Chapter 282: A Cold Moon Night of Murder Without a Whisper of Wind

Duan Rong spurred his horse into the city; having cultivated bitterly for several days in Wild Boar Mountain and then galloped all the way, he was indeed covered in the dust of the road and exhausted.

But the moment Duan Rong swayed as he rode his horse into the city, he still spurred his mind, and his Divine Sense suddenly surged outward, enveloping the surroundings.

The clattering hooves of the date-red horse tapped slowly against the bluestone slabs; after passing several alley entrances, Duan Rong's heart stirred.

After a person emerged from a tea shop near the East City Gate, they had been following him at a distance that was neither too far nor too close.

That person wore a tattered felt hat and a coarse cloth blue robe; Duan Rong's mind stirred, and he gathered his Divine Sense to envelop that person.

As his Divine Sense pierced through the felt hat, Duan Rong clearly "saw" a face.

"It's Xie Daohan!"

Duan Rong sat swaying on the date-red horse; although he deliberately kept his body in a relaxed state, his inner heart had already tightened, and his thoughts churned like lightning.

Was Xie Daohan clearly tracking him?

And he only had one connection with Xie Daohan: the death of Xie Lei!

Then, was Xie Daohan doubting him, or had he already completely locked onto him?

And when did he start suspecting him?

A light flashed in Duan Rong's mind; he recalled the scene on the Zeying Tai where he had reached out with one hand and snatched the three flying darts that Tao Rong had suddenly burst forth and shot—this scene flashed through Duan Rong's heart!

Xie Daohan was, after all, an old hand at criminal investigations of over twenty years; he had previously underestimated this man's sense of smell and had not thought that he would be exposed because of this!

This case had passed for over half a year and had long since been closed; Duan Rong had thought that this case had already been forgotten by the world.

Although Duan Rong's thoughts were churning, his actions were completely normal.

Xie Daohan followed far behind; his gaze passed through the crowd, staring tightly at Duan Rong's back.

He had great confidence in his tracking ability, and furthermore, he was disguised like this; in the crowd, he was completely inconspicuous.

Duan Rong first went to the carriage firm to return the date-red horse, then went to the beef soup stall on West Street, drank a large bowl of beef soup, and ate two large sesame flatbreads.

At this time, Xie Daohan was sitting at a wonton stall not far away, drinking wonton soup while his eyes glanced from time to time at Duan Rong's profile in the corner of the beef soup stall.

As Duan Rong sat there drinking his beef soup, his eyes flowed with a look of profound contemplation.

What he was pondering was: what would Xie Daohan's next move be?

Was he investigating him in secret? Or was he already looking for an opportunity, preparing to make a move on him?

Although Duan Rong had achieved Great Perfection, Xie Daohan was, after all, a True Qi Realm powerhouse; they were still a major realm apart, and Duan Rong was still very wary of him.

If he could avoid fighting, he really did not want to fight.

Two days later was the end of the public notice period, and at that time he would leave Xiangu County. Whether he would return in the future was uncertain.

It would be best to find a way to prevaricate and deal with Xie Daohan for two days...

Duan Rong ate his fill, let out a satisfied burp, and rose to leave the stall with a feigned air of leisure.

By this time, it was the hour of early evening when the lamps were first lit; West Street was bustling, and the lamps on the street surface shone like stars.

After Duan Rong passed an alley entrance, Xie Daohan rose from the wonton stall and followed along the side of the street, step by step.

Duan Rong walked straight back to the Yuanshun Escort Agency along West Street; although his gait was leisurely, his Divine Sense was enveloping the area the whole way, locking onto Xie Daohan's figure.

Duan Rong walked onto the Martial Arts Arena in the Middle Courtyard; in the shadows of the trees in the southwest corner of the arena behind him, a black shadow flashed.

Duan Rong's Divine Sense had already swept over; Xie Daohan had actually climbed over the wall into the Yuanshun Escort Agency.

It seemed that with Luan Jingfu dead and Ruan Fengshan in hiding, Xie Daohan already viewed the Yuanshun Escort Agency as nothing.

Although the Yuanshun Escort Agency had patrolling guards, in front of Xie Daohan, who had achieved the True Qi Realm, they were indeed mere window dressing, like trash.

