Chapter 68 In full view of everyone, a strongman locks up a man.
I thought they would argue for a while, but I never expected that a duel between masters could end in such a short time that someone's life would be taken.
A hidden weapon pierced the masked man's head with pinpoint accuracy, moving with lightning speed. Most people wouldn't even see it, let alone notice it. The masked man remained unmoved, a subtle smile playing on his lips.
Just as the hidden weapon was about to strike, he turned his head to dodge it, but Xu Zangyu, who was sitting opposite him, suffered greatly. Without the mountain-high shield, the hidden weapon hit him right in the face, and he didn't even have time to dodge.
"You really don't have any cultivation."
The hidden weapon was only a finger's width from his face when it was stopped by someone reaching out. The masked man's gaze lingered on him for a long while, seemingly somewhat disappointed.
Those eyes seemed to be looking through him at someone. Xu Zangyu thought for a moment, but couldn't recall a single thing about the masked man from his memory.
But what's with this eerie familiarity?
Another romantic entanglement? Really?
The masked man seemed more interested in him than the attacker, his eyes fixed on the mask on his face with an extremely aggressive gaze.
Its blood-red lips parted slightly, almost as if it was about to stick out its fangs and pounce to bite its prey's neck.
Xu Zangyu leaned back, trying to break free from the oppressive atmosphere, and said, "Please forgive my rudeness."
The masked man seemed to be considering taking his mask.
But there were still people lurking in the shadows who wanted his life, so Xu Zangyu dared not make a move.
Noticing the masked man making a move, he kindly warned, "That chivalrous man just now charged over with his sword."
The masked man scoffed, "Besides Chu Shu, how many people at Chaolu Peak of Tianyi Sect are actually capable of fighting?"
"Your skill and courage are unmatched; I am far inferior to you. I will go and fetch a jug of wine to celebrate your victory."
Just as he propped himself up, a short knife was thrust across his chest, forcing him to sit back down.
"You're not thinking of running away, are you?"
Xu Cangyu tried to make his smile look less forced. "Why would I run away for no reason?"
The masked man sheathed his dagger, placed it on the table with a thud, stood up, and braced himself against the table. "Then why are you afraid of me?"
Xu Zangyu was trapped in a corner with no way out. He was leaning against the railing of the third floor. He wouldn't die from the fall, but he might not be able to slip away from the masked man's nose.
The masked man sensed his thoughts, pressed down on his shoulder with one hand, and used so much force that he pinned him to the chair.
"I'm not going to kill you, why are you so scared?" He reached out a hand toward Xu Zangyu's mask. "I consider you a friend, but I still have to see what you look like."
The crowd, who had been staring at Wang You, now turned their attention to Xu Zangyu. Although they couldn't hear what they were saying, the boy's helpless state clearly showed that he had suffered great humiliation.
The onlookers pretended to scoff, but their eyes never left the scene.
Who would be foolish enough to go against the people of Anxianglou?
Aside from the disciples of the Tianyi Sect, who were at odds with them, they took the lead as righteous individuals.
A sword shot straight at the masked man's hand, but the masked man quickly deflected it with his knife.
"That despicable scoundrel who bullies men and women, still so shameless in front of everyone."
In Wang You's view, the masked man was clearly forcing people to do shameful things, and this was done with all eyes watching. Such behavior was beyond description, even by the word "beast."
Xu Zangyu could tell at a glance that this disciple of the Tianyi Sect was a righteous chivalrous person who protected the weak.
He immediately feigned humiliation and indignation, saying, "If you insist on doing this... I'll jump off the building."
"It's just a look, is it really that big of a deal? If it's inconvenient for you, then we can go to a side room."
Is it really necessary for a grown man to make such a fuss about his face after others have seen it? This Tianyi Sect member is simply insane; he didn't even understand the situation before rushing in to condemn him.
"With me here, how dare you act so recklessly?"
Wang You drew his sword and attacked, pulling Xu Cangyu behind him. "You leave first, don't worry about me."
Xu Zangyu looked at him with eyes full of emotion and admiration, "Hero, you must take good care of yourself."
After the performance, he turned and ran without looking back.
As soon as they descended to the second floor, several doors to the side rooms opened simultaneously, revealing several men with knives hidden among the crowd, their eyes fixed on the storyteller on the stage.
Xu Zangyu immediately shouted, "Little girl, be careful!"
The group immediately focused their attention on Xu Zangyu: "Don't let that masked kid get away either."
Zheng Ruo's eyes flickered slightly. He raised his hand and pulled the string, and several small paper figures silently fell from above, sticking to the backs of the group and transforming into divine weapons.
The group felt enveloped by a chilling aura, and before they realized something was wrong, the paper figure had already slit their throats.
What a bizarre spell.
Xu Zangyu was quite interested, and several paper figures carried him to Zheng Ruo's side.
"Why are you meddling in this mess? Just now... why did you risk your life to help me?"
The sense of familiarity grew stronger and stronger. Zheng Ruo wanted to lift his mask to see who he really was, but she was also afraid that her hopes would be dashed.
How could someone look so much like Xu Zangyu?
"Are you...?"
"Watch out." Xu Zangyu suddenly sensed something was wrong and pulled her back a step. Instantly, a flying arrow struck the spot where the two were standing.
"So it turns out that the one who caused this trouble was your disciple from Wumen. He's always hiding and it's really hard to find him."
This person's cultivation was not shallow, above the Nascent Soul stage. He wiped the sword with his hand, and the sword immediately burst into flames. Several paper figures blocking his way were defeated and burned to ashes under his attack.
Zheng Ruo's face turned pale, and her movements as she manipulated the strings became increasingly stiff.
