Chapter 5 005

"Looking for death!" Zhu Xiaoyao shouted angrily.

The wide robe she wore was inflated by the wind, making

her move even lighter. This sudden change was completely unexpected, especially since the members of the Mitian League who had acted so ruthlessly, turning the galloping horse into a poisonous blood mist, were originally her subordinates.

It was like a slap in the face.

Unfortunately, there was no time to think about it now. Why did Ren Guishen, who was in charge of the defense along the way, let so many people slip through the net? The

right thing to do was to kill these people who came to cause trouble first!

Zhu Xiaoyao's movements were light and agile, and her moves were the same.

Compared to the several palm strikes that had just killed the horse, the lightness and strength of her blows were even more extreme.

But when her palms were about to land, the troublemaker could only dodge and did not dare to force them.

Wang Xiaoshi, who had retreated far away with Bai Chou, also shouted in his heart.

"Being able to radiate the power of the Yin-soft Palm from the wrist, it's no wonder he's ascended to the position of Second Saint Leader of the Misty Heaven Alliance."

The next moment, a gentle palm strike struck a man in the back, followed by a terrifying sound of broken bones.

The man, struck, didn't even have time to utter a single sound before he fell to the ground like a piece of rotten meat.

Zhu Xiaoyao flicked his wrist, his fingertips pointed directly at the second man.

The wind howled in the air, and before his palms reached him, an invisible Yin-soft Palm had already split the black-clad man's face.

However, these newcomers weren't about to sit back and wait for death, not to mention their grand purpose!

The black-clad man swung his blade, his blade roaring like a dragon. The leader's sword technique was already remarkable from the moment it appeared.

But the blade, rising against the wind, didn't strike Zhu Xiaoyao, the fierce force.

Willow branches swayed in the strong wind, bending but not breaking, taking advantage of the momentum to move and swirl.

A flash of palm power emanated from the gap between the blades, striking the third man's vital point.

That was Zhu Xiaoyao's third palm strike.

Another successful strike!

But Zhu Xiaoyao's face showed no sign of joy.

"What are you still standing there for!"

She turned back between attacks and saw that another group of ambushers had leaped out of the buildings along the street behind them.

Taking advantage of the initial attackers' attacks to split the formation in two, they attacked again.

Deng Cangsheng, accompanying the wedding procession, was a moment too slow to react.

He should have joined Zhu Xiaoyao in retaliating.

But before Zhu Xiaoyao could finish her reprimand, something unexpected happened.

The ritual music was completely interrupted, and the battle turned into a chaotic one between the members of the Misty Heaven Alliance and the black-clad assassins. For a moment, she could clearly hear the sudden and abrupt whistling of a sword.

Then, a cold blade light met Deng Cangsheng's palm blade.

Zhu Xiaoyao's eyelids twitched.

Among the black-clad men was a surprisingly skilled swordsman, and his chosen opponent was none other than Deng Cangsheng!

The Three Saints couldn't be blamed for their slowness; the situation simply forced them.

A preemptive strike wouldn't have stopped that soul-stirring blade; it was Deng Cangsheng's steady counterattack that offered a chance. He

wielded the Cangsheng Thorn, transformed from his bare palms into a fierce, unreserved blade.

Even so, he could only draw with the attacker.

Meanwhile, the swordsman, whose two subordinates Zhu Xiaoyao had previously killed, had transformed his blade into a dense net, covering her head and denying her any chance of distraction.

...

"Can you tell who these two are?" Wang Xiaoshi kicked the chopping board in front of him, blocking a stray longsword and allowing the fleeing spectators some room to escape.

Bai Choufei's cold gaze swept across the chaotic scene, his fingertips twitching slightly. "You can see it, so why bother saying more?"

The two swordsmen's martial arts were familiar to those of them, so how could they not recognize each other's identities?

The only puzzling thing was why they chose this moment to attack the Misty Heaven Alliance.

Perhaps there were far more people in the capital who didn't want Guan Qi to regain his sanity than they imagined!

