Chapter 311: Assassination

The middle-aged man slowly emerged from the shadows of the trees, grasping the hilt of his sword. He held the hilt downward, swaying it left and right, looking less like a swordsman and more like a mischievous child with a rattle-drum. When he came into view, Ma Xuan, the pipa woman, Smiling Face, Zanhualang Zhou Shi, and the Demonic Sect's Crow Child all changed their expressions.

The man didn't look at these renowned experts of the Jianghu, but smiled at the young man who seemed to be of the same path, "You think too much. You don't have that much influence. In the hundred years of this Jianghu, perhaps only Ding Ying is qualified. You..."

He raised a free hand, shaking his finger, "Not yet."

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the man thrust his long sword into the ground, his palm resting on the hilt, his manner lazy. He chuckled at the two groups, "Don't just stand there, continue. If you really can't kill him, I won't mind stepping in. Don't worry, my sword today is only for that young man, I guarantee I won't accidentally hurt you."

Ma Xuan spat out a mouthful of blood-tinged saliva, laughing wildly, "I never thought I'd have the chance to have Sword Immortal Lu overseeing the battle. This trip to the Nanyuan Kingdom's capital wasn't for nothing. No matter the outcome, whenever the Jianghu talks about this great battle, they won't be able to avoid 'Ma Xuan'! I can go all out!"

Ma Xuan slightly bent over, his back arched. A tattoo of a tiger descending the mountain appeared, spreading from his shoulder to his arm, its aura astonishing.

Not only that, but on his high, bulging back, there was also a painting resembling a door god, a green-robed, long-bearded man holding a long saber, his eyes closed, resting the blade on the ground, emitting a dense, frigid aura, even more shocking than the tiger descending the mountain on his shoulder.

Smiling Face, perched on the wall, grinned even wider, twirling a blade of grass he had plucked from somewhere between his fingers, chewing it lightly.

Zanhualang Zhou Shi whispered to Crow Child beside him, "Clearly, Ma Xuan also had some lucky encounters, gaining some scraps of opportunity. My father said this is called the 'Art of Summoning Gods'. During the Jiazi Covenant three hundred years ago, someone relied on this to slaughter enemies outside the Great Wall, chasing two thousand elite steppe cavalry and killing them all."

Seeing the pipa woman's darkened eyes, the burly man, whose aura was rising steadily, chuckled, "If I didn't have some new skills, how would I dare wade into this muddy water? Do you really think I care about that little bit of gold?"

The woman said coldly, "I only came for the gold. This money is clean."

Ma Xuan sneered, "What's wrong? Could it be that you've really taken a fancy to that poor scholar? How many scholars have no sense of shame? If he knew your past deeds, he'd regret it so much that his intestines would turn green, and he'd have to curse you as worse than a prostitute, wouldn't he? He wouldn't be wrong, from head to toe, what part of you is clean? Hurry up and get lost. When you marry that poor scholar, I'll be sure to reward you with five hundred taels of gold, as a payment for services rendered."

Zhou Shi laughed, "Speaking of bedfellows, is it true affection?"

The woman, holding the pipa and wearing fake nails, showed a hint of hesitation.

Smiling Face suddenly said, "Marriage? Before I came here, I chatted with a scholar named Jiang, we had a pleasant conversation, and he told me many interesting stories of the Jianghu, including some stories about the pipa concubine. The scholar must have been driven mad by reading, and only said how could there be such a shameless, wanton woman in the world? He never even thought that the pipa concubine was the woman he shared a pillow with. Alas, since he's a fool, then it seems this marriage can still happen."

The woman's expression was grief-stricken, then became resolute.

Chen Ping An had been watching and listening attentively, without the slightest impatience.

Not only because he was surrounded on the street, but also because Feijian Fifteen seemed to have fallen into the state of being imprisoned by the well-shaped talisman array again, back at the house.

That swaggering man with the sword was the third "Near the Dao" martial artist Chen Ping An had seen. The previous two were the old man with the silver lotus crown and Fan Wan'er. However, the man before him had a martial arts cultivation that was much higher than Fan Wan'er's. From what he could see, the difference between him and the old man surnamed Ding wasn't too great.

But even Ma Xuan had hidden abilities, so this Jianghu was obviously not as shallow as he had imagined.

If what was inside the sword gourd was Fangcunwu Fifteen, instead of Chuyi, the situation would be better, but what was done was done, thinking about it was useless.

Truly, he was beset on all sides.

Zhou Shi smiled slightly, "Miss Crow Child, I trouble you."

