Dare to cause trouble
"Who dares to cause trouble at Ciyun Temple?!"
Master Jingchen's voice was sharp and piercing, carrying a fierce but weak tone.
"Do you know which Bodhisattva is enshrined here, and who is backing them?! If you know what's good for you, leave immediately, or else..."
Before she could finish speaking, Ling Zhan's figure had already darted into the hall like a ghost!
A flash of light, accompanied by a piercing whistling sound, aimed straight for the throat of the guard closest to the door! The guard reacted swiftly, raising his blade to parry, but felt an overwhelming force, and his steel blade was cleaved in two! Before the blade's momentum subsided, its cold edge had already grazed his neck!
puff--!
A fine head flew into the air, hot blood splattering onto the thick blanket, leaving a glaring crimson stain!
"It's you?!"
Master Jingchen's voice suddenly rose in pitch, becoming sharp and piercing.
She gripped the string of shiny black Buddhist beads in her hand tightly, her knuckles turning pale and deformed from the excessive force, almost embedding themselves in her palm.
She stared intently at Ling Zhan's cold and beautiful face, which was filled with murderous intent, and his signature black outfit.
A name and image that had recently been making headlines in the underworld crawled into her mind like a cold, venomous snake!
The Blackwater Gang, which held absolute power in Linshan Town, had its core members slaughtered overnight, and its headquarters reduced to ashes!
The notorious bandits who had entrenched themselves in Black Wind Ridge for many years and whose government had repeatedly failed to eradicate them had their stronghold uprooted and their leader beheaded and hung on the gate!
It is said that the one who carried out all of this was a ruthless woman with unparalleled swordsmanship!
I've also heard that Magistrate Chen of Linshan County was promoted to Assistant Magistrate because of this enormous achievement!
"Ling Zhan?!"
Master Jingchen's voice trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly.
But more than anything, it's a condescending scrutiny and deliberate contempt.
"Ha! I wonder who has the guts to come and mess with my place!"
So it was you, the 'heroine' who stirs up trouble?
Just because you wiped out a few peasant thugs and destroyed a mediocre bandit stronghold, you think you're something special?
"Relying on a bit of luck and some favor from the government, you dare to trespass into my Ciyun Temple?!"
She spoke more and more fluently, as if these contemptuous words could dispel the unease in her heart and regain her sense of control.
Shen Yan followed Ling Zhan into the hall.
Just then, they overheard Master Jingchen's blustering yet contemptuous provocation.
He coldly swept his gaze over the distorted face of the demoness and her obese body, which was feigning composure.
A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips.
You dare to spout nonsense even when you're about to die? Very well, I'll show you what true despair is!
Ling Zhan seemed oblivious to Jing Chen's chatter, as if she were just a buzzing fly.
She scanned sharply at every armed man in the hall.
The sight that was being gazed upon sent a chill down the spines of these fierce guards.
They're all awful at their core!
At this moment, the long sword in her hand was finally drawn with a clang, like a dragon's roar!
The gleaming blade flashed in the candlelight, leaving a blinding trail as it pointed directly at Abbess Jingchen!
"kill!"
Ling Zhan's voice was as cold as the wind from the deepest hell, and his single word "kill" was the clarion call for attack!
"Protect the nun!"
The remaining guards, filled with shock and rage, roared and charged forward.
The hall was instantly filled with the glint of swords and the deafening clang of metal!
The Asura Guards cut into the enemy ranks like meat grinders, their teamwork impeccable and their courage fearless.
Ling Zhan was like a tiger among sheep; wherever his blade flashed, blood and flesh flew. Every strike carried the will to kill and the ruthless and cunning nature of Asura combat techniques. Not a single move was superfluous, and not a single strike missed its mark!
Screams, the cracking of bones, and the snapping of weapons filled the air.
Shen Yan's anger and newly awakened sense of responsibility were boiling like lava, desperately needing an outlet!
Seeing a skilled guard swing his knife at a Shura Guard who was trying to rescue the wounded, a fierce glint flashed in Shen Yan's eyes!
"Get out of my way!"
With a roar, he shot forward like an arrow, his goose-feather saber carrying an indomitable spirit, precisely parrying the fatal blow!
With a swift twist and flick of the blade, he unleashed a brilliant and ingenious variation of a military combat technique, not only deflecting the opponent's weapon but also leaving a deep, bone-revealing gash on the opponent's wrist!
The skilled guard retreated in pain.
They stared in horror at the handsome yet murderous young man before them.
The decisiveness and power contained in that sword technique just now were definitely not the usual methods of the martial arts world!
Shen Yan, having landed a successful blow, did not pause. His gaze, sharp as lightning, locked onto Abbess Jingchen, whose face was deathly pale on the grand master's chair!
This is the woman who, under the guise of compassion, is actually engaging in cannibalistic acts!
