Chapter 154: King Against King (A 6,000-character chapter, Volume Finale)

The room is very large.

In such a large room, there is only one window, a very small window, far from the ground.

The window is closed, and one cannot see the scenery outside.

The door is very small; those with slightly broad shoulders can only enter and exit sideways.

The white paint on the walls is applied very thickly, as if to prevent people from seeing whether the wall is made of stone, earth, or cast iron.

In the corner, there are two wooden beds; the bedding on them is very clean, yet very simple.

Aside from this, there is only one very large table in the room.

The table is piled high with all sorts of files and account books.

A person is standing at the table, flipping through them; he is not sitting, because there are no stools here at all.

He believes that as long as a person sits down, they will let their spirit relax.

And when a person's spirit relaxes, it is easy to make mistakes.

For someone like him, a tiny mistake could mean total ruin.

And he will never make a mistake.

He will never fail.

There is another person standing behind him; this person stands even straighter and more rigid, as if he were a spear.

He just stands like this, motionless, as if he were carved from stone, capable of standing from the Opening Heaven until the destruction of the world.

These two people are naturally Jing Wuming and Shangguan Jinhong.

People like them, perhaps one cannot find a third in the world.

Perhaps no one would expect that the residence of the Gang Leader of the "Money Gang"—the one with the loudest reputation, the greatest power, and the most abundant financial resources in the Edo—would be so crude and his life so simple.

But when Yu Liancheng walked in, he was not surprised at all.

Because he knows that for Shangguan Jinhong, money is merely a tool, and women are also tools.

All enjoyments in the world are tools in his eyes; he disdains them entirely.

He has only one true hobby—power!

Power; apart from power, there is nothing else.

He can live for power, and he can die for power.

And as the Gang Leader of the number one gang in the Edo, the foundation of the high platform of power he has built is naturally martial arts.

Martial arts is the greatest guarantee of power.

Therefore, he absolutely does not allow anyone to surpass him.

Whether it is Li Xunhuan, Tianji Laoren, or Yu Liancheng...

Shangguan Jinhong naturally noticed Yu Liancheng and Afei walking in, but he acted as if he did not know, continuing to flip through a volume of files.

He does not move, so Jing Wuming naturally does not move.

After Yu Liancheng entered, he also did not move, waiting quietly.

He does not move, so Afei naturally does not move.

It is unknown how much time passed before Shangguan Jinhong finally finished reading a volume of files, closed it, placed it aside, shifted his gaze, and looked at Yu Liancheng: "You have come?"

There are not many people in the world who can meet Shangguan Jinhong's gaze, because when one's eyes make contact with his, one feels a supreme authority rolling over them, but Yu Liancheng revealed a smile as refreshing as a spring breeze: "I have come!"

Shangguan Jinhong said: "You should not have come!"

Yu Liancheng said: "But I have come anyway!"

With these two short sentences, the entire room was immediately filled with a murderous intent.

"For you, I indeed should not have come." After a brief silence, Yu Liancheng spoke again.

Shangguan Jinhong said: "Oh?"

Yu Liancheng said: "Because since I have come, you must die."

"Hehehehe." Shangguan Jinhong suddenly let out a cold laugh; he tapped his finger on the pile of files on the table: "The files here not only record your martial arts techniques, but also your daily diet and every detail of your life."

Yu Liancheng shrugged, his posture carefree: "So what?"

"Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will be invincible; I understand you better than anyone else in the world, even better than you understand yourself." A glimmer sharper than a blade flashed in Shangguan Jinhong's eyes: "Therefore, you have already lost today's battle."

"Good calculation, but if knowing the other party well enough meant certain victory, then the number one expert in the Edo would be Baixiaosheng." Yu Liancheng sneered: "It is just a pity that Baixiaosheng has already died at my hands."

Shangguan Jinhong snorted coldly and said: "That is only because Baixiaosheng was a piece of trash and a fool to begin with, and what he knew was merely superficial, self-righteous nonsense."

