Chapter 351: Eighty, I Invite You to Die

Eighty, I Invite You to Die

Under Meng Shouguang's curious gaze, Ouyang Rong walked over to retrieve the zither case.

"Does Mr. Ouyang enjoy the art of the zither?"

Ouyang Rong smiled and did not answer.

Meng Shouguang watched as he slowly retrieved an ancient, plain zither case.

Meng Shouguang frowned slightly, shifted his attention, and glanced at the dark cyan sky outside the door, his eyes filled with worry.

"Your Highness, Mr. Ouyang, why don't we leave the city quickly? It's almost dawn. Appreciating treasures or zithers can wait until we reach a safe place."

He suggested solemnly to Wang Lixian and Ouyang Rong.

The flower hall was quiet; no one answered him.

Meng Shouguang looked around and suddenly discovered that the Prince, the Princess, the Heir, the little Princess, and that noble lady of the Xie clan were all tilting their heads, looking at that Ouyang Lianghan.

They were all staring intently, ignoring his suggestion.

Only the sound of his own voice remained in the hall.

The atmosphere was cold, and Meng Shouguang looked a bit awkward, scratching his head:

"Your Highness, everyone, what is going on? Why has everyone stopped talking? Did I say something wrong..."

"General Meng."

Ouyang Rong suddenly spoke.

His hands were skillfully unlocking the complex mechanisms of the zither case as he said casually:

"You are proficient in Qi Refining; have you ever heard of a type of Qi Refiner who is as fragile as glass yet possesses peerless killing power?"

Meng Shouguang's eyes revealed deep thought:

"What Mr. Ouyang is speaking of... could it be the legendary Sword-Wielder's Broken Pulse?"

He nodded earnestly:

"That should be it, fitting the conditions Mr. Ouyang mentioned.

"However, I have never seen one. Qi Refiners who follow the Sword-Wielder's Broken Pulse are perhaps even rarer than the Divine Continent's Celestials, who are seen but never fully glimpsed.

"The main issue is that the Xin Dingjian is hard to find. The number of Tripod Swords existing in the world does not exceed the count of one hand. If a Sword-Wielder lacks a Xin Dingjian, they are like a fish without water or a bird without wings. Let alone being fragile as glass, their killing power is negligible, leaving them to be slaughtered by others..."

"Is it this?"

Meng Shouguang's words were interrupted, and he couldn't help but frown. But the next instant, his eyes widened like copper bells as he watched someone in front of him pinch an arc of light from the zither case with two fingers, casually handing it over, signaling him to admire it.

The arc was deep blue and translucent, like the ripples of a lake reflecting the blue sky, stirred by a gentle breeze.

Meng Shouguang had never seen such a mythical object; its colors were dreamlike, yet it had come from a zither case that had looked unremarkable just a moment ago.

"Mr. Ouyang, could this be... the legendary Xin Dingjian!?"

"Mmhmm."

Ouyang Rong smiled at him, noncommittal, maintaining the posture of pinching and handing over the "arc."

Meng Shouguang swallowed hard, wiped his hands on his robes, and reached out to take it.

The next moment, he saw the arc of light twist left and right, break free from Ouyang Rong's fingers, and fly upward.

It stopped in mid-air.

It hung quietly three feet above the heads of Ouyang Rong and Meng Shouguang.

Meng Shouguang looked up, his expression dazed. The next moment, he reacted and asked in shock:

"Wait, could Mr. Ouyang be a Sword-Wielder?"

"That's right. Eh, I still couldn't escape General Meng's discerning eyes."

"Mr. Ouyang is joking. Since such a legendary object has appeared and the conversation has reached this point, how could I not have guessed..."

Meng Shouguang's gaze toward Ouyang Rong became increasingly respectful:

"I haven't asked yet, what grade of Sword-Wielder is Mr. Ouyang?"

"Not high, just Grade 9," Ouyang Rong said with a smile.

Meng Shouguang said calmly:

"That is already a heaven-gifted talent..." He asked again: "I haven't asked its true name; which one of the legendary ones is it?"

"Zhe Yao (Broken Waist)."

"Why have I never heard of it? Could it be that I am ignorant?" Meng Shouguang's eyes showed confusion. By now, he no longer urged them to leave. After a pause, he asked cautiously instead:

"Mr. Ouyang, may I ask which sword technique you have mastered?"