The woman with the wooden clogs said helplessly, "Grandmaster has spoken, how dare I be lazy? But you must remember to save me."

The Zanhualang nodded, "Destroying a flower is the most tragic thing in the world. I, Zhou Shi, will never disappoint Miss Crow Child."

The Smiling Face with the stiff face threw away the grass and stood up, stretching his limbs, then rubbed his cheeks with both hands, revealing a sincere smile that was no longer rigid, "I want to personally weigh the谪仙人 (Di Xian Ren – a poetic term for a transcendent, almost immortal figure) weight."

Lu Fang cried out, laughing as he reminded, "A battle is at hand, and you're still thinking about those things? A Dong Qingqing who's been hiding, a Feng Qingbai who's been moving straight forward, and you, muddled and unaware, are nothing. Each of you has your own way of life, but you're just the unluckiest. I know you've been deliberately hiding your strength, be careful not to get burned."

Ma Xuan had already brought his momentum to the highest point of his martial arts career, so there was no reason to delay.

The resentment and affection for that pipa woman might not be false, but taking the opportunity to build momentum and fight with all his strength was even truer.

The tiger descending the mountain was like a living creature, its body trembling, bringing a burst of golden light on Ma Xuan's shoulder and arm. When Ma Xuan clenched his left fist, golden light seeped between his fingers.

He took one step, instantly arriving in front of Chen Ping An. He threw a punch, causing a sound of wind and thunder to shake the air.

Chen Ping An did not retreat but advanced, tilting his head, bending half his waist, leaning his shoulder against the man. At the same time, his right hand pressed against the other man's knee, and he used the force of the lean to throw Ma Xuan seven or eight zhang (approximately 23-26 meters). Ma Xuan staggered a few steps, each step creating a pit on the street, before he stopped.

The sound of a pipa rang out, two bright silver threads drawing arcs from both sides of Ma Xuan, attacking Chen Ping An directly.

Ma Xuan stepped heavily, charging forward again.

Chen Ping An's figure flickered and disappeared, dodging the attack of the strings. Besides his extremely agile movements, he also seemed to be suddenly pulled forward by something, so fast that it defied reason.

Lu Fang's eyes lit up, and he shouted loudly, "Ma Xuan, watch out in front!"

Ma Xuan suddenly stopped, causing two furrows to be plowed into the street. He stamped his feet heavily, blocking with his arms in front of him.Indeed, a blow of inconceivable force struck his arm. Ma Xuan roared, and the painted image on his back, a scholarly general with a long beard, green robes, and a drawn saber, suddenly opened its eyes.

"Die!" Ma Xuan tilted back slightly, took a step forward, and swung his arm in a punch, his entire golden-glowing limb drawing a golden arc in the air.

In the eyes of the Smiling Face, he saw only a figure in snow-white robes, one hand pressing down on Ma Xuan's fist, gently guiding it downward. The figure then rose from the ground, soaring over Ma Xuan's head, and planted a foot on the back of Ma Xuan's skull. He leaped towards the woman lurking in the rear. Seeing the danger, the pipa woman's fingers danced across the strings, weaving a web of emerald light between them.

Suddenly, Chen Pingan frowned and changed direction in an instant, abandoning the pipa woman and leaping towards his left.

It was the sinister Smiling Face.

Leaving aside Lu Fang.

Among the two groups who had shown themselves, Chen Pingan was most wary of this strange man.

The Smiling Face chuckled, "They say pick the softest persimmon, but you're different."

He spread his arms and fell forward, stiff as a board.

In the next moment, the Smiling Face vanished.

Chen Pingan twisted in mid-air, reaching out to grab the Smiling Face who had inexplicably appeared behind him. The Smiling Face silently kicked towards the back of Chen Pingan's head.

Chen Pingan's hand closed on empty air.

It was practically a shrinking earth talisman.

The Smiling Face reappeared behind him, even more ghostlike than before. This time, he curled his body, spread his arms, and struck at Chen Pingan's temples with both fists.

Chen Pingan was about to react.

Lu Fang's words came a step ahead, generously spoken for the Smiling Face's benefit, "Be careful, he's about to exert his strength."

The Smiling Face hesitated, then abandoned the excellent opportunity to crush Chen Pingan's skull, instantly standing on the bluestone street.

Chen Pingan had practically exchanged places with the Smiling Face. The latter was now on the street, while Chen Pingan stood atop the wall.

