Chapter 341: One Copper Coin—Sold Me!

Ouyang Huangquan's words took everyone by surprise!

Xiao Yu's face showed disbelief!

The Senluo Palace, famed for its iron-fisted cruelty, enforced strict laws and was always off-limits; once one stepped into its domain, it was as if entering the underworld, where all around were doomed to death.

How has it changed today!

The previously heavy and oppressive atmosphere instantly eased.

The brocade-clad man looked around; the twenty-four swordsmen stood silently in the rain.

Within the Senluo Palace, the Grand Master was the supreme authority; once he spoke, every assassin must obey—every word from Ouyang Huangquan was beyond question.

The brocade-clad man picked up the discarded fan from the table and slid it back into his sash; he admired Xiao Yue, aspiring to be as free and elegant as him, to possess both the martial world and its beauties—hence he always carried a fan.

Now that there's a chance to live, who would gamble on a certain death?

He still has a bright future ahead—why not enjoy the free-spirited martial world?

He raised his sword to his chest in salute and said: "Grand Master Ouyang, we take our leave!"

"Sister, let's go!"

The brocade-clad man was about to lead the green-clad woman away.

Ouyang Huangquan interrupted: "Not so fast!"

The brocade-clad man froze, then cautiously asked: "Grand Master, what do you mean?"

The girl with the ponytail was shielded behind one of the gray-robed elders.

The gray-robed elder spoke gravely: "Grand Master Ouyang, are you retracting your words just now?"

"You are a towering figure in the martial world—your name alone can silence crying children."

The elder's implication was clear; Ouyang Huangquan understood at once and smiled faintly: "I have spoken—I will not break my word."

"Today, I execute only traitors. All others may leave unharmed—no reversal, no exceptions."

Upon hearing this, the elder's expression softened; he said nothing more and led the other nine—including the brocade-clad man and the green-clad woman—slowly toward a table, deliberately distancing themselves from Xiao Yu and Luo Feiguang. The atmosphere grew tense and delicate.

Xiao Yu furrowed her brows, silently pondering: this move by the Senluo Palace contradicted Ouyang Huangquan's tyrannical nature.

She knew his power well—he would never hesitate because of three mere Grand Masters, nor resort to such a petty tactic.

This sudden mercy filled her with confusion.

Luo Feiguang stood firmly before Xiao Yu; even if only the two of them remained, he would die before her.

Xiao Yu's gaze swept across the room; most faces were tense, yet the three tables on the far right stood out strangely.

They sat calmly, ignoring all commotion around them; from her years as an assassin, she knew their faces showed not a trace of fear.

They must have heard the name of a Grand Master, and with so many swordsmen present, anyone sane would react.

Her eyes fixed on where Ouyang Huangquan was looking—those two at that table.

Is Ouyang Huangquan worried about these two?

Ouyang Huangquan spoke again: "I only take the traitor within this sect. You two won't interfere, will you?"

His tone was level, equal—proof the other side were peers of equal stature.

Upon hearing this, several turned to look at the group of nine.

The brocade-clad man's eyes widened in surprise—he had not sensed their true strength just now.

The ponytailed girl stared oddly at the nine, recognizing them as nearly identical to the legendary Zhongnan Seven Sons.

A bold thought flashed through her mind.

Could these nine truly be…?

Xiuer behind the stone hut also hadn't expected these nine to be so formidable—enough to draw such attention from Ouyang Huangquan!

The old man's hopeful expression grew even more pronounced.

The four hooded figures have begun moving behind your table; if you glance at one of them again, your current cultivation allows you to perceive subtle reactions—he seems to recognize your face, knows your identity.

At that moment!

You sensed four unusual energies approaching from afar.

Lu Yu also warned you.

Ouyang Huangquan sensed the disturbance; he turned toward the tavern's entrance and saw four old men with swords on their backs, leaping through the rain like monkeys, arriving in an instant.

The four elders appeared inside the tavern, watching Ouyang Huangquan warily.

The brocade-clad man rushed forward, his face brightening; the green-clad woman's tense body relaxed.

"Master, how did you get here!"

