(1)
The moment Huo Xiao Di saw it was him, he wanted to get angry and desperately tried to stiffen his face, yet for some reason, he simply couldn’t summon any anger.
His round face stubbornly held its rigid expression, but his gaze had already softened involuntarily. A faint warmth had unknowingly welled up in his heart.
Still, his words remained stubbornly defiant, his voice lowered to a near whisper: "You? What are you doing here?"
Zhan Ri Fei smiled, his voice equally hushed: "Naturally, there’s something I need Brother Huo’s help with."
Huo Xiao Di glared: "You need my help? With what?"
Zhan Ri Fei said: "I’d like to ask Brother Huo to shake off a few persistent plasters from Jinshi Hall for me, have them wander around here for a bit."
Huo Xiao Di’s mouth finally couldn’t hold its stern line anymore, relaxing all at once, and his lethally charming rabbit teeth were revealed again.
"The ones from Jinshi Hall—what kind of characters are they? Are you actually afraid of them?"
Zhan Ri Fei smiled wryly: "It’s not me who knows 'A Startling Glance,' so I might end up stuck with these plasters, unable to peel them off."
Huo Xiao Di raised his slender eyebrows: "Who’s come? Is it the Hua Fengzi family, or Yan Zi Qing from Ten-Mile Slope?"
"Of course, it’s the five brothers of the Hua Fengzi family. Rumor has it a biting fox will soon follow."
Huo Xiao Di blinked slowly: "Why should I help you with this?"
Zhan Ri Fei maintained his faint smile, though there seemed to be a hint of mischief hidden within it.
"Because I can help you deal with those two by the hillside."
Huo Xiao Di glared again: "What, you think I can’t handle them?"
"It’s not that Brother Huo can’t handle them, but because I can’t shake off those plasters."
"So, this way, we’re even?"
"Exactly. Neither of us loses out."
The two looked at each other, then once again found themselves smiling at one another involuntarily.
No outsider could tell whether they truly believed each other’s reasons.
—Even if they sounded quite reasonable.
Huo Xiao Di stretched out his hand: "Hand it over."
Zhan Ri Fei was taken aback: "What?"
"Of course, the bamboo hat in your hand." Huo Xiao Di shot him a glance. "Since we’re going to play with the Hua Fengzi brothers, we might as well make it interesting."
As he spoke, he put the hat on his head and said leisurely, "The way to play with Hua Fengzi and his crew has to be quite special. It’s a shame you won’t be here to watch."
Zhan Ri Fei said: "I’ll have to wait for another time to witness Brother Huo’s tricks."
Huo Xiao Di said: "What, you’re hoping for a next time?"
Zhan Ri Fei laughed: "That depends on whether Brother Huo has any other little troubles for me to handle."
His expression turned serious as he added, "But if that fox shows up, you must be very careful."
Huo Xiao Di narrowed his eyes: "Are you talking about the 'Thousand Changes Black Demon Fox'?"
Zhan Ri Fei said: "Yes, exactly him."
Huo Xiao Di said cheerfully: "I’ve heard this person’s lightness skill and disguise art have reached the pinnacle of perfection, so I’m really looking forward to meeting him. But when it comes to the pinnacle, the lightness skill of Exquisite Mountain Villa probably isn’t far behind."
He smiled triumphantly, his rabbit teeth once again sparkling brightly, as if the lightness skill of Exquisite Mountain Villa were the ancestor of all lightness practitioners in the world.Zhan Ri Fei couldn't help but smile.
As they were speaking, Huo Xiao Di suddenly focused on listening intently, his expression immediately turning stern.
"They're here. They've already reached the mountain pass over there."
No sooner had his words fallen than his body suddenly became supple and elusive.
In an instant, he had vanished.
Zhan Ri Fei gazed at the spot where his figure disappeared, the smile at the corner of his lips already gone.
His expression remained extremely calm, but his hand had already tightened around the sword hilt.
Had he known, even before grasping Huo Xiao Di's arm, that what awaited him would be a fierce battle?
Unconsciously, another fine drizzle began to seep from the gloomy clouds, delicate and dense.
