It was noon, and the sky was gloomy.
The dark clouds blocked out the sun, and even the heavens seemed to be helping to create an atmosphere of an impending storm.
At this moment, three figures appeared on the empty street.
The person in the middle was a middle-aged man.
He was dressed in rags and held a stick-like weapon wrapped in rags. Step by step, he walked unhurriedly.
The two people behind him were much more eye-catching than him. Both ODA AI and Sasaki Kumi were players, after all. Their looks and temperament were very different from the usual characters in the scenario. Even though the system had ‘harmonized’ their appearances to a certain extent, they were still very eye-catching.
Just like that, the three of them walked along the widest main road in the middle of Linjin town. They walked in the silent cold wind, and walked under the countless gazes hidden in the dark …
Xiu Xiu Xiu
Suddenly, the sound of the wind cutting through the air, also cutting through the suffocating pressure.
Buzzzzzz!
With her sharp eyes and quick hands, AI ODA raised one hand and gently blocked the flying hidden weapon with her wrist guard.
However, this was only the beginning …
Before the first hidden weapon had even landed, the follow-up attack had already arrived.
In the blink of an eye, black dots came from all directions like a storm.
There were darts, knives, needles, and bullets … Each type of hidden weapon had its own unique speed, strength, and killing method.
There was no need to mention the means of quenching poison and the like. Some hidden weapons even had gunpowder added to them, and they would explode the moment they were blocked. Some would split into two or several while moving; There were even things that could suddenly change flight trajectories.
In a situation where there was no cover, the only option was to jump into the sky.
However, the three of them … Stood still.
“Sickly sword …” At that moment, Sasa Mitsuya made his move. When he announced the name of his move, he also looked sickly.”…Round slaying.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a sword move appeared.
In the next second, a transparent circular force field spread out with Sasaki at the center. It enveloped AI ODA and the middle-aged man.
He didn’t know what the principle behind this [sick sword-round strike] was. His sword was clearly still in its sheath, but it could still create a saturated sword Qi field, blocking all the hidden weapons out of the range of that “circle.”
After this round of combined attacks, the three people were actually unscathed.
“Ah, Yingluo.”
Unexpectedly, after a few seconds, there was another change.
A blood-curdling screech was heard, followed by a person flying out from the second-floor window of a building on the side of the road.
As soon as the man fell to the ground, more screams and the sound of weapons colliding appeared.
“Hmph … It’s dog-eat-dog now …” AI ODA saw the figures flying out of the buildings and dark alleys and knew what was happening in a place she could not see.
Her speculation was indeed correct. The current situation was a “black eating black.”
The group of people who had attacked them first were from the “wind-pressing Association.”
To put it bluntly, this sect was a group of armed thieves, and the members of the sect were known for their concealed weapons and Qinggong. In terms of fair duels in broad daylight, they weren’t very strong, but when it came to assassinations, ambushes, and theft, their skills weren’t bad.
Last night, the members of the wind-carrying club had killed far more martial artists than the crazy tiger Gang. Of course … They had only killed their minions. They had not been able to kill many of the real masters.
Compared to the calculative tu Ji, the head of the wind-pressing Association was relatively simple-minded, so much so that after that night’s assassination, they had also suffered heavy losses. At noon today, they were left with a total of thirty people.
With this kind of strength, it would be difficult to deal with “sword dance grass.”
Therefore, the wind-pressing Association thought of a simple and direct strategy that was likely to be effective … They would strike first.
They had deliberately chosen an area not far from the town entrance to lay in ambush. Their plan was to strike first and take away the people with the secret manual in one wave. Then, they would take advantage of their sect’s advantage in Qinggong to take the things and escape quickly.
However, they did not expect that their attack, which they had been preparing for a long time, would be easily resolved by their target. Not only that, the beggar sect, Sea Dragon Gate, and white plum sect, the three sects that had suffered the most from their sneak attack last night, had already set up an ambush in the outer area. As soon as the People of the Wind-pressing Association made their move, the people from the other three sects came and surrounded them like a dumpling.
The killing … Was over very quickly.
It was more like a massacre than a fight.
With more than 140 people killing 30 people, and it was an unintentional one at that, it was already good enough for the latter to last for one or two minutes.
After all the members of the wind Association were laid flat on the ground, a black mass of people appeared from all over the street and blocked the path of the three people.
There were also three people in the lead.
The first person was a man with gray hair that draped over his shoulders. He was dressed in light-colored clothes. From his appearance, he was at least sixty years old, but his movements did not show any signs of old age.
This person was called Luo can, the current master of beggar’s sect.
As a sect with a long history, beggar’s sect had produced many outstanding heroes among the past sect Masters. Unfortunately, no matter if it was talent, martial arts, or wisdom, Luo can was the kind that was not ranked.
If there was anything praiseworthy about him, it was that … He had successfully restored the sect’s lost technique,”eighteen Dragon subduing palm,” from some incomplete copies and styles that he had collected from various places.