"Oh, and how do you know that what you know isn't something I intentionally revealed? You, too, only know superficial things and are being self-righteous."

Shangguan Jinhong snorted coldly.

Yu Liancheng shook his head and suddenly said: "It was Afei who killed your son."

Shangguan Jinhong's gaze turned cold, and his expression darkened slightly.

No matter what, Shangguan Fei was his only son, the heir to his vast foundation.

No matter who killed Shangguan Fei, he would make that person wish they were dead.

But Shangguan Jinhong did not dare to turn his gaze toward Afei, because he had to focus all his attention on Yu Liancheng.

Yu Liancheng continued: "However, rest assured, he died very peacefully."

Shangguan Jinhong's expression remained motionless.

"Alright, I lied to you; he died very miserably, not peacefully at all."

Yu Liancheng shrugged and said with a smile: "He was stabbed in the throat by Afei with a hairpin, and blood splattered everywhere. When he fell to the ground, the muscles on his face twitched constantly from the pain."

"His hand reached out toward me, seemingly begging for help, his mouth kept shouting the words 'Father', 'Father', and after struggling for a long while, that hand finally dropped; he died with his eyes wide open, unwilling to close them. What a pity... such a fine young man, killed by a hairpin just because of a woman."

The corners of Shangguan Jinhong's mouth twitched, but he quickly regained his composure, his eyes revealing a sharp edge: "It does not matter; no matter who killed him, I will avenge him. Furthermore, if one's skills are inferior to others, dying is only what one deserves."

Although he said this, there was a trace of deeply hidden pain in his eyes.

Yu Liancheng actually nodded as well: "Indeed, it is no hindrance, because I will send you to reunite with him."

At this moment, the duel between the two could finally be considered fair.

Shangguan Jinhong occupied the geographical advantage; the light in this room was dim, yet he was familiar with every inch of the corners, every file, and every sliver of light.

Yu Liancheng occupied the advantage of human harmony; his heart was as still as water, while Shangguan Jinhong, because of the words he had spoken earlier, had ripples born within his perfect state of mind.

The two no longer spoke; the end of words was battle.

And for one of them, today, life would also reach its end.

Shangguan Jinhong flipped his palm, and a pair of dark golden rings appeared in his hand, with dragon and phoenix patterns flying on the left and right respectively, lifelike.

Yet his aura became increasingly terrifying, as if a hidden dragon were emerging from an abyss, or as if a tiger were roaring in the mountains and forests, filled with a domineering majesty.

Although Yu Liancheng was just standing there ordinarily, his bearing became increasingly vigorous; his whole person was like a towering mountain, spanning the earth, giving one the feeling of reaching straight into the clouds, high and unreachable, with magnificent spirit.

The gazes of Jing Wuming and Afei also collided.

The expressions of these two were no different; both were equally indifferent.

But the indifference of Jing Wuming was a pool of stagnant water, without the slightest ripple, while the indifference of Afei was a calm volcanic crater, yet it could erupt with scorching magma at any moment.

Were these two not also natural opponents?

……

Secret chamber.

The atmosphere was abnormally oppressive.

Suddenly.

Shangguan Jinhong exhaled and opened his voice, his sleeves billowing, and the golden rings in his hands had already attacked Yu Liancheng. They were as heavy as ten thousand jun, unstoppable. More importantly, they were "stable," as stable as Mount Tai.

His "Dragon Phoenix Twin Rings" could rank second in the Weapon Manual, not because his moves were ruthless or dangerous, but because of his stability; to be able to train the world's most dangerous weapon to the word "stable"—this was exactly where Shangguan Jinhong was beyond human reach.

The iron sword in Jing Wuming's palm had already been unsheathed; the sword was in his left hand, and a Left-handed Sword was often sharp and strange, and his sword was no exception.

