Chapter 418: 392 A Sudden Explosion

Everyone in the courtyard was startled, and immediately became highly alert.

This door was locked at night; it should by no means be opening now. Why would it suddenly open?

Someone is coming in!

Xu Siyao was at the very front; her axe had already been swung down, so she simply did not pull back and continued to exert force to swing it down.

No matter who it was, pushing the door open and entering rashly in this troubled time must be suspicious; taking this axe blow is only to be expected.

Although this axe was not Xu Siyao's proper weapon, she used to use a Wooden Pestle taller than herself; accustomed to heavy weapons, she smashed the axe down like a pestle, and the force was powerful enough to split mountains and crack rocks!

A person was just entering through the gate, and as soon as they entered, a large axe was upon their head.

That person heard the sound of the wind and casually parried with the weapon in their hand, which turned out to be a sword.

Xu Siyao was in the middle of the battle and had not yet reacted; the axe continued to fall. Yu Sichen, who was on the sidelines, had a better view; their heart gave a jolt, and they immediately thought: Oh no!

Why is it another sword?

The second sword encountered tonight!

Among the hundred weapons of the Jianghu, there was originally no distinction between superior and inferior; blades, spears, axes, halberds, and exotic weapons could all defend against enemies, all depending on the level of skill, but there was one exception.

Of the eighteen types of weapons, the sword is supreme!

For other weapons, one could still say there are no weak weapons, only weak Martial Artists, but the sword is different; the sword is strong, and those who use the sword are strong.

Because those who are not strong are not qualified to use a sword; otherwise, it would be a defilement of the sword, a grave sin indeed. In the Jianghu, those who dare to wield a sword recklessly will be attacked by all.

To dare to draw a sword, one must be a true powerhouse!

The worst among them was like that Yue Lai from just now, who pressed Xu Siyao until she could not catch her breath.

Now, this sword outside is likewise coming with ill intent!

At the same time, Tang Zhao saw that sword from behind and let out a soft "Eh."

In the blink of an eye, the sword and the axe intersected, emitting a "ding" sound.

Then came a faint "zizi" sound.

Xu Siyao froze in place.

This was not an ordinary moment of being stunned or stopping herself, but her body stiffened, fixed there, and then began to tremble slightly.

With a "thud," the large axe slipped from her palm and fell to the ground, and she collapsed.

She collapsed while maintaining that strange, stiff posture.

She was paralyzed.

"How rude."

Someone said coldly, stepping into the door, almost stepping over Xu Siyao. Yu Sichen was quick-witted and pulled Xu Siyao up; although this pull moved Xu Siyao away, the moment they touched her clothes, they felt half of their own body go numb, and they almost couldn't stand.

This was an electric shock.

Black Widow's expression was grave as she looked at the newcomer, then immediately put on a smile and said, "So it is the Young Villa Master."

It turned out that the person who entered was an acquaintance who had met Tang Zhao once before: Meng Huazhou, the Young Villa Master of Jingzhe Villa.

Black Widow was originally a disciple of the main Jingzhe Villa, a direct descendant sent out years ago to guard a territory, so she naturally knew Meng Huazhou. Meng Huazhou also recognized Black Widow; he turned slightly to the side, not facing her directly, and only smiled politely: "Senior Sister Yin, are you alright?"

Black Widow tucked her hands into her sleeves and smiled: "Thanks to the old Manor Master's blessing, I am fine."

Meng Huazhou scanned the courtyard, glanced at Xu Siyao, and said, "Where are the others?"

Black Widow smiled: "What others? Isn't it just us few?"

Meng Huazhou's expression changed slightly; his gaze swept over the five people present one by one. He only recognized the two candidates standing and lying down, and he stamped his foot, saying: "Only you are left? Sigh, I arrived too late."

The coldness in Black Widow's smile could hardly be hidden: "Indeed, why didn't you come earlier? If you had come earlier, it wouldn't have been your father's turn to set the test, nor would we have had to spend the whole night in fear."

