We Found the Mole!

Clang!

Lin Xue's sword sang, signaling the final act!

Lin Xue also practiced Sword-Wielding Combat Arts. In fact, generations of the Lin family had dedicated themselves to the study of Sword-Wielding Combat Arts, a noble, tragic pursuit. While it wasn't considered top-tier across the entirety of Huiyao, within the Morning Wind District, the Lin Family Sword Arts were a well-known and respected standard.

As soon as Le Yu engaged, he immediately felt the insidious sharp edge hidden within Lin Xue's seemingly gentle swordplay. If Gao Jin's Sword-Wielding Combat Arts were formal, rigid, and a straightforward, open "King's Sword," then Lin Xue's Sword-Wielding Combat Arts were a blend of overt and covert tactics, a "Warlord's Sword"!

Beneath the sword light, there was still sword light; within the sheath, it shimmered faintly!

Lin Xue's right-hand sword attacked swiftly, but her left-hand sword sheath remained concealed, yet it gave Le Yu an immense sense of danger. He used sixty percent of his strength to parry and forty percent of his focus to remain vigilant! Compared to Gao Jin's Sheath Sword Light, which burst forth in a thousand torrents, Lin Xue's sheathed sword was like a gun with the safety off and the trigger held down, causing every cell in his body to tremble with warning. Yet, this lethal shot remained aimed but un-fired!

When is a sword-wielding martial artist most dangerous? Always when her sword sheath is charging!

This was the Lin Family Sword Arts—both honorable and unpredictably treacherous! Le Yu only knew a little about it from Qian Yuliu's memories. Although Qian Yuliu hadn't formally fought Lin Jinyao, occasional sparring sessions had given Qian Yuliu a deep understanding of the unique nature of the Lin Family Sword Arts.

Because combat arts were publicly available technical knowledge provided by the state, profit-driven groups centered on "technology," like sects, naturally couldn't exist. At most, there were martial arts schools and lineages, which were more like "traditional culture preservation associations" or social clubs. After all, everyone knew the best way to learn combat arts was to enroll in a Military Academy. One could get the best combat arts education for the least cost, so no one would casually seek out a master to apprentice under.

While traditional master-apprentice relationships were rare, passing down skills through bloodlines was common. If parents achieved success and insights in combat arts, they would naturally pass them on to their children. The children would then innovate and improve, with each generation refining the techniques. Perhaps one day, they would catch the eye of the Yan Jing Royal Academy, and their family's insights would transform into new national techniques that everyone would study?

In this world, few martial artists would hide their small insights. Instead, they would do their best to display their cultivation achievements at the Combat Arts Exchange Conference held every few years, hoping to impress the Royal Academy with their optimized combat arts. If selected, besides bringing glory to their ancestors and achieving lasting renown at the Yan Jing Combat Arts Hall, they might even have the chance to teach at the Royal Academy. This was a tangible benefit, worth fighting tooth and nail for.

As for hiding one's insights to make one's family lineage prosperous forever, that was a pipe dream—if you don't upload your research, will no one else? Even if no one uploaded, the Royal Academy constantly gathered a group of commoner martial fanatics. They fought daily and researched nightly, constantly advancing and optimizing the combat arts system.

If you hid your insights today, making your family's combat arts 0.5 stronger than others, then tomorrow, the Royal Academy would update, and the average level of combat arts would rise by 1.5, rendering your researched insights instantly worthless.

Centuries of policy promotion had long ingrained the idea of "daring to innovate and willing to contribute to the nation" into the hearts of all martial artists. Therefore, every family would have its own specially modified combat arts. Among these modified combat arts, only a very few were slightly stronger than the official combat arts overall. More often, they sacrificed a certain disadvantage to strengthen another advantage.

The Lin Family Sword Arts were exactly like this. Lin family children had to sleep and train with a sword from a young age, nurturing the sword and sheath by leveraging the spiritual growth that occurred during childhood. They dedicated most of their effort to cultivating the technique of "Light Condensation in Sheath," ultimately developing this modified combat art where the sheathed sword light possessed immense power.

The benefits were obvious, but the drawbacks were also clear: it not only increased the learning threshold and time but, most importantly, if the sword and sheath nurtured from childhood were ever broken or damaged, all the time spent nurturing them would be wasted.

In a sense, this was merely a heterodox method that relied on external objects, which is why the Lin Family Sword Arts remained confined to the Star Engraving Prefecture within the Morning Wind District and could not rise to historical prominence.

However, despite the many flaws of the Lin Family Sword Arts, when it was Le Yu's turn to face it, he dared not take it lightly!

Indeed, if Lin Xue didn't have this sword she had nurtured since childhood, Le Yu could have slapped her senseless. But the problem was, she did have it—it was like his opponent, though one or two levels lower than Le Yu, had an extra powerful piece of equipment, and that equipment was a one-time burst item!