Wang Xiaoshi remained silent, his hand already reaching for his back.

There, he found not only the medicine box and basket he'd recently used as a doctor, but also a knife wrapped in cloth.

If this melee was the opportunity he'd been waiting for, and if Bai Choufei believed it was the same, then he would naturally choose to attack.

But the first thing he heard was Bai Choufei's decisive words, "Wait!"

It would be best for them to remain spectators.

To act now would expose themselves to the eyes of all the forces in the capital.

Aiding the Misty Heaven Alliance wouldn't necessarily secure the opportunity they sought.

Furthermore, they couldn't afford such a reckless move since their entire team hadn't yet appeared.

Most importantly, they needed to determine the truth of a recent rumor circulating in the capital.

Had Guan Qi, the Saint Master of the Misty Heaven Alliance, regained his sanity and his former status thanks to his new wife?

Bai Choufei's keen eyes could easily see that while the two swordsmen were entangled with Zhu Xiaoyao and Deng Cangsheng, a hail of arrows and darts pelted Guan Qi.

…

Amidst this shimmering cold light, Guan Qi's gaze remained more hollow than a normal person's, undoubtedly further confirming his insanity.

He also seemed unable to interpret another signal.

Simultaneously, news of a fire in Sanhe Building spread throughout the area, suggesting that the Great Saint Master, stationed there, would be unable to arrive for support as quickly as anticipated.

But he suddenly moved.

A third swordsman, about to silently unsheathe his blade, barely grasped the scene before him when he felt a sudden chill in his chest.

The screams and cries of agony around him seemed to be completely cut off in an instant.

He could only watch, like an outsider, as his body exploded with incredible speed, and with him at the center, the black-clad figures fell to the ground one by one.

Internal energy surged like a sword or a shield.

Standing at the center, only one person remained—

Guan Qi!

The groom's suit was unstained by a single speck of blood, only a faint blush stained his cheek, which he quickly wiped away.

Guan Qi spoke each word, gritting his teeth as he stared at the momentary stillness before him. "I want to marry my own wife. Why are you trying to separate us?"

He had no idea of the identities of these troublemakers, no alignments. He

could only describe them as his enemies!

He had long since separated from his wife, and he would not allow anyone to stand in his way.

Not even the most distinguished person in Bianjing City could stand this. Since

these people were so reckless, they should all be left for dead.

Yet, amidst the silence of his multitudinous slaughter, someone dared to utter a single reply. "Because you should have retired long ago!"

"Who?"

Guan Qi's words were answered by a brilliant flash of sword light.

A longsword, shrouded in wielding force, soared through the air and landed in the hands of a pale-faced young man in a long robe.

Even after gazing at the pile of flesh at Guan Qi's feet, his sword power only intensified, even rising.

Even Guan Qi couldn't miss the chilling aura behind that lifeless face, revealing a truly formidable weapon.

Therefore, he didn't need an answer.

He only needed to know that the newcomer was indeed a martial arts expert.

But, so what!

The young man in the long robe was stunned to see that the move Guan Qi raised his hand to meet was the very same sword technique he had painstakingly cultivated for years, and the sword intent he employed to confront the enemy surpassed his own, if not surpassed!

He couldn't block the blow.

In the split second, he had no time to think. Almost subconsciously, he flung the secret weapon in his hand, realizing that his earlier promise to the Prime Minister and Chief Master Lei had been premature.

Fortunately, he had come prepared.

The thousand rays of silver light from the exploding secret weapon instantly obscured the brilliance of the two powerful swords, hurtling straight towards Guan Qi's face.

Wang Xiaoshi didn't have time to examine the young man's familiar form before he saw the hidden weapon, a weapon he couldn't avoid.

Amidst the torrential silver light, only a few flashes of cold light were truly lethal.

But when hidden weapons are incredibly fast, a numerical disadvantage is of little consequence.

Guan Qi was their target.

But he merely lifted his foot, and he was already before the robed young man, seemingly leaving the earlier silver light behind him with ease.

