Black Stone Assassin, Fine Rain

In Lingyun Cave, amidst jagged rocks, deep and mysterious, with a crisscrossing network of large and small passages, Qin Shuang and his two companions searched inside and out, top to bottom, for five days. Yet, they still couldn't find any trace of the Fire Qilin, let alone the figures of Nie Renwang and Duan Shuai. Of course, they also didn't find the bodies of the two, which at least left a sliver of hope.

"Senior Brother, after so many days with no results, let's go back!" Though dejected, Nie Feng remained rational, knowing they couldn't linger here forever.

Qin Shuang understood Nie Feng's lingering unwillingness, but he also knew their combined strength was insufficient to search the entire Lingyun Cave. So, he comforted him, "Junior Brother Feng, don't be discouraged. Once we've trained for a few more years and our strength has advanced, we'll come back and investigate again."

"Okay!" Seeing that Qin Shuang hadn't given up, Nie Feng and Duan Lang, the parties involved, naturally couldn't lose heart first. They responded with loud voices one after another, their expressions lifting, shaking off their previous fatigue.

"Duan Lang, what are your plans next? If you're willing, I can recommend you to join the Dragon Guard of the Great Shang Dynasty to fulfill your ambitions." Qin Shuang, having witnessed Duan Lang's skills and martial arts talent, immediately invited him.

"No, Brother Qin Shuang, thank you for your kindness. I've been a wanderer since childhood, with a free-spirited nature, and I can't stand the constraints of the court's strict rules. Moreover, I've already promised Nie Feng that I'll join the Tianxia Association with him and temper ourselves in the jianghu." Duan Lang had already thought it through and frankly refused Qin Shuang.

Qin Shuang could only sigh helplessly. Everyone had their own pursuits, and he didn't force the issue, offering only his heartfelt blessings.

Not far from Lingyun Cave, Qin Shuang felt as if a pair of eyes were watching the three of them from the shadows. But when he looked back, he found nothing, attributing it to his own oversensitivity.

As they parted ways, Qin Shuang asked Nie Feng to also give Bu Jingyun a strange red fruit and made plans to visit Liaozhou to find them when they had time.

This trip to Lingyun Cave had allowed Nie Feng to retrieve his family's heirloom, the Snow Drinking Saber, and learn the complete version of the Arrogant Cold Six Forms. Duan Lang had also found the Fire Qilin Sword, lost by the Duan family for many years. As for Qin Shuang, he had picked all the remaining strange red fruits from the caves within Lingyun Cave.

Although the three of them still couldn't solve the mystery of Lingyun Cave or clarify the strange circumstances of Nie Renwang and Duan Shuai's disappearance, they had each gained something, making the trip worthwhile.

One day, Qin Shuang arrived in a county town in Yulin Commandery, Shanzhou. Tired and weary, he headed straight for an inn in the city.

He saw that at the street corner at the end of the bluestone long street, a crowd of commoners had gathered around a performer of ancient magic (illusions), admiring the ever-changing tricks.

Paper figures, fire-breathing, picking beans like immortals, turning the eight directions... trick after trick was performed, drawing continuous applause and cheers from the onlookers.

Qin Shuang also stopped to observe carefully. It wasn't that he was mesmerized by the magic, but rather that amidst the crowd, a woman caught his attention.

She wore a form-fitting battle suit that perfectly outlined her slender figure, like a rose on the battlefield, heroic and spirited.

A streamlined black hairstyle shimmered with dazzling brilliance under the sun; a pair of eyes as sharp as swords seemed capable of piercing through all falsehood, leaving people nowhere to hide before her; beneath her noble nose was a mouth that exuded authority even without anger. Currently, her lips were pressed together, giving Qin Shuang a sense of indescribable threat.

More dangerous than the person was the slender sword in her hand!

Its entire body was silver-white, slender and elegant, with a lotus-petal-shaped handguard and wave patterns on the blade. The blade was only about two fingers wide, thin as a butterfly's wing – the Water-Splitting Sword!

