Assassination

Yang Dongsheng's brow furrowed even deeper.

"Speak. What are you planning?"

"Planning?"

Lu Jingtian enunciated each word. "Stop being so stingy, scraping together three melons and two dates. The three of us will each bring several dozen elite men, get hold of some powerful bows and heavy crossbows, and charge straight in. No matter how high his martial arts or how deep his hidden cards, he won't be able to escape even with wings!"

"Once we succeed, we'll each take our families and scatter to different places. Whatever backing he has will be useless!"

Yang Dongsheng hesitated. "Is it worth it?"

So many years of struggle, abandoned just like that?

"It is!"

The Black Robed Old Man sneered. "As long as one of your descendants can break through to Inner Qi Perfection, wouldn't rebuilding these family holdings take no more than ten years and be as easy as reaching into a bag?"

"Besides, the Pill for Breaking Stages of Inner Qi is merely something he put out there. Who knows, he might have something that helps one reach the Innate realm..."

"Heh heh."

Yang Dongsheng sneered inwardly.

This man came from a great sect, so naturally he wasn't afraid of retaliation. When the time came, he could shove the blame onto them, and perhaps nothing would happen to him at all while Yang Dongsheng became the target for others to vent their anger on.

As for something that could aid one in reaching the Innate realm, perhaps it existed, but he did not believe anyone would carry such a thing around at all times.

Besides, his son was still young and still had the chance to grow. He could also keep the various factions under control for now, so there was no need to go this mad.

Lu Jingtian and the Black Robed Old Man exchanged a glance, immediately feeling that this was troublesome.

In terms of strength, they were not inferior to Yang Dongsheng. But when it came to foundations within the prefectural city, neither of them could compare.

Bringing a group of martial artists into the city and procuring a batch of powerful bows and heavy crossbows would not work without a local snake to cover for them.

"Since Brother Yang is unwilling, then it can only be so," Lu Jingtian said helplessly. "One Void Breaking Pill is not enough for the three of us to divide."

A savage look appeared on his face. "I have one thing to say: if this Void Breaking Pill cannot be mine, I would rather burn all these butterflies in one fire. The same goes for however much gold and silver there is!"

The Righteousness Gang having successors while he himself had none was the worst possible outcome for him.

"There's no need to go that far."

Yang Dongsheng frowned. "After I return, I will press the matter harder. I will definitely give you two brothers a result that satisfies you."

With that, he flicked his sleeve and left.

These two were not worth plotting with.

Yet the Blue Fluorescent Butterflies were in their hands. If he wanted to capture them again, he could not avoid the Fierce Tiger Stronghold rooted in East Spirit Mountain. There was simply no way around dealing with them.

Perhaps he could consider persuading Marquis Zhen Dong's Estate to act...

They had the imperial family at their backs. Even if that person's background ran deep, there was no need to fear too much. The only issue was how to ensure that the Marquis's Estate would ultimately provide a Void Breaking Pill, which required careful consideration.

Lost in thought, he unknowingly reached the entrance.

Whoosh!

A faint sound cut through the air, like the low buzz of a mosquito.

"You..."

Yang Dongsheng was horrified. He suddenly looked up and saw a Youth in Green Robes thrusting a sword straight at him. The blade made no sound as it tore through the air, leaving a sword-shadow in its wake.

Clang!

After decades of tempering, the name Righteousness Reaching the Heavens had spread throughout East Spirit. The snow-bright saber at his waist suddenly left its sheath, slashing upward at a diagonal with lightning speed. His response could not have been swifter.

However, it was too late!

This sword had gathered force for far too long. Inner force from the Lesser Celestial Circuit surged and roared, all of it converging upon the sword's edge. Its speed was nearly impossible to see.

"Save me!"

Yang Dongsheng roared. His face flushed crimson as he brazenly used a life-risking technique to force up his qi, and his saber light suddenly sped up by several degrees.

Ding!

To Yang Dongsheng's delighted eyes, the saber's edge barely struck the blade and stopped it.

"Still not fast enough..."

Jiang Ding sighed. His swordsmanship was considered decent among his classmates, but against an old Jianghu saber wielder like this who had tempered his blade arts for decades, he was still somewhat lacking. Even a sneak attack could not let him succeed in one stroke.

What a pity.

Even though it was merely the Lesser Celestial Circuit, it had opened more than twelve hundred branch meridians.

The joy on Yang Dongsheng's face froze.

It was as though he had rammed headfirst into a mountain flood. The instant his inner force touched the other party's, it collapsed without holding up a fight. Several portions of his inner force could barely withstand one portion of the other's.

Yet the other party's inner force was even more abundant than his!

Sshhk!

The sword tip tore through layer upon layer of saber light, knocked the long saber aside, then stabbed straight into Yang Dongsheng's throat. Countless threadlike strands of inner force poured inside, churning all the organs in his body into a mangled mess.

The external protective shield that should have blocked and deflected the blow was like paper paste, utterly useless.

The trailing sword-shadow arrived belatedly.

"Impossible..."

Blood scattered. The light in Yang Dongsheng's eyes gradually dimmed, and even at death's door, he continued to mutter softly.

