Chapter 16: Flawed Divine Skill

Chapter 16: Flawed Divine Skill

Li Chaofeng’s motion as he sheathed his blade was dazzling—so breathtaking that Hu Tiehua stood gaping in astonishment.

Throwing a blade was simple, but retrieving it without using True Qi? That bordered on supernatural. In this world, even the famed Flying Blade technique required True Qi to function. Swallowing hard, Hu Tiehua felt overwhelmed by the night’s events. He could understand a prodigy chef turning the tables on Jiang Qin—after all, in the narrow confines of Tiger’s Lair, life and death often hinged on a single moment.

As for culinary skills, Lord Jin Sizhe personally offering a tavern as reward spoke volumes. But this blade… this Soulbound Dagger—what exactly was its secret?

Recalling Li Chaofeng’s earlier display of retrieving the dagger, Hu Tiehua cut straight to the point. “What’s the story with this knife?”

Li Chaofeng didn’t answer directly. Instead, he narrowed his eyes at Jiang Biehe’s corpse, a faint, knowing smile playing on his lips. “Aren’t you even curious about the benefit Jiang Biehe claimed was better than the Bridal Robe Divine Skill?”

Hu Tiehua hesitated. Most of Jiang Qin’s taunts had slipped his mind, filtered out in the heat of the moment. But as his gaze drifted to the dagger in Li Chaofeng’s hand, realization struck. “This blade?”

Pacing the cave, Hu Tiehua began unraveling the mystery aloud. “So earlier, when he suddenly clammed up—it was you controlling the dagger, warning him not to speak, right?”

“Correct,” Li Chaofeng replied. “When Jiang Qin spoke just now, he was staring at me. The most precious thing on my person is this dagger.”

Hu Tiehua paused mid-step, his expression shifting to wary scrutiny. “If you were hiding a secret, why show me now? A divine blade like this deserves secrecy, not a demonstration.”

Li Chaofeng chuckled. “Secret? What secret?” He turned toward Jiang Biehe’s body, laughing heartily. “That was just Jiang Biehe’s assumption. He thought I’d die protecting this secret—but I know him better than anyone. His mind is so twisted, you’d never guess how dark it runs.”

Hu Tiehua remained tense. “Still, this is a blade worth killing for.”

“True,” Li Chaofeng said, spinning the dagger between his fingers. “But I trust you won’t try stealing it.”

“Why?”

“Because once you wield it, you’ll realize it’s not as powerful as the Bridal Robe Divine Skill. Its only merits are its sharpness—sharp enough to pierce through True Qi and into a skull—and the fact that I can retrieve it using a technique no one else knows.” He fixed Hu Tiehua with a steady gaze. “You chose the Bridal Robe over this, so why kill me for a lesser tool?”

Hu Tiehua’s shoulders relaxed slightly, then he smirked. “Fair point. If you wanted me dead, you could’ve poisoned me during dinner.”

Li Chaofeng’s smirk matched his. “Exactly. So let’s trust each other.”

With a laugh, Hu Tiehua clapped his belly, then gestured to the scroll on the stone. “Since we’re at it, want to check out Jiang Biehe’s Bridal Robe Divine Skill?”

Hu Tiehua nodded, though suspicion lingered. “You think it’s genuine?”

“If I were alone, I’d believe not a word,” Li Chaofeng said. “But you’re a martial master. No fake manual could fool you.”

“Still,” Hu Tiehua mused, “if this is a forgery, the errors must be subtle—maybe just scrambled sentences.”

Li Chaofeng picked up the scroll, flipping it in his hands. “If Jiang Qin could craft a manual to trick someone like you, he wouldn’t need favors to rise to power.”

Hu Tiehua sighed. “You’re right. But for someone at my level, even a flawed manual is dangerous. Once you read a line, you’ll crave the next—until you’ve memorized it all. Then comes the urge to practice. If you get it wrong… well, Jiang Biehe’s mercy decides your fate.”

Li Chaofeng chuckled, then suddenly scattered the scroll’s pages into the air. “Now it’s not just scrambled sentences—the pages are out of order too.”

Hu Tiehua lunged to catch them, but Li Chaofeng drew the Soulbound Dagger, forcing him back. The cave’s narrow confines left Hu Tiehua no room to evade. As the last pages fluttered to the ground, Li Chaofeng sheathed his blade with a grin.

“Now,” he said, “can you still read it?”

Hu Tiehua stared at the chaos, his martial artist’s heart aching. “You…!”

But the dagger’s edge had already silenced him.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end