Those loyal and virtuous descendants who were imprisoned and tortured, and those innocent people who were sold as commodities, all owe their fate to her!
"Demon Nun! Prepare to die!"
Shen Yan roared angrily, and drew his sword, intending to pounce on Abbess Jingchen.
Just then, something unexpected happened!
A glint of extreme resentment flashed in Master Jingchen's eyes, and her right hand, which had been tightly gripping the Buddhist prayer beads, suddenly jerked upwards!
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—!"
Several subtle yet sharp whooshing sounds rang out! The string of black prayer beads was instantly shattered by her special technique! More than a dozen beads, hard in texture and with exceptionally sharp edges, shot out like poisoned hidden weapons towards Ling Zhan, Shen Yan, and Ling Feng, who was directing the Asura Guards to suppress the enemy at the edge of the hall!
Strictly speaking, it was indiscriminate killing.
But the angle was tricky, the speed was incredibly fast, and it went straight for the vital points!
This sneak attack was ruthless and vicious, and the timing was impeccable.
Just when everyone's old strength had been exhausted and new strength had not yet been generated, and they were distracted by the other guards!
"careful!"
Ling Feng, who had been protecting Shen Yan's flank, suddenly narrowed his eyes and issued a stern warning.
At the same time, disregarding his own safety, he bravely swung his knife to parry the several prayer beads that were aimed at Chen Yan!
Ling Zhan snorted coldly.
His body twisted strangely like a willow catkin in the wind, and the long sword in his hand danced out a dense screen of light, with a series of crisp clanging sounds.
The rosary beads aimed at her were all knocked away!
Upon hearing the warning, a strong sense of unease arose in Shen Yan's heart!
Although he had awakened, his practical experience was still limited, and his movements were inevitably slowed for a moment when faced with this sudden and strange hidden weapon!
Two sharp prayer beads, gleaming with a dark light, were almost within reach, aimed directly at his face and heart!
At the critical moment!
"Certainly!"
A clear, melodious young voice, with a strange penetrating power, seemed to resonate directly in everyone's minds!
In the shadows of a corner of the hall, Shen Hong, who was responsible for guarding the rear and had been intently watching the battle, had somehow raised his hands, fingers spread, aiming at the prayer beads that were aimed at Shen Yan! His handsome face was tense, fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and the strange white light in his eyes was more intense than ever before!
The two rapidly shooting prayer beads, less than three feet from Chen Yan in mid-air, seemed to have struck an invisible wall, their speed abruptly decreasing, as if sinking into viscous swamp, their trajectories becoming unpredictable—
Finally, with two "clinks," it fell limply to the ground!
"father!"
Shen Hong called out urgently, his face turning slightly pale.
Clearly, unleashing his full power in such a hasty manner had taken a heavy toll on him.
Shen Yan escaped death, breaking out in a cold sweat, followed by a surge of boundless rage!
He glanced gratefully at his son, but when he looked at Abbess Jingchen again, his eyes were as cold as ice!
"You vixen! Die!"
Without any further hesitation, he shot out, his blade flashing like a bolt of lightning, aimed straight at Abbess Jingchen!
When Master Jingchen saw that her trump card attack had been strangely countered by a mere teenager, all the color drained from her face.
True fear finally showed in his eyes!
She screamed and her obese body rolled backward with unusual agility.
He dodged Shen Yan's angry slash in a sorry state, and at the same time reached under the armrest of the seat, as if trying to trigger some mechanism!
"Hmph! Trying to pull some tricks?!"
Ling Zhan's icy voice was like a leech clinging to her bone. In the instant she dodged, an extremely fast blade of light had already swept past!
Pfft—!
A muffled thud was followed by a bloodcurdling scream that was so shrill it was inhuman!
Master Jingchen's right hand, which was reaching for the armrest, was severed at the wrist!
The severed hand, splattered with blood, fell onto the thick blanket with a thud.
My fingers are still twitching nervously!
"Ah—my hand! My hand!"
Master Jingchen clutched her severed wrist, which was gushing blood, and rolled and howled on the ground like a fat pig whose lungs had been pierced. The excruciating pain and extreme fear overwhelmed her in an instant.
That fair face was twisted beyond recognition, covered in snot and tears.
Where is even a trace of the dignity of a "nun"?
Ling Zhan's figure loomed over her like the Grim Reaper, the cold tip of his blade pressed against her throat, which gaped open in agony. A single, gentle thrust would end her life. But Ling Zhan didn't move; he simply looked down at her with an almost cruel calm.
"explain."
Ling Zhan's voice was not loud.
"Where were the 'living people' outside the artisan families, especially those related to the 'Jade Register Case', sent? Where are the account books and registers? Who is the 'noble person in the capital' you contacted? How did you contact them?"
