Yu Konghou's heart tightened, and he quickened his pace, hurrying back.
He had long disguised himself as a woman, and his lightness skill was extraordinary. Yet this black-clad, masked figure was agile and resilient, not only nimble in movement but also astonishingly tenacious. After a day and night, just as Yu Konghou suspected the man was about to exhaust himself, the black-clad figure would suddenly regain his vitality. It was unclear whether this was mere bravado or if he carried some miraculous elixir.
Given time, this man would become a formidable enemy.
Yu Konghou abandoned any underestimation, and a killing intent surged within him.
He halted abruptly, then reversed direction. From his sleeve, something fluttered out, stirring a faint breeze. It was an almost imperceptibly thin thread, its tip attached to a small sword—no larger than a chopstick, yet incredibly flexible and sharp. This was an unseen type of suspended rope flying sword.
Yu Konghou had wielded long swords, twin palms, jade hairpins, and floral ornaments as weapons. Like Tang Lici, he was a master of eclectic techniques, though no one knew where he had learned such unorthodox skills.
But this suspended rope flying sword was something he had never revealed before.
The black-clad masked man's heart clenched—this was likely Yu Konghou's true trump weapon.
Yu Konghou called himself "One Peach Three Colors" and ranked seventh among the "Seven Cloud Traveling Guests." In his youth, before disguising himself as a woman and before practicing the bizarre art of male-to-female transformation with Fu Cui, he had been a dashing, elegant gentleman in the martial world. The name "One Peach Three Colors" referred to his swordplay. Back then, Yu Konghou wielded short swords. Most swordsmen used a single blade, at most dual-wielding or carrying one in hand and another on their back. But Yu Konghou used three—two short swords in his hands and one elusive flying sword: this very suspended rope flying sword, named "Ten Thousand Miles of Peach Blossoms."
Few had ever witnessed Yu Konghou's "Ten Thousand Miles of Peach Blossoms." It was an extremely light, cunning, and deadly sword technique, straddling the line between hidden weapons and sword control. Even in life-or-death battles against Raging Orchid No Trace, he had never revealed this flying sword, knowing full well it could not harm him.
Raging Orchid No Trace's martial arts were fierce and reckless, harming both foe and self. A delicate flying sword like "Ten Thousand Miles of Peach Blossoms" could never breach the range of his long halberd.
Nor had Yu Konghou used it against Tang Lici. Tang Lici was too cunning and resourceful; "Ten Thousand Miles of Peach Blossoms" was unlikely to catch him off guard. Moreover, Tang Lici carried countless unexpected gadgets—one misstep, and Yu Konghou might find himself outmaneuvered.
But against this black-clad masked man, Yu Konghou unleashed "Ten Thousand Miles of Peach Blossoms."
And not as a single fatal strike. He let the thin silk rope extend far, flicking his wrist as the "Ten Thousand Miles of Peach Blossoms" shot toward the black-clad figure like a meteor. Yet by the time Yu Konghou released it, the man had already vanished into the dense forest. Unfazed, Yu Konghou pulled the rope back, drawing a vast circle around himself. The "Ten Thousand Miles of Peach Blossoms" shrieked through the air, the small sword emitting a piercing howl as it cut the wind. The rope snapped taut, its whistling harmonizing with the sword's cry. The twenty-foot-long rope, centered on Yu Konghou, suddenly swept a massive arc through the air!The trees swept by "Ten Thousand Miles of Peach Blossoms" collapsed with a thunderous crash—the suspended rope was no ordinary weapon. Dragged behind the flying sword, it was even deadlier than the blade itself, akin to a twenty-foot-long scythe of death. The black-clad, masked figure had initially hidden behind a tree over ten feet away, but Yu Konghou's sudden lash of the rope forced them to reveal themselves and retreat further.
Yu Konghou twirled the flying sword in his hand, the very weapon that had just felled seven or eight trees, wrapping it effortlessly around his wrist like a silver chain. His expression, worn on Xue Tao's face, held a mocking sneer that Xue Tao would never have worn. He smirked at the black-clad figure.
The attack range of "Ten Thousand Miles of Peach Blossoms" far surpassed that of a regular sword. Now that the black-clad figure couldn't get close, they could no longer stop him from drinking or eating. No matter where he went, the most they could do was trail behind him—what could they possibly do to him?
Moreover, Yu Konghou had already calculated that if the black-clad figure dared step within the range of "Ten Thousand Miles of Peach Blossoms," he could take their life in three moves... no... ten moves at most.
The black-clad figure, upon seeing Yu Konghou unleash "Ten Thousand Miles of Peach Blossoms," seemed momentarily startled but soon fell silent again.
Yu Konghou snorted coldly. He decided to abandon the idea of heading to the lake for water and turned back instead, determined to uncover what conspiracy Hong Guniang had in mind by sending this black-clad figure to intercept him halfway.
Just as he was certain the black-clad figure neither could nor would dare step into the range of "Ten Thousand Miles of Peach Blossoms," a sharp "thwack" sounded—a small black arrow whizzed past his face and embedded itself in the mud before him.
At the sight of the arrow, Yu Konghou whipped his head around. "You!"
The black-clad, masked figure remained silent, drawing the black bowstring with focused precision, aiming squarely at Yu Konghou.
Yu Konghou's face twisted in fury. "Ren Qingchou!"
The one who had been relentlessly harassing him, the one who had been dogging his steps all this way—was none other than Ren Qingchou! Ren Qingchou was Qu Zhiliang's disciple, with an impeccable foundation in martial arts, yet a touch of foolishness in his nature. Last time, when Ren Qingchou rebelled against the Dissolute Shop and escaped Piaoling Mei Yuan with Xue Xianzi, Yu Konghou had been too preoccupied with capturing Xue Xianzi and inadvertently let this brat slip away. Now, the brat had thrown his lot in with Hong Guniang and come back to make trouble for him.
Despite his youth, Ren Qingchou was remarkably composed. Throughout this pursuit, he hadn't used a single move from Qu Zhiliang's repertoire. If Yu Konghou hadn't unleashed "Ten Thousand Miles of Peach Blossoms," a long-range weapon that put Ren Qingchou at a disadvantage, he wouldn't have resorted to the Qu-style longbow.
Qu Zhiliang's black longbow was named the "Bow of Sorrow and Joy."
The small black arrows were called "Life and Death Together."
If it were Qu Zhiliang's arrow, it would simply be an arrow.
But Ren Qingchou's arrows were poisoned.
Each person walks their own path. Had Ren Qingchou never joined the Dissolute Shop, he might never have thought to poison his arrows in his entire life.
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