For Le Yu, Lin Xue's Sheath Sword Light was no less than Death's Finger. Although Le Yu wouldn't die if he was hit, as long as it wasn't a vital point, serious injury was definitely unavoidable, which was why he fought so cautiously.

Sword-Wielding Combat Arts · Ascend to Heaven and Descend to Earth!

Lin Xue's sword light suddenly split into two, attacking Le Yu's upper and lower body simultaneously. The true sword was hidden within the sword light, making it impossible for Le Yu to instantly determine which side Lin Xue's true sword was attacking.

But it didn't matter!

Biting Combat Arts · Wild Bite Cosmic Chant!

Le Yu's hands formed a "Wild Bite" shape, striking the sword light fiercely and drawing a large circle. No matter where Lin Xue's true sword went, it would be caught by his Cosmic Chant Light Burst!

And then—

Torrential Spit!

Le Yu suddenly pressed forward, pushing his palms horizontally, and a light burst bloomed, as if to pursue the attack and decide the outcome!

However, at that very moment, Le Yu suddenly retreated significantly. The Torrential Spit continued, but it wasn't used for pursuit; instead, it was for self-protection. Instantly, a vast expanse of white appeared in front of him, and the surrounding light was heavily distorted. Onlookers felt the ambient light dim considerably.

Clang!

Lin Xue's longsword tore through the light curtain, pointing calmly at Le Yu. The mouth of the sword sheath she held flickered faintly with a golden glow, clearly indicating that the sheath light was fully charged and ready to unleash at any moment!

She didn't fall for it... Le Yu's heart sank slightly.

All the power of the Lin Family Sword Arts lay in that first burst of Sheath Sword Light. As long as the sheath sword hadn't been unleashed, everyone feared it. Once it was unleashed, the game was over—if she couldn't win, she would surely lose.

As long as Lin Xue expended her sword intent to unleash that first burst of Sheath Sword Light, she would no longer be a threat to Le Yu. Le Yu could dictate whatever pose he wanted her to take—the pose of being utterly crushed.

Therefore, Le Yu's recent aggressive advance was intended to make Lin Xue feel extremely threatened, to trick her into unleashing her Sheath Sword Light. He hadn't expected Lin Xue to be so steady. If he had truly followed through with his attack just now, Lin Xue could have been sent flying from this street corner to the end of that street.

Yin Yinyin's judgment that Le Yu could defeat the Lin family's avengers was quite reliable. Gao Jin was out of the question, a pure freebie. Xia Lingo was a fanatical, hidden private fan of Qian Yuliu for years, so Yin Yinyin couldn't be blamed for that. And Lin Xue, who was ostensibly the strongest avenger, only had one move that could threaten Le Yu.

Even with Le Yu currently injured and significantly depleted in stamina, as long as he remained steady, defeating Lin Xue wasn't a difficult task. Le Yu had just been testing her earlier; if he could have tricked her into unleashing the Sheath Sword Light, he could have ended the Revenge Severance early.

But, was Lin Xue really an internal spy? If she wasn't, then was Yin Yinyin's guess about the spy wrong? If she was, did she have another trick up her sleeve?

Many thoughts flashed through Le Yu's mind, but in the end, only one remained: Defeat her!

Cut off any chance for Lin Jinyao's disciples and children to join White Night!

Lin Jinyao was already dead; there was no need for his disciples and children to follow in his footsteps and sacrifice themselves for that so-called White Night. If they couldn't even defeat a mere Qian Yuliu, they shouldn't be thinking about the rise and fall of the world being everyone's responsibility. They should go home, study for a few more years, and preserve their useful lives!

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Claws and swords clashed, igniting bursts of explosions. The blooming light bursts stung the eyes of those around. Many martial artists observing noticed that Qian Yuliu, who had been forced back by Lin Xue's sword net moments ago, now suddenly became aggressive, pushing Lin Xue back step by step!

"Even the Lin Family Sword Arts are becoming Qian Yuliu's stepping stone…"

"Isn't he afraid of the Sheath Sword Light?"

"Qian Yuliu failed to trick out the sword light just now, and now it's Lin Xue's turn to be afraid to use her killing move!"

Without using the Sheath Sword Light, Lin Xue was no match for Le Yu. In a direct clash of light bursts, Le Yu's Wild Bite and Torrential Spit could easily shred Lin Xue's sword light. Within a few moves, Lin Xue's situation was already precarious. If Le Yu hadn't occasionally used feints to evade, Lin Xue would have already been defeated!

Still not using it? Still suspecting I'm faking it?… Then let's get real!

