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The Foolish King’s Little Concubine Chapter 8 – The Plan

Kang Yu stared wide-eyed as Shen An backed away from him, and asked. “What are you planning to do?” he asked.

“What am I planning to do? Kang scumbag, don’t you understand?” Shen An stepped closer. “Weren’t you feeling so proud just now? Why are you so scared now? Huh?”

“I’m telling you, don’t come any closer. Murder is against the law. If you kill me, you won’t be able to live either!”

“Whether I live or die doesn’t matter. What matters is that you must die today! I will take your head to offer as a sacrifice to my parents to comfort their spirits in heaven!” Shen An stepped closer.

“No…don’t…”

Kang Yu finally realized the seriousness of the situation and regretted his actions. Why did he have to bring Fan Lingzhen here to humiliate her?

At this moment, he showed a fearful expression on his face and begged for mercy in a panic, “Shen An, you misunderstand. This was not my idea It’s my father! Everything is planned by him. I…I had no idea beforehand! If you want revenge, go find my father, not me! It’s not my fault!”

Shen An sneered. How could the original owner of the body entrust his life to such a person like Kang Yu? To save his own miserable life, he pushed his own woman away and blamed his father. How could a man like him survive in the world for so long?

“Kang Yu, don’t worry, I won’t let you die so easily.”

Shen An said, her face even more sinister. “I will torture you slowly, bit by bit until you die.”

As soon as she finished speaking, a scream echoed through the sky.

Kang Yu curled up on the ground, writhing in agony. His blood slowly mixed with Fan Lingzhen’s already dried blood.

“Shen An, you evil woman! You will not have a good end!” he yelled.

“The feeling of having your tendons severed is not bad, is it?” Shen An ignored his cries, showing pleasure on her face. “Kang Yu, you can wait here and slowly bleed to death!”

Making him watch his own blood slowly drain away until it disappeared should be more satisfying than directly killing him!

“Jinyu, take the baggage and let’s go!”

“Okay.”

As Wei Jinyu passed by Kang Yu, he kicked him a few times before following Shen An out of the house.

Leaving the Shen residence, Shen An turned to take a deep look at the mansion before saying, “Jinyu, would you do me a favor?”

“What is it, Jiejie (1)?” Wei Jinyu asked.

“Could you go find a barrel of oil and a torch, and gather some firewood for me?” Shen An requested.

“What do you need them for?” Wei Jinyu asked.

“The Kang family not only took our family’s fortune but also want to seize our residence. Since I’m currently powerless to do anything about the money, I must at least defend my family’s home from falling into the hands of those beasts,” Shen An explained.

Wei Jinyu didn’t completely understand what his Jiejie was saying, but he nodded solemnly and quickly ran off to fetch what she needed.

After Wei Jinyu brought the things Shen An needed, she didn’t allow him to participate any further. Killing and arson were her own affairs, and she didn’t want to involve Wei Jinyu.

The flames blazed higher and higher, and Shen An finally lead Wei Jinyu away.

In this big world, there was no one she could count on, and Shen An tasted bitter loneliness for the first time.

The Kang father and son had brought her family to this point. Although she had killed only one person, Kang Yu, Shen An could not let it rest. But now, she was alone and couldn’t even gain a single advantage against the wily and cunning Kang Shao.

If Kang Shao found out about Kang Yu’s death, he wouldn’t let her off so easily.

They couldn’t stay in Changhe Town any longer. After pondering for a moment, Shen An asked Wei Jinyu, “Do you want to go with me to the capital?”

For now, she could only try her luck in the capital, searching for an opportunity and planning her revenge carefully.

The bits of silver that Shen An had taken from her embroidered shoes were already used up as travel expenses. By the time they arrived in the capital city, they only had a few copper coins left, not even enough for a decent meal.

But it had to be said that the prosperity of the capital was unparalleled compared to their small town.

It was truly not easy to carve out a place of their own here.

“Growl~”

Shen An looked at Wei Jinyu embarrassedly rubbing his stomach and chuckled. “He’s a little hungry.”

Shen An was also famished, sighed, and pinched a few copper coins with her hand, murmuring, “This money is probably not even enough to buy a scallion cake.”

Shen An was in a dilemma.

Wei Jinyu frowned for a moment, then suddenly brightened, remembering something and pulling Shen An over. “I have a way, follow me.”