With a flick of his wrist, the long sword scattered dozens of cold stars, reflecting the Dragon Phoenix Twin Rings of Shangguan Jinhong. And where the cold stars fell, they were all sword strikes that took an unexpected path, catching one off guard, and were extremely strange.

With these two joining forces, their energy fields were implicitly integrated; it was truly earth-shattering and extraordinary. In reality, even if Tianji Laoren and Li Xunhuan joined forces, they might not necessarily be able to defeat them.

It was only because the tacit understanding between these two was truly sufficient; each move and each stance complemented the other, causing their power to multiply. And although Tianji Laoren and Li Xunhuan were also experts, their martial arts were completely different, and they might even hinder each other.

Fortunately.

Facing these two were Yu Liancheng and Afei.

As sword light flashed wildly, two swords thrust out almost simultaneously.

The sword of Yu Liancheng was as condensed as a mountain, as ethereal as the wind.

And the sword of Afei was just a simple thrust, yet it was as if a bolt of lightning had exploded.

The swords of these two also complemented each other, but compared to the close connection established by Shangguan Jinhong and Jing Wuming over more than a decade, it seemed to be lacking quite a bit.

But the key to victory or defeat was not limited to whether the coordination of moves was clever.

In just an instant, the three swords and two rings had already clashed together; sparks exploded continuously, and the force of the energy vented like a tidal wave, causing files and booklets to be blown everywhere.

These two people, who could be called the most brilliant in the world, and these two most terrifying shadows, had already unfolded the most intense death struggle.

……

The exchange continued.

Shangguan Jinhong had originally been very confident in this battle.

But this confidence, with the exchange between the four, was also like ice and snow under the sun, melting rapidly.

Previously, he had set up three barriers, intending to consume the spirit, physical strength, Internal Force, and even the fighting intent of Yu Liancheng. Yet he suddenly discovered that the fighting intent of Yu Liancheng was becoming increasingly fierce, and his physical strength and True Qi showed no signs of exhaustion at all.

Every sword strike he launched seemed to carry a force of a thousand jun. And this terrifying power, even for the golden rings in his hands that relied on stability, felt difficult to parry, let alone for Jing Wuming, who excelled in strange sword techniques and taking unexpected paths.

Shangguan Jinhong had once sent people to collect various information on Yu Liancheng, including his martial arts moves, and studied methods to crack them day and night. He was confident that, apart from that mysterious "Three Flawless Stances," he had the confidence to crack all other ultimate moves.

But when they truly fought, he realized that there were indeed flaws in the sword technique of Yu Liancheng, but these flaws had only just appeared when subsequent moves immediately filled them in.

Even if he could occasionally attack that flaw, the opponent seemed to have a method of response long prepared, easily resolving his attack.

And Yu Liancheng followed his sword, his sword momentum heavy. Coupled with the coordination of Afei, they instead faintly suppressed Shangguan Jinhong and Jing Wuming.

"Good martial arts, but during the time I was in seclusion, I was not just building the Money Gang!" The face of Shangguan Jinhong sank slightly, and the golden rings in his hands suddenly flew out of his grasp, then disappeared, abrupt, strange, and silent.

And in the next moment, Yu Liancheng only felt a chill on the back of his neck, and the sound of wind whistling.

His expression did not change; he swung his sword back, slashing at a Jinguang.

Shangguan Jinhong leaped into the air, caught the Jinguang, and shook his hands; the Dragon Phoenix Twin Rings flew out through the air once again.

But at the very moment they flew out, they suddenly disappeared again.

Back when he was ranked in the Weapon Manual, the twin rings of Shangguan Jinhong were already as "stable" as Mount Tai.

And now, many years later, he had reached the realm of "no rings in hand, rings in the heart."

No rings in hand.

Others naturally could not see them.

Precisely because they could not be seen, his rings were everywhere, reaching everywhere.

When the opponent noticed them.

They might already be before their eyes.

They might already be at their heart.

Or they might be at their soul.

