Chapter 170: The Seventh Killing Order, Turbulence Arises

Seeing Lu Qing's fearless attitude towards the potential assassination attempts from the Seventh Killing Floor, even the young man in plain clothes felt admiration.

At this moment, even he had to admit that the words spoken by "Heavenly Solitary" before his death held some truth.

Lu Qing might indeed be the proud child of heaven, endowed with destiny, who would emerge with the coming of the great age of contention.

"Young Master Lu, this might actually be an opportunity for you." The young man in plain clothes said with a hint of admiration, joking, "Oh, how so?" Lu Qing asked, slightly stunned.

"The Seventh Killing Floor is a mysterious sect with an ancient lineage, and they also adhere to some ancient rules," he explained. "The assassination orders issued by the Seventh Killing Floor are called the Seventh Killing Order. Once activated, you will face assassination attempts from the entire Seventh Killing Floor, but these attempts are not limitless. According to the rules of the Seventh Killing Order, they will only try to assassinate you a maximum of seven times. If you survive all seven attempts, the Seventh Killing Floor will call off the assassination and offer you the highest respect. They will not only treat you as an honored guest but also pledge to never accept any assassination missions related to you in the future. Additionally, they will proclaim to the entire assassin world that you have become their honored guest, and any other assassin organization that targets you will be considered an enemy of the Seventh Killing Floor, facing their full retaliation."

"It is said that, on top of all that, the Seventh Killing Floor will also offer an opportunity, though no one knows what this opportunity entails."

The explanation left everyone stunned, as they had never expected there to be so many intricacies to the Seventh Killing Floor's assassinations.

"Your Excellency Zhi Rui, are you saying that anyone who survives the Seventh Killing Order will gain the protection of the Seventh Killing Floor?" Wei Xinghe asked.

"Indeed," the young man in plain clothes nodded.

"Has anyone ever survived the Seventh Killing Order?" Lu Qing asked.

"Yes!" the young man in plain clothes affirmed. "The Seventh Killing Order is not issued lightly, but according to the records of the Tianji Pavilion, in the past tens of thousands of years, the Seventh Killing Floor has issued at least hundreds of Seventh Killing Orders. While the very distant past may be hard to verify, in the last thousand years, three people have safely survived the pursuit of the Seventh Killing Order. The most recent one was already three hundred years ago. Those three people did indeed gain the protection of the Seventh Killing Floor and never faced any form of assassination attempts afterward. It is said that one of them was once targeted by a newly emerged assassin organization. However, before anyone could take on the mission, that organization was eradicated overnight, completely wiped from existence. It is because of incidents like these that people believe the Seventh Killing Floor truly upholds the rules of the Seventh Killing Order."

Hearing this, the crowd finally understood the immense difficulty of the task. In a millennium, only three people had successfully endured the Seventh Killing Order's pursuit!

What a slim chance! It was truly a situation of slim odds of survival. One could even say it was certain death.

No wonder the Seventh Killing Floor made such a promise. For them, an individual capable of escaping their seven assassination attempts was a once-in-a-century genius.

If they were to encounter such a person, it would be a peerless genius endowed with incredible talent and great destiny.

There was no harm in temporarily retreating and giving way to such an existence.

Some of the astute guests pondered this and soon understood the underlying meaning.

The Seventh Killing Floor's rule seemed restrictive, but it was actually a way for them to retain some flexibility.

"So, Young Master Lu, you don't have to worry about the Seventh Killing Floor going back on their word. This is an ancient rule that has been passed down for thousands of years, and they won't break it." The young man in plain clothes concluded.

"I would never stake my life on the promises of others," Lu Qing said, unmoved, his tone indifferent. "Whether the rules of the Seventh Killing Order are true or false doesn't matter to me. If the Seventh Killing Floor truly intends to assassinate me, they should be prepared to become my enemy. At that time, it won't be up to them to decide when to stop."

Lu Qing was not one to passively take a beating. If the Seventh Killing Floor dared to target him, it might be them who would end up being hunted.

Sensing the cold determination in Lu Qing's words, the young man in plain clothes felt a chill in his heart. He finally remembered that the person before him was not as gentle and harmless as he appeared.

Chapter: The Unfathomable Prodigy

A chill ran through the hearts of the other guests, especially Ma Gu, as he involuntarily recalled the scene he had witnessed in Happy Valley—Lu Qing standing amidst the firelight, holding a long sword, with rolling heads and a field of corpses drenched in blood all around him.