Shen An hadn’t even reacted yet and was confusedly pulled along by him.

They made their way through the market to the lake, tranquil and peaceful. The surroundings were filled with bamboo trees, lush and verdant, as if it were another world.

“Wow…” Shen An couldn’t help but exclaim. “What a great place.”

Wei Jinyu proudly straightened his chest, his face full of satisfaction as he enjoyed Shen An’s praise.

But soon, Shen An’s gaze sank and suddenly shot towards him like a sharp sword, making Wei Jinyu a little uneasy under his stare, stuttering, “Sister, wh-what’s wrong?”

“How do you know about this place? Have you been to the capital before?”

“Weijinyu blinked his eyes as if pondering for a while, before saying seriously: ‘I can’t remember, but I feel like this place is familiar, like somewhere I used to frequent.’

Did he use to frequent this place?

That means his background must be related to the capital.

Shen An thought for a moment. The current imperial surname is Zhou, but his surname is Wei, so he shouldn’t have any connections to the royal family.

Then who was he?

“Jinyu, let me take you to see a doctor!”

Wei Jinyu just rubbed his stomach pitifully and said, “But I’m hungry.”

“‘Okay. We’ll fill our stomachs first, earn some silver, and then take you to see the doctor.’

For the first time, Shen An felt the sorrow of being broke.

But now, where could they get food from?

Shen An glanced at the calm lake surface and a mischievous smile appeared on her face, like a fox with bad intentions, as she looked at Wei Jinyu whose eyes were spinning around: “Jinyu, do you know how to swim?”

Wei Jinyu thought for a moment and nodded.

“Shen An looked satisfied and continued to entice him: “Then, then you go down and catch some things and I’ll make you a seafood feast to let you taste my cooking, how about that?”

“Okay, okay.” Wei Jinyu was as happy as a three-year-old child, giggling: “I’ve never tasted Jiejie’s cooking before.”

Satisfied that he took the bait, she contentedly said: “Then you have to figure out how to get tools on your own, okay? Sister will be watching you from the shore, right?”

“Okay!” Weijinyu patted his chest: “I got this!”

Shen An watched as Wei Jinyu skillfully broke off a bamboo stick and sharpened one end after testing the length. He then tried to take off his outer clothes, but accidentally saw Shen An looking at him with glowing green eyes, like a hunter looking at his prey.

Wei Jinyu puffed up his cheeks and said to Shen An, “Jiejie, can you… can you turn around?”

“I’m a girl, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. You’re a big man and you’re acting so shy.” Shen An snorted through her nose and looked at Wei Jinyu’s handsome face, which was getting rosier and rosier. She chuckled to herself.

“Okay, okay, I’ll turn around,” Shen An rolled her eyes and turned her body around, facing away from him.

After hearing some rustling sounds behind her, Shen An resisted the temptation for a few moments but couldn’t help stealing a glance.

Upon seeing him, Shen An’s heart fluttered a little.

A strong and muscular body, with abs and a defined waist, a naturally good figure.

And his skin looked as smooth as water, delicate and flawless, making any woman feel inferior just by looking at it.

With skin like this and a body like this, even if he wasn’t a member of the royal family, he would still be a nobleman’s son.

In any case, Wei Jinyu’s background was not simple.

As she thought about this, she became lost in her thoughts, forgetting that she was still secretly looking at him. She only snapped back to reality when she heard Wei Jinyu’s loud scream.

But what she saw was Wei Jinyu clutching his clothes in front of him, looking pitiful and resentful, like a big girl who had been stripped by a pervert.

“You…pe…pe…”

Wei Jinyu wanted to say “pervert”, but the words didn’t feel right on his tongue. He stuttered for a long time without saying anything coherent.

He just felt like he had been taken advantage of.

Shen An couldn’t help but burst out laughing, turning around boldly to look at him. “Jinyu, you’re a grown man. If you keep acting so coquettish, I might start to doubt your sexual orientation.”

The sight of him was so cute that it almost awakened Shen An’s animalistic desires, and he couldn’t help but want to pounce on him and ravish him thoroughly.

“Sexual orientation? I don’t understand,” Wei Jinyu shook his head, and Shen An snatched the clothes from his hand and patted his shoulder, saying “It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand sexual orientation, but do you understand hunger?”

“Wei Jinyu nodded vigorously.

