Why do I have so many masters?

Meng Yuexue watched as Wang Anfeng closed the front door, his palm's wound reopening to bleed fresh blood, dripping at the entrance to add an extra layer of protection for the ordinary people inside the house from the invading poison fog.

A whistle resounded.

Immediately, the thin red horse neighed listlessly, sounds of hooves followed, gradually receding, but from afar to near, the agonizing screams grew clearer.

The common people crammed in the room clearly showed signs of panic on their faces, instinctively huddling together as if to evade danger.

Meng Yuexue pursed her lips, the outside was undoubtedly perilous, yet she felt an overwhelming impulse to burst through the door, so strong that even her tightly clenched fingers could not contain it thumping in her heart.

It was almost instinctual.

Hearing the sounds outside, her legs seemed to have a will of their own.

But a glance back at Chuan Lian lying on the bed, seeing the terrified child, the girl's tightly clenched hands finally relaxed, her slender fingers trembling slightly, exuding a sense of helplessness.

........................

Wang Anfeng had not deployed his Qinggong to sprint.

He was extremely clear on what to do next.

Although he appeared calm and composed in the eyes of Meng Yuexue and the others, he wasn't completely sure in his heart, and considering that even when a lion fights a rabbit it still gives its all, the upcoming battle made every bit of Inner Strength precious.

The horse beneath him had been led out of the Tan Family's stables when leaving Xi Dingzhou. He initially had his sights on a large black horse, but after almost an hour of coaxing by his third master, he couldn't bear it any longer and chose this thin horse under the steward's crazed gaze.

At this moment, the horse finally showed the potential that had caught Hong Luoyu's eye.

As if it loathed the smell in the air, the thin horse's speed continuously increased, its hooves breaking into a gallop, carrying the heavy Mo Blade as it tore through the wind like a wild lion.

The mane flew wildly.

It galloped along the streets and alleyways like a red fire upon the earth, while the surrounding poison fog grew denser. The speed of the Mixed Yuan Skill operating within him increased, turning the pervasive toxins in the air into basic Vital Energy, flowing like a torrential heatwave into his Dantian.

The Golden Bell Shield's Inner Strength in his meridians had reached its full capacity.

As the poison fog thickened, the wailing sounds paradoxically grew softer; the common people simply couldn't withstand the poison for long and were probably already languishing from its torment, unable to even scream.

A faint mist covered the road, obscuring any pedestrians, while the continued low moans echoed in his ears, resembling a ghostly realm.

Just when Wang Anfeng thought he could see no one in this place closest to the source of the poison, a strikingly vivid red burst into his field of vision.

It spread like flames, like a gash cleaving the earth, separating the small town from the back mountains.

Wang Anfeng was slightly startled.

In that instant, the steed beneath him had already crossed a distance of hundreds of meters, his sight breaking through the poison fog to see the true form of those flames: they were young men, wielding swords and clad in vermilion clothes.

The poison fog was thickest here, these men had merely severed the hem of their robes to cover their noses and mouths as a defense against the poison. Under the direction of an old man, they piled up herbs and set them on fire, using this extremely wasteful method to counteract the poison fog.

Their exposed skin already bore blood-red scratches, and their eyes were filled with bloodshot threads.

The lead robust man, noticing the sound of hooves, turned to look at Wang Anfeng. Despite the intense poison fog, he seemed unconcerned, and shouted loudly,

"Go back!"

"This area is quarantined, you can't go further, stay in your homes, we'll handle this soon…"

Wang Anfeng's gaze flitted over the blood-stained right hand wielding the sword, dripping blood, swollen and oozing due to the poison fog's penetration, yet his grip on the sword was still tight.

Hearing the continuous hoofbeats, his eyebrows knitted and he yelled,

"Hurry back…"

Wang Anfeng yanked the reins of his horse, and the skinny steed beneath him neighed. Ahead, the rolling flames burned fiercely, the heat waves hitting his face, but instead of frightening, they seemed to ignite the wild nature of this extraordinary horse. Its eyes bulged in fury, its mane dancing wildly, no less fierce than the flames.

When they were still a dozen meters away, the horse leaped violently, like lightning catching the wind, quickly clearing the distance of tens of meters before finally landing on the opposite side, neighing proudly as it sprinted toward the mountain path.

While leaping over the flames, Wang Anfeng's right hand clenched abruptly inward to his palm, his fingers, now infused with Inner Strength like daggers, reopened his slowly healing wound, tearing it afresh. Blood poured down, drenching directly onto the flames.

The leading Great Qin Martial Artist watched Wang Anfeng's disappearing figure, frustrated and angry, yelling loudly,

"Are you seeking death?!"

"The experts above us are not within our abilities to handle, and the patrol officers of Xi Dingzhou will be here any moment. Don't be reckless..."

Just then, the blood hitting the flames flickered momentarily, and the surrounding poison mist suddenly made a sizzling sound, emitting green smoke that billowed straight up. Everyone was slightly stunned, suddenly finding their breath much smoother, and felt a renewing strength surging in their previously weakening palms.

The old man's eyes shone brightly; pushing away the young man who was supporting him, he staggered a few steps to the front of the flames. Noticing the medicinal power emerging in the smoke above, his expression changed, and he finally retreated two steps, falling to the ground, his white hair disheveled as he clapped and laughed,

"Excellent, excellent!"

"With this man here, those who poison us need not concern us anymore!"

"Ah, hahaha..."

The Great Qin constables watching the laughing old man felt a sense of relief. One of them pursed his lips, raised the long knife in his hand, and was about to walk toward the mountain path when the lead constable quickly took two steps forward, placing his hand on the young man's shoulder, and asked with a frown,

"Boy, what are you planning to do?!"

The young constable turned around and said,

"The man just now must be after the poisoner."

"Let's go help him..."

The middle-aged constable frowned, scolding,
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"With your half-baked skills, you won't help at all; you're just going to get yourself killed."

"But..."

"No more talking."

Just then, someone had already helped the old man up. The man, looking at the young constable, who was barely seventeen or eighteen and full of vigor, smiled and spoke softly,

"I understand your intentions."

"Even if you cannot personally bring down the chief culprit, there are still things you must do. This place is temporarily safe, but the villagers in the town have been poisoned, and there is still much for you to do."

"This task may not be glamorous or awe-inspiring."

"But if you can ease the Martial Artist's worries, isn't that also heroic..."

"Who says a hero must be a warrior who kills?"

The young constable seemed unconvinced and was about to say more, but the old man raised his hand to stop him. The nearly seventy-year-old Doctor coughed a few times, looked around at the relatively young faces, his expression softened, showing that kindly old person's demeanor, and said,

"Now that there are no more worries here."

"Hurry back to town and help with the rescue..."

"Your parents and children are all there, right? The medical supplies have been brought in, and you can leave them to me. Keeping so many people here is useless; you should hurry back."

PS: Here's the second update...

Thank you, Changfeng Wanyi Yao, for your generous tips; much appreciated.