Blade

After hearing that scream, Jiang Zhiwei's body visibly tensed. Her longsword sped up, breaking through the defenses before her in two or three moves and piercing both Black Clothed Men through the temples, leaving their death wails only half-uttered.

Startled awake by the wailing, Meng Qi leaped away from the stone wall without a second thought and ran to Jiang Zhiwei's other side.

Only then did Meng Qi have time to wonder: why had the two Black Clothed Men, who had held Jiang Zhiwei at bay for quite some time earlier, been so easily dealt with by her? Had she been holding back before?

Yan Wujiang's death had clearly provoked Zhang Yuanshan, Qing Jing, Qi Xia, and the others. Their attacks grew ever fiercer, and in the span of barely more than ten breaths, they swept through the Black Clothed Men like a gale scattering clouds, leaving only a few survivors.

Whew. Qi Xia walked over to Yan Wujiang's side, stared at him for a while, and slowly exhaled. "Chieftain Yan had always feared death. Because of his connection to Senior Flying Yaksha, we had only ever assigned him duties such as guarding the gambling den. Who would have thought that he would be the first to die this time?"

Zhang Yuanshan squatted before Yan Wujiang's corpse, examined the wound, then touched beneath his nose to confirm that he was indeed dead. His expression turned grave. "He really is dead..."

Qing Jing, Jiang Zhiwei, Meng Qi, and the others all wore equally heavy expressions. Lord of Six Paths Samsara had not deceived them. This was not a game, nor was it an illusion. If they died, they would truly die!

"We can't delay any longer." Qing Jing was somewhat impatient by nature.

Zhang Yuanshan waved his hand. "Haste makes mistakes. Interrogate the survivors again and confirm that the information from just now was accurate. Besides, with so many people pursuing us, I fear the Fortress Lord already knows we have arrived. The enemies to come will only grow more numerous and stronger, so our plan must change accordingly."

"Junior Sister Qi, I'll trouble you with it." He turned to Qi Xia.

Qi Xia looked once more at Yan Wujiang's corpse. "Senior Flying Yaksha has always been fiercely protective of his own. Even if Chieftain Yan did not get along with him... sigh, who knows what sort of storm this will stir up..."

As she spoke, she walked over to the survivors and once more used the Thirteen Hands of Soul Searching to interrogate them.

"It seems the layout of Hidden Emperor Fortress we learned earlier was correct." As Zhang Yuanshan listened to the survivors recounting everything one by one, he finally confirmed their initial intelligence. Then he frowned. "Why would the Hidden Emperor Fortress Lord gather all his skilled subordinates in the Central Hall at this time, close its doors, and forbid anyone from approaching, leaving these Black Clothed Men like a dragon without a head?"

"Isn't that a good omen? At least until we reach the Central Hall, we needn't worry about reinforcements from experts or the Fortress Lord personally making a move." Qing Jing said indifferently.

Qi Zhengyan suddenly interjected, "But we will eventually have to go to the Central Hall. If we do not uncover the Fortress Lord's plot, we may suffer a terrible loss then."

"The key is, can we figure it out now? Or do you have more time to investigate?" Qing Jing turned his head toward the stone wall beside him.

At this moment, several people were standing in the middle of the corridor, far from the stone walls. As one of the two great burdens, Meng Qi saw his "kindred spirit" Yan Wujiang die violently, and could not help but feel the sorrow of a rabbit dying and a fox grieving. For a time, he had no mood to speak.

Jiang Zhiwei gripped her longsword tightly, a drop of blood slowly falling from its tip. "Don't argue. Follow the original plan, but move faster. Whatever plot the Fortress Lord has, we must strive to reach the Central Hall before he sets it in motion."

"It can only be this way." Zhang Yuanshan abruptly rose to his feet and looked at Qing Jing and Qi Zhengyan. "Let's go."

As he spoke, the three of them lightly tapped the ground and walls with their toes, darting through the corridor. They soon vanished at the fork, truly coming and going from on high.

Qi Xia looked at Jiang Zhiwei, then at Meng Qi, and Smiled. "Zhi Wei, I'm a few years older, so I'll presume upon that and call you little sister Zhi Wei. From here on, I'll follow all your instructions."

Jiang Zhiwei nodded without smiling. "Sister Qi, let's set off as well. Be careful of traps and concealed weapons."

Seeing the two women move forward, Meng Qi hurriedly bent down and picked up a Fine Steel Longsword beside one of the corpses.

"Change to a saber. Swords are hard to learn, sabers easy to use. For you, using a saber will be at least twice as effective as using a sword." Jiang Zhiwei casually reminded him. In the prevailing view of Sword Washing Pavilion, without several years of grueling practice, a longsword was more decoration than a practical weapon.

Meng Qi thought about it. He seemed to have heard this saying before, so with a clang, he tossed away the longsword and picked up a Thick-backed Longblade.

Although, given his build, using a short blade at close range would be highly advantageous, one inch shorter meant one inch more peril. A longer weapon was still better. Besides, this body was quite strong, and wielding this longblade was not difficult for him.