Every move launched was unexpected.

And at this moment, the sword of Jing Wuming showed an unexpected change.

A change that everyone found unexpected.

He had actually switched his Left-handed Sword to a right-handed sword.

Everyone in the Edo believes Jing Wuming is a Left-handed Sword user, whose swordsmanship is swift, mysterious, and fast as lightning, making him a top-tier expert under heaven.

But no one knows that his right-handed sword is even swifter and more mysterious than his left.

Even Shangguan Jinhong did not anticipate this point.

Or perhaps, Jing Wuming's right-handed sword was prepared specifically for Shangguan Jinhong from the start.

He is Shangguan Jinhong's shadow; once the master discards the shadow, the shadow will use his right-handed sword to pierce Shangguan Jinhong's throat and end his life.

But a shadow can never be without a master.

Having fought until now, Jing Wuming has realized that they are facing an unprecedentedly strong enemy and absolutely cannot hold back even a fraction.

So he used his right-handed sword.

A right-handed sword faster, more vicious, and more mysterious than the left.

Although Shangguan Jinhong was surprised by Jing Wuming's performance, the two have coordinated for many years and quickly adjusted their golden rings to adapt to Jing Wuming's right-handed sword.

This time, the two attacked with full force, their momentum even greater.

It was like surging ocean waves and collapsing mountains.

It was like lightning and wild snakes, stirring up the wind and clouds.

Under the gale-like, thunderous, and violent offensive of these two, Afei was forced to retreat repeatedly, his sword light growing increasingly dim.

"Well come!"

Yu Liancheng's face, however, revealed a look of excitement, an unprecedented look of excitement: "I wonder if this move of yours, Flying Rings Without Shadow, compares to my style, 'Undetermined'."

His sword had already thrust out; he and his sword had begun to move, a very 'slow', very graceful movement, as natural as a gust of wind.

Or rather, this sword was wind itself.

It was just that this gust of wind changed very quickly; a wisp of invisible breeze suddenly turned into a gale, sweeping through the entire secret chamber.

This was a gale, and this was also sword wind.

An omnipresent sword wind.

The next moment.

One could hear the "ding-ding-ding" sounds of continuous clashing, with sparks flying everywhere.

This sword wind constantly clashed with the golden rings.

The golden rings filled the sky, but no matter where the golden rings were, this gust of wind blew there. This gale not only suppressed the golden rings, but more wind blew toward Shangguan Jinhong himself and Jing Wuming.

Cold sweat had already appeared on Shangguan Jinhong's forehead.

He had long since learned about the Flawless Three Styles, but only when truly facing the Flawless Three Styles did he realize that the profundity of this sword far exceeded his imagination.

Perhaps this sword had flaws, but these flaws were like a gale sweeping across the earth; who could possibly notice them?

What's more, Yu Liancheng did not only have the Flawless style.

The next moment, the sword momentum rose again, like a Divine Mountain rising from the ground, filling the entire field of vision, piercing the high sky, with Sword Qi pouring down like a heavenly river, continuous and boundless, never-ending.

……

…………

Li Xunhuan, Guo Songyang, and Tianji Laoren had also arrived outside the vast manor.

Although they knew today was the day of the duel between Yu Liancheng and Shangguan Jinhong, Yu Liancheng had not told them the specific time. So, by the time they received the news, they inevitably arrived a bit late.

This was, of course, intentional on Yu Liancheng's part.

To Yu Liancheng, dueling with Shangguan Jinhong was also a form of enjoyment, and he did not wish for others to disturb that enjoyment.

Even if Li Xunhuan, Guo Songyang, and the others did not make a move, their mere presence on the sidelines was enough to put pressure on Shangguan Jinhong, preventing the Dragon Phoenix Twin Rings from exerting their full power.

But Li Xunhuan and the others arrived nonetheless.

They saw corpses all over the ground before the courtyard; the wounds were identical in width, thinness, and depth, clearly killed by the same person, and the time of death was also nearly the same.

