Life-Taking

Life-Taking

White Cloud Villa?

Lu Zhaojin did not know what faction this was, nor how formidable or powerful it might be. He had merely been thirsty and wanted a bowl of tea before continuing on his journey. How had he run into such an uncalled-for disaster?

The four senior brothers split into two groups, attacking the youth in the bamboo hat and Lu Zhaojin respectively.

Among the four, that senior brother had the highest cultivation, possessing Late Seventh-Rank strength. Of the other three White Cloud Villa disciples, two were early Seventh-Rank and one was mid Seventh-Rank.

They must have fought the youth in the bamboo hat before and known his strength. Thus, the two stronger senior brothers went to deal with the youth, while two early Seventh-Rank junior brothers were sent to ruthlessly kill Lu Zhaojin.

The two senior brothers tangled with the youth in the bamboo hat. Sword shadows layered upon sword shadows, Sword Qi crisscrossed in every direction. Tables, chairs, and the sunshade overhead were all destroyed, while the wooden poles supporting them swayed precariously, on the verge of collapse.

The two junior brothers drew their swords and slashed out several streams of Sword Qi, cutting off every path Lu Zhaojin could have used to retreat.

Lu Zhaojin had not intended to retreat either. At a speed their eyes could not even capture, they only heard the clear ring of a sword leaving its sheath. Then they saw that dazzling streak of white light—and saw nothing more.

A bloody line appeared across their throats. Their bodies went limp, and they collapsed to the ground.

Experience +5000 for killing a Seventh-Rank Martial Artist

Experience +5000 for killing a Seventh-Rank Martial Artist

Experience: 23568

The battle on this side ended in the blink of an eye. The deaths of the two junior brothers startled the two senior brothers still fighting the youth in the bamboo hat. Their eyes widened in utter disbelief. They had never expected Lu Zhaojin to be this powerful—Seventh-Rank Realm martial artists could not withstand even a single sword strike from him.

Seeing him rise and walk toward them, the Late Seventh-Rank senior brother frowned tightly and shouted at Lu Zhaojin, "Brother, I am Zhao Kuo, chief outer disciple of White Cloud Villa. If you leave now, White Cloud Villa will let bygones be bygones."

Lu Zhaojin pointed at the two corpses. "You can let bygones be bygones even after I killed your two junior brothers?"

Zhao Kuo was indeed magnanimous, able to bend and stretch as circumstances demanded. He said boldly, "They attacked you, and you killed them. Their skills were inferior to yours; they have no one else to blame."

With a hint of exasperation at their failure to live up to expectations, he added, "I told them long ago, when they were cultivating, that they needed to be diligent. They would not listen..."

Lu Zhaojin's eyes had truly been opened. Hearing Zhao Kuo speak like this, he almost felt embarrassed to make a move against him. Zhao Kuo had washed his hands clean of all responsibility, instead placing the blame on the two dead men.

If Lu Zhaojin had not clearly heard Zhao Kuo say earlier that no word of this could get out and order others to kill him, he might have suspected his own memories were in disarray.

The youth in the bamboo hat was facing the joint attack of two men, yet his counterattacks did not leave him at a disadvantage. However, that was only because of the famed sword in his hand. His own strength was merely mid Seventh-Rank; it was only a matter of time before he was captured.

But things were different now. Lu Zhaojin had slain two disciples, forcing Zhao Kuo and the other man to guard against him. As a result, they no longer attacked the youth in the bamboo hat with the same all-out force as before.

This gave the youth in the bamboo hat a chance to catch his breath. He was able to calm down, search for openings in his opponents' defenses, and then wound them.

When Zhao Kuo saw his junior brother injured, he knew today's affair had failed.

He alone could still deal with the youth in the bamboo hat, but there was another man standing to the side—neither friend nor foe, an unpredictable variable.

Zhao Kuo had never fought a battle he was not sure of winning. After driving back the youth in the bamboo hat, he took his junior brother and prepared to withdraw.

The youth in the bamboo hat bore a deep grudge against Zhao Kuo—or rather, against White Cloud Villa. How could he possibly be willing to let Zhao Kuo retreat just like that?

A stream of Sword Qi slashed toward the path ahead of Zhao Kuo and the others, blocking their way. Then blades danced through the air, sealing off every route Zhao Kuo could take.