Shen An gestured towards the lake. “Then let’s go.”

Without a second thought, Wei Jinyu plunged into the water, causing bubbles to rise to the surface of the lake. Shen An couldn’t help but worry, wondering if the child could really swim or if he was just bluffing.

Just as Shen An was getting anxious, she heard a splash and saw Wei Jinyu holding up a struggling fish on a bamboo pole, grinning at her. “Jiejie, look how big this fish is!”

“Not bad, not bad,” Shen An breathed a sigh of relief. “Throw it up here and catch a few more.”

“Okay!” Wei Jinyu was about to dive back in when Shen An’s concerned voice stopped him. “But be careful and stay safe.”

Wei Jinyu felt a warmth in his heart and replied with a happy “okay” before diving back in.

On the road to prosperity.

When Wei Jinyu emerged from the water again, the shore was already covered with struggling fish and crabs.

“Jiejie, is this enough?” he asked, beaming.

“It’s enough. The water is cold, so come up quickly!” Shen An replied.

Wei Jinyu happily climbed up, dried himself off, and put on his clothes. He asked eagerly, “Jiejie, what else do we need to prepare?”

Shen An began counting her fingers, “Knives, cumin, salt, sugar…” listing dozens of items — but the more she counted, the more disheartened she felt. Finally finishing the list, she sighed and shook her head. “But without rice, even the best cook can’t prepare a meal.”

Wei Jinyu scratched the back of his head, and suddenly his eyes lit up as he exclaimed, “Sister, come with me!”

Shen An followed him around a few corners and finally discovered a hidden gem nestled in the bamboo forest: a delicate bamboo house sat in front of them, with piles of bamboo leaves outside. If one didn’t know where to look, one would never have discovered it.

Shen An exclaimed, “Who lives here?”

Wei Jinyu grinned, his eyes squinting into a slit, and said with pride, “Jiejie, go in and take a look.”

Shen An looked at him suspiciously and walked in cautiously. As soon as she entered, her eyes lit up. Though small, the place was fully equipped with everything she needed.

However, due to the lack of human occupation for a long time, the place was covered in a thick layer of dust.

Footnote:

  1. Jiejie is a Chinese term that refers to an older sister or a female friend who is older than oneself. It can be used as a term of endearment or respect.

After Failing the Tribulation, I Became a Sword Spirit Chapter 4 – Her Story

The bright moon hung high in the sky, with thin clouds revealing a clear starry night. However, raindrops suddenly fell from the sky one by one, then poured down like a bucket, making a loud noise.

Actually, it wasn’t raining at all.

The people holding weapons stared up blankly, wiping their drenched and soggy faces. The red and bloody smell in their hands seemed to completely penetrate their skin, making them nauseous.

This was all the blood of the dead.

Since the girl spoke, the bloody rain had been falling, and the severed limbs shattered by the sword light had also been falling heavily.

In the wilderness, some people were knocked unconscious by the falling debris, while others were frightened by this hellish scene.

Only a young man was laughing, his laughter clean and crisp.

But no one dared to attack that young man.

Because a girl in a white veil and green dress calmly descended from the sword light, as if being held up by the gentle breeze and clouds, slowly stopping beside the young man’s shoulder.

Shuo Feng’s eyes shone brightly, sincerely praising, “Zhou Yue, you’re really amazing.”

Praised by the young man, Zhou Yue’s face couldn’t help but turn red with shyness, but her eyes were also shining, “Right, right? I’m really amazing. Shuo Feng, do you want to learn swordsmanship from me?”

The two smiled at each other, both faces filled with joy.

The onlookers silently watched the young man and woman as if they had forgotten about them, enthusiastically discussing the matter of learning swordsmanship. The girl actually weighed her divine sword in her hand, demonstrating a few fierce sword moves, teaching the young man how to use the sword.

Really, have these two got it wrong? Can learning swordsmanship be possible in this situation?

The crowd had complex expressions, but no one moved, as no one wanted to die by the sword of the mysterious girl.

At this moment, it was Shuo Feng who noticed the cowering crowd. He happily took the sword handed over by the girl and grinned, “Are you guys not leaving yet? Do we need to ask you to leave?”

The tone of his request was very heavy. But the tip of the sword pointed straight at the gap in the crowd.

But how could this be a real “request”? This was obviously a blatant threat!

