Su Jinhui swung his sword, releasing a Sword Qi imbued with extreme cold that instantly froze the rainwater on the ground into ice. Mu Ci Ling retreated while brandishing his Horse Chopping Sword to block the Frosty Sword Qi. When he could retreat no further, he drove his sword into the ground with a forceful thrust.
A crisp cracking sound echoed as the frozen ground shattered instantly. Mu Ci Ling raised his head just as the Serpent Sword arrived at his brow. He parried with his blade, then kicked off the ground, leaping over Su Jinhui’s head.
The rain in the sky turned into hailstones three zhang above the ground, pelting down on Mu Ci Ling one by one.
Mu Ci Ling touched his eyebrows, now coated with a layer of frost, and chuckled. "Now this is getting interesting."
Su Changhe patted Su Muyu’s shoulder. "So? Care to place a bet? Who do you think will win?"
The Sword Intent slowly gathering around Su Muyu dissipated under Su Changhe’s slap. Annoyed yet helpless, Su Muyu could only sigh. In Dark River, some feared him, others respected him, but all kept their distance—except for the shameless Su Changhe, who always left him torn between laughter and frustration. Su Muyu glanced at the frost-covered eaves. "The family head is about to get serious. Even if Mu Ci Ling has trained in Yama Palm, his foundation is shallow. Prolong the fight, and he’ll lose without a doubt."
"You’re wrong. If you’d seen the Yama Palm manual, you wouldn’t be so naive." Su Changhe stroked his thin beard. "It’s a madman’s martial art—what does foundation matter?"
"You’ve seen it?" Su Muyu was taken aback.
"No, no! Just a guess!" Su Changhe hastily raised both hands in denial, though the teasing smirk on his lips made his claim hard to believe.
"In the Journey to the West tales, the Monkey King drew a circle with his staff." Mu Ci Ling spun his Horse Chopping Sword lightly, tracing a circle in the air. "From then on, no matter the demons and ghosts outside, inside the circle was a haven of peace." After completing the circle, he raised his sword upright. A surge of Crimson True Qi emanated from his body, stopping at the edge of the circle and enveloping him entirely.
The hailstones that fell upon the circle melted back into rainwater, sliding harmlessly to the ground.
"The only difference is, the Monkey King’s circle trapped people, while mine moves with me. Wherever I stand, that is my haven." Mu Ci Ling charged toward Su Jinhui. Along his path, the ice turned back to water, and with a final swing of his Horse Chopping Sword, he shattered Su Jinhui’s Frost Sword Qi.
Su Changhe twirled a dagger in his hand. "This spectacle is missing just one thing—the Xie Family’s presence. Feels a bit dull without them."
Nine Heavens City, Qingping Avenue, Sword Song Tavern.
Bai Hehuai finally relaxed as she watched the scene below. She turned back, reaching for her wine cup, only for it to be snatched away. Looking up, she saw a burly middle-aged man take the cup and sit across from her. Bai Hehuai tensed immediately, gripping three Silver Needles hidden in her sleeve.
"Don’t move. Or your hand will be severed before those needles even leave your fingers." The man drained the cup in one gulp, then spoke in a low voice.Bai Hehuai knew the middle-aged man wasn’t exaggerating. Over the past few days, she had encountered many assassins, but only two had ever made her feel such oppressive tension before even making a move—the Dark River Grand Master and the man before her now. The moment he sat down, Bai Hehuai felt as though a blade had been suspended above her head, ready to drop at any moment.
Downstairs in the tavern, Su Zhe had sheathed his Buddhist staff and sighed as he looked at the sword-wielding woman before him. “My daughter is about your age, and you’re also from the same sect. I can’t bring myself to kill you. Just leave.”
“Su Zhe of the Su Family—since when do you talk so much?” Xie Huaqing panted, blood still seeping from her wounds, yet she refused to lower her blade.
“Are you truly seeking death?” Su Zhe frowned.
Xie Huaqing wiped the blood from her Tang Saber. “Only in the face of death does one find true resolve.”
“Foolish!” Su Zhe muttered under his breath. Just as he was about to raise his Buddhist staff, he suddenly sensed an aura from the tavern above. His head snapped up, and his eyes met the middle-aged man looking down at him.
“Su Zhe,” the man said with a smile.
“Xie Qidao,” Su Zhe replied solemnly.
The middle-aged man spread his hands toward Bai Hehuai. “I have some words to exchange with Su Zhe. As a junior, pour me a cup of wine.”
Bai Hehuai shrugged, somewhat displeased, and picked up the wine jug. Her little finger lightly tapped the rim of the cup.
“Don’t poison it. Otherwise, I’ll kill you,” the man said, giving her a sidelong glance.
Bai Hehuai forced an awkward laugh. “How could I possibly do that?” Then, obediently, she poured a cup and handed it to him.
“The rest of the Xie Family stops here. I’ll go forward, Su Zhe stays, and I won’t kill this girl,” the man stated plainly, laying out his terms and intentions without hesitation.
Su Zhe glanced at Xie Huaqing before him and raised an eyebrow. “Look at your Uncle Seven Blades—decisive in both action and blade technique.”
“Fighting you is a waste of time. Even winning wouldn’t be worth it.” The middle-aged man set the cup down on the table, then added to Bai Hehuai, “Pour me one more. This will be my last.”
“This one, I’ll pour for you.” Su Zhe leaped from Qingping Street straight onto the tavern’s upper floor. He picked up the wine jug and respectfully filled Xie Qidao’s cup. “I never thought a free spirit like Brother Seven Blades would wade into these troubled waters. Once you enter Nine Heavens City, leaving won’t be easy.”
“A man in the martial world has no control over his fate,” Xie Qidao said before downing the wine in one gulp.
“And what of a man in Dark River?” Su Zhe asked with a smile.
“A man in Dark River is doomed for eternity.” Xie Qidao leaped down, landing in front of the Xie Family members. He glanced at Xie Huaqing. “You did well. For a girl, at least.”
“And as a Xie Family blade master?” Xie Huaqing pressed stubbornly.
“Still too young.” Without another word, Xie Qidao walked ahead alone.
Bai Hehuai wiped the cold sweat from her brow. “That man… is Xie Qidao, the foremost master of the Xie Family Blade Technique? Terrifying.”
Su Zhe nodded. “That’s him. The current family head, Xie Ba? The position was practically handed to him by Xie Qidao.”
Bai Hehuai thought for a moment. “Earlier, he said, ‘The rest of the Xie Family stops here, I’ll go forward, Su Zhe stays, and I’ll spare my life’?”Su Zhe didn't understand Bai Hehuai's meaning and frowned, saying, "That's right, that's what he said."
Bai Hehuai stood up: "In your agreement, there's no rule stating that I can't leave."
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