Xie Lingjiang, Wang Lixian, and the others looked sideways, discovering that Ouyang Rong was very patient:

"The 'Gui Qu Lai Xi Ci' (Return Home Poem), a sword technique of the former cold-scholar."

"Cold-scholar sword technique? I have heard of this. Rumor has it that every sword technique is a Xin Dingjian divine ability, a peerless killing art."

"That is correct."

"Does Mr. Ouyang have it too?"

Ouyang Rong nodded and confessed:

"Yes, the cold-scholar's Xin Dingjian divine ability is called 'Gui Qu Lai Xi,' and it requires setting up a sword formation."

Meng Shouguang said with a look of relief:

"That's good now. We have two Grade 7 Qi Refiners and one legendary Sword-Wielder near Grade 7. Leaving the city this time, we will definitely be safe and sound."

"That makes sense."

Ouyang Rong agreed. His willingness to answer everything and his frankness moved Meng Shouguang:

"Mr. Ouyang, Your Highness, I didn't expect you to trust me so much."

"It's fine, we are all our own people. We are about to hit the road."

Ouyang Rong smiled. Beside him, Wang Lixian also nodded with effort and smiled at Meng Shouguang.

Meng Shouguang was greatly encouraged and immediately stood up:

"Good, good, good. Let's go quickly, it's about to be dawn."

Ouyang Rong sat in his chair, not moving a muscle:

"Yes, good."

Watching him not move at all, Meng Shouguang was confused:

"Mr. Ouyang? Your Highness? Why isn't everyone moving?"

"Wait, there are still three breaths left." Ouyang Rong did not treat him as an outsider at all.

"What three breaths?" Meng Shouguang's eyes were confused: "Mr. Ouyang, you are speaking, but why don't I understand..."

Ouyang Rong sighed helplessly: "Stop talking for a moment, I am setting up the sword formation."

"Setting up a sword? Setting... setting up what kind of sword..."

The air in the flower hall fell into a deathly silence.

Meng Shouguang stiffened.

Wang Lixian and Li Dalang averted their eyes, unable to bear watching.

Wei Mei's expression was somewhat indignant.

Xie Lingjiang and Li Guoer cast cold gazes at the long-armed man who was standing directly beneath the suspended arc of light, dumbfounded.

Ouyang Rong's lips curled into a smile. Even though a Grade 7 martial artist stood before him, he gave him enough face to wait the full fifteen breaths, granting him the same treatment as a Grade 6 Qi Refiner like Qiu Shenji.

"Why!"

The long-armed man suddenly roared, his tone filled with shock and confusion.

Unfortunately, the answer he received was the deathly silence of the crowd, and... Zhe Yao.

Meng Shouguang lunged at the smiling young man in front of him, his speed so fast it created an afterimage, but he was cut in half at the waist by an arc.

Literally cut in half.

*Zhi ci—! *

A muffled, light sound that gave a sense of obstruction echoed in the flower hall.

To Ouyang Rong's ears, it sounded like scissors cutting through leather or other tough materials—both the resistance brought by the material's own toughness and the clean, crisp snap of the incredibly sharp scissors cutting through it quickly.

The long-armed man was cut into four pieces.

Upper body, lower body, left forearm, and half of his right palm.

Clearly, he had been cut in half at the waist by this deep blue arc of light.

Ouyang Rong maintained his seated posture, lowering his eyes to watch the four pieces of Meng Shouguang twitching and struggling on the ground.

The air was filled with the smell of blood and the stench of organs like intestines. Li Dalang's face turned pale, and he suddenly covered his mouth and began to retch. Besides him, Xie Lingjiang, Li Guoer, Wang Lixian, and Wei Mei endured their physiological discomfort and gathered around.

Xie Lingjiang silently picked up the zither case.

The "Arc" spun in the air like a victorious little hen, showing off before returning to the half-open zither case in Xie Lingjiang's arms.

From setting up the sword formation to the "Broken Waist," the craftsmanship was clean and crisp throughout, without a hint of hesitation.

Furthermore, no blood splattered out; only after the prey was divided into four pieces did dark red blood overflow from the cross-sections of the wounds.

"General Meng, come, let's have a heart-to-heart talk."