The two young women had been greatly affected by Yan Wujiang's death and the scene of slaughter, and their moods were low. They remained silent throughout. Meng Qi had already recovered, but he did not dare speak carelessly either. He could only follow behind Jiang Zhiwei with all his strength, watching her knock aside poisoned arrows with a flick of her sword, watching her sword-light fly like a shuttle as it slew numerous Black Clothed Men, and even being carried by his collar across a corridor filled with traps.

"We should be close..." Qi Xia looked around and confirmed their current position.

Those words broke the long silence. Jiang Zhiwei looked at the stone door ahead. "Watch out for poisonous qi."

After Meng Qi's Hundred Days Foundation Establishment, his mind was clear and his memory was good. He clearly remembered that beyond this stone door carved with a dragon claw was a corridor. If one stepped on a mechanism within it, highly toxic qi would spray out, and at the end of the corridor was the secret chamber imprisoning Cheng Yong the Great Hero.

Qi Xia pushed open the stone door, lowering her beautiful head as she carefully examined the arrangement of the stone bricks.

"Sister Qi comes from a distinguished family and is also an expert in mechanisms." Jiang Zhiwei explained to Meng Qi.

Even if she had not said so, Meng Qi could have guessed it. Qi Xia had already dismantled the mechanisms in several places earlier.

Qi Xia examined them as she smiled. "Little Sister Zhi Wei overpraises me. My martial arts are inferior to yours, so I can only contend for superiority in these Heretical Paths."

Jiang Zhiwei forced a smile but did not answer. Instead, she turned to Meng Qi, her expression slightly dim. "Within my sect, I only learned how to deal with all manner of sneak attacks and protect myself. I'm truly not good at safeguarding others. I must make that clear first."

She had clearly thought of Yan Wujiang's death.

Meng Qi felt a chill in his inner heart, but outwardly he still put on a righteous, loyal front. "It's no matter. Without Miss Jiang's protection, I would find every step difficult. I would already have followed Chieftain Yan into death."

This time, he had deliberately called her Miss Jiang.

"Benefactor Jiang." Jiang Zhiwei corrected him tirelessly, and at last, a trace of a smile appeared on her face.

Qi Xia suddenly laughed. "Little Sister Zhi Wei, there is a hidden door in this corridor. It should lead directly to another secret chamber. Judging from the map of the terrain, that may be where Ding Changsheng the Great Hero is being held."

"You want us to split up?" Jiang Zhiwei keenly caught her meaning.

Qi Xia nodded. "The experts within the fortress have all gone to the Central Hall, and there is this shortcut. I want to give it a try, to improve our final odds of victory."

Jiang Zhiwei pinched the black hair hanging over her shoulder with her left hand. Thinking of how they had indeed encountered only ordinary Black Clothed Men along the way, without seeing any experts, she instructed, "Be careful in all things."

"I know." Qi Xia gripped her Water Dividing Thorn tightly and said to Jiang Zhiwei and Meng Qi, "Three steps left, four steps right. Follow that order, and you won't trigger the poisonous qi."

She casually cut down a large chunk of stone debris and tossed it over to test it. Sure enough, there was not the slightest movement. Then she tapped off the ground with her toes and swept gracefully across. At the center of the corridor, she opened a stone door and vanished into the darkness.

"Let's go save Great Hero Cheng as well." Jiang Zhiwei walked to Meng Qi's side, about to grab him by the collar and take him across.

Naturally, Meng Qi did not want to remain where he was, lest several Black Clothed Men emerge and kill him. Yet there was a question in his heart that he had never managed to resolve, and he did not quite dare act alone with Jiang Zhiwei.

Thinking over Jiang Zhiwei's personality and conduct from their first meeting until now, Meng Qi decided to risk asking, "Miss Jiang, there is a question I do not know whether I should ask."

"What question?" Jiang Zhiwei looked at Meng Qi in puzzlement.

Meng Qi gritted his teeth. "Miss Jiang, when we encountered the Black Clothed Men the second time, why did you fight two of them for so long without winning? With the strength you displayed afterward, you should have been able to deal with them easily."

This question had kept Meng Qi uneasy all along.

"Ah?" Jiang Zhiwei let out a sound of surprise, her expression changing again and again, extraordinarily vivid.

Then her pretty face stiffened. "Say it first: you're not allowed to laugh."

It was rare to see Jiang Zhiwei reveal such girlishness. Meng Qi felt much of the tension in his heart dissipate, and he swore repeatedly that he absolutely would not laugh.

Jiang Zhiwei raised her head to look at the stone wall above, a faint flush spreading across her pretty face. "That was my first time killing someone. When I saw the enemy's blood spray out and their body collapse weakly to the ground, my hands went a little soft..."

Pfft. Meng Qi nearly laughed aloud. It was actually such a simple reason—he had worried far too much!

Seeing Meng Qi struggle hard to suppress his laughter, Jiang Zhiwei gave a soft snort. "In my sect, I only used killing chickens to train my courage for taking life. I had never killed a living person."