The unretracted powerful sword not only shattered the initial strike, but also pierced the man's forehead.

The robed youth's face paled to a pallor at that moment.

He dared not hesitate for a moment, flinging aside the bundle behind him.

Instantly, a flash of cold light, far more dazzling than the sword and the strange hidden weapon, blazed from the bundle.

Even a martial artist as skilled as Guan Qi would inevitably pause, interrupting a potentially fatal strike.

But even this momentary pause was enough for the robed youth.

Among his fellow black-clad men, many were already determined, and they seized the opportunity to carve a path for him.

But before he could escape onto the rooftop, Guan Qi had already swept aside the useless barriers and pursued him once more.

"You—you're courting death!"

A master like him no longer needed to rely solely on weaponry for his attacks.

He even imitated his opponent's moves to strike at their vital points.

The newcomer might be a master among the younger generation, but he was far from a match for him.

But just as he was about to strike, he saw the pale face lift its head, revealing a meaningful, triumphant smile.

Not good!

Guan Qi didn't know how to think, but driven by his obsession and the constraints of his system, he knew better than anyone that his wife's life was paramount.

If the other party couldn't kill him, and the marriage couldn't go ahead, there was only one thing left: kill the other protagonist.

He turned around, his eyes bloodshot as he witnessed a scene that was like a smack in the face.

Zhu Xiaoyao and the others hadn't yet completely escaped the attacker's clutches.

He was once again entangled by the young man's maneuvers.

Consequently, they relaxed their defenses around the sedan chair.

The guards on the side wouldn't be wary of an elderly woman, who seemed to have fallen from the shove of the fleeing crowd, seeking cover to protect herself as she approached the sedan.

But this seemingly harmless old woman suddenly erupted, unleashing a handful of golden and silver flying beans.

They rained down upon the guards surrounding the sedan chair, and even upon the sedan itself!

The beans rained down like a torrential rain of shattered pearls.

Inside, only his wife, who lacked martial arts skills, was left alone.

"Oh no!"

Among the onlookers, Bai Choufei and Wang Xiaoshi might have had the energy to fight back, but their attention was drawn to the hidden weapon wielded by the young man in the long robe.

By the time they realized what was happening, it was too late.

They could only watch as the string of beans, capable of piercing through walls and piercing through bones, soared straight into the sedan.

Anyone without a strong frame would have been pierced through in an instant!

Guan Qi had no time to kill the young man in the long robe and immediately turned back for help.

But a human's light kung fu couldn't match the speed of the beans fired at close range.

The old woman, along with Douzi, rushed into the bridal sedan, as if afraid her killer move would be dodged and she could deliver a fatal blow.

A scream suddenly rang out from the sedan.

But the moment the sound was uttered, everyone suddenly realized that this was not a sound a young woman should make.

With a "bang."

Without even giving them time to verify, the old woman who had rushed through the door with murderous intent was "thrown" out even faster than when she came.

No, not thrown.

She knocked aside several people along the way and hit the ground hard like a thrown stone.

Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that she was pinned to the ground, unable to get up immediately.

No one knew what happened in the sedan, they only saw that

in that instant, two arrows, one black and one white, had appeared on her shoulders.

The excruciating pain pierced her heart and lungs, blurring her gaze as she strained to see the two arrows. All she could see was the word "love" carved into the tail of one arrow, and the character "person" carved into the other.

Instead, the scene of the bride entering the sedan chair replayed itself, becoming ever clearer in her mind.

Inside was not the bride, but a slender, graceful man.

He sat there, like a proud, pure winter plum blossom blooming within the cramped space. But he was clearly a winter plum blossom with a venomous thorn.

Lover.

Person.

Lover's arrow!

The collapsed old woman finally uttered two words in a trembling voice, "Heartless..."

Heartless, the Six Gates' Chief Constable, Heartless.

If there was one faction in the capital, beneath the Emperor's feet, that most clung to order, it was undoubtedly the Six Gates.