Could it be that even Heaven had already foreseen the outcome of this battle?
The jade bowl still trembled slightly in the boy's thin, bony hand.
The greenish liquid still writhed within.
The woman in green had grown impatient.
The boy looked at her, then at the bowl in his hand.
The pale setting sun cast his freckles in a somewhat darker shade.
Finally gritting his teeth, he raised the jade bowl and prepared to drink it all in one go.
Suddenly, a gentle force seemed to push the boy.
A calm and steady voice said, "It's no great matter if you don't drink this bowl."
A hand reached out, and with just a light gesture, the jade bowl somehow found its way into that hand.
Pushed by this force, the boy stumbled, his scar-covered arm already grasped by another hand.
The green-clad man's pupils suddenly contracted.
Never before had anyone made a move before him without him detecting it beforehand. Yet now, someone had acted right before his eyes without the slightest warning.
A sharp light flashed in his eyes. The round blade at his waist emitted a soft, sharp whistle.
Through the faint rain mist, a figure had appeared.
A man in black.
At his waist hung a long sword.
His appearance was like the rain mist itself—subtle, with no indication of where he came from.
The boy's arm was held in his hand.
The boy had never seen this person before, yet he seemed strangely familiar. Surrounded by the green-clad man and woman, somehow this person had stepped into their circle.
Though the drizzling rain mist blurred everything, it still allowed the three nearby to see his jade-like elegance and composed demeanor.
The green-clad woman's eyes suddenly brightened.
The woman smiled charmingly, as if not particularly angered by the black-clad youth's actions.
"Who might you be, young master, that you would also wish to meddle with Cold Water Palace's affairs?"
The black-clad youth didn't answer her question.
"Might the lady be the Moon Envoy from Cold Water Palace's Sun, Moon, Wind, and Cloud division?"
The green-clad woman giggled softly.
Her laughter, like her person, was filled with a primitive, provocative wickedness.
"It seems the young master knows much about Cold Water Palace."
Her eyes had softened as if about to drip with moisture.
"Using such methods against a defenseless, unarmed child—is Cold Water Palace not afraid of tarnishing its reputation?"
The green-clad woman continued her extremely charming, coquettish laughter.
"How can you be so harsh with your words when we've just met, young master?"
As she spoke, she slowly stepped closer."He is the very lifeblood Grandma has been yearning for day and night—how could I bear to strike him harshly? As for this medicine, he has been drinking it since childhood. Had he not taken it, how could he have survived till now?"
Her seductive, velvety eyes, brimming with coquettish laughter, finally swept a glance at the boy. "Am I not right?"
Even though he was already hiding behind the black-clad youth, the boy instinctively shrank back.
The black-clad youth raised the jade bowl, gave it a slight sniff, and smiled faintly. "A poison that seeps into the bones and pierces the heart—truly a fine medicine."
With a flip of his right hand, the emerald-green liquid in the jade bowl hissed and drilled into the ground, leaving only a faint wisp of white smoke that quickly vanished into the rain and mist.
The blue-robed man's pupils contracted once more.
As he looked at the black-clad youth before him, a sinister fervor ignited in his dead-fish eyes, like a bat catching the scent of blood.
Meanwhile, an indescribable disappointment had settled on the blue-robed woman's face.
"Does the young master truly insist on opposing Cold Water Palace? Could the young master really bear to cross blades with little old me?"
The black-clad youth sighed softly.
"I never wished to oppose your sect."
Yet suddenly, a heroic aura surged in his eyes, seeming to pierce through the gloomy rain and mist.
"But there are times when everyone must act against their own wishes."
The blue-robed woman asked no more.
The pale sun had already sunk beyond the western horizon into the depths of the gloomy clouds.
Their conversation, too, had reached its end.
Taking a step back, she raised her hand.
Her weapon was already in her grasp.
She seemed to be holding something soft and translucent, barely visible and indistinct. Faintly, it resembled a long whip.
"Young master, this is called 'Chang Xiang Si.' Given your extensive knowledge, you must know the origin of its name."
