One-armed Swordsman

"Clang!"

The sword slid back into its sheath with a crisp metallic ring.

"Sigh!"

Ye Xiaofan gave a wry smile and shook his head. After cultivating his Sword Drawing Technique to Proficient (4000/4000), no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break through to the Minor Accomplishment realm.

"It seems I need to learn other sword techniques to integrate or simplify it before I can reach Minor Accomplishment."

"Still short on money."

Glancing at the time, Ye Xiaofan washed up, ate breakfast, and headed to the Demon Suppression Division. He found that Luo Ming still hadn't returned. After signing in, he left.

Since he couldn't advance his Sword Drawing Technique, Ye Xiaofan didn't go home. Instead, he wandered the streets.

"There are more and more beggars in the city. It looks like the demonic creature menace outside the city is getting more serious."

"I need to get money and get stronger quickly."

Ye Xiaofan couldn't help but sigh.

In the past, the beggars on the street were all old and frail, and there were only a few of them. Now, there were beggars of all ages, with several begging every few dozen meters.

In a world like this, the only way to survive better was to constantly become stronger.

Black Tiger Gang, External Affairs Hall.

Wang Meng, with a scar on his face, sat in the main seat with his eyes closed, pretending to doze.

A knock came from the door.

Wang Meng opened his eyes and said in a low voice, "Enter."

Upon seeing the person who entered, Wang Meng leaned forward slightly.

"How is it?"

"Reporting to the Hall Master, we've investigated thoroughly. The mysterious person who came to find you last night eventually entered the Sun Family. Their specific identity couldn't be ascertained.

Furthermore, the target of the mysterious person's assassination, Ye Xiaofan, is the orphan of Ye Tianhe, a General Banner Officer of the Demon Suppression Division.

His talent is peerless; he broke through to the Body Refinement First Layer after only three to four days of cultivation and easily defeated Sun Zhigao, who was at the Body Refining Third Level, despite the level difference."

After the person finished speaking, they stood in place and waited.

"The Sun Family, Ye Tianhe's son, peerless talent. Interesting."

Wang Meng revealed a strange smile, which pulled at the scar on his face, making him look particularly ferocious.

"You may go now."

"Yes, Hall Master."

He waved his subordinate away and fell into thought, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the armrest of his chair.

The reward offered by the other party for his services was substantial, making it difficult to refuse.

However, involving the Sun Family and the Demon Suppressing Guards meant he had to be careful and cautious.

"It seems Gou Congxin was killed by Ye Xiaofan. I need to inform the Gang Leader about this."

Outsiders might not know, but as a Hall Master of the Black Tiger Gang, he knew that the current Gang Leader had replaced the old one with the support of the Sun Family behind him.

Now, someone from the Sun Family wanted to kill someone and came to him instead of the Gang Leader. This was putting him on the spot.

It was a death sentence!

Black Tiger Gang Headquarters.

"Hall Master Wang, you've come at just the right time. I've just received a batch of aged fine wine. Come and try it."

The Black Tiger Gang Leader, Zhang Dahu, was dressed like a scholar, holding a landscape fan, with a refined appearance and a constant smile on his face.

If someone unfamiliar saw Zhang Dahu, they would mistake him for a scholar who couldn't even lift a chicken.

Only the high-ranking members of the Black Tiger Gang knew that beneath Zhang Dahu's smile lay a suspicious, sinister, and unpredictable nature.

No one in the entire Black Tiger Gang dared to defy his will.

"Thank you, Gang Leader."

Wang Meng didn't like alcohol and preferred the path of Cao Mengde, but he couldn't refuse Zhang Dahu's invitation. He had no choice but to set aside his concerns and drink with Zhang Dahu.

After a few rounds of drinks, Wang Meng was already a bit tipsy, and the scar on his face looked even more ferocious.

Zhang Dahu took a silk cloth from a maidservant to wipe his mouth. He unfurled his fan with a 'swish' and said gently, "Hall Master Wang, what did you want to see me about?"

Hearing this, Wang Meng circulated his Qi and Blood, and the drunkenness immediately dissipated. He quickly stood up, bowed, and explained that someone from the Sun Family had approached him to buy Ye Xiaofan's life.

Zhang Dahu fanned himself, tapping the table rhythmically with one hand.

Time ticked by, and Wang Meng remained in his bowed posture, not daring to move.

"Take these five Qi and Blood Pills and 1000 taels of silver. You don't need to worry about the rest. You may go."

'Swish!'

Zhang Dahu put away his fan, his tone calm and unreadable.

"Thank you, Gang Leader. My subordinates will take their leave."

Wang Meng secretly breathed a sigh of relief. After saying his thanks, he retreated and left.

"The Sun family wants someone killed and they didn't come to me, but instead found Wang Meng. Interesting, are they trying to warn me?"

Zhang Dahu picked up his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp. A smile played on his lips, but his pupils were like a venomous snake watching Wang Meng's retreating back.

"Unfortunately, I'm not the person I used to be."

Zhang Dahu crushed the cup in his hand into powder, then opened his fan and walked out of the room, fanning himself.

