Reflection of the Blood Pupil

"I am but a humble man, and I am none other than Kang Buping, the commander of the Tiger and Wolf Death School." The middle-aged man cupped his hands in greeting.

No wonder his Internal Cultivation was so profound and his palm strikes so powerful. Si Ming recalled that in several direct confrontations, he had not gained much advantage and had been suppressed by the Internal Cultivation each time. He could not help but realize that, in terms of cultivation, his opponent was undoubtedly a top expert below the Spirit Transformation.

"So that's how it is. From the very beginning, your target was me. Even if I hadn't succeeded in stopping your assassination of Yao Bilian, you would have likely taken her hostage to lure me out for negotiations. This is because I have a master who is a Nascent Spirit Transformation. Through me, you can attract the attention of the higher-ups of the Mohist Knight Guard and thus convey important information about the Crimson Eye Society. After all, when it comes to dealing with the world's largest assassin organization, ordinary Mohist Knight Guard are probably too insignificant to have any influence."

At this point, even if Si Ming wasn't good at reasoning, he could belatedly piece together the whole story. Whether it was assassinating Yao Bilian or luring the tiger away from the mountain, it was all just a pretext. The other party never intended to seriously carry out the mission from the beginning; they just wanted to find an opportunity to talk.

Hidden beneath the assassination plot was a deeper and more complex scheme.

Kang Buping smiled upon hearing this, neither confirming nor denying, and simply said, "Now, can you let me leave?"

"I can't guarantee that what you're saying is true, but I can trust you this once. I hope you won't fool me."

Si Ming stepped aside, indicating that he would no longer make a move.

"I wouldn't dare. I actually want to take this opportunity to build some goodwill so I can clean up my act and go straight in the future! Working in the underworld is never a long-term solution; accepting government assistance is the right way out."

Kang Buping bowed slightly, then turned and left.

Before leaving, the young man Si Ming, "Next time, don't even think about breaking my sword again."

"You're welcome to challenge me anytime, but I hope next time you'll show yourself honestly and not resort to sneak attacks."

"I will."

Chapter 271 Blood-Red Eye Reflection

In a dense and secluded tropical rainforest, tranquil pools, rushing streams, and cascading waterfalls are everywhere, while towering trees, entwined vines, and lush flowers and grasses intertwine to form a series of green mazes.

This is the Hide-and-Seek Forest of the southern Nation of Beauty, a typical tropical rainforest climate. The forest teems with life, and rustling sounds can be heard from time to time from between rocks, in the gnarled roots of trees, or in the thickets of grass. Then a plump insect slowly crawls out, or a creature such as a lizard or squirrel darts past alertly.

Deep within the Hide-and-Seek Forest, an ever-present, perpetually shrouded mist, coupled with geomagnetic instability, causes people to completely lose their sense of direction once they enter. Many explorers have risked their lives to prove the danger of this forest; even a Spirit Transformation cultivator who entered never returned. Since then, the Hide-and-Seek Forest has been designated a forbidden area by various countries.

"I really don't understand why you chose such a remote place for the meeting?"

Kang Buping stood at the entrance of the Hide-and-Seek Forest with the young swordsman. Both of them looked travel-worn and somewhat tired, a result of their long journey in a short period of time.

"Because I happened to be meeting someone nearby, it was just on my way."

The speaker was a former member of the Crimson Eye Society, nicknamed Captain. Behind him stood a guard dressed in white linen robes and wearing a straw hat.

The young swordsman complained, "What's convenient for you is a different story for us..."

Kang Buping raised his hand to stop him, saying, "It's just a little longer walk. Consider it practice for our lightness skills, and it also shows our sincerity. Don't complain about such a small thing."

The Captain clapped and said, "A true man knows when to yield and when to stand firm. You truly deserve the title of Kang Buping, the Wave-Subduing Divine Palm behind the Tiger and Wolf Death School. Your magnanimity is something to learn from. There are many martial artists in the world with the same cultivation level as you, but very few can build an internationally renowned organization from scratch, let alone travel to various places and have friends all over the world."