If it had been more than a hundred years ago, this would not have been a big deal. At that time, there were many external martial arts that were of a higher level than the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms. However, in this “post-Wulin era,” having such a set of palm techniques was enough for Luo can to be ranked among the Super-class Masters and be unrivaled in the world.
As for the second person …
This person’s name was Gu Jiaolong. He was dressed in ordinary clothes that martial artists often wore. However, his appearance was very unique. He had a Tiger’s back, a bear’s waist, and delicate features.
Yes, you didn’t see it wrong, and I didn’t write it wrong. He looked like this. Hence, the young gang leader of the sea Dragon Gate was given the nickname Jade-faced flood Dragon.
Sea Dragon Gate, as the name suggested, depended on the sea for a living, and could be considered half martial and half business. Different from other sects, the sea Dragon Gate had a “good relationship” with the government. Because they would regularly provide some court officials with rare treasures and delicacies from the sea, they had a lot of convenience.
In the Jiangnan region, the sea Dragon Gate could be said to be the Overlord of a region. To give a not-so-exaggerated example, as long as the Wufu were within their sphere of influence, they could do the illegal salt business openly.
As for the sect’s martial arts … They were average. They did not have any high-tier martial arts that they could show off, but they had a few sets of fierce external martial arts that were considered passable in actual combat.
Finally, he looked at the third person.
It was a woman, a woman who was so fat that it was difficult to tell her gender.
It might not seem strange now, but in a society that was based on agriculture and was relatively poor in material resources, it was quite rare to see a fat man who weighed more than 100 to 200 pounds.
This female sect leader … Or rather … The female sect leader was called Feng Meiyu. She had given herself this name after she grew up. When she was young, she didn’t have a name, but she had many names …
No one would believe it, but when sect leader Feng was 15 years old, she was the top hostess of a famous brothel in the capital. At that time, her name was Feng ‘er.
Back then, Feng ‘er was a beauty. Even though she was only a young girl, her mature body had already conquered countless young masters and Royal descendants in the capital.
Because she was picked up by the brothel’s Madam and grew up in that kind of environment, she didn’t seem to reject selling her body to live a good life.
However, one day, she changed.
A woman’s change was usually related to a man, and Feng ‘er was no exception.
When she was nineteen, she fell in love with a young master from a poor family. She loved his looks, his talents, and every minute and second she spent with him. Even after many years, she still remembered that warmth.
However, this relationship quickly ended with the young master’s early death.
His death was not an accident. It was only because he was too close to Feng ‘er, and it caused the latter to have the idea of redeeming herself. This was clearly something that some people did not want to see, and those “some people” were all people who could stir up clouds and rain in the capital. For them, killing a poor Confucian scholar was no different from crushing an ant.
From that moment on, although Feng ‘er didn’t show any abnormality on the surface, in fact, her heart had been completely swallowed by the fire of revenge.
She had used her own methods to obtain some martial arts secret books and had been practicing them in secret.
Hatred was a terrifying motivation that would not weaken with the passage of time. Instead, it would only grow stronger …
With that kind of motivation, no matter what one did, it would be extremely efficient.
Three years later, Feng ‘er had completed her revenge.
It only took her one night to kill all her enemies and burn down the biggest brothel in the capital. She even skinned the madam and hung her body on the memorial Arch of the flower Street.
After that night, Feng ‘er disappeared.
More than ten years later, a sect called the “white plum sect” appeared in the pugilistic world. Their sect leader was an extremely fat woman who called herself “Feng Meiyu.”
She was fat not because she was lazy … It was because she lacked the most basic knowledge and regulations. She had to rely on her own comprehension and desperately practice a variety of different internal arts, which eventually led to abnormalities in her meridians and Qi. After some years, these abnormalities gradually appeared in her body.
Being fat was only the most obvious manifestation. There were many other problems with her body that made her suffer. However, in the past ten years, even though she had visited famous doctors in the world and consulted many leading figures in the martial arts world, no one could cure her extreme “Qi deviation.”
Finally, the physical pain caused her mental problems … She gave up treatment and turned the pain into a new motivation. Killing became a way to release pressure, and the desire for power became her own painkiller … Just like that, the White plum sect was born.
“Beggar’s sect … Sea Dragon Gate … White plum sect …” The middle-aged man only spoke slowly after the three of them and the rest of the sect members stood still.”Looking at this … Have you all joined forces?”
His guess was right. Due to the various events that happened last night, the strength comparison between the three sects had changed. After negotiations, these three sects decided to join forces to ensure today’s victory.
“Cut the crap!” Gu Jiaolong was 32 years old this year, an age where he was hot-blooded and full of vigor. Normally, he was a man of his word in his own gang’s territory and had long formed a habit. Thus, his words could no longer be described as “charging” but “overbearing”.”Hand over the ‘sword dance grass record’ and I’ll spare your life!”
“Oh?” The middle-aged man’s tone remained calm.”How did you know … That I have the ‘sword dance grass record’?”
