Chapter 124: Nine Blades

Yesterday afternoon, I had intended to take a short nap, but unexpectedly, I ended up sleeping for over ten hours.

After the young woman let out a soft chuckle, the Old Sword God swept over. She withdrew the hand-blade that had pierced Wang Mingyin's body, and her small, slender figure leaped backward. Her feet stuck to a half-cut old locust tree, then with another touch, she vanished like a meteor. She came and went so quietly that even an experienced old man like Li Chungang widened his eyes. It wasn't that her martial prowess surpassed Wang Mingyin, who was undoubtedly the eleventh greatest master in the world. Wang Mingyin had endured a direct hit from the "Hundred-Foot Green Serpents from Two Sleeves" and was also struck in the chest by the "Instantaneous Spear"; moreover, his entire attention was focused on Xu Fengnian, which allowed the girl to succeed with a single strike. The young woman had exploited the opportune moment, advantageous terrain, and human elements with extreme precision. Ultimately, a single hand-blade strike successfully killed Wang Mingyin, leaving him unable to rest in peace. By the time Li Chungang arrived, she had already retreated without a hint of hesitation, displaying the demeanor of a top-tier assassin, like a comet striking the moon or a hawk descending on its prey.

Xu Fengnian, however, paid no mind to any of this. He silently went to Qingniao, whose face was as white as snow, sat on the ground, and took her into his embrace, reaching out to wipe away the alarming black blood from the corner of her mouth. Li Chungang tossed his sword, which, after tracing a graceful semicircle in the air, landed perfectly into its scabbard planted in the ground in front of the carriage. The old man tightened his sheepskin cloak and strolled in front of the young master. This eldest son of Beiliang, who could remain calm in the face of the emerging Talisman General with Red Armor and execute nineteen moves in one go, and later faced Wang Mingyin, who was determined to claim his head, still did not retreat a single step. Yet, at this moment, he was utterly at a loss, staring blankly at the maid in his arms whose breath was as faint as paper. The Old Sword God quietly sighed, knelt down, pinched the arm of the maid in green with two fingers, and frowned as he asked, "Is that girl who killed Wang Mingyin one of your personal guards?"

Xu Fengnian's reply was completely off-topic: "Can she be saved?"

Li Chungang's expression turned serious. He tapped Qingniao's forehead with a finger, and she drifted into a deep sleep. The Old Sword God slowly said, "This depends on fate. I will first seal off her rebellious vital energy and blood; I've merely pulled her back from the road to the underworld. As for whether she can return to the land of the living, heaven knows. Even the Spear Immortal Wang Xiu, at his peak vitality at forty, would not dare to use the 'Overlord's Disarmament' within the 'Instantaneous Spear' in such a manner. This girl truly disregarded her own life for you. First, carry her into the carriage. I will see if I can infuse Sword Qi to sustain her life for the duration of one incense stick. Do not let anyone disturb us, or even if Qi Xuanzhen were reborn, he couldn't save her."

Xu Fengnian gave a bitter smile.

Shu Xiu, whose clothes were tattered and barely covered her body, arrived in a panic. She seemed to have been fighting like a berserker in the reeds. Kneeling, she stammered, "Your Highness, True Man Wei's sword formation broke the wooden armor, but Lu Qiantang's internal organs were shattered by the explosion of a corpse in the fire armor. He's dying."

Xu Fengnian merely let out a faint "Oh" and carried Qingniao towards the carriage. Shu Xiu's face was desolate, showing empathy for a dying comrade. Among the three escorts personally selected by the Grand Pillar, Lu Qiantang was undoubtedly the most valued by the young master. Yet, now that he was on the verge of death, like a lamp extinguishing, there were no words of comfort. Shu Xiu considered herself quite cynical, but compared to this young man who was expected to inherit the title of Beiliang King, she was a small witch next to a great sorcerer, as the saying from the Southern Border goes. For a moment, she almost had the urge to seize the opportunity and flee. But then she thought of the Grand Pillar's iron-fisted methods. Shu Xiu gave a desolate smile. Escape? The world was vast, but could she escape the Human Butcher's Five Finger Mountain? What misfortune was it to be born into an imperial family? It was truly pitiful to be a servant in a princely house, living a life worse than a dog. While Lu Qiantang was alive, Shu Xiu had always competed with this Eastern Yue swordsman for recognition and status, hoping to stand out among the three and earn the young master's exclusive favor. Now, however, her heart was somewhat dead. She silently returned to the reeds to see Lu Qiantang one last time.

