Chapter 22

On the Shanyin Ancient Road, two fast horses galloped past. The man on the white horse wore a long ink-colored gown, his expression composed and cold; he was none other than the Third Young Master of the Mu State, Ye Xuanshang, who had been ambushed at Feng Shui Du a few days ago. Beside him, a purple swallow horse rode neck-and-neck with his, and the woman on the horse, with her black robes fluttering, looked like a fairy—it was Zi Rao, who had been traveling with him for several days.

The two fast horses turned around a mountain col and suddenly slowed down in unison. Ye Xuanshang raised his brows, pulled the reins, patted his horse to comfort it, and said to Zi Rao, "Passing through the mountain stream ahead is Wangliang Valley. Let's leave the horses here; bringing them inside will only be a burden."

Zi Rao dismounted with him. At this moment, the horses seemed very restless, frequently stamping their hooves and neighing, refusing to take another step forward, as if some invisible danger ahead was causing them fear and terror. Zi Rao gently stroked the horse's back with her hand, her palm emitting a soft true power as she tried to soothe them. Her phoenix eyes turned gently, and she said to Ye Xuanshang, "Wangliang Valley is not a fun place. I have a reason that I must go, but you have no need to truly risk your life with me."

Ye Xuanshang looked up at her, raised his hand, and struck down. The two horses let out a muffled neigh in unison and collapsed softly to the ground, falling into a coma. He took the water skin from the horse and tossed it to Zi Rao, "It's a pity that I was born liking adventure. Keep this well. It's inevitable that these two horses would be attacked by wild beasts if left in the desolate mountains; this way, they will suffer less. Let's go!"

Traveling together, Zi Rao had become quite accustomed to his decisive and slightly overbearing style of doing things, so she did not mind, but instead laughed, "The journey ahead is dangerous. If I happen to become a ghost in the desolate mountains in the valley, don't blame me."

Ye Xuanshang laughed aloud, leaned toward her, his eyes deep and bright, "What if it's dangerous? With a beauty by my side, Xuanshang would have no regrets even in death!"

Zi Rao glanced at him and scolded, "You really never hide your lust."

Ye Xuanshang said while walking, "Eating and sex are human nature. There is no man in this world who can remain calm when seeing beauty, but unfortunately, women always love to believe those hypocritical gentlemen. I, Ye Xuanshang, like what I like; why should I hide it?"

"Oh?" Zi Rao's smoky brows rippled slightly, and she teased him, "In that case, since you are not a gentleman, does that mean you are a villain?"

Ye Xuanshang did not take offense, "Gentleman or villain, it's nothing more than the talk of the world. Following one's own path is true freedom; why do you care about them?"

In the Imperial City, Zi Rao usually saw only fawning palace slaves and officials who followed the rules. These people either respected her like a heavenly maiden or feared her like a demon, all of them cautious in their words and actions. Although Zi Hao was close to her, he had been deep in thought since childhood, and he rarely spoke his inner thoughts to others, so he would never talk to her like Ye Xuanshang. Being with Ye Xuanshang, she was not some demure and chaste lady, and he was not some gentle and polite gentleman. This had a somewhat unbridled flavor, which made her feel it was very special.

While they were talking, the two had already entered the canyon ahead. Countless thousand-year-old vines hung down from the cliffs, forming layers of huge waterfalls that covered the entire mountain ridge. The dark and sickly green vines were intertwined, and beside them were dangerous ravines and perilous cliffs. Walking all the way, except for the monotonous sound of water, they felt no vitality, nor did they see any birds or beasts, as if there were no other living creatures left in the world.

This was still the edge of Wangliang Valley, and it did not look very dangerous, but the dead silence in the deep mountains made people feel extremely oppressed. Although the two talked and laughed freely, they were both secretly alert. Wangliang Valley was a major dangerous place in the Jianghu, and no one knew how many people had gone there and never returned. Even though they were highly skilled and bold, they dared not take it lightly.

After walking for less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick, Zi Rao's footsteps suddenly slowed down. At the same time, Ye Xuanshang turned his head to look. The two looked at each other, and Ye Xuanshang said in a low voice, "Eighteen people on the right, ten steps away."

The Mysterious Penetrating True Qi in Zi Rao's body circulated, and her hearing and vision extended infinitely. Every slight movement in the entire canyon was captured in her heart. The nearly invisible breathing of the dozen or so people lurking behind the giant vines suddenly became clearly audible, "There are also eighteen on the left. It's the 'Freedom Formless' from the 'Great Freedom Four Seasons Method'; they are hidden very well."

