2 Chapter 2

◎First Encounter◎

When his master handed the kill order to him in the hall, Jiang Qiye's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

During his three years of seclusion at the Qingzong Sect, he had never heard the name "Pei Xueyan" in any conversation, let alone knew anything about the storms this person had stirred up in the martial arts world.

This was the first time he had ever killed a woman.

The master's tone was solemn: "This girl is Ye Xiuluo's personal disciple. Her personality is still developing, but she has already inherited his martial arts. As a righteous sect of immortals, it is the duty of Qingzong to protect the righteous path of the martial world. You must eliminate this scourge before she grows into a second Ye Xiuluo."

"With your skill, even Ye Xiuluo in his current state is no match for you. However, the female demon is extremely cunning and adept at using words to deceive people. You must not fall for her tricks and must kill her immediately!"

Besides being ruthless, Ye Xiuluo is also incredibly beautiful and knows how to seduce men.

Those with low martial arts skills were used by her, while those with high skills were manipulated to make men infatuated and then tortured to death.

Of course, she and her two female apprentices were not notorious womanizers; they simply wanted to indulge in pleasure like men.

Therefore, the main reason why Master chose Jiang Qiye to kill was that his heart was not corrupted and he would not be seduced.

Jiang Qiye bowed his head and responded.

The Qingzong Sect is a renowned and righteous sect of immortals, standing atop the clouds and mist. Disciples must undergo three trials before they can enter. In the martial world, those who wish to join the sect can stretch from the foot of the mountain to ten miles away.

As his master's most valued disciple, his talent far surpassed that of his peers. He grasped the mental cultivation method at the age of three and mastered swordsmanship at the age of seven.

After three years of secluded cultivation, he further honed his martial arts and magical powers to a level of profound understanding.

Having just emerged from seclusion, he was entrusted with an important mission, so he must fulfill his master's orders.

When Ye Xiuluo was mentioned, a few vague memories flashed through Jiang Qiye's mind.

Having witnessed my martial uncle's duel with Ye Xiuluo, I can attest that his swordsmanship was ruthless, as if possessed by a demon, with every move a deadly strike. He truly deserves to be called a top master in the martial arts world.

However, it's not necessarily true that she's invincible. Although her uncle didn't go all out back then, he was still able to hold his own against her for dozens of rounds without being at a disadvantage.

My master's martial arts skills are not yet at their peak, so the abilities he can pass on to his new disciples are probably quite limited.

For him, killing Pei Xueyan was not a difficult task at all; it was as easy as turning his hand.

As he descended the mountain, the mountain wind swept the clouds and mist past his clothes, and Jiang Qiye truly stepped into the Jianghu (martial arts world) he hadn't seen for three years.

As soon as we entered the town, we saw Pei Xueyan's portrait.

He reached out and tore off a piece of paper, folded it casually, and stuffed it into the lapel of his purplish-gray outer shirt.

He wasn't in a hurry to find Pei Xueyan.

Firstly, the Qingzong disciples' tracking skills are already exquisite; as long as the other party is still traveling in the martial world, they can find their traces by following their aura.

Secondly, although his cultivation was stable after he had just emerged from seclusion, he wanted to see the changes in the martial world over the past three years and also find out what Pei Xueyan had done that made his master so wary.

Because of her extraordinary temperament, she frequently turned heads.

Anyone could see the cloud pattern embroidered with the unique features of the Qingzong sect, and a mutton-fat jade buckle tied around his waist. Anyone who knew his worth would recognize him as a prominent figure in the Qingzong sect.

The people on the street treated him with great respect.

Jiang Qiye walked into a teahouse on the street. As soon as he sat down, the waiter ran over with the best pre-Qingming Longjing tea, smiling and bowing: "Immortal Master, would you like some tea? I'll brew it for you right away, and also prepare some of our signature snacks?"

Jiang Qiye nodded.

Taverns are places rife with trouble.

He had just sat down when the men behind him were speaking in hushed tones about the murder that had occurred in the tavern a few days earlier.

