As the square-faced instructor spoke, he rummaged through his pocket, only to discover that the packet of Red Skull Powder he always carried on him was missing. His expression immediately darkened.
Smack!
The middle-aged man rose with a grim expression and, without hesitation, slapped him hard across the face.
Red Skull Powder was an aphrodisiac exclusive to the Red Skull Bandits, and practically everyone knew of it.
If someone picked it up at this critical juncture and deduced that the academy had been infiltrated by the Red Skull Bandits, the third leader's plan could fall apart.
Then the two of them, as subordinates who had botched their duties, would undoubtedly be executed in an exceptionally brutal manner.
"Useless fool! Get back there and find it!"
"If you ruin the third leader's plan, I'll kill you first and take you down with me!"
The square-faced instructor dared not hesitate and hurried toward the courtyard exit.
Yet before he had run even ten meters, a figure flashed past him at lightning speed and sliced his head off with a single stroke.
Ding! Congratulations on killing an ordinary bandit. Experience +5, righteousness +5.
"Sorry, but the students of Falling Moon Academy are my little sheep. I can't let you do something as wicked as killing the goose that lays the golden eggs," Yun Che said calmly, gazing impassively at the headless corpse still spurting blood. He felt none of the nausea that might follow killing someone.
Startled, the middle-aged man slowly drew the sword he carried and narrowed his eyes at the figure in white scholarly robes and a strange owl mask.
He recognized those white scholarly robes. They were the exclusive attire of Falling Moon Academy's academic instructors. But how could a mere academic instructor possess such superb swordsmanship?
Since this man had followed them here, the worst had clearly happened. The Red Skull Powder that idiot had carelessly dropped must have been picked up by this instructor who refused to reveal his identity.
"Excellent swordsmanship, sir. Unfortunately, you're still not quite good enough to kill me!"
With that, the middle-aged man stepped forward. Moving just as swiftly, he unleashed several powerful sword shadows.
This was his greatest reason for not fearing Yun Che: the middle-grade Ten Illusions Sword Technique. Not only was it powerful, but it was also extremely difficult to defend against. Its strikes mingled feints with real attacks, making them unpredictable. At its pinnacle, it could produce ten illusions at once.
It could be said that anyone wielding this sword technique was virtually invincible below the innate realm.
"Die!"
"Seven Sword-Shadow Illusions!"
Facing the seven seemingly solid sword shadows, Yun Che's lips curved into an amused smile.
He had to admit that the sword technique was powerful, but only against other acquired realm practitioners.
After he merged with the sword technique obtained through Divine Hand, his mastery of it had automatically reached perfection.
Trying to kill him with the Ten Illusions Sword Technique was practically begging for an early grave.
"You've only mastered seven illusions?"
"In that case, you can die too!"
"Sword shadows! Ten illusions!"
The middle-aged man's sword hand abruptly froze. His pupils contracted, and his mind went blank.
What was going on?!
Wasn't the Ten Illusions Sword Technique a combat technique belonging to their Red Skull Bandits?
How did this Falling Moon Academy instructor know it too?!
Knowing it was one thing, but he had actually attained perfect mastery-ten illusions with a single strike!
Shhk! Shhk! Shhk!
Three streaks of sword light pierced the middle-aged man's throat, heart, and brow almost simultaneously.
Just like that, a bandit captain in the late acquired realm died without understanding why, in a secluded little courtyard no one ever visited.
Ding! Congratulations on killing a late acquired realm bandit. Experience +28, righteousness +10.
Yun Che took the money from both men and was about to leave when a girl of thirteen or fourteen pushed open the door of the closed room and stepped outside.
Judging by her still-bleeding wrists, the girl had probably forced her way out of her bindings.
Somewhat surprised, Yun Che reminded her, "Little girl, these two bandits are dead. You should hurry home!"
Unexpectedly, instead of leaving, the girl ran up to Yun Che, dropped to her knees with a thud, and repeatedly bowed her head to the ground.
"Feng Chu's parents are dead. Feng Chu has no home. Please take me as your disciple, sir. Feng Chu wants to learn martial arts. No matter how hard it gets, Feng Chu can endure it."
Yun Che shook his head slightly. Martial arts were not something anyone could master simply because they wanted to. He himself, for instance, possessed only a low-grade martial root.
He and Yun Jin had started training together. Yun Jin, who possessed a middle-grade martial root, had already reached the peak of the body tempering realm, while he had only reached its early stage. The disparity was plain to see.
"I don't take disciples, and I have no time to teach you. Leave."
Having said that, Yun Che was about to casually use Divine Hand on her before leaving when something suddenly occurred to him. He spun around and asked again, "What did you say your name was?"
The disappointment on the girl's face instantly gave way to eagerness. She hurriedly replied, "My surname is Feng, as in the word for wind. My given name is Chu, as in an eagle chick."
Once Yun Che confirmed it, his eyes immediately lit up. He seemed to become a different person, warm and caring.
"Get up. The ground is cold. Don't kneel anymore. I'll take you as my disciple."
"Really? Thank you, Master! Thank you, Master!"
"I'll work hard at my martial arts to repay you for teaching me!"
As she spoke, Feng Chu knelt again and respectfully knocked her forehead against the ground three times.
Ding! Successfully rescued and taken in one orphan girl. Righteousness +5.
This time, Yun Che did not stop her. He genuinely wanted to take this little girl named Feng Chu as his disciple.
The reason, of course, was what Feng Chu would achieve in the future.
In the future, she would be known as the Wind Fiend, the deadliest sword under Qin Keyi's command, someone everyone regarded with wary respect.
It was said that Feng Chu was a woman Qin Keyi had rescued when she slaughtered the Red Skull Bandit Group.
By then, Feng Chu had been horribly abused. She had lost not only an eye, but also an arm.
Yet despite that, she had begun practicing martial arts at twenty-four and taken only five years to become a king realm expert.
Had she not died taking a sword strike for Qin Keyi, her Peerless Martial Root talent would have allowed her to surpass Qin Keyi, already an emperor realm expert at the time, in just another three years.
Qin Keyi possessed a Superior Martial Root. Above that was the supreme grade, followed by the Peerless Martial Root, which could arouse even heaven's envy. Its rarity was staggering.
At least during Yun Che's time in the closed beta, aside from hearing that Feng Chu possessed a Peerless Martial Root, he had never encountered another.
Yun Che was already growing impatient. If he also possessed a Peerless Martial Root, combined with his Divine Hand talent, his cultivation speed would be so fast that it would drive others to despair.
Ding! Grab successful. Congratulations on obtaining one ordinary straw cord.
His first grab brought no burst of good luck. Yun Che was a little disappointed, but he did not dwell on it.
There was plenty of time ahead. With one grab each day, he would hit the jackpot eventually.
"Ah!" Feng Chu, following behind Yun Che, gave a soft cry. The straw cord she had used to tie her hair was gone, and her pinned-up hair immediately spilled loose.
Passing a small stall, Yun Che bought an exquisite red cord and handed it to her. "Use this!"
"Thank you, Master." Feng Chu accepted the red cord with both hands and held it tightly to her chest as though it were a priceless treasure.
She stole a glance at her master's back. Although he wore a mask and refused to reveal his true face,
she believed he must be a handsome young master.
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