"Black Stone, Fine Rain?" Qin Shuang recognized the woman's identity immediately, thanks to the Dragon Guard's comprehensive data reserves.

Fine Rain did not reply. She was not one for many words, nor did she need to answer a question from a dying man.

Fine Rain, a mid-stage Innate Realm cultivator, wielded the Forty-one Forms of Water-Splitting Swordplay. her sword moves were both fast and dense, her sword path as unpredictable as fine rain in the wind, making her difficult to grasp.

Qin Shuang recalled the Dragon Guard's information and evaluation of Fine Rain in his mind while gripping the hilt of his State Stabilizer, concentrating his mind and calming his spirit.

The two stood in a silent standoff, the surrounding air seeming to freeze. Neither dared to make the first move, as calm as two tigers hunting, patiently waiting for their prey to reveal a fatal flaw.

Time flowed by like water. Qin Shuang and Fine Rain were both patient enough, but that didn't mean others could be.

Suddenly, from the crowd that had been watching the magic show, five figures darted out like ghosts towards Qin Shuang: an old man, an old woman, a burly man, a peasant woman, and a child.

All five were dressed as ordinary townsfolk, and as if by magic, they produced hoes, rakes, carrying poles, and various other weapons, all attacking Qin Shuang together.

Three Postnatal Peak and two First-rate Warriors. In normal circumstances, Qin Shuang would have had at least ten different ways to deal with them, three of which could have directly counter-killed all five. However, in front of Fine Rain, Qin Shuang had only one choice.

Retreat! Qin Shuang pushed off the ground, his body moving rapidly backward, first creating distance between himself and Fine Rain.

The five, however, were ignorant of the situation. Seeing their attack miss, they lunged forward again.

Qin Shuang sighed inwardly and no longer hesitated. His State Stabilizer flashed like a startled dragon. With one move, the Wolf-Sealing Slash, the saber's momentum spread out horizontally, engulfing all five men before him under the blade – one move, five kills!

After executing the move, Qin Shuang felt no joy. His sharpness had been revealed, his edge blunted. In a battle between masters, even the slightest mistake was unacceptable. He believed Fine Rain would certainly not miss this opportunity.

Indeed, with a shimmering light that dazzled the eyes, Fine Rain's Water-Splitting Sword attacked him in the blink of an eye. Fine Rain, a veteran of countless battles, would not give Qin Shuang any chance to recover his breath or gather his momentum.

Fine Rain's footwork was light, each step carrying a nimble aura, as if every movement could deliver a clever strike.

Paired with the Water-Splitting Swordplay, the Water-Splitting Sword in her hands clanged like metal when she moved, and sounded like water trickling when they clashed.

Qin Shuang drew his Barbarian Breaker Saber with his left hand and unleashed the Dream Slaying Saber Technique. With both sabers, he blocked high and low, protecting his vital points. However, his shoulders and back were hit successively, the wounds as fine as raindrops, bleeding incessantly.

The State Stabilizer and Barbarian Breaker clashed repeatedly with the Water-Splitting Sword, emitting crisp ringing sounds, the splashing sparks as brilliant as blooming fireworks.

Qin Shuang was fully focused. Minor injuries could not affect his concentration at all. Of course, facing Fine Rain, he dared not be distracted for even a moment.

At this moment, on the long street, time seemed to have stopped. In Qin Shuang's eyes, only Fine Rain remained.

His thoughts became clear and sharp, every movement more precise and powerful. His body seemed to have merged with the State Stabilizer and Barbarian Breaker sabers, each attack carrying infinite power.

In this exchange of blows, Qin Shuang's soul seemed to have been sublimated. He forgot his identity, forgot the purpose of his visit, forgot all trivial matters, and only the love for life remained in his heart.

Qin Shuang understood that this battle would either end with his death or Fine Rain's death – there was no third possibility!