Blood-Stained Ink Sword

Ning Chen wasn't sure what the Heavenly Tome or the Heavenly Pool were, but the Xiantian Pills from Great Xia were divine medicines coveted by all martial artists across the land. It was said that each pill could give a Houtian Realm peak expert a 30% chance of breaking through to the Xiantian Realm.

Such heaven-defying items—Great Xia only had three left, and none had been successfully refined in a hundred years.

It could be said that these three Xiantian Pills were Great Xia's most precious treasures for attracting powerful individuals from across the world. The majority of the court's enshrined experts willingly served in the imperial palace for years, all for the sake of these Xiantian Pills.

Ning Chen had never dared to hope for one, so there was no disappointment to speak of.

"Cough, cough."

Suddenly, Yue Ling covered her mouth and coughed. Not far away, the old woman's expression changed, and she quickly stepped forward, placing a pill into Yue Ling's mouth.

"Miss, it's windy outside. Let's find somewhere to stay for the night first."

"Mhm." Yue Ling nodded, a sickly pallor flashing across her beautiful face.

"What ailment does Miss Yue suffer from?" Ning Chen asked, a trace of concern on his face.

"An old illness I've had since childhood. It's nothing serious," Yue Ling replied with a tired smile.

"In that case, let's rest here at the Phoenix Roost Pavilion," Ning Chen said, glancing at the building behind them.

The old woman frowned, about to speak, but Yue Ling raised a hand to stop her. She softly said, "Let's listen to the young master."

A moment later, the three of them requested two rooms in the building: one for Ning Chen, and one for Yue Ling and the old woman.

Back in their room, the old woman finally couldn't hold back and voiced her displeasure. "Miss, with your status, how can you spend the night in a place like this, a pleasure house?!"

"He can do it, so why can't I?" Yue Ling retorted.

"He's a man, and besides, how can his status compare to yours, Miss?" the old woman said, unwilling to yield.

"Man, woman, heh."

Yue Ling smiled faintly. If she cared about such things, she wouldn't have done so many things that seemed rebellious in the eyes of the world. As for status, while it was useful, it was also the most annoying thing.

In this unfamiliar place, she didn't want to be bound by such trivialities anymore.

"Miss, you should rest quickly. We still have to travel tomorrow morning," the old woman advised.

"Mhm."

Yue Ling nodded, then walked to the bed and lay down with a weary expression, pulling the covers over herself and sleeping in her clothes.

The old woman blew out the lamp and sat quietly on another bed in the room, adjusting her breathing and meditating.

In the other room, Ning Chen sat in his wheelchair, staring out the window, lost in thought.

"Ding!"

As night deepened, the bustling street fell silent. Just then, a clear ringing sound echoed in the distance, so distinct it was like a silver needle dropping onto ice.

Ning Chen's eyes narrowed as he watched the black shadow approaching from afar, his heart rising into his throat.

"Ding!"

Amidst an eerie, ghostly aura, an Underworld Ghost Carriage approached from the distance. Black and White Impermanence cleared the way, and Ox-Head and Horse-Face lifted their feet, covering ten zhang with each step, moving with extreme strangeness.

Seeing such a bizarre sight, Ning Chen could no longer remain calm. He was shocked, wondering, Are there truly gods and ghosts in this world?

With a bang, Ning Chen slammed his hands on the table, and his body, along with the wheelchair, flew out of the second-story window.

Upon landing, Ning Chen grabbed at the Black Impermanence leading the ghost carriage, but his hand passed through as if it were a shadow, meeting no resistance.

"How can this be?"

Ning Chen's pupils contracted. He activated his cultivation, and the Woodcutter's Blade flashed, striking towards the Underworld Ghost Carriage.

"Boom!"

The Woodcutter's Blade struck Ox-Head, sending sparks flying, but the Underworld Ghost Carriage continued forward as before, already ten zhang away in the blink of an eye.

Seeing the ghost carriage depart, Ning Chen transformed his blade into a sword, slapped his wheelchair, and his body turned into a streak of silver light, sweeping forward.

"A Feathered Swan, A Sword of Heaven and Earth!"

A sword strike as swift as a flying swan slashed towards the ghost carriage. However, Horse-Face blocked the way, and in that instant, its soul-hooking gaze struck Ning Chen, severely damaging his spirit. He fell to the ground with a thud, spitting out a mouthful of crimson blood.