Xie Daohan's figure flickered, hiding in the tree shade and wall shadows, following Duan Rong from afar.

Duan Rong walked slowly to the entrance of Liu Lu, looked at the pile of gifts and calling cards at the courtyard gate, and frowned.

Duan Rong directly ignored that pile of things, opened the courtyard gate, walked inside, and shut that pile of things back outside the gate.

And Xie Daohan, at this time, had already flashed to a rather tall and lush zelkova tree not far from Liu Lu.

Xie Daohan hid within the tree canopy, looking into the courtyard of Liu Lu through the gaps in the zelkova's branches and leaves.

Duan Rong passed through the courtyard, walked into the room, and closed the door.

As soon as Duan Rong entered the main room, he immediately crouched down and looked through the door crack toward the tall zelkova tree canopy outside the courtyard; he knew Xie Daohan was hiding in that dark mass of canopy.

Duan Rong paced back and forth in the main room, pondering a countermeasure!

Xie Daohan was clearly a rather thorny opponent.

His martial arts were high; he was, after all, a powerhouse who had achieved the True Qi Realm.

His status was special; he was also the Head Constable in charge of a county's criminal justice.

Moreover, the conflict between the two was irreconcilable; there was no room for a showdown, negotiation, or bargaining, as his own nephew Xie Lei had been killed by him!

However, there was one thing Duan Rong could be certain of: Xie Daohan absolutely had no evidence in his hands! Otherwise, when he entered the city, Xie Daohan would have taken him down and would never be here disguised and lying in wait.

Duan Rong quickly understood that Xie Daohan was wary of his identity and this sensitive public notice timing.

If Xie Daohan was only suspicious and was tracking and monitoring him, he had to find a way to drag it out and prevaricate with him to survive these last two days...

If Xie Daohan had already locked onto him and was going to make a move on him in secret, then Duan Rong had no way out and could only fight to the death...

Duan Rong took stock of his own means; even if he faced the True Qi Realm Xie Daohan, if he could handle it properly, he was not without a chance of winning. At the very least, he still had the poison of the "One-Leaf Red" left behind by Shen Ping in his hands!

And Duan Rong had another advantage: he had long since discovered that Xie Daohan was tracking him, while Xie Daohan still thought he was the one in the dark, holding the initiative at every step.

He had to make good use of this point to turn the tables!

Duan Rong moved a grand armchair over, sat at the entrance of the main room, and watched the courtyard outside through the door crack!

If he released his Divine Sense, under the envelopment of his Divine Sense, he could naturally discern everything, but long-term, large-scale Divine Sense Envelopment was very draining on the Divine Soul.

And tonight, he might encounter a fierce battle; his Divine Soul had other uses and must absolutely not be exhausted on reconnaissance. Duan Rong sat there and picked up the porcelain water pot by his feet; this was something he had just brought in from inside, and there was still half a pot of cold water in the porcelain pot.

Duan Rong held the porcelain pot on his lap, carefully opened the lid, and then with a flip of one hand, a small crimson porcelain bottle appeared in his hand.

Inside that porcelain bottle was the poison of the One-Leaf Red!

The poison that Shen Ping had spent his whole life researching also had a certain effect on True Qi Realm powerhouses.

Duan Rong briefly took his gaze away from outside the courtyard, lowered his head to open the porcelain bottle, and poured a bit of crimson medicine powder into the water pot.

This medicine powder was crimson and odorless, dissolving the moment it met water.

Duan Rong plugged the porcelain bottle, tucked it back into his sleeve, and raised his eyes to glance through the door crack at the courtyard outside; he saw that not far outside the courtyard, the tall, lush zelkova tree and its massive, pitch-black canopy remained completely motionless.

Only then did Duan Rong draw his Ox-Tail Saber, grasping the saber in one hand and holding the pot in the other; he tilted the water pot slightly, and a thin, long, crimson line of water flowed from the spout, pouring onto the blade that faintly shimmered with dark light in the night!

Duan Rong was quenching his Ox-Tail Saber with poison!

This was the first time he had ever quenched his own weapon with poison!

Xie Daohan was truly the most powerful opponent he had encountered since his soul transmigrated here; Duan Rong could not afford to hold anything back!