Should they leave or not? Can they really leave? People looked at each other, their faces showing fear and despair, turning pale or ashen at times. Finally, the first person took a step back.

The sparse footsteps sounded, followed by the long whinnying sound of horse hooves as people pulled their reins and whipped their horses, fleeing in a hurry. The sparse grassland resembled a rough and bumpy drum surface with thousands of drumsticks striking simultaneously, shaking everything around.

Meanwhile, the girl remained to kneel quietly with her back to them, quietly reciting the sutras of rebirth for the dead. After finishing, the girl straightened her back and seemed to be really focused on watching the young man practice her sword moves. Her green skirt blossomed like a flower, and her black hair slightly exposed the clear and translucent skin on the back of her neck. The white veil made her slender figure even more graceful and beautiful, causing passersby to involuntarily exclaim at her “Jade Beauty”.

However, at this moment, Jade Beauty paid no attention to the fleeing crowd behind her and just lightly clapped her hands.

Between the vast heavens and earth, wind and clouds flowed quietly. The applause was clean and seemed to have magical power.

The fugitives froze in place and the guards prepared to use their skills, their muscles tense as a wave of despair swept over them.

The fleeing people immediately froze in place, their muscles tightening in despair. They prepared themselves for the worst, but after the breeze passed, the crystal-like laughter of the young girl rang out. “Shuo Feng, you’re learning quickly. You’re even better than I was when I started. Your sword moves are beautiful. Let me teach you some other moves.”

The two of them were actually earnestly teaching and learning swordsmanship.

What kind of cruel joke was this? The people looked stunned.

Suddenly, one of the fugitives stumbled in fright and fell face down into the dirt. The crowd panicked and struggled, rolling around on the ground like beans sifted through a bamboo strainer or crabs jumping in a steaming pot. For a moment, angry curses and shoving sounds mixed together, but ultimately everyone silently dispersed further away.

Of course, the young man noticed the chaotic and ridiculous scene, and with a disapproving gaze, he looked towards the crowd.

“Why aren’t you leaving yet?”

Upon hearing Shuo Feng’s shout, Zhou Yue also turned her head in surprise and in confusion, “Why aren’t you all leaving? Is there still something else?”

The confused expression on the young girl’s face was sincere and perplexed, as if she was genuinely worried for the people. Her face was indeed very beautiful, like jade or porcelain. At this moment, her eyebrows lightly furrowed, and two tiny, symmetrical red moles on her brow ridge twitched.

But the people did not see her as a celestial being from the heavens. They only saw her as an evil spirit who had come to collect souls.

The desolate wilderness finally fell silent. Only the crescent moon on the distant mountain remained, and the sky had begun to turn blue. The sounds of roosters crowing from a nearby village could be heard. If you ignore the corpses scattered all around, this was a beautiful ink painting of the countryside, complete with mountains and rivers.

In this picturesque scene, the boy and the girl stood shoulder to shoulder, watching the sunrise in the faint light of dawn and the formation of the geese flying overhead.

Turning to the boy standing beside her, Zhou Yue lightly said, “Shuo Feng, I’ll teach you how to use a sword. Do you want to be my disciple?”

She wanted to be his master.

The girl’s expression was very serious, without arrogance or calculation, different from others perhaps.

She seemed to be thinking of happy memories, pursing her lips and smiling, even the corners of her eyes were smiling. “My master was very good. Shuo Feng, I want to be a good master like him.”

The sunlight was warm, and the girl standing in it was also warm.

But the corners of Shuo Feng’s eyes and eyebrows were gradually filled with the coldness of spring, and he tightened the hilt of the Ji Hua Sword, speaking in a hoarse voice. “Do you also want me to help you with something?”

Before Zhou Yue could reply, Shuo Feng gave a strange smile and continued, “I also had a master once, but I killed him with my own hands.”

“Peeling off his skin and tearing his tendons, dismembering his body into ten thousand pieces.”

The words were full of indifference.

He was a despicable person who had betrayed and destroyed his own master and ancestors, Shuo Feng thought to himself coldly.

Shuo Feng lowered his gaze. If Zhou Yue didn’t want to be hurt by him, she should stay away from him. His eyes stared straight at the black surface of his boots. The silver embroidery had become darker and dirtier due to the bloodstains.