Glancing at the sword-wielding man who had twice ruined his plans, Chen Pingan asked, "Why don't you just attack?"

Lu Fang lightly patted the hilt of his sword, cheerfully saying, "Joining forces with so many people to besiege a junior, it wouldn't be good for my reputation."

Chen Pingan remained silent.

Within the Sword Nourishing Gourd, all was lifeless, as if the once-open wine gourd had been stoppered, no longer emitting even a trace of fragrance.

Chu Yi was like a mud ox entering the sea, vanished without a trace, its connection to Chen Pingan severed.

Not only that, the golden *Jinli* robe he wore had also lost its effectiveness.

However, losing the *Jinli* robe meant that Chen Pingan had lost his capital to ignore weapon attacks. But there was one upside: without the restraint of the *Jinli* robe's spiritual energy flow, Chen Pingan was like removing the true Qi talisman that Old Yang had given him. His movements were no longer bound, and his punches would only be faster.

Chu Yi was lost, Shi Wu was trapped, and the *Jinli* robe had lost its magical power.

In exchange for a satisfying punch.

Punching was about control, knowing when to release and when to hold back.

Chen Pingan had been "holding back" all along.

Because he was filled with doubts about this *jianghu*, and the entire Nan Yuan Kingdom's capital, and the so-called Ten Best in the World.

But even if he couldn't understand, some things still had to be done.

Lu Fang began to pontificate again, "Ma Xuan, don't die on me."

Ma Xuan assumed a boxing stance, both arms now golden. With each breath, he exhaled specks of golden light.

The Martial Saint with the long beard and green robes behind him became even more lifelike after opening his eyes. A bead of snow-white light appeared at the tip of the saber, scattering into countless strands that permeated his body. Soon, Ma Xuan's eyes glowed with a faint silver light.

The burly man, resembling a guardian deity in a temple hall, grinned and said, "This Invincible Golden Body was originally meant to test the National Preceptor Zhong's number one hand in the world. Boy, you're ruthless. Come, come, come, just hit me, I won't even furrow my brow if you do..."

"Alright."

Chen Pingan shot off.

Everyone's vision was deceived. The entire street seemed to sink a few feet under the force of his step.

A punch with no reservation, a Cavalry Charge formation, slammed into Ma Xuan's chest.

The image of the Martial Saint with the long beard and green robes on his back shattered instantly.

Ma Xuan's burly body flew backward.

Chen Pingan followed like a shadow.

Another punch struck, and Ma Xuan's body was twisted into a bow. This time, Chen Pingan's punch changed its angle slightly, causing Ma Xuan to collide with his companion behind him.

"Lu Fang, save me!"

The pipa woman's expression changed drastically. After crying out in alarm, she didn't resign herself to fate. As befitting a first-rate expert, she didn't retreat or dodge to the sides. She tapped her toes, darted forward, and tried to hide behind Ma Xuan, who possessed an Invincible Golden Body, thinking that he couldn't possibly punch through Ma Xuan's body.

As long as Chen Pingan faltered slightly, she believed Lu Fang would draw his sword.

Chen Pingan seemed to see through the pipa woman's intentions. His third punch struck Ma Xuan's abdomen again.

The golden body was not only shattered by the vibrations, but Ma Xuan's originally faint silver eyes immediately turned blood red, filled with horrifying blood vessels.

Ma Xuan's back collided violently with the pipa woman, who had outsmarted herself.

The collision caused the pipa strings to vibrate wildly. After spitting out a mouthful of blood, the woman kicked out with both feet, floating backwards, landing lightly.

It was still too slow.

Chen Pingan punched through the pipa in the woman's arms, hitting her abdomen hard. He swung his arm in a half-circle, and the woman, along with the shattered pipa, was carried and twisted in the air by the force of the punch. Then, she slammed into a nearby wall. Her plump body almost completely submerged into the wall. Her life or death was unknown. The pipa fell to the ground with a thud.

Lu Fang smiled in the distance, still not drawing his sword.

Even though that person seemed to regard him as a true enemy.

He lazily spoke again, "Smiling Face, remember, don't be fooled by his current punching speed. He can be even faster. Try to avoid getting close to him. Throwing weapons, poisons, anything, you might as well give it a try."

Lu Fang feigned realization, "Oh, right, the people he really wants to kill are Miss Ya'er and Young Master Zhou."

Shaken by Chen Pingan's fist techniques, the demonic woman Ya'er no longer had any desire to join the fray, even if it meant being held accountable by the old leader afterwards. It was better than ending up like Ma Xuan right now.