The Ox-Tail Saber in Duan Rong's hand tilted slightly, and the pale red liquid, like fresh blood, flowed slowly from the hilt to the tip of the blade, dripping onto the ground.

After finishing one side, Duan Rong flipped his wrist and continued to drip and pour onto the other side.

He finished pouring over both sides of the Ox-Tail Saber, and only when the water pot in his hand was completely empty did he stop and lean the saber against the doorway to air-dry.

Duan Rong looked through the door crack toward the courtyard outside!

On this chilly spring night, there was strangely not a breath of wind; the willow branches, already soft in the spring, hung there, moving ever so slightly...

A crescent of cold moon had already risen in the west, casting its dim, clear radiance onto the rows of rooftops...

Duan Rong's gaze remained fixed, unmoving, on that mass of pitch-black tree canopy not far outside the courtyard; he knew that Xie Daohan, hiding within the canopy, was staring just as intently at his side.

The two of them remained like this, silently confronting each other in the darkness...

The crescent moon had already moved away from the rooftops and risen above the treetops...

The faint sound of a night watchman's clapper came from the street; listening to the count, it was already the midnight hour.

Just as the sound of the night watchman's clapper faded, the pitch-black zelkova canopy suddenly shook; Duan Rong was startled, and he saw Xie Daohan's figure leap out from the canopy like a large bird, his toes tapping the top of the wall as he descended into the courtyard.

At this very moment, without the slightest hesitation, Duan Rong opened the room door with a creak!

As soon as Xie Daohan landed in the courtyard, he heard a creak from the main room door; he immediately flashed his figure, hiding in the shadows on the side of the kitchen, and cautiously poked his head out to look toward this side.

At this time, the courtyard was pitch black, with only the crescent moon casting dim shadows.

The main room door was already open, and two breaths later, a figure slowly walked out from the shadows inside the room.

Xie Daohan used the dim moonlight to watch Duan Rong, who had walked out of the main room and was standing at the doorway.

Duan Rong stood there, his gaze scanning the surroundings vigilantly; only after seeing that the wilderness was silent did he suddenly flash his figure and leap onto the wall.

Watching Duan Rong's figure disappear over the wall, Xie Daohan's gaze tightened, and he immediately followed in silence.

For Duan Rong to go out in the middle of the night and be so cautious, it was very likely he was going to meet someone; by tracking him all the way, he might be able to dig up other secrets.

Duan Rong dashed out of the Yuanshun Escort Agency, unleashing his Lightness Skill, and darted through the crisscrossing alleys at a speed as fast as a ghost!

Following behind, Xie Daohan was secretly shocked by the refinement of Duan Rong's Lightness Skill.

Duan Rong was a youth from a poor background who, in just one year, had completed a heaven-defying reversal to become a Sect Registered Disciple; besides his own innate talent, perhaps there were other secrets.

Thinking of this, Xie Daohan stared even more fixedly at Duan Rong's flickering figure ahead, fearing that in the dark night, he might accidentally lose him...

Duan Rong's figure was swift, and he suddenly darted out from the alley entrance ahead.

Xie Daohan's figure lunged, landing at the alley entrance like a swallow skimming water; he stood sideways, hiding in the shadows of the alley entrance, and looked outward.

Outside the alley entrance was the Wild Lake behind the City God Temple.

On this night, there was strangely not a breath of wind; the lake surface was as still as glass, the crescent moon reflected in the water, and the shadows of trees and reeds by the lake were all perfectly still, without even a single stray sound.

This world seemed as if it were in a state of deathly silence.

Duan Rong's figure suddenly stalled, standing by the lake.

Hiding in the shadows of the alley entrance, Xie Daohan furrowed his brows.

Duan Rong had come to this lake in the middle of the night; could it be to meet someone? Perhaps the Xie Lei case was not something he had done alone!

He had an accomplice!

Just as Xie Daohan's thoughts were churning, Duan Rong's figure suddenly vanished by the lake.

Xie Daohan's gaze scanned everywhere; the tree shadows by the lake were silent, so where could Duan Rong's figure be?

Xie Daohan immediately lowered his body and, swift as a civet cat, darted out of the alley entrance.