"Have you heard? Chen Laosan and his gang said a few bad things about Ye Xiuluo in a tavern on West Street, and Pei Xueyan killed them on the spot!"

"Really? Isn't Pei Xueyan a newcomer? How come she's so skilled?"

"How could it not be true! Someone saw it with their own eyes. That girl strangled Chen Laosan to death with a white silk ribbon and injured two others. Afterwards, she didn't even flinch. Just like Ye Xiuluo back then!"

Jiang Qiye paused, holding the teacup.

He originally thought that Pei Xueyan was just a demon who had just learned some rudimentary skills, but he did not expect that she would have such ruthless methods and dare to kill people in broad daylight.

Therefore, I decided not to delay any longer and to find her and resolve the matter on the spot as soon as possible.

Finding Pei Xueyan is not difficult.

He didn't need to fly on a sword; he only needed to scatter a few spirit feathers and compare them with the portrait. Before long, he received news.

This spirit feather is an item that only disciples of high status within the Qing Sect have the opportunity to obtain.

Resembling a small white feather, it can easily locate its target by relying on a trace of aura, an image, or the opponent's martial arts style or magical traces.

Jiang Qiye stretched out his fingertip and scanned the location information transmitted by Lingyu. He glanced at it expressionlessly and did not react much.

He was elegant and handsome, with an air of righteousness between his brows, but he was ruthless when he killed, showing no sign of the kind and handsome appearance he had.

Over the years, he has never failed to complete any task assigned to him by his master or uncle.

However, killing a woman is completely different from killing a man.

He never torments people; he has a bit of a "killing spirit," but not much.

He thought he would kill any woman with a single sword strike.

When dealing with men, who are often more cunning, one might stab them a few more times. If one encounters a difficult one, one might even use magic to intimidate them.

Regardless of the reason, he wouldn't delay for long; Jiang Qiye had no interest in watching people suffer terribly.

Following Lingyu's guidance, Jiang Qiye quickly arrived at the inn where Pei Xueyan was staying.

He deliberately booked an adjacent room, and with his exceptional hearing, he could hear everything that was happening in the next room clearly.

Pei Xueyan had no idea that she was about to die.

She did kill Chen San, but not in the street; she did it with great effort.

That day, after she finished drinking, she went out and secretly followed Chen San and his group for a long time.

After all, it was his first time killing someone, and he was a little scared. Several times he wanted to do it from behind, but he held back in the end.

It wasn't until she changed into men's clothing and dressed up a bit that she took the initiative to approach and start a conversation.

Pei Xueyan asked directly, "I heard at the tavern that Brother Chen would definitely have a good time with Pei Xueyan after meeting her, is that true?"

Chen San immediately revealed his usual vulgarity, his words filled with obscene and offensive language.

Pei Xueyan was still young and had little contact with men in her daily life. She was so agitated by these absurd words that she blushed and could no longer hesitate. She immediately used the ruthless move "scratching the lungs and scratching the heart" taught by her master.

However, Chen San was very experienced, and despite having much lower skill level than her, he managed to dodge it instantly.

The three then joined forces to attack, and Pei Xueyan gradually became no match for them, being forced to retreat in defeat.

One of them used his sword to cut open her hair bun, instantly revealing her true gender. The others recognized her as the newly emerged female demon.

Her lack of practical experience made it difficult for her to fully utilize her profound internal strength and magical power.

"Let's have our fun with her first, then cut off her head, and then we'll be famous throughout the land!"

Hearing this made him so angry he felt like his heart was going to burst.

Seeing that life and death were hanging by a thread, Pei Xueyan unleashed her instinctive ruthlessness and struck Chen San down with a single palm strike, killing him instantly with such force!

It was a dismemberment by five horses!

Seeing the horrific scene before her, she was so frightened she almost cried, while the other two, whose internal organs had been shattered, scrambled away to escape.

Several days have passed, and seeing that no one has come to seek revenge, Pei Xueyan has finally been able to eat and drink. Tonight, she planned to get a good night's sleep and recharge her energy.

On the other side, Jiang Qiye was sitting elegantly in his room, asking the waiter to bring him a pot of wine, and only took a few sips.

