Chapter 15: When Light Rises, the Blade Falls—A Single Sword Seals the Throat!

"Hm?"

Han Xiao Ying's pretty face froze for a moment, slightly stunned.

"Han heroine, may I borrow your sword?"

Niu Dingtian softened his tone and spoke again.

This sudden move not only left Han Xiao Ying stunned, but also made Shangguan Ying, who was about to pounce, wear a look of bewilderment, and his steps halted.

After he recovered, he let out a harsh, laughing snarl:

"Kid, did that ox cart damage your brain? Before you die you still want to act like a bear before me?"

Niu Dingtian saw this, a faint smile tugged at his pallid face, and he whispered to Shangguan Ying:

"Hero Shangguan, may I first utter a few words of a dying wish?"

After speaking, regardless of whether he received an answer, he directly looked at Han Xiao Ying, glanced at her pallid pretty face, stared into her eyes, and said with a smile:

"Miss Han, even if I die, I wish to die before you; please grant me that."

"You know martial arts?"

Han Xiao Ying heard this, felt a slight warmth in her heart, and, bearing the pain on her shoulder, asked softly.

"Yes."

Niu Dingtian lightly nodded and extended his right hand toward Han Xiao Ying.

The sword hilt was warm to the touch.

Niu Dingtian stepped forward holding the sword, half‑smiling, intending to let these people taste fear, and then, with a sing‑song tone, said:

"Hero Shangguan, in my early years I learned a sword technique; the first move is called 'Mountain's Outer Clear Sound.' I wonder which of you will step up first,"

"so that I may witness a high move; even in death I shall close my eyes."

Shangguan Ying, who had already grown impatient, saw the two as mere post‑harvest grasshoppers and did not mind toying with them.

Especially Miss Han, seeing her desperation and anger, gave him a strange pleasure. Otherwise he wouldn't have let the two dally before his eyes, provoking anyone.

"First, castrate him for me!"

Looking at the person beside him, Shangguan Ying said coldly.

The person, upon receiving the order, said nothing, his face grim, brandished his knife and advanced, treating the man before him as a frail scholar.

When he rushed to within less than a yard of Niu Dingtian, he aimed at the lower limbs and thrust fiercely.

Before reaching him, a flash of silver light appeared, and before he could react, the knife‑wielding right hand went numb, followed by excruciating pain from the wrist.

Immediately,

the long knife fell to the ground,

fresh blood splattered!

"Ahhh! My hand!"

After a scream rang out, the assailant knelt on his legs with a snarling face, then collapsed to the ground, wailing in relentless agony.

The soaring flames in the distance illuminated the wailing here, making it appear even more mournful.

Whether Shangguan Ying or Han Xiao Ying, upon seeing this scene, both wore faces of astonishment, unable to believe it.

Wrist separated!

No blood drips!

While the three were stunned, Niu Dingtian had already pressed forward with his sword, the tip pointing straight at the opponent's throat.

Unfazed by the opponent's wail, his face remained calm, his vermilion lips slightly parting as he said softly:

"Now, I will kill you; are you afraid?"

The man, hearing this, ignored the searing pain in his hand, his whole body trembling, his face full of terror as he begged:

"Spare! Spare! Spare my life! Please! Please!"

"Pfft"

Before the plea could finish, a flash of sword light and splattering blood caused him to lose consciousness instantly.

Staring at the fallen corpse, Niu Dingtian stood with his sword, his face calm, and again spoke softly:

"When the villagers just now begged for mercy, did you ever spare them?"

The words were light, but behind him Han Xiao Ying clearly heard them.

In an instant, Shangguan Ying, far away and not fully aware of the situation, couldn't help but feel doubt.

Seeing this, Niu Dingtian simply smiled brightly and said:

"I never imagined that those under Hero Shangguan would be so careless; I abandoned the literary path for the martial, just entered the jianghu, never thought it would be here, killing my first fellow martial brother. It seems today my fate is already sealed."

"The second move, called 'Xiao Shi Riding the Dragon,' which hero would like to step up and let me demonstrate this high technique?"

"Or shall Hero Shangguan and his companion act together? If so, it would be my honor."

The doubtful Shangguan Ying, who had intended to finish off Scholar Niu, but after hearing this, abandoned the thought.

Mainly still puzzled, wanting to know whether this fellow truly possessed the technique, he said to the man on his right:

"First, chop off his hand for me!"

The man, hearing the order, dared not be careless, and slowly advanced with his knife.

When he neared Niu Dingtian and saw no attack, impatience grew, so he unexpectedly swung his knife fiercely at Niu Dingtian's sword‑holding right hand.

Before reaching close, a fleeting afterimage flashed before his eyes, a cold glint, and he saw blood spurt from his wrist, splashing his own face; then excruciating pain followed, and looking down, his arm had been severed.

"Spare! Spare my life! Spare my life! Please! Please, young hero, spare me!"

Having learned from the previous case, this man instantly understood. The person before him truly seemed a master who pretended to be a pig eating a tiger!

Seeing the sword tip pressed against his throat, he felt a wave of cold, disregarding the searing pain in his arm, sweating coldly, trembling, he begged, tears streaming down his face.

"Oh? Are you scared?"

Just now, when you were killing people in the village, weren't you scared? Ah. Now I'm going to kill you—turns out you're also afraid!

Niu Dingtian faced the person's plea for mercy without being moved, and let out a faint sigh.

Seeing this, Shangguan Ying instantly understood: This damn guy is pretending to be a pig to eat a tiger!

He then didn't hesitate, directly brandishing his knife and lunging forward.

Seeing this, Niu Dingtian ended that person's life with a single sword strike. Then, amid Shangguan Ying's incredulous gaze, he vanished before their eyes in a fluttering, ethereal manner.

"I'm behind you, Shangguan hero."

Shangguan Ying suddenly heard a faint sound from behind him; on this night it felt as if he had entered the netherworld.

Suppressing his fear, he swung his knife in a backward slash, but the blow cut nothing but air. Regaining his senses, a sharp pain shot through his left wrist; looking down, he saw his left hand had already fallen to the ground, blood spurting from the wrist.

"Ah! Ah!"

"Shangguan hero, you aren't practicing Iron Palm, are you? Turns out you're also afraid of pain."

Although Shangguan Ying was in excruciating pain, hearing these words he could not suppress the roar rising in his heart:

I'm a human! Of course I'm damn afraid of pain!

But he no longer dared to say those words out loud.

"Now, I'm going to kill you—are you scared? Shangguan hero."

Niu Dingtian said with a smile to Shangguan Ying.

Seeing this, Shangguan Ying realized this person would never let him off; turning his thoughts, he spotted Han Xiao Ying to the side and lunged straight at her.

To survive, this is the only way!

But before he had lunged halfway, a phantom flashed past.

Light rises!

Blade falls!

One sword seals the throat!

(End of chapter)