The Sun family wanted to warn him, but couldn't he use this opportunity to test Sun Wude's reaction?

A moment later, Zhang Dahu arrived at a quiet courtyard.

Inside the courtyard, a one-armed swordsman was continuously practicing his sword strokes, holding a sword that was only half its original length.

Zhang Dahu's arrival did not seem to affect the one-armed swordsman, who remained focused on his practice as if he hadn't noticed.

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"Tonight, help me capture someone. Alive."

Zhang Dahu watched for a while, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

"Who?"

The one-armed swordsman continued his practice.

"Ye Tianhe's son, Ye Xiaofan."

Upon hearing Ye Tianhe's name, the one-armed swordsman's movements paused slightly. After a moment of silence, he replied, "Fine. After this is done, we'll be even."

A crescent moon hung crookedly in the starry sky.

A gentle breeze blew, and pink snowflakes danced wildly in the quiet courtyard.

In the pavilion, Ye Xiaofan held a wine pot, gazing blankly at the crescent moon through the swirling pink snow.

After an unknown amount of time, the sound of light footsteps startled Ye Xiaofan.

A one-armed man with a sword at his waist appeared in the courtyard.

Ye Xiaofan's pupils constricted, his body tensed. He grabbed the long sword on the stone table and sprang up, staring sternly at the newcomer.

The one-armed man's Qi and Blood fluctuations were not apparent, making him seem like an ordinary person. Yet, his presence exuded an extreme sense of danger.

It was like being targeted by a tiger hidden in the shadows.

"Beautiful!"

The one-armed man extended his remaining arm, watching as a petal landed in his palm.

"Who are you?"

Ye Xiaofan was already prepared to flee.

"I forgot. You can call me One-armed Blade."

The one-armed man clenched his fist tightly, then loosened it, watching the now-decayed petals fall through his fingers.

"You look a lot like Ye Tianhe. I owe someone a favor. Come with me, I don't want to fight."

Ye Xiaofan narrowed his eyes and casually asked, "Who sent you to catch me?"

The one-armed man looked up at Ye Xiaofan, revealing a pair of incredibly ancient eyes.

"Black Tiger Gang's Zhang Dahu."

The one-armed man walked towards the pavilion step by step.

At that moment, the falling petals seemed to pause for a breath.

Ye Xiaofan was also taken aback. He hadn't expected the other party to reveal it so readily.

"Heh, if you want to catch me, let's see if you have the ability."

In the darkness, the one-armed man's lips twitched, as if revealing a mocking smile.

As the two grew closer, Ye Xiaofan suddenly kicked the stone table towards the one-armed man and drew his sword, aiming straight for his chest.

The one-armed man didn't hesitate. Using his palm as a blade, a bloody blade energy split the stone table in half and simultaneously blocked the attacking sword.

Ye Xiaofan's heart trembled.

Releasing his blood energy, he was at least a master of Body Refinement Fourth Layer or above.

Impossible to fight head-on!

Ye Xiaofan immediately lost any intention of engaging.

Wind God Steps!

His figure flashed like the wind across the air, covering three zhang with a single step. He lightly touched the wall and soared into the air once more.

"As expected of Ye Tianhe's son."

The One-armed Swordsman's eyes shot out two beams of sharp light, clearly astonished by Ye Xiaofan's movement technique.

He immediately stepped forward, also unleashing his movement technique to pursue Ye Xiaofan.

However, he had dedicated his life to the blade, and his movement technique had only reached the Minor Accomplishment Realm. Relying on his profound cultivation from the Body Refinement Sixth Layer, he continuously closed the distance between them.

Seeing this, Ye Xiaofan frowned slightly.

The One-armed Swordsman's movement technique was average, but his cultivation was deep. It would be impossible for him to escape relying solely on his physical strength to execute the Wind God Steps.

There was a high chance he would be caught before reaching the Demon Suppression Division.

The One-armed Swordsman behind him was getting closer and closer.

He could no longer afford to hold back, even if it meant activating his Qi and Blood and risking a 60% chance of the suppressed poison erupting within him.

Ye Xiaofan pushed his internal Qi and Blood to the limit. His feet seemed to tread on solid ground in mid-air, covering six zhang in just three or two steps.

The One-armed Swordsman watched as Ye Xiaofan's speed doubled, his expression filled with disbelief.

This is the speed a Body Refinement Second Layer cultivator can unleash?

After chasing for a while longer and seeing Ye Xiaofan's figure becoming increasingly blurred, the One-armed Swordsman stopped.

Meanwhile, Seeing that he had escaped the One-armed Swordsman, Ye Xiaofan immediately found a courtyard and flipped into it.

He found an unoccupied room.

As soon as he closed the door, his face instantly turned an unnaturally flushed red, and his Qi and Blood began to surge uncontrollably within him.

His internal organs felt like they were burning with intense heat, and his vitality rapidly drained away.

Immediately after, his throat felt sweet, and he spat out a mouthful of blood with traces of blackness.

"Damn it!"

The residual poison in his body had erupted.

Ye Xiaofan cursed inwardly, sat down cross-legged, and frantically circulated the Withered Wood Meets Spring Technique.