Assassination

Yang Dongsheng's brow furrowed even deeper.

"Go on, what are you planning?"

"Planning?"

Lu Jingtian enunciated each word. "Stop pinching pennies and scraping together three melons and two dates. The three of us will each bring several dozen elites, get ourselves some powerful bows and heavy crossbows, and charge straight in. No matter how strong his martial arts are or how deep his trump cards run, he won't be able to escape even with wings!"

"Once we succeed, we'll each take our families and scatter in every direction. Whatever backing he has will be useless!"

Yang Dongsheng hesitated. "Is it worth it?"

All those years of struggle—was he really going to abandon it all just like that?

"It is!"

The black-robed old man sneered. "As long as one of your descendants can break through to the completion of inner qi, wouldn't rebuilding these family assets take only ten or so years, as easy as taking something from your pocket?"

"Besides, those inner qi breakthrough pills were merely things he put out for sale. Who knows, he might have something that could aid one in reaching the Innate realm..."

"Heh heh."

Yang Dongsheng sneered inwardly.

This man came from a great sect, so naturally he feared no retaliation. When the time came, he might simply push everything onto them and emerge without a scratch, while Yang Dongsheng became the target for others to vent their fury on.

As for something that could aid one in reaching the Innate realm, perhaps such a thing existed. But he did not believe anyone would carry it on their person at all times.

Besides, his son was still young and still had a chance to grow. For now, he could also keep the forces of every side in check. Things had not yet reached the point where he needed to go this mad.

Lu Jingtian and the black-robed old man exchanged a glance, immediately feeling the matter was thorny.

In terms of strength, they did not fear Yang Dongsheng. But if it came to roots in the prefectural city, neither of them could compare.

Bringing a group of martial artists into the city and acquiring a batch of powerful bows and heavy crossbows could not be done without a local snake providing cover.

"Since Brother Yang is unwilling, then it can only be so." Lu Jingtian sighed helplessly. "One Void-Breaking Pill is not enough for the three of us to divide."

A savage look appeared on his face. "Let me say this: if this Void-Breaking Pill cannot be mine, I would rather burn all these butterflies in one fire. The same goes for however much gold and silver there is!"

The Brotherhood Gang had successors while he had none. To him, that was the worst possible outcome.

"There is no need to go that far."

Yang Dongsheng frowned. "Once I return, I will urge matters along with all haste. I will certainly give my two brothers an outcome that satisfies you."

With that, he flicked his sleeve and left.

These two were not worth plotting with.

Yet the Blueglow Butterflies were in their hands. If he wanted to capture them again, he could not avoid Tiger Den, which had put down roots in Eastspirit Mountain. There was simply no way around dealing with them.

Perhaps he could consider persuading the Eastern Pacifying Marquis's Estate to act...

They stood behind the imperial family. Even if that person's background ran deep, there would be no need to fear too much. The only issue was how to ensure that the marquis's estate would ultimately provide a Void-Breaking Pill. That required careful thought.

Lost in thought, he unknowingly reached the doorway.

Whoosh!

A faint sound split the air, like the low hum of mosquitoes and flies.

"You..."

Yang Dongsheng was horrified. He abruptly looked up and saw an Azure Garment youth thrusting a sword straight at him. The blade made no sound as it tore through the air, and a sword shadow lingered behind it.

Clang!

Decades of tempering—his name for loyalty and righteousness had spread throughout East Spirit. The snow-bright long saber at his waist suddenly left its sheath, slashing diagonally upward with speed too swift to cover one's ears. His reaction could not have been called anything but rapid.

However, it was too late!

This sword had been gathering force for far too long. Inner force surged and roared through the Lesser Celestial Circuit, all of it converging upon the sword's edge. Its speed was nearly impossible to see.

"Save me!"

Yang Dongsheng roared. His face turned crimson as he brazenly used a life-risking method to raise his qi, and his saber light abruptly accelerated several degrees.

Ding!

Under Yang Dongsheng's delighted gaze, the saber edge narrowly struck the sword blade and stopped it.

"Still not fast enough..."

Jiang Ding sighed. His swordsmanship was considered decent among his classmates, but before such an old jianghu saber master who had tempered his blade arts for decades, it still fell somewhat short. Even with a sneak attack, he could not achieve success in one stroke.

What a pity.

Even though it was only the Lesser Celestial Circuit, it had opened more than twelve hundred branch meridians.

The joy on Yang Dongsheng's face froze.

It was as though he had rammed headfirst into a mountain flood. The instant his inner force came into contact with the other party's, it crumbled like a defeated army. Several portions of his inner force could barely resist one portion of the other's.

Yet the other party's inner force was even more abundant than his!

Rip!

The sword tip tore through layer after layer of saber light, knocked the long saber aside, then plunged straight into Yang Dongsheng's throat. Countless threadlike strands of inner force poured inside, shredding every organ in his body into a pulpy mess.

The protective barrier outside his body, which should have been able to block and deflect the blow, was like paper pasted together—utterly useless.

The delayed sword shadow arrived at last.

"Impossible..."

Blood scattered. The light in Yang Dongsheng's eyes gradually dimmed, and before death, he was still muttering under his breath.