Although the two were talking, there was no abnormality on their faces, and they continued to move forward. The Great Freedom Four Seasons Method was the martial arts masterpiece of the Houfeng State: the first method, Carefree, is endless and boundless; the second method, Sumeru, has no beginning and no end; the third method, Formless, destroys all forms; the fourth method, As You Wish, follows the heart in all things. Years ago, the Houfeng State split into five states and was destroyed by the combined forces of Chu and Xuan. The remnants of one of these states established an organization called the "Freedom Hall," which traded intelligence between countries and engaged in espionage and assassination. Because these people were proficient in the Great Freedom Four Seasons Method and were good at hiding their tracks and evading pursuit, they rarely failed in their actions, and in recent years, they had become one of the most terrifying black-market gangs in the Jianghu. Judging by the way the newcomers hid their tracks, this group of assassins was clearly subordinates of the Freedom Hall.

In the Great Freedom Four Seasons Method, the Freedom Formless Method is a technique of concealment. Practitioners can borrow the Five Elements to hide in any surrounding object, making it extremely difficult to be discovered. Relying on this method, assassinations and sneak attacks were often successful in one strike. If it weren't for the fact that everything was extremely sensitive in front of this dead Wangliang Valley, Zi Rao and Ye Xuanshang might not have been able to detect the danger lurking around in advance.

There was no wind in the world, and the sunlight was silent. The footsteps of the two stepped on the thick dead leaves, making a dull and slight "rustling" sound.

One step, two steps... After ten steps, the dead leaves at the bottom of the valley suddenly rose without wind, and strange changes occurred all around!

On both sides of the high cliffs, countless thick, giant vines that had been hanging still like death suddenly shot straight forward at the same time, shooting toward Zi Rao and Ye Xuanshang, who were walking side by side. A huge circular wheel seemed to appear in mid-air, and the sun dimmed instantly. When they got close, thousands of giant vines flew and rolled, as if turning into spirit snakes, suddenly wrapping the two in the center tightly. In the valley, only a huge, emerald-green vortex could be seen, with fast wind and shadows, and flying gravel. The two in the center of the vortex had completely disappeared.

Suddenly, a low and contemptuous cold snort came from the fierce battle. A soul-snatching sword light flew up like lightning from the dense vortex, like a white dragon circling and roaring in the Nine Heavens, destroying clouds and breaking through fog. Wherever the white light went, several muffled groans sounded in succession, and the tightly constricted battle circle suddenly expanded.

At the same time, several ink butterflies suddenly flashed among the intertwined vine shadows. The butterfly wings trembled slightly, turning into thousands of phantoms, and with another tremble, golden light flickered like fire. In the blink of an eye, the entire area of vines was entangled by the ink butterflies fluttering and circling, occasionally scattering dots of bright silver light, like stars and rain.

At this moment, following a pleasant low laugh, a clear and charming figure rushed into the sky from the butterfly shadows. With sleeves flying and robes swirling, a dark and brilliant nebula seemed to spread above the empty valley, with clear light splashing and starlight falling, blindingly bright.

"Hit!"

Amidst the clear laughter, all the ink butterflies simultaneously bloomed with scorching sparks, and pieces of flowing light flew and dazzled, splashing like rain. The giant vines broke, caught fire upon contact, and were swallowed by the flames one after another, falling and bursting. The center of the vortex suddenly revealed Ye Xuanshang's cold sword shadow and the dozen or so men in black who were besieging him.

The Five Elements cycle: Metal overcomes Wood, and Yang Wood generates Fire. The barrier that the Freedom Hall relied on to hide was tragically destroyed, leaving nothing behind. Before the leading masked men could react, cold light appeared before their eyes, as if they saw a wicked dragon flying and roaring, bringing with it thousands of silver rays. In the midst of their souls flying and spirits racing, the cold sword edge took their blood, and a suffocating pain in their necks became the last feeling of their lives.

The sword light faded. Ye Xuanshang stood coldly with his sword in hand. Beside him, a wisp of light cloud, carrying an alluring and lingering faint fragrance, landed on the blood-colored flowers that covered the ground. The Mysterious Goddess, stepping on red lotuses, looked down at the chaos with lowered eyes, a faint smile on her otherworldly face, clear and cold.

