“Your City Lord is a remarkably proud person.”
The sword in Tan Congye’s hand seemed fused with his very being. The blade looked exceedingly heavy, yet he wielded it with absolute ease.
Hua Qianmi and Nian Zheng joined forces, attacking from left and right, yet they could not even draw close to his person.
The sound of the zither in Yan Zheng’s hands was passionate and powerful, as though beating a battle drum to inspire momentum for the fray.
Hua Qianmi’s sword was slender and long, coordinating seamlessly with Nian Zheng. They quickly skirted past Tan Congye’s sword Qi and lunged forward, while the remaining disciples swarmed around them though fully half had already fled the scene.
Tan Congye vaulted upward, the sharp blade spinning and churning with sword Qi. Swerving sharply to the left to evade Nian Zheng’s assault, he lashed out with a single-handed stroke of his right sword, aiming straight for Hua Qianmi’s vital points.
“City Lord Tan, you can protect him for a moment, but you cannot protect him for a lifetime!” Nian Zheng attacked with a sword in his left hand while channeling internal energy through his right in an unceasing barrage. Like a hunter fixated on his prey, he was sworn to fight Tan Congye to the death.
Tan Congye vaulted into the air. His weapon, Jingpo, had left his hand entirely, yet it moved with even greater agility. Managing the blade’s trajectory with a single hand, his fluttering sleeves looked as though they were applauding enthusiastically.
Suddenly, the swords in Hua Qianmi and Nian Zheng’s hands grew as heavy as a thousand catties, as if forcefully suppressed and rendered incapable of lifting.
“Ying Laixian is someone I am determined to protect today,” Tan Congye said. His voice was neither loud nor soft, but the absolute conviction in his tone was unmistakably clear.
Hua Qianmi grit her teeth. Whichever hands the Changye Hall treasure fell into was enough to shake the entire world; she would never let the matter rest here.
“Pavilion Master Nian!”
Nian Zheng turned back, exchanging a silent glance with Hua Qianmi. Both of them read the exact meaning in each other’s eyes.
The two soared into the air, their billowing hair obscuring the better part of their faces. A pitch-black sword abruptly materialized in Hua Qianmi’s hand, radiating a stark white aura of internal energy.
Under Nian Zheng’s reinforcement, that single sword split into twenty, densely occupying the space in a complete circle.
“Oh?” Interest sparked in Tan Congye’s eyes, and he offered a casual, nonchalant smile. “Crimson Beauty Village and Crane Crane Workshop, along with…” The representatives of other sects continued pressing forward, only to be intercepted and stalled entirely by Yan Zheng.
“To think so many people covet the treasure of Changye Hall.”
“Cut the chatter!” The swords surrounding Nian Zheng seemed endowed with eyes, dancing wildly through the air and causing the very atmosphere to vibrate.
Finally, every single blade locked onto its target, hurtling consecutively toward Tan Congye.
Tan Congye made his move as well. Jingpo danced through the air, wielding a divine proficiency in his grip to unleash its absolute maximum potential. The thunderous clatter of colliding metal rang out across the open sky.
“City Lord Tan, you must realize that Ying Laixian has already become the target of public criticism,” Hua Qianmi said in a deep voice. “Everyone under heaven will seek to hunt him down. Do you truly intend to pit yourself against the entire world single-handedly?”
Tan Congye handled the assault with relative ease. He spent the majority of his time dodging, his footwork defying standard routines. While Hua Qianmi and Nian Zheng’s attacks looked ferocious and powerful, both were already drenched in sweat, whereas Tan Congye remained utterly calm and unruffled.
“I said it before: today, he belongs to me.” The moment Tan Congye’s words fell, Jingpo surged forward with explosive speed. With a forceful sweep of his arm, he batted down the swords suspended dead in the middle of the air, sending them raining haphazardly onto the ground.
Swinging his blade, the man leaped directly toward the pair.
No one knew when the sky had turned pitch black. Heavy, rolling storm clouds loomed overhead, accompanied by flashes of lightning and rumbling thunder. The steady, rhythmic sound of a carriage thundered down the roadway, pursued closely by an unyielding horde of enemies.
