The young girl chuckled, and in the blink of an eye, Old Sword Sage Li Chungan had already arrived. She withdrew the palm strike that had pierced Wang Mingyin’s body, her petite and slender figure leaping backward, feet sticking momentarily to the stump of an old locust tree. With a light push, she vanished like a meteor. She came and left as softly as a breeze, even leaving the weathered old swordsman Li Chungan astonished. It wasn’t that the girl’s martial prowess surpassed Wang Mingyin, the undisputed eleventh strongest under heaven, who had endured two hundred feet of green snakes from Li’s sleeves, and had been struck in the chest by the Instant Spear (Zhà nà Qiāng), while focusing all his attention on Xu Fengnian. The young girl had seized the perfect timing, terrain, and momentum, delivering a precise palm strike that successfully killed Wang Mingyin, leaving him in death with eyes wide open in disbelief. By the time Li Chungan arrived, she had already left without hesitation, displaying the composure of a top-tier assassin, like a comet striking the moon or an eagle attacking a palace.
Xu Fengnian, however, was too preoccupied to notice. He silently approached Qingniao, whose face was pale as snow, sat on the ground, and pulled her into his arms, gently wiping away the shocking black blood from her lips. Li Chungan discarded his sword, which traced a graceful half-circle in the air before precisely landing in the scabbard embedded in the ground in front of the carriage. Wrapping his sheepskin cloak tighter, the old man strolled toward the young prince. This young noble, the most prominent son of Beiliang, had remained calm in the face of the earth-rising The Crimson Armor of Fu (Fú Jiāng Hóng Jiǎ), executing nineteen moves in one breath. Later, he had faced Wang Mingyin, who had come to claim his head, without flinching. Yet now, he was at a complete loss, simply gazing at the frail servant girl in his arms, her breath as thin as paper. The old sword sage sighed quietly, crouched down, and pinched the arm of the servant girl in green robes, frowning as he asked, “Is that girl who killed Wang Mingyin one of your hidden warriors?”
Xu Fengnian’s reply was irrelevant, “Can she be saved?”
Li Chungan’s expression turned grave. He tapped a finger on Qingniao’s forehead, and she fell into a deep sleep. Slowly, the old swordsman said, “That depends on fate. I’ve first sealed her reversed blood flow, pulling her back from the Yellow Spring road. Whether she can return to the land of the living, only heaven knows. Even Wang Xiu, the spear immortal, at the peak of his vitality at forty, would not dare to use the The Tyrant Sheds His Armor (Bà Wáng Xiè Jiǎ) technique from the Instant Spear this way. This girl truly risked her life for you. First, carry her back to the carriage. I’ll try to inject sword aura to prolong her life. For this incense stick of time, don’t let anyone disturb us, or even Qi Xuanzhen reincarnated won’t be able to save her.”
Xu Fengnian gave a bitter smile.
Shu Xiu, her clothes nearly torn to shreds and barely covering her body, hurried over. She seemed to have gone berserk in the reed marsh, kneeling and trembling as she said, “Your Highness, Master Wei’s sword formation has destroyed the wooden armor, but Lü Qiantang was blown apart internally by the explosion of the corpse inside the fire armor. He’s dying.”
Xu Fengnian merely replied with a detached “Oh,” then picked up Qingniao and walked toward the carriage. Shu Xiu’s face turned bleak, feeling a sense of sorrow akin to a rabbit dying before the fox. Among the three attendants personally selected by the Grand Chancellor to escort him, Lü Qiantang was undoubtedly the most favored by the young prince. Now, as death approached, there was not even a word of comfort. Shu Xiu considered herself quite ruthless, but compared to this young man, who was destined to inherit the title of the new Beiliang King, it was like comparing a small witch to a great one. For a moment, she even considered escaping. Yet, thinking of the Grand Chancellor’s iron-fisted methods, Shu Xiu gave a bitter smile. Escape? Where could she go that would be beyond the reach of the Butcher of Men? Being born into a royal family was nothing compared to being a lowly servant to a noble house, worth less than a dog. Shu Xiu had always competed with Lü Qiantang, an Eastern Yue swordsman, for fame and status, hoping to stand out among the three and be specially favored by the young prince. But now, she felt like a dead ember, silently returning to the reed marsh to see Lü Qiantang one last time.