"The Dao is free, but freedom is hard to seek. The heart desires to be formless, but evil illusions grow in clusters. With only this level of cultivation, the Freedom Hall has met Mingyi Tower today; this golden signboard of yours is considered smashed."

The charming and lazy words made the pupils of the masked men surrounding them shrink sharply, their gazes shifting uncertainly as they sized up Zi Rao. After a moment, the leader of the other side said, "The Freedom Hall and Mingyi Tower have nothing to do with each other. You leave, and we will respectfully see you off, but he must stay."

Zi Rao glanced to the side leisurely, "They are looking for you."

Ye Xuanshang said, "I don't know how many of these goods are sent to my door every year. Under my Guili Sword, no one has ever returned alive."

Zi Rao sighed faintly, "Sigh... two people killing is always faster than one, don't you think?"

Ye Xuanshang's lips curled into a smile, "I suppose so."

Before the words had even faded, strange light flashed in their eyes at the same time. Two dark shadows drifted rapidly, both rolling toward the people around them without distinction!

Charming clothes are soul-stirring, slaying hearts and destroying spirits; cold sword light is chilling, bloodthirsty and life-taking. Even though the assassins of the Freedom Hall were not weak in martial arts, how could they withstand such a joint surprise attack? They could dodge Zi Rao's slender jade hands, but not Ye Xuanshang's three-foot blue blade; they could avoid Ye Xuanshang's heart-destroying palm power, but could not escape Zi Rao's soul-chasing long sleeves. In the canyon, the chilling murderous aura was filled with sword light, and clouds and wind swirled with flying blood. Amidst the sword energy filling the sky, the two stood back-to-back, with no worries about their backs. Their hands were all offense and no defense, moving freely and easily, and almost no one beside them could withstand a single blow.

The Freedom Hall suffered heavy losses. The leader had the deepest cultivation and had avoided the killing moves from both sides several times. Scanning with the corner of his eye, he was horrified to find that less than half of his companions remained, so he immediately roared, "Escape!"

Hearing this, the masked men in the siege stopped fighting and retreated violently. In mid-air, only figures could be seen flashing, and a group of people actually disappeared into the canyon out of thin air.

Ye Xuanshang gave a cold laugh, the long sword in his hand sprang up, fell accurately into the scabbard on his back, and he leaned over slightly. His true energy instantly condensed in his palms, and he struck downward with lightning speed!

"Break!"

Amidst the sharp shout, a thick and overbearing true energy penetrated into the ground. The mountain rocks covered by fallen leaves around them suddenly bulged with several cracks moving forward at high speed, like a dragon roaring in the Nether Pool, rushing in all directions.

In an instant, the earth collapsed and rocks split in the valley, and branches and leaves flew. Accompanied by several clear groans, the few people who had just used the Freedom Formless Method to hide were forced out of the ground, rushing into mid-air, while simultaneously lifting their bodies and turning their energy, transforming into fierce raptors and suddenly pouncing downward.

Just at this moment, a very low and soft sigh sounded in everyone's ears. Amidst the sigh, a dark figure drifted gently and pierced into the sky full of blade light. The pure Yin true energy transformed into ice silk, and ten thousand rays of clear, bright, and beautiful flowing light danced and swirled with that dark, cold color. The pure colors from dark to white filled the world, suddenly the brilliance flourished, and in an instant, the entire universe became empty, finally leaving only a piece of pure and dazzling brightness.

Several muffled sounds of bodies hitting the ground, the mysterious light was confusing, and pieces of enchanting residual red danced like butterflies with the dead leaves. The valley was quiet, and everything was silent.

Zi Rao stood quietly in the falling red rain, as if she had never left, only seeing her light-cloud-like sleeves drifting away, dancing without wind. Under the ethereal sky, her heavenly face looked like it was carved from cold jade, and she sighed with a smile that was not a smile, "Years of cultivation are not easy; why bother coming here to die?"

Ye Xuanshang scanned the area with his tiger eyes and came to her side, "If you want someone else's life, you must be prepared to lose your own at any time; it's only fair."

Zi Rao looked up. The usual laziness was gone from his brows, replaced by chilling coldness and murderous intent, and extremely confident arrogance. Whenever he killed someone, he always had this expression on his face, making his opponents fearful and his companions feel secure. The two had cooperated seamlessly in this joint effort to defeat the enemy, and at this moment, a strange feeling was quietly born between them. Zi Rao smiled and opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly saw his sword brows knit, and cold light appeared in his eyes. She asked with her eyes, and Ye Xuanshang said calmly, "Thirty."