Jiang Ni and Yu Youwei cleared out the carriage. The Old Sword God took up his sword and began saving the person with Sword Qi. Li Chungang saw Xu Fengnian sitting idly by and said angrily, "What are you staring blankly at here for? Get out! As the dignified young master, the battle has just ended, and you're hiding here? What sort of conduct is that?"

After Xu Fengnian got out of the carriage, he looked around. The main road was already riddled with trenches and completely ruined. In the deadly battle, General Ning Emei of the Halberd Brigade and Cavalry Commander Yuan Meng of the Phoenix Camp were both severely wounded. Eight light cavalrymen died, and sixteen were injured. The old Daoist Wei Shuyang emerged from the reeds and, seeing Xu Fengnian unharmed, breathed a sigh of relief. Xu Fengnian approached the battlefield, pulled out the iron halberd shaped like the character 'bu' that had pinned a light cavalryman to the ground, and took off his outer coat to cover the fallen soldier. He returned the halberd to Ning Emei and said softly, "General Ning, you and Commander Yuan are responsible for clearing the battlefield. I'll go to the reeds first."

Ning Emei, whose arm had been shattered by Wang Mingyin, nodded heavily. He glanced at the comrade whose chest had been covered by the young master's coat, and his eyes softened slightly.

Xu Fengnian and Wei Shuyang walked into the reeds together. Lu Qiantang was covered in blood, sitting by the water's edge. Shu Xiu, with a desolate expression, was staring blankly nearby. Yang Qingfeng stood not far away, reaching out to break off reeds swaying in the wind. Xu Fengnian carried a pot of wine and sat silently opposite Lu Qiantang, who had the Crimson Cloud Sword laid across his knees.

This swordsman had long served as a loyal enforcer in the Beiliang King's Residence. The heroic spirit he possessed when he roamed the martial world had been worn down over time. Yet, on the verge of death, a heroic spirit emerged in him. He no longer deferred to the young master with downcast eyes. After coughing up blood, he laughed loudly and said, "Your Highness, may I ask if this wine is a farewell drink?"

Xu Fengnian raised the wine pot and asked, "Can you drink it?"

Lu Qiantang, experiencing a final surge of energy before death, regained a bit of his vital energy and blood. His thick arms lay limply on his sword. He laughed self-deprecatingly, "Even if I can't, I must drink it, otherwise wouldn't I have died in vain? It's a pity my hands are crippled; I'm afraid I can't hold the wine pot. I'll have to trouble Your Highness."

Xu Fengnian reached out and poured wine directly into Lu Qiantang's mouth. Wei Shuyang, a Daoist who had lived a life free of worldly attachments, sighed upon witnessing this scene. Especially Shu Xiu, who usually found joy in playful cynicism, no matter how unfeeling she typically was, her eyes moistened, and she sat a little further away, turning her back. Xu Fengnian withdrew his hand, held the wine pot, and gently asked, "Do you have any last wishes?"

Lu Qiantang laughed freely, "None. I am but a swordsman; my country and family were long ago destroyed. Only this sword in my hand remains. If I truly had to say something, I wish Your Highness would scatter my ashes into the Guangling River. I watched the tides and practiced swordplay there for ten years. Every year on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, the 'one-line tide' is a magnificent sight. If Your Highness ever goes to Guangling, you should go see that view; it would be a life well-lived."

Xu Fengnian smiled and said, "Alright."

Lu Qiantang spat out a mouthful of blood, then suddenly laughed and cursed, "You son of a bitch, Your Highness!"

Xu Fengnian merely smiled.