Xie Daohan's figure flashed, and with a few leaps, he arrived near where Duan Rong's figure had disappeared; Xie Daohan raised his eyes to look around, but the lakeside was silent, without even a ghost of a shadow.

Xie Daohan had been staring fixedly at Duan Rong's figure; he could be certain that Duan Rong's figure had vanished suddenly, and the surrounding tree shadows were still, with not a single shadow swaying...

Xie Daohan's gaze tightened, and he slowly drew the barrier saber from his waist; the long, narrow blade flashed with a ghostly, cold light.

Grasping the saber, Xie Daohan walked slowly toward the place where Duan Rong had disappeared, treading softly.

He had clearly been staring tightly at Duan Rong's back, yet Duan Rong had vanished into thin air at that spot; when things are abnormal, there must be a demon, so he could not afford to be careless.

Xie Daohan walked to that spot; under the clear radiance of the cold moon, there was nothing there.

The withered wild grass clung to the surface of the ground, having just sprouted tiny green buds, and beside a rotten tree stump sat a broken pottery jar...

Xie Daohan walked closer, his gaze filled with astonishment, and he raised his eyes to look around!

At this very moment, a loud bang exploded!

The pottery jar beside the tree stump suddenly burst open; amidst the flying shards, Duan Rong's figure appeared abruptly, and at his hand, a Plum Blossom Afterimage suddenly manifested!

At close range, two points of cold light exploded outward! They went straight for Xie Daohan's eyes!

Xie Daohan's heart was filled with alarm as he saw the two points of cold light coming toward his eyes!

Xie Daohan's True Qi surged and exploded, his body attempting to retreat to avoid those two points of cold light!

But at this moment, his head suddenly felt a wave of dizziness, and his footsteps faltered.

Duan Rong had used the Bone Shrinking Technique to hide in the pottery jar and used Divine Sense Projection to investigate everything; just a moment ago, he had seized the opportunity to shoot out two Plum Blossom Needles while simultaneously releasing a Divine Soul Wave!

Xie Daohan's mind went blank for an instant, and the two poisonous Plum Blossom Needles flashed with cold light, striking his eyes!

The moment the two Plum Blossom Needles hit their mark, a flash of saber light from Duan Rong in mid-air was about to pierce toward the position of Xie Daohan's chest and heart!

But at this same time, the vibration of the Divine Soul Wave had already faded, and Xie Daohan struck back with his saber, his True Qi billowing, forcing Duan Rong to retreat.

The stronger the Mental Power, the shorter the duration of the momentary blankness caused by the oscillation of the Divine Soul Wave!

Xie Daohan's distraction lasted no more than the blink of an eye, not even a single breath.

This time was even shorter than Duan Rong had anticipated!

In that close-quarters attack just now, even though Duan Rong had achieved the Great Perfection realm, he had still nearly had his throat slit by Xie Daohan's blade.

Duan Rong's eyes showed lingering fear; he glanced at the Ox-Tail Saber in his hand under the moonlight, only to see a thumb-sized notch chipped into the center of the blade's edge.

Xie Daohan circulated his True Qi in a rush, and as the vigorous True Qi within his body passed through his eyes, two Silver Needles were instantly shot back!

Looking at the fearful Duan Rong under the moonlight, Xie Daohan gave a sinister smile. Just as he intended to attack with his saber, he suddenly felt his vision blur, and his eyes felt as if they were covered by a layer of water mist.

Xie Daohan circulated the True Qi in his body, and although he resisted the spread of the Red-Grade One poison within him, the surface of his irises had already been corroded by a layer due to the Red-Grade One poison on the Plum Blossom Needle.

Consequently, Xie Daohan's vision at this moment was as if covered by a layer of frosted glass.

Xie Daohan was greatly alarmed, and a chill ran down his spine.

The poison quenched on these Silver Needles was unexpectedly this potent; one had to know that under the protection of his True Qi, even Corpse Rot Poison could not have corroded his eye membranes within a single breath.

This meant that this brat actually possessed a poison even more formidable than Corpse Rot Poison!

This poison even had a certain corrosive effect when encountering a True Qi Realm expert.

