Chapter 24: 23 Killer Dies

23 Killer Dies

"Join... join the Land Inspection Division?"

"It is also to join the battle in the Demon Cave this time."

Xing Ji said: "Although we have long been prepared, the battle with the Demon Cave can never be fully prepared for. The Land Inspection Division has limited manpower, so I must seize every bit of strength."

He pointed at Tang Zhao and the sword in his hand: "Actually, when you saw the Art Tool being stimulated in front of the door, I guessed you had Spirit Talent and wanted to keep you, but Xue Laotou insisted on refusing. I let you go in consideration of him risking his life, and looked for someone else. It just so happened there was a Charm Disaster nearby..."

Tang Zhao repeated: "Charm Disaster..." He was not sure if those were the two characters.

Xing Ji said: "A disaster caused by a Phantom, belonging to a Small Yin Calamity. The range is not large, but it is very harmful, and generally, one cannot escape it. I learned that a little friend, um, that is, your new friend, could escape, which is mostly because he also has talent, so I went to chase him..."

Tang Zhao could not help but say: "Your grand display does not look like chasing someone; it is almost catching a highwayman."

Xing Ji did not mind and said: "How can a highwayman be more important than the errands of the Land Inspection Division? Government officials always act like this. Moreover, that little friend is very good at hiding; he has escaped from the government runners three times. Escaping once makes one a criminal; escaping three times makes one almost a wanted fugitive."

Tang Zhao said: "People will run when chased; this is not strange, right?"

Xing Ji said: "I originally thought it was not strange, but I didn't expect... chasing him was truly a losing business; it almost made me waste my effort. However, losing in the East, gaining in the West, after much turning around, I found you. This is truly Heaven's will."

His expression was serious: "With the style of my Land Inspection Division, if I need you, you must step up. I never talk about personal favors, but I admire Xue Laotou for holding his ground for two months; he is a real man, so I will give you a chance to choose. If you want to stay out of it—this is also Xue Laiyi's wish—I will send you away. If you are willing to stay, I will spend one month teaching you Sword Art and self-defense methods, and you will stand by my side with this sword, and we will eliminate this great disaster together."

Tang Zhao looked down at the black and white sword, recalling the power that was ready to burst forth in his mind, and pondered: "If we can quell the chaos, can we really save Xue Daxia's life?"

Xing Ji said sternly: "Actually, there is not much hope. This Yin Calamity actually started the moment he fell. So he has been using his life to delay, insisting on not falling. Three months have also exhausted him. We are doing this to save others."

Tang Zhao looked down at the sword in his hand again. At this moment, he was exhausted in body and mind, but he still could not bear to put it down. Sweat fell from his forehead, and he said: "Since it is so—I am duty-bound."

As the last word "bound" left his mouth, the sword lit up again, the white light flickered, but then immediately extinguished, as if it were a final flash of brilliance.

Xing Ji laughed loudly, supported Tang Zhao's shoulder, and his tone was light: "Good. Don't look at the fact that you don't know martial arts now, but you and this sword are a perfect match. If you can perfectly unleash its ability, you will definitely be a major force in this battle. After this battle, I will bring you into the Land Inspection Division, although you won't be able to hold this sword anymore..."

Tang Zhao was stunned and said: "I can't keep holding this sword?"

Xing Ji paused and said: "The conditions for holding this sword are very harsh; generally, it cannot be used again after one battle. However, your talent is very high. After training in the Land Inspection Division for a few years, you will have the chance to get your own sword. That will be the sword destined for you."

"Speaking of the present, we still have one month. At most one month. You need to be prepared—martial arts, Sword Technique, and determination. I will arrange for people to teach you these. If time were ample, I would really like to teach you myself. Unfortunately, I am also very busy and have many arrangements to make. Heavenly timing, geographical advantage, and human harmony—none are unimportant. The sun and moon have their regularities; heavenly timing requires human calculation. Black Spider Villa is a good place; it has geographical advantage, so let's occupy it first..."

Just then, someone outside said through the window: "Xing Ji, which place did you occupy?"

The voice was delicate and soft, lazy, making one's ears itch. Tang Zhao was already exhausted to the limit, and his hand could not help but shake. With a "clang," the sword tip turned and poked into the ground.