"Uh, Miss Jiang, how many chickens have you killed?" Meng Qi casually changed the subject.

Jiang Zhiwei thought for a moment. "It has been two years since I achieved success in swordsmanship. During that time, I killed two chickens every day, with the occasional pig, cow, sheep, or other living animal."

A thought flashed through Meng Qi's mind. With a solemn expression, he said, "Miss Jiang, I've already thought of your nickname for after you become famous."

"What is it?" Jiang Zhiwei asked with some curiosity.

Meng Qi said in complete seriousness, "Chicken-Slaying Sword God."

Pfft. Jiang Zhiwei burst out laughing. "Oh my, I never thought this Little Monk of yours was such a little rascal. Also, call me Benefactor Jiang! Be careful that Buddha punishes you!"

Her smile was like a blooming flower, but she quickly calmed down. Grabbing Meng Qi by the collar, she took him running toward the other side of the corridor. After their banter, their relationship had grown much closer.

Qi Xia's skill with mechanisms was indeed impressive. The way remained calm and uneventful, and Jiang Zhiwei and Meng Qi successfully arrived before the stone door.

"This stone door cannot be opened from the inside..." After studying it for a while, Jiang Zhiwei motioned for Meng Qi to hide behind her, lest concealed arrows fly out when the door opened.

The stone door grated heavily against the ground as it slowly opened backward. Nothing unexpected happened.

"Which friend has come to save me?" A surprised male voice rang out.

After Jiang Zhiwei looked around and confirmed there was no ambush, she entered the Stone Chamber while Meng Qi guarded the door for her.

At the center of the Stone Chamber, a Middle-aged Man clad in a plain blue-green robe said in surprise, "I am Cheng Yong. Thank you, miss, for saving me. May I ask which sect you belong to?"

He knew the figures of the martial world like the back of his hand, yet he had never seen this youthful girl, beautiful as a Heavenly Immortal.

"Great Hero Cheng, we juniors come from a reclusive sect. Because our Master received a secret invitation from Ma the Hero, we followed along to help you eliminate evil and defend the righteous path." Jiang Zhiwei made up a lie at random.

Upon hearing Ma Lianghan's name, Cheng Yong nodded lightly and stepped toward Jiang Zhiwei. "I have not yet asked for your name, miss."

"This junior is Jiang Zhiwei." Jiang Zhiwei came from a famous, great sect, and under ordinary circumstances, she would not neglect etiquette.

Cheng Yong walked before Jiang Zhiwei and Smiled. "Heroes emerge from the young. All right, let us set out and save the others. Hmm, and this is?"

Jiang Zhiwei half turned. "His Dharma name is Zhending."

At this moment, Meng Qi saw a layer of green qi suddenly cloud Cheng Yong's eyes, and immediately felt a sense of foreboding.

And just then, Jiang Zhiwei also sensed something. She exerted force beneath her feet and retreated backward.

Cheng Yong's left hand moved like a fish swimming through water, nimble and swift. From below upward, it struck toward Jiang Zhiwei's lower abdomen like lightning.

"Heart-Seizing Pill..." For some reason, this term surfaced in Meng Qi's mind.

Jiang Zhiwei's reaction was half a beat too slow. Her retreat could not compare with Cheng Yong's left hand, and in an instant, it pressed against her lower abdomen.

At this moment, she could only reduce the damage through techniques such as drawing in her abdomen and resisting with True Qi.

Yet Jiang Zhiwei's face suddenly showed a resolute, decisive expression. She thrust her longsword forward. Rather than evade, she chose to fight to the death!

Bang! Jiang Zhiwei was sent flying by the blow, crashing into the stone door. She vomited blood and fell to the ground, while Cheng Yong's chest was pierced deeply by her longsword, blood pouring forth like a fountain.

Heh heh. Cheng Yong first tapped several acupoints on his chest to roughly stop the bleeding. Then, as though he had become a wild beast, utterly disregarding his own grave wounds, he lunged with difficulty toward Jiang Zhiwei and Meng Qi.

Jiang Zhiwei's sword strike had made Cheng Yong instinctively shrink back in the face of death. The force of his palm had greatly weakened, so he had failed to grievously injure her. Yet her lower abdomen was the vital point of the Dantian and connected to the lower half of her body. For the moment, she could not gather any strength, and her legs had gone completely numb.

"Little Monk." She called out, hoping Meng Qi could overcome his fear and make a move. Cheng Yong had been stabbed in the left chest by her. His condition was certainly poor; perhaps if they delayed for several breaths, he would collapse and die on his own.

Watching Cheng Yong, drenched in blood and with green gleaming in his eyes, pounce upon them like an evil ghost,

Meng Qi's legs trembled like sieves, and he almost thought himself in a nightmare.

At this moment, Jiang Zhiwei's call woke him. Thinking of Yan Wujiang's miserable death, of the slaughter after slaughter he had already witnessed, and of the joy and gains from his usual fist training, Meng Qi's courage surged. His body trembled, his teeth clenched tight, and he slashed out with his saber.

At this moment, a saber truly was easier to use than a sword!