The Eighteenth Trial

Chang'an said, "Do I look like him?" After hearing Liu Ruyan's story, his drunkenness was completely gone.

Liu Ruyan said, "Sister felt you looked very similar the moment she saw you, so similar! You look even more like him after gaining weight. He was also a chubby kid back then... So many years have passed, and I still think of him often, my heart filled with guilt. If he were still alive, he'd only be a few years older than you!"

Chang'an sighed, "Meeting you, Sister, is the most unexpected blessing!"

Liu Ruyan said, "It's a shame you're not afraid of the dark at all, and instead, you love the starry night sky!" A person who isn't afraid of the dark doesn't need anyone to accompany them to sleep at night.

Chang'an awkwardly said, "I've grown up!"

Liu Ruyan softly said, "I have to find a place to settle down eventually. Chang'an, am I not good enough?" She suddenly stopped calling herself "Sister" and lost the warmth of a sister, instead revealing the gentleness of a woman.

Chang'an said, "Sister, you are very good."

Liu Ruyan said, "Call me Ruyan."

Chang'an was shocked, "Sister, you?!"

Liu Ruyan said, "Can you sacrifice everything for me?" Her voice was as soft as silk.

Chang'an said, "I, I can!"

Liu Ruyan gently caressed Chang'an's face, murmuring as if in a dream, "Ruyan can too."

Chang'an's heart fluttered. The previous intimate moments with Sister Yueru had already left him in a state of utter confusion, and now Liu Ruyan's confession made his scalp tingle and his mind go blank.

Chang'an's heart in disarray, he broke free from Liu Ruyan's embrace, dashed out the door, and fled in panic.

Liu Ruyan was both amused and exasperated, holding her forehead and humming, "Silly boy! Idiot!"

Chang'an ran all the way outside Spring Breeze Tower and walked slowly along the long street.

The moon was bright and the stars were few, the long street was silent.

Thinking of Liu Ruyan's dreamlike whispers, Chang'an's heart was in a panic.

He seemed to have forgotten that he shouldn't be out of Spring Breeze Tower at this hour. He was still branded as a great demon, and everyone in the martial world wanted him dead. Moreover, after earning a smile from Liu Ruyan in public at Spring Breeze Tower today, countless scoundrels must be seething with jealousy and plotting to take his life.

As Chang'an was walking aimlessly, he suddenly heard the sound of rustling clothes ahead.

A figure landed before him.

A straight, tall figure, and a gleaming sword.

The sword seemed to absorb the moonlight, its cold light flowing.

The swordsman was a man around twenty years old, with sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, and a distinguished appearance.

Chang'an stopped abruptly, looking at the man and saying, "A friend from the Qingcheng Sect?"

The man shook his head coldly, his eyes like two cold stars, flashing with a chilling light.

Chang'an sighed, "It seems you're an enemy."

The man said, "Listen carefully, my name is Zhao Chuan."

Chang'an said, "You're that Zhao Chuan of the Qingcheng Sect's Floating Light Sword, who surpassed his master in swordsmanship in just three years?"

Zhao Chuan said, "Good that you know. Rest in peace!"

Chang'an said, "Why do you want me dead?"

Zhao Chuan said, "Because killing you will bring me fame and fortune. Also, the proprietress actually smiled at someone like you, which I find very displeasing, so you deserve to die!"

Chang'an said with a bitter smile, "Then kill me!"

Zhao Chuan let out a cold snort and charged forward with his sword, unleashing three swift strikes. Each sword carried an afterimage, appearing like fleeting light. This was the essence of Zhao Chuan's exquisite swordsmanship, like floating light and fleeting shadows, incredibly fast.

Chang'an's body suddenly shifted three feet sideways, dodging Zhao Chuan's sword light with even greater speed. Zhao Chuan was startled, spun around, his sword following his movement, its cold light shimmering as it slashed towards Chang'an's throat.

Instead, Chang'an took a step forward, advancing rather than retreating, and suddenly threw a punch.

Zhao Chuan's eyes widened in alarm as he was struck on the shoulder by Chang'an's punch. His sword, however, narrowly grazed Chang'an's shoulder. Before he could retract his sword, Chang'an was already upon him, a barrage of fists raining down, sending Zhao Chuan flying backward.

Zhao Chuan said with unwillingness, "Why did you know the weakness of my move?"

Chang'an said, "Because the weakness was too obvious."

Zhao Chuan remained silent. He knew that the weakness of that move was not obvious at all; it was Chang'an's eyes that were too sharp. He slowly wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and suddenly leaped up.

The moment Zhao Chuan leaped, a whistling sound tore through the air.

Hearing the sound, Chang'an sneered, "A clown on the roof, daring to use Iron Lotus Seeds to ambush me, do you have the guts to show yourself?!" Chang'an suddenly leaped up and snatched two Iron Lotus Seeds from the air. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he sent them flying back with a sharp whistle.

After a crisp clanging sound, a muffled groan followed.

Zhao Chuan looked at his sword in panic, his tiger's mouth (the webbing between thumb and index finger) split open.

A pained voice suddenly rang out from the rooftop above the street: "Zhao Chuan, we're no match for him, let's go!"

Hearing this cry, Zhao Chuan's expression changed. He knew his companion's ambush had failed and he was injured. Fear flickered in his eyes as he looked at Chang'an, slowly took three steps back, leaped onto the rooftop, and vanished in a few agile movements.

Chang'an just watched quietly, with no intention of pursuing. He shook his head and sighed, "When you're young and inexperienced, you never know your limits! Fame is a dangerous thing."

Clang!