The black-clad youth remained composed. "I have long heard that 'Chang Xiang Si' is the foremost weapon of Cold Water Palace. Since you wield 'Chang Xiang Si,' you must indeed be the Moon-Grasping Envoy under Grandma Han Shui."
He then glanced at the blue-robed man.
"Then this one must be the Sun-Grasping Envoy."
The blue-robed man asked coldly, "You figured it out?"
The black-clad youth replied, "What I recognized was your blade."
The blue-robed man fell silent.
—The four envoys of Sun, Moon, Wind, and Cloud under Grandma Han Shui of Cold Water Palace each wield exotic weapons whose names all begin with the character "Long."
—The curved blade he carried was none other than Cold Water Palace's famed saber, "Long Rainbow Piercing the Sun."
The blue-robed woman smiled seductively. Her smile seemed to carry endless charm.
"I am indeed the Moon-Grasping Envoy. Young master, being learned and refined, must know that 'Chang Xiang Si' grows stronger against strength and gentler against weakness, ever-changing and unfathomable, echoing Bai Juyi's line: 'Longing lingers, resentment lingers. Resentment only ends when the beloved returns.'"
The word "resentment" rolled off her tongue with a myriad of enchanting inflections.
The blue-robed man finally couldn't resist snorting.
"Have you said enough?"
The blue-robed woman's eyes flickered, and she giggled softly under her breath. The blue-robed man's words seemed to pass through her like fleeting smoke.
Facing the black-clad youth, she continued, "Young master must already know that longing leaves no trace yet penetrates the bones. This 'Chang Xiang Si' surpasses even the most tempered flexible steel—you must guard against it."
The black-clad youth listened to her detailed account of the weapon's marvels as if hearing a legend, showing neither great surprise nor alarm. His expression remained calm and composed."Thank you for your guidance, miss."
The green-clad woman smiled gently. "Actually, you already knew even if I hadn't said anything, didn't you?"
She was charming and delicate, enough to make any man's bones instantly turn weak at the sight of her. But before this black-clad youth, it seemed as if her charming glances were being made to a blind man.
Her tender gaze seemed to hit a stone wall, or merge into the vast sea, receiving no response whatsoever.
The way he looked at her had never changed from beginning to end.
(2)
Yet she didn't seem to mind at all.
Her smile remained just as gentle.
As if no matter what the other party might say or do, she would bear no resentment. As if under heaven, there was no woman more beautiful, more understanding, or more delicate and considerate than her.
"Will the young master still not deign to tell me your honorable name?"
The black-clad youth slowly released the boy's hand.
"My name probably isn't important in the eyes of Cold Water Palace."
"If you truly wish to know, I am Zhan Ri Fei."
He then looked at the green-clad man with death-like eyes.
"Will your companion not join the fight together?"
The green-clad man's words, like his eyes, contained no trace of human emotion.
"Disciples of Cold Water Palace never fight in groups without the Matriarch's order. Are you afraid that Moon-Grasping Envoy cannot handle you?"
Zhan Ri Fei didn't answer.
He smiled.
He drew his sword.
—He finally drew his sword.
The sword left its sheath.
A cold light leaped from his side. The sword's energy soared to the heavens, its radiance dazzling, even the gloomy clouds in the sky seemed to brighten from its reflection.
The green-clad man's eyes grew hot.
Moon-Grasping Envoy's smile froze. Even her breathing paused.
"A fine sword! Is the young master's name truly Zhan Ri Fei?"
Zhan Ri Fei smiled. "Why does the lady ask this?"
Moon-Grasping Envoy's gaze shifted fluidly. "This sword is a divine weapon rarely seen in this world, always claimed by those with capability. How could it be held by an unknown nobody in the martial world?"
Zhan Ri Fei said, "Your envoy flatters me too much."
Moon-Grasping Envoy's smile surfaced again. "Such a divine weapon—would the young master permit this humble woman to examine it up close?"
Zhan Ri Fei only saw her left hand sweep out—she actually attacked as soon as she spoke.
A barely perceptible shadow, silent yet agile as a heavenly dragon, vaguely reached toward the long sword in his hand.
Zhan Ri Fei's heart sank, and his body swiftly retreated.
