172 Fights of Vengeance (1/2)

Chu Yangjun was considerably better at kungfu than the Machete God Huang Shi'an. It was for this reason that Gu Shenwei could only kill him by means of assassination. Even so, the killer was unable to avert a counterblow from the swordsman.

The latter's long sword had sunk deep into the killer's chest. It would have proved fatal if it went just a little bit deeper.

Gu Shenwei's swordcraft was elevated in a way he could not describe in words. In essence, his confidence steeply increased and he began to believe himself capable of killing Ye Silang.

The best time to kill Ye Silang was right now while he was still unaware of his Protector's death.

Gu Shenwei wanted to pull the sword out of his chest. However, not only were his arms strengthless, but the sword was too long for him to reach its shaft.

Maid Lotus ran over, pulled the sword out, and tossed it on the ground. She then tore a little cloth from her skirt to dress the wound. Thanks to her deftness, Gu Shenwei did not lose much blood, albeit his face turned pale. He sat down languidly, and had no more energy to carry out the second assassination.

Maid Lotus leaped on to the ground and pulled out her knife, ready to slice off Chu Yangjun's head.

”Keep his head intact.”

Slave Huan ordered from above. Surprised, Maid Lotus raised her head and took a quick look at the former, but did not challenge his words. Using her saber, she swiftly stabbed the neck of the corpse to enlarge the tiny yet fatal wound so that nobody could tell that Chu Yangjun died by a sword.

The two killers made their way back to their hiding place. Gu Shenwei laid down on his bed as soon as he got back, unable to bear the pain any longer. The cloth covering his wound was visibly soaked with blood.

This was not the most severe injury Gu Shenwei had ever suffered. As such, he was able to maintain consciousness and rationality, and could even smile to express his gratitude while Maid Lotus cleaned his body, applied medication, and redressed his wound. The world in front of his eyes gradually underwent a strange transformation. It felt as though he had been struggling to remain sober under the influence of liquor but eventually yielded to it. Something seemed to click in his brain, causing him to ease his inner tensions and enter an ethereal and ephemeral fantasy world.

The scenes which Gu Shenwei could remember were few. Some of them were the expected scenes of things, family members, and his old house in the Central Plain. He could not recall the names of his childhood playmates and other things which he never took much notice of. The last scene he remembered was a boundless sea of pink and white flowers that glistened under the sun. He guessed that the flowers were peach blossoms.

Opening his eyes once again, he felt exhausted like never before, as if his Internal Strength and viscera had been entirely hollowed, and all that was left of him was his outer shell.

Maid Lotus was sat beside him, wiping the sweat from his forehead. Her expressionless face suggested that she had been repeating the same task on a daily basis.

”What day and time is it?”

”The seventh day of the second lunar month, afternoon.”

He had been unconscious for two days and two nights.

”What did I say and do while in the unbounded fantasy realm? Did I accidentally divulge the most important secret?” Gu Shenwei felt a sense of anxiety and unconsciously reached his hand to his waist. It was his habit to grasp his knife or sword whenever he was nervous.

But there was nothing; no knife, sword, or even clothes. The only thing covering his body was a layer of bedding. He felt embarrassed at once. This was not something a killer should mind, but even so, there remained certain things which a killer could not control. From this point of view, the person most suited to being a killer was Tie Hanfeng, for he saw everything as child's play.

Maid Lotus, remaining expressionless, placed the towel down. ”It's time for you to get up. Many people are expecting you.”

These frosty words were, in fact, what Gu Shenwei needed to calm down. ”I must have said many things which were out of order.”

”Yes, but the only person who would understand what you said is yourself.” Maid Lotus gave a dubious response before she stood up while keeping her eyes on Slave Huan lying on the bed. ”Deep inside, every killer hates Stone Castle. There's nothing to hide since everyone's the same.”

Gu Shenwei felt bewildered, and could not discern the real meaning of Maid Lotus' words. Perhaps every killer indeed hated Golden Roc Fort bitterly, but he was the only one who harbored sinister motives and transformed his hate into concrete action.

”Should I trust the girl in front of me?” After a brief period of inner struggle, Gu Shenwei finally replied, ”Thank you.”

”Alright. Come, our troubles haven't all been resolved.”

There was a load of troubles awaiting the two of them.

Chu Yangjun's death did not cause as much as a ripple in South City. Few people even knew his formal name, while those who were more familiar with him simply wondered how one of the best-looking men in Hope Alley could run into a fatal mishap in the ditches. Even fewer people connected the discovered corpse to Kun Society. Most people guessed it was a crime of passion, and lost their curiosity in the matter after just half a day.

What attracted the attention of Jade City's residents more so than Chu Yangjun's death was the disappearance of Sword Sacrificer Ye Silang.

The renowned swordsman could not be found anywhere - not in North City, South City, or his abode, nor in the countless betting arenas, taverns, or brothels.

Horned Dragon Society was dealt yet another huge blow. Although Ye Silang professed that he was not a member of said society, the person he wanted to kill was its archenemy, and naturally, he was regarded as its ally. Now that he had suddenly gone missing and could possibly even be dead, Kun Society, which had retreated into a corner, could bare its powerful and sharp fangs once again.

Consequently, the large battle between the Kun and Horned Dragon societies, which everyone had long awaited yet feared, finally began.