Zhao Kuo had no choice but to release his junior brother and swing his sword to block those blades. Fury surged in his heart as he attacked the youth in the bamboo hat with all his strength.

Clearly, Zhao Kuo's attainments in swordsmanship were somewhat higher than the youth's. Even with a famed sword in hand, the youth was slightly inferior in technique. After only a few exchanges, he nearly suffered a dangerous slash from Zhao Kuo's sword.

However, Sword Qi also cut apart the bamboo hat atop his head, revealing a haggard young face.

The youth knew that he could not kill Zhao Kuo himself. He could only ask Lu Zhaojin to act.

But this was their first meeting. The other man would certainly not act for no reason.

The youth also understood what bargaining chip he possessed. It depended on whether Lu Zhaojin knew its worth. "Young hero, help me kill him, and I can give you the sword manual they seek."

Lu Zhaojin had not acted from the sidelines, not because he was watching a show. He was curious about the sword manual Zhao Kuo wanted to seize from the youth in the bamboo hat. He did not know what it was, but once Zhao Kuo seized it from the youth, he could kill Zhao Kuo afterward all the same.

Now, however, the youth was actually offering the sword manual in exchange for his help. That was somewhat unexpected.

The youth seemed to feel that words alone were not secure enough, so he took a roll of beast hide from a hidden pocket inside his robe and said to Lu Zhaojin, "This is the sword manual they want. It is also an heirloom of my Ye Family."

Lu Zhaojin raised a brow slightly, looking at the youth with faint astonishment.

His surname was Ye?

Zhao Kuo grew somewhat anxious. "Brother, do not listen to his nonsense. This sword manual originally belonged to White Cloud Villa. He plotted to steal it from White Cloud Villa, and I merely obeyed my master's orders to reclaim the villa's sword manual."

The youth's face filled with mockery.

Lu Zhaojin did not care about any of that. He was interested in the sword manual, and he wanted to kill the men as well. Five thousand experience points were desperately needed; he would not let them go so easily.

Lu Zhaojin struck with his sword without warning. There was only a rumble of thunder. Zhao Kuo felt strangely weightless as the world spun upside down around him. Then he saw a headless corpse, startled to discover it was dressed exactly like himself. In the next instant, he realized he had been beheaded.

Experience +5000 for killing a Seventh-Rank Martial Artist

Experience: 28568

Lu Zhaojin showed no mercy to the other White Cloud Villa disciple either, sending him along to meet Zhao Kuo.

Experience +5000 for killing a Seventh-Rank Martial Artist

Experience: 33568

With both men dealt with, Lu Zhaojin extended his left hand toward the youth. "The sword manual."

The youth had not expected Lu Zhaojin to dispose of Zhao Kuo and the others so easily. His gaze toward Lu Zhaojin carried a trace of gravity and vigilance.

He did not break his word. He handed the sword manual to Lu Zhaojin, but an unusual gleam suddenly flashed through his eyes. He abruptly pulled back the hand holding the manual, and a Sword Light stabbed toward Lu Zhaojin's jaw from a tricky angle.

Clang!

The youth's sword failed to strike true. Lu Zhaojin blocked it with the Cold Edge Sword, the sword tip pressed against the blade. No matter how much force the youth used, he could not move it even a fraction.

The youth's expression changed drastically. He still wanted to use the sword manual to persuade Lu Zhaojin, but Lu Zhaojin was no great philanthropist. He had not killed Zhao Kuo for the youth's sake, but for the sword manual.

Now that the youth had gone back on his word and even tried to kill him, there was no need for him to remain alive.

Experience +15000 for killing a Seventh-Rank Martial Artist

Drop: Thirteen Swords of Life-Taking

Experience: 48568

"Something dropped!"

This was the first time an item had dropped.

And it was this sword technique.

Lu Zhaojin looked at the youth's corpse, its head and body separated. "As expected of someone surnamed Ye."

He had even dropped fifteen thousand experience points. Was this the drop rate of a Child of Destiny?

And unlike Zhao Jinzhi, this youth did not have an old grandpa tucked away on him. So Zhao Jinzhi was even more favored by destiny. Perhaps after killing Zhao Jinzhi, the things that dropped would be even more astonishing.

Lu Zhaojin put away the famed sword and the sword manual, then entered the teahouse and found some clean water to quench his thirst. Just as he was about to leave, a dense burst of hoofbeats suddenly rang out, drawing nearer from afar.