Though he held a sharp blade, how could a sharp blade counter an attack without form or shadow?
"Chang Xiang Si" was forged from ice silkworm silk and the mysterious iron from the depths of Cold Water Palace. Even holding this rare divine weapon, he couldn't cut through it.
Moon-Grasping Envoy attacked with her left hand.
Her move was already made, yet he couldn't clearly see her weapon, couldn't clearly hear the sound of her weapon's movement!
—If he couldn't see her weapon, how could he discern her moves?
—If he couldn't hear the sound of her movement, how could he determine the direction of her attack?
The sky grew darker.
Suddenly, her still graceful voice from earlier echoed in his ears.
Chang Xiang Si, Chang Xiang Si—"longing leaves no trace yet penetrates the bones."
What a perfect "longing leaves no trace yet penetrates the bones"!
In that instant, Moon-Grasping Envoy had seized the initiative!
Zhan Ri Fei's thoughts raced like lightning.
In that split second, instead of retreating, he advanced, his wrist turning as a cold light flashed, thrusting swiftly toward Moon-Grasping Envoy.
The cold sword energy instantly reached her brow, the icy sensation already penetrating her skin.
—Even if she managed to take his sword, she would certainly be wounded by his boundless sword energy.
Moon-Grasping Envoy swiftly retreated.His right hand unleashed "Tenderness Around Fingers," while his left index finger hooked slightly. The faint shadow spun mid-air with a soft "hiss," still aiming to latch onto the longsword in his hand.
Once it made contact, no one in the world could shake off its entanglement.
—It was named "Chang Xiang Si"—did it truly demand "endless longing until reunion"?
Zhan Ri Fei maintained his stance, sinking his wrist slightly as he continued thrusting forward.
Unexpectedly, the elusive shadow seemed to come alive, following the descent and still seeking to attach itself to his blade.
In a flash, the shadow reflected on the cold steel—"Chang Xiang Si" had touched the sword!
Then, an internal force, swift as thunder, shot straight through, violently attempting to wrench the weapon away. This was the Cold Water Palace's "Tenderness Around Fingers"!
The Moon-Grasping Envoy used "Chang Xiang Si" in her left hand to seize opponents' weapons—a technique that never missed, renowned as one of Cold Water Palace's signature skills. Seeing her adversary prove troublesome, she pushed the "Tenderness Around Fingers" internal energy to its limit.
Yet, the moment "Chang Xiang Si" made contact and she channeled force to reclaim the sword, she realized her opponent's blade carried not a trace of internal energy.
—Had the enemy's power vanished without a trace in an instant?
"Chang Xiang Si" latched and pulled—the longsword flew straight toward her, completely disarmed!
The Moon-Grasping Envoy's mind raced, her reaction swift. "Chang Xiang Si" twisted like an extension of her will, coiling around the sword and thrusting diagonally at Zhan Ri Fei.
But he was faster. Shifting his body with the momentum, his right hand guided by sword-seal techniques, he caught the blade mid-air. His left hand flicked out precisely as "Chang Xiang Si" turned—the brief gap between spent force and renewed energy.
With a "clang," the "Chang Xiang Si" in the Moon-Grasping Envoy's left hand shuddered as if struck by lightning, nearly torn from her grasp.
Without turning, his right hand—now gripping the sword in reverse—simultaneously parried the "Tenderness Around Fingers" palm strike from her right hand.
To onlookers, it appeared as though the Moon-Grasping Envoy had seized his sword only to immediately return it to him.
For the first time since its creation a century ago, the technique of "Chang Xiang Si" driven by "Tenderness Around Fingers" had failed utterly.
The Moon-Grasping Envoy's coy laughter faded.
She could scarcely believe her eyes.
Her opponent's speed in adapting far exceeded her expectations.
Zhan Ri Fei, too, was taken aback.
His flick had failed to disarm "Chang Xiang Si." The Moon-Grasping Envoy of Cold Water Palace truly lived up to her reputation.
This "Chang Xiang Si" was unnervingly phantom-like. Its formless, shadowy nature forced his moves to lag a step behind, denying him the initiative.