The four most renowned detectives of the Six Gates, each trained under the tutelage of Zhuge Shenhou, possessed formidable martial arts skills, and their eldest brother was Heartless.

He clearly shouldn't have anything to do with the Misty Heaven Alliance, let alone be here, yet he's here, taking the bride's place.

I've heard that Chief Constable Wuqing has a sedan he's modified to accommodate his crippled legs. Perhaps it's this sedan, draped in red, that's the one before him.

Who could have imagined that, compared to the assassination on the street, the biggest twist would arise here?

Even the robed young man, who had already escaped Guan Qi's clutches, couldn't help but turn his expression to a shattered state. He demanded, "Chief Constable Wuqing, this matter has nothing to do with you. Why are you here?"

Today, Hall Master Lei, the Prime Minister, and Young Marquis Fang have joined forces, unwilling to let Guan Qi regain his composure and create further uncertainty in the capital. Either Guan Qi or his wife of unknown origin must be dealt with. What does the Six Gates have to do with it?

Even without seeing the scene in the sedan, he knew that with Wuqing's presence, the outcome of today's situation was dire.

Damn it! Who summoned him?

Why was he here?

The man in the sedan twitched his lips in a corner, unseen by outsiders. It was hard to describe the complex emotions he'd felt when he first received this request.

As a representative of the Six Gates, he certainly wouldn't expose his troubles to outsiders.

A cold voice rang out from the sedan.

"I'm a constable. You're killing people and disrupting order here, disturbing the streets of Bianjing. Of course, this is my business."

These resounding words resonated particularly clearly in the quietened area.

The young man in the robe cracked his knuckles.

This... was a good excuse.

If they weren't all seasoned veterans of Bianjing, they would have suspected the Six Gates had a new, explicitly mandated duty to maintain order during weddings.

But since these words came from Wuqing, they could only treat them as an unbreakable law.

"Let's—"

Let's go.

The young man in the robe was about to shout for evacuation when the sedan carrying Chief Constable Wuqing suddenly took flight and retreated, blocking the path of some of the group.

This wasn't Wuqing's intention to stop him, but rather, the moment Wuqing finished speaking, Guan Qi had already leaped forward, unleashing the unleashed palm power towards the bridal sedan. Wuqing

retreated with incredible speed, the curtain still shattered by the powerful palm wind, revealing the face of the occupant.

He met that face, now completely blank.

"You're here—"

Guan Qi's brows furrowed, angrily demanding,

"Then where is my wife?"

Guan Qi didn't care about official status or thieves; he simply wanted to know where Shi Qingruo had gone.

Wuqing: "…"

That was an even more difficult question to answer.

...

On the second floor of a restaurant not far from here, two people sat opposite each other.

Behind

the woman in her wedding gown stood a cold and arrogant young man in black, cradling an unsheathed rapier. His face, seemingly impassive, held a faint, speechless expression similar to Wuqing's.

Opposite her sat a patient.

The man in the apricot-colored gown looked ill, but the first thing that caught everyone's attention wasn't the flush from his recent cough, but his eyes, bright as cold fire.

"It's truly not easy to meet Master Su," Shi Qingruo raised the teacup in her hand, a smile playing on her lips.

Just like Bai Choufei and Wang Xiaoshi, despite their exceptional martial arts prowess, they'd spent so long in the capital without ever meeting the renowned Master of the Golden Wind and Drizzle Rain Tower.

This was the norm in the Bianjing martial arts world.

Su Mengzhen, listening intently to the outside world, replied coldly,

"It's even more difficult for someone to say this, someone who had a thief go and fetch the constable, who had the ruthless Chief Constable take his place in the bridal sedan, and who had the cold-blooded Chief Constable escort him to this safe place—a place where it's safe."

The author has something to say:

Shi Qingruo: When in doubt, I ask the police (crossed out) for help. Am I wrong?

Wuqing: ...

Lengxue: ...

Shi Qingruo: The safest place is where Master Su watches the show. Am I wrong?

Su Mengzhen: ...