Bai Suche acted without hesitation. The moment Bi Lianyi drew his sword, she swiftly closed the distance and swung her blade toward his neck. The strike seemed reckless, but behind her, numerous female attendants unleashed hidden weapons in unison. Bi Lianyi found himself constrained from all sides. With a flick of his longsword, he deflected several projectiles—each distinct in design, clearly not from the same sect. Bai Suche’s sweeping slash carried overwhelming momentum, far from a mere probe. Forced to parry hastily after deflecting the hidden weapons, Bi Lianyi met her blade with a resounding clang, sending her stumbling back a step. Yet this woman was ruthless—even as her right-hand strike was repelled and her balance unsteady, she reached into her robes with her left hand and drew out something gleaming, thrusting it toward Bi Lianyi’s chest.
Having blocked two consecutive attacks in an instant, Bi Lianyi’s breathing grew ragged. He barely avoided Bai Suche’s deadly thrust. At the critical moment, Cheng Yunpao’s sleeve lashed out, coiling around the weapon in Bai Suche’s grip. She refused to let go, and as their forces clashed, a spray of blood erupted—her left hand was slashed by the very weapon she clung to, the crimson droplets flung into the air by Cheng Yunpao’s forceful motion.
Yet, whatever she held in her left hand, she would rather suffer grievous injury than release it. The weapon wasn’t long, now drenched in her blood, its original form barely discernible—only a vague outline of a small blade remained.
Cheng Yunpao, naturally, wouldn’t stoop to engaging a junior like Bai Suche. Coldly, he said, “Young Bai, if you cease now and return to beg your father’s forgiveness, I’ll spare your life.”
Bai Suche let her left hand hang, blood dripping steadily onto the earth, while her right hand remained clenched around her blade.
The night breeze brushed against her veil as she spoke softly, “Tell Bai Yuming this: Bai Suche’s mistakes are beyond redemption. If I cannot achieve merit under the Revered Master’s banner, there is no place left for me in this world.” She turned her blade, pointing it directly at Bi Lianyi. “Who is the killer? None other than Bai. To kill one is a crime, but to kill ten thousand… makes one a general.”
Cheng Yunpao and the others were stunned. This woman’s slender frame bore no resemblance to the domineering aura she now exuded—yet with her blade raised, her murderous intent was palpable, radiating an arrogance that brooked no retreat.
She was nothing like her father.
While the others couldn’t fathom Bai Suche’s intentions, Hong Guniang, watching coldly from the sidelines, recognized her repeated targeting of Bi Lianyi as deliberate. Suddenly, she reached out, seizing Bi Lianyi’s wrist, and whispered, “Come with me.”
Bi Lianyi was taken aback. With so many elite fighters from Piaoling Mei Yuan present, why would Hong Guniang ask him to leave? By his estimation, these twenty-odd mysterious women in white were formidable, their minds unhinged—Cheng Yunpao and Meng Qinglei alone might struggle to prevail. Yet Hong Guniang tightened her grip and pulled him backward.
Behind her veil, Bai Suche’s eyes seemed to flicker faintly, as if smiling, before she let out a low whistle. Instantly, the two dozen white-clad attendants surged toward Bi Lianyi and Hong Guniang.The origins of these women were unknown, but everyone knew they might come from reputable orthodox sects, controlled by the Dissolute Shop's many bizarre methods, so no one dared to strike with lethal force. Hidden weapons flew from their hands, and two of them drew mechanisms from their sleeves, firing something at Bi Lianyi and Hong Guniang. The object, launched by two silver mechanisms, shimmered mid-air like a strand of dazzling silver thread. Upon reaching its apex, it suddenly unfurled into an exquisite large net, descending upon Bi Lianyi and Hong Guniang.
The hidden weapon was unexpected. Bi Lianyi reacted swiftly, pulling Hong Guniang aside while removing his outer robe with his left hand and tossing it upward into the net. The silver filament net tightened upon contact, bundling the robe into a ball before dropping to the ground. Had Bi Lianyi not acted promptly, he and Hong Guniang would have been ensnared. Seeing how fine the net was, Bi Lianyi frowned, realizing it could easily cut into flesh if wrapped around a person.
Meng Qinglei exclaimed, "Shuang Yu Ji!"
The two white-clad women who had launched the net now brandished their weapons—a pair of rare long spikes, resembling long, smooth pointed rods. The moment these spikes appeared, those present recognized the duo as not "young maidens" but a notorious pair from Lingwu Island in the South Sea. These sisters, both over forty, wielded long fish spears and typically remained on Lingwu Island, where they killed any man who set foot and enslaved the women.
No one knew how the Dissolute Shop had recruited these two female terrors. Now, their spikes lunged toward Bi Lianyi and Hong Guniang, who were retreating. With profound Internal Force, the spikes whistled through the air. Mid-thrust, the sisters suddenly released their grips, hurling the spikes like lightning at Bi Lianyi and Hong Guniang's chests.
Hong Guniang barely registered what was happening before the spike was upon her. Cheng Yunpao and Bi Lianyi sprang into action—Cheng Yunpao grabbed Qiu Yuan's right shoulder, while Bi Lianyi sliced down the spike aimed at Hong Guniang. After deflecting the attack, Bi Lianyi leaped upward, narrowly dodging the spike meant for him.
This all transpired in the blink of an eye. Meng Qinglei had only just drawn his sword to intercept Qiu Yuan and Qiu Qing, while the other white-clad women's weapons were just being raised. Bi Lianyi, reacting with lightning speed, evaded Qiu Yuan's throw as the others' assaults reached Hong Guniang. Cheng Yunpao pulled Qiu Yuan down and swung his icy frost sword in a sweeping arc. A clangor rang out as three or four white-clad women behind him fell back, wounded by his Sword Qi.
Qiu Yuan, her long spike disarmed and her right shoulder seized by Cheng Yunpao, showed no hesitation. She drew a short spike from her robe and engaged him in combat.
Meanwhile, Bi Lianyi was still mid-air, and Hong Guniang couldn't keep up with the flurry of weapons flashing before her. Amid the chaos, two figures closed in on Bi Lianyi—one from the front, the other from behind.
Bai Suche charged from the front, while an elderly man with long eyebrows and a bald head approached from behind.
Seeing Wang Lingqiu rushing in, Bai Suche swung her blade at his bald head. Wang Lingqiu knew full well she was competing with him for credit, but this was a contest he couldn't afford to lose. Yu Konghou was not Chai Xijin—he wouldn't trust him entirely.If they couldn't subdue Bi Lianyi today, either he or Bai Suche might end up dead.
His lunge wasn't aimed at taking Bi Lianyi's life, but Bai Suche's slash was truly meant to kill him. Wang Lingqiu's martial skills were mediocre, no match for Bai Suche and Bi Lianyi, but since he had charged out, he had come prepared. Just as Bai Suche swung her blade and Bi Lianyi barely managed to turn around, something splashed from Wang Lingqiu's sleeve, drenching Bi Lianyi's face and head.
Bai Suche paused for a moment, but her blade didn't slow, still aiming for Wang Lingqiu's head.
This old man was no good—she knew that well. Even if he wasn't aligned with Yu Konghou, he had harmed countless people.
Bi Lianyi only felt a cool sensation on his face, unaware of what had been splashed on him. He landed and wiped his face with his sleeve, only to see a strange blue stain on the fabric, emitting a faint, fishy odor.
Meanwhile, Bai Suche's blade narrowly missed Wang Lingqiu's neck as he dodged and fled in panic. The white-robed attendants, blocked by Cheng Yunpao and Meng Qinglei, began to riot.
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