Due to the assassination attempt by "Heavenly Solitary," the ceremony Wei Family held to accept disciples ended up being cut short.

However, aside from the Qian Family, the other guests were not disappointed in the slightest.

Their participation in the Wei Family's ceremony had yielded them tremendous gains.

Not only had they witnessed a battle between powerful martial artists, but they had also learned many secret pieces of information that they would never have had access to otherwise.

Some of the astute individuals even sniffed out extremely important information from the conversation between the young man in plain clothes and the assassin.

For example, the disciples of the Green Cloud Sword Pavilion.

"What is this 'unprecedented change' that hasn't occurred in tens of thousands of years?"

In a certain small courtyard, several disciples of the Green Cloud Sword Pavilion were gathered, whispering among themselves.

"I don't know, but the Tianji Pavilion is always shrouded in mystery, privy to countless secrets. The Seventh Killing Floor is also an ancient sect with a long heritage, and for them to treat this matter with such gravity, it must be something of immense importance."

"This matter must be reported to our sect. If what those two said is true and a major shift is about to occur in the world, our Green Cloud Sword Pavilion must also prepare ourselves accordingly!"

"Seventh Junior Brother, wait here while I write a letter. You should set off immediately and report today's events to the sect in full."

"Yes!"

After discussing and making their decision, they began to chat about other matters.

"Speaking of which, that young master Lu is truly fearsome. Even one of the Seventh Killing Floor's Upper Twelve Heavenly Killers wasn't a match for a single move of his and couldn't even escape."

One of the Green Cloud Sword Pavilion disciples was still astonished as he recalled the events of the morning.

The Upper Twelve Heavenly Killers of the Seventh Killing Floor were known to be extremely formidable in the records of their sect.

Rumors had it that they possessed the ability to assassinate Martial Arts Masters.

And the facts had proven those rumors to be true.

The aura unleashed by "Heavenly Solitary" had been not only terrifying but also possessed a bizarre effect that shook one's heart and stalled one's thoughts.

Even Wei Family Master, a Martial Arts Master, seemed to have been affected, as his movements had slowed.

Yet, this formidable assassin was no match for Young Master Lu, unable to land a single blow and even failing to escape. It was simply inconceivable!

"Indeed, I never expected that in such a small place like Cang County, there would be such a peerless genius. I reckon that even the top true disciples of our inner sect, when it comes to talent, are far inferior to Young Master Lu.

Our elders' teachings were indeed correct—there are always people beyond people, and heavens beyond heavens. There are some geniuses and freaks in this world that surpass the imagination of ordinary people.

We were too quick to judge and thought that the people of Cang County were narrow-minded and had never seen a true martial artist, which was why they exaggerated Young Master Lu's abilities.

But it turns out that the real frogs at the bottom of the well were us."

Another disciple echoed these sentiments.

The rest of the group remained silent upon hearing these words.

They couldn't deny the impact Lu Qing had on them; it was simply too profound.

Who would have thought that a teenager in his mere teens would have achieved such a high level of martial arts mastery?

To easily defeat one of the Upper Twelve Heavenly Killers of the Seventh Killing Floor was an accomplishment that defied logic.

What was even more crucial was that, on top of his formidable martial arts skills, he was also proficient in medicine and could easily neutralize the Blood Poison of the Seventh Killing Floor, which struck fear in the hearts of many.

His medical skills were just as impressive as his martial arts prowess.

For a young man to achieve such remarkable feats in both martial arts and medicine left the disciples of the Green Cloud Sword Pavilion in awe and bewilderment.

In fact, they were feeling rather fortunate at the moment.

They were glad that, during the banquet, when they had heard those country bumpkin heirs praising Lu Qing, they had not scoffed at him despite their disbelief.

Otherwise, they would have ended up looking like fools, with their faces thoroughly slapped.

It seemed that the teachings of their elders were indeed correct—one should always remain humble, no matter the time or place, and never let arrogance and complacency get the better of them.

Now, the disciples of the Green Cloud Sword Pavilion deeply understood the wisdom behind the lessons imparted by their elders in the sect.

Perhaps this was the true purpose of their sect sending them out to gain experience.