It was just that, having traveled the jianghu for many years, how could he not know that such a formidable poison existed in the world!

Under the coverage of Duan Rong's Divine Sense, everything was visible down to the finest detail, and he naturally noticed the change in Xie Daohan's vision.

Duan Rong's figure flickered as he attacked Xie Daohan with his saber, wanting to take advantage of Xie Daohan's impaired vision to score a success with his blade!

The moment Duan Rong got close, Xie Daohan's earlobes twitched, a Blade Shadow flashed, and the Ox-Tail Saber in Duan Rong's hand flew backward; Duan Rong felt a cold numbness across his scalp like an electric shock, and his figure retreated violently, but he was still struck on his side ribs by the flat of Xie Daohan's blade as he suddenly turned sideways.

Fortunately, Duan Rong had mastered the Cloud Snake Step at the Great Perfection realm within Wild Boar Mountain, and his speed at this moment was several times faster than before, but even so, he still had two ribs broken by Xie Daohan's strike, and his internal organs were also shaken.

Duan Rong steadied his figure several feet away from Xie Daohan and spat out a mouthful of thick blood.

It was fortunate that he dodged quickly and Xie Daohan's eyes were impaired, otherwise that strike just now would have been impossible to block, and that blade would have cost him his life!

Duan Rong wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes full of fear!

Xie Daohan tilted his body slightly, holding his barrier saber horizontally in front of his chest, his earlobes twitching rhythmically.

Duan Rong noticed Xie Daohan's ears; he had not expected that this Xie Daohan actually possessed the skill of locating positions by sound.

And tonight, the heavens were not being kind, as there was not a breath of wind and everything was deathly silent, providing the perfect environment for Xie Daohan to locate him by sound.

Duan Rong's figure suddenly flickered, and clusters of Plum Blossom Afterimages bloomed at his side.

Amidst the Plum Blossom Afterimages, flying needles were shot out almost silently!

But even with such stealthy flying needles, the imperceptible sound was still captured by Xie Daohan's ability to locate by sound, and the flying needles shot by Duan Rong were actually knocked down one by one.

"Brat, whatever tricks you have, use them all. I have traveled the jianghu for half a lifetime; what storms have I not seen?!"

Duan Rong panted heavily and picked up the Ox-Tail Saber that had been knocked away by Xie Daohan at his feet.

Duan Rong gripped the Ox-Tail Saber with its two chipped edges in his hand, but his heart felt increasingly hollow.

He had to admit that the gap of a major realm was indeed like a chasm, difficult to cross!

He had already achieved the Great Perfection realm, only a hair's breadth away from the True Qi Realm.

And he had exhausted all his means and even seized the initiative!

But given the current situation, it was still very difficult for him to kill Xie Daohan.

It was just that he had been completely exposed in front of this person; if he did not kill Xie Daohan, the future troubles would be endless.

A look of hesitation appeared in Duan Rong's eyes.

In fact, he still had one means he could use, which was that he could use the Divine Soul Wave one more time!

He had repeatedly tested it within Wild Boar Mountain; with his current Divine Soul strength, he could use the Divine Soul Wave at most twice!

But after two times, his Divine Soul consumption would reach its limit, bringing waves of stinging pain!

It was just that Duan Rong's Divine Soul had already been significantly depleted; whether it was the Divine Sense Projection or the entanglement with Xie Daohan, both had consumed a considerable amount of his Divine Soul.

Under these circumstances, if he used the Divine Soul Wave again, he would very likely exhaust his Divine Soul.

The moment his Divine Soul was exhausted, he would definitely fall into a coma!

In that case, even if he killed Xie Daohan, he would still have a certain risk of being exposed!

While Duan Rong was caught in an internal struggle, Xie Daohan was actually moving his feet slowly!

"He wants to leave!?"

Duan Rong's gaze finally hardened, and he made up his mind: Xie Daohan must die!

Duan Rong suddenly attacked Xie Daohan with his saber, and Xie Daohan's ears twitched as he turned his blade to meet him.

Duan Rong flashed quickly and shouted: "Head Constable Xie, it was I who killed your nephew Xie Lei; today I will send you uncle and nephew to reunite in the underworld!"

Xie Daohan cursed: "Thieving brat! I knew it was you all along!"