Lu Qiantang laughed heartily, coughing up a large puddle of blood. He said disjointedly, "I've wanted to say this for a long time. Why should I risk my life for a brat like you? Is it just because you have a Human Butcher as a father? What's so great about that? If you have the guts, go conquer the world yourself; only then will I truly be convinced!"

Shu Xiu turned around in astonishment, fearing that the young master would do something extreme in a fit of rage. However, Xu Fengnian did not seem to mind. He simply and gently poured wine again for the outspoken Lu Qiantang. The latter swallowed the wine along with the blood, gazing into the distance. As if his vitality was completely drained, he softly said, "Along this journey, I witnessed the Old Sword God's two swords in the small Daoist temple in the rain, saw him ride through Qingyang Palace, and later watched the Sword Immortal sever the river with a single strike. Dying now isn't too unjust. In today's battle in the reeds, Lu Qiantang broke the fire armor with his sword, and before death, even had Your Highness personally pour him two mouthfuls of wine. That's enough."

Lu Qiantang looked down at the great sword, closed his eyes, and murmured, "It's just that I haven't held this Crimson Cloud Sword enough yet..."

The great swordsman Lu Qiantang, his face serene, had now lost all signs of life.

Xu Fengnian placed the wine pot on the Crimson Cloud Sword. He then stood up and calmly said, "Yang Qingfeng, after Lu Qiantang is cremated, place his ashes in an urn."

Yang Qingfeng stopped his small action of breaking reed stalks. He bowed his head respectfully and replied, "Understood."

For some reason, Princess Jing'an, Pei Nanwei, did not stay on the main road. Instead, she jogged after Xu Fengnian into the reeds. She witnessed this scene with her own eyes, biting her lip, her expression complex.

As Xu Fengnian and Wei Shuyang were returning and about to ask about some details, Xu Fengnian's internal energy solidified, and just as he was about to draw his Embroidered Winter saber, he was struck in the chest by an attack. He was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, plummeting into the water in the distance. Wei Shuyang had no time to intervene and intercept the strike. Pei Nanwei felt bewildered; she couldn't tell if it was relief or loss. Had the Beiliang Young Master, who was no fool, just died like this? She saw the assassin's face—it was the very culprit who had killed the formidable farmer, who had treated a hundred elite cavalrymen as nothing. The assassin, with a face as delicate as a girl next door, did not retreat after successfully landing the blow; instead, she stood there, wrinkling her nose, seemingly dissatisfied. Shu Xiu and Yang Qingfeng moved to intercept the enemy, while Wei Shuyang rushed to save Xu Fengnian, creating a chaotic scene. Princess Pei, after regaining her composure, pondered, "Could this unassuming young woman not be a Beiliang personal guard? Is she here to assassinate His Highness? Then why did she kill that extremely courageous farmer?"

Before the ripples could subside, new ones appeared. Xu Fengnian, who had fallen into the water, emerged holding two sabers. This eased half of Wei Shuyang's worries. By normal standards, the assassin's strike had been ferociously terrifying; even Wei Shuyang himself might not have been able to block it, let alone the young master. Xu Fengnian clenched his jaw, but he couldn't stop the blood from gushing out. He stared directly at the assassin, whose movements were strange and unpredictable, and asked in a deep voice, "If you intended to kill me, why did you stop Wang Mingyin on the main road?"

The young woman chuckled. Her figure dashed forward like a ghost, narrowly brushing past Shu Xiu, Yang Qingfeng, and Wei Shuyang one after another. She then tapped the Embroidered Winter and Thunder sabers in Xu Fengnian's hands with two fingers, and stomped on his chest, sending the young master crashing back into the water. Wei Shuyang and the others clearly saw the young master spit out a mouthful of thick blood from the stomp. Just as Wei Shuyang was about to make a move, a strange black and white mottled great cat leaped out from the reeds. Shu Xiu slapped her palms onto its head, but instead of stopping its fierce charge, she was swatted away by its paw. Yang Qingfeng was also struck by its paw. These few people had fought a desperate battle against the Talisman General with Red Armor and were already at the end of their tether, but to be so easily repelled by an animal was truly unexpected. Wei Shuyang, worried about the young master's life or death, roared, "Beast!"