Jiang Ni and Yu Youwei vacated the carriage, and the old swordsman took his sword and went in to save Qingniao with sword aura. Seeing Xu Fengnian sitting there dazed, Li Chungan angrily said, “What are you staring blankly for? Get out. The great prince of the realm, just after a major battle, hiding here like this, what kind of example are you setting?”
After Xu Fengnian got off the carriage, he looked around. The official road was now a battlefield of trenches and ruins. In this deadly fight, General Ning Emei and Captain Yuan Meng of the Feng Battalion were both seriously injured, with eight light cavalry dead and sixteen wounded. The old Taoist Wei Shuyang emerged from the reed marsh, and seeing Xu Fengnian unharmed, he felt a great weight lifted from his heart. Approaching the battlefield, Xu Fengnian pulled out the iron halberd marked with the character ” Divination” (Bu), which had pinned a light cavalryman to the ground, took off his outer robe to cover the dead soldier, and returned the halberd to Ning Emei, softly saying, “General Ning, you and Captain Yuan are in charge of cleaning up the battlefield. I’ll go to the reed marsh first.”
Ning Emei, whose arm had been broken by Wang Mingyin, nodded heavily, glancing at his comrade whose chest was now covered by the prince’s robe, his eyes softening slightly.
Xu Fengnian and Wei Shuyang walked together into the reed marsh. Lü Qiantang, covered in blood, sat by the water’s edge, his face a picture of tragic beauty, while Shu Xiu stood nearby, lost in thought. Yang Qingfeng stood a little distance away, breaking one reed after another with his hands.
Xu Fengnian carried a pot of wine and sat opposite Lü Qiantang, who had the red Twilightsword (Chixia Sword) resting across his knees, silently.
This swordsman, long serving as a hound in the Beiliang Prince’s Mansion (Beiliang Mansion), had had his bold and heroic spirit worn down over the years. But now, facing death, a surge of boldness returned. He no longer kept his head low before the prince, and after coughing up blood, he laughed loudly, “Your Highness, may I ask if this wine is a farewell drink?”
Xu Fengnian lifted the wine pot and asked, “Can you drink it?”
Lü Qiantang, already in his final moments, regained a little strength, his thick arms limp on the sword. He laughed bitterly, “Even if I can’t drink, I must. Otherwise, wouldn’t I have died in vain? Alas, my hands are ruined. I probably can’t even hold the wine pot. I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble Your Highness.”
Xu Fengnian extended his hand to pour wine into Lü Qiantang’s mouth. Wei Shuyang, who had lived a life of cultivation with no attachments, sighed at the scene. Especially Shu Xiu, who always took pleasure in life’s games, no matter how carefree she was, her eyes were moist. She moved a bit further away and turned her back. After Xu Fengnian finished, holding the wine pot, he softly asked, “Any last wishes?”
Lü Qiantang laughed freely, “None. I’m just a martial artist, long since having lost my country and family, with only this sword in my hand. If I must say something, I hope Your Highness can scatter my ashes into the Guangling River. I practiced swordplay watching the tides there for ten years. Every fifteenth of August, the tide comes in a straight line, and the scenery is beautiful. If Your Highness ever goes to Guangling, you must see this sight to make the trip worthwhile.”
Xu Fengnian smiled and said, “Alright.”
Lü Qiantang spat out a mouthful of blood, suddenly laughing and cursing, “Damn you, Prince!”
Xu Fengnian just smiled.
Lü Qiantang laughed, spitting out a large amount of blood, and in a broken voice said, “I’ve wanted to say that for a long time. Why should I risk my life for a brat like you? Just because you have a father who’s a butcher of men, what’s so great about that? If you’re so capable, go conquer the world yourself, and then I’ll truly respect you!”
