Domestic Zone: You already have a system, why join a chat group?

Chapter 40 Blood-Handed Butcher Wreaks Havoc in the Martial World

After seeing Su Xinghe off from Leigu Mountain, Russell didn't rush to set off. There was still a full ten days until the date he agreed to meet with Kumārajīva. The journey from Leigu Mountain to Kaifeng Prefecture would only take a day and a night at a fast pace, so there was plenty of time. Besides, he had just taken over his junior brother's internal energy and needed time to digest it.

In the following days, Russell stayed in the cabin with Mu Wanqing and Zhou Cailing. During the day, they practiced breathing exercises, and at night they looked up at the starry sky and listened to the sound of the pine trees, enjoying a rare moment of leisure.

Unbeknownst to Russell, the rumors surrounding the Blood Hand Butcher had already become a major event attracting widespread attention in the martial arts world.

As the saying goes, "Many voices can melt metal," and "Public opinion is a fearsome thing."

People no longer care about the truth of the matter; they only believe what they want to believe.

The rumors, passed down by word of mouth, have been distorted and exaggerated to the point of being unrecognizable. Some say that Russell was twelve feet tall with a blue face and fangs, and that he needed to eat the hearts of three children every day in order to practice his kung fu. Others say that he practiced evil magic and abducted breastfeeding women to use their milk as a medicinal ingredient. Still others say that he was capricious and would kill people whether he was happy or unhappy.

Such rumors were rampant, spreading wildly in teahouses, taverns, security escort agencies, martial arts schools, and even rural villages.

The phrase "Bloody Hand Butcher" quickly became a legendary urban tale in Henan, capable of stopping even the most distraught child.

The Beggars' Clan also issued a call to arms to the martial arts world, listing ten major crimes committed by Russell, including "harming the righteous members of the Beggars' Clan, slaughtering the innocent, practicing demonic arts, and trafficking women and children." The call was made with strong words and deep indignation, urging righteous heroes from all over the world to gather in Luoyang to jointly kill this villain, to comfort the spirits of the hundreds of Beggars' Clan disciples in heaven, and to rectify the atmosphere of the martial arts world.

One stone stirs up a thousand waves. The influence of a century-old gang is extraordinary. In addition, Russell's crimes are truly horrific. In an instant, the entire martial arts world of the Song Dynasty was in turmoil.

Suzhou, Yanziwu.

On the shores of the shimmering Taihu Lake, in a waterside pavilion, the melodious sounds of a zither and the mournful strains of a flute drifted through the air.

Murong Fu, dressed in white, sat upright in the center of the pavilion, his eyes slightly closed, as he circulated his internal energy and regulated his breathing.

He had just returned from Western Xia, and although there was a hint of fatigue between his brows, he was more than happy and triumphant.

Three of the Four Evils were killed by someone, leaving only Duan Yanqing as the lone commander. This was actually good news for him, because with the sudden reduction in top experts, his alias Li Yanzong became the most powerful figure in the Western Xia First-Class Hall, gaining greater power and influence within the hall.

This was an extremely important step in his plan to restore his kingdom, which is why he made the rare trip back to Yanziwu to gather his retainers and discuss having them infiltrate Western Xia in batches to further consolidate and expand their power.

The music of the zither gradually faded, and the sound of the flute also ceased.

Two slender figures, one in red and one in green, emerged from behind the screen outside the pavilion; they were Azhu and Abi.

The two women approached Murong Fu and gave him a graceful curtsy.

Azhu said softly, "Young master, it's time for your practice today. Would you like to rest for a while? Abi has already prepared rock sugar lotus seed soup."

Murong Fu slowly opened his eyes. Even though the two women before him were incredibly beautiful, he remained unmoved and simply said, "If you are tired, go and rest. There is no need for you to serve me here."

Azhu and Abi exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of helplessness and disappointment in each other's eyes.

Our young master is excellent in both character and martial arts, but he is a bit aloof from women. Fortunately, this is not just a problem with them. Miss Wang from the neighboring Mantuo Manor has been eagerly waiting for our young master to propose marriage for many years.

Just then, two hurried footsteps approached from afar.

A'Zhu looked up and saw Bao Butong and Feng Bo'e walking hurriedly from outside the garden.

"Third Brother, Fourth Brother, why are you back?" A'Zhu greeted them, somewhat surprised. Didn't the young master order them to go to Xixia first to make arrangements?

When Bao Butong saw A'Zhu, he instinctively wanted to make a joke, but seeing Feng Bo'e's serious expression, he put away his joking thoughts and simply nodded to A'Zhu: "Sister A'Zhu, is the young master in the pavilion? There is an emergency."

"The young master is practicing his martial arts in the pavilion."

Bao Butong and Feng Bo'e said no more, quickly walked into the pavilion, and bowed to Murong Fu: "Young Master!"

A hint of surprise flashed in Murong Fu's eyes. Bao Butong and Feng Bo'e were his trusted retainers, and they knew the importance of things. Unless it was something truly urgent, they would never disobey his orders and turn back halfway: "Third brother, fourth brother, what happened?"

Feng Bo'e stepped forward and took out a gilded invitation card from his pocket, handing it to Murong Fu: "Young Master, something has happened in the martial world."

Murong Fu raised an eyebrow. He knew the nature of Bao Butong and Feng Bo'e, and immediately opened the visiting card to check it.

The invitation was simple; it was a call to arms from the Beggars' Sect, stating that Russell, nicknamed "Bloody Hand Butcher," was a wicked and unforgivable villain. The Beggars' Sect issued a demon-slaying order, calling on heroes from all over the world to join forces to eliminate this evil. A portrait of Russell was also attached.

Murong Fu's gaze lingered on the portrait for a moment, his eyes gradually filled with a burning light, and the corners of his mouth even involuntarily turned up slightly.

"Good! What a Bloodthirsty Butcher!" Murong Fu closed the invitation card, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement.

Upon seeing this, Bao Butong immediately stepped forward and whispered, "Russell is now a public enemy of the martial arts world. If you, young master, could personally slay him and present his head to the heroes of the world, your reputation as a chivalrous man would surely surpass that of Qiao Feng."

Feng Bo'e nodded repeatedly, his voice booming, "Third Brother is absolutely right! Young Master, things aren't likely to go wrong in Xixia anytime soon. This Demon-Slaying Assembly is the perfect opportunity for you to make a name for yourself and win people's hearts. It would be a real shame to miss it!"

"Don't worry, Third Brother and Fourth Brother, I know what's important." Murong Fu's lips curled slightly. Bao Butong and Feng Bo'e's words had struck a chord with him.

Reviving the Great Yan Dynasty requires not only covert power, but also public prestige, standing in the martial arts world, and the ability to command widespread support.

Over the years, he has been working hard and traveling under different names, accumulating a lot of hidden resources, but in terms of public reputation, he has always been overshadowed by Qiao Feng.

This is a rare opportunity.

And it wasn't just Suzhou's Yanziwu; the Shaolin Temple of Songshan, the Shenmu Sect of Guanzhong, the Yellow River Golden Sand Gang, the Jiangnan Thunderbolt Hall, and other sects also responded one after another, each dispatching their best members to travel day and night to Henan to lend their assistance.

Countless wandering knights and swordsmen, who were unaffiliated with any sect or school but yearned for instant fame, were drawn by the news and began sharpening their knives, dreaming of making a name for themselves by stepping over Russell's corpse.

As for Russell himself, he was extremely comfortable at this moment, not for any other reason than that he had finally completely digested the seventy years of internal energy that Wuyazi had passed on to him.

He succeeded!