The Might of Iron Soul

Sima Rui and Li Feifei were both greatly startled by Jia Jiu's appearance. They turned around with wary expressions and stared at him.

The expression on Zhang Yu's face did not change much. He stood, turned, and sized up Jia Jiu.

The power of blood and qi on this man felt stronger than Gu Zhibei's, yet it differed from the True Qi Realm martial artists Zhang Yu had seen at Hidden Spirit Academy. His aura was far more mixed and impure.

Zhang Yu came to a judgment. The man should not be in the True Qi Realm, though for some reason, he was a cut above the peak of the Transformative Force Realm.

I've always wanted to test myself against a True Qi Realm martial artist. This man is just right. Rather than being afraid, Zhang Yu's fighting spirit surged.

"Pah! What the hell are you? You dare compare yourself to Senior Brother Zhang Yu? Piss and take a look at the ghostly mess you are. You're not even qualified to carry Senior Brother Zhang Yu's shoes—" Li Feifei cursed at Jia Jiu.

Before she could finish, Jia Jiu suddenly moved.

"Bitch, you're courting death!"

Jia Jiu had cultivated Ghost Shadow Step to perfection. This was a basic requirement for becoming a Grade-A assassin.

With a flicker of his figure, he arrived before Li Feifei.

Li Feifei's face filled with shock. She had no time to dodge and could only cry out two words: "Senior Brother!"

Move with the Wind

The instant Jia Jiu moved, Zhang Yu unleashed Move with the Wind, while activating Iron Soul at the same time.

Jia Jiu had been about to strike Li Feifei dead, only to discover Zhang Yu blocking his path.

Huh? His speed can actually keep up with mine? Jia Jiu was slightly startled.

Zhang Yu cultivated the Clearwind Art, whose full name was the Clearwind Smoke-Transformation Scripture. It was originally a cultivation technique known for its speed.

What was more, Zhang Yu had cultivated it past its limits.

"Since you've come to deliver yourself to death, I'll grant you your wish." A cruel glint appeared in Jia Jiu's eyes.

A flash of cold light gleamed in his hand as his dagger stabbed toward Zhang Yu's chest.

Shadow Stab!

This was Jia Jiu's killing move, built around pure speed. Once unleashed, martial artists below the third realm found it difficult to evade.

Iron Soul

Clang!

"How is that possible?" Jia Jiu's eyes widened, his expression as though he had seen a ghost. After his dagger pierced Zhang Yu's clothes, it had actually been stopped.

Not good! The next second, he inwardly cried out as he saw the nearby Zhang Yu reveal a strange smile. "My turn!"

Zhang Yu's smile was clearly gentle, yet at this moment, it looked exceedingly strange in Jia Jiu's eyes.

Because he saw no fear in Zhang Yu's eyes—only excitement.

"Damn it!"

Jia Jiu wanted to flee. He immediately activated Ghost Shadow Step to retreat, only to find himself a beat too slow.

Zhang Yu had already planned his follow-up before attacking. After blocking the strike, his body did not pause in the slightest. He lunged forward with the momentum and wrapped both arms around Jia Jiu's waist.

Waist-Seizing Sky-Shaking Strike!

That was the name of this move. He had taught it to Niu Mancang as a killing move for defensive counterattacks, so naturally, he knew it himself.

Whoosh...

Zhang Yu's arms locked around Jia Jiu like iron chains. Leaning back, he gave a whoosh, and Jia Jiu's body spun one hundred and eighty degrees through the air before crashing headfirst toward the ground.

Jia Jiu was terrified out of his wits, but he was an assassin after all. At the brink of life and death, he viciously thrust the dagger in his hand toward Zhang Yu's neck.

I'll die together with you!

Clang!

Yet the instant the dagger struck Zhang Yu's neck, a dim glow flashed there, as if his neck had turned into a block of black iron, blocking Jia Jiu's certain-kill strike.

"How is this possible?"

Boom!

He no longer had time to think. Zhang Yu viciously smashed his head into the ground, making the entire ground tremble slightly.

Half of Jia Jiu's body had been smashed into the earth, with only his two feet sticking out.

