The Elegance of That Slash

Wu Zhengfeng and his companion had long been prepared.

After fleeing the Venomous Snake Gang's stronghold, they had not gone far. They had merely circled around before arriving at an apothecary.

Pulling a medicine box from the shelves, they triggered a hidden door that rumbled open.

The two slipped inside, and the hidden door slowly closed behind them.

A second before it shut, Lin Xiao darted through it.

Inside the secret chamber,

there were not only Wu Zhengfeng and his companion, but also an unconscious woman with her hands and feet bound.

On a table in the distance sat a Night-Shining Pearl, most likely the one stolen from the royal manor.

Lin Xiao, concealed in the shadows, saw everything clearly.

Seeing that the woman was still there, Wu Zhengfeng and his companion let out sighs of relief.

"Big Brother, what do we do now?"

Wu Zhengfeng said gravely, "The entire capital is probably under lockdown by now. Escaping is simply impossible."

"But don't worry. I made preparations for this situation long ago."

"I have already contacted the White Lotus Sect. They will arrange for us to leave the city."

"The White Lotus Sect?"

"That most evil of cults?"

The Venomous Snake Gang leader's expression changed drastically.

"Big Brother, have you lost your mind? Don't you know what kind of people the White Lotus Sect are?"

"They are all madmen! They regard bringing calamity upon the common people as their mission. Back then, the White Lotus Sect Master had even dared to assassinate the reigning Emperor. Once we become entangled with them, I'm afraid there will be no turning back."

A hint of madness appeared in Wu Zhengfeng's expression.

"Then tell me what we should do. To avenge our father's murder, I can no longer worry about so much."

"Using my identity as the Qing Royal Manor's steward, I have already helped members of the White Lotus Sect sneak into the city. Once they make their move, we can escape amid the chaos."

"Besides, we have leverage. This Ji Mingyue is Prince Qing's only daughter. For her sake, Prince Qing will agree to anything."

Although he knew that once they became involved with the White Lotus Sect, they could only spend the rest of their lives fleeing, the Venomous Snake Gang leader could only agree to his elder brother's decision for the sake of avenging their father.

Back then, Prince Qing had gone out hunting and accidentally shot a hunter dead, mistaking him for prey.

But as the younger brother of the reigning Emperor and a prince of the mightiest dynasty,

let alone mistakenly killing an ordinary hunter, even if he had killed the family members of high-ranking officials, no one would have sought justice for them. Their deaths would have been in vain.

Wu Zhengfeng and his brother were the sons of that hunter.

The two brothers knew it was impossible to kill Prince Qing themselves. They could only rely on an outside force—the reigning Emperor.

After enduring in silence for many years, they had finally found their chance.

This Night-Shining Pearl was a rare treasure from the Western Regions, bestowed upon Prince Qing by the Emperor.

Though the Night-Shining Pearl was nothing remarkable among the imperial family's collection of jewels,

the meaning it represented was extraordinary.

It was like an emperor bestowing calligraphy upon an official.

What official would dare damage or lose the emperor's bestowed calligraphy?

It would be no different from tarnishing the emperor's dignity.

Even though Prince Qing was the reigning Emperor's younger brother, once the Night-Shining Pearl was lost, he would not escape punishment.

The brothers' first step was to ruin Prince Qing's reputation. Once he lost the imperial family's protection, they would find a way to kill him.

Having lurked at Prince Qing's side for ten years, Wu Zhengfeng had also considered assassinating him.

But he had never found an opportunity.

His food was rigorously inspected, and in terms of protection, Prince Qing was constantly guarded by Grandmaster-level experts. His own strength was not weak either.

Assassinating Prince Qing was harder than climbing to the heavens. They could only scheme to kill with a borrowed knife.

Yet they had never imagined that their supposedly flawless plan would be seen through so easily, leaving them in such peril.

Fortunately, a cunning rabbit had three burrows.

They had long prepared an escape route.

No one would ever discover them if they hid here for a while.

They had also made further preparations by abducting Prince Qing's daughter.

To capture Prince Qing's daughter, Wu Zhengfeng had gone to great lengths to lure away the experts at her side before secretly having his younger brother kidnap her.

With the White Lotus Sect's cooperation, getting away would not be difficult.

At that moment, Ji Mingyue slowly woke up. Discovering that her entire body was bound, she said in panic,

"Wu Zhengfeng, it was you! What are you trying to do? Release me at once, or my father will not spare you."

"When the time comes, even dying a hundred times will not be enough for you."

