"Hmm?"
The library's doors opened, but the dim yellow light within could not even pierce the pitch-black night.
Everyone could only vaguely make out a figure standing before the library.
"Hero Li, a wise man submits to the circumstances. You'd better think this through!"
The man in black said in a deep voice.
Yet the figure inside the library seemed deaf to his words and strode straight out.
One step, two steps, three steps...
"Li Mu, why risk your life over a little gold, silver, and martial arts from the Hundred Battles Sect? Everything the Hundred Battles Sect promised you will be yours after tonight!"
Ji Qing still ignored him.
"Our gang leader said that as long as you stay out of the Hundred Battles Sect's affairs tonight, he will let the matter of the challenge letter slide!"
The man in black grew somewhat anxious.
He even stopped concealing his identity.
He directly revealed that he belonged to the Heavenly Sun Gang.
But it still seemed useless.
Ji Qing advanced step by step, his strides steady and resolute.
"Chu Shidao, is that you? Li Tianyang has finally torn off that hypocritical mask of his and moved against the Hundred Battles Sect? Does an abandoned disciple who deceived his master, destroyed his ancestors, and fled his sect think everyone betrays their word like he does?"
Lie Yingniang seemed to have recognized the leader of the black-clad men.
Knowing his identity had been exposed, Chu Shidao no longer hid it and pulled down his face covering.
Yet he paid no attention to Lie Yingniang. Instead, he watched Ji Qing with a grave expression.
The distance between them was steadily shrinking.
Chu Shidao had never met "Li Mu."
But for some reason, with every step Li Mu took, he seemed to bear even greater pressure.
That pressure even stirred a trace of fear in his heart.
"Li Mu, please stop! If you dare take another few steps forward, we will not hold back!"
As soon as Chu Shidao's words fell, the eight black-clad men behind him immediately drew their long sabers and gathered around Chu Shidao, all eyes fixed on Ji Qing.
Would Ji Qing stop?
Chu Shidao and the eight black-clad men together could fight a Second-Rate Martial Artist.
Lie Yingniang knew very well that Chu Shidao and the others were the sharpest blade in Li Tianyang's hand!
Clang.
What answered Chu Shidao was a crisp sound of a saber being drawn.
Ji Qing had drawn his saber.
In the silent night, a dazzling white flash seemed to tear through the darkness.
Chu Shidao's mind trembled.
He had never seen such a resplendent, such a breathtakingly beautiful strike.
His mind seemed to have been completely immersed in that stroke.
Even though his hand was already gripping his saber hilt, he was still unable to draw it.
It was not that he could not draw it. He was too late!
The instant he saw that saber light, it was already too late.
Chu Shidao only felt an icy touch brush across his neck and vanish.
Thud.
Ji Qing sheathed his saber and stood quietly where he was, as though he had never moved.
"Such a fast saber... you're Ji..."
Chu Shidao's eyes widened as he stared fixedly at the figure in the night.
He had already guessed "Li Mu's" identity.
In the Jianghu, appearances could be altered with disguises, and voices could be faked, but martial arts alone could not be concealed.
The moment "Li Mu" drew his saber and unleashed that breathtakingly beautiful yet impossibly swift, utterly lethal saber technique, Chu Shidao knew Li Mu's true identity.
Unfortunately, it was already too late.
His mouth hung open, but only hoarse sounds came out.
Thump.
Chu Shidao fell.
Not only Chu Shidao—each of the eight black-clad men behind him clutched their throats and collapsed one after another, their life auras gone.
They were dead.
Led by Chu Shidao, nine third-rate experts who together could slay a second-rate expert...
Yet before Ji Qing, they could not even withstand a single move.
At that moment, everyone from the Hundred Battles Sect stood dumbstruck, their hearts shaken beyond measure.
Lie Yingniang especially.
She knew Ji Qing's true identity.
She knew that Ji Qing, the Demon Lord ranked fifth on the Villain Ranking, would be strong.
But she had never imagined he would be this strong.
He had actually killed Chu Shidao and nine other third-rate experts in an instant.
Even her father, the Hundred Battles Sect's leader, absolutely could not have done such a thing!
"Thank you, Hero Li!"
Lie Yingniang took a deep breath and cupped her fists toward Ji Qing in salute.