Zi Rao's mind was so sharp that she lowered her eyes and scanned, immediately understanding what he meant, "Six more."

Their eyes met, and Ye Xuanshang gestured slightly toward the rushing mountain stream beside them. Zi Rao's lips curled into a faint smile, a drop of peach-colored nail polish condensed on her fingertips, and she secretly turned the Cold Ice Heart Method, suddenly waving her sleeves and flicking her fingers. Several cold rays shot out in response, sinking into the stream water with a faint, cold, and sharp whistling sound.

The moment the ice needles entered the water, there was a loud bang in the mountain stream, and six water columns rushed into the sky. The assassins who had hidden in the water and were waiting for an opportunity were forced out by the highly toxic poison. Amidst the splashing water, blade light suddenly appeared!

But they were still a step too slow; Ye Xuanshang's sword had already turned into a flying rainbow, breaking through the water from the air!

When the white water columns fell, they scattered into blood rain. Ye Xuanshang's dragon-like figure passed through them, and several people behind him were thrown down. The last person was pierced through the heart by the long sword and nailed to the hard mountain rock, his eyes wide open, and his black face mask slowly slipped off.

Exposed before them was a face devoid of life, filled with the fear, unwillingness, and despair of the moment life ended. For some reason, Ye Xuanshang suddenly shook violently when he saw this face clearly, and monstrous waves surged in his eyes, which were usually calm to the point of ruthlessness.

Blood flowed out along the sword edge, and the sound of the corpse falling into the water behind him was like a heavy drum, drowning out all other sounds. He pulled out his long sword violently, and as he waved it down in the flying blood, a token on the man's waist was revealed, which was as familiar to him as this face—it was the White Tiger Gold Token from the Mu State Royal Palace, which the Old Mu King used to mobilize his personal guards.

Was it that his father had finally taken action? Or had the Royal Palace already fallen completely under the control of the Crown Prince? No matter which answer it was, it clearly meant one thing—his father truly did not have many days left.

After a moment of shock, Ye Xuanshang quickly regained his composure. He looked coldly at the corpse as it went limp and rolled into the stream along the giant rock. He turned around expressionlessly, walked to the water's edge, threw his long sword aside, knelt on one knee, and leaned over to scoop up the cold stream water. The splashing water droplets hit his face densely, and as they flowed down, they carried a faint blood-red color. The coolness of the stream water made his mind suddenly clear. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and suddenly heard a clear and charming voice beside him, slightly sighing, "The Third Young Master of the Mu State is truly as famous as his reputation!"

Zi Rao did not know when she had arrived nearby. Ye Xuanshang looked up abruptly, and clear water droplets slid down his handsome and cold face. It was clearly the pure and icy transparency of cold mountain water, but under a sudden ray of sunlight, it revealed a breathtaking dominance. After looking at her like this for a long time, he suddenly smiled, "You knew my identity long ago."

Zi Rao said, "There are not many people who make Crown Prince Yu so wary that he must kill them to be satisfied. You have been in the Chu State for six years and have experienced nearly a hundred assassinations of all sizes, yet you are safe and sound. Nowadays, there are few people in the Jianghu who do not know the name of the Third Young Master Ye."

Ye Xuanshang stood up and sheathed his sword, his voice cold, "I didn't expect that thanks to my big brother, the name Ye Xuanshang would actually become famous throughout the world."

Zi Rao's gaze turned to the rushing current in the stream, where the corpses of the Freedom Hall assassins had long been swept away, leaving no trace, "Is it the same this time?" she asked nonchalantly.

Ye Xuanshang's eyes narrowed slightly, surprised by her sharpness, but he changed the subject without a trace, "You know my identity, but I don't know who you are. This is not very fair."

Zi Rao raised her brows slightly, "Why, you don't know who I am?"

Ye Xuanshang said, "Mingyi Tower, or a descendant of the Witch Clan? I don't think it's that simple."

Facing the sharp light hidden deep in his eyes, Zi Rao's brows were delicate, and she smiled lightly, "It seems I couldn't hide it from you sooner or later. How about this: if you and I leave Wangliang Valley alive, I will tell you, how about that?"

Ye Xuanshang looked at her deeply, then smiled, "Good, it's a deal."

Zi Rao raised her charming eyes, "It's a deal."

(End of Chapter)