He had intentionally let his sword be captured by "Chang Xiang Si," anticipating the Moon-Grasping Envoy would wield it to control the blade—all to decipher its patterns and seize the upper hand. Yet, he hadn't accounted for her exceptional internal strength; his flick failed to disarm her weapon.
In that moment of her surprise, "Chang Xiang Si" struck again. Her right hand shot forward, "Tenderness Around Fingers" swiftly entangling his longsword.
"Chang Xiang Si" veered abruptly mid-air, ghostly and intangible, its tip darting like lightning toward the boy behind him.
Zhan Ri Fei saw his sword ensnared by her "Tenderness Around Fingers"—too late to intervene—as "Chang Xiang Si" swept past him. Yet, in that fleeting instant it brushed by, he discerned its trajectory through sound alone.Without turning his head, he tapped his right foot, sending a stone flying backward with a sharp "crack" as it struck the whip's tip. Chang Xiang Si immediately lost its accuracy.
Yet the Moon-Grasping Envoy's Tenderness Around Fingers technique had reached a transcendent level. Though Chang Xiang Si missed its mark, its momentum did not diminish. Somehow, it curved halfway before abruptly rearing up again, lunging swiftly from the side.
Driven by Tenderness Around Fingers, this Chang Xiang Si had become as elusive as a ghost, impossible to guard against.
But Zhan Ri Fei's body suddenly slowed!
Chang Xiang Si, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, silently pierced into his back in the blink of an eye.
What followed, in the Moon-Grasping Envoy's eyes, seemed to happen in a flash of lightning—yet the outcome was something she could neither foresee nor accept!
Even after being struck, Zhan Ri Fei did not halt his steps. Instead, he surged forward, his long sword sweeping upward. The force driving Chang Xiang Si into his body was disrupted, allowing him to break free from its grasp!
Blood splattered.
When Chang Xiang Si flew out from his back, its tip was already soaked crimson with blood.
His blood.
In the dimming twilight, a speck of red danced in the air like a blood-red butterfly.
Zhan Ri Fei took a deep breath.
He had—finally—seen—it!
(3)
The Moon-Grasping Envoy let out an involuntary cry of surprise!
Only then did she realize she had been deceived.
It turned out her opponent had feigned a weakness, allowing her strike to land on his back, all to use his own blood to stain Chang Xiang Si the moment it pierced him—revealing the form of this invisible weapon.
The Moon-Grasping Envoy channeled energy into her left palm, and Chang Xiang Si abruptly reared up, curving halfway again. Under the forceful infusion of Tenderness Around Fingers, shifting from extreme softness to extreme hardness, it emitted a sharp whistle.
The blood staining Chang Xiang Si scattered in all directions under the drive of her internal energy!
Once the blood dispersed, Chang Xiang Si could once again become formless and invisible.
But she was still a step too slow.
Zhan Ri Fei needed only that half-curve of Chang Xiang Si.
Now that he could see her extraordinary weapon, she would never again be able to seize the initiative from him.
—And likely, few in this world could ever seize the initiative from him again.
—His long-prepared initiative!
He had already leaped into the air.
His left hand swept out, and the tip of Chang Xiang Si was in his grasp! His right-hand sword followed the length of Chang Xiang Si, slicing downward.
The Moon-Grasping Envoy unleashed Tenderness Around Fingers with her right palm!
Only after her right palm's energy shot forth did she realize she had made a second unforgivable mistake.
—Her opponent's lightning-fast sword stroke was a feint!
Everything had been to divert her all-pervading Tenderness Around Fingers, which shifted from utmost softness to utmost hardness.
Everything had been to make her split the internal energy she used to control Chang Xiang Si.
The ultimate goal of it all was to seize her Chang Xiang Si.
—Her formless, invisible, marrow-sucking, bone-clinging Chang Xiang Si.
A chill instantly raced down her spine.
For the first time, she felt terror.
Was it because of the exquisitely subtle yet fiercely sharp strike that had already been transmitted through Chang Xiang Si from Zhan Ri Fei's grip?
Though it relied on the internal energy from Chang Xiang Si's half-curve, and though the strike from his hand was not overwhelmingly powerful, it was more than enough.It was enough to make the five fingers of her left hand feel as if struck by lightning, momentarily numb and devoid of sensation.