Ouyang Rong nodded toward the upper body of the "four pieces of Meng Shouguang" that was still struggling. He pointed his index finger toward the main gate:

"Is there someone waiting for the Prince, the Heir, and me outside for a long time? Once we leave the mansion and the city, will there be a bunch of fireworks and firecrackers to warmly welcome us?"

"Heh... heh..."

Meng Shouguang coughed violently from his bloody mouth, his intestines and organs spilling all over the ground. He did not answer Ouyang Rong's question, instead using his upper body to crawl desperately toward the main gate, as if to "have a heart-to-heart" with the crowd. His face was ferocious:

"Ouyang Lianghan, you... you are despicable and shameless, daring to plot against me, you shameless villain! Why don't you face me head-on... I won't let you go even as a ghost..."

Li Guoer watched coldly, mocking:

"Father had the grace of promoting you. If it weren't for Ouyang Lianghan today, we would have been deceived by a 'loyal subject' like you. Is this how you repay Father?"

Meng Shouguang's upper body twitched violently, and he turned his head to roar at Wang Lixian:

"I was the one who saved your life in the beginning! As for the so-called grace of promotion, after sitting on the bench for so many years, I paid it back long ago! Now you owe me a life, so what!"

Li Dalang, who had been retching, suddenly walked forward. He picked up a stool and smashed it violently against the twisted, bloody face of this "Uncle Meng"—once, twice, three times, like a hammer hitting a wooden stake.

Facing this "repayment of grace" from his old general, Wang Lixian stood dazed, his face filled with sorrow.

Meng Shouguang, who had been a fierce Grade 7 martial artist just a moment ago, had his face smashed into a bloody mess by Li Dalang, who had no strength to truss a chicken. His dantian had been destroyed along with his waist, and he wailed incessantly, unable to resist, gradually breathing his last.

The crowd looked sideways at the figure who was smashing the man frantically.

*Clang. *

The stool slipped from Li Dalang's hand. He fell and sat in the pool of blood, his expression dazed, before he began to retch wildly again.

Ouyang Rong stood up and walked over.

"Aunt, take Dalang down to calm down."

He took a small wooden tube from his bosom, tilted it, and poured a thin stream of Burning Heaven Jiao Oil onto Meng Shouguang's corpse, the tables, chairs, and tea trays.

The amount of Burning Heaven Jiao Oil he carried was not enough to completely destroy the corpse, but a large fire would suffice.

Ouyang Rong walked over, took a lamp, and handed it to Wang Lixian:

"Your Highness, wait for me here. From now on, until I return, no one is allowed to leave the mansion."

"Good."

Ouyang Rong asked Wei Mei again: "Is there any of the medicine for feigning illness that you requested from Zao Ge Mountain earlier?"

"There is one left, in the secret compartment of the master bedroom."

"Get it."

"Good."

After making arrangements, Ouyang Rong walked out of the flower hall, followed by Li Guoer and Xie Lingjiang.

A short while later, the door to a certain reception hall was opened from the outside.

"Brother Lianghan! Princess, Miss Xie, what are you..."

Wang Junzhi turned his head, looking curiously at the group that had arrived in the middle of the night.

Li Guoer followed behind, and Xie Lingjiang was holding a zither case.

Ouyang Rong walked over, sat down in front of Wang Junzhi, and stared at him without speaking.

"What was that commotion outside just now?"

Ouyang Rong did not answer.

Li Guoer walked over, picked up a pear from the fruit plate, took a letter-sword from her sleeve, and lowered her head to carefully peel it.

Of the three who entered, one sat silently, one held a zither, and one peeled a pear.

Wang Junzhi felt the atmosphere was a bit off and wanted to speak.

At this moment, Xie Lingjiang stepped forward and reached out to Wang Junzhi.

The latter reacted and immediately handed back the moonlight longsword that might have forced him to commit suicide.

Wang Junzhi breathed a sigh of relief.

Li Guoer suddenly raised her head, handed Wang Junzhi a peeled pear, and smiled with her pretty face.

Wang Junzhi was flattered: "Thank you, Your Highness."

Xie Lingjiang glanced at it. In the past, when discussing matters in the study, it was always she who peeled pears and handed them to the Senior Brother to eat; it had almost become a habit. Li Guoer had never taken the initiative to peel a pear for anyone else.

