A Fated Enemy

The entire Great Enlightenment Temple fell silent in an instant.

Outside the Great Enlightenment Temple, a dense crowd of West Depot agents had appeared at some point, each armed with a saber or sword, their eyes fierce.

No one inside the temple dared make a rash move.

Inside the main hall, Zhao Huaian looked gravely at the figure leading them in silver-white robes and asked in a low voice, "Who are you from the West Depot?"

Yu Huatian replied calmly, "Yu Huatian."

His gaze was likewise fixed on Zhao Huaian.

Zhao Huaian wore black night clothes and held a four-foot sword. Though he was over forty, a fierce killing intent still lingered between his brows, and his face indeed bore a trace of the weather-beaten chivalry of a martial-world wanderer.

Judging by his aura, Zhao Huaian was also in the Grandmaster realm.

Was this the original owner's fated enemy?

He certainly was extraordinary!

Yu Huatian narrowed his eyes slightly.

Beside him, Li Zhong and the others also recognized Yu Huatian.

Seeing the dense ranks of West Depot agents outside, how could they fail to realize that Yu Huatian had come prepared? Their expressions darkened at once.

First Zhao Huaian had appeared, then Yu Huatian had arrived right behind him. How could there be such a coincidence?

Clearly, Yu Huatian had schemed against them!

Li Zhong said darkly, "Yu Huatian, this is East Depot business. What does it have to do with your West Depot?"

Yu Huatian glanced at him and said coolly, "A few wandering swordsmen had you mistaking the reflection of a bow for a snake. You returned to the capital and didn't even dare enter your own gates, instead hiding here like turtles with your heads tucked into your shells."

"Now they've come right to your doorstep to kill you, and you still dare say it has nothing to do with me?"

Li Zhong said coldly, "What do you mean, come to kill us? A few rebels showed up, nothing more. I will execute them!"

"Oh? Is that so?"

Yu Huatian glanced at Zhao Huaian with a sneer and said, "He's right here. Execute him and let me see."

Li Zhong's face darkened, but he could not utter a word.

Even Wan Yulou had died at Zhao Huaian's hands. Li Zhong was not even as strong as Wan Yulou, so how could he possibly be Zhao Huaian's match?

"Useless!"

Yu Huatian gave him a cold look, then turned his gaze toward Zhao Huaian in front of the Buddha statue. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he said, "You've brought your killing all the way to the capital. I must say, you have quite some nerve!"

Zhao Huaian's expression was grave. He glanced at Ling Guozhou and Lei Chongzheng, who lay on the floor, their fate unknown, then looked at Yu Huatian and asked heavily, "You deliberately leaked the news to lure us to the Great Enlightenment Temple, didn't you?"

"You're not entirely stupid." Yu Huatian did not deny it.

Zhao Huaian's gaze sharpened. Tightening his grip on his sword, he drew a deep breath and said, "Word in the martial world is that Yu Huatian, the West Depot's director, possesses peerless elegance, a meticulous mind, and iron-blooded methods, far surpassing Wan Yulou of the East Depot. Having seen you today, your reputation is indeed deserved!"

As he spoke, he glanced at the dense crowd of West Depot agents outside. A flicker of resolve then crossed his eyes, and he said, "I know I cannot escape death today, but before I die, I'll drag you down with me!"

Boom!

As his words fell, Zhao Huaian soared like a goshawk taking flight. His sword blazed with light, the four-foot blade slicing through the air as he lunged straight at Yu Huatian.

"How dare you!"

With a cold shout, a ghost-faced man with icy-white, ghostly eyes and a bronze beast mask stepped forward. Drawing the twin swords from his back, he went to meet the attack.

Clang, clang, clang...

In an instant, the two exchanged dozens of moves, each viciously precise. Terrifying sword energy spilled in every direction, forcing everyone at the doorway to retreat a considerable distance.

Clang-

Suddenly, a sharp ring rang out!

Zhao Huaian drove the ghost-faced man back. He staggered several steps, leaving deep footprints in the floor.

Zhao Huaian stared fixedly at the masked man, his face grave. "Who are you?"

The masked man spun his twin swords in a flourish and said coldly, "I am Ma Jinliang, the West Depot's chief officer!"

Zhao Huaian's heart grew heavy.

No wonder the West Depot could hold the upper hand over the East Depot. This man's strength was no less than Wan Yulou's. Then how powerful was Yu Huatian, the West Depot's director, who had yet to make a move?

At that thought, Zhao Huaian looked again at the silver-white-robed figure watching from the doorway.

Ma Jinliang's gaze remained cold. Without another word, he tightened his grip on his twin swords and prepared to attack again.

Just then, Yu Huatian spoke. "Stand down, Jinliang. You're no match for him."

Ma Jinliang frowned slightly, feeling indignant, but did not dare disobey. Cupping his hands, he said, "Yes, Director."

With that, he put away his twin swords and withdrew.

Yu Huatian extended his right hand, and Tan Luzi immediately presented a silver-white sword with both hands.

Taking the sword, Yu Huatian walked forward slowly until he stood face-to-face with Zhao Huaian. A sinister, icy true energy began rising from his body.

A cold gleam flashed in Yu Huatian's eyes. "A worthy opponent is hard to find. Today, I'll use you to test my swordsmanship."

As his words fell, Yu Huatian flickered and vanished from where he stood.

What swift movement!

Zhao Huaian's pupils contracted. Not daring to be careless, he tracked his position by sound and hastily raised his sword to strike head-on.

Clang-

A sharp ring sounded as the tips of the two swords collided.

The icy Sunflower True Energy surged along the sword into Zhao Huaian's body. He grunted and immediately staggered several steps backward.