Zhou Shi had already made plans to watch from the sidelines.

As a result of Lu Fang's words, both of them were terrified.

Sure enough, Chen Pingan made a sideways movement.

The person he was facing was Ya'er, who was wearing wooden clogs.

She was about to react when her eyes suddenly widened, her face filled with pain.The wall behind her exploded without warning, revealing an extremely slender longsword. The assassin gripped the sword with both hands, moving as swift as lightning.

The sword tip pierced through the woman's back. The assassin, with both hands still on the sword, pressed against her back, continued to rush forward, pushing the poor woman along.

The woman appeared to have sprouted a three-foot unsheathed sword from her abdomen.

The sword tip aimed directly at Chen Ping'an.

It pointed straight at his Middle Court.

The Middle Court acupoint, also known as the Dragon's Chin, was located on the central line of Chen Ping'an's body.

Lu Fang quietly grasped the sword hilt.

But quickly released it.

At the critical moment, Chen Ping'an vanished into thin air.

He had used his last Inch-Square Talisman.

The assassin released one hand from the sword, pressed the woman's head forward, and shoved her mightily. Her delicate body slid off the sword and fell to the ground several yards away. Her back twitched slightly, suggesting she was vomiting blood. A pool of crimson soaked through the back of her clothes. The woman struggled, attempting to turn over, but her elbow barely bent before she crashed back onto the street.

The assassin, a young man with bare feet and rolled-up sleeves, turned to look at Chen Ping'an, who was catching his breath. He grinned, saying, "I heard there's a magical treasure to be had if you kill you, so I came."

He conjured a dazzling sword flourish. "My name is Feng Qingbai, a sword cultivator. Making it into the top ten earns me a share, and with your head, I'll be rolling in riches!"

Feng Qingbai added ruefully, "Too bad I couldn't kill you with a single strike. In a head-on fight, you might be too much for me. No matter, I can coordinate with Lu Fang. He's the only one here with the aptitude of a Sword Immortal; he's definitely going back."

Ma Xuan, who only knew a half-baked version of Spirit Invocation, had his golden body shattered.

The pipa-playing woman embedded in the wall remained motionless, with the intermittent sound of falling rubble nearby.

A notorious demonic enchantress who had secretly supported the dragon for years lay in a pool of blood, her wooden clogs and snow-white feet a stark contrast.

But there was still Lu Fang, the self-proclaimed sword cultivator Feng Qingbai, the smiling Zhou Shi, the flower-adorning playboy.

The gaunt little girl huddled on a small stool, muttering to herself, "One punch after another, smash their dog heads! Then I can strip them of their clothes and boots, they look like they're worth a lot of silver."

The little girl looked at the woman's miserable state in the distance, especially at her wooden clogs, and couldn't help but stare. She thought, "Dressed so flamboyantly, no wonder she died so quickly."

Chen Ping'an clenched his fists, then released them, repeating the action several times.

After practicing martial arts for so long, it was time to let loose.

On the peak of Mount Guniu, Nation Teacher Zhong Qiu of the Southern Garden Kingdom wore a solemn expression, unsure of what he was hearing. He asked in a deep voice, "Is it truly so? Slaying that person not only grants a new spot, but also three blessings? Why is this happening? According to the secret histories of various nations and the confidential records of the Tower of Awe, such a situation has never occurred in the past as each sixty-year cycle approached. Could it be Ding Ying's trickery?"

Yu Zhenyi, who appeared to be a pure and innocent child, was meticulously carving a jade bamboo fan rib. He caressed it carefully, like a passionate lover tending to his beloved woman's skin. He didn't answer Zhong Qiu's question, but instead stared intently at the minute patterns on the bamboo branch. Fine beads of sweat trickled down his forehead, which was utterly illogical for Yu Zhenyi, whose martial arts realm had already returned to simplicity.

As the grandmaster second only to Ding Ying, Yu Zhenyi was immune to heat and cold. Moreover, it was rumored that in his twilight years, he obtained a secret manual from an immortal and comprehended the will of heaven for decades. He was proficient in spells, and some even claimed to have witnessed him soaring through the clouds and riding cranes. It was at this time that Yu Zhenyi's physical appearance gradually transformed from that of an elderly man with white hair into a robust middle-aged man, then a youth, and finally into the child he was now.