This person, also wearing a mask, had a pair of narrow, cold eyes. "A mere trick; you dare to be so presumptuous in front of me when you're not even at the Golden Core stage."
Someone attacked from behind, but he cut them in two with a single sword stroke, turning them into two pieces of paper figures that floated down. Qi Wanyan's face was grim. How could someone be so strong?
"Everyone's here, which saves me the trouble of searching slowly."
Qi Wanyan was struck by his palm and coughed up blood; the paper doll's body could barely hold on.
“Young people are still developing their skills, so they should know what they should and shouldn’t do,” the man said, flashing in front of Zheng Ruo and thrusting the tip of his sword toward her mouth. “You can eat whatever you want, but you can’t say whatever you want.”
Under the oppressive force, Zheng Ruo almost couldn't hold on any longer. She knelt down, her whole body stiff, watching helplessly as the sword aimed at her drew ever closer.
It was her arrogance and recklessness that led to this predicament; I wonder if her soul will be able to hold on until she sees her sect one last time.
The man seemed to read her mind and sneered, "I know you have some tricks up your sleeve when you go to Wumen. I brought the Soul-Slaying Sword with me today, and I won't let you escape."
With her last bit of strength, Zheng Ruo pushed Xu Cangyu, "Go quickly."
The expected pain did not come. A sword was placed in front of her, without any storms or waves, yet it easily blocked the Nascent Soul cultivator's attack.
The balance shifted, and the longsword unleashed a tremendous force that rebounded back, forcing the man to retreat step by step, vomiting blood repeatedly.
"How...how could you block my Nascent Soul attack?"
Xu Zangyu raised his chin slightly, his eyes arrogant, and blood spilled from the corner of his lips. The man thought he had suffered internal injuries and his hope of retaliation ignited. Then he saw Xu Zangyu nervously lick the blood from the corner of his lips into his mouth.
"I only know that demon cores taste delicious, but I didn't know that nascent soul cores could compare to the taste of demon cores."
He's actually a heretic who practices evil magic!
The man felt a sharp pain in his dantian from the boy's gaze, and his wariness of the young man intensified. At the same time, he remembered a crucial point he had overlooked: the power of that sword strike was enough to rival a Nascent Soul cultivator; who else possessed such cultivation?
Could he be Wen Qianchu?
The man's expression changed drastically.
Oh no, we've fallen for their trap!
The young man coughed twice, using his sword to support his hunched body, looking as weak as if he were about to collapse.
"Sigh... As expected of a Nascent Soul cultivator, you are indeed powerful. You actually destroyed my cultivation."
The man almost burst out laughing.
Even if he were to go mad from taking drugs, he couldn't possibly cripple someone with cultivation levels above the Nascent Soul stage.
You still want to lie to him!
He won't be fooled by the same person twice.
When Xu Zangyu saw him assume the sword-wielding stance and sweep his leg into a half-squat, his heart sank. It was over; he had run out of spiritual energy.
Smoke suddenly rose in front of him, and the man, still in a ready position, kicked out and flew away.
"Old scoundrel Wen, do you think I'll fall for your tricks? I'll remember this grudge. Those disciples who once told you to go to the underworld, watch out!"
Xu Zangyu: "...Who is that old scoundrel Wen?"
“Go to the Sect Master of Wumen, Wen Qianchu.” Zheng Ruo stared at him. “How could you not know?”
Someone upstairs looked over from afar and asked, "Hidden Fragrance Blade Technique, Fearless Sword, who exactly are you?"
The masked man jumped down from the building and chased after them. Zheng Ruo grabbed him and ran, saying, "What are you standing there for? Let's go!"
Xu Zangyu's dejected posture was not feigned; he was truly at his breaking point. He had broken free of the seal on his body and summoned the Fearless Sword, having exhausted all his strength. If that man were to fight again, he would not be able to withstand even a single move.
"My legs are numb, help me up."
Zheng Ruo put her hand on his shoulder and practically dragged him away.
In the masked man's eyes, the two were intimately embracing, bound together in life and death, inseparable, making him wish he could rush up and cleave them in two with a single stroke.
Zheng Ruo led him into the side room, activated the mechanism, and the two instantly entered another space.
After setting the person down, Zheng Ruo took a deep breath, her mouth agape for a long time before she finally managed to say, "You..."
With a soft sigh, Xu Cangyu lifted the mask from his face. "It's me, Aruo."
“I knew it was you. Why did you suddenly disappear for five years?” Zheng Ruo’s eyes reddened.
"It's a long story. I only recently came out, and there are some things I've only recently remembered."
Perhaps it was because the seal within his body had just been broken, but those scattered memories slowly coalesced, and the figures that accompanied him in the Bamboo Forest Residence became clearer and clearer, from growing up in Yu'an Village to the Yuanshangtian Sect.
He briefly explained his situation to Zheng Ruo, and Zheng Ruo's mood suddenly became heavy.
"Now that you have lost all your cultivation, it is inevitable that some people with ulterior motives will target you. You must not reveal your identity casually."
There was an unusual commotion at Yu'an Tower. A gaze swept around, and Zheng Ru frowned as she asked, "Who are those masked men outside?"
Xu Zangyu sighed and rubbed his forehead in exasperation: "How would I know? Who knows why he's been staring at me like that?"
"Brother Xu, did you offend someone somewhere and then forget about it already?"
"...How could that be? I only met him for the first time today. Even if I had met him before, that was in the past."
Zheng Ruo couldn't figure out his physical condition. "Brother Xu, how much do you remember now?"
"Not many... Maybe when I see those I've forgotten, all my memories will come back."
"Where's your boss? Call her out here right now."
The arguing outside grew louder and louder, and as the owner of Yu'anlou, Zheng Ruo had no choice but to step in. "You rest for a bit, I'll go outside and check the situation."
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