Wen Hui, standing beside Bai Suche, suddenly paled. "Miss Bai!" Bai Suche replied indifferently, "I was ordered by my master to seize the Green Enchantment Pearl and kill Tang Lici and Liu Yan. Now that Wei Beiyin is dead and Tang Lici still lives, I cannot return empty-handed. Don’t you agree?" She clasped her hands behind her back and gazed at the sky. "Sister Hui, kill him!" Wen Hui trembled violently. "I... I can't..." Bai Suche flicked her fingers slightly behind her back, and the black veil covering Liu Yan's face lifted without wind, revealing his horrifying visage. Wen Hui caught sight of it and turned deathly pale. Bai Suche asked coolly, "So—will you kill him now?" Wen Hui shook her head, weak but resolute. Bai Suche's voice turned icy. "Do you dare defy orders?" Wen Hui whispered, "Miss Bai... you might as well kill us both!" She stepped in front of Liu Yan, shielding him with her arms. "Wen Hui does not dare disobey—only dare to die..."
"Sister Hui!" Ren Qingchou suddenly called out, darting forward to stand before Wen Hui. Bai Suche smiled faintly. "So even you dare to defy me?" With a swift motion, she drew the Severing Discipline Blade, its tip pointing between Ren Qingchou's brows. "A disciple abandoned by Qu Zhiliang is indeed laughably foolish. Do you truly believe there’s room for sentimentality on the Martial Arts World’s path of no return?" Ren Qingchou rested his hand on the hilt of his sword and replied earnestly, "Miss Bai, you are no match for me." Bai Suche flashed past Ren Qingchou in an instant, pressing the Severing Discipline Blade against Wen Hui’s neck before turning back. "In martial arts, I may not be your equal, but you—are no match for my tactics." She gestured toward Liu Yan. "Since Sister Hui refuses to kill him, you do it for her."
Ren Qingchou froze. Wen Hui trembled uncontrollably. "If you kill him, I will hate you forever! I’ll never forgive you!" Ren Qingchou drew his sword in a swift motion—his thoughts had always been simple, and he never hesitated. "But if I don’t kill him, you will die." With that, he thrust his sword toward Liu Yan on the ground.
Bai Suche stood to the side, a faint smile playing on her lips. Then came a sharp "clang"—Ren Qingchou’s sword was knocked from his hand and sent flying into the air. Before Liu Yan now stood a figure in white robes, sleeves fluttering gently, exuding an air of transcendent grace.
"You—" Ren Qingchou’s eyes widened at the sight of this person. Liu Yan stiffened, as if he had seen a ghost in that instant!
The newcomer was handsome, his demeanor gentle and composed—it was Tang Lici. Having effortlessly disarmed Ren Qingchou, he smiled at Bai Suche. "Miss Bai, to have such heroic youths under your command is truly commendable." Bai Suche replied coldly, "These two have defied orders and betrayed loyalty. I will report this to our master." Tang Lici took a step forward, his smile deepening. "Do you truly believe you still have a 'later,' Miss?" Bai Suche’s expression shifted slightly as she retreated a step. But Ren Qingchou stepped in front of her. "Miss Bai, take Sister Hui and go. I’ll hold him off."
Bai Suche’s eyes flickered. With a cold snort, she seized Wen Hui and swiftly retreated into the distance. Ren Qingchou picked up his sword from the ground, steadied his breath, and assumed a stance, facing Tang Lici."I don't want to kill anyone." Tang Lici's white robes, still damp, fluttered slightly in the wind as he stood before Liu Yan. "You can leave too." Ren Qingchou's gaze was resolute. "I have orders—I must kill you." Tang Lici smiled faintly. "Is that so... Then make your move." Ren Qingchou dropped his longsword and reached for the small black bow at his waist. With a flick of his fingers, a Black Short Arrow was nocked on the string. Though the bow was small and the arrow short, his determination was unshakable. Tang Lici bent down, scooped up Liu Yan, and with a sweep of his sleeve, dashed outward. Ren Qingchou's fingers twitched—a faint whoosh —and the short arrow shot forth like lightning. Tang Lici caught it with his left hand, his brow furrowing slightly.
