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Chapter 198: Cangling Debate of Swords (6)
Chapter 198: Cangling Debate of Swords (6)
The person who hurled the hidden weapon was Shi Yanran, wife of Gongsun Qian, the revered master of the Wanxia Tower. The man she had just killed was both her lover and a disciple of the Wanxia Tower.
Shi Yanran had already become a legend in the martial arts world at twenty, renowned for her unparalleled dart-throwing technique. At twenty-three, she married Gongsun Qian, a man already past fifty. Ten years had passed since then, but no need to delve into the details of what transpired during that time—let one phrase suffice: a pear blossom crushing a crabapple.
The deceased young scholar in green robes was named Wang Ao, twenty-four years old. Three years prior, he joined the Wanxia Tower as a disciple. His refined, handsome appearance instantly caught the attention of his master's wife, leading her to take him as her "personal disciple." Thus began their illicit affair.
But Wang Ao was no mere pretty face—he harbored ambitions. His very reason for entering the Wanxia Tower had been to steal its ultimate technique, the Wanxia Divine Skill. Once he became her "personal disciple", his chances of succeeding soared.
About a year later, Wang Ao felt the time was ripe. He began subtly pressuring Shi Yanran to steal or copy the secret manual of the Wanxia Divine Skill for him.
Shi Yanran was no fool. While Gongsun Qian remained oblivious to his wife's infidelity, he was not so naive as to overlook tampering with the sect's most sacred manual. She flatly refused to act. Yet Wang Ao persisted, eventually resorting to veiled threats.
That was when Shi Yanran resolved to kill him.
Now, with the Cangling Debate of Swords underway, the Wanxia Tower, one of the martial arts world's most powerful sects, naturally could not afford to miss this grand event. As the sect master's wife and personal disciple, Shi Yanran and Wang Ao had naturally accompanied Gongsun Qian to the town.
Hence the scene that had just unfolded.
As Feng Bu Jue had pointed out, in this remote town, killing someone under cover of night would draw neither heaven's wrath nor earthly interference. As long as the corpse was disposed of properly to conceal the killer's identity, all would be well.
This was precisely Shi Yanran's plan. She had lured Wang Ao under the pretense of a secret rendezvous, intending to strike him down. What she hadn't anticipated was the cunning Wang Ao had already sensed the danger and prepared himself. The moment she moved, he fled.
But Shi Yanran's martial cultivation far surpassed Wang Ao's, and he ultimately could not escape. However, as he drew his last breath, fate decreed his final moments would unfold before Feng Bu Jue and his companions.
When Feng Bu Jue approached the corpse, Shi Yanran's heart sank. Many in the jianghu recognized her signature darts. With witnesses present, the weapon, and the body itself, her crime would inevitably be exposed—and with it, her adulterous secret.
In that instant, Shi Yanran made her decision: If it must be done, do it thoroughly! These four before her seemed to lack martial prowess—better to eliminate them all, and let fate decide their misfortune.
A strange buzzing sound filled the air around Feng Bu Jue.
Suddenly, a storm of darts shot from the shadows, only to rebound off an invisible barrier just before striking him. Up close, one could see ripples of transparent energy shimmering across his body—the unmistakable effect of the [Echo Armor]'s "Cushion" attribute. As previously described, against high-speed, multi-point attacks, this ability granted a tenfold significant defense effect. The current assault fit both criteria perfectly. As for the force behind the darts? Even K3-Cheiron's close-range punches had failed to breach the barrier—these long-range projectiles were even less of a threat.
Shi Yanran had never expected this. She couldn't even comprehend how Feng Bu Jue had deflected her darts.
Feng Bu Jue himself breathed a sigh of relief. If she had charged in melee, his vitality might have suffered gravely. Fortunately, she had chosen a ranged attack—leaving him unscathed.
In that instant, the balance of power shifted.
Shi Yanran had assumed Feng Bu Jue, a man with no visible inner energy, would die instantly to her darts. Eager to kill witnesses, she had already leapt from the alley, ready to deal with the remaining four. Yet this youth had stood there unharmed, his hand now gripping an unfamiliar, uniquely crafted weapon—a pipe wrench—as if conjured from thin air. This forced her to exercise caution.
Instinctively, Feng Bu Jue drew his weapon and raised his eyes. Before him stood a woman clad in a white silk martial robe, her shoulders draped with a light gray sable fur jacket, waist cinched with a silver sash. Though not a peerless beauty, her delicate features and poised figure exuded an alluring elegance. At thirty-something, she carried an air of mature grace.
"Lady, let's talk this through", Feng Bu Jue said, quickly deducing her motives. "I don't know you..." He pointed at the corpse, "and I didn't know him either." Keeping his distance, he added, "I had nothing to do with what happened here." Seeing her hesitate, he relaxed slightly, "My friends and I can leave quietly, pretending we saw nothing. You may do as you wish with the body."
Shi Yanran had already resolved to kill. A few words would not sway her. She snorted coldly, "Do you really think it's still possible to talk your way out now? You've seen my face." Her gaze shifted to Wang Ao's corpse, "and his. That alone is enough." She had no reason to trust these strangers' silence. If they truly withheld the secret, it would only become a threat hanging over her head.
"Then there's no choice", Feng Bu Jue said, subtly turning his head and raising his voice—a clear signal to his allies to prepare for battle.
A crimson glow erupted around him as he unleashed a surge of energy. He had no intention of underestimating the Npc's strength here, activating his [Spirit Sense Body Technique] immediately.
Shi Yanran's tension mounted. This opponent lacked any visible inner energy, yet the invisible force that had repelled her darts required immense internal cultivation. And now, this crimson energy aura—unlike any martial technique she had ever seen—spiked her anxiety.
With no time for further thought, Shi Yanran resolved to kill. If this youth truly possessed hidden skills, she would strike with her full power—let's see if he can survive this!
She circulated her true qi, bent her knees, and snapped her wrist forward. This time, only one dart flew, but its force was earth-shaking. The piercing whistled screamed toward Feng Bu Jue's throat with lethal precision.
(End of Chapter)
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