Assassin

Ning Xiaochuan felt his blood and qi roiling within him, while his five viscera and six bowels ached from the impact of the Profound Qi.

Ye Chenglong's cultivation was far stronger than his, a full realm above. His speed was also incredibly swift. In an instant, he arrived before Ning Xiaochuan and brought his sword down upon his head.

Ning Xiaochuan did not dare meet him head-on and rolled sharply to the left.

Bang!

The Profound Qi Sword struck the ground, smashing through a half-meter-thick stone slab and leaving behind a six-meter-long trench amid flying rubble.

Ning Xiaochuan sprinted at top speed, desperately considering a countermeasure.

This Ye Chenglong had immersed himself in the Profound Qi Ninth Level for over a decade. He was undoubtedly at its peak. His Profound Qi was heavy and majestic, his speed swift as lightning. He was the greatest foe Ning Xiaochuan had ever encountered.

Ye Chenglong condensed another Profound Qi Sword and caught up once more.

Ning Xiaochuan's heart tightened. His neck felt cold, as though a sword might fly from behind at any moment and chop off his head.

Faster! Faster! Faster! I can't escape!

Ye Chenglong let out a savage laugh and stamped violently against the ground. Like a great bird, he soared into the air, intending to fly over Ning Xiaochuan's head and cut off his path.

This was exactly the opportunity Ning Xiaochuan had been waiting for.

Ning Xiaochuan stopped. Eight streams of Martial Dao Profound Qi coursed across his palms, condensing into a Profound Qi Sword that he slashed toward Ye Chenglong overhead.

Suspended in midair, Ye Chenglong had no way to evade and could only take the blow head-on.

Yet he had no fear at all and laughed. "I already told you, your Profound Qi Sword has no power whatsoever in my eyes."

With a sweep of his arm, the Profound Qi Sword in his hand slashed out as well.

Bang!

Both Profound Qi Swords shattered.

But Ye Chenglong's expression instantly turned ugly.

Because he saw a second Profound Qi Sword flying toward him.

"Profound Fortification Protective Shield!"

Ye Chenglong hurriedly mobilized all the Profound Qi in his body, turning it into an enormous Profound Qi Sphere that shielded him. His body plunged toward the ground. So long as he landed, he was one hundred percent certain he could kill Ning Xiaochuan.

But Ning Xiaochuan naturally would not give him that chance.

Bang!

Bang!

Three Profound Qi Swords slashed out in succession, breaking through Ye Chenglong's Profound Fortification Protective Shield.

One sword aura severed Ye Chenglong's right arm, and a scorching fountain of blood burst from his shoulder.

Everything that had happened just now took place between a spark and a flint. Ye Chenglong had leapt up and then fallen back to the ground, and in that fleeting time, Ning Xiaochuan had slashed out three times in succession, ultimately cutting off one of Ye Chenglong's arms.

After landing, Ye Chenglong hastily circulated his Profound Qi to stop the bleeding from his shoulder. His hatred for Ning Xiaochuan had reached its limit. "You actually cut off one of my arms. Today, you must die."

Ning Xiaochuan panted heavily, having expended quite a bit of Profound Qi, but the fighting spirit in him had never been stronger. He shouted, "Come on! Let's see whether you die today, or I do!"

"And me." Murong Wushuang rushed over and took up position on Ye Chenglong's other side.

Though Ye Chenglong had lost an arm, he was still at the Profound Qi Ninth Level and could not be underestimated.

The three struck at the same time, battling in a tangled mass within the small garden. Figures whirled through the air, Profound Qi surged, and sand and stones flew everywhere.

Bang!

Bang!

In the end, both Ning Xiaochuan and Murong Wushuang were sent flying backward. Blood stained the corners of their mouths, and each bore a bloody palm print on his chest.

Ye Chenglong stood on the ground with disheveled hair. His body was covered in wounds and drenched in blood. He looked as savage as a Wrathful Ghost as he stared fixedly at Ning Xiaochuan. "Sickly Ning, go to hell!"

Ye Chenglong condensed another Profound Qi Sword. The Profound Qi around him surged violently, forming a tornado.

Ning Xiaochuan flipped to his feet, dropped to one knee, and reached into his robes. He pulled out a black Evil Dragon Scale, wrapped his palm in Profound Qi, and sent the Evil Dragon Scale flying.

Pfft!

The Evil Dragon Scale pierced Ye Chenglong's heart.

The black Evil Dragon Poison invaded his Martial Heart Palace directly and merged into his blood.

Ye Chenglong froze completely still. After a violent convulsion, he crashed heavily to the ground.

With his heart pierced by an Evil Dragon Scale, death was certain.

Ning Xiaochuan finally breathed a sigh of relief, only to cough up another mouthful of blood. He hurriedly sat cross-legged and began recovering his Profound Qi.

