Chapter 27: New Functions of the Human Emperor Banner

Not everyone present was as ungrateful as Zuo Jincheng.

Aside from a few disciples from Sword Wind Mountain who followed him, the vast majority of the martial artists he had invited to assist remained.

"Brother Zuo, we shouldn't be so unkind in our conduct, should we?"

"We know you have a grudge against the Ghost-Masked Man, but after all, he saved all our lives this time. If he hadn't stepped in at the critical moment, we would already be dead. How can one be so ungrateful?"

"If you want to leave, leave by yourself. I’m not going anywhere. Since we promised him we would help by distracting the bandits here, we cannot break our word."

...

Facing opposition from almost everyone, Zuo Jincheng’s expression grew increasingly grim.

He realized he had lost his composure. He had always carefully cultivated an image of being righteous and loyal; he could not afford to ruin his reputation over something so trivial.

After a brief moment of reflection, Zuo Jincheng finally made a choice.

"Thank you all for the reminder. It is true that my judgment was clouded. With the Feng sisters worried about their grandfather, I was only thinking of getting them back safely. I hope you will all forgive me."

"No need for further talk. As long as you are willing to stay, we can act as if nothing happened."

Zuo Jincheng had no choice but to swallow his pride; he did not want to leave a stain on his reputation in the martial arts world.

Just then, someone pointed toward the mountain.

"Look, something must be happening up there. Why are so many people fleeing?"

The group looked in the direction he indicated and indeed saw a large swarm of bandits, leaderless and scrambling down the mountain in chaos.

It was as if they were being pursued by the very agents of death, fleeing so desperately that they failed to notice the large group of people waiting at the foot of the mountain.

"The Ghost-Masked Man must be wreaking havoc up there. Perhaps he has actually killed the bandit leader. We cannot let these people escape, or the surrounding villagers will suffer. Let’s take this opportunity to wipe them all out."

The group surged forward, cutting down the bandits with ease.

The bandits seemed to have been scared out of their wits, completely stripped of their fighting spirit and offering no resistance.

"Just how strong is the Ghost-Masked Man? He went up the mountain alone, faced no danger, successfully rescued the captives, and even terrified these bandits into submission. He truly deserves to be called a supreme master."

"I suspect he is infinitely close to the Martial Sect realm, just one step away from a breakthrough. Otherwise, he couldn't have handled this so easily."

As they fought, the group chatted casually, a testament to how easily they were dispatching their opponents.

Zuo Jincheng, standing nearby, heard their conversation but remained silent, his sword moving mechanically to kill. Inside, he felt immensely conflicted.

All of this glory should have been his—or so he believed. In his eyes, the Ghost-Masked Man had stolen it all.

He failed to realize that if not for Xu Feng’s intervention, they would already be ghosts at the hands of Qixia Mountain. Such a man was simply ungrateful and in need of a lesson.

"Wait, leave one alive. We need to know the situation on the mountain and whether we need to provide support."

After the slaughter, only one prisoner remained. Through interrogation, they finally learned the state of affairs on the peak.

Xu Feng was wreaking havoc. Many Qixia Mountain bandits had already fallen, and no one was a match for him. Initially, they had managed to organize effective encirclements, but as time passed, their courage had been shattered.

Crucially, Xu Feng was not alone; he was aided by many vengeful spirits.

The cover of night was the perfect shroud, making it impossible for them to detect the sneak attacks from behind. By the time they realized something was wrong, half their men had already died at Xu Feng’s hands.

"What is the situation now? Where is your leader?"

"The leader is fighting the Ghost-Masked Man. They are evenly matched for now, but we just wanted to save our lives. Please, spare me—I barely managed to escape the mountain."

The group, naturally, did not let him go. These bandits were all villains who had committed countless atrocities; there was no telling how many innocent lives they had taken.

With a swift stroke, they finished him off. The group gathered to discuss their next move, debating whether to go up the mountain to help.

Although Xu Feng had told them to stay at the foot of the mountain, the situation had changed. Xu Feng clearly needed assistance; even if they couldn't fight the leader, they could help clear out the small fry.

"Everyone, what do you think? I believe we should go."

"I won't leave either."

"In that case, let's head up together."

...

The group quickly reached a decision, paying no heed to Zuo Jincheng’s opinion. From the moment the Ghost-Masked Man appeared, Zuo had ceased to be the center of this group.

No one was a fool; they had already sensed Zuo Jincheng’s intention to abandon them earlier.

Meanwhile, Xu Feng was locked in combat with the bandit leader. They were evenly matched, and neither could gain the upper hand.

Since ascending the mountain, Xu Feng had absorbed many souls through his Human Sovereign Banner, his cultivation pushing toward the threshold of the Martial Sect realm.

"Ghost-Masked Man, I have no enmity with you. Why have you colluded with the imperial court to harm me?"

"How can you say there is no enmity? Qixia Mountain is full of evil, and everyone has the right to punish you. I am merely acting on behalf of heaven."

The leader was furious, feeling Xu Feng was being overly arrogant. According to his intelligence, the Ghost-Masked Man had also killed many in Gusu City; this so-called "acting on behalf of heaven" was nothing but a pretext.

He failed to realize that those who died by Xu Feng's hand had all earned their fate. The nature of their killing was fundamentally different; the bandits of Qixia Mountain killed the innocent indiscriminately.

"Since you are looking for death, don't blame me for being ruthless. Once I kill you, I’ll simply start over elsewhere. I will make you see the consequences of provoking me."

The leader no longer hesitated and unleashed his full strength. Xu Feng had no choice but to bring out the Human Sovereign Banner to defend.

Suddenly, he felt a surge of power flowing into the banner—a power identical to that of the bandit leader before him.

At the same time, the leader let out a cry and quickly retreated.

"What did you do? Why has my strength suddenly dropped so much?"

Xu Feng was stunned for a moment, then realized that the Human Sovereign Banner did not need the opponent to be dead to absorb their strength; it could siphon power from the living.

He had never noticed this before, largely because it was such a monstrous ability.

If that was the case, the bandit leader was doomed; even the gods couldn't save him now.

As they continued to clash, Xu Feng constantly drained the leader's strength. Soon, the bandit leader's cultivation plummeted to that of an ordinary martial artist.

"Thinking of running now? Isn't it a bit too late?"

Seeing the leader's intent to flee, Xu Feng would never let such an opportunity slip.

He utilized the movement technique he had obtained at the pleasure boat, closed the distance in an instant, and slit the leader's throat with a single strike.

At the same cultivation level, there was no one left who was a match for Xu Feng.