Le Yu swatted away the sword light Lin Xue sent, then suddenly lunged forward, pushing his palms horizontally, as if to unleash Torrential Spit. Just when everyone thought this was another feint, he genuinely pressed his palms onto Lin Xue's chest, and power erupted!

Lin Xue was thrown back by the powerful shock, her internal organs churning and blood surging. Before she could spit out a mouthful of injured blood, Le Yu's killing move was already upon her!

Biting Combat Arts - Wild Bite!

Le Yu lunged his hand towards Lin Xue's neck. A Light Burst shattered the air, the force breaking the sound barrier. This grab alone was enough to cleave stone and iron, to shatter bone and gold!

If Lin Xue continued to retreat, Le Yu's left hand, which had been accumulating power for a long time, would unleash a Torrential Spit, sending her flying into the crowd and declaring victory for this Revenge Severance!

No matter who the traitor was, this would put an end to it!

However—

Lin Xue didn't retreat!

She bit her lip, using the pain to clear her head and steady herself, then thrust her sword sheath towards Le Yu!

As Le Yu's hand caught Lin Xue's neck, Lin Xue's sword sheath was already pressed against Le Yu's chest!

A chilling sensation, almost as if he was about to be pierced through, made Le Yu's scalp tingle. Lin Xue's Sheath Sword Light was poised, ready to strike. Le Yu couldn't dodge, couldn't block!

But, Lin Xue, your neck is also in my hand!

But as Le Yu saw the calm in Lin Xue's eyes, he realized he had been wrong from the start.

Lin Xue wasn't the traitor.

Nor was Lin Xue making a promise, certain she could defeat Qian Yuliu.

From the very beginning, she had come to die with Qian Yuliu.

That's why, when faced with Le Yu's feigned probes, she didn't dodge or avoid, nor did she use her Sheath Sword Light.

Only when Le Yu truly went all out could Lin Xue create a perfect opportunity, leaving Le Yu with no escape—though this opportunity would come at the cost of her death.

So, what to do next?

Kill Lin Xue?

Le Yu severely injured?

Or should Le Yu spare Lin Xue's life, and after he died, possess Lin Xue's body and start a new life as a successful avenger and beautiful girl?

A thousand words condensed into a single curse word in Le Yu's mind:

Lin Jinyao, Qian Yuliu, you two dead bastards who should have gone to hell long ago are making me clean up your messes!

No sooner said than done, Le Yu dissipated all the strength in his right hand. His left hand unleashed a torrential Light Burst, heavily striking Lin Xue's abdomen!

At the same time, Lin Xue's hand, holding the sword sheath, suddenly trembled slightly, and the overflowing light from the sheath's opening suddenly vanished. Struck by Le Yu's palm, her weapon flew directly from her grasp, and she collapsed to the ground with a cry of "Ugh!"

It was over.

Lin Xue hadn't unleashed her Sheath Sword Light, and Le Yu hadn't killed Lin Xue. This Revenge Severance concluded with the most perfect ending.

Le Yu let out a heavy sigh, his whole body relaxing. He thought he'd have to take sick leave and go to the Medical Officer Department for a massage today. He glanced at Lin Xue, who lay on the ground, her face pale, and walked over, intending to help her up.

Suddenly, a piercing sword cry exploded, followed by a heart-wrenching roar: "Qian Yuliu, don't even think of killing my niece!"

Le Yu slapped away the sword light, cursing, "Lin Xue'en, get lost!"

The one who suddenly attacked Le Yu was Lin Jinyao's younger brother, Lin Xue'en. His sword light danced as he lunged at Le Yu, saying indignantly, "You've already won the Revenge Severance, and the Lin family ancestral home is yours! Why do you still have to go to such extremes?!"

"I didn't!"

Lin Xue'en's combat arts cultivation was even inferior to Lin Xue's. Le Yu was getting quite impatient after a few exchanges with him. He directly used Cosmic Chant to vibrate away Lin Xue'en's longsword, then delivered a heavy Torrential Spit, thinking to force him back and be done with it!

However, Lin Xue'en didn't retreat or dodge this time. He twirled his longsword in a flourish and instead slashed at Le Yu!

Damn, do all of you in the Lin family love to die together?

But you, are you worthy of a key? How many keys are you worthy of?

Le Yu was confident that his Torrential Spit would send Lin Xue'en flying several meters before his longsword could strike. He thought, Since you insist on being shameless, then I won't be polite!

At that instant, a profound chill pierced through Le Yu's entire body.

Intense fear, intense premonition, intense threat, all contaminated every corner of his body through Le Yu's Spiritual Induction! Every cell protested, demanding that he dodge immediately, leave immediately, quickly, swiftly, hurry!

In an instant, Le Yu realized the reason for his fear—

Someone was aiming a sniper rifle at him from a distance!

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