Who Doesn't Want You Dead?

The moment they exchanged blows, Jiang Che knew things were bad.

In the past, he had lacked the eye and experience to judge, but now he saw it clearly. These men were all scions of great lineages, with substantial foundations. Apart from Liu Bingyuan, who was somewhat weaker, likely because his youth meant he had spent less time cultivating, every one of them was far stronger than Jiang Che. The Heaven Pillar Remnants with the red-tasseled spear he had fought before could not compare to them at all.

Liu Bingyi and Jiang Yunlin were evenly matched. Jiang Yunwei was clearly stronger, however. Even together, Jiang Che and Liu Bingyuan were on the back foot and would be defeated within a few exchanges.

Even going all out would not have been enough, let alone with Jiang Che harboring a little scheme of his own—he kept the Upper Azure Smoke Cloud Embryonic Breath Method suppressed, not circulating it at all, and fought entirely with the Azurefall Wind Dew method, with which he was less familiar!

"Hahahaha!" Jiang Yunwei laughed uproariously. "Liu Bingyuan, oh, Liu Bingyuan! All those miraculous pills and medicines your Liu Household amassed over generations went straight into a dog's belly! At least Liu Bingyi can exchange a few blows with Yunlin. But you? You've enjoyed so many resources, yet you haven't even attained transforming force. What an utter waste!"

His longsword quivered, delivering another three thrusts in succession, each faster than the last. Jiang Che fought with all his might to fend them off with the Azure Torrent Sword Art, without a moment to breathe, cursing inwardly. Where's your [Copper-Flame Talisman Mirror]? Hurry up and use it!

That inward curse actually worked.

Liu Bingyuan suddenly retreated, leaving Jiang Che exposed at the front. Rather than alarmed, Jiang Che was delighted. He held his breath and resisted, and immediately saw Jiang Yunwei's expression change drastically.

"The Copper-Flame Talisman Mirror?! Didn't you already use it once?"

"I lied. It can be used twice."

After a flash of golden light, Jiang Yunwei fell backward, a gaping hole in his chest. He died exactly as he had last time.

Then the three joined forces again and slew the grief-stricken, despairing Jiang Yunlin.

But Jiang Che knew his danger had not yet passed.

Last time, he had also survived until the Jiang Brothers died, only to be killed by Liu Bingyuan immediately afterward.

This time was different, however: Jiang Che had exposed the Jiang Brothers' ambush in advance and fought alongside Liu Bingyuan. Although his presence would not have changed the battle's outcome, this at least proved where he stood.

He needed to fan the flames a little more.

Jiang Che immediately faced Liu Bingyuan and saluted with clasped hands. "Congratulations on slaying the traitors, young master!"

Liu Bingyuan turned around. The Copper-Flame Talisman Mirror in his hand had gone dull and lightless. Clearly, this time it really was exhausted.

His gaze swept over Jiang Che twice, uncertainty flickering in his eyes.

"You were quick to grasp the situation. Exposing Jiang Yunwei's plot just now showed some loyalty, at least."

Jiang Che lowered his head. "You flatter me. I simply didn't want to die. If Jiang Yunwei killed you, young master, I would have been next."

Liu Bingyuan stared at him for another long moment before finally relaxing his brow.

"Since you've cultivated the Azure Heaven Wind Dew Embryonic Breath Method and can use the Azure Torrent Sword Art, you must belong to the Heaven Pillar branch, not those Azure Mystic scoundrels. You also just helped me defeat the Jiang traitors, so I'll trust you for now. Once we leave this place and rejoin the main force of our Liu Clan, we'll take a proper look at that 'forty years later' business of yours."

"I haven't lied, and I can certainly be of service to you, young master!"

"I hope so."

After dealing with the bodies, the three headed deeper into North Luan Mountain.

Along the way, Jiang Che's thoughts turned over and over, considering many things.

As things stood on this journey through time, Liu Bingyuan was still alive, while the enemies within-Huo Shen, Jiang Yunwei, and Jiang Yunlin-were all dead.

By rights, the instance's story should have been completely overturned at this point, shouldn't it? He had successfully changed Liu Bingyuan's historical fate of having his head taken for a bounty.

Did that mean the instance's rating could rise another notch?

A Grade Yi Rating? Could he even dream of the better Grade Jia Rating?

Then again, he still remembered what Liu Bingyuan had just said. His cultivation of the Azure Heaven Wind Dew Embryonic Breath Method had likely been a key reason Liu Bingyuan spared his life.

His caution had paid off!

By now, he could essentially confirm that this cultivation method was indeed connected to the Sky Pillar Sect. Cultivating it made him part of the Heaven Pillar branch, not Azure Mystic.

Fortunately, in the real world, he had restrained his impulses and waited until he legitimately obtained the Upper Azure Smoke Clouds method from Du Yongchang before entering the Dao.

If he had failed to restrain himself and entered the Dao through the Azurefall Wind Dew method, he would probably have been in serious trouble.

But there was a problem now... He could keep one cultivation method inactive in combat, but doing so significantly impaired his fighting strength.

That was tolerable in an instance. If he died, he died. In the real world, when life and death truly hung in the balance, he would not be able to worry about so much.

What would he do if someone noticed?

More frightening still, after he entered the Azure Mystic Main Gate, might those highly accomplished masters detect something?

Jiang Che felt that ordinary embryonic breath cultivators probably could not recognize it. At least during the earlier battle at the mountain stronghold, when he had circulated both methods simultaneously, with Upper Azure Smoke Clouds as the primary method and Azurefall Wind Dew supporting it, neither friend nor foe had noticed.

But against cultivators a level higher, Jiang Che did not dare gamble at all.

Why were the Azurefall Wind Dew and Upper Azure Smoke Clouds methods so similar, as though they shared the same source, yet belonged to two mortal-enemy sects divided by a sea of blood hatred?

He did not understand.

The two sects' shared history ran rather deep.

As for the Azure Torrent Sword Art, Liu Bingyuan had also recognized it just now and considered it a sword art of the Sky Pillar Sect.

That, at least, left room for an explanation.

When Heaven Pillar was destroyed, some techniques had been seized and subsequently bestowed upon disciples. That seemed perfectly normal. Du Yongchang had obtained this sword art from his sect and then passed it on to him. That was a clear chain of transmission, with nothing wrong with it.

Hm? Following that line of reasoning, might the Azure Heaven Wind Dew Embryonic Breath Method also exist within the Azure Mystic Sect?

That was highly possible!

But Jiang Che had not yet obtained this method through legitimate channels, so he still had to keep a low profile. Once he joined the sect and found a way to acquire it, that would plug the gap in his story.

Before then, he could prepare an explanation to defend himself in case he was exposed prematurely.

For instance, he could say he had picked it up during the battle at the mountain stronghold, then secretly kept it without telling anyone.

Still, the best course was to keep it hidden as much as possible. If things reached the point where he had to lie to get through, he would already be losing a layer of skin.

As he was thinking, he suddenly heard a scream.

Jiang Che snapped back to his senses and looked toward the sound, only to see Liu Bingyuan clutching his chest and staggering backward.

Liu Bingyi had ambushed him!

"You..."

His eyes widened and his lips trembled, but the force transmitted through the sword blade had destroyed his heart and lungs. He could no longer utter another word.

Liu Bingyi twisted his longsword and pulled it free. Liu Bingyuan fell facedown, his brocade robes stained with blood, and lay silent forever.

Jiang Che felt his vision go black.

Only one thought remained in his mind:

Seriously, man, does everyone want to kill you?