Chen Wen’s grip on the reins tightened until his knuckles turned white. As the pursuers drew closer and closer, he whipped the horses to accelerate.
Suddenly, a curved throwing blade came whistling through the air, hurtling straight toward the moving carriage. Its razor-sharp teeth instantly sliced through the wooden framework along the side of the carriage, tearing it completely in half.
Ji Tingzhong landed foot-first atop a spinning flying wheel. Though the wheel was still revolving furiously beneath her, she paid it no heed, casually kicking it back into position with a sharp burst of force.
The returning wheel instantly tripped and incapacitated the charging pursuers. Ji Tingzhong’s Flowing Light Dual Blades crossed and danced protectively around her sides. Her gaze turned chillingly cold as she surveyed the figures in the distance some more numerous, some fewer, but none of them posed any genuine threat.
Aside from a few minor lackeys, everyone else had been successfully stalled by Tan Congye.
“Mount!” Chen Wen reached out to haul Ying Laixian up onto the horse, pulling the youth protectively in front of him, while Ji Tingzhong used her lightness skills to trail closely behind the two.
Abandoning the shattered carriage behind them, Ji Tingzhong leaped backward, her Flowing Light Dual Blades slipping from her waist as thin as cicada wings, claiming several lives in the span of a single breath.
“Head right,” Ying Laixian instructed over the thunderous clatter of galloping hooves. Without waiting for Chen Wen’s reply, he reached out, snatched the reins, and jerked them to alter their course.
Veering right onto the imperial highway, the path widened and stretched out unobstructed, allowing the trio to finally draw the horses to a halt.
The relentless pursuers behind them quickly caught up as well.
“You can’t escape today, Jade-like Gentleman. You’d better obediently come with us.”
The leading man hoisted a broad-bladed saber across his shoulder, his upper garments slung half across his waist to expose a muscular, rugged chest. His gaze lingered amorously on Ying Laixian with a smirk. “If I accidentally mar that pretty face of yours, I’m afraid my heart will ache.”
“A bunch of nobodies from nowhere, yet you dare utter such grand boasts?” Contempt flickered deep within Ying Laixian’s eyes.
Before he could finish, Ji Tingzhong had already unleashed the Flowing Light Dual Blades, her patience thoroughly exhausted.
The man lunged forward wielding his saber, yet his bulky weapon found no advantage whatsoever against the diminutive, lightning-fast Flowing Light Dual Blades. Ji Tingzhong even managed to split her focus, single-handedly intercepting and holding off the dozens of arriving combatants.
“Fragmentary Jade Gentleman, provide cover!” Chen Wen wheeled his horse around, speaking with profound significance. “Jade-like Gentleman, my master ordered me to take you to a specific location.”
With that, he spurred the horse forward, carrying Ying Laixian away from the highway.
Chen Wen led the youth off the main road and down a narrow, overgrown trail flanked by dense thickets of bushes so thick they completely concealed the path.
Pashing aside the tangled weeds, a hidden sanctuary revealed itself—a modest, medium-sized courtyard nestled deep within the wilderness. Its architecture was remarkably peculiar, practically the entire estate cloaked beneath the sprawling canopy of ancient, towering trees.
Dismounting from the horse, Chen Wen turned to Ying Laixian. “The City Lord gave instructions: the Jade-like Gentleman is simply to wait for him here.”
Ying Laixian nodded and dismounted as well. Standing just outside the perimeter of the courtyard without the slightest intention of stepping inside, he asked, “Is this Tan Congye’s territory?”
Chen Wen shook his head. “Not quite. The City Lord merely stumbled upon it by accident.”
Naturally, Ying Laixian was well aware of this; he had only asked out of deliberate pretense, because in his previous life, he had also stumbled upon this exact location while fleeing for his life after his identity was exposed and he found himself hunted across the realm.
The courtyard nestled beneath the tree roots looked no different from his memories. Raising a hand, Ying Laixian watched as brilliant shafts of sunlight pierced through the mottled leaves to land upon his palm.
“Your City Lord is a remarkably proud person,” Ying Laixian suddenly remarked.
Uncertain what the youth was driving at, Chen Wen wisely opted to wait for him to continue on his own.
