Chapter 76

Jumping down would likely mean death, but not jumping would certainly mean death; this choice wasn't too difficult.

"Want to gamble your life? Sword Style of Separation!"

Jiang Sishui flicked his wrist; though he did not grip the hilt, the long sword spun around his wrist under a sticky force, circling like a butterfly or sparrow.

Immediately after, Jiang Sishui flung his hand and threw it.

"Die!"

The long sword instantly left his hand, flying in a semi-circular arc to slash in from the side; its own weight combined with Jiang Sishui's throwing force made it fast as rushing thunder.

Duan Duan Yanqing raised his staff to block, yet the sword tip suddenly spat out a two-foot-long sword aura, brushing across his neck and spraying a burst of scalding blood.

Immediately after, that long sword returned to Jiang Sishui's hand like a boomerang.

This sword technique could be called brilliantly stunning, but unfortunately, due to the barrier of the cliff face, no one could witness the entire process.

However, seeing Jiang Sishui throw out a sword and catch it back was already a divine skill; many swordsmen were startled while secretly admiring him.

By the time Jiang Sishui rushed back, the battle had already ended.

Suxinghe stood before Ding Chunqiu's corpse, examining a flat small box, seven inches long and three inches thick, that had rolled out from the latter's sleeve.

It was precisely the needle box of the "Rain of Pear Blossoms."

Ding Chunqiu was dead; his lifelong wish fulfilled, Suxinghe's old eyes overflowed with tears he could not stop.

The "Eight Friends of Hangu" continuously comforted him from behind.

Jiang Sishui glanced at the "Rain of Pear Blossoms" needle box, then immediately withdrew his gaze.

Such hidden weapons were single-use and useless once expended; obtaining the box was pointless, so Jiang Sishui did not insist on it.

Next, under the gaze of the multitude, he turned his eyes toward South South Murong Fu.

The eyes of all the heroes shifted between the two men, wondering how Jiang Sishui would deal with this "Southern South South Murong."

Would he kill him too?

Given the ruthlessness Jiang Sishui had just displayed, this possibility was quite high!

South South Murong Fu did not flee.

For him, slinking away in a cowardly retreat would be more unbearable than losing his life.

He would rather die under Jiang Sishui's sword than become a homeless dog chased away.

Thus, after joining forces with Kumoho only to be defeated, South South Murong Fu stood dazed for a while; no matter how his four family retainers advised him to slip away in the chaos, he refused to listen.

Seeing Jiang Sishui look at him now, South South Murong Fu suppressed his negative emotions and said, "Brother Jiang's sword skills are divine; I admit my inferiority."

Jiang Sishui indeed had no intention of killing South South Murong Fu; had he wanted to, he would have done so long ago.

A mere South South Murong Fu meant little, but he was tied to Wang Wang Wang Yuyan, Sister Sister Azhu, and Sister Sister Abi.

If South South Murong Fu died under his sword, his relationship with the three women would drop to freezing point; wanting anything further afterward would require using violent means.

Unless absolutely necessary, he did not wish to do that.

Furthermore, South South Murong Fu was not a rootless duckweed; he had people backing him.

That old schemer South South Murong Bo?

Jiang Sishui was not afraid.

What he worried about was South South Murong Longcheng, who might still be alive!

South South Murong Longcheng was a figure from roughly the same era as Duan Duan Siping, and within the backdrop of "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils," both experts had once been invincible in their time.

Duan Duan Siping could found the Kingdom of Dali and create the "Six Meridian Divine Swords," hailed as the "Number One Sword Art of the Heavenly Dragons"; he was undoubtedly a Heavenly Being.

Then South South Murong Longcheng, his equal, could not possibly be merely a Grandmaster.

And a Heavenly Being possessed a basic lifespan of fully two hundred years!

If neither had met with any accident, they would undoubtedly still be alive today.

Therefore, Jiang Sishui was temporarily unwilling to forge an indelible feud with the South South Murong family, otherwise matters might become very troublesome.

He himself possessed the "Sun Shadow Golden Wheel," but his women did not.

Considering these two points, Jiang Sishui decided to spare South South Murong Fu this time.

However, letting him go for nothing would be a pity.

So Jiang Sishui looked at Sister Sister Abi and said, "Thanks to the South South Murong family's care of Sister Sister Abi over the years, my Xiaoyao Sect naturally returns the courtesy. If there is nothing else, Young Master South South Murong may please take his leave."

Sister Sister Abi? Return the courtesy?

