The Blood Drinking Scholar

The back door of the Master's Tower is not easy to enter. You need a sufficiently weighty "knocking brick" to have any chance of opening that seemingly eternally closed door.

Seventy-eight taels is clearly not enough, and it's not something you can just casually bring out. Of course, it's even less likely to open the Master's Tower's back door.

With a purple-red face and dressed in a dark, long robe, the man blocking the way with his hands hanging low already had a cold gaze, which was now almost frozen. His eyes were like two drills piercing straight into Ning Chang'an.

"Scram!"

The purple-faced man gritted out the word through his teeth.

Ning Chang'an narrowed his eyes and asked, "How do I scramble?"

The purple-faced man snorted coldly, "Can't you do it yourself?! I'll kindly teach you..." His right hand, which had been hanging low, suddenly shot up, aiming to strike Ning Chang'an's shoulder.

Whoosh! The sound of wind suddenly erupted. That palm strike was indeed powerful, breaking through the air with continuous explosive sounds.

Ning Chang'an's eyes lit up, a smile appearing on his face. He suddenly raised his own right hand, also striking towards the purple-faced man's shoulder.

The purple-faced man sneered, "You ignorant fool. It seems you don't even have the chance to scramble away. You should be blasted out!"

What gets blasted out?! Of course, it would be bones and blood.

The purple-faced man's palm strike, fast as lightning, landed squarely on Ning Chang'an's shoulder. The force of that strike was unimaginably immense, driving Ning Chang'an's entire upper body down. The princess watched from the side, her small mouth agape. She wanted to cry out but couldn't make a sound. She actually had some good feelings towards this little fatty and couldn't bear to see him in this state. However, she was powerless to oppose the purple-faced man. She had seen enough of his power and ruthlessness. Opposing him would bring no benefit and would most likely lead to death.

The purple-faced man was called Iron Hand Ya Zi, an extremely vengeful and resentful individual, Iron Hand Ya Zi, who would retaliate for any grievance. Why was he called Ya Zi? Because he was a vengeful person; if someone glared at him, he might just gouge out that person's eyes.

The princess was surprised, but Iron Hand Ya Zi was even more surprised. Only Iron Hand Ya Zi and Ning Chang'an knew the actual outcome of that palm strike. Ning Chang'an was completely unharmed. His upper body sank slightly, he flicked his shoulder, and with a shift of his joints, he completely dissolved and neutralized Iron Hand Ya Zi's palm force. Iron Hand Ya Zi's strike felt like hitting a spring. As Ning Chang'an's body sank to its limit, Iron Hand Ya Zi's hand was violently thrown upwards, forcefully pushed up by Ning Chang'an's shoulder.

Iron Hand Ya Zi could hardly believe his eyes. Was this something a fatty could do?! He had expected that with one palm strike, this fatty's shoulder would be ripped open, his bones shattered, and his tendons severed.

Unfortunately, this was merely his wishful thinking.

In that instant, Iron Hand Ya Zi's face turned as purple as an eggplant. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead. He knew he had just hit a wall of steel.

Crack!

Iron Hand Ya Zi's body also sank downwards, his waist twisting unnaturally. Ning Chang'an's palm strike had landed. Iron Hand Ya Zi gritted his teeth, almost to the point of shattering them, but he managed to suppress a scream.

His shoulder was shattered, ripped open, bones broken, tendons severed, hanging limply. Ning Chang'an's eyes turned cold. He delivered a flying kick, sending Iron Hand Ya Zi tumbling backward, rolling several yards down the alley before stopping, leaving a striking trail of blood along the way.

Iron Hand Ya Zi's face, which had been purple moments ago, now resembled a frostbitten eggplant. He clutched his profusely bleeding shoulder, his eyes fixed coldly on Ning Chang'an, filled with terror and resentment.

Ning Chang'an smiled and said, "I've learned a lot. Thank you!" He had seen such looks many times and wasn't rattled. There were plenty of people living by the sword in the martial world; no one was free from grudges and entanglements. When people live, they always have a purpose, and moving towards that purpose inevitably leads to clashes with others, either sparks or blood. Besides, no one can stop someone who has suffered a loss from harboring resentment.

What Ning Chang'an had experienced was precisely the "scram" that Iron Hand Ya Zi had spoken of! Iron Hand Ya Zi wanted to teach him, and since he had demonstrated, Ning Chang'an naturally had to thank him for his practical lesson.

Iron Hand Ya Zi let out a cold roar, utterly stifled and humiliated. He hated Ning Chang'an, who had played the pig to eat the tiger, but he was no match for him and could do nothing. He could only glare fiercely at Ning Chang'an and, with extreme reluctance, flee deeper into the alley.

Ning Chang'an let out a soft sigh. The princess's applause rang out rhythmically.

"You're very strong!"

The princess praised him, beginning to re-examine Ning Chang'an. Her large eyes were filled with curiosity.

Ning Chang'an asked, "Who was that person?" He rather liked the princess's clear, melodious voice and her spirited eyes.

The princess replied, "Iron Hand Ya Zi!"

Ning Chang'an asked doubtfully, "Ya Zi? Vengeful?"

The princess sighed, "Iron Hand's hand is already crippled. What will he use to get revenge? Bite with his mouth?!"

Ning Chang'an said, "Biting with his mouth might break his teeth." His eyes fixed on the depths of the alley. Unconsciously, the smell of blood in the alley seemed to have grown stronger.

The princess said earnestly, "Are you really planning to barge in?"

