No More Than This

Raindrops were drawn together by inner force, forming a gigantic palm that blocked Chu Qing and Wu Qianhuan's path.

Wu Qianhuan's heart sank. She knew this man was Tang Yinfeng, chief hall master of Falling Rain Hall.

This man's martial arts were exceptionally formidable. Wu Ganqi had once tested him with a move, and afterward told Wu Qianhuan that the depth of his cultivation was no less than his own or Chu Yunfei's.

He had told Wu Qianhuan that if she ever encountered this chief hall master, she should be more courteous.

But clearly, there was no room for courtesy now.

Tang Xi had secretly practiced demonic arts, while Liu Shijie had colluded with the Seven Iron Horse Thieves.

Both the deputy hall master and young hall master of Falling Rain Hall were tainted. How could this chief hall master have emerged unsullied from the mud?

Though tearing off all pretense at this point was a little early, there was no time to worry about such things. Wu Qianhuan therefore had no intention of concealing herself.

Seeing that palm about to reach them, she was just about to draw her sword.

But Chu Qing was faster than she was.

By the time Wu Qianhuan's hand pressed against her sword hilt, the palm-shaped shadow formed from the curtain of rain had already been pierced through by his sword.

Yet after being stalled like this, his sword momentum had slowed.

Even so, when Wu Qianhuan looked up, that sword had already reached Tang Yinfeng's chest.

No matter how high Tang Yinfeng's martial arts were, he was startled at this moment.

Had he not struck first, that sword might not have killed him, but it would certainly have wounded him.

What kind of swift sword was this?

As thoughts flashed through his mind, he had no time for anything else. He brought his hands together, facing each other from afar.

Scarlet light surged between his palms, while a wisp of purple qi surfaced in Chu Qing's eyes.

The two currents of inner force clashed, and in the span of a breath, neither side gained the upper hand.

But just then, Tang Yinfeng's expression darkened. As his hands turned, Chu Qing discovered that his long sword was decaying at a visible rate.

"Blood Transformation Divine Palm!"

Wu Qianhuan was both shocked and furious.

Tang Xi practiced the Heaven-Hating Demonic Art and the Blood Transformation Divine Palm. As expected, Tang Yinfeng was no exception either.

Just what sort of place was Falling Rain Hall?

Crash!!

In the blink of an eye, Chu Qing's sword shattered inch by inch.

The two forces blasted apart, sending the surrounding rain curtain sweeping in all directions.

Yet the two men within the battle circle moved at the same time, each launching a palm strike.

Wu Qianhuan was horrified and hurriedly leaped over:

"Be careful, it's the Blood Transformation Divine Palm!"

But when masters fought, victory and defeat were decided in an instant. Even if she wished to save him now, how could she possibly make it in time?

Just as the two palms were about to meet, there came a whoosh.

Something flew from Chu Qing's sleeve, piercing through Tang Yinfeng's palm in an instant.

Tang Yinfeng screamed and rolled off the wall.

Just then, Wu Qianhuan arrived before him. Chu Qing grabbed her wrist and leaped away, leaving only his voice behind:

"The hall master of Falling Rain Hall is no more than this!!"

For a moment, Tang Yinfeng was enraged, chilled, pained, and furious all at once. His whole body trembled.

He felt that this person was simply a bastard!

You launched a sneak attack—what kind of hero did that make you?

And you dared look down on me?

If you have the skill, take one palm strike from me head-on and see which of us is superior!?

As he thought this, he felt his palm going numb.

When he lowered his head for a look, he grew even angrier:

"He used poison too!?"

But this was not yet the height of his fury. Several Falling Rain Hall disciples came hurrying over:

"Hall Master, the Young Hall Master is missing."

"What?"

Tang Yinfeng's expression changed drastically. Without bothering to circulate his inner force and purge the poison, he hurried to Tang Xi's room. With one sweep of his gaze, he followed the bloodstains and determined Tang Xi's whereabouts.

He immediately opened the hidden door, only to see a headless naked corpse sprawled on the ground... long dead already.

But... where was the head?

Tang Yinfeng suddenly recalled that when he had fought that assassin just now, the man seemed to have been carrying something in his hand...

Could it be...

The moment this thought arose, he could no longer suppress the poison wound. With a puff, he sprayed out a mouthful of blood, raised his hideous face to the sky, and roared:

"Who the hell is it!?"

Heavenly Dance City was where Chu Qing and Wu Qianhuan had grown up.

After leaping out of Falling Rain Hall, they shook off every pursuer behind them in mere moments.

Only after reaching a secluded spot did the two stop.

"Pleasure working with you."

Chu Qing said to Wu Qianhuan:

"Farewell."

"Stop right there!"

Wu Qianhuan hurriedly called out.

Chu Qing looked surprised:

"Is there something else?"

"..."

How could there be nothing else? They had just done something so enormous—how could this man act as though nothing had happened?

She stared fixedly at him and found that he bore not the slightest resemblance to the person in her memories.

The reason she had followed him here tonight was partly because Tang Xi's identity was special, and partly because she wanted to observe the man before her again. But now...

Wu Qianhuan shook her head and drew a deep breath:

"You deliberately let me make the first move so that I could create an opening for you?"

Wu Qianhuan was very clever, and the position she occupied did not allow her to be foolish.

At this point, how could she not understand? The reason Chu Qing had agreed to let her accompany him was so that she could create an opportunity for him to strike.

Chu Qing smiled at her words:

"This trip relied entirely on Young Miss Wu's help. But we agreed beforehand: you do not get even a share of the reward for killing Tang Xi."

In truth, Chu Qing did not get any either. After all, Ergou had no money.

Wu Qianhuan felt herself nearly numb. Upon hearing this, she could not even summon the anger.

She merely looked at Chu Qing with dark, heavy eyes:

"Had you already calculated all this from the very beginning, when you agreed to let me act with you?"

"...I'm not some fortune-teller. How could I possibly be so uncannily prescient?"

Chu Qing was speechless:

"It's simply that one person has one person's method of killing, while two people have a plan for two people.

"Since Young Miss Wu was so warm-hearted and willing to rid the people of demons, naturally one should make the fullest use of her... Ahem, ahem, it was nothing. You heard wrong."

"What a fine 'make the fullest use'!"

Wu Qianhuan enunciated every word. Even with her face covered, one could imagine how ugly her expression was at that moment.

This man had clearly counted on her following him, which was why he had this plan.

And now he was still here putting on airs.

He absolutely was not Chu Qing. Chu Qing's thoughts would never have been this deep...

As that thought arose, just as the breath in her heart was about to ease, another thought abruptly surfaced.

People changed.

He had been gone for seven years, and there was a past she knew nothing about.

What if this was simply how he had changed...

Thinking of this, she was about to say something when Chu Qing spoke:

"Whatever you have to say can wait. I reckon you'll be very busy tonight.

"Tang Yinfeng is poisoned now, and his inner strength has been greatly reduced.

"Tonight, Falling Rain Hall should be at its weakest point in the past three years. Hurry back and find your father. Discuss how best to cut this malignant tumor out of Heavenly Dance City."

Chu Qing's words made sense, but Wu Qianhuan only felt that he wanted to run away...

At that moment, a clamor arose. Chu Qing and Wu Qianhuan instinctively hid themselves, thinking people from Falling Rain Hall had come looking for them.

But several people in Azure Robes hurried past, seeming to search for something.

"People from the Chu Family?"

Chu Qing and Wu Qianhuan exchanged a glance, both recognizing where these people came from.

But why were they racing through the rain in such haste?

Could it be... something had happened to the Chu Family?