He was startled. Such a magical sword poking into the ground—wouldn't it poke a hole in the floor?

He hurriedly pulled the sword up and looked down, only to see the ground where the sword tip had poked—

Nothing.

The ground was clean and smooth; let alone damage, there was not even a white mark, not even as much as a poke from an iron chopstick used for burning fire.

Tang Zhao was shocked for a moment—

Was that invincible momentum just now a bluff? Could it only give the wielder strength? Such a bright sword blade, yet it was a silver-plated pewter spearhead?

At this time, a hand pressed on his shoulder, and that charming voice said in his ear: "Little friend, why are you so clumsy? Did I scare you?"

Tang Zhao turned his head and smiled embarrassedly: "This student was rude..."

He saw behind him a tall woman in white. She was so white that at first glance, she was like a pile of snow, a mass of light, making Tang Zhao squint his eyes.

Then, he saw clearly that the woman was wearing a Veil Hat, and the snow-white veil was lifted up, revealing an oval face, almond eyes, and a face full of affection and smiles.

He was looking at her, and she was looking at him.

Her gaze rested on Tang Zhao's face for a while, and the woman suddenly reached out, pinched Tang Zhao's face, and smiled: "See me now? Is it scary?"

Tang Zhao was speechless for a moment, and Xing Ji laughed: "Black Widow, don't tease the child; come tease me instead."

The woman, Black Widow, withdrew her hand and sneered: "Xing Ji, you forgot to look in the Mirror again. Am I that desperate? Besides, wasn't the child your target first? You grabbed a doll who knows nothing on the spot, fooled him with a few words, and now want him to risk his life. Are the Training Camps of your Land Inspection Division all useless?"

Tang Zhao was secretly surprised: So she is Black Widow? Why is she called Black Widow, with everything black and hanging on her, yet she wears all white herself?

Wearing white clothes, the name-mismatched Black Widow sat down gracefully and said: "Xing Ji, you must be like salt soup; wherever you flow, you are salty (disliked). I just came back, and there are dozens of complaints against you for being overbearing."

Xing Ji did not mind and said: "The Land Inspection Division, after all, how can there be no reason to be disliked? When a tree stands above the forest, the wind will surely destroy it; when a levee is higher than the bank, the waves will surely destroy it."

Black Widow said: "I think you are just asking for it. I heard you even took a fancy to my position as Manor Master? If I hadn't come back, would Black Spider Villa have changed its surname?"

Xing Ji smiled: "It was just a coincidence, otherwise, even if the Five Poisons Society's property were given to me, I would find it unpalatable." Saying this, he said to Tang Zhao, "You go back first; I have something to discuss with Manor Master Yin."

Tang Zhao agreed and said: "This sword..."

Xing Ji said casually: "Put it back."

Tang Zhao nodded and turned to put the sword away.

Before putting it back, he was still suspicious in his heart and wanted to test if the blade was fake, so he could not help but touch the edge lightly with his hand.

No feeling...

Not only was it not cut, it did not even feel like touching a sharp weapon.

He pressed it again, this time with force, but it was still undamaged. He pulled the sword back and dragged it across the back of his hand; he felt the touch on the back of his hand, but it did not interact with his skin, not even as much as a fingernail scratch. Even when he increased the force, the blade did not press forward, as if his hand were a wall, and the blade hit the wall and could not pass.

Well... boring.

So he was going to be holding an iron hoe?

Relying on smashing?

That is not cool at all...

Tang Zhao was dispirited and was about to put it back when he heard Black Widow say from behind: "You don't need to test it; that sword does not hurt anything."

Tang Zhao said "Hmm," and Black Widow added: "If you don't believe me, try slashing him with it."

Xing Ji raised his eyebrows, glanced at Black Widow, and suddenly smiled: "Exactly. Come over and try slashing me."

Tang Zhao shook his head and said: "Do you insist on taking a slash from me?"

Xing Ji had said twice that slashing him was fine, and Tang Zhao felt he was just begging to be chopped.