The wound on his left shoulder hadn't fully healed, though it had stopped bleeding. With his right arm holding Liu Yan, fighting solely with his left was inconvenient. Ren Qingchou saw this clearly and knew Tang Lici was protecting Liu Yan. Without hesitation, he loosed three arrows in rapid succession, all aimed at Liu Yan's right side. Tang Lici sprinted forward, his figure weaving through the trees— thud, thud, thud —the three arrows embedded themselves into the dense forest trunks. Though young, Ren Qingchou was composed and undeterred. He pursued with light-footed agility, firing four more arrows at Liu Yan. In truth, he had no intention of harming Liu Yan, but faced with such a formidable opponent, he acted purely on instinct, choosing the most advantageous method. The four arrows flew at tricky angles, and with the dense trees narrowing the path, Tang Lici's evasive maneuvers allowed Ren Qingchou to close the distance.
Seizing the opportunity, Ren Qingchou flicked his black bow, the string humming like a blade as he executed Water's Thousand Searches , aiming to ensnare both their necks. Tang Lici ducked—but then, inexplicably, he paused for the briefest moment. Ren Qingchou had been waiting for this opening. In an instant, his bowstring flashed, two Black Short Arrows nocked at once. With a sharp cry, the arrows shot forth like a storm of meteors—one pair aimed at Tang Lici, the other at Liu Yan!
Only then did Ren Qingchou realize why Tang Lici had hesitated—the moment he ducked, Liu Yan, gripping a branch he'd snapped from a nearby tree, had driven it straight into Tang Lici's abdomen. In that split second, the two deadly arrows streaked toward them. Tang Lici released Liu Yan, who collapsed limply to the ground. With a sweep of his right sleeve, Tang Lici attempted to deflect the arrows—but with a shriek , one tore through the fabric, still hurtling toward Liu Yan! Reacting swiftly, Tang Lici threw himself forward, shielding Liu Yan beneath him. A dull thump —the arrow buried itself two inches deep into his back.
Liu Yan still clutched the branch he'd broken from a tree while being carried at breakneck speed. Blood dripped down the wood, soaking his hand. Tang Lici propped himself up with his right arm, his expression calm. Seeing the mix of fury and terror on Liu Yan's face, he smiled faintly, warmth in his gaze. "You—" Before he could finish, a mouthful of blood splattered across Liu Yan's face. Liu Yan tightened his grip on the branch, his savage glee slowly twisting into horror. "You—you—" Tang Lici's smile never faded. His eyelids fluttered shut, and after holding on for a moment longer, he finally collapsed onto him."Ah—ah—ahhhh—" Liu Yan let out a frenzied scream, pushing him away with terror in his eyes. "Get him away from me! Shoot him dead! Take him away, take him away! I don't want to see him! Get rid of him now!" He supported himself with his hands, crawling backward step by step, desperate to put as much distance as possible between himself and the severely wounded, unconscious Tang Lici. Each hand left a bloody print as Liu Yan squirmed away in panic like a worm.
Ren Qingchou still had an arrow nocked on his bow, yet for some reason, he didn't shoot. At this moment, killing either Tang Lici or Liu Yan would have been as easy as turning his hand. He was never one to hesitate, but now he held back. It wasn't hesitation—he was simply stunned. Staring at the blood-soaked Tang Lici and then at Liu Yan, who looked as if he'd seen a ghost, Ren Qingchou slowly lowered his bow, shook his head, and turned to leave.
Tang Lici had indeed been gravely injured in last night's battle. Last night, he had risked his life to protect Green Charm, and today he had nearly died saving Liu Yan. It seemed he never considered whether he could endure it—only the outcome mattered.
Liu Yan crawled frantically for over thirty meters, leaving a trail of blood behind, until he finally had no strength left to move further. Only then did he turn back to look.
Tang Lici still lay on the ground, surrounded by blood. His white robes were stained with blossoming crimson, yet there was no sudden recovery or resurrection. Liu Yan stopped and stared at him, watching for what felt like an eternity. Tang Lici didn't move, and the blood on the ground spread wider and wider...
He... he really might die.
If he just sat here and watched, Tang Lici would die. Liu Yan's gaze remained fixed on him, his hatred bone-deep. He had imagined countless ways to kill him, how he would desecrate his corpse after death, how he would grind his bones to dust—but he had never imagined that simply sitting here and watching would be enough to see him die.
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