Chapter 34: Ordinary?

“Good kid!”

Seeing the opponent’s arrogance, Bao Fei intended to make an example of him—no need for words. His right hand seized the servant’s waist knife, and his legs exploded with force!

Boom—

Clang—

Amid the explosive sound, the deck cracked, the entire pleasure boat shuddered, and a flash of icy silver light streaked along the riverbank!

A three-foot silver blade suddenly unsheathed, appearing from afar like a sudden bolt of thunder; bystanders could only glimpse a blurred afterimage!

Far away, Princess Changning and others, seeing Bao Fei’s excessive brutality, felt a chill of dread.

Yet the next instant, the riverside fell utterly silent.

Boom—

Xie Jin, standing on the grass, vanished from Lin Wanyi’s side the moment Bao Fei moved, leaving only a circular depression.

When he reappeared, he was already lunging forward with the Tian Gang Iron Club, slamming into Bao Fei’s face!

Boom—

Faced with this terrifying burst of speed, Bao Fei’s furious expression froze. Without hesitation, he swung his blade with full force, holding nothing back.

But this lightning-fast slash still failed to breach the center line—it struck solidly against the horizontally held Iron Club!

Clang—

As the blades met, a deafening explosion echoed along the lakeside!

Among the many martial cultivators at the Peony Pool, those with even a modicum of skill immediately recognized that Xie Jin was no ordinary man.

But Bao Fei was the young master of Jinghua Mountain Villa, famed throughout Danzhou; his “Thunderclap Blade” was the villa’s signature technique, renowned for its brutal, overwhelming power.

Under normal circumstances, Xie Jin’s direct clash would have either been flung away by the Thunderclap Blade or at least shoved back dozens of paces, trapped in a relentless chain of strikes!

Yet when Bao Fei’s full-force slash struck the Tian Gang Iron Club, Xie Jin stood like an immovable boulder, his feet rooted firmly to the earth without the slightest tremor!

Boom—

Bao Fei’s full-power strike landed on the Iron Club—and felt as if he’d chopped into a steel statue. The counterforce shattered his tiger’s mouth, nearly splitting it open; his blade flew from his grip, the hilt nearly smashing into his own forehead.

Xie Jin wasted no time on this trash. Using “Pan Dragon Across the Ridge,” he absorbed the blow—and the instant the blade flew free, he lunged forward, shoulder slamming into Bao Fei’s chest!

Boom—

Before Bao Fei could react, an arm like iron and hardwood crashed into his chest.

Under the indescribable force, Bao Fei’s back robe exploded open, revealing his corded, muscular shoulders and back.

His entire body curled into a shrimp-like hunch, hurtling backward, smashing through the deck railing and piercing the cabin wall.

Boom—

Crack—crack—crack—

Amid flying splinters, the young masters and nobles inside the cabin felt a gust of wind brush their faces; in their peripheral vision, a figure crashed through the wall from outside, striking the ceiling beam and sending down a shower of dust.

Boom—

Then he tumbled from midair, landing squarely atop the long table piled high with rare delicacies. Porcelain plates and wine jugs shattered instantly, spraying crimson blood onto the floor:

“Puh—cough… cough…”

“Ahh—!”

The singing girls and dancers inside the cabin screamed in terror!

Outside, by the riverbank, silence reigned.

The exchange had been too swift—most hadn’t even reacted.

After sending Bao Fei back to his cabin, Xie Jin casually sheathed the Tian Gang Iron Club, ignoring the attendants and stewards, and strode swiftly onto the deck.

Tap-tap-tap…

Lin Wanyi hadn’t even had time to intervene before Bao Fei vanished. Though not surprised, she still stared, dumbfounded, and hurried after him:

“Y-you… you didn’t kill him, did you? He’s the young master of Jinghua Mountain Villa…”

Xie Jin marched straight through the pleasure boat, searching:

“Second-rate sect. Not worth fearing. Find the Ghost Witch.”

Lin Wanyi never imagined a simple outing could stir up such chaos—she only wanted to go home.

But since she’d already been drawn into it, she couldn’t just stand idle—she followed Xie Jin’s back.

The attendants and stewards who had moments ago bristled with arrogance now stood like statues, watching the two pass by without daring to move.

As the two entered the cabin, the onlookers gathered by the river finally snapped out of their stupor, eyes wide with horror:

“What just happened?”

“Where’s Bao Fei?”

“Looks like he got thrown back onto the boat…”

“One strike and he’s done?!”

“Seems like he even held back…”

…

On the pleasure boat chartered by the Princess’s mansion, numerous maidens spilled from their rooms, peering out curiously—some still half-dressed:

“What’s going on? What’s going on?”

“A handsome young lord was fighting by the river—his skills are incredible…”

Liu Qingzhi, who knew Xie Jin’s strength, still stared in disbelief at how Bao Fei hadn’t even lasted a single blow.

Princess Changning, watching the entire exchange through her telescope, also looked astonished:

“Impressive! Though not the Xuan Yang Ba Ti Jue, it’s similar in essence. For one so young to reach this level—no wonder Qing Mo is always hovering around him.”

Hou Guan Jia, snapping out of his daze, showed rare admiration:

“This lad seems ordinary on the surface, yet his martial cultivation bears a striking resemblance to my own prime years. I misjudged him the other day.”