But the girl just looked at him quietly, reaching out her cold hand to touch his cheek, the corners of his eyes and brows, as if trying to dispel the bone-chilling coldness that clung to him.

Her eyes were filled with tender compassion, and Zhou Yue frowned, “He must have done a lot of things to hurt you and make you sad. Shuo Feng, since he’s a bad person, you did the right thing by killing him.”

“Never mind, even though you don’t want to be my disciple, I will still teach you how to use the sword and help you become an immortal,” the girl’s tone became light again. “After all, I am your sword.”

Shuo Feng looked up and saw the girl’s body shaking in the morning light, but her face was as pure and untouched as before.

He relaxed his fingers, which had been clenching the sword handle.

Suddenly, Zhou Yue crouched down, hugged herself and curled up into a ball. “Shuo Feng, I’m tired and I want to sleep.”

Shuo Feng also crouched down, took hold of the girl’s shoulders, and looked into her clear eyes. His voice was fragile, like shattered glass, “Zhou Yue, I’m injured, and perhaps someone will come to kill me soon.”

The April night was cold, and the chill and last night’s blood rushed into the young man’s sleeves, causing his shoulders to tremble. Zhou Yue thought of the young man’s sharp eyebrows and clear eyes, lips devoid of color, but with sharp and beautiful lines, like spring snow about to melt in the warm sunshine, clean yet fleeting.

She stood up and sighed, “Shuo Feng, I really don’t know what to do with you, but since I’m your sword, I’ll carry you.” She turned her back to the boy and bent over again. “Here, I’ll carry you.”

When she was still in Linghua Sect, she carried many young disciples on her back.

Zhou Yue’s eyes and brows softened.

Unexpectedly, the young man’s breathing became rapid. He muttered, “Who asked you to carry me? It’s not…not…”

Shuo Feng shook his head irritably, wanting the clear wind to blow away the heat on his face. But perhaps the sun was too bright and his face turned even redder.

He didn’t want Zhou Yue to see him like this, so he quickly turned to face her and hastily said, “Let me carry you instead. You said you want to sleep right? If you’re on my back, I won’t be afraid of anyone coming to attack me.”

Zhou Yue was momentarily surprised, but she didn’t flinch. She jumped lightly onto Shuo Feng’s back, and the boy felt like he was carrying a light cloud. The translucent glints in his eyes were filled with unexpected tenderness.

The girl’s feet dangled lightly on Shuo Feng’s arms. Perhaps because she had just transformed into a mortal form, she hadn’t had time to wear shoes or embroidered slippers, revealing her delicate pink toes, like warm pearls, even cuter and more lovely in the bright spring sunlight. Shuo Feng blushed and unintentionally pulled down the hem of the girl’s green skirt, trying to cover up her innocent charm.

The road was muddy and uneven, with lush green grass on both sides. The water vapor from the Canglan River that flowed through the city was steaming in the warm air, hiding the muddy blood smell in the grass.

Shuo Feng avoided the bumpy parts of the road, using his inner strength to deflect the stones that blocked the way with a silver needle in his hand. He walked very steadily, and the girl on his back slept soundly. Shuo Feng felt the girl’s head bobbing up and down on his shoulder, her unbraided black hair nestling against his neck, warm and itchy. He whispered softly, “Zhou Yue, do you want me to help you with something?”

The girl, although sleepy, was actually afraid of being ambushed, so she didn’t fall asleep. “I want you to cultivate into an immortal and help me seal the Abyss of Xuanming,” she said firmly, not like she was talking about something unrealistic for mortals.
In fact, the story of cultivating into immortals had been circulating in the mortal realm for a long time. Legend has it that hundreds of years ago, when the heavenly ladder was not yet broken, there were also people from Da Liang who ascended to immortality. But legends were still legends, just like who would know that there was a sword spirit girl living in the divine sword?

However, Shuo Feng was listening very seriously. He thought that this might be related to Zhou Yue’s background, but he didn’t mind her secrecy and secrets.

Everyone has secrets, just like he does.

“The Abyss of Xuanming? What is that place?” Shuo Feng asked.

“The Abyss of Xuanming is beyond the six realms, where the origin of evil spirits lies,” said the girl on his back, pausing her words and speaking seriously, “It’s not a good place, very dangerous, with endless resentful spirits and malevolent energy tearing apart souls. If one were to die there, they would be forever trapped in the Abyss of Xuanming, never to be reincarnated.”