"Make Li Tianyang accept the challenge letter as soon as possible. I don't have that much time to waste."
"Yes, Hero Li."
Ji Qing searched the nine corpses for a while but found nothing.
He then returned to the library.
Only after Ji Qing's figure had completely disappeared did the Hundred Battles Sect disciples finally let out long sighs of relief.
"That was terrifying. Hero Li's presence just now was far too oppressive. Looking at him filled me with fear."
"One strike killed nine third-rate experts. It's unbelievable. Is there really such a fast saber in the Jianghu?"
"Just who is Hero Li? A saber that fast is beyond anything I would even dare imagine."
"So saber techniques can actually be this fast..."
The Hundred Battles Sect disciples had truly broadened their horizons today.
They practiced sabers too, but they had never imagined that saber techniques could be this fast.
Much less that when a saber technique reached such speed, its might could become so terrifying.
"Bury the corpses. Tomorrow, spread word throughout the city that Li Tianyang does not dare accept our Hundred Battles Sect's challenge letter. Doesn't Li Tianyang value his reputation in the Jianghu? Then we'll use that reputation to force him to accept it!"
"Yes, Senior Sister!"
Everyone began burying the corpses behind the Hundred Battles Sect's mountain.
As for using Chu Shidao and the others' corpses to expose Li Tianyang?
Lie Yingniang had never even considered it.
That method was meaningless.
Chu Shidao and the others had always been a blade Li Tianyang wielded in secret.
Li Tianyang could simply deny everything.
Besides, even if they exposed Li Tianyang, so what?
The Jianghu relied on strength.
Without strength, one was like duckweed with no roots.
Lie Yingniang looked toward the library, where light still glowed in the distance, and softly murmured, "Thank you..."
Day had already broken, yet Li Tianyang's heart grew increasingly heavy.
The entire night had passed without any news from Chu Shidao.
No news often meant the mission had failed.
Given Chu Shidao and the others' strength, if they had failed, there was only one possibility...
"Report! Gang Leader, the Hundred Battles Sect has sent another challenge letter, and they are spreading word everywhere that you are... that you are a cowardly rat who does not even dare accept a challenge letter."
"And rumors have also spread outside, saying that you deceived your master, destroyed your ancestors, and betrayed your sect..."
Bang.
Li Tianyang smashed his chair with one palm and instantly rose to his feet, his eyes bloodshot.
"They've gone too far! I originally followed the code of the Jianghu and did not pursue the matter with the Hundred Battles Sect, yet they have only pushed their luck further. Fine, very fine!"
"Men, accept Li Mu's challenge letter! The time will be noon tomorrow, at the Heavenly Sun Gang arena. Invite the many fellow martial artists of the Jianghu to bear witness!"
"Yes, Gang Leader."
Li Tianyang had finally accepted the challenge letter.
In truth, he knew very well that once Chu Shidao and the others had failed, he had no choice but to accept it.
There were actually guests in the Heavenly Sun Gang's reception hall.
Several constables were currently visiting the Heavenly Sun Gang.
Li Tianyang turned around and said with a slight apologetic expression, "Constable Du, I truly apologize. The Hundred Battles Sect is pressing us step by step, and I have no choice but to deal with it. Once I have handled these trivial matters, I will certainly help Constable Du search for the Demon Lord, Ji Qing."
The leader of these constables was none other than the renowned Du Chen, the Wind Chasing Blade.
Du Chen smiled as well. "Since Gang Leader Li has important matters to handle, Du will not disturb you further. Farewell!"
Du Chen then led his men away from the Heavenly Sun Gang.
After leaving the Heavenly Sun Gang, Du Chen stopped and said in a deep voice, "Go investigate what is going on with Hundred Battles Sect's 'Li Mu.' If he dares challenge Li Tianyang, he must be a second-rate expert. Yet I have never heard of anyone named Li Mu in the Jianghu..."
"Yes, sir."
The constables went off to investigate.
"Ji Qing, you are in Anyang City. This time, you will definitely not escape..."
Du Chen sneered. Based on intelligence gathered from many sources and his years of experience, he was utterly certain that Ji Qing was in Anyang City.
As long as he could capture Ji Qing and bring him to justice, he would soar into the sky in a single bound, whether in the Jianghu or the government offices!
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