Meng Huazhou said repeatedly: "This shouldn't have happened. I am in need of everyone; how could this be wasted?"

Black Widow said: "If the Young Master has this intention, you should tell your father. Who told him to set this test? How about this, we are going to visit the old Manor Master; why don't you come with us?" After saying this, she stepped closer.

Meng Huazhou had been a bit slow just now because he was lamenting the loss of manpower, but he reacted at this moment and said: "Senior Sister Yin, what do you mean?" As he spoke, he gripped the handle of his Dharma Artifact.

Tang Zhao walked up a few steps, gently blocking the front-side of Black Widow.

Meng Huazhou's "Jingzhe Sword" Dharma Artifact contained the Spring Thunder Sword Art, which was very powerful; if he were to attack suddenly, even Tang Zhao might not be confident in saving the others.

His protective movement was also a hint. Black Widow immediately understood that Meng Huazhou's strength was formidable, and she instantly put away the aggressive posture she had displayed in front of Xu Siyao, smiling slowly: "I meant nothing else. The old Manor Master set a test, letting us fight in the side courtyard. We have been killing for most of the night—"

She looked back at the horizon, where a sliver of white light had already appeared.

Without realizing it, a night had passed.

"Now the winner has been decided. Sister Xu and I both feel that there is no point in continuing to kill, so it would be better to report to the old Manor Master and ask him to order an end to this insect fight."

"It is just that we are all subordinates of the Manor Master, and our words carry little weight; even if we ask the Manor Master to show mercy, we might not get our wish. If the Young Master has a heart of compassion for his subordinates, why not go with us to plead with the old Manor Master?"

Meng Huazhou scanned the whole scene again, his gaze sweeping past Tang Zhao at the front without recognizing him at all, only confirming: "Only five people left?"

Black Widow said: "Actually, it is two groups of people, this young brother Yue..."

Yue Lai said in a low voice: "Our Hall Master has already passed, but he left behind a relic that he entrusted me to pass to the Manor Master, so I wish to go with everyone to pay respects to the Manor Master to fulfill his last wish, and then I will go down the mountain."

This was a newly found excuse; he hadn't said it like that just now.

Words that are inconsistent must hide a sinister motive.

Black Widow knew he had ill intent, but she was happy instead; having an extra helper for nothing, she naturally wanted to facilitate it, saying: "Your loyalty is pitiful, and we sympathize with it. What does the Young Master think?"

Meng Huazhou said stiffly: "Very well, follow me."

Just as Tang Zhao guessed, Meng Huazhou and Meng Tiansheng were not of one mind; Meng Huazhou was even searching for the Xiancheng outside while his father was critically ill. He did not confide in him when he was at home; at most, Meng Tiansheng knew that Meng Huazhou wanted to use the convenience of this selection to find the Xiancheng for himself, but he did not know the specific plan.

He had always opposed Meng Huazhou's dreaming; no matter what plan his son had, he would cut the Gordian knot, setting the test before his son returned, continuing the habit of insect fighting that had lasted for many years.

Don't look at it as only one night, but the fighting arena was also small; a small side courtyard was enough to make the blood flow like a river in one night.

If Black Widow hadn't hired an outside helper of Tang Zhao's level, this small side courtyard might not have seen a single group walk out intact.

Meng Huazhou went up the mountain overnight, met a disciple on the way, and upon hearing this, knew it was bad. He rushed here, and as soon as he opened the door, he smelled the blood, making his mood even heavier. Upon asking, only half were left.

Half the people... to him, it was too few, but for the result of an insect fight, it was still too many; it would be normal if only one or two were left if they kept killing. For the sake of his own plan, Meng Huazhou naturally had the intention to stop the insect fight.

Black Widow had originally intended to have Xu Siyao clear the path and kill their way through before the sky grew fully bright, but if Meng Huazhou led the way, they could brush off anyone they encountered on the road, eliminating many obstacles and significantly increasing the chances of success.