"Lunatic!"

At some point, the old woman appeared beside Ning Chen, speaking mockingly.

Ning Chen ignored her. He slapped the ground with both hands, his body soaring up and landing back in his wheelchair. Then, he slowly walked back into the building.

After this brief encounter, Ning Chen felt even more confused. The Black and White Impermanence and Ox-Head and Horse-Face earlier clearly weren't martial artists in disguise. If so, did gods and ghosts truly exist?

"Cough, cough."

With his spirit severely damaged, Ning Chen coughed violently. His head throbbed with excruciating pain, and in his daze, there was an indescribable emptiness.

"Young Master Ning, you were too reckless this time."

Yue Ling, awakened by the commotion outside, came to Ning Chen's side and placed a pill into his mouth, speaking with a tone of reproach.

"I had no choice. I just wanted to resolve the doubts in my heart."

Ning Chen didn't refuse Yue Ling's kindness. As the pill entered his mouth, it transformed into a pungent, refreshing current, and the severe pain in his head immediately eased considerably.

"I've disturbed your rest, Miss."

Seeing the exhaustion on Yue Ling's face, Ning Chen apologized.

"Mhm."

Yue Ling nodded. Ning Chen had indeed disturbed her rest.

Hearing Yue Ling's blunt reply, a rare hint of embarrassment appeared on Ning Chen's lips, a genuine one, not the usual habitual expression he wore.

After half a day of commotion, the old woman took Yue Ling back to her room to rest, and Ning Chen also returned to his own room to meditate and regulate his breathing.

At dawn, Ning Chen opened his eyes and pushed open his door. Seeing Yue Ling and the old woman standing there, he knew they had come to say goodbye.

"Leaving already?"

"Mhm."

"Until we meet again."

"Until we meet again."

The two bid farewell without any reluctance or sadness. A gentleman's friendship is as pure as water; there's no need for sentimental goodbyes.

"Last night, I saw that Young Master used a sword technique. I will leave this sword with you now, as a token of our acquaintance."

Yue Ling took an Ink Sword from the old woman's hand and presented it to Ning Chen, saying.

Ning Chen didn't take it, quietly remarking, "I already have a Woodcutter's Blade."

Yue Ling still placed the Ink Sword in Ning Chen's hand, insisting, "The Woodcutter's Blade isn't meant for fighting, after all."

Ning Chen no longer refused. He ran his hands over the Ink Sword's body and sighed softly, "Thank you."

"No need. We'll meet again if fate allows."

With those words, Yue Ling turned and left, so unburdened, without a trace of lingering attachment.

The old woman glanced at the Ink Sword in Ning Chen's hand, her expression shifting repeatedly, but in the end, she said nothing and turned to follow Yue Ling.

The Ink Sword was sheathless, its blade unexposed. It wasn't a supremely sharp sword, and it was quite heavy to hold, not something an ordinary person could wield easily.

However, Ning Chen liked it very much, for no particular reason, just a simple fondness.

The journey north still had to continue. Ning Chen found a blacksmith in the city to forge a sheath for it, equally black as ink, with no hint of its sharpness.

The Woodcutter's Blade and the Ink Sword were placed side-by-side behind his wheelchair, tied with ox tendon. A hint of confusion appeared on Ning Chen's face. Now, did he count as having combined sword and saber?

No one would answer such a question for him. Ning Chen set off from Falling Moon Gorge, heading north. The snow was knee-deep and very difficult to traverse.

The wheels of his wheelchair were largely submerged. Ning Chen turned the wheels with both hands, one rotation after another, extremely persistent, unwilling to stop.

The wheels crunched through the snow, and faintly, two rows of footprints could still be seen on it, perhaps left by other travelers rushing on their way. Ning Chen traveled the thirty li of Falling Moon Gorge for two days and one night, finally emerging on the second day at sunset.

Leaving the gorge, the landscape transformed. There were no longer cliffs on either side, and his vision suddenly broadened considerably.

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, Ning Chen's eyes sharply narrowed. Before him, corpses lay strewn everywhere, fresh blood staining the white snow.

Old people, women, and children—none were spared.

Ning Chen rarely felt anger or rage these days, but seeing this scene, the fury in his heart burned through the nine heavens, and a murderous intent surged in his eyes.