The strings in his mind were rapidly vibrating, and Shuo Feng sensitively sensed something and couldn’t help but ask, “Are you there? Do you want me to go save you?”

He was actually a kind-hearted and softhearted child.

Zhou Yue smiled and seemed grateful for Shuo Feng’s kindness. But she shook her head and also shook off her black hair that blocked the boy’s view, “There’s no need for that. I don’t eleven like that place, why would I make you go there? Shuo Feng, all you need to do is help me reinforce the seal at the boundary gate.'”

But at that moment, Shuo Feng felt like his heart had been struck by the girl’s black hair that she had just shaken off. It was sour and bitter, like willow fluff drifting on a calm lake, prickling like needles.

The girl had already sensed his complicated emotions and calmly reassured him, “Shuo Feng, you don’t have to be sad.” She paused, “I died in the Xuanming two hundred years ago. Although I am now the spirit of the Ji Hua sword, ultimately, I am just a remnant soul attached to the sword by chance.”

Shuo Feng hugged the girl’s legs tighter, but Zhouyue seemed really tired, and after saying this, she fell asleep heavily on his back.

Shuo Feng could feel the girl’s warm and soft breasts against his back, but there was nothing inside. It was a quiet spring day, with the sounds of chickens and dogs barking in the village, and only his heart beating in the world.

Zhou Yue’s gentle breathing blew on Shuo Feng’s ear, like a flame fanned by the wind, gradually turning his earlobes red.

The sun had truly risen, illuminating the lively human world, and the fireworks in the distant city were getting closer and closer.

Shuo Feng lowered his eyes, his arm muscles slightly loosened, allowing the girl’s legs to slide down a bit, wanting to make the sleeping girl more comfortable.

He thought, at least at this moment, she was real and alive in the human world.

He tried his best to calm his heart, eliminating the panic and vague sadness and pain that overlapped in his heart. Finally, he took a deep breath, and the image froze on the girl’s smooth instep and pink toes. He had to buy Zhou Yue a pair of embroidered shoes.

After all, she was his sword.

Thinking of this, Shuo Feng’s transparent eyes became clearer, and the corners of the boy’s mouth couldn’t help but curl up in the spring breeze.

Author’s note:

Shuo Feng (frantically in love but pretending to be calm): That’s right, it’s all because she’s my sword that I would…

His mother: You can continue to say one thing and mean another.

After Failing the Tribulation, I Became a Sword Spirit Chapter 3 – Her Promise

Half a month ago, at the Tingchao Pavilion, the headquarters of the world’s number one assassin organization, the Rakshasa Gate sect.

The pitter-patter of rain dripped through several layers of black gauze and stirred up ripples, carrying a chill into the building and causing the old man sitting at the head of the desk in the darkness to cough a few times.

The white-haired, youthful-looking elder sat at the head of the darkened table, wiping the corners of his mouth with a handkerchief. He looked down at the kneeling crowd below and chuckled, “So you’re saying that he alone managed to take the sword, yet none of you knows where he went?”

Except for the alive Shuo Feng and the dead youth, all the Demonic Sect’s disciples had completed their missions and returned to the sect. Currently, there were still seven disciples left, both male and female, all of them rare assassins who were the foundation of the Demonic Sect.

At this moment, the sixth-ranked disciple stepped forward.

He is different from the other assassins because he has a scar on his face and always wears a bronze ghost mask. ‘Leader, we only received news that he accidentally fell into the Canglan River. We failed in our mission,’ he said.

“Sixth, you are not his match. Seven died in his hands, not in vain,” the old man said, not angry or sad, but rather smiling as he asked the other assassins to help the sixth up. “Someone, go and fetch the Jianghu token.”

The Jianghu token was a symbol of alliance held by the four major forces in the Jianghu world and could only be used in times of crisis.

The sect leader was really angry this time, and the assassins exchanged glances with each other. Unexpectedly, the old man at the head had already spoken, his tone very kind.

“Children, there are always times when one deviates from the norm. Only when they suffer outside can they think of the good at home,” the old man said, extending his aged hand to stroke the black gold token presented to him. He continued, “This token is to inform the heroes of the world that the Divine Sword is in the hands of Shuo Feng.”