A youth of sixteen or seventeen having inner force of greater quality than his was one thing, but why was his total amount also so much more abundant? This defied all reason!

In the blink of an eye, one thrust and one block, and Yang Dongsheng, leader of the Righteousness Gang whose name resounded throughout East Spirit, had already died.

"Who goes there? How dare you barge into my Fierce Tiger Stronghold!"

"East Mountain Flying Tiger" Lu Jingtian bellowed, his voice shaking the air for hundreds of meters. His eyes were filled with incredulous terror.

Yang Dongsheng had not been much weaker than him!

The Black Robed Old Man abruptly rose to his feet. At some point, a nine-section whip that slithered and writhed like a venomous snake had appeared in his hand.

"Little Brother Jiang, everything before was a misunderstanding. Villains were stirring up trouble between us. You and I can drink and speak merrily..."

After he clearly saw the Youth in Green Robes at the door, a raging tempest rose in Lu Jingtian's heart, yet he put on a hearty smile, looking like a warm elder.

Jiang Ding said nothing. He shook the blood from his sword and walked forward step by step.

Outside the door came the faint roars of Mountain Splitting Tiger and Gold Pointing Tiger, the orderly footsteps of the stronghold guards, and farther away, the urgent clang of golden gongs gathering men.

"Bold indeed!"

Seeing that the Youth in Green Robes not only did not flee after killing someone, but instead drew closer and closer, anger rose in Lu Jingtian's heart. "Then leave your life behind for this old man!"

"Come!"

Lu Jingtian swung his saber, unleashing five saber qi strikes with stern and majestic bearing. Faintly, the roar of tigers sounded, seizing the soul and chilling the heart.

Five Tiger Soul Breaking Saber!

He had obtained this in a fortunate encounter during his youth. Since entering the world, it had never failed him. When his saber flashed, an enemy's head, hands, and feet would be divided into five. Thus, it was also known in Jianghu as the Five Hells Saber.

Jiang Ding made no movement beyond a single slash. A snow-bright, perfectly regular arc flashed and vanished, accompanied by the sword-shadow behind it.

Exhibiting Sword Style!

The instant the regular arc collided with the Five Hells saber qi, it effortlessly cut through it. The remaining saber qi scattered to both sides, blasting deep, bottomless pits into the ground and nearby wooden walls.

Jiang Ding seemed to gain some insight.

The more he cultivated, the more he felt that the Eagle's Takeoff Sword Art was vast and profound. Whether in cultivation methods or combat methods, it had been deduced to the utmost extreme.

He had once practiced some Jianghu sword arts, but now he had completely lost interest in them.

"Impossible!"

Lu Jingtian's expression changed wildly, and he let out an enraged roar similar to that of the dead Yang Dongsheng.

His inner qi was practically no different from tofu before the other party's; it collapsed at the first touch. Why was this happening?!

One sword descended, and another thrust followed.

It was as though starlight from the heavens had fallen into the mortal world, its radiance growing brighter and more resplendent.

"Five Hells Kill!"

Lu Jingtian's inner qi surged out madly without regard for the consequences, forming five violent saber qi strikes that linked and crossed one another, swallowing everything before them.

This was the killing move he had created after fifty years of arduous saber training. All who had seen it were dead!

Puff!

Like the sound of great drums being pierced in succession, the starlight sword radiance shot directly through. The violent saber qi strikes shattered one after another, without the slightest turn or detour, and stabbed straight for his throat.

Lu Jingtian was terrified.

He realized that he had never been able to receive even a single sword strike from the other party head-on!

Whoosh!

A faint sound of air being torn came from beside his ear.

In the Black Robed Old Man's sinister gaze, the winding black nine-section whip suddenly stretched taut, becoming a twisted thin line. Its pointed tip was sharp as a needle, and at this critical instant when it seemed Jiang Ding's old force had been exhausted and his new force had yet to arise, it suddenly stabbed toward the back of his head.

The tip was sharp and dark, carrying a faintly sweet scent. It was deadly poison; a touch would mean certain death!

Jiang Ding's expression did not change. The sword tip that was about to pierce Lu Jingtian's throat turned back, drawing a snow-bright, perfectly regular semicircle and striking the tip that was about to stab into the back of his head, knocking it away.

Then, the sword tip revolved back with its sword-shadow at an even greater speed.

"Get lost!"

Lu Jingtian was terrified. He hacked out a surging saber qi strike, barely forcing the sword tip back a little. His inner force and blood qi churned endlessly, while his sinews and bones went numb.

He did not dare take another sword strike. In a blind panic, he crashed toward the outside of the room.

So long as he got outside and mixed into the military formation, even an Innate expert would not be able to kill him!

Sshhk!

Lu Jingtian's body stiffened. He blankly looked down at the bloodstained sword edge protruding from his chest, then collapsed limply.

"Where did this baleful star come from?!"

The Black Robed Old Man sucked in a cold breath. He withdrew the black nine-section whip halfway through its attack and fled madly into the distance without looking back.

Jiang Ding glanced at the large group of stronghold guards rushing into the room. Inner force surged beneath his toes, and his body shot straight upward several meters, smashing through the roof and vanishing.