Sparse shadows, faint and delicate; sparse shadows, dancing and soaring!
The Moon-Grasping Envoy’s mouth fell open as if she had seen a ghost. Her enchanting smile had been utterly shattered by the scene before her.
Her Chang Xiang Si—her Chang Xiang Si—had been snatched from her grasp!
The other end of Chang Xiang Si was now firmly in Zhan Ri Fei’s hand!
The end stained crimson with blood.
Countless shimmering shadows filled the air.
Yet the Moon-Grasping Envoy could no longer distinguish which of those shimmering shadows was the blade she had wielded since first entering Cold Water Palace.
──Now it was her turn to lose sight of her own weapon.
Zhan Ri Fei hovered mid-air, wielding Chang Xiang Si with the silent grace of a celestial dragon as it swept toward the Moon-Grasping Envoy.
Though he had never practiced Tenderness Around Fingers, the inner strength he channeled through Chang Xiang Si seemed no less formidable—for his every move and stance mirrored exactly what the Moon-Grasping Envoy had executed moments before.
The Moon-Grasping Envoy could not see clearly.
Not only could she not see, she could not hear clearly either.
She could only gather her energy, weaving a dense shield of palm shadows with Tenderness Around Fingers, allowing the blurred phantoms of Chang Xiang Si to weave in and out of the intricate gaps between her defenses.
It was as if she could see life itself mocking her: now it was her turn—the master of Chang Xiang Si—to experience its relentless offensive.
After several exchanges, she felt suffocated, struggling for breath.
──Was it the endless, suffocating pressure of Chang Xiang Si’s unbroken assault, or the oppressive drizzle of rain that left her gasping?
Finally, she understood why Zhan Ri Fei had so swiftly risked a back injury to seize her weapon, refusing to prolong their struggle.
Her only hope was that the art of Tenderness Around Fingers, with its fluid, all-pervading force, could halt the advance of Chang Xiang Si.
Yet, no matter how supple and dense Tenderness Around Fingers might be, it still possessed form. Chang Xiang Si, on the other hand, was ultimately a shadow without substance—the foremost weapon of Cold Water Palace in a century.
Somehow, that venomous, serpent-like weapon finally pierced through her defenses.
In an instant, the Moon-Grasping Envoy was thrown back several yards, her chest struck as if by a devastating blow!
Yet, for some unknown reason, Chang Xiang Si seemed to pause the moment it struck her. In that brief hesitation, the peerless weapon shifted from formless to tangible. Tenderness Around Fingers, seeping into every opening, instantly coiled around Chang Xiang Si with quicksilver speed!
Zhan Ri Fei immediately released the whip and retreated just as swiftly, still positioning himself protectively before the boy.
Collapsed in the arms of the man in blue robes, the Moon-Grasping Envoy still did not understand.
──Zhan Ri Fei should not have paused. He should not have made such a fundamental mistake.
──Even if Tenderness Around Fingers had entangled his Chang Xiang Si, he should not have abandoned it so readily. How could he let go so easily of the treasure he had fought so hard to seize?
──With his quick wits and adaptability, he should have been able to prevent such a basic error.
But as her thoughts raced, she finally understood.
Her face instantly turned ashen, for she did not want it to be true.
“You—have already—”
She struggled to speak, but could no longer muster the breath.
The corners of her lips curled into that uniquely soft, seductive smile of hers. Only now, that smile seemed indescribably venomous.
(IV)
The gaze of the Sun-Grasping Envoy in blue robes remained as lifeless as a corpse’s, devoid of any human emotion.His gaze wasn't the least bit cold, yet it could send chills down one's spine.
"Impressive skill!"
Like a fleeting swan, his round blade left its sheath.
——Cold Water Palace's "Rainbow Pierces the Sun."
A white silk handkerchief gently wiped across the blade before being tossed to the ground.
"My blade never gets wiped unless it draws blood. Today, I'll make an exception for you."
