign of anyone moving inside.

Yang Feiyue’s deep and serious voice sounded beside him.

“There are probably no living people left on those boats.”

Fear flashed across Zhao Heiniu’s eyes.

He knew Yang Feiyue’s identity and understood that the leader of the Yulong Gang had always possessed a sharp eye for danger. He would never speak without reason.

Wangchuan reacted immediately.

“Everyone!”

“Prepare for battle!”

“Target—the pleasure boats!”

“Everyone on the dock, retreat to the Branch Helm!”

“Everyone inside! Close the gates!”

The disciples moved swiftly.

Everyone retreated into the Branch Helm.

The main gate slammed shut with a heavy boom.

The Quasi-Martial Artists remained on the ground level.

All the full-fledged Martial Artists and First-Rank Martial Artists climbed onto the rooftops, forming a dense formation as they drew their bows and aimed at the three pleasure boats rapidly approaching the dock.

Behind the boats was a vast wall of fog.

Under the light of the Blood Moon, the fog looked crimson like blood.

Before the boats even reached the dock, the blood-colored mist surged forward, swallowing the boats and devouring everyone’s vision.

The targets disappeared.

Even the dock gradually became invisible.

Many disciples who had not taken the situation seriously earlier now sensed that something was wrong, their expressions turning solemn.

Wangchuan’s brows tightened.

Without visibility, accidents were bound to happen.

“Hong Biao! Immediately take people to fetch tung oil torches! Plant torches across the rooftops and outside the dock!”

“Yes!”

Hong Biao did not hesitate. He led people to the storage room to retrieve the torches.

More than twenty people carried out large bundles of tung oil torches. Some were distributed on the rooftops, while the rest were taken outside the Branch Helm and planted across the dock plaza.

The blood-red fog had already begun to flood onto the dock.

One torch after another lit up the area.

Soon the dock was encircled by flames.

“Good!”

“Come back!”

The disciples began turning around to return.

At that moment, Wangchuan suddenly heard a faint whistling sound cutting through the air.

Turning his head, he saw a black shadow leap from the direction of the pleasure boats onto the dock.

Using both hands and feet, it dashed into the firelight with incredible speed. With a single stomp, it extinguished one torch, then another sharp sound tore through the air as another torch shattered and fell into the river.

The firelight vanished.

The mysterious shadow slipped back into the blood fog.

SMACK!

SMACK! SMACK!!

More sounds came from the direction of the pleasure boats.

Several more figures leapt onto the dock in the same manner.

They crushed or knocked the torches into the river one after another.

The figures within the blood mist moved unbelievably fast.

Whenever they rushed toward a torch, it was extinguished immediately. Their movements were ghostlike, their speed no less than that of a Third-Rank Martial Artist—perhaps even faster.

A Branch Helm disciple barely had time to see anything before many torches had already been extinguished.

Then—

One disciple had not even realized what was happening when something suddenly wrapped around his waist.

His feet lifted from the ground as an irresistible force dragged him into the thick blood fog.

WHOOSH!

WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

One after another, several disciples were pulled into the fog.

Wangchuan reacted instantly.

He drew his bow.

An Armor-Piercing Arrow was nocked.

The Yellow Dragon Bow released a deep, vibrating twang.

The arrow shot straight into the blood fog!

Zhao Heiniu, Chen Ergou, and the others quickly raised their bows as well.

“Fire!”

“Cover their retreat!”

A rain of arrows burst forth, plunging into the blood fog behind the retreating disciples.

The disciples outside the Branch Helm panicked and ran desperately.

But the “enemies” in the blood fog seemed completely unafraid of the Armor-Piercing Arrows. Charging through the arrow rain, they dragged the fleeing Caobang disciples one by one into the mist.

“AAAAH!!”

Screams rang out—

and abruptly cut off.

In only a few breaths, the dozen disciples outside the gates had been completely swallowed by the blood fog.