A secret

Deep within the Black Saber Alliance's headquarters, in its largest courtyard.

Jiang Beiwang led a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old boy by the hand, hurrying into a hidden chamber in the courtyard.

Six burly men followed behind them, each carrying a pitch-black longbow on his back-a Black-Iron Bow.

All of them were at the fourth Acquired stage. With such cultivation, they already qualified to join a Demon Hunting Team.

In the Outer City, every one of them would have been a figure of considerable renown.

These were the six men who had hidden in the shadows and ambushed Iron Bull and the others earlier.

Clearly, they were Jiang Beiwang's true confidants.

Jiang Beiwang went straight to a corner of the hidden chamber, felt around on the wall, then pressed hard.

A rumbling sound followed.

A section of the chamber's floor slowly slid aside, revealing a dark opening half the size of a doorway, with stone steps spiraling down beneath it.

Holding the boy's hand, Jiang Beiwang prepared to enter the tunnel beneath the chamber.

"Father, what about Mother and Sister? Aren't we taking them with us?" The boy stopped.

Jiang Beiwang frowned. "The people attacking us are from Windrise Stronghold's Demon Hunting Team. Every one of them is incredibly powerful. If we take those two along, we won't make it out of the Outer City.

"Even if we escape the Outer City, we'll still have a long trek ahead before we reach Flowing Stone Stronghold.

"They won't survive it. They'll only drag us down."

After a brief hesitation, the boy immediately stepped forward and was the first to descend into the tunnel.

Jiang Beiwang nodded in satisfaction and hurried after him with his six confidants.

Soon, another rumble sounded as the tunnel entrance slowly closed.

Once the footsteps in the tunnel had faded into the distance, a figure slipped swiftly into the hidden chamber. It was Chen Shi'an.

He strode to the corner and lightly pressed a spot on the wall.

A rumble sounded, and the tunnel entrance opened again.

After waiting roughly sixty breaths and confirming that nothing was amiss at the opening, Chen Shi'an slowly stepped onto the spiraling stone stairs.

The tunnel was pitch-black. He could not have seen his fingers even with his hand held before his face.

But after seven rounds of marrow-washing and bone-tempering, Chen Shi'an's eyesight far surpassed that of ordinary people. Even in the pitch-black tunnel, he could see clearly.

The darkness did not slow him down. His figure melted into the shadows as he advanced swiftly, like a ghost.

After traveling about half a li, he finally heard footsteps and low voices, and spotted a faint glow of fire.

Jiang Beiwang, his son, and his six confidants were just ahead.

Chen Shi'an slowed slightly, keeping his footsteps as quiet as possible as he gradually closed the distance.

Inside the tunnel.

Two men carrying Black-Iron Bows walked at the front with torches raised, while Jiang Beiwang and his son walked in the middle.

The remaining four men followed at the rear, also carrying torches.

"Father, will we come back?" the boy asked quietly, sounding distinctly downcast.

"Come back? Of course we'll come back!"

A cold gleam appeared in Jiang Beiwang's eyes as he said angrily, "I spent more than a decade fighting tooth and nail in the Outer City to build everything I have today, only to see it destroyed in a single stroke.

"Windrise Stronghold's Demon Hunting Team-when I, Jiang Beiwang, return, I'll slaughter every last one of you, leaving not even a chicken or dog alive...!"

Before he finished speaking, two muffled grunts suddenly came from behind.

Everyone turned at once. To their shock, the two men at the very rear wore expressions of agony before toppling backward, stiff as boards. Their torches hit the ground with two thuds.

A figure darted out of the darkness, the cold blade in his hand slashing rapidly.

Two streaks of cold light flashed through the tunnel in succession, followed by two more muffled grunts.

Of the two men directly behind Jiang Beiwang and his son, one clutched his throat while the other looked down at his chest. Then both crashed to the ground.

Chen Shi'an had seized the moment while Jiang Beiwang was talking to his son to launch a sudden attack.

Although he had not used Origin Force, he unleashed the full power of a Ranked Martial Artist's formidable physique, dispatching four fourth Acquired stage martial artists within a few breaths.

And after killing all four in one sweep, he did not pause for even an instant. He shot forward, heading straight for Jiang Beiwang's son.

The attack had come so suddenly that even Jiang Beiwang, who had weathered great storms, froze in shock.

By the time he recovered, Chen Shi'an was already rushing toward his son.

"You scoundrel! Don't you dare!"

Jiang Beiwang roared and swiftly stepped in front of his son. He drew the longsword at his waist and slashed viciously at Chen Shi'an.