"To cross blades with you makes my journey to the Central Plains worthwhile. For 'Rainbow Pierces the Sun' to face the 'Zhanlu' in your hand does not disgrace this weapon's lifelong reputation."
He had been standing aside all along, yet he had already recognized the long sword in Zhan Ri Fei's hand.
"When I kill, I only use one move. I'd like to see if you can withstand three of my strikes."
He grinned viciously.
"Because under my Cold Water Blade Technique, no one can rely on tricks."
As his words fell, his attack was unleashed!
The blade's momentum seemed extremely slow.
The Sun Wielder gripped his blade with both hands, raising it skyward like a thunderclap in drought. Man and blade became one, the force sharp and immense, overwhelmingly powerful. A twisting energy, spiraling in harmony with the blade's momentum, instantly filled the heavens and the earth.
Zhan Ri Fei's expression actually changed slightly. The Sun Wielder's blade momentum appeared extremely slow, but it turned out to be three strikes launched simultaneously!
Under the surging blade force, it sealed off the sky and earth. The three strikes rose and fell like waves, vast and unstoppable, leaving no room to evade. Zhan Ri Fei especially could not retreat.
Behind him was that frail boy.
Faced with such blade momentum, how would he counter?
With a "shredding" sound, the collar of the boy standing behind Zhan Ri Fei split. The powerful blade wind had already sent him stumbling backward, crushing him until he could barely breathe. His small frame seemed like a lone boat about to capsize in the storm.
The icy sharpness felt as if it had pierced his skin, raising goosebumps all over his body. The Sun Wielder's sharp internal force made his eyes feel as if pricked by thorns, and he could no longer keep them open!
In his daze, he only vaguely saw a flash of icy light rise from Zhan Ri Fei's hand.
The boy had never imagined that there could be a light in the color of ice in this world, and that this light could be so dazzling.
Blade and sword finally clashed!
It was a clear, resonant sound, like that of an icy, snowy wilderness.
Yet the sound was also strangely stifling.
Shaken by this not-so-loud clash, the boy spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. His chest felt as if struck by a heavy hammer, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted.
At the moment he lost consciousness, a hand had already grasped his arm.
In that instant, he only felt that the hand was indescribably cold.
(V)
After an unknown length of time, the boy finally woke up. His head still throbbed with splitting pain.
The boy quickly realized that his own arm was being held in Zhan Ri Fei's left hand. His hand was icy cold.
Zhan Ri Fei still stood in front of him. His sword, however, was pointing at the ground.
The man in blue still stood opposite him. His blade had not been sheathed either and was also pointing downward.
These two men seemed as if they had never moved.
The only thing that had changed was that his Zhanlu and the other's Rainbow Pierces the Sun were both drawn and not returned to their scabbards.
——Had the two of them already decided the victor?
——If the outcome was already decided, why were the blade and sword still not sheathed?
The boy's eyes swept over, only then realizing everything was tinged with a pale red. Lifting his sleeve to wipe his face, he saw that the sleeve was stained with blood. The color was pale red, likely diluted by the rain.
Only, within the bloodstain on his sleeve, there was a faint trace of black. A deathly black.
This was not his blood.—If it wasn't his own blood, then whose could it be?
The boy seemed to realize something, his expression shifting abruptly.
Just then, he heard someone snort coldly.
That snort was like a ghost’s wail heard while walking through a graveyard.
It was the blue-robed man opposite him who had snorted coldly.
His voice remained calm, yet it still sent chills down one’s spine.
“I never expected you to be gravely injured and still dare to block my ‘Thousand-Jin Dragon-Slaying Twist’!”
As he spoke, he suddenly felt something was wrong. His internal energy surged violently like raging waves, as if his words had triggered an immediate, massive tremor throughout his entire body.
He gasped sharply, stumbling backward one step, then another.
He was utterly shocked! The "Thousand-Jin Dragon-Slaying Twist" was his ultimate technique—the moment it clashed with an opponent’s internal energy, it transformed into countless icy shards that twisted into the enemy’s body. Yet, he never expected that during their earlier clash of internal forces, he himself had been injured!
Zhan Ri Fei’s body remained rigidly upright in the rain. The misty downpour had already soaked him completely. Blood continued to flow from his nose, mouth, and back, only to be diluted and washed away by the rain.
