A Suspected Assassination?

Wu Qianhuan still returned to the City Lord's Mansion.

Chu Qing was right. The matters at Luoyu Hall and the possible upheaval within the Chu Family left her no time to keep tangling with Chu Qing here.

Especially Luoyu Hall. The opportunity would not come again if she let it slip.

But before leaving, she gave Chu Qing a long, inscrutable look.

After she left, Chu Qing did not return to the inn either.

After wandering around for a while, he found himself outside the Chu Family residence.

Beneath the night sky, the Chu Family was in utter chaos. People hurried back and forth inside, and men dressed in blue kept entering and leaving through the main gate.

Every one of them looked solemn... even grief-stricken?

A sense of foreboding welled up in Chu Qing's heart. But only when he heard a group of men in blue mention "the master was assassinated" did something from his memories surge into his mind, leaving him dizzy and dazed.

"Assassinated... Chu Yunfei was assassinated?"

He abruptly looked toward the Chu Family residence, instinctively wanting to go inside and take a look.

But after only two steps, he stopped.

"No, that's not right!"

Chu Qing took a deep breath.

"There's a trick to this!

"I know Bai Qi's methods. That string of schemes during the day was the whole plan.

"The two assassins have already been dealt with. How could Chu Yunfei still have been killed?

"What's more, Bai Qi has already withdrawn from Heavenly Dance City... which means this assassination attempt has completely failed.

"In that case... could this supposed assassination be...?"

Thinking this, he lightly slapped his own cheek.

"Ten Thousand Night Valley hired Sin Mirror Platform to assassinate Chu Yunfei, but the attempt failed.

"Chu Yunfei is pretending to die to dig a pit... and bury Ten Thousand Night Valley in it."

That was the most reasonable explanation Chu Qing could come up with right now.

It made sense, but it was still only speculation... Whether things really were as he imagined remained to be verified.

And the way to verify it...

Chu Qing suddenly turned around. A black-clothed man stood in the rain not far away.

Their eyes met. The man turned and ran.

Chu Qing narrowed his eyes and gathered his strength, following after him.

The man ahead was incredibly fast. He sprang through the rainy night, a layer of blue qi seeming to cover him from head to toe as he darted through the downpour like a shooting star chasing the moon.

Chu Qing's eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of purple flowing within them.

His speed, which had been just a little slower, surged in an instant. In the blink of an eye, he was almost right behind the black-clothed man.

The man glanced back and seemed stunned. Then delight flashed through his eyes.

"What impressive lightness skills!"

They had reached the walls of Heavenly Dance City. The man spread his arms like a snow goose taking flight, leaped several zhang into the air, then tapped his toes against the wall. He moved across it as if on level ground and reached the top in the blink of an eye.

Looking back, he saw Chu Qing leap up onto the wall.

Chu Qing was treading through the air, charging straight toward him.

The black-clothed man was startled again. He turned and sprang away without a second thought, heading beyond the city walls.

Chu Qing tapped his feet repeatedly, taking thirty steps through the air as he relentlessly pursued the man.

Only then did the Heavenly Dance Guards on the walls of Heavenly Dance City come to their senses.

Seeing the two men vault over the walls, they shouted:

"Who goes there?"

But how could they possibly catch up?

The two men left the city, one chasing the other. After another three or five li, they reached a dense forest.

The black-clothed man abruptly turned around.

"You're this good at lightness skills. Let's see how you do at hand-to-hand combat!"

As his voice fell, he thrust out one palm.

With the force of the strike, a wall of qi seemed to rise around them.

Tree shadows swayed, the rain gathered, and a massive palm took shape in their midst.

Chu Qing turned his palm over as well, a layer of purple covering it.

The tree shadows swayed in the same way, the rain gathered just as before, and another massive palm appeared in their midst.

Anyone could see it... The two of them were using the same martial art.

Azure Void Palm!

Boom!

The black-clothed man staggered, forced back a step. Chu Qing, however, did not move an inch.

"What martial art is that? How can it be so powerful?"

The black-clothed man's voice was full of astonishment.

"You tell me..."

Chu Qing looked at the man in front of him helplessly.

"Big Brother, quit messing around."

The movement technique was Star Chasing Moon Following Steps, and the palm technique was Azure Void Palm.

Both were secret arts passed down only within the Chu Family. Aside from Chu Yunfei, only the three Chu brothers had learned them.

Chu Fan wouldn't have come to meet him in black clothes and a mask... So the man before him could only be Chu Tian.

Chu Tian glanced at Chu Qing and removed his mask.

"Why aren't you surprised at all?"

"Ever since I saved the old master this afternoon and left the Chu Family,

"you've been following me and Wu Qianhuan...

"Wu Qianhuan didn't notice, but you couldn't hide from me."

Chu Qing spoke softly.

"I thought you'd show yourself after Wu Qianhuan left, but I didn't expect you to leave too after killing Xin Youhen."

"Your second brother was nearby then. I was worried he'd act rashly and fight you.

"I had no choice but to go draw him away..."

Chu Tian sighed softly.

"When did you realize I'd recognized you?"

"Just now."

Chu Tian was a little surprised by Chu Qing's answer.

"Just now?"

Chu Qing smiled.

"Wasn't it only after I used Azure Void Palm just now that you were sure it was me?"

Chu Tian stared for a moment, then burst into laughter, his voice full of relief.

"Good, good, good. Third Brother, seven years apart... you've really grown up."

Perhaps he hadn't grown up after all...

If he truly had, how could he have been deceived by Sin Mirror Platform and ended up in a mutual death?

Chu Qing let out a soft breath.

"But since you're here, that means the supposed assassination really was fake."

Chu Tian nodded.

"Ten Thousand Night Valley hired Sin Mirror Platform to kill Father because they feared his martial arts.

"His Void Scripture is nearly complete. He's only one step away... and that last step has been held back because you didn't return, leaving him troubled and unable to break through.

"Now that you're back, it won't be long before Father completes the Void Scripture.

"Ten Thousand Night Valley fears him and wants him dead... so Father might as well die for real.

"We'll give them what they want and see what they do next."

He paused, then continued:

"Before this, I couldn't be completely sure who you were. But if news of Father's assassination got out, it was hard to say whether you'd be able to keep your composure.

"If it really was you, and you thought Ten Thousand Night Valley and Sin Mirror Platform had succeeded,

"I was afraid you'd go fight them without knowing the truth. That's why I wanted to see you and at least get a message to you...

"But judging by the way you are, it seems you'd already guessed?"

"I only dared to be completely sure after I saw your face."

After hearing Chu Qing's words, Chu Tian instinctively touched his face. Only then did he understand.

"I thought I was testing you. Turns out you were testing me..."