Tianji Laoren puffed on his dry pipe: "This is the second variation of 'Undetermined'."

Guo Songyang said: "A total of two swords were struck; the first sword killed the most, at least forty people."

Li Xunhuan sighed: "What a terrifying 'Undetermined'. For others, being able to kill one person with one sword is already considered a ruthless and heartless swordsmanship, yet this one kills dozens with a single sword."

Guo Songyang said: "A sword is meant for killing people."

Li Xunhuan only sighed.

The two walked into the courtyard and soon saw eighteen more corpses.

Guo Songyang's gaze sharpened: "It was Afei's doing."

Tianji Laoren nodded: "Pierced through the throat with one sword, clean and efficient; it was Afei's handiwork. If it were Yu Liancheng who struck, they would never have lived so long, nor could they have run so far."

A look of relief flashed in Li Xunhuan's eyes: "Regardless, he has finally come back to life."

Soon, the three walked into the main hall and saw the corpses of Xiang Song and the others.

Tianji Laoren looked them over, his tone very certain: "Still Undetermined, but it is the first variation of Undetermined."

Li Xunhuan said: "These people all had the strength of the Weapon Manual; Brother Yu's swordsmanship... is truly godlike."

And Guo Songyang, looking at the wounds on the corpses, seemed to have become entranced.

He could already imagine how the style of that sword was so peerlessly elegant.

Finally, Tianji Laoren arrived at a corridor.

At the end of the corridor was a door.

The door was shut tight, and it was bolted from the inside.

Yu Liancheng was inside, Shangguan Jinhong was inside, and their two shadows were also inside.

Li Xunhuan walked to the door and tried to push it.

The door was cast of Iron, at least a foot thick; no one in the world could break it open.

Li Xunhuan gave a bitter smile: "It seems we can only wait."

Waiting is undoubtedly a very agonizing thing.

And the moment the door opens is undoubtedly the most heart-wrenching.

Because they do not know whether it is Yu Liancheng or Shangguan Jinhong who will walk out from behind the door.

And if it is Shangguan Jinhong who walks out from inside the door.

Then they will certainly avenge Yu Liancheng and Afei, only it will not be now, but rather after waiting for Shangguan Jinhong to eat his fill, drink his fill, and have a good sleep.

They are just that kind of people.

At least Li Xunhuan and Guo Songyang are.

Guo Songyang said, "Who do you think will win?"

No one answered.

Because no one knew the answer.

Li Xunhuan suddenly said, "The time we set out is not considered too late; logically speaking, they should have already decided the winner and loser, so why are they still in the secret chamber?"

This time, the answer received was still silence.

Because the other two did not understand either.

Among the four people including Yu Liancheng, Afei and Jing Wuming are both swordsmen who strike with a sword and have absolutely no path of retreat, while Yu Liancheng and Shangguan Jinhong both follow a path of rigid, fierce, and overbearing power; the time to decide the winner and loser should not be very long.

Could it be that some accident happened again?

However, in the deathly silence, a voice suddenly rang out.

"Dueling with a master like Shangguan Jinhong, the flavor of it is no less than tasting a palace delicacy. One must eat slowly and savor it slowly. The slower one eats, the longer one enjoys it, and the more one can taste the unique flavor within."

The voice speaking did not come from the mouths of Tianji Laoren or Guo Songyang, but from inside the door.

Without knowing when, the door had already opened.

Two people walked out slowly from the door; they were none other than Yu Liancheng and Afei.

Yu Liancheng and Afei are alive, so the ones who lost this match are naturally Shangguan Jinhong and Jing Wuming.

Although he won, Yu Liancheng did not seem very happy.

He said with a desolate face, "And every time I finish eating a delicacy, or defeat someone who can be considered an opponent, I feel very uncomfortable, and I have an indescribable desolation and loneliness; everyone should understand this point."

