The Last Person to Kill

This was the first time Old Sword Saint had seen his utterly obedient disciple defy his orders.

It was also the first time Gu Changqing had seen his once kind and gentle master fly into a towering rage.

"How dare you defy me?"

"Now that your swordsmanship has reached perfection and no one in the world can stop you, have you ceased to hold me, your master, in any regard?!"

"Have you forgotten the oath you swore? Forgotten what promises you made to me when I took you as my disciple?!"

Old Sword Saint raged, roaring himself hoarse as he stared at Gu Changqing, his eyes splitting with fury.

Gu Changqing's sword heart was exceptionally pure. It was precisely because of this that Old Sword Saint had never worried that the boy would defy him.

But now, Gu Changqing had disobeyed his orders for the sake of some insignificant people, and that made him feel threatened.

If his disciple truly decided to leave, or made some other choice, let alone himself, even if the entire upper echelon of the Heavenly Secrets Sect joined forces, they absolutely would not be able to stop this monstrous genius from carrying out his decision.

Gu Changqing returned to the pavilion once more.

The conflict that had begun this time caused him and his master to drift farther and farther apart.

But Gu Changqing had already made up his mind.

From this day onward, he would never kill for the Heavenly Secrets Sect again.

His sword was a sword that cleaved the heavens. To serve as a pawn for the Heavenly Secrets Sect and slaughter people without end was a complete betrayal of his swordsmanship.

Gu Changqing resolved that from now on, he would follow the path guided by his sword heart.

Yet.

On one side lay the true heart of his swordsmanship; on the other, the kindness and debt of his master's sect.

In this world, few things could be made whole from both sides. To choose his true heart was to betray his master's grace; to choose his master's grace was to betray his sword heart.

Gu Changqing had never been one to enjoy owing others. Since that quarrel, it felt as though an insurmountable mountain weighed upon his heart, leaving him unable to breathe.

He no longer involved himself in the affairs of the Sword Sect. Instead, he chose to continue cultivating in seclusion within the pavilion, hiding from everything.

Yet the cultivation speed that had once soared like a rocket now refused to advance even an inch.

He drew a circle around himself and made it his prison, pondering within the pavilion for an entire year.

But many things in this world had no answer to begin with. After a year, he had still gained little.

Until this day, when Cloud Child, who attended Old Sword Saint, suddenly arrived.

He respectfully bowed to Gu Changqing, whose face had become weathered in just one year. "Master has gone to the Heavenly Secrets Sect. Before leaving, he asked me to pass a message to Senior Brother."

"Master said that he needs you to kill one final person for him. As for who that person is, it will become clear once he returns from the Heavenly Secrets Sect."

"If you agree, then after this matter, all karma and debts between you will be settled."

Cloud Child's words made Gu Changqing's eyes light up.

It was as though dawn had finally broken upon a darkened world.

"Kill one person. As long as I kill one person, I'll repay Master's grace, and everything will be over."

"I can also break free from the Heavenly Secrets Sect, descend the mountain afterward, and seek the enemies who murdered my parents!"

Gu Changqing was deeply moved. These words offered him a choice that preserved both sides, allowing his sword heart to become clear and unimpeded.

At last, he no longer had to bear the master's grace that towered above him like the sky!

In that moment, Gu Changqing felt lighter than he ever had before.

And so, he waited quietly in the pavilion.

He also knew that since the Heavenly Secrets Sect could promise to restore his freedom, the person they wanted him to kill could not possibly be ordinary.

They might even be a Great Emperor.

But Gu Changqing would not hesitate. No matter how difficult it was, even if it meant death, he would press forward without hesitation and sever the shackles that had trapped him for a year.

Three days later.

Gu Changqing was still waiting in the pavilion for Old Sword Saint's arrival.

But he did not know.

Below the pavilion, Old Sword Saint paced back and forth through the wind and snow. From time to time, he glanced up at the pavilion, his expression twisted with conflict.

About three quarters of an hour later.

Heavy footsteps sounded upon the wooden stairs. With leaden steps, Old Sword Saint finally ascended to the pavilion.

"Master."

The pavilion door opened. Seeing Old Sword Saint, Gu Changqing immediately went forward with his blade in hand.

But Old Sword Saint merely waved his hand, his expression somewhat desolate. "After this matter, I will no longer be your master."

Gu Changqing heard the bitterness in those words.

But now that he and his master had chosen different paths and were drifting farther and farther apart, he had no other choice.

"Who do you want me to kill this time?"

Gu Changqing asked.

For some reason, his heart felt uneasy. He had noticed the deeply buried conflict and endless complexity in the Old Sword Saint's eyes.

Could it be that the person Master wanted me to kill was even more difficult to deal with than a Great Emperor?

Candidates instinctively began to surface in his mind.

One figure after another flashed through his thoughts.

The Old Sword Saint pondered for a long while before finally spreading open his palm.

In it was a crumpled ball of paper, clenched in his hand and kneaded into a wrinkled mess.

Gu Changqing impatiently unfolded it.

The moment he saw the words on the paper, his entire body jolted!

That sizable paper ball

contained only three words.

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After neutralizing Cao Yuwei's attack this time, Mei Gongzi did not rush to counterattack. She merely stood where she was.

Cao Yuwei's brows knitted slightly. Was this little girl's perception really so sharp? After he had transformed flames into armor, he still had other methods at his disposal. If Mei Gongzi had pressed forward with an attack, he was confident he could use that method to restrain her. For the PC version, chapter content loads slowly; please download the app to read the latest novel content for free. But Mei Gongzi did not advance, forcing the ability he had primed and ready to launch to be cut off.

The battle saber slashed out once more, its powerful saber intent several degrees stronger than before. Cao Yuwei moved with the blade, man and saber as one, charging straight at Mei Gongzi.

The Heavenly Secret Plume in Mei Gongzi's hand once again formed the Heavenly Mysterious Circle, and with an instantaneous teleportation, she switched positions. Even as she neutralized her opponent's attack, she also broke free of his lock-on. The very next instant, she was already elsewhere. A golden-red gleam flashed over Cao Yuwei's body; if she had not dodged so quickly, another ability would undoubtedly have descended upon her.

A battle of attrition! She seemed determined to wear Cao Yuwei down.

Yet no one doubted where this ability came from. After all, the Peacock Demon Race's greatest innate talent was Stellar Transposition. Her technique had the same marvelous effect by a different path as Stellar Transposition.

After neutralizing Cao Yuwei's attack this time, Mei Gongzi did not rush to counterattack. She merely stood where she was.

Cao Yuwei's brows knitted slightly. Was this little girl's perception really so sharp? After he had transformed flames into armor, he still had other methods at his disposal. If Mei Gongzi had pressed forward with an attack, he was confident he could use that method to restrain her. But Mei Gongzi did not advance, forcing the ability he had primed and ready to launch to be cut off.

The battle saber slashed out once more, its powerful saber intent several degrees stronger than before. Cao Yuwei moved with the blade, man and saber as one, charging straight at Mei Gongzi.

The Heavenly Secret Plume in Mei Gongzi's hand once again formed the Heavenly Mysterious Circle, and with an instantaneous teleportation, she switched positions. Even as she neutralized her opponent's attack, she also broke free of his lock-on. The very next instant, she was already elsewhere. A golden-red gleam flashed over Cao Yuwei's body; if she had not dodged so quickly, another ability would undoubtedly have descended upon her.

A battle of attrition! She seemed determined to wear Cao Yuwei down.