Xingkong Li suddenly found himself rescued, still dazed as if in a dream, unable to comprehend how an extraordinarily powerful swordsman had come to his aid. Struggling to rise and express his gratitude, he first attempted to elevate the swordsman’s status to avoid any potential hostility later. However, he discovered that the swordsman’s attendant possessed immense strength, making him feel as weak and helpless as a child. Unable to move, he could only allow the attendant to treat his wounds.
If even the attendant is this strong… He glanced at Jiang Hengchuan, who looked like a farmer, and felt even more astonished.
The survivor, still staring at the swordsman clad in white who had his back turned, dared not provoke further and stammered, “The Snake King wants to eliminate several minor leaders, surpass Han San’niang and others, and when he failed to bribe Brother Li, he promised us that whoever killed Brother Li would be rewarded with riches for returning home in glory or offered positions of power, either taking Brother Li’s place or inheriting the titles of those he eliminated. We… we acted foolishly under temptation…”
“Hmph, who is your Brother Li!” Xingkong Li’s face flushed with anger, which tugged at his wounds.
The survivor stammered nervously, too afraid to argue, only stealing glances at the snow-white back figure.
“Why would the Snake King choose to strike now?” Meng Qi asked calmly as the last drops of blood dripped from his sword, like snow blown by the wind, while sheathing his blade.
The survivor shook his head quickly, “How could we ever understand the Snake King’s thoughts? Perhaps it’s because Han San’niang and Big Boss Luo have recently become more aggressive?”
“Wait over there for now,” Meng Qi said indifferently.
The survivor, startled but obedient, stood aside, too frightened now to attempt any sneak attack on the solitary, cold swordsman before him.
“The north street enters into Jinshui,” Meng Qi suddenly said cryptically, looking at Xingkong Li.
Xingkong Li’s eyes lit up, and he immediately replied, “The hidden dragon returns to the great river.”
So, the Six Gates had learned of the situation and specially dispatched an expert to rescue him. It truly felt great to have powerful backing!
“What unusual activity has occurred on the north street recently?” Without the sharp glint of his sword, Meng Qi appeared less stern in Xingkong Li’s eyes, more suave and debonair, yet his inherent aloofness remained unmistakable.
Supported by Jiang Hengchuan, Xingkong Li stood up with a bitter smile, “Strange happenings are common on the north street. If there were none, it wouldn’t be the north street. Every day, assassins set out, and nameless people are silently killed in street corners.”
“This is just routine for the north street. What I’m asking about is anything abnormal,” Meng Qi clarified.
Xingkong Li pondered, “Abnormal? The major anomaly is that Han San’niang and Big Boss Luo seem to have secretly reached an understanding, hinting at an alliance, forcing the Snake King to act prematurely. Minor anomalies include both the Snake King and Han San’niang acting strangely.”
“The Snake King has a courtyard where he trains assassins. Usually, he visits only once every ten days or two weeks, but recently, he has gone there continuously for two days. Han San’niang has a private residence at the end of the street where she keeps young men for company. This month, she had no lovers, yet she stayed there last night.”
Jiang Hengchuan stood silently, the perfect attendant, while Meng Qi, with a slight smile, asked, “Isn’t it normal for the Snake King to go to the assassin courtyard repeatedly if he plans to eliminate others?”
“No, this would only alert Han San’niang and others,” Xingkong Li, familiar with the Snake King’s habits, replied, “He usually acts suddenly without any warning, just like when he bribed someone close to me to betray.”
Meng Qi stood straight, his white robe casting a cold aura under the dim candlelight, “What other abnormalities? Ordinary households acting strangely?”
Meng Qi speculated that the spies from the grasslands would disguise themselves as regular households or shops, gathering information subtly due to the north street’s unique nature, without drawing attention.
“Ordinary households? How could there be ordinary households on the north street?” Xingkong Li couldn’t help but retort, “To survive here, even the ordinary must become extraordinary.”
“Has anyone recently increased their information gathering?” Meng Qi asked directly.
Although the wording felt a bit odd, Xingkong Li understood and shook his head, “Everything seems normal. On the north street, information equals money. Without abnormal money flow, information dissemination also remains normal.”
Seeing that Xingkong Li had no leads, Meng Qi smiled at him, “Is there anything you’d like to say to the Snake King?”
His smile was clean, hiding an underlying arrogance. Xingkong Li was taken aback, “Huh?”
“He wants to eliminate you. He should pay some price. Our people aren’t easy targets,” Meng Qi said with the demeanor of an unmatched swordsman who regarded the Snake King as mere grass.
Meanwhile, Meng Qi whispered secretly to Jiang Hengchuan, “Start investigating from the two abnormalities.”
“Yes, the assassin courtyard definitely has secret passages. Without knowing exactly where the Wolf King is hiding, rushing in recklessly would only scare him away. It’s better to find the Snake King first. However, I think Han San’niang’s side is more likely. After all, there are too many explanations for the Snake King visiting the assassin courtyard repeatedly,” Jiang Hengchuan expressed his opinion.
“Hehe, great minds think alike. But currently, we have a legitimate reason to ‘find’ the Snake King, so we won’t alert the Wolf King. If we act fast enough, even the person behind the Snake King won’t be disturbed,” Meng Qi chuckled.
Inciting betrayal against Xingkong Li and attempting to assassinate him must come with consequences, right?
Thus, everyone would assume it was just another typical north street conflict.
Jiang Hengchuan hesitated briefly, “Alright.”