But before his sword had even completed half its stroke, Chen Shi'an twisted at the waist and shot diagonally past father and son. With another leap, he instantly reached the two men at the front.

These two men were clearly a beat slower to react than Jiang Beiwang. Only when Chen Shi'an appeared before them did they snap out of their daze.

Before they could respond, cold light flashed again. The Flowing Fire First Saber had barely finished before the Flowing Fire Second Saber followed.

Two wet thrusts rang out!

The Horizontal Saber pierced both men's chests in succession. They collapsed, their faces filled with unwillingness.

In mere moments, six powerful confidants had been slaughtered before Jiang Beiwang's eyes.

Realizing how dangerous the young man before him was, Jiang Beiwang kept his son firmly behind him and watched Chen Shi'an with wary eyes.

Despite his youth, his son possessed composure far beyond his years. Even after witnessing six lives cut short, he showed no fear. He immediately picked up a torch and held it high, providing light for himself and his father.

"Are you Ye Xicheng?" Jiang Beiwang asked in a low voice.

Chen Shi'an shook his head. "Commander Ye hardly needs to deal with your Black Saber Alliance personally."

At that, Jiang Beiwang visibly relaxed.

He was a veteran eighth Acquired stage expert, already among the strongest fighters in the Outer City.

If the young man before him was not Ye Xicheng, he was confident he could fight him.

"A newborn calf truly has no fear of the tiger!"

Jiang Beiwang said coldly, "You dare chase me down all on your own?"

Chen Shi'an smiled faintly. "Alliance Leader Jiang, there's no need to probe. I have no backup. I came alone."

With his intentions exposed, Jiang Beiwang chuckled. "Young man, you've got courage. I respect that..."

Before finishing, he abruptly lunged forward, his longsword stabbing rapidly toward Chen Shi'an's chest.

Cold gleams flickered at the sword's tip, like clusters of winter plum blossoms bursting into bloom.

Chen Shi'an narrowed his eyes slightly. The Horizontal Saber at his waist suddenly flashed from its sheath as he unleashed the first of the Seven Star-Chasing Forms.

He did not use Origin Force, yet he still delivered four slashes in an instant.

A series of metallic clangs rang out.

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The winter plum blossoms of sword light vanished instantly.

Jiang Beiwang grunted. His longsword flew from his hand and embedded itself deep in the nearby wall.

He stumbled backward six steps before finally regaining his footing. His right hand, which had held the sword, hung limply at his side, dripping blood.

His face filled with horror. "So fast! What saber technique was that? What is your cultivation?"

Chen Shi'an sheathed his saber. "Alliance Leader Jiang, that hardly seems like what you should be concerned about right now."

Jiang Beiwang took the cloth bag off his back. "If you let me leave, I'll give you all the wealth I've accumulated over the years."

Chen Shi'an shook his head. "You're not going anywhere. Without your head, I can't report that I've completed my task.

"Besides, once you're dead, everything on you will belong to me.

"Don't you think it's laughable to offer those possessions now as ransom for your life?"

Jiang Beiwang swallowed. "What would it take for you to let us go?"

Chen Shi'an lifted his eyelids slightly. "I told you. You must die today.

"I can see you care deeply about this son of yours.

"I have some questions. Answer honestly, and I'll consider sparing your son, leaving your Jiang family an heir."

Despair appeared in Jiang Beiwang's eyes. Chen Shi'an's strength far exceeded his expectations.

But he harbored lofty ambitions. How could he resign himself to dying here?

After a moment's thought, he said gravely, "I know a tremendous secret. If you learn it, you'll surely render an immense service to Windrise Stronghold."

"Oh?" Chen Shi'an said. "You want to exchange this secret for your life?"

Jiang Beiwang nodded. "And my son's."

Chen Shi'an sighed softly. "Didn't you understand me? You must die today."

Jiang Beiwang hurried on. "I know you're heading to West Mountain Hollow. My secret concerns that place."

Chen Shi'an raised an eyebrow. "Let's put the secret aside for now. First, tell me where your Black Saber Alliance got these Black-Iron Bows and Black-Iron Arrows."

"Flowing Stone Stronghold," Jiang Beiwang answered quickly. "The people from Flowing Stone Stronghold gave them to me."

Earlier, while following Jiang Beiwang and the others, Chen Shi'an had heard him say he intended to flee to Flowing Stone Stronghold.

He had already guessed that the Black Saber Alliance's Black-Iron Bows most likely came from there.

"Black-Iron Bows are rare treasures in the Desolate Ruins. Even Flowing Stone Stronghold has only a handful. Why would they part with six of them for you?" Chen Shi'an asked quietly.

Jiang Beiwang coughed softly. "Because I hold a secret that Flowing Stone Stronghold wants."