He planned to let the woman rest peacefully for another night, and then, early the next morning, find a secluded place to end her life.

The night was relatively peaceful.

Aside from hearing the woman next door tossing and turning for the first half of the night, the second half was quite peaceful.

As soon as it was light, Jiang Qiye washed and dressed neatly, then waited downstairs at the inn with his sword, just waiting for the female demon to come down.

He sat there for half an hour, until the tea on the table had gone cold, before he realized what was happening.

I've been tricked.

"cunning!"

He placed the tea money on the table, got up, and quickly left.

It seems he can't underestimate this female demon.

However, Jiang Qiye was not worried. Even if she escaped a few hours earlier, he could easily catch up with her using his spirit feathers.

Following Lingyu's guidance, Jiang Qiye chased after her to the edge of a lake.

The scenery here is serene, the stream is crystal clear, and a woman in white can be seen from afar.

That person was Pei Xueyan.

Little did he know that Pei Xueyan hadn't slept well at all last night.

When I went downstairs to ask for tea in the middle of the night, I happened to hear a Taoist priest move into the room next to mine.

She didn't know that Jiang Qiye had come specifically to kill her; she thought it was a fellow disciple or relative of Chen San seeking revenge.

Pei Xueyan was genuinely unfamiliar with murder and was terrified of encountering a master who could kill her.

Upon returning to the room, it immediately flew away through the window.

People are naturally less energetic at night, and given that the martial arts she learned from the Ye Xiuluo lineage are light and agile, it wasn't too difficult for her to temporarily deceive Jiang Qiye.

Even after escaping far away, Pei Xueyan still sensed that someone was quickly chasing after her.

That person had an extremely strong aura and top-notch martial arts skills; she couldn't even catch a trace of his movements.

A leaf flew by, and a section of her hair and the clothes on her shoulder were cut off.

Pei Xueyan's heart sank, knowing that she would probably not escape death today.

She was truly unwilling to accept this, and wanted to leave a final message.

I'm sorry, Master. I'm going to die in less than two months. I haven't been able to carry forward the martial arts of our sect and earn people's respect.

I'm sorry to myself. I wanted to roam the martial world, uphold justice, and kill all the unfaithful people like my master. I never thought I would die at the hands of others in such an inexplicable way.

In the blink of an eye, Pei Xueyan quickly channeled her magic and turned around to surround the pursuers.

Upon closer inspection, the person who approached was a young man dressed as a Taoist practitioner.

Her master once told her two things: one was, "Most men are treacherous and wicked; you might kill a hundred or ten thousand without making a mistake"; the other was, "Men are also the easiest to deceive; as long as you act coy and weak, they will most likely soften and take the bait."

Pei Xueyan immediately ran to the riverbank, took off her outer clothes, leaving only a close-fitting white dress, and let her long hair fall loosely over her shoulders.

She reached out and scooped up some river water, smearing it on her cheeks as if it were traces of tears.

Before the man approached, she deliberately leaned against the riverbank, her figure as delicate as a fairy who had fallen from the sky. Her pure white clothes accentuated her beautiful face and supple waist, making her look pitiful and charming, like a lotus flower emerging from clear water.

Pei Xueyan slowly raised her head and met the gaze of the handsome Taoist priest dressed in a purple-gray robe.

Jiang Qiye was slightly startled.

He grew up in the Qingzong Sect. Although there were female disciples in the sect, they rarely practiced with the male disciples. The masters' wives were all dignified and generous older women who rarely came into contact with young women.

Even when I occasionally see beautiful women in the market, I have never seen anyone as gentle, innocent, and endearing as the person in front of me.

He quickly came to his senses.

Master said that Ye Xiuluo was good at making men swoon and was skilled at bewitching them, so her disciple must also be proficient in the art of pretense.

Jiang Qiye quickly concealed the strange look in his eyes, drew his sword and pointed it at Pei Xueyan, his voice as cold as ice: "Are you Pei Xueyan, Ye Xiuluo's personally taught disciple?"