Ambush

Lu Ming's pupils contracted. Behind the blade's killing intent in that glow of sunset was a pair of cold eyes beneath a masked face, bent on sending him to his death.

This was a meticulously planned ambush!

If it had been anyone else, charging forward with their momentum, then squinting as the light shifted from dim to bright, they wouldn't have been able to retreat in time—almost impossible to dodge that fatal strike.

But Lu Ming was different. The city's situation was chaotic now, with the threat of demons looming. So... he had been walking using the inertia of Godly Movement, while holding back all ten parts of his own strength.

Now, as the blade light flashed toward him, he moved with a thought, dispelling the Godly Movement force. His body instantly lost its forward momentum.

He then executed a single Cloud-Stepping move. The Cloud-Stepping Technique's lightness skill was known for its suddenness and speed.

With all ten parts of his strength, Lu Ming burst backward in a violent retreat, so fast that even the blade light couldn't catch up to his movement.

"How is that possible?" The assassin stared in disbelief at Lu Ming, who had suddenly exploded backward, watching helplessly as the blade light grazed past him without cutting even a single hair.

He was a Meat Refining martial artist! Using his Meat Refining strength to assassinate Lu Ming, a Skin Refining martial artist, was already overkill—like using a butcher's knife to kill a chicken. Add in such careful planning, how could this be the result?

Wait! His gaze suddenly sharpened.

No, Lu Ming had broken through. He actually had the aura of a Skin Refining Grand Completion!

Damn it, when did that happen? Regret flickered in the assassin's eyes.

Before he could make his next move, a flash of red descended from the sky in his vision, and a streak of green light shot out from the figure's hand.

"Who?" The assassin saw the green light coming fast and fierce. His pupils shrank as he raised his blade to parry, stepping back.

But as he swung his blade, he struck nothing. The green light veered slightly, then came at him again from an angle.

The assassin's face twisted. His move was spent, leaving him unable to defend. With a low growl, he forced his blade back to block. A muffled grunt escaped him as he took some internal damage.

A crack rang out. This time, he finally hit that green light.

The next moment, the green light spun off his strike. The red-clad figure grabbed the other end, thrust forward with the momentum, and struck him square in the heart.

Pfft! The assassin spat blood. The dark red liquid soaked the black cloth covering his face, dripping from his chin.

Now, the red figure and green light both came to a halt before him. In the fading dusk, he finally saw clearly: the green light was a crystal-clear, emerald bamboo staff, and the red figure was a beautiful woman in form-fitting red martial robes.

"Eighteen Green Bamboo Forms! You're from the Green Bamboo Gang... Feng, Qing, Zhu!" Despair filled the assassin's face.

Feng Qingzhu was only eighteen this year, with the same Meat Refining cultivation as him, yet she had killed him in two moves.

Thud!

Feng Qingzhu looked at him coldly, withdrawing her emerald bamboo. The assassin's corpse hit the ground.

In the dark alley, Lu Ming hadn't expected anyone to actually come after him. Unsure if more ambushers were lurking in the shadows, he was about to slip away when he saw Feng Qingzhu descend from above and kill the assassin.

He cupped his hands from a distance and said:

"Thank you, Senior Sister Feng, for saving me. I didn't expect the city to be this chaotic, with a Meat Refining martial artist lying in wait to rob people."

Feng Qingzhu—he knew her, of course. She was one of this year's four hundred disciples in the Military Service Bureau.

She and Liu Yiyi, the only daughter of Liu Feilong, had entered the Military Service Bureau already at Meat Refining cultivation, ranking in the top ten. They had long earned exemption from the Martial Arts Arena, so they weren't often seen.

Even among the wealthy young masters, they were in a league of their own, unlike Shen Jue and the others.

"Not an ordinary bandit. Someone from the Wei Yuan Escort Agency." Feng Qingzhu turned and glanced at him as she spoke.

Lu Ming was stunned. Wei Yuan Escort Agency?

As in Guo Yuan's Wei Yuan Escort Agency?

"I have no grudge with the Wei Yuan Escort Agency!" he said, puzzled.

