Chapter 183: The Insider Exposed, Fighting Out of the Siege

The sharp whistle was piercing, shattering the silent stillness of Tranquil Heart Pavilion.

In the study, Zhang Jun had already come to blows with three Shadow Organization agents. His pure yang energy erupted, his fists whistling as he struck, leaving those three only able to dodge, unable to get close.

"You've got guts! Dare to come here!" an agent shouted, his dagger thrust straight at Zhang Jun's lower body, vicious indeed.

Lin Xue gripped the jade box, focusing completely, ready to help Zhang Jun at any moment.

Just then, the door leading to the inner courtyard burst open with a bang as someone kicked it in from outside!

Wood chips flew everywhere as an old man in a dark Qin Family robe, his face drawn long, led seven or eight knife-wielding Qin Family guards, charging in with a menacing presence.

"Third Elder!" a Shadow agent exclaimed upon seeing the arrival, his voice tinged with a hint of joy.

Zhang Jun's heart skipped a beat, his anger flaring up: "The Qin Family really has a traitor! A bunch of dogs who bite the hand that feeds them!"

This old man was none other than the Qin Family's usually quiet but weighty-speaking Third Elder, Qin Yuechuan. Now his face held none of its usual amiability; he looked like a fiendish demon, his greed impossible to hide.

"Zhang Jun, Lin Xue, heaven has a road you refuse to take, hell has no gate you break into!" Qin Yuechuan's hoarse, unpleasant voice snarled, "Hand over the secret of the Divine Farmer Cauldron and the Medicine Sect's inheritance, and I'll let you die a quick death!"

No sooner had his words fallen than he thrust a palm forward, its wind icy and cold, the technique surprisingly resembling that of the Shadow Organization!

"Old dog, you're not worthy!" Zhang Jun flared with rage, the Yang Jade blazing bright as he launched a reverse punch.

"Boom!"

Fist and palm collided, explosive force bursting forth; books on the shelves clattered down. Zhang Jun felt a yin-cold energy pierce his body, he grunted and swayed.

Qin Yuechuan's skill was no worse than the Black Judge's two black-clad guardians—in fact, it was even stronger!

"Xue'er, be careful!" Zhang Jun shouted urgently.

Lin Xue, however, remained calm; she flipped her wrist, slipping the jade box into her bosom. With a flick of her fingers, several silver needles formed a pin shape, flying straight at Qin Yuechuan's face.

She followed with a flash backward, retreating behind a tall bookshelf, tapping her toe on the floor as several packets of multicolored medicinal powder were already pinched in her hand.

"Tricks!" Qin Yuechuan snorted, flicked his sleeve, and the silver needles fell. He barked at his guards: "Get them! Kill them and seize the treasure!"

The Qin Family guards and Shadow agents immediately swarmed up, blades flashing, instantly surrounding Zhang Jun and Lin Xue.

In the melee, a Shadow agent spotted an opening and slashed a knife toward the sleeve where Lin Xue kept the map.

Lin Xue dodged sideways, but the knife's wind still grazed the edge of the ancient map.

"Rip!"

The oilcloth wrapping the ancient map was slit open.

Just then, Qin Yuechuan struck with a palm, its force considerable. Lin Xue couldn't dodge, so she bore the brunt; the palm wind swept over the torn ancient map.

Something strange happened!

The yellowed animal-skin map, blown by the energy, had its torn spot emit a faint glow! Beneath the glow, the formerly blurry map revealed several tiny, shining marks, one of which seemed to point to a certain place northwest of the capital!

"What is that?" Zhang Jun, sharp-eyed, saw the flickering light.

Lin Xue's heart skipped a beat as she grasped something.

Qin Yuechuan also noticed the map was off, his greed swelling: "Surely it's a good thing! Hand it over!"

He leapt forward and lunged at Lin Xue again. This guy knew the insides of Tranquil Heart Pavilion like the back of his hand, each step landing outside the formation nodes; Lin Xue's earlier little tricks were useless.

"You're my opponent!" Zhang Jun roared, pushing his pure yang energy to the limit, his whole body radiating heat as he broke through two guards' blockade and threw a punch at Qin Yuechuan's back.

Qin Yuechuan could only turn to block.

As soon as he turned, Lin Xue acted. She flung forward several packets of medicinal powder!

"Whoosh——"

The multicolored powder scattered instantly, releasing a pungent strange odor.

"Watch out for poison powder!" a Shadow agent shouted, hastily covering his nose and mouth.

But it was too late.

The Qin Family guards and Shadow agents at the front inhaled the powder, immediately feeling dizzy and weak, their movements slowing.

"A bunch of trash!" Qin Yuechuan seethed, holding his breath as he slapped the powder away, yet his attack was still delayed by a beat.

"Now!" Lin Xue yelled.

Zhang Jun and she thought alike, seizing the moment when Qin Yuechuan couldn't catch his breath!

"Hum!"

The Yang Jade in Zhang Jun's palm and the Yin Jade in Lin Xue's bosom both resonated at once!

Waves of hot and cold energy rippled outward, forming an interlocking pale gold and light blue shield before them!

Qin Yuechuan's determined claw smashed hard against the shield!

"Bang!"

The shield trembled violently, light flashing wildly; though it finally shattered, it bought Zhang Jun that crucial moment!

"Die, old traitor!" Zhang Jun radiated killing intent, using the shield's shattering force to charge forward instead of retreat, gathering his entire pure yang energy into a point as his right fist, wind-breaking, smashed hard into Qin Yuechuan's chest!

This punch carried all his fury and strength!

Qin Yuechuan's face went white as he hastily raised his arms to shield his chest.

"Crack!"

The sound of breaking bones was crystal clear!

"Pfft!" Qin Yuechuan spat a mouthful of blood, flew backward, and slammed hard into the wall, cracking it. His arms twisted abnormally—surely broken.

"Elder!" the remaining Shadow agents started, two exchanging a glance; instead of tending to the gravely wounded Qin Yuechuan, they lunged even more fiercely at Lin Xue, aiming for the ancient map!

"Courting death!" Lin Xue's killing intent flared; she advanced rather than retreat, now wielding a short dagger that glowed faint blue. Her footwork was swift, the dagger's thrusts tricky, and with the lingering effect of the powder, she instantly left those two flustered.

Zhang Jun's punch had crippled Qin Yuechuan; without a second glance, he turned and rushed to Lin Xue's side.

"Xue'er, withdraw!"

Qin Yuechuan struggled to his feet from the ground, his face as pale as paper, his resentful, maddening aura terrifying: "You……don't even think……of escaping!"

He suddenly produced a black token from his bosom, looking as if he were about to crush it.

「Still want to call someone? 」 Zhang Jun moved extremely fast, before he could crush that plaque, he kicked Qin Yuechuan's wrist fiercely with one foot!

「Ah! 」 Qin Yuechuan let out a miserable scream, the plaque flew out.

Zhang Jun stepped forward, his fist fell, and he directly finished off this traitor Elder!

「Let's go! 」

Lin Xue's side also finished off the last stubborn scout, the two no longer delayed, with a flick of their bodies they jumped out of the study window, in a few leaps they vanished, disappearing into the night of the Qin Family Manor.

The two ran all the way, not daring to stop, taking small paths to avoid the Qin Family patrol.

Having just climbed over the outer wall of the Qin Family Manor, they hadn't yet had time to catch their breath.