In truth, it was not that Meng Huazhou had failed to notice Black Widow's malice, but he had two reasons for being unafraid: first, his own strength was not poor, and although his father was weak, he was still a Sword Guest, so he did not fear a few mere underlings. Second, if there were truly danger, he would be isolated and in even greater peril if he shirked the task and remained outside the remote detached courtyard. If he brought these people into the main villa and called for a few of his own trusted aides, the balance of power would naturally reverse, making him safer.

The two sides immediately reached an agreement, and Meng Huazhou led Black Widow's group out of the detached courtyard, walking toward Jingzhe Villa in the morning light.

Jingzhe Villa was vast, occupying the entire space atop the cliff; within the perimeter walls, the terrain rose and fell, and the roads twisted and turned, with various buildings and vegetation on both sides obscuring the path. Sometimes, just when it seemed there was no road ahead, a turn around a bamboo grove or a corner of a wall would reveal a bright new vista, leading them back onto the main road.

Tang Zhao secretly memorized the route, thinking: If not for an insider leading the way, the roads alone would be enough to confuse anyone; after turning for a moment, how could one distinguish north, south, east, or west? The previous plan to sneak in and assassinate the old man was somewhat rash. If I had come alone, I fear...

Fear what?

I can fly.

He thought of this point and was immediately relieved.

In front of a Sword Guest who knows Sword Art, all kinds of earth and wood defenses are merely decorations; unless there are city-level light cannons and Shenji Arrow, they are fundamentally impossible to defend against.

The group walked for a while, and surprisingly, there was no one around. After all, it was still early, and the ordinary Disciple were still resting. The hidden sentries on watch would not come out if they saw Meng Huazhou present. Furthermore, Meng Huazhou was familiar with the Path and took convenient small trails, so it was normal not to encounter anyone. Once they reached the courtyard where the Manor Master resided, there would naturally be strict guards.

Just as they were passing through a grove of trees, Tang Zhao suddenly said, "Hmm? What is that?"

The group followed the sound and looked over, seeing a shadow deep in the woods; it vaguely resembled a human figure, frozen there without moving. Because the sky had not yet brightened and the woods were doubly dark, it was hard to see clearly for a moment.

Regardless, there should not be anyone here at this time; if there was someone, it was strange.

Meng Huazhou shouted, "Who is it?!"

After waiting for a breath, there was no answer from the other side, so Meng Huazhou waved his Dharma Artifact, and a bolt of Spring Thunder exploded out.

Boom—

The thin Thunder Light was neither fast nor slow; if it were a Knight-Errant with normal martial arts, they could naturally dodge it, but the opponent did not dodge and was solidly blasted right where they stood, with the tree behind them also being swallowed by the Thunder Light, emitting a crackling sound.

Everyone was stunned, all thinking: Could it be that they were relying on their own strong defense and were unafraid?

But immediately after, a faint smell of scorched lake water—no, a scent of burnt meat—wafted through the air.

"What the hell is that?"

The group was a bit dumbfounded and couldn't help but lean in; after walking a few steps, Xu Siyao, who was in the lead, kicked something. Looking down, it was a severed hand.

It was not that Xu Siyao had never killed anyone, but their Spirit was currently too tense, so they couldn't help but jump back a small step and say, "It really blasted apart? Could it be a maid..." Looking closely at the size of the hand, it was rough and broad, definitely not a maid's, and they added, "Could it be some servant?"

Meng Huazhou suspected the same; there were servants in the villa who did hard labor and did not understand martial arts, so it was normal for one to be blasted apart by a bolt of thunder. He said, "If it is a servant, they deserve to die for wandering here in the middle of the night."

As he spoke, he used his sword to push aside the bushes and suddenly saw a head in front of him.

Although the head was also scorched, the features could still be distinguished. Meng Huazhou recognized it at a glance and exclaimed in shock, "Protector Wu?"