Duan Rong spoke just to provoke Xie Daohan into opening his mouth; the moment Xie Daohan opened his mouth, Duan Rong urged his mind, and a Divine Soul Wave struck Xie Daohan.

Xie Daohan's figure stalled, and his brain went blank for an instant.

Duan Rong followed up with a flip of his hand, and three Poison Needles shot into Xie Daohan's mouth.

The blade in his right hand moved almost simultaneously, intending to slit Xie Daohan's throat.

The attack of the Divine Soul Wave lasted only for a fleeting instant.

Xie Daohan then regained consciousness; hearing the sound of wind rushing in his ears, he retreated violently, narrowly dodging Duan Rong's throat-slitting blade!

But those three Poison Needles had shot deep into his throat!

The poison spread with his saliva!

The Poison Needles in his eyes could only spread into his body along the capillaries of his eyes!

Therefore, he circulated his True Qi to seal them off and forced the poison out!

But at this moment, the poison had entered his throat and stomach, spreading and diffusing!

It was not something that could be sealed with a single circulation of True Qi; he had to mobilize the True Qi throughout his entire body to have any chance of controlling the poison from spreading toward his heart meridians.

Xie Daohan immediately sat cross-legged by the lakeshore, holding his saber in one hand and forming a palm with his left, slowly pressing down from his chest to his dantian!

He was circulating his Qi to force out the poison!

How could Duan Rong let him circulate his Qi to control the spread of the poison within his body? He immediately executed the Cloud Snake Step and attacked with his saber to harass him!

Xie Daohan's ears twitched; he had no choice but to fend off Duan Rong's attacks with his saber while simultaneously circulating his Qi to force out the poison!

But after all, he was only a Martial Artist at the True Qi Realm First Stage; the True Qi within his body was far from robust, and with Duan Rong's harassment, he had to divide his attention.

Gradually, the poison became uncontrollable and began to permeate his body!

Xie Daohan's entire body turned red, just like a boiled shrimp.

Duan Rong noticed the change in Xie Daohan's skin color; he knew very well that this was a sign that the poison of the First-Grade Red had gone deep.

Duan Rong's saber strikes grew more vigorous, pressing Xie Daohan and leaving several cuts on his non-lethal areas.

Although these wounds were not fatal, Duan Rong's blade was quenched with poison—also the poison of the First-Grade Red.

Seeing the toxin permeating his body and becoming difficult to control, Xie Daohan realized that new toxins were actually seeping into his body from the minor wounds Duan Rong had cut!

The attempt to force out the poison had already failed; the poison was now uncontrollable!

Xie Daohan suddenly leaped up, abandoning the attempt to force out the poison; at this moment, he grew ruthless in his heart, wanting to perish together with Duan Rong.

Duan Rong's Divine Soul was extremely exhausted at this moment, but he still held on and engaged in a fierce struggle with Xie Daohan!

Xie Daohan had clearly underestimated the potency of the First-Grade Red poison; he was now deeply poisoned, his movements and True Qi were already in disarray—how could he still be a match for Duan Rong!

Xie Daohan's footsteps staggered as he retreated step by step; Duan Rong's saber light flickered, and he gritted his teeth so hard he nearly bit through his lips, using the pain to stimulate himself so he would not pass out.

Xie Daohan had already retreated to the edge of the lake when Duan Rong suddenly erupted, his Ox-Tail Saber slicing from the temple at a slight upward angle, shearing off half of Xie Daohan's head in one strike!

Half of Xie Daohan's head fell to the ground with a clatter like a coconut shell, brain matter splattering everywhere!

His corpse also fell into the Wild Lake with a splash.

While in mid-air, Duan Rong had sliced open Xie Daohan's head; he had used the very last shred of his strength for this strike.

It was also at this moment that Duan Rong's Divine Soul was completely exhausted; his vision went black and he passed out, falling to the lakeshore and lying there motionless.

Xie Daohan's corpse falling into the lake created ripples, shattering the moon's reflection in the water!

The cold light of the waning moon shone upon the lakeshore, and Xie Daohan's half-severed skull was still wobbling like a roly-poly toy beside the unconscious Duan Rong...

(End of this chapter)