Upon hearing the words “divine sword,” the assassins all had a dramatic change in expression. They did not know that the sword they were going to retrieve was the “divine sword.” But they all knew the legend of the divine sword that descended from the sky.

So the Jianghu token of the sect leader was originally meant to mobilize all the power in the world, to make Shuo Feng a target of public criticism.

The Sixth spoke with unexpected calmness, “Leader, this will surely draw the attention of the court to our Rakshasa Gate .”

The old man waved his hand and dismissed the concern, “This little dynasty of Nanliang won’t last much longer.” He glanced at Sixth and continued giving orders, “Eight, have someone keep a close eye on his subordinate, Seventeen. Shuo Feng will go to him. This boy is still too softhearted.”

For an assassin, being softhearted is not a good thing.

The group of Rakshasa Gate sect, including the Sixth, bowed and retreated as instructed by the old man.

The quiet chamber was illuminated by a small bean-sized lamp, casting a half-light on the old man’s face. His decaying flesh and wriggling maggots were exposed, while his eye sockets revealed his bony skeleton.

In the quiet pavilion, a small bean-sized lamp illuminated half of the old man’s face, where rotting flesh grew and maggots wriggled, and the eye sockets were filled with stark white bones.

“The world will be in chaos, and that’s when my Rakshasa Gate can break through the siege and profit from it.” The old man turned his wheelchair and leaned over to look at the surging river below, smiling, “This sound of the tide is still not loud enough.”

*

“The sound of the tide is loud tonight.” Shuo Feng sat on a reef by the riverbank and looked up at the moon. Today was not the fifteenth, so it was not a full moon.

He carried the sword, Ji Hua, on his back, appearing relaxed, but his back was tense as he constantly surveyed his surroundings.

Outside the city of Lanzhou, it was very quiet. The sky was completely dark, and stars twinkled. The countryside was vast, and there were occasional barks from dogs in the distant villages.

“Ji Hua sword, many people are going to come and bully me tonight, I feel really wronged,” Shuo Feng adjusted his posture to make himself more comfortable lying down.

Finally, a gentle female voice came from within the Jiu Hua sword, “Shuo Feng, I won’t sit idly by and do nothing.” She paused for a moment, “Also, I have a name, my name is Zhou Yue.”

Her name.

It was the first time in over a dozen days that he heard her mention her own name.

Shuofeng’s eyes lit up, but he continued to speak in the same spoiled tone, “If I die, will you become someone else’s sword?”

His tone was cautious and could not hide the disappointment in his words, but his eyes remained calm and cold.

However, seeing Shuo Feng’s appearance still made Zhou Yue think of the spirit beasts that were raised by the disciples in the sect — soft and fluffy. She earnestly said, “Shuo Feng, I am your sword, now and always.”

Her tone was flat as if she was making a solemn promise. “You won’t die. No matter how dangerous it is, I will protect you.”

The tension in Shuofeng’s shoulders slowly relaxed as he looked up at the crescent moon hanging in the starry night, shining so brightly that it warmed his heart and reminded him of the girl whose face was even more radiant than the moon.

He sensed the fatigue that Zhou Yue was trying to hide in her words and said softly, “Zhou Yue, you should rest well. When you wake up, we’ll go to Qiongzhou to see the tides next month. it’s a lot of fun.”

The wind was blowing quietly, and the river tide was rolling up milky white foam, crashing against the rocks, surging mightily like thousands of troops fighting.

The sound of wind in his ears mixed with the buzzing of weapons. Shuo Feng jumped off the stone and held his soft sword in his right hand, turning around and saying, “Are you all here to play with me?”

Sure enough, a continuous stream of dark shadows emerged from below the horizon, like a mountain range rising from the ground, quietly surrounding the cold-eyed young man in the center.

The young man’s eyes were clean and clear, and the smile at the corners of his mouth was also clean and clear. He said, “Everyone came to play with me, I’m very happy.”

Although it was clearly a killing spree, the young man seemed to regard it as a game.

He was too young and reckless, he needed to know how powerful the hidden Divine Sword was.

So the swarm of dark shadows rushed towards the young man, and they engaged in close combat, sparks flying and splashing like thunder in the spring night, white and bleak.

The young man moved like a ghost, taking the lives of several people in just a breath. He frowned as if regretting that these people could not have played with him for a longer time.

