Chapter 156: Waiting for the Opportunity

Shanying grinned, took out his blood-stained Dagger to wipe it clean, and then removed the arm badge from the body.

On this side of the Mountain, two flashes of cold light zipped by; Chen Yu had dealt with the remaining two killers. The threat on the hilltop had vanished, and only then did he let out a sigh of relief.

"Chen Yu, are you alright? You're hurt?" Yan Roujin rushed out, looking nervously at Chen Yu's wounds.

"I'm fine," Chen Yu smiled slightly. "Just some superficial wounds."

"What's going on with Zhu Hongxue?" Yan Roujin was puzzled. "Did she betray our foster father?"

"This woman has always been a ruthless character. You might have been deceived by her appearance before," Chen Yu sighed. "Her ambition drives her to act recklessly."

Yan Roujin remained silent for a long time. She and Zhu Hongxue had a very close relationship, like sisters, but she could never have imagined that Zhu Hongxue would actually come to kill her.

"Let's go. The truth behind the extermination of Wang Kai's family is out. Zhu Hongxue has been lying in wait for so long for this very day. These people are all killers she secretly cultivated; she intends to seize power."

"My foster father is in danger?" Yan Roujin was struck with horror.

"That's right. If there are no surprises, she is going to make a move on your foster father. Where is he now?" Chen Yu asked.

"At the villa in the suburbs," Yan Roujin frowned. "I'm going to call for men."

"I'm afraid it's too late. Just protect yourself for now; I will handle the rest," Chen Yu said.

"Then... take care," Yan Roujin looked at Chen Yu with a complex expression.

"I will," Chen Yu smiled slightly and turned to leave.

"Chen Yu..." Yan Roujin suddenly called out to him with a hesitant expression.

"What is it?" Chen Yu turned his head back.

Yan Roujin suddenly lunged forward, tightly hugged Chen Yu's head, leaned in, and forced a kiss on him.

"You..." Chen Yu was stunned. He, a dignified man, had actually been forced into a kiss?

"Go quickly," Yan Roujin's face turned crimson, and she turned away rapidly, not daring to meet Chen Yu's gaze.

Chen Yu was left between laughter and tears. Who had he provoked? Why was he saddled with such romantic debt?

In the suburbs, Pinghu Villa.

Although Li Xuanling did not publicly teach, there were many registered disciples of his at Pinghu Villa.

Xuanwu Tea House was very famous throughout the Three Provinces around Fengling, and given his status in the Jianghu, even without public teaching, disciples would come to him by reputation.

However, most of his disciples were scattered across various places, handling trivial matters in the Jianghu, with only a small number remaining at the villa.

At night, the villa appeared quiet. Zhu Hongxue served the tea in her hands just as she had done before.

"You don't have to do this every day; having this heart is enough," Li Xuanling took a sip of tea and set down his teacup.

"I do this to thank my foster father for the grace of raising me," Zhu Hongxue smiled and said. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be who I am today. I will never forget your kindness in this lifetime."

"You were only eight years old when I saved you from the wolf's mouth," Li Xuanling sighed. "Your parents and relatives were attacked by wild beasts in the deep mountains and perished. For a full half-year after I saved you, you didn't speak a word."

"It wasn't until later that you slowly walked out of that grief of losing your family. I taught you martial arts, taught you benevolence and morality, and watched you grow day by day. In a blink... it has already been over twenty years."

"So, greeting you every morning and serving you tea every night is what I should do. I will never dare to forget your great kindness, Foster Father," Zhu Hongxue said slowly.

"But I never knew you were such a ruthless person," Li Xuanling stood up and set down a file.

"The deaths of Wang Kai's business rivals over these years were all caused by you, weren't they? And the massacre of Wang Kai's entire family, including the women and children, was also your doing. You saved the Poison King Zhong Qianyuan to use for your own ends, committing every evil deed. I never taught you any of this."

"Foster Father..." Zhu Hongxue smiled. She said eerily, "If one does not look out for oneself, heaven and earth will destroy them. I have no relatives to rely on in this world, so I can only rely on myself."

"What I don't have, I go and fight for. What I can't fight for, I use the blade in my hand to seize. Don't forget, I was saved by you from a wolf's mouth; my nature was always meant to be this way."

"What exactly do you want?" Li Xuanling stared coldly at Zhu Hongxue.

"I want the Xuanwu Tea House," Zhu Hongxue stared back just as coldly. "I have poured all my filial piety into you over these years. Whatever you ordered, I would complete. But in the end, I am not as good as Yan Roujin?"

"The Xuanwu Tea House should have been mine. Does she, a merchant, understand the Jianghu? I have never understood where I am inferior to her, to the point where you would hand the Xuanwu Tea House over to her?"

"You will never be as good as her, because you are a venomous snake," Li Xuanling said through gritted teeth. "I have trusted you too much over these years, to the point that I didn't even notice you acting so recklessly."

"Don't you know everything now?" Zhu Hongxue's eyes were sinister.

"You want to commit patricide?" Li Xuanling stared at her.

"You are not my biological father. In other words, even if you were, as long as you blocked my path, I would kill you all the same." Zhu Hongxue smiled. She spread her hands, and two curved blades appeared from her sleeves. She laughed, "Foster Father, let's settle this."

"Fine. Since it has come to this, our bond as father and daughter is severed from this day forward," Li Xuanling put his hands behind his back. "Make your move. I will give you three strikes."

"I'm afraid that once I make my move, you won't have another chance," Zhu Hongxue said with a smile. "Foster Father, you are old."

"So what? All your martial arts were taught by me. Do you think I don't know what you're capable of?" Li Xuanling said coldly.

"Then let's try it," a sharp glint flashed in Zhu Hongxue's eyes. She dashed forward a few steps, flipped the weapons in her hands, and attacked Li Xuanling rapidly.

Zhu Hongxue's strength was not weak. The weapons in her hands were custom-made, and all three strikes were aimed at Li Xuanling's vital points.

Li Xuanling dodged blindly. Suddenly, a cold light flashed, and with a *shhh* sound, the sword in Zhu Hongxue's hand pierced Li Xuanling's sleeve, leaving a bloodstain on his arm.

"Not bad," Li Xuanling nodded in approval. "The weapons in your hands were made by me specifically for you, because your moves are fierce and your footwork is agile, making you suitable as a killer. You have taken to these two weapons like a fish to water."

"Now that you can injure me with these two weapons, it shows you have put in the hard work. It is a pity you have gone down the wrong path."

"I am only thinking for myself. Wrong path or not, I don't care," Zhu Hongxue sneered.

"Originally, I wanted to give you a chance, but now it seems you can no longer turn back," Li Xuanling sighed slightly. "If there is a next life, be a good person."

As Li Xuanling spoke, he let out a violent shout and rushed forward. He clenched his right hand and threw a punch. As his right arm flickered, it seemed to grow several inches in that instant.

Mingkong Fist, Li Xuanling's signature fist technique, possessed immense power.

But just as his Internal Force erupted, he suddenly felt his True Qi stagnate in his chest. He couldn't catch his breath, and a sharp pain flared in his chest.