Great Jing's White-Clothed Guard, a Famous Sword Descends from Heaven

Late at night, apart from the imperial palace, the entire capital lay shrouded in darkness.

Figures stood atop one pavilion after another like phantoms, their robes fluttering in the wind. A single sweep of the eye revealed no fewer than a hundred of them.

They suddenly vanished from the rooftops. That night, cries and screams rang out from every corner of the city, plunging the entire capital into unrest.

Overnight, one hundred and eighty-six people died. All of them had belonged to ministers' residences—young masters, young ladies, and servants alike.

Before dawn, the entire city began hunting for the true culprits.

Jiang Changsheng, staying within Dragon Arising Temple, heard some piercing cries from the city, but he had no curiosity to join the commotion.

What happened at the foot of the mountain had nothing to do with him. If anyone dared come up the mountain to make trouble, they would make sure they came but never returned!

This continued for three days. The capital was thrown into an uproar, and everyone feared for their own safety.

Inside the capital's government office, Chen Li stared at the corpse laid out in the hall, his brows tightly furrowed.

A minor official beside him said quietly, "My lord, the Devil Sect moves in secret. This matter is already beyond what our office can handle. The strongest among our men are only First-Rate Experts. We must ask the White-Clothed Guard to intervene."

Chen Li sighed. "Do you think I do not know that? The White-Clothed Guard rejected my request."

The minor official was moved, then indignantly said, "What does that mean? So many have died and been injured in the city. Just because His Majesty is absent, the White-Clothed Guard refuses to act? They receive salaries too. This is outrageous!"

Chen Li did not interrupt him. He was furious as well, but now was not the time for anger. He had to find a way to curb the Devil Sect's actions.

A constable nearby spoke up. "My lord, according to what the night watchmen saw, the Devil Sect has at least a hundred people. So many people, yet not a single one has been traced. Behind this, I fear..."

Chen Li shot him a glare and snapped, "Do you think I do not know?"

The constable fell silent.

Chen Li's headache only worsened. Even if he turned a blind eye now, once the emperor returned to the capital, Chen Li would be the first to answer for it. After all, his duty was to protect the personal safety of the people.

"Utterly outrageous..."

Chen Li took a deep breath and rose to his feet.

The minor official hurriedly asked, "Where are you going, my lord?"

Chen Li flicked his sleeve and said, "Since First-Rate Experts cannot handle the situation, then I shall go invite a Peerless Expert!"

The minor official and the constable exchanged glances, both wearing bitter smiles.

There was nothing wrong with this lord of theirs, except that he was far too upright and incorruptible!

The world was not simply black and white!

Under the curtain of night, the capital fell silent.

Figures leapt swiftly across the rooftops. They wore black robes and black face veils, exposing only their eyes. Each held a sharp blade or sword, light as swallows, while behind them, a person in white pursued them with a sword in hand.

The white-clothed figure wore an opera mask and wielded a sword with both hands. Judging by her form, she was likely a woman. She moved with astonishing speed, like a startling goose skimming past, quickly catching up to one of the black-clothed men and slashing her sword at him.

The black-clothed man leapt aside and dodged the strike, but the white-clothed figure seized his ankle and yanked him back with force.

Squelch!

Under the moonlit night, the sound of a blade piercing flesh was chilling. A spray of blood scattered across the rooftops and fell onto the streets.

The black-clothed men ahead all stopped and swiftly surrounded the white-clothed figure.

The leader held a large saber. His body was as brawny as an iron tower, overflowing with domineering presence. He stared at the white-clothed figure and coldly asked, "Is the White-Clothed Guard truly going to interfere in this matter?"

The white-clothed figure snorted. "Great Jing's white-clothed guard protects the nation and its people."

The Brawny Man said in a deep voice, "Did your master not tell you not to come out at night lately?"

The white-clothed figure did not answer. She suddenly lunged at the Brawny Man. The surrounding black-clothed men immediately attacked. Her body moved like a phantom, her footwork mysterious, as though she had split into several afterimages. She evaded blades and swords hacking at her from every direction, spun, and thrust her sword at the Brawny Man.

The Brawny Man's eyes instantly turned vicious. He raised his saber with one hand, and True Qi erupted like exploding flames, blasting the charging white-clothed figure backward.

"Hmph. A Peerless Expert. No wonder you dared come alone to muddy these waters. Since that is the case, I shall send you to your death!"

The Brawny Man spoke with surging killing intent as he raised his saber and charged at the white-clothed figure.

Elsewhere.

Before the gates of the imperial palace.

Escorted by four constables, Chen Li hurried here, only to be stopped by the palace guards.

He immediately took out a token and said, "This is an imperial token bestowed upon me by Her Majesty the Empress. It grants me urgent audience with Her Majesty."

A palace guard said expressionlessly, "The palace is sealed tonight. No one may enter, and no one may leave."

Upon hearing this, Chen Li flew into a rage and shouted, "Villains are running rampant in the capital! His Majesty is absent, but Her Majesty the Empress can govern the capital. If you stop me, every person who dies tonight will be blamed on you! When His Majesty returns, not only will you be beheaded, your entire nine clans will be exterminated!"

The guard frowned, and the other guards' expressions changed as well. Yet they did not move aside and continued blocking the way.

No matter how Chen Li threatened them, they refused to let him through. At Chen Li's command, the four constables began forcing their way in.

"Insolence! Chen Li, to force your way into the imperial palace—even if your uncle is the High Official of the Ministry of Revenue, your nine clans will still be implicated!"

A shrill voice rang out, startling the four constables into stopping. Chen Li's face also turned pale.

The chief eunuch, Eunuch Li, approached with his hands behind his back. He emerged from the darkness beyond the palace gates, a disdainful smile on his face.