The young woman, expressionless, chuckled. She and her pet, one in front and one behind, attacked the Nine-Peck Daoist. A hand-blade strike hit Wei Shuyang's neck, directly slamming the old Daoist into the muddy ground. She then ignored Shu Xiu and Yang Qingfeng, who could still barely stand, and merely gazed at the rippling surface of the water.

Xu Fengnian emerged from the water for the third time.

The assassin girl, accompanied by her pet great cat, finally spoke. "The first strike, you survived because you had the Qilin Silk Armor protecting you. But when I stomped on the part where I tore open your precious armor, you should have died."

Xu Fengnian, his face devoid of color, watched silently, the red mark between his eyebrows changing from light purple to deep purple.

The young woman let out a small gasp of realization and said, "Ah, it seems you really obtained Wang Zhonglou's Great Yellow Court. No matter, I don't believe you can truly be immortal. You're still far from the Nine-Story Pagoda realm."

Xu Fengnian gritted his teeth and asked, "Miss, do I have a grudge with you?"

"No grudge," she replied. "But someone offered a thousand taels of gold to buy your life. I always follow the rules in my business. Since I took the money, I must personally take your life. Besides, if Wang Mingyin had killed you, I would have had to return five hundred taels of gold."

Since she could appear stealthily behind a master like Wang Mingyin, she could naturally, while speaking, strike the young master's temple with a palm. Poor Xu Fengnian's head jolted, and he was sent flying sideways, tumbling through a large patch of reeds.

Xu Fengnian was already bleeding from all seven orifices, yet he propped himself up with his saber and stood.

"Heh, your life is indeed worth a thousand taels of gold," she said. "In my business, I always take half the deposit first, and whether I act or not depends on my mood. If I'm in a good mood, I start killing after I get the other half of the deposit. If I'm in a bad mood, I kill the person who paid me the deposit. That's why I haven't completed many deals since I started. The person in Xiangfan City, he's quite daring. I'm in a good mood, so I promised him that after killing you, I'd then kill a woman named Pei Nanwei. Is that her?"

No matter what she said, her delicate and gentle face remained expressionless. Even when she chuckled, it was stiff and unnatural. By the time she finished speaking, Xu Fengnian had already been knocked down by her again. She didn't employ any particular techniques; she was never indecisive and always achieved results with a single move.

Princess Jing'an's face was desolate.

The young woman slowly walked towards the young master, who was kneeling on one knee. She said softly, "Xu Fengnian, are you waiting for the hidden personal guards of the Beiliang King's Residence? Let me tell you, there are none left."

Xu Fengnian wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. He smiled coldly and said, "I'm not waiting. Relying on oneself is better than relying on anyone else."

After standing, Xu Fengnian held the Embroidered Winter saber in his right hand.

And the Thunder saber in his left, with a reverse grip.

His posture was extremely peculiar.

For the first time, the young woman's expression turned solemn.

The first sword, "Dragon and Snake in Motion."

The two swords echoed each other.

Sword Qi weighing three *jin* appeared on the swords.

Up to "Sword Eight."

"Sword Nine, a single strike six thousand *li*."

Who in the world had studied Old Huang's Nine Swords, especially "Sword Nine," more diligently than Xu Fengnian?

Especially that "Sword Nine."

Faced with a deadly situation, he used his two sabers as swords, and a formidable sword intent permeated the reeds.

Especially that "Sword Nine," supported by his surging Great Yellow Court, caused his two sabers to faintly emit a bright yellow Sword Qi.

The young woman effortlessly blocked "Sword One" to "Sword Eight," which were only seventy to eighty percent similar in form but merely forty to fifty percent similar in spirit. However, "Sword Nine," which was only twenty to thirty percent similar in form but nearly identical in spirit, finally diminished and receded.

The Old Sword God, Li Chungang, hurried over, treading on the reeds.

Seeing the final sword strike, he stood atop the reed clumps, appearing ethereal and transcendent. He clicked his tongue in admiration and praised, "A single sword strike achieving the Great Dao! All other myriad techniques are mere chickens and dogs!"