If Yin Zheng, the Red Snake Gang's leader, had sent someone to kill him, that would make sense—he had killed Chu Wufeng of the Red Snake Gang in the arena match.

Feng Qingzhu said, "Chief Escort Guo has been somewhat unhinged lately. In any case, I'm here on Junior Sister Li's request to keep an eye on you. Be careful from now on."

With that, she turned and left.

Lu Ming realized—so it was Li Youning's friend. No wonder a martial arts prodigy like Feng Qingzhu would step in to save him for no reason.

Right, Feng Qingzhu was apparently the daughter of Feng Buping, the Green Bamboo Gang's leader. And the Green Bamboo Gang was one of the "Two Gangs, Three Academies, Three Great Families"—a top-tier force in the city!

Seeing Feng Qingzhu about to leave, he thought to himself that this Senior Sister Feng had a rather cold personality. Even saving him, she showed no warmth.

"Wait!" Lu Ming searched the assassin's body and pulled out a Six Harmonies Blade Technique manual. He called out to Feng Qingzhu and said, "Don't you want this manual, Senior Sister?"

Feng Qingzhu stopped, looked at his bright-eyed expression, and shook her head inwardly.

Finger techniques, lightness skills, palm techniques—Lu Ming had already learned so many martial arts, and he still wasn't satisfied? Was he going to study blade techniques too?

Without a word, she turned and left.

Lu Ming called out, "Senior Sister, you're generous!"

He carefully stowed the manual, delight hidden in his heart.

Blade techniques? He could give them a try when he had time.

He took one last look at the corpse on the ground and thought to himself, Guo Zhengwei of the Wei Yuan Escort Agency—I'll remember this grudge!

Not far away, on the second-floor balcony of an abandoned small courtyard, a burly, broad-shouldered man stood by the window. It was none other than Shen Jue!

He saw the assassin fail, Feng Qingzhu appearing to rescue Lu Ming. His pupils contracted sharply, shock and jealousy surging within.

"Feng Qingzhu, a proud daughter of heaven like her, would actually save Lu Ming? What does Lu Ming have to deserve this?"

Shen Jue's expression turned exceedingly ugly as he inwardly cursed the assassin for being useless.

Even with Feng Qingzhu showing up to help, the assassin should have had at least one sure-kill opportunity—yet he still failed to kill Lu Ming.

He gritted his teeth slightly, watching Lu Ming glance around on the spot before swiftly departing, turning a corner and vanishing from sight. His heart churned with unwillingness.

A few days ago, he had been certain that recruiting Lu Ming wasn't worth it. He immediately decided: assassinate Lu Ming!

Otherwise, once Lu Ming grew strong, the matter of him ordering Wu San and his other men to drag Lu Ming before Wei Jinlin would become the noose around his neck.

What's more, if he could kill Lu Ming, it would also make up for his earlier failure on the arena stage—when Lu Ming had suddenly burst in, and he hadn't managed to report it to the family in time.

Now that the attempt had failed, he felt vexed. Taking a deep breath, he slowly regained his composure.

Fortunately, people from families like theirs knew how to use others as knives; they wouldn't dirty their own hands.

Guo Zhengwei of the Wei Yuan Escort Agency had been scared out of his wits by the demon that day, and with his beloved son killed by it, his mind had grown somewhat unhinged. He had come to hate the Li Family and everyone present at that arena battle.

After discovering that Yin Zheng, the Red Snake Gang's leader, had no intention of avenging Chu Wufeng, Guo Zhengwei instead secretly contacted the Wei Yuan Escort Agency's people, feeding them Lu Ming's whereabouts.

And so, this assassination was set in motion.

Though it failed, at least he himself hadn't been exposed. He could scheme again another day.

Shen Jue muttered to himself, then turned to go downstairs.

Just then, the dying sun faded, stars and moon rose into the sky. The long-neglected, dilapidated attic was dim and hazy, creaking with every step underfoot.

"Found you." A low, ghostly voice suddenly rang out, exploding like thunder in the silent surroundings, sending chills down his spine.