The wheelchair rolled over the blood-stained snow, picking up the blood of the dead, and their grievances too. The further Ning Chen went, the colder his heart became, the colder his eyes, and the more the veins on his hands protruded.

The knife wounds on the bodies were uneven, and their valuables had been completely plundered. Clearly, this was not the work of martial artists, but rather bandits.

Great Xia had been established for over a thousand years, and it had always severely cracked down on mountain bandits and thieves. Over a hundred years ago, it even dispatched a Martial Marquis to personally lead a campaign, causing mountain bandits within Great Xia's borders to almost disappear for a time.

No one had expected such a heinous act to occur here today, amidst this heavy snowfall that sealed off the mountains.

Horse tracks were still visible, indicating that the bandits hadn't gone too far. However, the bandits had horses, while Ning Chen not only lacked a horse but also had crippled legs.

Ning Chen was a very stubborn person. He was before, and he still was, with no change due to his crippled legs.

The wheelchair moved forward on the snow, leaving a trail of blood. The further he went, the fainter the blood trail became.

The bandits would have to rest, and in such heavy snow, horses couldn't move fast. Ning Chen wouldn't rest. No matter how slow he was, he would eventually catch up.

Just like that, one day, two days passed, and Ning Chen caught up to the bandits outside a desolate forest. The bandits were making a fire outside the woods. There weren't many of them, thirteen, both men and women.

The men were burly, the women alluring.

Something was roasting over the bonfire, and the aroma of meat wafted far and wide.

Over a dozen horses were tied up in the forest, not far from the bandits. In Great Xia, horses were very valuable commodities, and the bandits kept a close watch on them.

Ning Chen's arrival drew everyone's attention. The appearance of a young man in a wheelchair in this desolate wilderness was strange no matter how one looked at it.

The bandit leader was a very vigilant person and instinctively felt that something was amiss.

However, not everyone had such keen judgment. An alluring woman among the bandits stood up and swayed her body over to Ning Chen.

"Little brother, what are you doing here? Where's your family?"

The woman wrapped her arm around Ning Chen, her entire body almost leaning onto him.

"May I ask, were the people in front of Falling Moon Gorge killed by you?"

Ning Chen didn't struggle. Instead, he looked up at the alluring woman close by, smiled shyly, and asked.

Seeing the young man's shy smile, the woman inexplicably felt a chill run through her body. She unconsciously released her grip and took half a step back.

"Excuse me, did you kill the people in front of Falling Moon Gorge?"

Ning Chen asked again, his voice still shy and calm, without a hint of threat.

"Yes, no, no, no..."

The woman first nodded, then immediately realized something was wrong and was about to deny it. However, she didn't get the chance. A flash of inky light streaked past, and the last two words instantly caught in her throat, unable to be uttered.

The Ink Sword was stained with blood. It was Ning Chen's first kill. He felt nothing, nor did he experience the legendary nauseating reaction. It was strange, as if he had done something insignificant.

As the wheelchair passed, the woman finally collapsed. The Ink Sword wasn't sharp, but Ning Chen's sword was swift. A single strike to the throat, leaving little pain.

The remaining bandits finally reacted, grabbing their blades, ready to resist.

However, bandits were ultimately ordinary people. Even if they were ruthless and vicious, they were no match for a fourth-grade martial artist.

The Ink Sword swung mercilessly, and the eleven bandits quickly fell one by one. The bandit leader tried to escape but was impaled through the chest by a flying Woodcutter's Blade, collapsing into the snow.

Ning Chen's ruthlessness was chilling. None of the thirteen bandits survived, including the charming woman.

Ning Chen had never considered himself soft-hearted. He had said before that his belief was: If I don't go to hell, then someone else will.

When he said this, he was serious, not joking.

Perhaps Mu Chengxue and Qing Ling were right not to teach him martial arts back then. But he ended up on this path anyway.

The blood on the Ink Sword was still warm. Ning Chen used the cold snow to wipe the blood from the blade, simultaneously cooling it down.

He knew he had no regrets...

Sougou Novel's high-speed first release of "First-Grade Blade-Wielding Eunuch" latest chapter. This chapter is [chapter name], address: [chapter URL]. If you think this chapter is good, please don't forget to recommend it to your friends in your QQ group and Weibo!