Chapter 14: A fleeting moment of beauty, blooming for protection
"Moment of Beauty", a set of swordsmanship created only for killing. For the first time, it is not for taking lives, but for saving people.
Each of Chen Ye's swords was extremely fast, and each of them accurately intercepted all attacks directed at Su Qinghan.
Like a meticulously calculated machine, he stood before Su Qinghan, constructing a deadly defense that no mortal could cross. The narrow-bladed dagger, "Shansha," seemed to possess life in his hand. Every vibration, every block, emanated the resounding sound of metal clashing. The crescendo of sound was intense and rapid, composing a battle song for the strong. Sparks flew, illuminating his expressionless face.
Su Qinghan behind him was completely shocked by the scene before him.
She leaned against the cold ground. The weakness caused by blood loss made her unable to stand, but it also allowed her to clearly observe this incredible rescue from the perspective of a bystander.
This man...this assassin from Tianji Pavilion, what exactly does he want to do?
Su Qinghan's heart was a sea of confusion. Reason told her that there was no such thing as a free lunch, especially in a business like theirs where life was at the edge of a knife. Behind every action, there was a hidden purpose.
Was he trying to use me? Was he trying to get some intelligence from me? Or was this siege all part of the Tianji Pavilion's plan, and he simply appeared at the opportune moment, acting as a "hero saving the damsel" to gain my trust?
Countless conspiracy theories swirled in her mind. As a master detective of the Six Gates, she was accustomed to assuming the worst of people's hearts. This was the principle she lived by.
But……
Her eyes were fixed on the dark blue figure.
That figure, tall and resolute, like an unshakable mountain, blocked out all the wind and rain. He could have easily killed these people, just like he had in the ruined temple in Luoyang, killing them with one blow, clean and neat. But he didn't.
He chose the most physically demanding and dangerous way - defense.
He used all his energy to block the swords that slashed at her, but seemed unconcerned about the threats to his side. Several times, the blades grazed his ribs and shoulders, and if he was distracted for even a moment, blood would immediately splatter on the spot.
This doesn't feel like acting.
Acting doesn't require such huge risks.
Furthermore, she could sense that the aura emanating from this man, though cold, was not directed at her. It was a kind of… violent rage that was suppressed to the extreme, yet still could not be completely concealed.
That anger was burning for her.
As soon as this absurd thought came to her mind, Su Qinghan's heart trembled violently. She subconsciously wanted to deny it, but the facts before her made it impossible for her to refute it.
She never thought that one day she would become the one being protected.
Ever since her father's death, her life has been all about revenge. Like a sword unsheathed, she's sharp, yet also lonely. She's wrapped all her softness in a hard shell, trusting no one and relying on no one.
But now, this man who should have been her enemy used his body and sword to create a small, absolutely safe sky for her.
This feeling... was strange and dangerous, yet it also had a fatal attraction that she couldn't resist.
Shen Ye's heart was also experiencing a violent storm.
The "Lightless Heart Sutra" was running wildly in his body, trying to suppress those emotions that should not appear.
calm.
Evaluate.
You are the "Candle Shadow" of Tianji Pavilion, not a wanderer in the world of martial arts.
Her life or death has nothing to do with you. Your mission is simply to observe and gather intelligence on Prince Ning's forces and the destruction of the Youquan Organization.
The voice of reason echoed in his mind like a spell. This was the only creed that had been instilled and tempered in him over his more than ten years as an assassin.
But when he saw her kneeling on the ground, closing her eyes and waiting for death, all his creeds and rules collapsed in an instant.
It was an emotion he had never experienced before.
It frightened him more than the punishment for mission failure.
It made him more nervous than facing thousands of troops.
He only knew that he couldn't let her die.
This thought, so simple, so pure, yet so overbearing, instantly occupied his entire mind.
So he took action.
When the "Momentary" sword was used for the first time, not to pierce the throat, but to deflect the blade, a strange feeling of stagnation spread through his arms. This set of sword techniques had long been in his hands, like an arm and a finger, turning into instinct. But at this moment, this instinct was resisting his will.
"Momentary Beauty" was born to kill. Every angle, every thrust, was designed to most efficiently take life. Using it to protect is like chopping wood with a sharp scalpel; every detail feels awkward.
But he doesn't care.
All he could see were the sword lights swinging towards Su Qinghan.
One, two, three...
He accurately captured the trajectory of each attack, and his "fleeting" body movements moved swiftly in a small space, protecting Su Qinghan firmly behind him.
In his opinion, the strength of these soldiers was not worth mentioning.
But their existence itself is a sin.
They were the ones who got her hurt.
It was they who made her bleed.
It was them who filled her cold eyes with despair.
kill!
Kill them!
A cold voice roared in his heart.
This is what "Zhuying" should do. Eliminate all threats and complete the goal.
But, he can't.
He couldn't reveal his most bloody and cruel side in front of her. He didn't know why he had such concerns; it was a completely new and unfamiliar emotion. He subconsciously wanted her to see him not as a cold-blooded killing machine, but as... a protector.
Even though the identity of this guardian is ridiculous and contradictory.
So, he could only defend himself, using this most clumsy and passive way to express his unspeakable feelings.
"Trash! A bunch of trash!"
The scar-faced leader roared in frustration behind the formation.
He had already seen that the man who suddenly appeared had terrifying martial arts skills, but his purpose seemed to be only to protect the woman, and he had no intention of actively attacking.
