Overwhelming

Zeng Jing clenched her fists, hatred rising within her, yet her face remained calm.

"Whatever you want, come at me. They're all innocent. Let them go."

King Runner gave a cold chuckle, his laughter filled with disdain, his expression so dark it seemed ready to drip water.

He turned around and looked at the trusted lieutenant he had personally trained.

Even her face had been changed.

Lowering his gaze, he gave a soft snort. "Innocent? Haven't plenty of innocent people died beneath your Watersplitter Sword? Forget the distant past. Take the entire household of Lord Zhang's residence in Mingzhou. You even killed the stable hand who fed the horses. Was he not innocent?"

King Runner tapped the tabletop lightly with his right hand.

"Remember what I said."

"Otherwise, you know how the Dark Stone Organization handles things."

Zeng Jing said nothing. Of course she knew how the Dark Stone Organization handled things.

In the past, if she had encountered something like this, she would have fled far away. Jiang Asheng, Auntie Cai, Li Lan and her family of three—if they died, they died. As long as she lived, that was enough.

But now, for some reason, Zeng Jing felt a deep unease, guilt, and emotions she simply could not cast aside.

Every day, she lived her life with Jiang Asheng. Every day, she ran a stall with Li Lan and Auntie Cai.

The Buddhists said: lay down the butcher's knife, and attain Buddhahood on the spot.

She never dared forget the words Lu Zhu had spoken to her before his death.

But today, her sins were ultimately too grave. She could not enter the Buddhist path or live out a lifetime in peace.

"Fine!"

Zeng Jing agreed. She would continue serving Dark Stone and bring Rama's Remains and all eight hundred thousand taels of silver back to Dark Stone, handing them over to King Runner.

Only then might she be able to save those people's lives.

Jiang Asheng, Auntie Cai, Li Lan, Wen Qingkong, and little Shuang'er.

A Dark Stone assassin suddenly ran in from outside and whispered a few words into King Runner's ear. King Runner's expression immediately turned astonished.

Zeng Jing frowned slightly, unsure what had happened now.

King Runner suddenly laughed, his laughter full of disbelief.

"Who would have thought that this tiny little lane, with only a few households in total, would be full of secrets?"

"Drizzle, let me tell you something. The three Dark Stone assassins sent to your neighbor's home have all gone silent."

"Now, I'll give you one chance."

"Kill that family of three, return Rama's Remains to me, and I'll let you and your husband leave."

King Runner truly lived up to his name. In just a few words, he had already arranged everything.

This demand gave Zeng Jing some room to maneuver, but the price was Wen Qingkong's family of three.

Zeng Jing had not expected the Dark Stone assassins to die in Wen Qingkong's home. She had barely felt any relief before King Runner's demand caught her completely off guard.

King Runner was truly ruthless, asking her to kill Wen Qingkong's family of three.

She could not bear it, but King Runner had promised that if she killed Wen Qingkong's family of three, she could leave with Jiang Asheng and never return to Dark Stone again.

That promise was immensely tempting to Zeng Jing as well.

For a moment, she was torn and hesitant...

King Runner was in no rush. He had all the time and patience in the world.

At Wen Qingkong's home, he was keeping Li Lan and her daughter company. His eyes were half-closed, then suddenly flew open, gleaming with blade-like coldness.

"Hide inside. Don't come out."

Li Lan nodded obediently.

Shuang'er's clear childish voice rang out. "Uncle, you have to chase the bad guys away! You're the greatest hero!"

Wen Qingkong smiled. "Shuang'er is right. Uncle is the greatest hero. I'll definitely chase the bad guys away."

He opened the door and saw that the courtyard walls were already lined with Dark Stone assassins.

At the front of the courtyard, King Runner, Ye Zhanqing, Lei Bin, and Magician watched him as though they were enjoying a show.

Standing before them was Zeng Jing, holding the Watersplitter Sword.

Wen Qingkong wore a gray cloth robe. At only fifteen years old, he was still just a child before people like King Runner and Lei Bin.

"You're going to kill us?"

Wen Qingkong's gaze blazed like fire. Zeng Jing could not help turning her head away, unable to meet his eyes.

"I'm sorry."

Wen Qingkong sneered. "Li Lan considers you her friend. Do you think one apology is enough?"

"I have no choice. I have to save Jiang Asheng's life."

Wen Qingkong looked at her with amusement. "Then did you ask Jiang Asheng? Husband and wife should be united in heart and virtue. They should not keep things from each other. What makes you think Jiang Asheng will definitely accept a decision you made on your own?"

"He's just an ordinary person. He doesn't understand the affairs of the martial world."

Zeng Jing finally turned back and faced Wen Qingkong directly.

At the mention of Jiang Asheng, Zeng Jing calmed down, recovering some of Drizzle's former poise.

Wen Qingkong shook his head and snorted. He had intended to pick up an easy gain, only to get himself dragged into this.

In the end, he had never expected Dark Stone to use ordinary people to threaten Zeng Jing, nor had he expected this former ace assassin to truly develop feelings and lose her old indifference.

He interlaced his fingers and cracked his knuckles, the joints popping sharply.

Then he tucked the hem of his cloth robe into his belt.

"Perfect. Let me see the Forty-One Styles of Water Splitting Swordplay."

"Excuse me!"

Zeng Jing leaped forward, her sword thrusting straight at Wen Qingkong.

Wen Qingkong extended two fingers and caught the blade of the Watersplitter Sword between them.

The sight instantly silenced everyone around them. Even King Runner furrowed his brow.

Zeng Jing's sword had actually been caught between two fingers.

That was the Watersplitter Sword, capable of slicing gold and severing jade. If an ordinary person's fingers touched its edge, they would be cut off in an instant!

Zeng Jing was the most shocked of all. She truly found it difficult to reconcile the youth before her with the boy who usually climbed around and played hide-and-seek with Shuang'er.

Since he had been able to kill the Dark Stone assassins, he naturally possessed some martial skill.

She just had not expected his martial arts to be this formidable.

Zeng Jing gave a sharp cry and yanked hard at her sword, but it did not budge.

Then Wen Qingkong pulled the sword forward, and Zeng Jing's body involuntarily pitched toward him.

Zeng Jing immediately released her grip, and the Watersplitter Sword fell into Wen Qingkong's hand.

He flicked a finger against the blade, producing a crisp sword chime.

"Hmph!"

With a sharp huff, Ye Zhanqing suddenly lunged forward.

"Don't go!"

King Runner frowned, but Ye Zhanqing's attack had come completely without warning. No one had noticed her move.

Thus, King Runner had no time to seize her and could only watch helplessly as she attacked Wen Qingkong.

Ye Zhanqing believed herself stronger than Zeng Jing. Why should she become Zeng Jing's replacement?

Now that Zeng Jing had been defeated by Wen Qingkong, this was the perfect time for her to prove herself.

Unlike Zeng Jing, Ye Zhanqing unleashed the full essence of the Forty-One Styles of Water Splitting Swordplay the moment she attacked.

Sword light poured down like a violent storm, enveloping Wen Qingkong from head to toe in an instant. The sword qi was so dense that not even water could penetrate it!

A smug smile rose on Ye Zhanqing's lips. She refused to believe Wen Qingkong could block such densely packed sword qi.

Sure enough, Ye Zhanqing's sword was not caught.

She steadied herself and withdrew her sword. The sword light dispersed.

Wen Qingkong was completely unharmed. Only his cloth robe was riddled with countless tiny holes, all poked through by Ye Zhanqing's Watersplitting Swordplay.