Seeing that the young man was holding his own against them, and the situation was not good, someone shouted, “Let’s all attack together! Whoever gets the divine sword first, it’s theirs!”

Countless greedy eyes fixed on the cloth bag behind the young man.

Shuo Feng heard this and said softly, “My sword is tired and resting. If you disturb her, she won’t be happy, so I won’t be happy either.”

He wore a narrow-sleeved black robe and was unbelievably delicate. He held a soft sword in his right hand and moved as if he were a black butterfly, fluttering through the chaos of swords and knives. The soft sword in his hand looked like a pair of flapping butterfly wings, and every time he struck, a corpse would fall. Thick red blood splashed onto his neck and spread towards his fair and smooth jawline. However, his dark pupils, reflected in the sword light, remained transparent and indifferent.

As the pile of corpses behind Shuo Feng grew, he casually kicked away a severed arm and took a shallow breath. “More? I’m having a great time today.”

This time, there were countless masked figures, and he naturally saw some familiar figures among them.

Shuo Feng seemed to see his close friends and family, smiling as he said, “Oh, so it’s family.”

The assassins stood at the forefront, each holding their most handy killing tools. They had all fought against Shuo Feng before. Although he was ranked ninth among the assassins, his strength was the highest in the gang, and they had all been defeated by him.

But today, the assassins looked at each other in silence. This was not a fair fight, and even the most powerful person would eventually be outnumbered.

They rushed forward together, like driving away and hunting down a young beast that had just revealed its fangs.

In the pitch-black night, cold glints scattered through the air. The young man appeared to be at the end of his strength, with his hand bleeding and his palm split open.

“Shuo Feng, why do you always get injured?” The figure of a young girl appeared out of the Jiu Hua sword, moving with the wind, deflecting a hidden weapon aimed at him.

While blocking the attacks of the crowd, Shuo Feng laughed and said, “Because I’m an assassin. Zhou Yue, are you awake now?”

The people surrounding them saw the young man seemingly talking to someone else, and their hearts trembled as they cautiously surveyed the dark surroundings.

But they saw nothing.

However, the next moment, they widened their eyes. The divine sword behind the young man broke free from its wrapping on its own, flew into the air, and seemed to be held by someone in mid-air. Then, a golden sword light tore through the sky in an instant, like the roar of boundless lightning descending on the world.

But the sword light did not harm them, only forcing them to retreat towards the young man. The ringing in their ears passed, and this time, they finally heard the clear voice of a girl within the lightning.

“I do not wish to harm mortals, please leave.”

Someone in the darkness spat, “Stop pretending to be a god, everyone, don’t be fooled by that bitch.”

The crowd began to hesitate, but when they thought of the unparalleled divine sword, their hearts became increasingly restless.

Finally, the first reckless man raised his broadsword and swung it at the young man.

The young man didn’t move, only looked at the girl in the sword light and said, “Zhou Yue, they’ve killed many innocent people. Bad people should be killed.”

At the moment when the broadsword was about to cut the young man’s neck, the sword light struck again. The broadsword shattered inch by inch, and even the body of the burly man shattered inch by inch.

The girl whispered, “Forget it, since they’re bad people, the will of heaven says they should be killed.”

Whether it was the sword light or the thunder light, it rang out again and again, piercing through the blood and flesh piled up in the wilderness like the bright daylight.

The bloody remains instinctively stirred up the fierce killing intent in the crowd of savages, and they continued to pursue the boy, but the divine sword seemed to have divine assistance, crushing the bodies of the crowd time and time again.

But no one was holding that sword!

The panicked people turned their backs and began to flee to the periphery in a steady stream.

But it was too late. The Jiu Hua sword waved continuously, with simple slashes and cuts, like a child learning basic sword techniques in a rigid manner. The corpses under the sword gave rise to increasingly thick blood, which coiled around the sword, gathering at the grip.

Under the cold moon, blood began to coagulate into a soft and fair hand at the hilt. Then flesh and blood continued to shape, first with the arm, then the chest, and finally the curvaceous body of a young girl wrapped in white silk and a green skirt emerged.

So there really was a “person” wielding the sword!

The people looked at the young girl holding the Jiu Hua sword in horror.

Her face was as pure as ever in the moonlight and the sword light, untainted by dust, like a goddess giving the world a casual glance.

She said, “This is my promise.”