After ten years of secluded meditation, he successfully emerged, finally achieving harmony with the heavens. The world yearned for Yu Zhenyi, the righteous leader, to fight Ding Ying, preferably killing him. This would bring peace and stability, allowing the emperors to sleep soundly without fear of having their heads severed in their dreams, and freeing the grandmasters of both righteous and demonic sects from living in fear. Even the demonic overlords wished that this eccentric old ancestor would either die quickly or ascend to immortality as legends foretold. In short, he shouldn't linger in the mortal realm. Eighty years was enough; it was time for someone else to take the throne.

Besides Yu Zhenyi and Zhong Qiu, these two men who were both friends and foes, there was also a stunning woman on the peak of Mount Guniu, wearing a dignified Yi garment. The Yi garment was deep azure, the Southern Garden Kingdom Empress's formal attire, worn only during grand ceremonies such as court assemblies and ancestral temple visits. Since there was a Southern Garden Kingdom Nation Teacher who adhered to protocol so strictly, the woman could only be Zhou Shuzhen, the Southern Garden Kingdom Empress.

She had another secret identity: the current Mistress of the Tower of Awe, responsible for ranking the world's experts every twenty years.

Chun Chao Palace’s Zhou Fei had long coveted Empress Zhou's beauty. Zhou Shi, the flower-adorning playboy, had openly stated in the White River Temple's main hall that if not for Zhong Qiu guarding the palace, his father Zhou Fei would have already stormed the palace to seize her.

Yu Zhenyi put down the jade bamboo, raised his arm to wipe the sweat from his forehead, and gently exhaled a puff of turbid air. It lingered around his child-like face like swirling mist. He first answered Zhong Qiu's question, "It should be true. But Ding Ying's mind is unfathomable. Compared to joining forces to slay that suddenly appearing young swordsman, Ding Ying's gambits deserve our caution."

Yu Zhenyi emphasized, "I'm worried about the situation in Champion Lane. Nation Teacher Zhong, you should personally keep an eye on it."

He addressed him as Nation Teacher Zhong.

It seemed their relationship was indeed strained.

Zhong Qiu frowned, "The ambush in Champion Lane has Ding Ying sitting guard, and Lu Fang brought his sword. What's there to worry about?"

Yu Zhenyi shook his head, "I don't trust Ding Ying, nor do I trust Lu Fang."

Zhong Qiu's expression darkened slightly. "Lu Fang is upright and honorable. Why wouldn't you trust him? Just because he and that swordsman are of the same ilk?"

The number one righteous figure in the world, the sect leader of Lake Mountain, the imperial tutor of Pine Ripple, the old immortal in the eyes of the world, had always been like this. Although he acted with integrity, he had a deep-seated sense of alienation and indifference. The closer one got to him, the more one felt it.

Yu Zhenyi said calmly, "If you're not going, I'll go then."

Zhong Qiu snorted coldly, not even glancing at Empress Zhou. He flew towards the foot of the mountain like a falcon.

He turned into a black dot, rising and falling a few times near the foot of the mountain, quickly disappearing from Mount Guniu.Empress Zhou sighed, "Even someone as mighty as Zhong Qiu could not achieve the legendary immortal feat of riding the wind as described in ancient texts. What about you, Yu Zhenyi? Have you reached that stage now?"

Yu Zhenyi remained silent.

Zhou Shuzhen chuckled, "Even if it's not soaring upon clouds, it still looks incredibly graceful and unrestrained."

When she was still a young maiden, in the bustling marketplace of a foreign kingdom, she first laid eyes on Zhong Qiu and Yu Zhenyi. The former was brimming with undisguised brilliance, the latter possessed a restrained, inner radiance, yet both filled her with awe.

Yu Zhenyi rose to his feet. His height barely reached Empress Zhou's chest, yet as he stood, Zhou Shuzhen felt as if she had been relegated to the foot of a mountain, forced to gaze upwards at the towering figure atop the peak.

Yu Zhenyi inquired, "The ten individuals chosen to represent the world, is that absolutely confirmed?"

Zhou Shuzhen nodded, "It is completely certain."

She couldn't help but lament, "It resembles a grand examination of officials by the imperial court, just far more brutal."

Yu Zhenyi clasped his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance with a desolate air.

The deeply hidden Empress of the Nan Yuan Kingdom posed a question, "Where is Tong Qingqing hiding, exactly?"

Yu Zhenyi paused for a moment before replying, "Presumably, only Ding Ying knows that."

Zhou Shuzhen turned her head, looking towards the lofty, godlike figure, "What is Ding Ying's true level of martial cultivation?"

Yu Zhenyi uttered an enigmatic response, "I wonder if even I know."