Before Gu Jiaolong could answer, Luo can continued,””The murderer who killed the sixty-three members of the Jiang family will appear in Linji town on New Year’s Eve with the sword dance grass script. “He’s about fifty years old, his face is covered with a bamboo hat, and he’s holding a weapon wrapped in rags …” He repeated the message that had spread throughout the martial world word for word, and then continued,”at present, except for the fact that it’s not ‘night’ yet, you completely fit the description of this message.” He paused and shifted his gaze to Sasa mumi.”Besides … We’ve all seen your subordinate’s Kung Fu just now … That must be a move from the sword dance grass, right?”
Their speculations were quite reasonable. The “skill” of Misaka Mikoto was considered magical to an Orthodox martial artist, and this could be explained by “he learned it from the sword dance grass record”.
“Well … You do have a point, but I don’t know if you’ve ever thought about this …” The middle-aged man replied calmly.”The ‘information’ you mentioned seems to be a little too accurate … Isn’t it?”
When he said that, the two players behind him did not react because they had already heard the whole story from the middle-aged man. However, Xu Huai Shang, flashes of sword, and not a scaredy cat, who were hiding in the dark, heard the same words and their expressions changed.
“So what?” Feng Meiyu stood there like a big meatball, and even speaking seemed to be a little difficult for her.”Now that things have come to this, what’s the point of saying all this …? Are you still trying to deny that it’s on you?”
“I’m not trying to deny anything …” The middle-aged man replied.”On the contrary, I want to admit something …”
“Didn’t you just want to say … That you were the one who released the news?” Suddenly, another person’s voice joined the conversation.
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and quickly found a person on the roof of a house on the street.
“Feng bujue!”
The moment brother Jue appeared, these three words flashed through the hearts of the other players like a swarm of ants.
“What?” The middle-aged man’s attention was also attracted by brother Jue. He raised his head and used his fingers to push up the edge of the bamboo hat. He glanced at brother Jue.”You are …”
“Be careful …” AI ODA’s whisper immediately entered the middle-aged man’s ears.”This kid is difficult to deal with …”
“Hey! Who the hell are you?” Two seconds later, Gu Jiaolong yelled at brother Jue,”do you have the right to speak here?”
“Ha …” Feng bujue chuckled and replied,”please don’t be angry, sect master Gu. I am only here to say a few things that might interest you. I have no intention of interfering with the sect Masters.”
“We don’t have time to listen to your story.” Luo can said,”I advise you to hurry …”
“Hold on.” To his surprise, the middle-aged man interrupted,”I’d like to hear … What he has to say.”
The moment he said that, the three sect leaders were stunned. The way they looked at brother Jue also changed slightly.
Of course, they still didn’t take the young man seriously. They were just wondering what the middle-aged man was up to.
“Hehe … Actually, I don’t have much to say. I can finish in a short while.” Feng bujue saw that no one was going to interrupt him, so he continued,”to put it simply … Today’s scheme was planned by you.” He looked at the middle-aged man and smiled.”If I’m not wrong, you should be the Japanese Ronin who didn’t know the true value of the sword manual and pawned it at a low price.”
Everyone’s expression changed except for the middle-aged man, AI ODA, and Sasa mumi.
Feng bujue did not mind and continued,””In fact, you are very clear about the value of the sword dance grass record … That’s why you used it as a ‘bait’ to set up this trap …” He paused for a second, then continued,”first, you deliberately let Jiang San obtain the sword dance grass record, and then you created the massacre of the Jiang clan and took back the sword manual. You know that Duan Keyi will definitely come to avenge his disciple and investigate the matter to the end … Therefore, you can use Dian Cang sect’s name to spread the news of the sword dance grass record.
“When people hear the relevant news, they will take it for granted that this was ‘found out by Dian Cang sect’, as if everything is logical.
“But when I heard this, I felt that something was wrong …
“Let’s not talk about how sect leader Duan and his disciples came to the conclusion that the murderer killed the entire family in order to take away a sword manual from a murder scene where there were no living people … Even if they were sure that the murderer’s motive was to take away something important and used it as a clue to investigate … The possibility of finding the so-called ‘Japanese Ronin’ and the ‘pawnshop’ is really very low.
“After that, the news that ‘sword dance grass will appear on New Year’s Eve’ made me completely certain … That the murderer was the one who spread the news.
“Just like you said … The information was too specific and precise. Not only the time and place, but even your clothes and appearance were exactly the same.”
Brother Jue could not help but laugh.”Hehe … The funniest thing is that since this news has already spread throughout the martial world and attracted so many sects and people, then the ‘person’ in the news most likely already knows about this … Under such circumstances, how could he still appear at the time and place mentioned in the news? Knowing that the entire martial arts world is waiting to ambush him, he still came to die?”
His question was obviously thrown to the sect leaders and the other martial arts practitioners who were lurking around.
“So, there can only be one truth.” Feng bujue raised his hand and pointed at the middle-aged man.”The person with the sword dance grass record … The person who spread the news … The person who created the situation today through multiple schemes … Does not think that he will die.”
As he spoke, he turned around and looked at the three sect leaders.””The ones who will die … Are you guys.”