One slender elder stepped forward from the four; his eyebrows and beard were white, his face gaunt, his back bearing a bronze ancient sword, radiating ancient composure and authority. He softly called:

"Jie'er, Wei'er, are you unharmed?"

The green-clad woman spoke for the first time—her voice, unlike her cold demeanor, was soft and tender, evoking pity.

She whispered gently, her tone obedient: "Master, Wei'er is unharmed."

Xiao Yu, standing nearby, had already recognized the four elders' identities.

The Four Elders of the Sword Sect!

Four venerable Supreme Elders of the Sword Sect, who had not set foot in the martial world for years, each possessing the pinnacle of Grand Master cultivation and peerless sword art.

On the Jingzhe List, their rankings clustered near 230th—figures revered and feared throughout the martial world.

The Sword Sect, once the undisputed leader of sword cultivation, had once produced every Sword Saint. But fate is fickle—recent generations had failed to reclaim that glory.

The current Sword Saint, Li Lanjiang, had stunned the world with his self-created "River Tide Sword Art," hailed as the strongest beneath the Five Supreme Ones; his swordsmanship had crushed the Sword Sect for twenty years.

The Sword Sect, naturally resentful, had repeatedly challenged him, only to be defeated each time by Li Lanjiang's surging, tidal sword techniques.

Thus, the Sword Sect had poured even greater effort into nurturing the younger generation, hoping for a genius to restore its former glory.

The young man and woman before them were the most outstanding disciples of the Sword Sect in nearly two decades—both had reached the Grand Master realm at age eighteen, hailed as the Sect's Golden Boy and Jade Girl.

The brocade-clad man was Hu Jie!

The green-clad woman was Huang Yuwei!

They were the future pillars of the Sword Sect, cherished as its precious "pearls."

The white-bearded elder sighed in relief:

"Good—we made it in time!"

After securing the two, the four sword-bearing elders turned to Ouyang Huangquan.

One Grand Master, over twenty Senluo Palace assassins.

Even they, cautious to the extreme, dared not slacken their vigilance.

They had originally waited by the Yuetangjiang for Li Lanjiang, as all martial figures had gathered here.

A few days ago, Bao Yue Tower leaked word: "A Grand Master of the martial world ambushed the Prince of Yan at Yuetangjiang."

The Yan Prince's court had sent troops, but the Prince himself had refused them for unknown reasons.

The martial world erupted; countless figures stirred into action.

Some came to aid the Prince of Yan; others, with grudges against Zhongnan, arrived; some sought to profit from chaos; and assassins from the four kingdoms slipped in, hoping to fish in troubled waters.

Li Lanjiang was among those come to lend aid.

Originally, the four elders had waited by Yuetangjiang, hoping to let Hu Jie and Huang Yuwei witness Li Lanjiang's astonishing sword art firsthand.

A sudden downpour had scattered them!

The Sword Sect elders had assumed nothing would happen under the shadow of Zhongnan, a great Daoist sect—yet here they were, caught in this.

Had they not been informed that Hu Jie and the girl were trapped by Ouyang Huangquan of the Senluo Palace here, they'd still have been in the dark.

The four elders together could not defeat a Grand Master—but they could barely escape.

Hu Jie quickly explained the full story.

Ouyang Huangquan stood with his hands behind his back, ignoring the Sword Sect elders entirely.

A Grand Master of martial arts could look down upon all martial cultivators.

The situation had shifted once more!

One of the Sword Sect elders said: "We have no intention of interfering. We take our leave."

They prepared to lead the two away.

Ouyang Huangquan shook his head: "I said—not yet."

The most impatient of the four elders snapped:

"Ouyang Huangquan, don't grow too arrogant! Do you truly think we fear you?"

Ouyang Huangquan merely sneered: "If you wish to see the Sword Sect's lineage end today, go ahead and try."

The four elders hesitated; they had fought Li Lanjiang—they knew the power of a Grand Master.

Had Li Lanjiang not been somewhat noble, he could have single-handedly destroyed the Sword Sect.

One Grand Master is an entire sect!

Ouyang Huangquan turned his gaze again toward you two and asked:

"What of you two?"