Shu Xiu turned around in shock, fearing that the young prince would fly into a rage and do something rash. But it seemed that Xu Fengnian was not offended at all, once again kindly pouring wine for the unrestrained Lü Qiantang, who swallowed both wine and blood, gazing into the distance. Perhaps his spirit was nearly gone, and he softly said, “On this journey, I watched the old swordsman’s two swords on a small road in the rain, the horse trampling the Qingyang Palace, and the sword immortal cutting the river on the river. Dying now isn’t too bad. Today’s battle in the reed marsh, Lü Qiantang broke the fire armor with his sword. Before dying, I even got the prince to personally pour me two cups of wine. That’s enough.”
Lü Qiantang looked down at his great sword, closed his eyes, and murmured, “It’s just that I haven’t held the Chixia Sword enough.”
The peaceful-faced swordsman Lü Qiantang was now completely devoid of life.
Xu Fengnian placed the wine pot on the Chixia Sword, stood up, and calmly said, “Yang Qingfeng, after Lü Qiantang is cremated, put his ashes in a jar.”
Yang Qingfeng stopped breaking the reed stems and respectfully bowed his head, “Yes!”
For some reason, the Princess of Jing’an, Pei Nanwei, did not stay on the main road but ran after Xu Fengnian to the reed marsh. She witnessed this scene with her own eyes, biting her lip tightly, her expression complex.
As Xu Fengnian and Wei Shuyang turned back, just about to ask some details, his internal energy suddenly froze. Before he could even draw the Xiudong blade, he was struck in the chest and flew like a broken kite into the water. Wei Shuyang couldn’t even react in time to block that strike. Pei Nanwei felt puzzled, unsure whether to feel relieved or regretful. Could it be that the Beiliang prince, who was clearly no fool, had died just like that? She saw the assassin’s face clearly—it was the same clean-faced girl who had killed the formidable farmer with a single strike. After landing the blow, she didn’t retreat but stood there, frowning as if dissatisfied.
Shu Xiu and Yang Qingfeng tried to block her, while Wei Shuyang rushed to save Xu Fengnian, creating chaos. After regaining her composure, Princess Pei pondered whether this seemingly unremarkable girl was not a loyal assassin from Beiliang, but rather someone sent to kill the young prince. Then why had she killed that brave farmer?
The ripples had not yet calmed when Xu Fengnian emerged from the water wielding two blades, easing half of Wei Shuyang’s anxiety. Normally, such a ferocious strike from the assassin would likely be fatal, perhaps even for him, let alone the prince. Xu Fengnian clenched his teeth tightly, but blood still poured from his mouth. He stared at the mysterious assassin and sternly asked, “If you wanted to kill me, why did you stop Wang Mingyin on the main road?”
The girl chuckled and, with a ghostly movement, rushed forward. She dashed past Shu Xiu, Yang Qingfeng, and Wei Shuyang in quick succession. Her two fingers struck Xu Fengnian’s blades, the Xiudong and Chunlei, and then she kicked him in the chest, sending the prince flying back into the water. Wei Shuyang and the others clearly saw the prince spew a thick stream of blood from the kick to his chest. As Wei Shuyang was about to act, a strange large cat, black and white in color, leapt out of the reeds. Shu Xiu clapped her hands to her head, but instead of blocking the fierce attack, she was swatted away by the beast. Yang Qingfeng was similarly struck by one paw. They had all fought desperately against the The Crimson Armor of Fu (Fú Jiāng Hóng Jiǎ), and were now nearly at their limits. To be so easily defeated by a mere beast was truly unexpected. Worried about the prince’s life, Wei Shuyang roared in anger, “Fiendish beast!”
The girl, expressionless, gave a soft chuckle and, together with her pet, attacked the old Taoist of Jiudoumi Sect from two directions. She delivered a palm strike to Wei Shuyang’s neck, sending the old Taoist crashing into the mud. Then, ignoring the still-standing but weakened Shu Xiu and Yang Qingfeng, she simply gazed at the rippling water.
Xu Fengnian emerged from the water for the third time.
