Mad Saber Sect

Though the Hundred Flowers Sect and Dream Red Pavilion were powerful, this was only a branch hall. Within Yulin, the Mad Saber Sect was the strongest.

It was a time of chaos, and martial arts were thriving. Sect after sect sprang up like bamboo shoots after rain, scattered across the land like stars on a board, a tangled and complicated landscape. From its founding to its peak, the Mad Saber Sect had existed for no more than ten years. In just a few short years, it had welcomed disciples in droves and expanded rapidly, becoming a behemoth. The saber was made to strike, to chop and cut down its target. Back then, its Sect Master, Taishu Sheng, lived up to his name. With just himself and his saber, he defeated the leaders of Yulin's ten great sects one after another, thereby establishing the Mad Saber Sect's position. Taishu Sheng himself wielded his saber like a ferocious tiger and had a bold, flamboyant personality, earning him the name Chaos Saber among the people of the Jianghu.

After hearing about the Mad Saber Sect from Liu Ruyan, Jiang Shuo furrowed his brow. "Did you figure it out from the Dragging Saber Technique that the Man in Black used?"

"Correct. Taishu Sheng's Mad Saber Four Techniques—Slash, Sever, Drag, and Frenzy—are common knowledge among the people of the Jianghu. Back then, Taishu Sheng challenged the Sect Master of another saber-wielding sect in Yulin. I was fortunate enough to witness it. The Sect Master was older and possessed profound skill; he was on the verge of defeating Taishu Sheng when the latter used this move, luring his opponent in before turning defeat into victory. That is why the Dragging Saber Technique left such a deep impression on me." Liu Ruyan nodded.

When fighting an enemy, retreating as they advanced was only common sense. This unexpected move of the Dragging Saber Technique was indeed difficult to guard against. Though Jiang Shuo had already suffered from it once, he admitted that if he encountered it again, he might well fall into the same trap.

"Big Sister, in that case, let's take this corpse to the Mad Saber Sect and demand justice. The Mad Saber Sect may be powerful, but Dream Red Pavilion isn't someone they can bully." Taohong said.

Liu Ruyan lowered her head and glanced at the corpse, then shook her head. "Even if everyone witnessed it with their own eyes, the Mad Saber Sect could insist we conspired to frame him. With the dead unable to testify, there's nothing we can do to them."

"Then..." A trace of anxiety showed between Taohong's brows. "Doesn't this discovery end up being useless?"

"Not exactly. At least it points us in the right direction. And besides..." Liu Ruyan turned to Jiang Shuo and gazed at him, as if pondering something. After a moment, she said obliquely, "If we can't do it openly, we can do it in secret."

Jiang Shuo was taken aback. "What do you mean, in secret?"

"For this, I'll have to trouble Young Master Jiang." Liu Ruyan's lips curved upward, her smile blooming like a flower.

The group then carried the corpse back to Dream Red Pavilion to discuss what to do next.

Liu Ruyan's plan was to send someone to sneak into the Mad Saber Sect and investigate. Since the disciples of Dream Red Pavilion were all women, they would inevitably attract attention, so the task naturally fell to Jiang Shuo.

The dead assassin had not returned, so the Mad Saber Sect would surely be on alert, with tight security and danger lurking at every turn. Sending a martial arts expert risked alerting them and might even backfire. Jiang Shuo's martial arts might be weak, but his identity would make excellent cover. In particular, after Chen Bingting's downfall, Jiang Shuo had made a big splash, and the whole city of Yulin knew he was someone Feng En of the Hundred Flowers Sect had taken an interest in. Jiang Shuo could enter the Mad Saber Sect in broad daylight, and as long as he did nothing to cross their bottom line, even if they discovered him, they wouldn't do anything to him.

Once the plan was settled, Jiang Shuo immediately returned to the Hundred Flowers Sect to discuss it with Feng En. After receiving his approval, Jiang Shuo went straight to the Mad Saber Sect with the Hundred Flowers Sect's large party.

Sun Daoming had missed what happened the previous day and feared Jiang Shuo would gain the upper hand. Only after repeatedly asking did he get Feng En's permission to go along.

"The Mad Saber Sect has always been mysterious and has few ties with other sects. Outsiders know little of how they operate, so you must be extremely careful on this trip. It would be best if you can find some leads, but if you can't, don't linger. Don't give them reason to grow suspicious." Before they left, Liu Ruyan cautioned them. In the end, she seemed to want to say something more; her red lips parted, but she ultimately kept it to herself.

Jiang Shuo was curious, but since Liu Ruyan hadn't said anything, it wouldn't be right to ask. He nodded to show he would remember, then left with the large party.

Once they rounded the street corner and Dream Red Pavilion was out of sight, Jiang Shuo caught a glimpse from the corner of his eye: Taohong, her face veiled with a light scarf, was standing in a roadside pavilion ahead, as if waiting for him.

Jiang Shuo narrowed his eyes and signaled for the party to wait while he went over. "Sister Taohong, may I ask why you're waiting for us here?"

Taohong clasped her hands together, nervously glancing left and right. After hesitating for a moment, she spoke softly. "I came here alone, without telling Big Sister. I hope you'll agree to what I'm about to tell you, and promise not to tell her."

Jiang Shuo was a little surprised. In his impression, Liu Ruyan and Taohong were inseparable, as close as sisters. But Taohong had come here behind her back, which meant what she was about to say must be quite important.

After a brief moment of thought, Jiang Shuo nodded and agreed. "As long as it doesn't go against chivalry, I'll keep it secret."

"I trust Young Master Jiang's character." Taohong turned sideways and dipped her knees slightly, then said, "The Mad Saber Sect has a Forbidden Ground in its Back Mountain. They say Taishu Sheng chose the location himself when the Mad Saber Sect was founded. The Forbidden Ground came first, and the other buildings around it were built one by one afterward. Gathering intelligence is Dream Red Pavilion's main business, so we've sent many capable people to investigate, but the Forbidden Ground is heavily guarded. We've lost many people, yet still know nothing about it. If there's a clue, it's very likely to be there. Big Sister must be worried about your safety, which is why she deliberately didn't tell you. But when I think of all the sisters who died in vain, I just can't bear it, I can't..."