Lying in Wait, Striking Boldly

At this time, Luo Feng and Wei Yu were both fast asleep.

Zhao Ya picked up the small bundle he had prepared during the day and left.

Once outside, Zhao Ya found a sheltered corner and opened the bundle. Inside was a set of black clothes.

It was the very outfit Zhao Ya had worn when he wiped out the Black Snake Gang.

Zhao Ya changed into the black clothes and covered his face with a black cloth. Then he used the Grass-Skimming Movement and silently made his way to a small courtyard behind the inn.

This was where Cheng Jingxue had stayed yesterday.

Zhao Ya pushed open the window and entered the room, but instead of making any move, he leaped straight up onto the rafters and hid in a concealed corner.

Outside, the cold wind howled and dark clouds filled the sky. The moon was nowhere to be seen. It was truly a moonless, windy night made for murder.

Zhao Ya simply closed his eyes and regulated his breathing, calming his mind.

Time passed, second by second.

Suddenly.

Zhao Ya opened his eyes, and a trace of delight flashed through them.

Just as expected, she had really come.

At the same time, a faint sound of something cutting through the air came from outside. Then a black shadow landed in the courtyard.

After landing, the shadow cautiously surveyed the surroundings. Once she confirmed there was nothing unusual, she expertly opened the door and entered the room.

After shutting the door, the shadow let out a long breath, picked up the teapot from the table, and gulped down several mouthfuls of cold overnight tea.

"Damn it, you think the lot of you can catch this old lady? Keep dreaming!"

The voice was soft and alluring. It was clearly a woman.

That was right.

The black shadow who had returned in the dead of night was Cheng Jingxue.

She happily sat down in a chair, clearly exhausted.

But after only a quarter of an hour, she rose again and went to the window to carefully inspect the outside. Only after confirming that nothing was still amiss did she walk to the bed, remove the bedboards, and begin fiddling with the floor tiles.

From his position atop the rafters, Zhao Ya saw everything clearly.

When he saw Cheng Jingxue removing the bricks beneath the bed one by one, Zhao Ya knew he had made the right move.

If he had searched for it himself, he would never have found it in three to five days.

A moment later, Cheng Jingxue crouched down, reached inside, and felt around for a while. Then she slowly pulled out a long bundle.

"Hehe, those stupid brutes from Forge-Iron Manor would never dream that I hid the Meteoric Iron Saber in an inn."

Cheng Jingxue giggled, then happily placed the bundle on the table and unwrapped it.

Inside was a long saber. Its scabbard and hilt were both jet-black, but on closer inspection, fine golden patterns could be seen engraved upon them, giving it an exquisitely understated appearance.

With an expression of greedy delight, Cheng Jingxue stroked the long saber before finally drawing it from its sheath.

There was no flash of steel, because the blade itself was also jet-black.

Yet for some reason, as Zhao Ya stared at the saber, he felt a chill between his brows, and even his eyes stung faintly.

"Tsk, tsk, it truly is a rare treasure saber. No wonder those fellows from Forge-Iron Manor have been chasing me like I dug up their ancestors' graves."

Cheng Jingxue clicked her tongue in admiration, wholly absorbed in appreciating the saber.

Zhao Ya narrowed his eyes slightly. The short blade he had prepared in advance and coated with soot from the bottom of a pot was already in his hand.

He slowly adjusted his breathing. Every joint and muscle in his body seemed to compress like a spring.

Suddenly.

Zhao Ya kicked off with both legs, shooting down at Cheng Jingxue like an arrow leaving the bow.

Before he arrived, his short blade had already thrust out.

The entire process was impossibly fast.

Cheng Jingxue never dreamed that someone would be lying in ambush atop the rafters. She had no time to react as a short blade stabbed through the air toward her.

But she was, after all, an old hand who had roamed the martial world for many years. At this critical moment, Cheng Jingxue's heart trembled, and then she smiled.

The smile was soft and seductive, enough to ensnare anyone.

This was a move that had never failed her. Even third-realm membrane-tempering martial artists could hardly escape its influence.

But this time, it failed.

Zhao Ya remained utterly unmoved.

Not just this time—even earlier in the main hall, he had felt nothing when he saw Cheng Jingxue smile.

It was then that Zhao Ya had figured out Cheng Jingxue's trump card.

This woman had a method capable of bewitching people's hearts, but for some reason, it had no effect on him whatsoever.

This greatly boosted Zhao Ya's confidence, which was why he dared to lie in wait and strike so boldly.

When she saw that her seduction technique had failed, terror finally appeared on Cheng Jingxue's face. No longer caring about anything else, she twisted her slender waist and threw herself backward.

Thud!

Cheng Jingxue lost her balance and fell to the floor, but she had managed to evade the strike.

But Zhao Ya had anticipated this. He changed his blade from a forward thrust to a downward slash, once more aiming directly at Cheng Jingxue's face.

Cheng Jingxue was scared out of her wits. Forgetting all concern for appearances, she rolled across the floor like a lazy donkey to dodge the strike, then shouted.

"Spare my life! I'm willing to offer you the saber!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, Zhao Ya's short blade was already pressed against her throat. Its tip had even pierced her skin.

A drop of crimson blood seeped out, then slowly slid down her neck and into the unfathomable depths of her cleavage.

Still shaken, Cheng Jingxue hurriedly explained, "Good sir, I presume you've also come for the Meteoric Iron Saber. I'm willing to offer you this saber, so long as you spare my life."

"Offer me the saber?" Zhao Ya sneered in a hoarse, unpleasant voice. "If I kill you, the saber will still be mine. Why would I need you to offer it?"

Cheng Jingxue's expression stiffened. Then she forcibly calmed herself.

"Good sir, killing me will bring you endless trouble!"

"Oh? What trouble?" Zhao Ya asked coldly.

"First, if I die, the people of Forge-Iron Manor will certainly know that the Meteoric Iron Saber has fallen into your hands. At that point, they will hunt you with all their strength. Wouldn't that go against your original intentions?"

After saying this, Cheng Jingxue looked eagerly at the black-clad figure before her, her mind racing.

This person had actually set up an ambush in the room beforehand and endured in silence until now. He had only struck boldly after she took out the saber. His determination and composure were plain to see.

Who exactly was he?

Zhao Ya remained silent, then pretended to be persuaded and asked.

"That counts as one reason. What's the second?"

Cheng Jingxue secretly let out a sigh of relief. My life is saved, then.

Then she gave a seductive smile and thrust out her chest.

"As for the second... on such a long night, alone together in a private room, I am willing to offer myself to serve you, good sir!"

Coming from Cheng Jingxue, such naked words of seduction were incredibly tempting.

Cheng Jingxue was very confident that few men in the world could resist her charms.

And as long as he was tempted, I'll take the chance to...

Cheng Jingxue was plotting how to kill him in return when Zhao Ya's words cut her off directly.

"No need. I wouldn't touch trash like you."

As the words fell, the blade flashed, and her head dropped to the ground.

(End of Chapter)