The assassin girl with the large cat pet finally spoke, “First strike, because you had the Kirin Silk Armor (Qílín Silk Armor), you survived. But my second kick landed on the chest where I tore open the armor. You should have died.”
Xu Fengnian, pale and with a red mark between his eyebrows turning from light purple to deep, narrowed his eyes but said nothing.
The girl gave a soft exclamation, suddenly realizing, “Ah, so you really got Wang Chonglou’s Great Yellow Court (Dà Huángtíng). No matter, I still don’t believe you can be truly immortal. You’re still far from the ninth level of cultivation.”
Xu Fengnian gritted his teeth and asked, “Miss Haha, do we have a grudge?”
“No grudge. But someone paid me a thousand taels of gold for your head. I always follow the rules of business. Once I take the payment, I must deliver the goods. Besides, if you had been killed by Wang Mingyin, I would have had to return five hundred taels.”
Since she had been able to appear unnoticed behind a peerless martial artist like Wang Mingyin, naturally she could, in the middle of speaking, strike the prince’s temple with her palm. Poor Xu Fengnian’s head jerked violently.， Swept sideways， A vast stretch of reeds was flattened.。
Xu Fengnian was bleeding from all seven orifices.， Yet still, he leaned on his sword to steady himself.， stood up。
“ Hah， Your life is indeed worth a thousand taels of gold.。 I do business.， The payment has always been half upfront as a deposit.， Whether I make a move or not depends entirely on my mood.， In high spirits， After receiving the other half of the deposit, the killing begins.， Feeling down， I’ll kill the one who paid me the deposit.， So over the years since my debut， There were only a few deals made.， That man in Xiangfan City， You’ve got some nerve.。 I In high spirits， Just promise him to kill you afterwards.， Go and kill another woman named Pei Nanwei.， Is it her？”
No matter what she says， Always wearing a delicate and graceful expression on her face.， It was Hah Hah Smiling， It was also unbearably stiff and awkward.。 As the words were spoken， Xu Fengnian had been knocked down by her once more.， She couldn’t even begin to discuss any techniques.， Never beating around the bush， Always effective with just one move.。
The face of the Princess of Jing’an was filled with sorrow.。
The maiden walked forward slowly.， Approaching the kneeling Crown Prince.， Whisper softly：“ Xu Fengnian， Are you waiting for Bei Liang? Prince’s Mansion the secret assassins of the shadows?？ Let me tell you something…， Gone.。”
Xu Fengnian He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.， chuckled coldly：“ Not waiting.。 Relying on others is never as good as relying on yourself.。”
After standing up， Xu Fengnian Grasping the Xiu Dong blade firmly in his right hand。
Left-handed backhand Spring Thunder。
The posture was bizarre beyond compare.。
For the first time, the maiden wore a grave expression.。
Sword One。
A sword dances like dragons and serpents.。
Sword Two。
The twin swords resonate in harmony.。
JX3。
The sword’s aura weighs three pounds upon the blade.。
Until Kenpachi。
Sword Nine, Sword Six Thousand Miles。
Who in this world could possibly be more… Xu Fengnian He further refined the Nine Swords of Old Huang Jianjiu.？
Especially that Sword Nine.！
He found himself in a deadly predicament.， Entering the Sword with Twin Blades， Amidst the reeds, a chilling sword intent surged forth.。
Especially that final surge of roaring waves Great Yellow Court Sword Nine of Support， This even caused the twin blades to faintly emit a radiant golden sword aura.。
The young maiden blocked an attack that bore only seven or eight parts resemblance in form, yet possessed but four or five parts likeness in essence. Sword One To Sword Eight， Not difficult at all， Only the Sword Nine， It looks like only two or three.， Similar in spirit, but not quite the same.， At last, the figure faded and withdrew.。
The old Sword God Li Chun’ang hurriedly tread upon the reeds as he approached.。
Seeing the final sword， Standing atop the reeds， Floating in ecstasy， exclaimed in admiration：“ A single sword strike achieves the Great Dao.， All your tricks are but clay fowls and straw dogs.。”
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