"Actually, I also really want to be a tyrant, to chop up anyone who dares to glare at me and kill their whole family, but unfortunately I don't have that kind of power. I can only be kind to everyone, tolerate everything, bully the weak and fear the strong, and pick on the easy targets." Kang Buping smiled, then steered the conversation back to the main topic, "Following your suggestion, I have already leaked the information to the Mohist Knight Guard."

"That's good. The death knell for the Crimson Eye Society has already tolled. We just need to patiently wait for it to exit the stage."

Kang Buping quipped, "How does it feel to betray your former employer?"

The Captain said solemnly, "To put righteousness above family ties, and to inspire awe! To rid the world of this scourge has unknowingly made me stand up straighter. Perhaps the nations of the Sea Continent should award me a peace medal to commemorate my contributions to maintaining world peace."

This shameless attitude filled Kang Buping with awe. "It seems you are a man capable of great things; the Blood Pupil Society soon become famous throughout the world!"

He continued, "I've contacted many forces that Crimson Eye Society, secretly gathering strength, just waiting for its collapse so we can swarm it, tear it apart, and wipe out the Crimson Eye Society's branches in various locations, giving it no chance to make a comeback."

The Captain scoffed, "A bunch of carrion-eating hyenas. Even foxtail grass has more principles than them. All they do is cheer and kick someone when they're down. The only force in this world capable of destroying the Crimson Eye Society is the Mohist Knight Guard. Even the Chivalry Alliance can't. Their organization is too poor, their discipline is too loose, and they can't mobilize their forces for a war."

The young swordsman couldn't help but say, "Blood Pupil Society also eyeing the idea of eating rotten flesh? Even the names are so similar, isn't it just a way to attract more members to the Crimson Eye Society?"

Kang Buping snapped, "Qiu Lai, shut up!"

The Captain laughed and said, "It's alright. What he said is true. It's not just our Blood Pupil Society that wants to expand its power by swallowing up the Crimson Eye Society. Your side has the same idea. The Sea Continent is only so big, and there are only a few positions left for top-level forces. Only when the Crimson Eye Society falls will we have the opportunity to take its place."

Faced with such a frank answer, the young swordsman could only say, "You are honest, not hypocritical or pretentious."

"Of course, treating others with sincerity is my motto. Communication between people is troublesome enough. Even if both parties tell the truth, misunderstandings are inevitable. To further complicate communication by lying and artificially create barriers is foolish."

Kang Buping praised, "Insightful! It's getting late, I should head back now. I hope to have the opportunity to hear your profound thoughts again next time."

The Captain gave a forced smile and said, "There will be an opportunity."

Kang Buping turned to leave, but found that the young swordsman hadn't followed. He turned back and saw the guard staring at his Captain.

"You also use a sword, no need to hide it. I can sense the Sword Intent emanating from you. Want to have a match?"

Just as Kang Buping was about to reprimand him, he heard the Baiyi guard coldly say, "One move."

The young swordsman's eyes flashed with a sharp light. Before anyone knew it, his sword was drawn, transforming into two beams of light that flashed like lightning, intersecting to form a cross and enveloping his opponent in their light.

This move was originally intended for a combined attack, but he used it all by himself thanks to his Superman swordsmanship.

The Baiyi guard retreated rapidly, but could not escape the shroud of the cross-shaped sword light. Moreover, he only retreated and did not move to either side, so he remained at the intersection of the cross, which was the place where the sword's power was strongest.

The young swordsman sneered inwardly upon seeing this. The best way to break this move was to attack separately before the two sword lights overlapped. Attacking first is the best defense. But now that the sword lights had overlapped, there was no weakness left.

Just as the Baiyi guard was about to be cut into four pieces, a jet-black sword light suddenly appeared from his waist, piercing straight towards the point of intersection, the sword's momentum unstoppable.

The sharp edges of light clashed, the cross-shaped sword light shattered, and the pitch-black sword light swept past the young swordsman's ear with unstoppable force, severing a strand of hair that landed on his shoulder.

"How could this be...?"

The young swordsman stood there, stunned, his face filled with disbelief.

His Cross Shuttle Sword doesn't have the concept of "the strongest point being the weakest point." The point where the cross intersects is indeed the strongest position of this sword technique, and as a result, his opponent used strength to break through his strength.