About two hours later, Ning Xiaochuan and Murong Wushuang had both recovered seventy to eighty percent from their injuries.

"This time, I really have you to thank. Otherwise, I might not have been able to get rid of them all today." Gratitude showed on Ning Xiaochuan's face, but he added solemnly, "You must not tell anyone that I can cultivate Martial Dao Profound Qi. This matter... is of great importance."

Murong Wushuang knew that Ning Xiaochuan's identity was far from ordinary and that this matter must be no small thing. He nodded solemnly.

Ning Xiaochuan took out a delicate jade vial and handed it to Murong Wushuang. "There are ten drops of Heart Nourishing Elixir inside. Take them and use them. They will be of enormous help to your Martial Dao cultivation."

Murong Wushuang accepted the jade vial, delight appearing on his face. "Brother Chuan, don't tell me you're a Heart Nourisher?"

Ning Xiaochuan said, "I'm only an Elementary Heart Nourisher."

Murong Wushuang looked at him with reverence and envy. He tucked the jade vial into his robes and smiled. "Heart Nourishers are all rich. Then I won't stand on ceremony."

Ning Xiaochuan said, "I'm curious. Didn't you earn fifty thousand Small Coins just a few days ago? How come you couldn't even pay Begonia Manor's annual fee?"

Murong Wushuang's expression turned somewhat bitter. "Because I have a grandfather at home who has been ill for a long time."

"That line again!" Black lines appeared across Ning Xiaochuan's forehead.

Murong Wushuang hurriedly said, "I'm telling the truth. My grandfather has been sick for more than ten years. I invited several Elementary Heart Nourishers to treat him, but there was no improvement at all. They could not even find the Root of the Illness. Over the years, I incurred quite a lot of debt treating my grandfather. The fifty thousand Small Coins I earned that day all went toward repaying it."

"Even Martial Dao Profound Qi and Elementary Heart Nourishers can't cure it?" Ning Xiaochuan fell silent before saying, "Once I reach the level of an Intermediate Heart Nourisher, I'll go treat your grandfather."

Murong Wushuang was naturally overwhelmed with gratitude. One had to know that even hiring an Elementary Heart Nourisher cost a fortune, while an Intermediate Heart Nourisher was simply beyond what he could afford to hire.

Perhaps an Intermediate Heart Nourisher could cure his grandfather's illness!

Begonia Manor's steward and commander of the guards were dead. They had to come up with a suitable explanation to deal with the aftermath, or it would certainly arouse the suspicion of that Fourth Master in the Marquis Mansion.

Ning Xiaochuan's wings had not yet fully grown. He did not dare let anyone know that he could already cultivate Martial Dao Profound Qi.

"Assassin! Assassin..."

Ning Xiaochuan shouted as he ran.

The guards inside Begonia Manor all rushed in, but the moment they reached the entrance to the small garden, Ning Xiaochuan stopped them.

Clutching the bloody wound on his chest, Ning Xiaochuan ran out in a panic. "An assassin tried to kill me. Steward Qiu and Commander Ye were both killed by the assassin while protecting me."

When the guards saw Steward Qiu's and Guard Commander Ye's corpses, they were all startled and drew their battle sabers.

"Manor Lord, where is the assassin?" someone asked.

"He was still here just now. I suppose after seeing you arrive, he knew he could no longer kill me and fled... Ah, there! There..." Ning Xiaochuan pointed fearfully toward the roof.

The assassin played by Murong Wushuang was wrapped head to toe in a black robe. He flashed across the rooftop, then leapt onto the top of the wall and escaped Begonia Manor.

The guards swarmed out of Begonia Manor in pursuit. Of course, with their cultivation, catching Murong Wushuang was impossible.

For the next two days, Ning Xiaochuan recuperated in Begonia Manor.

Naturally, it was merely for show. In truth, his injuries had long since healed.

Within Purple Qi Garden.

Ning Xiaochuan shut himself indoors, claiming to be recovering. He instructed, "Yu Yan, bring me all the historical records of the Yulan Empire from recent years. Preferably Scrolls containing records related to Dark Emperor City."

Ning Xiaochuan sat beside his desk, reading through the Scrolls. He had already gone through a thick stack of books.

Whoosh—

A gust of Yin Wind blew in.

While he was engrossed in reading, a figure entirely wrapped in white cloth stood behind him like a ghost. Its body was bound like a Mummy's, with only its eyes exposed through gaps in the cloth, gleaming with a rolling, eerie light.

It looked like a person, yet also like a ghost!

Ning Xiaochuan seemed to sense something. Feeling a chill down his back, he abruptly turned and met the "Mummy's" gaze. His heart jolted in fright, but he quickly calmed down, let out a deep breath, and said, "You actually came back to life!"