As the disciples of the Green Cloud Sword Pavilion reflected on the significance of their journey,

Chapter: The Unfathomable Prodigy

Back at the County Magistrate's Residence, in a small tower, the young man in plain clothes sat at a desk, holding a jade brush pen. He was writing intently on a jade scroll, his brush strokes graceful and fluid.

As he wrote, the tip of his brush glowed, the light coalescing into words that melded seamlessly into the scroll, vanishing from sight.

For half a bell, he recorded the events of the past few days into the scroll, sending the information back to his sect.

Only then did he set down his brush and rise, stepping forward to the edge of the tower to gaze into the distance, a furrowed brow reflecting his worries.

"The great shift that comes but once every ten thousand years is approaching, and the world is about to undergo a massive upheaval. Even the demonic and heretical paths are stirring. Where will the fortunes of humanity lead us?"

His conversation with "Heavenly Solitary" had confirmed that the impending shift was no longer a secret among the top powers.

He thought back to some of the things the Tianji Pavilion had uncovered in recent years, and his worries only deepened.

He felt that with the coming upheaval, the world would be plunged into chaos, and countless lives would be lost in the turmoil.

Furthermore, he wasn't sure if the Tianji Pavilion could navigate this chaos and ensure their own survival.

His thoughts turned to Lu Qing.

This enigmatic youth remained an enigma to him.

Even with the use of their sect's treasure, he couldn't see through Lu Qing's true strength.

It was as if a veil of mist shrouded Lu Qing, obscuring him from any attempts at divination or prediction.

Although he couldn't uncover Lu Qing's true depths, he felt a sense of caution. He sensed that Lu Qing's strength was terrifying, and even he might not be a match for him.

Recalling Lu Qing's age and "Heavenly Solitary's" dying words, he couldn't help but agree with the assassin's assessment.

Perhaps Lu Qing truly was the peerless genius born amidst the coming shift in the world's fortunes.

Only such a heaven-defying genius could evade the divination of their sect's treasure and conceal their own destiny.

But was a genius born amidst the great shift truly so formidable?

The young man in plain clothes thought of some ancient records in his sect.

According to those records, when the world underwent a massive shift, countless heroes would rise, vying for fortune and destiny.

If the talents of these fortune-blessed children were as fearsome as Lu Qing's, he couldn't even begin to imagine the dazzling brilliance of their contest.

How could their Tianji Pavilion guide the tides and navigate the chaos in the face of such incredible geniuses?

Thinking of his sect's ancestral teachings, he felt a chill run down his spine.

He wondered if their founding ancestor had been a bit too ambitious.

"Zhi Rui, are you there?"

As the young man in plain clothes was lost in his thoughts, he heard his friend knocking on the door.

"Come in," he said, setting down the jade brush and scroll.

The door opened, and County Magistrate Yan Canghai walked in, carrying wine, food, and a chess set.

"What brings you here?" the young man in plain clothes asked.

"I came to drink and play chess with you," Yan Canghai said, holding up the items in his hands.

"Didn't you drink enough at the Wei Family's place this morning? Do you want more?" The young man in plain clothes sounded exasperated, feeling that his friend was indulging in wine a bit too much lately.

"That was nothing. I was scared away by the assassin from the Seventh Killing Floor," Yan Canghai said as he set up the wine, food, and chessboard on the table.

"Come, I can see you have some worries as well. Let's drink a few cups together," he added.

The young man in plain clothes considered for a moment before sitting down at the table.

His friend poured him a cup of wine.

After a few sips and a few moves in the game, Yan Canghai asked, "Are you also troubled by what the assassin from the Seventh Killing Floor said about the ten-thousand-year shift?"

The young man in plain clothes paused, his expression unchanged as he replied, "That's not something you should know about. Don't ask, or have you forgotten the lesson from the past?"

This time, however, Yan Canghai didn't back down. Instead, he smiled and said, "It seems that what 'Heavenly Solitary' said was true. The world is indeed about to change."

The young man in plain clothes remained silent.

After a while, he spoke, "You're right, the world is about to change, but not in the way you imagine. Yan Canghai, put aside your petty schemes. This is not something you can involve yourself in. If you meddle carelessly, not just you, but even our Tianji Pavilion, or even the Holy Mountain, might be destroyed beyond redemption. Do you want to lead the Yan Clan to ruin?"

Hearing this, Yan Canghai's face paled, and his expression turned grim.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end