Before he could recover, Yu Huatian's next attack had already arrived.

With life and death hanging in the balance, Zhao Huaian summoned every ounce of focus and concentrated on meeting his enemy.

Both men struck with extraordinary speed. Those at the doorway could not make out their movements at all; they could only hear the incessant ringing of swords.

Zhao Huaian kept his expression composed, but the longer they fought, the more alarmed he became.

Although his internal energy had only reached the early Grandmaster stage, his swordsmanship had been honed through decades of experience and slaughter, long since surpassing that of ordinary opponents.

Yet now, he felt that Yu Huatian's swordsmanship was far more exquisite than his own. His true energy was also immensely powerful, carrying an icy force that flowed on and on without end. Zhao Huaian dared not clash with him directly and could barely manage to defend himself.

In the blink of an eye, they had exchanged dozens of moves.

As for Yu Huatian, he had already sensed the gap between Zhao Huaian and himself during their first exchange. But to hone his swordsmanship, he had been holding himself back.

By now, he felt he had learned enough. The swordsmanship of the Sunflower Manual was indeed far more exquisite than what he had practiced before.

In swordsmanship alone, Zhao Huaian was already no match for him.

A glimpse of the leopard through a tube was enough to judge which stood higher!

Was this his fated enemy?

Yu Huatian shook his head in disappointment.

Then he thrust his sword, and pure Sunflower True Energy transformed into transparent sword energy that shot free of his body.

Zhao Huaian's pupils constricted, and he hurriedly circulated his internal energy to shield himself.

But in the next instant, his chest felt as though it had been struck by a boulder. His insides were injured, blood immediately spurted from his mouth, and his entire body was sent flying backward.

A single strike had shattered his protective aura.

Shhk-

Before he could recover, a brilliant sword gleam had already reached him.

Then he felt a chill at his neck, and his entire body froze in place.

A crimson line slowly bloomed across his neck...

Zhao Huaian's sword fell to the floor with a clang as he stared blankly at the handsome figure before him.

At the brink of death, a trace of regret and longing surfaced in his eyes, but in the end, it all turned to release.

Then Zhao Huaian slowly closed his eyes and crashed to the floor!

[Fortune from Zhao Huaian +8088.]

Yu Huatian ignored the system notification sounding in his mind.

Looking down at Zhao Huaian's corpse, Yu Huatian felt relieved, but also somewhat speechless.

A fated enemy?

And he was worth this little?

Shaking his head, Yu Huatian withdrew his gaze and turned around, his eyes once more calm and indifferent.

The main hall was utterly silent.

Everyone from the East Depot looked at Yu Huatian with fear and wariness.

They had pursued Zhao Huaian for half a year, and even Director Wan had lost his life because of him. Yet he had died so easily at Yu Huatian's hands.

How could they not be afraid?!

"Director!"

Tan Luzi had already prepared a snow-white silk handkerchief and respectfully offered it to Yu Huatian.

Yu Huatian handed his sword to Tan Luzi. Ignoring the fervent gazes of the West Depot agents, he took the handkerchief and wiped his hands, then looked at Li Zhong and the others and said calmly, "Why are you still standing there? Do you intend to spend your lives hiding here like turtles with your heads tucked into your shells?"

Li Zhong came to his senses and gave Yu Huatian a long look. With a dark expression, he said, "We're leaving!"

The East Depot men felt an immense weight lift from their hearts. They immediately followed Li Zhong out of the hall as though fleeing for their lives.

Soon, everyone from the East Depot had withdrawn.

Ma Jinliang and the others frowned deeply as they watched the East Depot men leave. They wanted to speak, but seeing Yu Huatian's calm expression, none dared open their mouths.

Only after all the East Depot men had left did Tan Luzi ask in confusion, "Director, if we killed Li Zhong, the East Depot would fall apart completely. Then we could put our own people in power and bring it entirely under our control. Why did you let them leave?"

Yu Huatian remained composed. "With Wan Yulou dead, Li Zhong alone cannot stir up much wind or waves. Zhao Jingzhong and Liu Xi, on the other hand, are no ordinary men. With those two around, the East Depot won't collapse yet."

"Let them fight among themselves first."

"Li Zhong is more useful alive than dead."

Tan Luzi frowned deeply. "Zhao Jingzhong is Wei Zhongxian's adopted son. He has gathered several experts under his command and shares a close bond with the Embroidered Uniform Guard. But what ability does Liu Xi have that makes you regard him so highly, Director?"

A peculiar gleam flashed in Yu Huatian's eyes. "Although Liu Xi only rose to prominence recently, he is far harder to deal with than Zhao Jingzhong. Back then, if His Majesty hadn't valued old ties and insisted, against all objections, on putting Wan Yulou in charge of the East Depot because he had served him since childhood, Liu Xi would have been the most likely successor to the director's seat."

Hearing this, everyone became even more curious. They could not understand why the director placed such importance on Liu Xi, the obscure second-ranking officer of the East Depot.

Seeing their expressions, Yu Huatian offered no explanation.

Had he not absorbed the original owner's memories, he would not have taken Liu Xi so seriously either.

But according to the intelligence, this man knew the Energy-Absorbing Great Method!

If his guess was right, this should be the villain Liu Xi from Handsome Siblings.

How could a mere Zhao Jingzhong compare with someone like that?

Wei Zhongxian coming back from the dead might be more like it!

Shaking his head, Yu Huatian glanced at the corpses in the hall and said calmly, "Clean this up, then head back."

"This isn't over yet. There's a good show coming!"

"Yes!"

Everyone bowed respectfully.

(End of chapter)