The door had been completely opened.

Li Xunhuan and the others also saw Shangguan Jinhong.

—Shangguan Jinhong, who had already turned into a corpse.

When this hegemon died, he seemed no different from an ordinary person, filled with panic, fear, and suspicion...

He seemed unwilling to believe, even until his death, that there was such a sword technique in the world.

It was a sword technique that was continuous and unending, yet like the pouring of a heavenly river.

His steady and formless Dragon Phoenix Twin Rings were right beside him.

The gold rings were covered in sword marks, as if they had been struck by countless swords in an instant; one of the swords had broken through the defense of the gold rings and pierced into Shangguan Jinhong's chest, with blood gushing out like a spring.

Immediately after, Li Xunhuan and the others also caught sight of Jing Wuming.

Jing Wuming was actually not dead.

Jing Wuming's opponent was Afei, and Afei did not kill him.

Li Xunhuan originally did not understand why Afei did not kill Jing Wuming, but he understood very quickly.

Jing Wuming was standing to the side just like a piece of wood, his eyes looking hollowly at Shangguan Jinhong's corpse.

Jing Wuming might not be dead, but he is now nothing more than an empty shell.

How can one who is already dead be killed again?

Except for Yu Liancheng, Guo Songyang's martial arts might not be the highest, but he is the only swordsman; what he can see is more than what Li Xunhuan and Tianji Laoren can see.

He looked at Shangguan Jinhong's corpse, then looked at Yu Liancheng, and could not help but ask, "Your martial arts seem to be far higher than we imagined?"

This question was clearly one that the others also wanted to know the answer to, and they cast their gazes over one after another.

And Yu Liancheng was silent for a long while, then said, "In the martial arts world, I have almost no opponents left."

Guo Songyang said, "Almost?"

This was not a very precise word.

Yu Liancheng said, "There is still one person who happens to be a match for me, making it hard to distinguish the winner?"

Guo Songyang's spirits lifted and he said, "Who is it?"

Yu Liancheng had already strode out the door and smiled lightly, "That person has a nickname, Jade-Faced Divine Sword."

"Jade-Faced Divine Sword?" Guo Songyang frowned and looked at Li Xunhuan and Tianji Laoren, but they both shook their heads, indicating they had never heard this person's name.

At this time, Yu Liancheng was about to walk out of the corridor, and the crowd hurriedly chased after him, but Yu Liancheng was getting further and further away from them.

"You are leaving?" Afei suddenly shouted.

"That's right, I am leaving; we shall meet again if fate allows."

A wine flask had appeared in Yu Liancheng's hand at some point; he tilted his head and took a gulp, his figure getting further and further away, with only an ethereal singing voice drifting over.

"The pugilistic world laughs, grievances are settled."

"People exchange blows, smiles hide knives."

"The red dust laughs, laughter is lonely."

"The heart is too high, it cannot be reached."

"People will grow old, but the heart does not."

"..."

The singing voice gradually became inaudible, and the shadows of Li Xunhuan and the others were stretched very, very far by the setting sun.

On this day, the Six Absolute Mad Guest retired into seclusion, and his immortal tracks were seen no more.

Some say that, like his seniors Shen Lang, Xiongmao'er, and others, he has already boarded a ship for overseas, no longer concerning himself with the affairs of the Edo. Others say he took over the Money Gang, secretly plotting everything and manipulating the life, death, glory, and disgrace of countless people...

Famous heroes and gallants of the Edo emerge in succession, staging countless brilliant stories.

Yet the "Six Absolute Mad Guest" Yu Liancheng is a legend that never ends.

Stories about his deeds also circulate in the Edo forever.

There is also a mystery that, accompanying the legend of the "Six Absolute Mad Guest," has remained in the Edo forever, becoming an unsolvable puzzle.

——Who exactly is the Jade-Faced Divine Sword?

PS: Volume one concluded. 13,200 words updated today, requesting monthly votes.