Black Widow smiled: "If I tell you to try, then try. He grabbed you and made things difficult for you for no reason; don't you want to pay him back? With me here, and he himself agreeing, you can slash him with absolutely no consequences."

Tang Zhao said helplessly: "Regardless of whether there are consequences or not, one cannot hurt people at will, right?"

This time, it was Black Widow who was stunned for a moment; she looked Tang Zhao up and down, then said to Xing Ji, "How did a child like this end up hanging around with you?"

Xing Ji did not answer; he sat upright with a solemn expression and said, "Tang Zhao, come here."

Tang Zhao walked over, and Xing Ji said, "You picked up the sword for the first time, just to lift it and put it down without doing anything—don't you feel it's a pity? You don't know how to use a sword, so I will teach you one move, continuing from that Holding Sword Stance you just used." As he spoke, he briefly explained a move.

This move was truly simple; it was just a downward diagonal slash, which flowed very smoothly from the upward-pointing sword of the Holding Sword Stance. Tang Zhao naturally learned it at once, and his practice slashes in the air looked quite decent.

Xing Ji said, "You are just gesturing; you must exert real force to test its power. Come, turn around and try this move."

Trying the sword in this direction would definitely strike Xing Ji. Tang Zhao frowned, but Xing Ji said impatiently, "I told you to try it, so try it. What I am looking at is how you wield the sword. If you don't try it now, where will you try it later? Right now you are facing me; think for yourself, can you hurt me?"

Since things had reached this point, and the sword was unsharpened, and Xing Ji was a capable person who naturally couldn't be hurt by it, Tang Zhao also truly wanted to experience what it felt like to swing a long sword. He no longer hesitated; following his instructions, he exerted force with his arm and slashed down with the sword—

Fresh blood sprayed!

A deep wound dragged from Xing Ji's shoulder all the way to the other side of his ribs, almost running across his entire body. Bright red blood gushed out, soaking through his official robes and splashing onto Tang Zhao.

Tang Zhao was dumbfounded.

When he had just swung the sword, there was almost no resistance; slicing through Xing Ji's body was like slicing through air, even easier than slicing through a layer of paper. The only reason he hadn't gutted Xing Ji was that the sword wasn't long enough; if the blade had been a few feet longer, it could have even split Xing Ji into two pieces.

But...

Why?

Wasn't that a sword that wouldn't hurt people?

Tang Zhao's mind went blank, and he stammered, "I... you..."

Xing Ji's expression did not move; if there was any change, it was only that his eyes widened a bit, making his brow Bone bulge, and his fingers gripped the tabletop tightly, his knuckles turning white.

At this moment, a sound rang out in Tang Zhao's ears.

Buzz, buzz, buzz—

It seemed to be the sound of bees humming, yet it also carried a metallic quality.

The chirping sound of something unknown grew louder and more urgent, as if it were resonating with his internal organs, making him feel extremely uncomfortable. But Tang Zhao had no time to trace the source or distinguish it, because his own ears were buzzing.

For the first time in his life, he saw so much bright blood, and it was blood he had cut out.

"Manor Master Yin—" Xing Ji's complexion grew paler and paler, caused by the blood loss, "You take Tang Zhao back first."

Black Widow stood up, grabbed Tang Zhao, and said, "Let's go, put the sword back, and we'll head out."

Tang Zhao took a numb step, looking at Xing Ji.

Xing Ji supported himself on the table with one hand and waved the other, saying, "It's nothing—the Manor Master will explain it to you clearly. It's a small matter."

Tang Zhao recovered slightly and hurriedly put the sword in his hand back into the case.

In a flash, he noticed that there was not a trace of blood on the blade, but four characters were faintly flashing across it.

"Killer Dies".

Before he could process it, Black Widow, who had long been impatient, pulled him out the door.

As soon as the door closed, he heard a "Clang—" sound, and the long sword at Xing Ji's waist sprang out by more than a foot on its own.

The sword body trembled, buzzing loudly.

Along with the trembling of the sword body, a luster seemed to flow faintly.

"Sword Art—Remission."

Xing Ji's body gradually relaxed, and his expression became lively, though his complexion remained terrifyingly pale.

"Great Execution, huh..." His facial features twitched slightly, "What a... hell of a world this is!"