Hearing that the aloof swordsman before him would seek revenge on his behalf, even though Xingkong Li had hardened his heart after years in the martial world, he couldn’t help but feel a warm sense of gratitude, quickly exclaiming, “No, no! The Snake King has many subordinates, including experts like the Four Guardians, some with marvelous techniques, others with formidable Nine Orifices cultivation. It won’t be easy.”
“Moreover, the Snake King’s martial skills are unfathomable. With fewer appearances in recent years, no one knows how powerful he has become. And there might be Left Path experts behind him.”
Meng Qi listened quietly, then said simply, “He is already old.”
The arrogance was palpable. Xingkong Li immediately fell silent. Yes, the Snake King was indeed old, having already celebrated his seventieth birthday. Unless he had reached the Outer Scenery realm, he could be considered frail in his twilight years. Even if he once possessed great strength, how much of it could he still wield?
If he had already achieved the Outer Scenery, he would have crushed Han San’niang and others long ago, without hesitation!
After a brief silence, seeing Meng Qi’s resolve, Xingkong Li sighed, “Your boldness is admirable, treating even dragon dens and tiger lairs as trivial. I am ashamed I cannot match your courage, but I will share what I know.”
“The leader of the Snake King’s Four Guardians is the ‘Poisonous Hand Arhat.’ Though not a Nine Orifices cultivator, he excels in hidden weapons. Once, a martial expert was killed by eighty-one hidden weapons when facing him. Another formidable one is the ‘Asura Palm,’ a powerful Nine Orifices cultivator, far stronger than those who relied on pills to ascend…”
“The most concerning aspect is that once things start, the Snake King will escape through secret passages. The older he gets, the more cautious he becomes.”
Meng Qi listened silently, then said without any emotion, “I know what I’m doing. Spread the word about the attack, let the entire north street know that you and the Snake King are now enemies, and retaliation could come at any moment.”
“As you command,” Xingkong Li unconsciously placed himself in a subordinate position before this aloof and formidable swordsman.
Meng Qi turned to the survivor, “You will come with us.”
This was the first time the survivor had looked directly into the swordsman’s eyes. He found his gaze deep and piercing, cold as snow and icy as frost, like a drawn sword. He lowered his head and obediently agreed.
…
The Snake King’s mansion was located in the middle of the north street, covering a vast area with a complex layout.
The small building where he resided had secret passages and was separated from other courtyards by large open spaces, connected only by corridors to prevent assassination attempts.
At the gate, the survivor nervously swallowed, dared not defy the swordsman’s command behind him, and knocked on the copper ring using a special method as agreed.
After a while, a middle-aged man with a sharp demeanor opened a small door, about to speak, when he suddenly saw the swordsman in white, his cold and handsome face, and his attendant: “What’s going on?”
He was alarmed by the presence of strangers.
“I’m the helper they hired,” Meng Qi said in a magnetic voice.
The sharp-looking man suddenly felt the swordsman before him was abnormally tall, like a god or a Buddha, his presence intimidating. Every word he spoke was deeply believed: “Alright, you are the helper they hired.”
“Xingkong Li secretly allied with Han San’niang. We failed in our mission,” the survivor recited the prepared words.
“It’s true. I’ll take you to see the guardian,” the sharp-looking man was greatly alarmed upon hearing this.
The two guardians on night duty that evening sat in the hall closest to the small building, only a corridor away from the Snake King’s residence. This corridor also concealed some of the deadliest assassins.
Inside the hall, several assassins waited in dark corners. On the leftmost chair sat a tall, thin man with yellowish hair, his hands hidden in his sleeves—none other than the “Asura Palm.” Facing him was a young man trimming his nails with a perpetual bright smile—“Poisonous Hand Arhat.”
As Meng Qi and others approached, the “Asura Palm” stood up: “Who are they?”
“They are helpers hired by Yuegu,” the sharp-looking man “honestly” replied.
“Helpers?” The Poisonous Hand Arhat narrowed his eyes and suddenly lunged at Meng Qi, unleashing a barrage of hidden weapons from his body—flying locust stones, plum blossom needles, iron caltrops, arrows, knives, hand forks, as well as darts, claws, and nets, all glowing with a sinister blue-green hue. Some flew straight, others collided and refracted, some even circled around to strike from behind, creating an inescapable net of death.
Meanwhile, Jiang Hengchuan stepped forward to confront the Asura Palm.
The survivor watched in cold sweat, his legs trembling, but behind him, the swordsman did not retreat but charged forward, sword in hand, straight at the Poisonous Hand Arhat.
A flash of sword light scattered some of the hidden weapons into corners, while more struck Meng Qi.
Suddenly, the weapons strangely reversed direction. The Poisonous Hand Arhat’s forward lunge halted, his body pierced by plum blossom needles and iron caltrops. His face quickly turned black, his eyes filled with disbelief, dying by his own specialty.
One by one, muffled groans echoed in the hall as several assassins inside were killed by the very hidden weapons Meng Qi had redirected.
His white robe remained spotless, unscathed, his sword reflecting candlelight, sharp and formidable.
Facing the swordsman’s attendant, the Asura Palm couldn’t help but feel a bit dismissive. He struck out with his right palm, which swelled in size, exuding a bloody aura.
But Jiang Hengchuan suddenly changed his fist into a palm strike, grabbing the Asura Palm’s wrist as if he had practiced it countless times, then gave a sharp twist, like handling a snake caught by the neck.
Crack! Crack! Crack! The Asura Palm’s joints snapped, his entire body collapsing to the ground, dying with wide-open eyes.
The survivor watched in stunned disbelief. The Four Guardians were like children in comparison…
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