South South Murong Fu was no fool; he immediately caught the hidden meaning.

The other layer of this statement was: I am sparing you only for Sister Sister Abi's sake, so the South South Murong family's kindness to Sister Sister Abi is now offset; neither side owes the other anything.

Realizing he had to rely on a maid to save his life, the extremely proud South South Murong Fu immediately felt unable to bear it, his face turning crimson.

Sister Sister Abi also stood aside at a loss, looking bitterly at Wang Wang Wang Yuyan and Sister Sister Azhu.

But how could the two women intervene?

In their view, Jiang Sishui sparing South South Murong Fu was already a blessing from heaven; enduring it was enough. If they rashly spoke up and annoyed him into changing his mind, what then?

Thus, both women remained silent.

In the end, South South Murong Fu forcibly suppressed his anger, bowed deeply with clenched fists, and said coldly, "Gusu South South Murong bids farewell!"

With that, he turned and led his four family retainers away.

Wang Wang Wang Yuyan immediately grew anxious, wondering what excuse she could use to stay, when suddenly Jiang Sishui said, "This must be Miss Wang Wang Wang Yuyan? Please remain."

Hearing Jiang Sishui call out to her, Wang Wang Wang Yuyan felt a surge of joy; she stopped as instructed, turned to look at Jiang Sishui, and her eyes asked a question.

Jiang Sishui spoke plainly: "An elder shares a deep connection with you, Miss Wang; blood is thicker than water. Please stay and meet him for one last time."

A deep connection? Blood thicker than water? One last time?

Wang Wang Wang Yuyan's heart jumped in shock.

The first person she thought of was Wu Wu Ya Zi, after all, the previous diary entries had already revealed some connection between them.

Blood is thicker than water... Could they truly be flesh and blood?

South South Murong Fu, who had not gone far, slowed his steps.

As for Jiang Sishui's "nonsense," he did not believe a single word, assuming the man was driven by lust and wanted to keep his exquisite cousin, which filled him with extreme rage.

What angered him even more was that, expecting his cousin to reject the offer outright, he never anticipated she would actually believe Jiang Sishui's one-sided words and truly stay behind.

Even A'Zhu had stayed to accompany her!

South South Murong Fu burned with fury, his heart and liver trembling with rage; his eyes turned sinister and cruel before he let out a cold snort, flicked his sleeves, and departed.

Just three women; what is there to make a fuss about!

The four major retainers exchanged glances, yet none dared to speak, following silently behind.

Seeing how easily he had managed to keep Wang Wang Wang Yuyan, Jiang Sishui felt somewhat surprised, though he did not dwell on it.

He had long realized that this Wang Wang Wang Yuyan differed significantly from the original story, so he could not judge her based on impressions from that tale.

Afterwards, Jiang Sishui looked around and addressed the crowd of heroes: "I thank all you heroic gentlemen for traveling great distances to attend this gathering upon invitation; the Xiaoyao Sect is deeply grateful."

The heroes all responded politely.

At the same time, realizing that Jiang Sishui's words implied they should take their leave, they one by one rose to bid farewell.

Tang Tang Tang Bohu came trotting over eagerly to bid Jiang Sishui farewell: "Brother Jiang, please visit the Tang Manor when you have time; this humble brother will surely prepare eighteen grand banquet tables to welcome and honor you."

Eighteen grand banquet tables?

Then you'd likely be sold by the pound by your eight wives!

Jiang Sishui mocked silently in his heart while agreeing casually.

With no spectacle left to watch, the crowd dispersed quickly.

Suddenly, Jiang Sishui heard a voice transmitted via true energy in his ear: "Kid, I'll only be staying at the foot of the mountain for two days."

Recognizing the voice as Huang Huang Yaoshi's, Jiang Sishui immediately turned to look, only to see him already departing gracefully with his wife and daughter.

"As long as you are here, there is no rush, no rush; wait a little longer, and everyone will have their turn eventually."

Thinking thus, his eyes involuntarily drifted toward Wang Wang Wang Yuyan, A'Zhu, and A'Bi.

Beautiful!

Too beautiful!

So beautiful it was hard to look away.

Viewing them up close, one could even more keenly feel how their beauty could topple cities.

Merely standing there, they constituted the most stunning scenery.

Over on that side, Zhao Zhao Zhao Qiying seemed to have said something to Zhao Zhao Tianhao, after which the latter took Zhao Zhao Zhao Mengjiao and headed down the mountain.