Wang Junzhi smiled faintly and waved the plump pear in his hand:

"It seems the Prince and Brother Lianghan have already made their choice."

"Smart." Ouyang Rong nodded.

Wang Junzhi, who had a cleanliness obsession, wiped the pear with a handkerchief. Before he could take a bite, Ouyang Rong suddenly asked:

"Brother Wang, why did you go to Yuan Huaimin to ask about the 'Gui Qu Lai Xi Ci' and the 'Peach Blossom Spring'?"

Wang Junzhi's expression did not change: "I admire Tao Qian, it's just an interest."

"I know the 'Gui Qu Lai Xi Ci,' would you like me to recite it for you?"

Ouyang Rong asked with a smile.

Wang Junzhi was stunned: "You..."

Ouyang Rong interrupted: "Searching for sword techniques, so does Li Gong have a Xin Dingjian? Or perhaps a clue."

Wang Junzhi's expression did not change: "What sword technique, what Xin Dingjian, I don't understand."

The next instant, he saw the zither case in Xie Lingjiang's arms open with a *clang*, and an "Arc" floated in front of Ouyang Rong, emitting mythical colors.

"Coincidentally, I have this thing too." Ouyang Rong smiled apologetically.

Wang Junzhi's expression became incredibly brilliant: "You... you are also a Sword-Wielder!"

"So Brother Wang, among the four of you—Li Gong, Mr. Wei, and Brother Du—who else is a Sword-Wielder?"

Wang Junzhi did not answer, swallowed hard, and couldn't help but say more:

"Li Gong and Mr. Wei didn't expect you to be a Sword-Wielder, and you even have an unheard-of Xin Dingjian...

"Brother Lianghan, the power of a Xin Dingjian is hard for a single Sword-Wielder to fully unleash because raising one's cultivation is too difficult. We know how to use it to the maximum extent. Join us! If you join, it won't just be the position of Left Chief Clerk. If we unite, great things can be achieved!"

"Unite? Unite to do what great things?"

"Naturally, to overthrow the tyrannical Wei."

"And then?" he asked calmly.

"Then, restore the Li Gan!"

"Still the same old set of emperors and generals, right? Nothing new."

A hint of disappointment flashed in Ouyang Rong's eyes. He stood up, walked to the door, and turned back to say:

"Uncle Li asked me to open the door and let you out, but Uncle has a small request. Can Brother Wang satisfy it?"

Wang Junzhi smiled: "Brother Lianghan, please speak."

"I invite you to die."

Ouyang Rong said softly, looking apologetic: "Please take your corpse out."

Wang Junzhi's smile stiffened, and his expression changed drastically.

*Puchi—! *

A letter-sword was fiercely plunged into his abdomen.

"Uh... uh..." Wang Junzhi tried hard to wipe the gushing abdominal blood with his clean white handkerchief, widened his eyes, and questioned Li Guoer: "Princess, why... why..."

Responding to him were three consecutive stabs—*pu, pu, pu*. Wang Junzhi collapsed like mud, curled his body in pain, and slowly closed his eyes.

The pear rolled onto the floor, stained with bright red abdominal blood.

Li Guoer's pretty face was calm. She bent down to pick up the bloody pear, reached out with one hand, and handed it to Ouyang Rong.

Ouyang Rong looked at her sideways, then glanced at the pear flesh tightly gripped in the blood-stained slender hand in front of him.

Noticing his gaze, Li Guoer pursed her lips. Surprisingly, she didn't show her usual haughty "take it or leave it" attitude. She bent down, wiped her hand with her skirt, used the sword tip to shave off half of the bloody pear, and handed it over again.

Ouyang Rong silently took the half-clean pear, took a bite of the flesh, and strode out the door, followed by Li Guoer and Xie Lingjiang.

"Looking at it now, the possibility you mentioned is very likely."

Li Guoer's voice suddenly came from behind, analyzing calmly:

"If General Qin hasn't been exposed and instead knows exactly what the situation is outside, then the best choice is indeed to keep the begonia flower unchanged, letting us do nothing in the Prince's mansion, rather than changing it to a cuckoo flower, which would lead to wild guessing."

"What a brilliant Golden Blade Strategy."

Ouyang Rong smiled broadly:

"Let's go, let's go see them. Don't keep Magistrate Wang and the Grade 6 palace maid waiting too long."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 352 =====