A youth of sixteen or seventeen had stronger-quality inner force than him—that was one thing. But why was the youth's total amount of inner force far more abundant as well? It defied all reason!

In the span of a lightning flash, one thrust and one block, Yang Dongsheng, leader of the Brotherhood Gang and a man renowned throughout East Spirit, had already perished.

"Who goes there? How dare you trespass into my Tiger Den!"

Lu Jingtian, the "Flying Tiger of the Eastern Hills," bellowed. His voice shook the air for hundreds of meters, his eyes filled with incredulous terror.

Yang Dongsheng was not much weaker than him!

The black-robed old man sprang to his feet. At some unknown moment, a nine-section whip that slithered like a venomous snake had appeared in his hand.

"Little Brother Jiang, everything before was a misunderstanding. Villains were stirring trouble between us. You and I can drink and make merry..."

After clearly seeing the Azure Garment youth at the doorway, Lu Jingtian's heart churned with stormy waves. Yet a hearty smile hung on his face, making him seem like an enthusiastic elder.

Jiang Ding said nothing. He shook the blood from his sword and walked forward step by step.

Outside, the furious roars of Mountain-Splitting Tiger and Gold-Touching Tiger could vaguely be heard, along with the orderly footsteps of Tiger Den's men. Farther away came the urgent clang of bronze gongs gathering manpower.

"Bold indeed!"

Seeing that the Azure Garment youth had killed a man yet not only failed to flee, but instead kept drawing closer, anger rose in Lu Jingtian's heart. "Then leave your life behind for this old man!"

"Come!"

Lu Jingtian swung his saber, slashing out five imposing streams of saber qi. Faintly, the roar of fierce tigers echoed through the air, seizing the soul and chilling the heart.

Five Tigers Soul-Breaking Saber!

He had obtained it through a fortuitous encounter in his youth. Since entering the martial world, it had never failed him. Wherever the saber light passed, enemies' heads, hands, and feet were divided into five. Thus, it was also called the Five Hells Saber in the jianghu.

Jiang Ding made no move beyond a single slash. A snow-bright, perfectly regular arc flashed and vanished, followed by its sword shadow.

Sword Unfurling Form!

The instant the regular arc collided with the Five Hells Saber qi, it cut through it with ease. The remaining saber qi collapsed to either side, blasting deep, bottomless pits into the ground and nearby wooden walls.

Jiang Ding seemed to gain some insight.

The more he cultivated, the more he felt that the Young Eagle Takes Flight Sword Art was vast and profound. Whether in training methods or combat applications, it had been deduced to the utmost extreme.

He had practiced some jianghu sword arts before, but now he had lost all interest in them.

"Impossible!"

Lu Jingtian's expression changed wildly, and he let out a furious roar much like the dead Yang Dongsheng's.

His inner qi was no different from tofu before the other party's, collapsing at first contact. Why was this happening?!

One sword slash fell, then another sword thrust came.

It was as though starlight from the heavens had descended into the mortal world, its radiance growing brighter and more resplendent.

Five Hells Kill!

Lu Jingtian's inner qi surged out wildly, heedless of the consequences, forming five interlocking and intersecting streams of violent saber qi that devoured everything before him.

This was the killing move he had created after fifty years of painstaking saber practice. Everyone who had seen it was dead!

Pfft!

Like the sound of great drums being pierced in succession, the starlight sword radiance shot straight through. The violent saber qi shattered one after another, without the slightest detour or turn, as it thrust directly toward his throat.

Lu Jingtian was terrified.

He realized that he had never been able to receive even one of the other party's sword strikes head-on!

Whoosh!

A faint sound slicing through the air came from beside his ear.

In the black-robed old man's sinister gaze, the twisting black nine-section whip suddenly snapped taut, becoming a distorted thin line. Its pointed end was sharp as a needle, and at this critical instant, when it seemed Jiang Ding's old force had run out and new force had yet to arise, it suddenly stabbed toward the back of his head.

The tip was sharp and black, carrying a faintly sweet scent. It was deadly poison—touch it, and death was certain!

Jiang Ding's expression did not change. The sword tip that was about to pierce Lu Jingtian's throat turned back, tracing a snow-bright regular semicircle and striking the tip that was about to stab the back of his head, sending it flying.

Then, the sword tip revolved back even faster, carrying its sword shadow with it.

"Get lost!"

Lu Jingtian was terrified. He cleaved out a vast stream of saber qi, barely forcing the sword tip back a little. His inner force and blood qi shook without cease, and his muscles and bones went numb.

He did not dare receive another sword strike. In blind panic, he crashed toward the room's exterior.

As long as he got outside and mixed into the military formation, even an Innate expert would be unable to kill him!

Rip!

Lu Jingtian's body stiffened. He blankly glanced at the bloodied sword blade protruding from his chest, then collapsed limply.

"Where did this baleful star come from?!"

The black-robed old man sucked in a cold breath. He withdrew the black nine-section whip that had been halfway through its attack and fled into the distance without looking back.

Jiang Ding glanced at the large group of Tiger Den's men crashing into the room. Inner force surged beneath his toes, and his body shot straight upward several meters, smashing through the roof and vanishing from sight.