“The Lord of Yishui City, famed for his decisiveness and merciless execution all of that is merely forged through weathering excessive trials and tribulations.” Ying Laixian’s tone shifted abruptly. “If I were to deliberately toy with him, he would surely never let me off.”
Chen Wen frowned. “What is the Young Master implying?”
Jiang Ni’s sudden appearance was all the proof needed to confirm the truth: they had been played for fools by this young man the entire time.
Standing off to the side with detached indifference, Ying Laixian leaned his body slightly against a nearby tree trunk. The bark, weathered by age, displayed an uncommon dark greenish hue that formed a striking contrast against the pale pink outer robe he wore.
“Didn’t you know?”
A jolt shot through Chen Wen’s chest. Ying Laixian’s words instantly cemented the worst suspicions in his mind.
While anxiety churned furiously inside him like a pot of boiling ants—a development he had never anticipated, especially given the catastrophic consequences if the person vanished right under his nose before the City Lord returned—Chen Wen’s thoughts screamed in panic, though outwardly he forced himself to maintain polite diplomacy. “Surely the Young Master isn’t someone who goes back on his word.”
“Of course not.”
Chen Wen felt a single breath of relief leave his lungs.
“However, I never agreed to tell Tan Congye the information he wants right this second.”
To speak of breaking promises with such utter, breezy casualness was a talent likely unique to him alone.
Naturally, Ying Laixian had never expected Chen Wen to simply wave goodbye and let him leave. With a subtle nod of his head, Jiang Ni stepped forward in absolute silence, her sword drawn and ready.
Chen Wen retreated step by step. As a man of principles, he preferred not to fight women unless forced.
Yet Jiang Ni showed not an ounce of mercy, her attacks carrying a lethal intent as though genuinely determined to end his life on the spot. Under such circumstances, he had no choice but to retaliate.
“Pardon the offense.” A circle of light flashed as Chen Wen’s long sword swept through the air. Executing a fierce slash, he clashed against Jiang Ni’s blade, the force generating a gale-force whistle.
Both combatants operated at the fifth rank, yet even among those of identical standing, distinct gaps in capability existed. Though Jiang Ni’s footwork was exceptionally nimble, she proved no match for Chen Wen’s ferocious onslaught, forced into a continuous, defensive retreat.
Leaning lazily against the tree trunk, Ying Laixian tapped his fingers against his chest in a casual, rhythmic cadence.
“One.”
Though completely confident in his victory, Chen Wen felt a sudden spike of anxiety at the sound of Ying Laixian’s voice.
“Two.”
Ying Laixian continued counting down at a leisurely pace.
Taking a deep breath, Chen Wen swept his long sword in a fierce arc, flicking his wrist to send Jiang Ni’s blade spinning away in a bright flash before it violently plunged deep into the soil.
“Three.”
Right as Ying Laixian’s final count dropped, a dark shadow cast itself across Chen Wen’s field of vision. Before he could react, his sword was knocked clear from his grip, and a devastating blow struck the side of his neck, plunging him instantly into unconsciousness as he collapsed to the ground.
Straightening up, Ying Laixian turned his gaze toward Ji Tingzhong, who had just hurried over. “You hit rather hard.”
“You’re not doing so soft yourself,” Ji Tingzhong retorted. “You’re playing a dangerous game with yourself. If Tan Congye ever finds out, he’ll likely want to skin you alive.”
“I trust he has the desire, but I also guarantee he won’t succeed.” Ying Laixian smiled lightly.
“Right now, I imagine the entire martial arts world is dying to capture you,” Ji Tingzhong said, binding the Flowing Light Dual Blades securely at her waist. “I originally thought you wanted to rope Tan Congye into your alliance, but to think you ended up playing him for a fool as well. What on earth are you planning to do with the clues to the Changye Hall treasure?”
“Simply ensuring that item doesn’t fall into the wrong hands,” Ying Laixian replied calmly. “What about you? Will you head back to Quedu, or… return to Huayu Pavilion?”
Ji Tingzhong averted her gaze with unnatural stiffness. “Mind your own business. The road ahead of you is bound to be filled with endless suffering.”