But his hand still tightly gripped the boy’s hand. His body still shielded the boy.
The boy could feel his hand gradually turning as cold as ice.
Was it because of the chilly, rainy night, or because the person holding his hand was on the verge of death?
The Moon-Grasping Envoy opposite him could not sense this.
Perhaps, from Zhan Ri Fei’s calm and composed expression, the blue-robed man could detect no flaw whatsoever.
“Even injured, I can still defeat you,” Zhan Ri Fei said, word by word. “Let’s go again. I’ll take your ‘Thousand-Jin Dragon-Slaying Twist’ once more!”
No one could withstand his "Thousand-Jin Dragon-Slaying Twist."
The "Thousand-Jin Dragon-Slaying Twist" combined three moves into one stance. In all the world, he could think of no other technique that surpassed its sheer, overwhelming force.
Yet this black-robed youth, already severely wounded, actually dared to face the "Thousand-Jin Dragon-Slaying Twist" again. Was his body made of iron?
For the first time, a human emotion surfaced in the Moon-Grasping Envoy’s deathly eyes—it was actually fear.
Zhan Ri Fei looked at him, and a human emotion also flickered in his eyes—it was actually a trace of mockery.
Who could say that the locked gazes of these two were not another form of confrontation?
In the end, the blue-robed man lacked the courage to unleash the "Thousand-Jin Dragon-Slaying Twist" a second time.
Nor did he have the strength to do so.
His internal energy churned violently, battering his organs, repeatedly threatening to make him vomit.
He had no choice but to retreat, taking the Moon-Grasping Envoy with him.
To retreat meant defeat.
Members of the Cold Water Palace had never seemed to retreat before an enemy—just as his "Thousand-Jin Dragon-Slaying Twist" had never been used a second time.
Only, he didn’t know if he could ever unleash his "Thousand-Jin Dragon-Slaying Twist" again; just as he couldn’t be certain whether Zhan Ri Fei would truly be unable to withstand a second strike.
And his own injuries could no longer be delayed—the Moon-Grasping Envoy’s injuries even less so.
He had no choice but to leave.
All members of the Cold Water Palace underwent rigorous training and knew how to weigh gains and losses. As the Moon-Grasping Envoy, he understood this better than anyone.
Sullenly, he left behind only one sentence before departing—a sentence forced through gritted teeth."I will come back to find you."
Watching his figure disappear into the rain and mist, Zhan Ri Fei let out a soft sigh.
He could no longer hold on and collapsed to the ground, unable to get up for a while.
His back was already drenched in blood, clearly from forcibly breaking free of "Chang Xiang Si" earlier? A segment of the "Chang Xiang Si," forged from heavenly silk, remained embedded in his back, which was why the boy had broken free from his grasp with just a slight struggle.
The boy's expression had turned indescribably cold. He did not move, merely watching Zhan Ri Fei's struggle with detached indifference.
Although Zhan Ri Fei had fought against two opponents to save him, not a trace of gratitude or concern could be seen in the boy's narrow, youthful eyes—only contempt.
Finally, the boy crouched down and gently extended a finger to Zhan Ri Fei's back. His finger was instantly stained with Zhan Ri Fei's blood.
Slowly, he brought the finger to his lips and tasted it.
As if confirming his thoughts, a faint, careless sneer appeared on his thin, freckled face.
Zhan Ri Fei, lying on the ground, could not see his expression or hear his movements.
He was still struggling to get up.
—Because he had something he absolutely had to say to this boy.
The boy, who had been crouching nearby, stood up and prepared to leave when he suddenly heard the man on the ground whisper, "You—why aren't you leaving yet? Don't—don't let them catch you again. They weren't badly injured; they will come back."
He had been about to leave, but upon hearing Zhan Ri Fei's words, he paused, a flicker of hesitation crossing his brow.
After what felt like an eternity, Zhan Ri Fei finally managed to struggle into a sitting position.
Lifting his head, he saw the boy still standing there, motionless.
His tone carried a hint of sternness.
"Why haven't you left yet?"
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