As the wine spilled onto the table, the dog indeed stretched out its tongue and gave it a lick.

  Wang Dong suddenly said, “Too bad this isn't a golden-haired lion dog.”

  Lin Taiping picked up a piece of soy-braised chicken, then put it back down. “Too bad this isn't roast duck.”

  He Yafeng remained calm, smiling slightly. “Why is it that I never understand a word of what you four are saying?”

  Guo Dalu chuckled. “Maybe we're all just talking nonsense.”

  Just then, the dog in Yan Qi’s arms let out a tragic yelp, suddenly leaping onto the table with a thud—its body stiff, as if its throat had been slit midair. It didn't even have time for a final cry.

  A moment ago, the dog had been lively and full of energy. Now, it was nothing but a corpse.

  Yan Qi stared at the dead dog, then looked up at Guo Dalu. “See that? That’s what happens when you’re too eager to drink.”

  Guo Dalu also studied the dog, then slowly lifted his gaze to He Yafeng. “None of us are from Guangdong. Why would you treat us to dog meat?”

  Wang Dong gnced at He Yafeng, his face completely expressionless. “I've heard bck dog meat is especially nourishing.”

  Lin Taiping sneered. “Maybe it wasn't a bck dog at all—just something dressed in bck.”

  Yet He Yafeng remained unfazed. He slowly stood up, casually brushing off the wine stains on his clothes. “Please excuse me. I'll just go change. I won't be long.”

  Guo Dalu looked at Wang Dong. “He says he’ll be right back.”

  Wang Dong replied, “You heard him.”

  Guo Dalu asked, “Do you believe him?”

  Wang Dong said, “I believe it.”

  Guo Dalu asked, “Why?”

  Wang Dong replied, “Because he didn't go anywhere else—he's changing clothes right behind that curtain.”

  He Yafeng quietly watched them, saying nothing. After a long moment, he slowly turned around, picked up a trunk from the table behind him, and walked behind the curtain.

  The curtain was made of silk and hung right in the middle of the small sitting room.

  While everyone else stared at the curtain, Guo Dalu was looking at Diao Shi.

  Diao Shi's small face had turned pale.

  Guo Dalu suddenly winked at him and smiled. “Why aren't you two going to change your clothes?”

  Diao Shi stammered, “I… I didn't bring any clothes.”

  Guo Dalu chuckled. “If you don't have clothes to change into here, can't you go home and change?”

  Diao Shi's face instantly lit up with joy. He grabbed Sao Su′s hand and bolted.

  Yan Qi smiled and said, “It seems that while this man has thick skin, his heart isn't bck.”

  His eyes were filled with warmth as he looked at Guo Dalu. But the moment he turned away, his gaze became ice-cold, and his expression hardened.

  He Yafeng had emerged from behind the curtain.

  Sure enough, he had changed.

  He was now dressed entirely in bck.

  Dressed entirely in bck—bck clothes, bck boots, and a bck cloth covering his face—even the sword strapped to his back, along with its scabbard, was jet bck.

  A sword four feet and seven inches long.

  Lin Taiping's expression changed. “So it's you. You’re not dead.”

  The man in bck said coldly, “That’s because you don’t yet understand how to kill. You don't know how to make sure someone stays dead.”

  Lin Taiping's face flushed red, then turned pale.

  He truly didn't know how to kill. After striking his opponent, he had been so flustered that he didn't even check if the man was really dead.

  The man in bck continued, “If you knew how to kill, even if I had died, you would have struck me a few more times just to be sure.”

  Clenching his teeth, Lin Taiping said, “I've learned now.”

  The man in bck scoffed. “Some things can't be learned. If you don't have the talent for killing, you never will. Killing takes a certain natural gift.”

  Yan Qi suddenly spoke. “So, by that logic, are you saying you have a talent for killing?”

  The man in bck replied, “I manage.”

  Yan Qi gave a faint smile. “If you truly had a talent for killing, we'd all be dead by now.”

  The man in bck fell silent, deep in thought for a moment. Then he said, “The only reason you’re still alive is because of that dog.”

  Yan Qi turned to Guo Dalu and said, “I just realized something today.”

  Guo Dalu asked, “What's that?”

  Yan Qi said, “At the very least, he has a talent for killing dogs—because he did, after all, kill one.”

  Guo Dalu blinked and said, “I've also realized something.”

  Yan Qi asked, “What is it?”

  Guo Dalu replied, “He’s not Nangong Chou.”

  Yan Qi asked, “Why not?”

  Guo Dalu grinned. “Because he’s not ugly.”

  Wang Dong suddenly said, “Just because someone is named Nangong Chou doesn't necessarily mean they're ugly.”

  Guo Dalu ughed. “That's true—just like someone named Wang Dong doesn't necessarily like to move.”

  Wang Dong nodded. “Exactly.”

  Guo Dalu continued, “But he also doesn't have any scars on his face.”

  Many people in the martial world knew that although Nangong Chou had narrowly escaped the Crazy Cross Sword, his face had been sshed with a rge cross-shaped scar, which was why he never showed his true face in public.