The knife tip pressed down slightly, piercing the skin, and a trickle of blood flowed down Master Jingchen's neck.
The cold touch of death made her tremble violently.
The excruciating pain of her severed wrist and the emotionless gaze of the female demon before her completely shattered her will.
"No...don't kill me...I'll talk! I'll talk!"
Master Jingchen wept uncontrollably, her voice trembling with pain and fear. “The…account books and important registers…are…in the hidden compartment behind the Buddha statue in my meditation room! The key…the key is in my personal purse! The descendants of the ‘Jade Register Case,’ and a few ‘good pieces’…last month…last month a batch was picked up by the steward sent by the ‘nobleman’…and transported…to the capital…to whom exactly…I don’t know…I really don’t know! Each time, the steward comes with a token stamped with the Red Lotus Seal to collect the people…I only handle handing over the people and collecting the money…”
"The Crimson Lotus Seal?" Ling Zhan's eyes narrowed slightly. "What's the manager's name? What does he look like?"
"The manager... his surname is Qian... everyone calls him Second Master Qian... he has a big black mole on his left cheek..."
"It's him?!" Shen Yan's eyes blazed with fury.
Master Jingchen was breathing heavily, the excruciating pain from her broken wrist almost causing her to faint.
"Contact...contact the 'benefactor'...use...use a carrier pigeon...the pigeon is caged...under the eaves of the woodshed behind the temple...the token is half...half a jade pendant engraved with the words 'Compassionate Voyage'...the other...the other half is with the steward...only by closing them can the coded message be given..."
To survive, she poured out her heart and soul.
He blurted out all the key information he knew, speaking incoherently.
She feared that if she spoke even a fraction too slowly, the cold blade would pierce her throat.
"A distinguished person from the capital... is... is..."
Master Jingchen's eyes flickered, as if she wanted to say a name, but extreme fear made her hesitate.
"Who is it?!"
Shen Yan stepped forward, demanding an answer in a stern voice, his eyes burning with the flames of revenge.
"Yes...yes..."
Looking into Shen Yan's crimson eyes, which held the beginnings of a dragon's might, Abbess Jingchen's last psychological defenses crumbled completely. With her last ounce of strength, she screamed, "It's...it's the Ministry of Works...the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works...Liu...Liu Yuanlang...Lord Liu! And...and the palace...the palace...uh..."
Her words abruptly stopped!
Master Jingchen's body suddenly convulsed violently, like a fish thrown ashore!
Her eyes bulged outwards in a terrifying way, bloodshot, staring intently at Ling Zhan as if she were seeing the most horrifying thing in the world!
The blood at the severed wrist seemed to be blocked by something, turning into a viscous, dark purple color!
A strange, hissing sound, like a broken bellows, came from her throat.
His face quickly turned from deathly pale to bluish-black, and it looked as if countless tiny insects were wriggling under his skin!
"Poison...poison..."
She managed to squeeze out a single, indistinct word, her body jerked upright, and then collapsed completely.
A foul, black stench emanated from her mouth and nose, and her face, contorted with fear and pain, froze into an eternal, grotesque expression filled with despair and resentment.
"It's a venomous tooth! She bit through the venom sac!"
Xuan Chenzi strode forward, flicked his whisk to dispel the foul, black stench, and frowned.
"Such a potent poison! It kills instantly upon contact with blood! In the end...did she intend to reveal the names of people in the palace?"
Ling Zhan slowly sheathed his sword, looking at the corpse on the ground that had rapidly turned bluish-black and was in a horrific state.
His eyes were completely expressionless, only showing a cold, knowing look.
"She knows too much, and she's afraid of too much. This poison may not have been something she took herself; it's more like... some kind of restriction that was planted beforehand, which will be triggered once certain core secrets are touched."
She turned to Shen Yan and the others, her voice as cold as a knife.
"Liu Yuanlang of the Ministry of Works... Red Lotus Seal... Cihang Jade Pendant... Master Qian... and the 'palace' she didn't finish talking about! That's enough!"
Shen Yan looked at the terrifying, unseeing face of Abbess Jingchen, his chest heaving violently.
He took a deep breath, suppressing his turbulent emotions, and his eyes became even more focused and sharp.
"We must get our hands on the account books and registers! Honglian Seal, Yujue, Master Qian... we can't let any of them get away! Liu Yuanlang of the Ministry of Works... and those demons and monsters in the palace... I, Chen Yan, have memorized them!"
Ling Zhan nodded and ordered Ling Feng, "Immediately take men to Jingchen Zen Room and, as she instructed, retrieve all account books and registers! Search thoroughly, leaving nothing behind! The rest of you, clean up the battlefield, aid the wounded, examine all those rescued, and ascertain their conditions!"
"Yes!" Ling Feng accepted the order and led his men away quickly.
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