Chen Li gritted his teeth and said, "Eunuch Li, the situation is urgent. I ask that you make an exception."

Eunuch Li calmly said, "Chen Li, what villains are there in this capital? Do not spout nonsense. Her Majesty the Empress retired early tonight and must not be disturbed. Go back. High Official Chen and I have a decent personal relationship, so I shall offer you two words of advice: a lake cannot tolerate fish and shrimp stirring its waters. Be careful not to set yourself on fire."

The moment Chen Li heard this, his fury surged. He asked in a low voice, "Has the struggle between the Yang Family and the Hong Family grown so great that it can be concealed from His Majesty? The plague has yet to be eradicated, yet within mere days, hundreds have died in the city. Looking through all of history, beneath the Son of Heaven's feet, in an age of peace and prosperity, where has there ever been such an absurd record?"

Eunuch Li's face instantly turned cold. Just as he was about to speak, a sound came from the distance. A white-clothed figure was fleeing swiftly across the rooftops, with dozens of black-clothed men following behind her.

The white-clothed figure landed and ran toward the palace gates, while the group of black-clothed men stopped beneath the rooftops.

The bright moon hung overhead. In the dim night, the black-clothed men resembled ghosts from the Netherworld, gazing at the palace gates from afar.

The white-clothed figure reached the palace gates. She had only one sword left, and blood streamed down her left arm, hanging limply at her side. Her injuries were severe.

"Eunuch Li, the Devil Sect is causing chaos. Please take action and slay these devilish criminals!"

The white-clothed figure gritted her teeth. Her voice trembled; she was clearly at the end of her strength.

Eunuch Li's expression did not change. "What Devil Sect? What devilish criminals?"

The white-clothed figure shuddered and fell silent.

Chen Li's face darkened. The four constables stared in terror at the group of black-clothed men in the distance.

Eunuch Li swept his gaze over the palace guards and said, "Tonight, no one may enter the palace, regardless of status. Whoever dares let even one person inside will lose his head!"

"Yes!"

The palace guards hurriedly responded, every one of them tense.

Eunuch Li stared at the white-clothed figure. "The White-Clothed Guard abandoned her post without authorization, but I have no authority to punish you. Please leave."

The white-clothed figure straightened her back. With her mask on, no one could see her expression.

Chen Li took a deep breath, stepped before her, and said quietly, "Under the present circumstances, if you still wish to live, flee to Dragon Arising Temple."

The white-clothed figure nodded slightly and turned, rushing in the direction of Dragon Arising Temple.

The moment she moved, the black-clothed men pursued her. The group swiftly vanished into the night.

Eunuch Li smiled without quite smiling. "Dragon Arising Temple? If Dragon Arising Temple is destroyed tonight, you, Chen Li, will not escape death. That is a place His Majesty cares about."

Chen Li stared at him and said, "Dragon Arising Temple may not be destroyed."

Eunuch Li smiled.

At that moment, a flock of black crows flew from the nearby city district, heading in the direction the white-clothed figure had gone. Beneath the night sky, the flock's flight made for an imposing sight.

Seeing this, Chen Li's expression changed drastically. He muttered, "Night Crows Flying in the Sky... the Devil Master..."

Eunuch Li smiled. "I wonder whether that immortal Daoist of longevity can withstand him."

Chen Li immediately turned and gave chase. The four constables looked at one another, but still followed after him.

"Things that do not know whether they are dead or alive."

Eunuch Li's face darkened as he snorted coldly. His gaze turned toward distant Dragon Arising Mountain, and he shook his head, murmuring, "What a pity."

He turned and left, walking with his hands behind his back into the darkness.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Arrows tore through the night sky, shooting toward the fleeing white-clothed figure. She nimbly evaded them, but more blood sprayed from her left arm.

As she fled, the white-clothed figure wondered, They seem to be deliberately driving me onward. They are not in a hurry to kill me.

Though confused, she still fled with all her strength, drawing ever closer to Dragon Arising Mountain.

Only when she reached the foot of Dragon Arising Mountain did she stop and turn to face the black-clothed men.

The black-clothed men landed one after another, five zhang away from her.

"Why are you no longer running?"

The leading Brawny Man sneered, his words dripping with mockery.

The white-clothed figure did not answer. She simply faced them in silence.

The two sides confronted each other, and for a time, no one made a move.

One black-clothed man said in a low voice, "Boss, are we not attacking yet?"

The Brawny Man frowned tightly, his eyes flickering.

Only then did the white-clothed figure speak. "So that is how it is. The reason you let me go was to use me to lead you up the mountain. Your target is Dragon Arising Temple, but it is protected by His Majesty. If you force your way in, His Majesty will surely investigate, endangering the master behind you. But if I lead you up the mountain, then Dragon Arising Temple will merely suffer disaster as the fish caught in the pond's disaster—bad luck, am I right?"

The Brawny Man snorted. "A dying person talks too much. Kill her."

As soon as he spoke, a black-clothed man immediately charged at the white-clothed figure with his saber raised.

The white-clothed figure did not evade. It was not that she had deliberately remained here; rather, gravely injured as she was, she had already exhausted every sinew and bone and could no longer climb the mountain. She had intended to frighten these people away, but she had not expected them to attack anyway.

The black-clothed man raised his saber, intending to cleave off the white-clothed figure's head in a single stroke.

Whoosh!

A piercing sound tore through the night sky. Before anyone could react, a sword fell from the heavens. Its sword light flashed as the blade directly pierced the black-clothed man swinging his saber. Blood burst forth, and the man was nailed to the ground by the sword. His entire body convulsed, his eyes wide with terror and despair.

Everyone focused their eyes upon it. The sword was embedded in the black-clothed man's back, its blade trembling as it gave off a clear ring.

This sword was none other than the famous sword, Taihang!