Ning Chang'an shrugged his shoulders, "I have no money and I have to go. What else can I do but barge in?!"

The princess asked curiously, "You have to go? What are you going to do? Buy information or take on a mission?"

Ning Chang'an replied, "Both!"

The princess probed further, "What mission caught your eye? What information do you want to buy? Can you tell me?"

Ning Chang'an directly shook his head, "No!"

The princess tilted her head, "Maybe I know!"

Ning Chang'an smiled, "I still think the Master's Tower is more reliable. I'll go ask the people there!" As he spoke, he walked forward, stubborn as a mule.

The princess stomped her feet in frustration, shouting from behind Ning Chang'an, "You owe me my candied hawthorns..."

The alley twisted and turned, seemingly without end. Ning Chang'an walked at a steady pace, his footsteps firm on the cracked, mottled stone slab ground. Since Iron Hand Ya Zi's defeat and escape, the people in the alley seemed to treat Ning Chang'an as if he were air. Some would greet the princess, but they completely ignored Ning Chang'an walking ahead. No one looked at Ning Chang'an, not even a glance from the corner of their eyes.

The princess followed not far behind Ning Chang'an. She always had a lively, innocent, and carefree demeanor, making her seem like a ray of light amidst the gloom, a spirit bird in an old forest, representing hope.

Xiao Xiao and Xiao Qiang had already stopped. The depths of the alley were not a place for them.

"My name is Linglong! Little Princess Linglong!"

The princess suddenly announced. She seemed to want to be open and honest, finally revealing her true name.

Ning Chang'an stopped walking, and Little Princess Linglong also stopped. Ning Chang'an turned around. Linglong stood with her feet together, slightly on tiptoe, her small hands clasped behind her back, looking at Ning Chang'an with a half-smile.

Ning Chang'an said, "So you're not a real princess!"

Linglong replied, "A real princess wouldn't care about a string of candied hawthorns. You're really quite stupid. Did you really think I was a princess? If I were a princess, I wouldn't stoop so low as to follow you around. You should be the one trailing behind me!"

Ning Chang'an laughed, "That makes sense! Hmm, I have a question for you. Why are these people suddenly ignoring me? Am I invisible?" Ning Chang'an couldn't understand. This was another unexpected situation. Finding himself in this predicament, he was now somewhat lost and had a bad premonition.

Linglong corrected with pity in her voice, "It's not that it doesn't exist, but that it's about to cease to exist! Though, it's much the same..."

Ning Chang'an's expression turned serious, and he said gravely, "Is it that serious?"

Linglong nodded vigorously, like a chick pecking at grain, "Blood Stained Alley behind the Master's Tower, a tune, a tale, breaks one's heart. Come with life but no money, you'll never leave. Come with will but no strength, you'll meet Yama. Do you know which kind of person you are?"

Ning Chang'an replied, "The one with life but no money!"

Linglong asked, "Do you know your fate?"

Ning Chang'an shook his head.

Linglong sighed, "Death!"

Ning Chang'an narrowed his eyes and smiled, "I answered wrong. Actually, I'm the type with both will and strength, so not only can I brave Blood Stained Alley, but I don't have to meet Yama. I must enter the back door of the Master's Tower!" He spoke with great conviction. Though it sounded like a joke, Linglong didn't doubt the determination of the person before her at all.

Linglong said regretfully, "I actually like you quite a bit, Fatty! Sigh, you still owe me a candied hawthorn skewer. I really don't want to watch you go to your death..." Linglong looked conflicted, pacing in circles, her two slender eyebrows furrowed. Suddenly she said, "You should turn around and leave right now. At worst, it'll be a bloody battle, but you won't have to face those monsters, and you'll have a much better chance of survival. Oh my, hurry up and go..." Linglong's voice grew more anxious, and she stomped her feet in place.

"Who's a monster?"

A hoarse voice rang out. Before the speaker appeared, a killing intent swept over them.

Linglong startled, her body giving a jolt, and she quickly shut her mouth. She only saw that one of Ning Chang'an's hands had already grasped the Gloomy Cold Soul Severing Sword.

From behind the corner of Blood Stained Alley, a man carrying a long sword slowly emerged. The sword was long and broad. Instead of being bright and smooth, its blade was covered in mottled marks, forming a complex, rough pattern. However, the tip and edge of the sword gleamed with a cold light, appearing extremely sharp.

Blood was still dripping from the sword.

Ning Chang'an had no doubt what the blood dripping from the sword was; it had to be human blood.

The sword-wielding person was a slender scholar-like man with a pale complexion. He wore a sapphire blue cloth robe and appeared as if drifting, materializing about ten feet away from Ning Chang'an, staring at him expressionlessly.

"Blood Drinking Scholar? You, how can you be here?"

Linglong exclaimed with wide eyes, genuinely surprised by the Blood Drinking Scholar's appearance. The Blood Drinking Scholar might not be famous in the martial world, but he was well-known in Blood Stained Alley. Blood Stained Alley was famous in Yongan Prefecture, and Yongan Prefecture was famous throughout the entire Great Gan Dynasty. Therefore, it wasn't hard to imagine that this Blood Drinking Scholar must be very powerful.

Assassins don't need fame at all; it's best for them to be unknown.

The Blood Drinking Scholar was an assassin, a top-tier one at that.

The Blood Drinking Scholar's eyes shifted, and he looked at Linglong, saying, "Linglong, you've broken the rules. Those from Blood Stained Alley shouldn't help outsiders evade the reality they deserve. Those who have the guts to come this far should have the guts to face everything. That door isn't for cowards to see."