As soon as Chang'an finished speaking, an iron rod appeared a foot in front of him, a smooth, shiny iron rod. The iron rod was inserted diagonally into the hard street pavement.

This iron rod was not unfamiliar to him; he had seen it more than once.

This was the third time he had seen this iron rod.

It was Little Brother's iron rod.

Why was Little Brother's iron rod here? Where was Little Brother? A shadow fell over Chang'an's heart as he immediately thought of Little Brother's tanned, energetic face.

Chang'an didn't notice who had wielded the iron rod.

The iron rod seemed to have flown out of thin air.

This was too mysterious.

The newcomer must not be simple, possessing perfect control over their strength, not making a sound with any movement. They must be a top-tier expert, hiding in the shadows and waiting for the right moment, the best moment to strike.

Chang'an reached out and grabbed the iron rod, intending to pull it out. He had decided to return the iron rod to Little Brother himself.

The iron rod was buried three feet deep in the ground, which was very hard.

The moment Chang'an exerted his strength, the person in the shadows moved. The newcomer swooped down from the rooftop like a black bat, tracing a perfect trajectory straight for Chang'an.

Chang'an only saw a black dagger in the newcomer's hand, cold and sharp.

The dagger did not reflect light, it was purely black, and it aimed straight for Chang'an's heart.

Chang'an's shoulder twitched, and he yanked the iron rod up with a sudden swing. The immense force caused the iron rod to vibrate, emitting a humming sound.

Crack!

A dull sound, and sparks flew. The black-clothed man retreated, saying coldly, "Such great strength!"

Chang'an said, "You shouldn't have given me a weapon, and one that resembles a sword so much!"

Chang'an looked at the iron rod in his hand; there wasn't a single mark on it.

The black-clothed man was also looking at the iron rod, surprise flashing in his eyes. He exclaimed, "What an iron rod! My dagger can slice through iron and cut jade, yet it couldn't even scratch it. I misjudged." He looked at the dagger in his hand again; the edge was already blunted. The black-clothed man sighed endlessly.

Chang'an suddenly took a step forward, using the rod as a sword, and thrust it forward. It was the "A Cold Glint Arrives First, Then the Sword Emerges Like a Dragon" technique.

The black-clothed man abruptly shifted his body, dodging Chang'an's thrust like a gibbon leaping across a stream. Immediately, his form flickered as he closed the distance, lunging towards Chang'an's embrace. The dagger in his hand, like a viper's flicking tongue, swept towards Chang'an's throat.

He could tell that Chang'an's move had been building power for a long time, and his strike was too old; he definitely wouldn't be able to stop his momentum.

Unfortunately, he was wrong.

Chang'an suddenly spun around, abruptly halting the iron rod's forward momentum before sweeping it horizontally.

The black-clothed man heard a whistling sound like a dragon's roar and knew it was bad. He was also incredibly seasoned; shifting his body sideways, he leaped away and struck out with a palm, sending a hand seal towards Chang'an's chest.

Externalized True Qi!

Chang'an let out a cold snort, not even looking at the hand seal. The iron rod whistled through the air. The black-clothed man raised his dagger to block. Crack, crack. With a surge of strength, the tiger's mouth on his hands split open, and the dagger was instantly knocked flying. The iron rod's momentum was not yet spent; it struck the black-clothed man across the waist, bending his body in half and sending him flying ten feet away. He rolled on the ground and couldn't get up.

It was only then that Chang'an was struck by the hand seal. His chest felt heavy, and he stumbled back three steps.

As the black-clothed man tried to get up again, Chang'an was already in front of him. He flicked the iron rod, pointing it down. The black-clothed man let out a scream as his ankle bone shattered, rendering him unable to get up. But realizing death was imminent, the desire to survive drove him to continue crawling forward, screaming all the while.

Chang'an's expression turned grim, and he stepped on the black-clothed man's other foot.

The black-clothed man could no longer crawl. He raised his head to look at Chang'an.

Chang'an said, "Speak. I know you have something to say!"

The black-clothed man said ferociously, "May you die a terrible death."

Chang'an said, "Do you know, I like killers the most. Because no matter what you do to them, it's never wrong. Because facing a killer, it's either you die or I die. People can be as cruel as beasts. Now, I know you must have something to say. You were just a messenger, yet you insisted on attacking me! Killers don't wish for fame. You must have done it for the bounty, right? My head isn't easy to take."

Chang'an's eyes narrowed.

If others wanted to kill him, he wouldn't be soft-hearted.

A martial world without bloodshed isn't the martial world; grudges and affections are the colors of the martial world.

Suddenly, a sigh was heard, "Let him go in peace."

Another black-clothed person appeared, walking slowly from one end of the street. This black-clothed person's night-traveling attire was identical to the injured one lying on the ground. The difference was that he hadn't completely wrapped his head and face; he only covered his mouth and nose, leaving his eyes and forehead exposed.

As the masked black-clothed person walked step by step, Chang'an released his foot. The injured black-clothed person crawled towards the newcomer, blood staining the ground, the smell pungent.

The injured black-clothed person looked pitifully at the masked black-clothed person and pleaded, "Save me, I can still be saved!"

Suddenly, a knife appeared in the masked black-clothed person's hand, a terrifying black knife.

The masked black-clothed person kept his eyes on Chang'an and said slowly, "You're crippled now, useless!"

The injured black-clothed person let out a hysterical scream, and his head suddenly fell to the ground, rolling.

Chang'an's eyelids twitched. "What a fast knife!"

The masked black-clothed person said, "This is how I earn my living."

Chang'an said, "You want to kill me too?"