Dou Dou, the maid with stars in her eyes, gasped in disbelief:

“This is ordinary?!”

“Slightly handsome.”

“?”

…

Princess Changning was long accustomed to her trusted general’s eccentricity. After waiting a moment without Xie Jin emerging, she ordered:

“Liu Qingzhi, take men over there. Beat Bao Fei if you must—but don’t touch the young masters. If anything serious happens, Qing Mo will come begging me to save him.”

Liu Qingzhi, fearing Xie Jin’s violent temper might have dismembered someone, bowed hastily and sprinted toward the riverbank with two Wu Zu soldiers…

—

Thump-thump-thump…

Slow, unhurried footsteps approached from down the corridor.

The once lively banquet hall now lay utterly silent, save for Bao Fei’s muffled coughs as he lay sprawled on the table, struggling to rise but too dazed to move:

“Cough… cough…”

The dozen or so young nobles seated nearby maintained their composure, but their faces had paled. Had their guards not stood like sentinels, they would have already scrambled under the tables in panic.

The singing girls and musicians hid behind beaded curtains, too terrified to breathe.

Thump… thump…

Soon, the footsteps reached the banquet hall’s entrance.

Xie Jin paused at the threshold, scanning the room’s wealthy and noble young lords, searching for someone resembling the Ghost Witch.

Lin Wanyi followed behind, afraid of causing trouble, keeping her head down while silently sensing for residual toxins.

After regaining his senses, Bao Fei looked up—and saw the white-robed killer standing at the door. He recoiled in terror, scrambling backward on the table.

Splash…

Xie Jin confirmed no familiar figure was present, ignored Bao Fei, and moved toward other rooms.

Lin Wanyi carefully traced the faintest traces, finally halting outside a riverside chamber.

Xie Jin raised his guard, drawing the Zheng Lun Sword and entering the room.

Inside, a man and woman lay naked on the bed, only a light autumn quilt draped over their waists, both unconscious, faces flushed with wine.

Their clothes, once hung on the rack, were gone. On the floor lay a soiled robe.

Lin Wanyi frowned, avoiding the vulgar sight, and moved to the bathing tub behind the screen to inspect it.

“The Ghost Witch washed off the residual poison with medicinal water—he’s long gone.”

Xie Jin approached the bed, checked the pulse of both bodies—only unconscious. Then he went to the robe, using the Tian Gang Iron Club to lift and examine it.

Alas, the Ghost Witch was extremely cautious and well-versed in Witch Sect methods—leaving no object to identify him, not even gold or silver…

Realizing they’d lost all trace, Xie Jin frowned tightly.

He didn’t know his father’s whereabouts, but remembered encountering a demon that day.

Today’s Ghost Witch was certainly not that same creature—but his drifting gait bore a faint resemblance. Perhaps there was some connection…

Thump-thump-thump…

As he pondered this, quiet footsteps echoed again through the silent cabin, followed by voices from outside:

“My lord! A bold ruffian just… eh? My lord?”

The footsteps didn’t pause—they reached the chamber door.

Liu Qingzhi was about to ask what Xie Jin was doing—then spotted the robe on the floor and the unconscious man and woman on the bed. He drew his blade halfway in shock:

“What happened?!”

Lin Wanyi saw it was a Wang Fu guard and immediately reverted to her harmless, gentle demeanor:

“Commandant Liu, you’ve finally arrived. Just now, Xie Jin encountered bandit cultists on Chickencomb Ridge…”

“Huh?”

Liu Qing froze, then asked instinctively:

“Young Master Xie, why do you keep running into bandit cultists every day?”

Xie Jin rose to explain: “They’re all the same group. Today at the government office, while examining the corpse, I uncovered clues about the Gu flower, so I went looking nearby and found the cultivation site outside the city—filled with countless corpses. But then I ran into two Wujiaoyao men trying to destroy the evidence, accompanied by two puppets…”

Among the major sects of Wujiao , Gu toxin and blessing rites are mixed in morality, but Corpse Wu and Ghost Wu —by name alone—are undeniably anti-human sects; their appearance always signals a major case.

Liu Qing had assumed Xie Jin was just causing trouble, but now realized a far greater matter lay behind it, and hurriedly asked:

“Is Young Master Xie unharmed?”

“I just fell, but happened to meet Doctor Lin on the way back—she’s already seen to me.”

Xie Jin casually explained why Lin Wanyi was present, to avoid exposing the Wujiao connection, then continued:

“I ran into that group on Chickencomb Ridge and killed three on the spot. One Ghost Wu escaped here, but I lost his trail.”

Killed three…

Liu Qing had been considering sending a signal fire to summon reinforcements, only to realize Xie Jin had nearly finished them off—his gaze turned dazed.

Yet remembering the incident from a few days prior, he wasn’t truly surprised, and turned to give orders:

“Anyone who can control puppets isn’t ordinary banditry—this may be tied to the ‘Purple Emblem Mountain aura.’ Send men to scour nearby boats and investigate thoroughly.”

“Yes.”

The two attendants hurried off at once.

Xie Jin was eager to take the government men to inspect his forged evidence and interjected:

“The corpse pit is on Chickencomb Ridge—I’ll lead Commandant Liu there, so these cultists don’t circle back and erase all traces.”

“All right…”

With the matter so grave, Liu Qing dared not delay and swiftly assembled his men…

(End of Chapter)