Ouyang Huangquan could not determine the identities of the nine before him—he suspected, but could not confirm; he only knew that the seven at the two tables possessed profound qi, all at the Grand Master level.

Their profound respect toward you two made him hesitate.

Yet the two from Zhongnan did not match their appearances.

Assassins never strike without preparation.

Even if they were those two, Ouyang Huangquan, as a Grand Master, was not afraid—he could not win, but he was confident he could escape.

A Grand Master's pride would not let him flee over a mere suspicion.

The Four Elders of the Sword Sect turned their gazes toward the two of you, yet could not discern your identities.

Xiao Yu knew she could wait no longer; she stepped forward decisively, bowing deeply to the two of you, her voice tinged with urgency and pleading:

"Though I do not know your revered names, I beg you, in the spirit of kinship among martial brothers, to lend your aid."

"I am a woman burdened with countless sins—I ought to die here. I should have died eight years ago." Her voice trembled slightly, as if recalling unbearable memories.

"But my friend is different—he has never committed a single wrong; on the contrary, he has saved many lives. He does not deserve to die."

With that, she bowed her head deeply to the ground, as if offering her very self in supplication to you both.

Luo Feiguang rushed to pull her up, but Xiao Yu remained rooted to the spot, motionless.

"We do not beg for mercy—we die together!"

Xiao Yu did not move, kneeling there in silent stillness.

You looked up at the woman and said slowly: "If we were merely ordinary martial artists, your plea would have plunged all nine of us into mortal peril."

"Is this right?"

Xiao Yu froze, stunned, unsure how to answer. Her face grew bitter; tears streamed down uncontrollably, her eyes filled with boundless love and reluctance as she gazed at Luo Feiguang.

"I simply do not want him to die with me!"

"I had no other choice—I resorted to this desperate measure."

The light in her eyes slowly faded—who would risk angering the top-three assassin guild in the martial world for a stranger?

Ouyang Huangquan's face broke into a smile; it seemed this person had no intention of interfering.

You rose slowly—this was the first time since Ouyang Huangquan arrived with the Senluo Palace assassins that you had stood from your chair.

As you rose, Lu Yu stood as well.

The Seven Sons of Zhongnan all sprang to their feet.

Though you two appeared to possess no cultivation base, a strange, elusive aura now enveloped the tavern.

The rain began to ease; the thick clouds grew slightly translucent.

Ouyang Huangquan's hands, which had been clasped behind his back, dropped naturally to his sides. His eyes narrowed slightly.

The old man inside the room wore a solemn expression he had never shown before.

You looked at the woman kneeling on the ground and asked:

"Who is he to you? Why are you willing to sacrifice your life to save him?"

Xiao Yu had no answer. After a long silence, she said:

"Luo Lang—he is the man I, Xiao Yu, wish to entrust my life to."

For no reason, Luo Feiguang felt hot tears surge forth, unstoppable.

He looked at Xiao Yu—eight years of companionship had finally earned him these words.

In the face of life and death, true feeling endures!

Luo Feiguang hardened his heart, preparing to kneel as Xiao Yu had, offering his own life in exchange for hers—

But an invisible force held him upright, preventing his knees from bending.

You looked at him and smiled faintly: "Men of Yan never kneel."

Luo Feiguang froze—those words felt strangely familiar, as if he had heard them somewhere before.

"I never save lives lightly—even when I do, I demand payment."

Ouyang Huangquan's face darkened, but he said nothing.

Xiao Yu cried out urgently: "What do you want, Elder?"

You stepped forward slowly, looked at Luo Feiguang, and extended one finger:

"Just one copper coin."

Xiao Yu did not understand. The others exchanged bewildered glances.

One copper coin? Who could possibly lack a single copper coin?

Luo Feiguang stared at you, disbelieving. Slowly, solemnly, he reached into his robe and pulled out a strangely shaped copper coin—strangely, it bore no inscription of "Tong Bao."

Instead, it shone clearly with a single character: "Bei."

You did not reach for it. Instead, you looked around at all of them and smiled faintly:

"These two lives are mine today."

The voice was quiet—but it rang with absolute authority!

Wife-type new model, large quantity, fully satisfying!

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(End of Chapter)