"The same secret you want to trade for your lives?" Chen Shi'an asked quietly.

Jiang Beiwang nodded without speaking.

Chen Shi'an continued, "You've already accepted Flowing Stone Stronghold's Black-Iron Bows. Doesn't that mean you've revealed the secret to them?

"If so, this secret is worthless."

Jiang Beiwang shook his head repeatedly. "No. Flowing Stone Stronghold only knows part of it. I haven't told anyone the crucial part."

The corners of Chen Shi'an's mouth lifted slightly. "Alliance Leader Jiang, you expect me to spare you and your son over a secret with nothing to support it-not a shred of evidence. Isn't that rather rash, or perhaps rather naive?

"Reveal part of it to me too. Let me see whether this secret is worth your lives."

Jiang Beiwang hesitated briefly. "Deep inside the iron mine at West Mountain Hollow lies black-iron ore. There's enough to make at least three hundred Black-Iron Bows, along with sufficient arrows."

Chen Shi'an's heart jolted.

Not long ago, just six Black-Iron Bows had nearly killed Iron Bull and his three companions.

If three hundred Black-Iron Bows fired together, it probably would not take many volleys to cripple the entire Demon Hunting Team.

All of Windrise Stronghold had fewer than thirty Black-Iron Bows.

If Jiang Beiwang was telling the truth, whichever stronghold obtained this black iron-Windrise or Flowing Stone-would surely experience a qualitative leap in strength.

No wonder Flowing Stone Stronghold had been willing to pay such a steep price and give the Black Saber Alliance six Black-Iron Bows.

Jiang Beiwang continued, "West Mountain Hollow covers a vast area, and the black-iron deposit is extremely well hidden. Without me telling you its precise location, you might not find it even if you turned the whole place upside down."

Chen Shi'an quickly steadied himself. "How did you learn there was black-iron ore in West Mountain Hollow?"

Jiang Beiwang said quietly, "I obtained one of Li Chengfeng's Geomancy Maps. It clearly marked the location of the black-iron deposit in West Mountain Hollow."

"You mean the famous geomancy master, Li Chengfeng?" Chen Shi'an asked.

Jiang Beiwang nodded. "Exactly!"

"Where's the map?" Chen Shi'an pressed.

Jiang Beiwang cleared his throat. "How could I keep something so important around? Naturally, I destroyed it long ago."

At that, he pointed to his head. "It's all in here."

Chen Shi'an curled his lip. "So in the end, you still have no proof. Nothing but words from your mouth."

Jiang Beiwang pulled a black stone from inside his robe and tossed it toward Chen Shi'an. "I went to West Mountain Hollow myself. This is a piece of black-iron ore I dug out there."

Chen Shi'an did not catch it with his hand. Instead, he extended his scabbard slightly and caught the black stone securely on it.

The stone's black surface had a reddish sheen. It was only the size of an egg, yet extraordinarily heavy.

That tiny piece weighed no less than twenty jin. It was indeed black-iron ore.

Jiang Beiwang continued, "As long as you spare me and my son, I'll tell you where the black-iron deposit is."

Chen Shi'an raised his voice slightly. "The black-iron deposit is certainly significant, but it can only buy one of your lives.

"If I let you both go, I won't be able to account for it."

He lifted his head slightly. "Only one of you can live. You decide who lives and who dies."

Jiang Beiwang's expression changed drastically. Finally, he gritted his teeth. "If you insist on this, I'd rather take the secret to my grave. Your Windrise Stronghold can forget about ever obtaining that black-iron deposit..."

His voice abruptly cut off. An extraordinarily complicated expression appeared on his face-shock, anger, bewilderment, and regret.

A sharp sword tip had suddenly emerged from his chest.

And the person who had thrust that sword through him was his own son, the thirteen- or fourteen-year-old boy.

"You...!"

Jiang Beiwang turned around, his face twitching as he stared at his son.

Before he could finish, he toppled stiffly to the ground and died on the spot.

A ruthless overlord, his grand quest for dominion barely begun, had perished at his own son's hands.

Without so much as glancing at his father's corpse, the boy looked at Chen Shi'an. "I know where the black-iron deposit in West Mountain Hollow is too.

"Get me out of the Outer City, and I'll tell you its exact location."

Chen Shi'an regarded the boy calmly. "Aren't you afraid I'll kill you after you tell me where it is?"

The boy wiped the blood from his hands, as though killing his own father had been a trivial matter.

The corners of his mouth lifted slightly. "You certainly know how to worry on someone else's behalf. Don't worry. Once we're out of the Outer City, I have my own arrangements."