At the sight of Ji Mingyue, hatred filled Wu Zhengfeng's chest.

"Shut your mouth! I'm telling you, even if I cannot kill your father, I will kill you first and let him taste the pain of losing a loved one."

"Big Brother, why not hand her over to me? I'll have some fun first. We'll kill her after we are done using her anyway. What a waste that would be."

"Fine, I'll leave her to you. Be gentle and don't kill her. She is still useful."

"You wouldn't dare!"

Ji Mingyue's face turned pale with fright. She tried to struggle, only to find that she had no strength in her body. She could only glare hatefully at the Venomous Snake Gang leader as he drew nearer.

Just then, faint footsteps sounded.

"Who's there?"

The sudden footsteps made Wu Zhengfeng and his companion start like birds startled by the twang of a bowstring.

In an instant, both drew their weapons and stared warily toward the corridor.

A corridor connected this secret chamber to the entrance, its interior dark and without light.

As the voice fell, a figure stepped out.

One hand resting on his sword hilt, Lin Xiao looked indifferently at Wu Zhengfeng and his companion.

"The man who will kill you."

Lin Xiao was practically bursting with joy inside.

He had only wanted to keep the spoils to himself, yet he had stumbled upon such enormous merit.

Not only had he found the missing Imperial Night-Luminescent Pearl, he could also rescue a Princess.

This achievement would be the capital he needed to advance in the future.

Seeing Lin Xiao emerge and disregard the two brothers so completely, the Venomous Snake Gang leader flew into a rage.

"Brat, you are far too arrogant. Do you really think you can take on my big brother and me alone?"

"Come die!"

He had seen this man fight Li Yue earlier and knew his saber techniques were fierce. Though he came from humble roots and had never studied profound saber arts, he could not be underestimated.

Moreover, Wu Zhengfeng was standing nearby, and he was skilled at sneak attacks.

The two complemented one another, making them truly difficult to deal with in battle.

He also had to guard against them taking Ji Mingyue hostage if they were defeated.

Ji Mingyue could not be allowed to come to harm. Otherwise, even if he captured the two men, he would not be able to answer for it upon returning.

With that in mind, he needed a swift battle. A sharp killing intent surfaced as the long saber at Lin Xiao's waist instantly left its sheath, and a streak of blood-red light spread forth.

The Blood Sabre Technique appeared.

As the Blood Knife swung, dark crimson light transformed into layer after layer of saber qi, flowing like mist and blanketing the entire chamber.

"What?"

The moment the Blood Knife emerged, the Venomous Snake Gang leader's expression turned horrified.

He had never heard of or seen such a bizarre saber technique.

He only felt an endless sense of danger shrouding his entire body.

Lin Xiao's Blood Sabre Technique had long reached full mastery. The moment he made his move, he felt his essence, energy, and spirit fuse into the technique.

It moved as naturally as an arm or finger, as though he had practiced it countless times, effortless at his fingertips.

The Blood Knife traced a bizarre arc, incomparably swift as it tore through the air and slashed toward the Venomous Snake Gang leader's neck.

"Second Brother!"

Wu Zhengfeng, watching from the side, saw the danger of the move. But it was already too late to save him, so he could only cry out a warning, hoping his younger brother could evade the fatal strike.

The reason Wu Zhengfeng had not immediately joined the Venomous Snake Gang leader in attacking Lin Xiao

was that he had wanted to test Lin Xiao's martial arts style so he could counter it accordingly.

But he had never expected his younger brother to be unable to withstand even a single move from this man.

Pfft!!!

A head flew high into the air, blood spurting like a fountain and splashing upward.

After killing the Venomous Snake Gang leader in a single strike, Lin Xiao did not pause in the slightest. Moving like an ape, he darted left and right until he arrived before Wu Zhengfeng.

"Give me back my brother's life!"

Wu Zhengfeng's hair rose in fury. The flexible sword in his hand shot out like a spirit serpent flicking its tongue, stabbing directly at Lin Xiao's vital points.

His sword was fast, but Lin Xiao's saber was faster—more ruthless and merciless.

Blood-red light flashed once more, and Wu Zhengfeng followed the Venomous Snake Gang leader's footsteps. His head separated from his body, and he fell into a pool of blood.

With a clang, the Blood Knife returned to its sheath.

From the beginning of the battle to its end, only a few breaths had passed.

Yet everything that happened in that brief span of time left Ji Mingyue staring in stunned disbelief.

He was too strong.