All around him was darkness, but through Chen Wu's Concentrated Spirit Realm, the scene opposite him blazed with light—a light so intense it seemed to burn, making his Concentrated Spirit Realm ache.
The source of the light was a Jade Seal held in the black-faced man's hands in the distance.
"Stay where you are. Don't move."
With a grave expression, Chen Wu gave Shopkeeper Qin and the others their instructions. Then, taking up the treasured sword wrapped in cloth, he walked into the darkness.
Shopkeeper Qin was an old hand, too. Sensing that something was amiss, he hurriedly called over the workers, and together they huddled by the campfire.
Sword in hand, Chen Wu pressed forward, his steps steady and unhurried, as if the great seal had no effect on him at all. He walked straight toward the black-faced man.
As he moved, the cloth strips fell away one by one, gradually revealing the sword's true form.
The black-faced man didn't move either. He waited quietly for Chen Wu to approach.
Suddenly, a west wind swept up, setting the hem of Chen Wu's robe fluttering. The man opposite him moved.
The first thing that came was a blade flash, swift as a bolt of silk.
But to Chen Wu's Concentrated Spirit Realm, the blade flash was hidden in the light pouring from the Jade Seal, appearing and disappearing from view. The mismatch between what his eyes saw and what his Concentrated Spirit Realm sensed made him deeply uncomfortable.
Vmmm—
A sword rang out. Chen Wu used a secret technique to stimulate the depths of his eyes and elevate his Concentrated Spirit Realm. At last, amid the chaos, he caught the blade flash.
Clang—
Blade and sword touched, then instantly parted!
The man struck again, changing from a downward slash to a thrust. He rushed in and attacked high, aiming straight for Chen Wu's throat.
Chen Wu changed moves in turn, holding his sword crosswise to block.
But to his surprise, no impact came. The slash had been a feint. Taking advantage of Chen Wu's defensive stance, the man had lightly retreated, putting distance between them.
Seeing this, Chen Wu was about to move when the man spoke.
"I mean you no harm. Please don't come any closer!"
"Why?" Chen Wu stopped.
"If you come any closer, I'll have no choice but to run!"
The answer was entirely unexpected.
"Why run?"
"I'm afraid you'll kill me," the man replied with perfect sincerity.
What the hell?
"If you're so afraid of me, why attack first?"
"I only wanted to confirm your identity," the man said. "Anyone who meets Chen Wu, the Jade-Faced Killing God who killed Yang Yuchun and Li Changgeng, would be a little cautious."
Chen Wu, the Jade-Faced Killing God? Why did that title make him sound like a villain?
No, the real question was, how had his identity been exposed again?
"Why are you so certain?"
"I saw you fight in Yinchuan Prefecture," the man opposite him replied.
"That doesn't prove I'm Chen Wu!"
"Indeed." The man nodded. "The key is your body's ultimate limits."
"Before Li Changgeng died, he sent word that you revealed the signs of reaching the ultimate limits of the body during your battle with him."
"I know those raft workers. Few of them practice martial arts, but they're all strong and sturdy. They struck you with their clubs, and the blows rang out like metal striking metal."
"A master of external cultivation can use Protective Astral Qi to withstand clubs, but the sound is different. I began to suspect you then."
Damn, that was the giveaway.
When he'd fought, Chen Wu had worried that displaying too much strength would expose him, so he'd deliberately taken a couple of blows. He hadn't expected that, to someone who knew what to look for, it would make him even more suspicious.
Experience in the martial world really mattered!
"Gan Province is enormous. You can't tell me I'm the only one who's reached the ultimate limits of the body. How can you be sure I'm Chen Wu?"
"You must be joking." The man seemed baffled by Chen Wu's question. "Anyone who reaches the ultimate limits of the body is a prodigy, no matter which faction they belong to. Every faction would be eager to recruit them. There's no way such a person would end up destitute, working as a raft hand."
"After thinking it over, I figured the only possibility was the Jade-Faced Killing God, who'd committed a grave crime and needed to hide his identity," the man continued. "Besides, if you calculate the timing, you'd be in Yinchuan Prefecture around now, having traveled by water from Jincheng Prefecture."
"I followed you the whole way, looking for a chance to confirm it. The moment your sword rang out, I knew I'd guessed right."
What a formidable fellow!
"I am Chen Wu!" Seeing that his reputation seemed to have frightened the man, Chen Wu decided to drop the act. "You followed me all this way. What exactly do you want?"
"I'd like to ask the Jade-Faced Killing God to deliver a letter."
"To whom?"
"To Wang Jiuyuan, the Dragon-Expelling Divine Sword, lord of the Golden Wind and Drizzle Tower."
Damn, Old Ma had only said the lord was named Wang Jiuyuan. He hadn't mentioned such an imposing title.
The lord was called the "Dragon-Expelling Divine Sword," but Chen Wu had ended up with "Jade-Faced Killing God." What the hell, talk about treating people differently!
"Who are you?"
The man bowed. "Xu Songnian of Wude Palace, School of Heavenly Principle."
Songjiang Prefecture, Shanghai County.
"Qiao Weisheng is dead—"
A government official in a third-rank robe exclaimed in shock.
"He was assassinated. The Star-Pulling Sword sent me to inform you." The messenger had traveled day and night without stopping. He'd even boarded the newly opened steam train from Nanzhili, allowing him to deliver the news in such a short time.
"What else did he say?"
"He said the affairs of the court were for you to decide, and that he would follow your lead in everything."
"There's just one thing: the navy needs the new steamship technology funded by Qiao Weisheng. His death mustn't shake our resolve on that."
"Understood."
With Guo Xuchu's reply, the official relaxed a little and took the letter from the messenger.
"Thanks for all your effort. Go get some rest."
The messenger gave a bitter smile. "I can't rest just yet! I've got some shares in Zhong'an Bank. Before the exchange closes, I need to sell them off."
The official slapped his forehead. "Right, of course. Hurry, go with my steward and have him sell my shares, too."
The School of Heavenly Principle?
He'd just killed two of their experts, and now another one had shown up!
"I just killed some of your people!"
"I'm from Wude Palace, not the Crown Prince's Mansion." Xu Songnian smiled. "If the Crown Prince's Mansion orders us to avenge them, I'll naturally follow the command. But right now... there's been no order."
Well, that was a neat way to dodge responsibility.
"I understand. I'll deliver the letter to the tower lord. But who sent it?"
"That's confidential. The tower lord will know once he opens it."
"Then why ask me to deliver it?"
"If I sent someone else, they might not be able to deliver it directly to the Dragon-Expelling Divine Sword. But with you, you're sure to meet him in person."
"Fine. Hand over the letter." Chen Wu thought it over and decided to deliver it.
He was curious, too. Why would someone from the School of Heavenly Principle correspond with the tower lord? If he wanted to hire an assassin, he could just post a commission. There was no need to go through all this trouble.
Xu Songnian nodded. He kept the Jade Seal balanced in his left hand, reached inside his robe with his right, and took out an envelope. With a light flick, he sent it flying toward Chen Wu.
Chen Wu reached out, caught it, and put the letter away.
"That seal of yours is rather interesting."
"Don't make fun of me," Xu Songnian said with a self-deprecating smile. "I'm only in the Circulation Realm. Without this treasure that interferes with the Concentrated Spirit Realm, I wouldn't dare meet you alone."
Chen Wu found it amusing. His reputation in the School of Heavenly Principle was apparently terrifying enough that even a Circulation Realm cultivator had to approach him with extreme caution.
"What is that thing? How can it interfere with the Concentrated Spirit Realm?"
Before you continue