Zhang Yu released him, stood up, and reached up to touch his neck. There was a trace of blood.

Jia Jiu's final strike had used all his strength and his mixed, impure true qi.

Though it had not broken Zhang Yu's Iron Soul, the dagger had still cut his skin—though it had only broken the skin.

Zhang Yu reached down and pulled Jia Jiu, planted in the ground, back out. Jia Jiu had no hard-body technique. His entire head was already unrecognizable, and his neck had completely collapsed into his chest, though he had not died immediately.

"Who sent you?" Zhang Yu asked.

He did not hold much hope; he was merely going through the motions. What if the man actually answered?

Jia Jiu stared blankly at Zhang Yu, his eyes filled with unwillingness. "You... you..." He managed only those two words before his gaze began to scatter, and he soon completely lost his breath.

"I was too heavy-handed. I should've left him with one last breath." Zhang Yu scratched his head.

Sima Rui had gone from fear to shock, and now he stood dumbfounded.

"He... he should be a Grade-A assassin from Withered Soul Hall." Sima Rui pointed at a plaque on Jia Jiu's body.

Zhang Yu picked up the token. It was neither iron nor wood. An eerie palace was carved on its front, while the words Jia Jiu were written on its back.

Jia Jiu? Is that his name? Zhang Yu thought.

"Senior Brother, is your neck all right? Is your chest injured?" Li Feifei walked up to Zhang Yu and asked with concern.

"Senior Brother, thank you for saving me. You were even injured saving me. I have no way to repay you, so I can only offer myself—" Li Feifei's words started out normal enough, but the latter half turned into shamelessly suggestive words.

"Stop. If you really want to thank me, make a copy of that Yellow-grade cultivation technique from your Li Family for me as well." Zhang Yu hurriedly stopped her.

Li Feifei nodded. "All right, Senior Brother. Don't worry. Once we reach the imperial capital, I'll cry, make a scene, and threaten to hang myself if I have to, just to get our Li Family's Yellow-grade cultivation technique copied for you."

Zhang Yu nodded, then began searching the body. Unfortunately, aside from a token, a dagger, and some loose silver, Jia Jiu had nothing else on him.

Zhang Yu pocketed the dagger, token, and silver, then got up and called Li Feifei and Sima Rui to continue toward the imperial capital.

Li Feifei rode alongside Zhang Yu. The two deliberately lagged slightly behind, putting some distance between themselves and Sima Rui.

Li Feifei wore a thoughtful expression. "Senior Brother, aren't you curious who hired the assassin?"

"It should have been the Ye Family," Zhang Yu said quietly.

"Senior Brother, it's all my fault. If you hadn't saved me that day, you wouldn't have become enemies with the Ye Family." Li Feifei looked full of self-reproach.

"After some time, I'll wipe out the Ye Family in the imperial capital." A cold glint flashed in Zhang Yu's eyes, his voice carrying a trace of chilling severity.

Zhang Yu had no desire to be watched by a venomous snake at every moment. His strength was insufficient for now, so he could only endure for the time being.

Five days later, Zhang Yu and the others successfully entered Phoenix Tower City, the imperial capital of Great Chu.

Li Feifei invited Zhang Yu to stay at her home. After considering it, Zhang Yu agreed. As for Sima Rui, he went to the Sima Family's secondary residence in Phoenix Tower City.

Inside a low thatched hut in the shantytown of Spirit Hidden City, Jia Jiu's corpse lay on the ground. Old Tooth's expression was extremely grim, and a hoarse voice came from his throat. "A half-step True Qi Realm martial artist still couldn't kill him. Go tell the Ye Family that the intelligence they provided was wrong. It cost us a Grade-A assassin. Make them add two more spirit crystals to the fee."

"Yes!" A man hurried away, heading toward the Ye Family's secondary residence in Spirit Hidden City.

Old Tooth carefully examined Jia Jiu's corpse, his face full of confusion. "Jia Jiu was killed in just one move? Impossible. Jia Jiu's Ghost Shadow Step had already reached perfection. Even if he couldn't win, it should have been impossible for him to be killed in one move. Strange!"