This is an opportunity!
"Change the formation! Ignore him and attack that woman with all your strength! I wonder how long she can hold out!"
The scar-faced leader issued a vicious order. He was an experienced veteran and knew that when facing a top master who only defended and did not attack, the best way was to attack the weakness he wanted to protect.
With one order, the remaining seven or eight soldiers immediately changed their strategy.
They no longer paid any attention to Chen Ye's sword, but instead, like crazy, directed all their attacks past Chen Ye and directly towards Su Qinghan behind him.
In an instant, the sword light was like a net, covering the sky and the earth!
Shen Ye's pressure suddenly increased tenfold!
In his previous defense, he only needed to intercept the opponent's weapons. But now, he not only had to intercept the weapons, but also had to ensure that his body could not block Su Qinghan's sight, and at the same time prevent any fish that slipped through the net from hurting her.
His defensive circle was forced to shrink to the extreme.
His entire body was almost pressed tightly against Su Qinghan's body.
Su Qinghan could even smell the faint scent of dust and metal coming from him. She could feel the strong wind brought by his every block blowing the ends of her hair.
There was only a sword's length between her and him.
Life and death are only separated by him.
“Ding! Ding! Ding!”
The sound of metal clashing became more and more rapid, and Shen Ye's breathing became a little unstable for the first time.
He is fast, but the other side has more people.
He is strong, but the other party does not care about the cost.
A soldier feinted an attack from the left to attract his attention, and at that moment another soldier slid down from the right, stabbing Su Qinghan's calf with the dagger in his hand at an extremely tricky angle!
This knife is extremely insidious!
Shen Ye's pupils suddenly shrank.
He was trying his best to block the three long swords on the left, and his body center of gravity had shifted. It was too late for him to return to defend!
His brain didn't even have time to think.
The body's instinct has made its choice.
He can hide.
With his "fleeting" body movement, he could easily avoid the knife and remain unharmed.
But if he dodged, Su Qinghan, who had no power to resist behind him, would definitely be pierced through the calf by the knife, leaving him disabled for life!
In a split second, Shen Ye made a decision that even he couldn't understand.
He didn't hide.
The "Moment" sword in his hand still tightly blocked the attack from the left, protecting Su Qingqing's vital points.
As for the fatal blow on the right side, he chose... to endure it with his own body!
“Puff~!”
The sound of a sharp blade entering flesh was dull and clear.
Su Qinghan's eyes suddenly widened.
She saw clearly that the dagger pierced the left arm of the man in front of her fiercely and unhindered.
In order to prevent the knife from moving forward and hurting her, he even used the muscles in his arm to hold the knife tightly!
Time seemed to slow down at this moment.
Shen Ye's body trembled violently.
A heart-wrenching pain came from the arm and instantly spread to every part of the body.
pain.
it hurts.
This was the first time since he became "Zhu Ying" that he had felt such clear and intense pain. During the harsh training at the Tianji Pavilion, he had long since learned how to use the "Lightless Heart Sutra" to numb his pain, using his body as a pure tool.
But at this moment, that mental method seemed to have lost its effect.
The pain was so real, so searing.
However, what was stronger than the pain was a... strange peace.
He lowered his head and glanced at the dagger on his arm that was still dripping with blood, then turned back and looked at Su Qinghan, who was safe and sound behind him with a look of shock on his face.
For the first time, a hint of smile appeared in his calm eyes, which he himself was not even aware of...
worth.
This thought clearly appeared in his mind.
But this smile, in the eyes of the soldier who had successfully carried out the sneak attack, turned into the smile of death.
"You..." The soldier was terrified. He wanted to draw back his knife, but found that the knife seemed to be clamped by an iron clamp and could not move at all.
The next second, the hint of smile in Chen Ye's eyes was completely replaced by cold murderous intent.
"You, deserve to die."
This was the first sentence he spoke tonight. His voice was hoarse, yet it carried a chill from the Netherworld.
Before he finished speaking, the wrist of his uninjured right hand trembled.
"Instantly" the sword made a sound like a dragon's roar, and a dark light flashed.
"Moment of Beauty" is no longer protected.
It returned to the field it was most familiar with - killing.
The three soldiers on the left felt a flash before their eyes and a chill in their throats. They fell down with disbelief on their faces.
Then, Chen Ye exerted force with his left arm, forcing the dagger out of his body with his muscles, unleashing a shower of blood. Without even glancing at the attacker, he swung his sword back, slamming the hilt heavily into the attacker's forehead.
The man didn't even have time to scream before his brain burst and he died on the spot.
In an instant, the offensive and defensive momentum was completely reversed.
The injured Chen Ye is a hundred times more terrifying than the previous Chen Ye who only defended and did not attack!
His figure truly turned into a ghost that was taking lives.
Every flash takes away a life.
Every time the sword is drawn, a blood flower blooms.
Su Qinghan stared blankly at all this, looking at the wound on the man's arm that was so deep that the bone was visible, and looking at the blood that kept flowing out and dyed his entire sleeve red.
His sword remained icy cold.
But his blood was boiling hot.
He was injured while trying to save her.
He paid a price to protect her.
For the first time, his sword felt warm.
This warmth came at his own cost. To protect her, he had taken the blow with his arm, leaving a wound so deep he could see the bone, his sleeve instantly stained red with blood. This warm blood seemed to have burned Su Qinghan's heart, leaving an indelible mark in her frozen world of hatred.
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