Demon Sword Sect's Undercover-Chapter 771 - 770: The End-of-Year Kill 01 [Extra for Alliance Hierarch Xuan, Sect Hierarch Emperor Xuan]
Chapter 771: Chapter 770: The End-of-Year Kill 01 [Extra for Alliance Hierarch Xuan, Sect Hierarch Emperor Xuan]
Zhang Han Cheng didn’t even go to inspect the scene; he knew that Sword Cultivators had an unusually keen intuition for potential dangers, especially someone like Hou Niao.
He calmed his mind and was simply waiting for the battle.
Three days later, Zhang Han Cheng stepped out of the inn, strolling leisurely, just like any other sightseers on the street, walking up and down the bustling roads. Even as the warm sunlight caressed and the fragrance of flowers penetrated one’s heart and lungs, the vivid colors all around could not suppress the murderous intent in his heart.
He was a born assassin, who took the most pleasure in crafting his tales amid others’ joy and leisure. It was for this very reason that he had been expelled from the Quanzhen Sect. He was not as unlucky as Hou Niao; although he had been expelled, his skills weren’t revoked. Apart from the prohibition against passing them on to others, it didn’t hinder him in any way.
He had been keeping in contact with Tang Yan, waiting for the news that the deed was done. The shorter the delay, the better because he wasn’t sure if the woman had any treasures that could allow for instant communication with Hou Niao.
There was only one chance, which was not uncommon in his career as an assassin—he was used to it.
...Bai Qingqian walked down the street, her face covered by a light veil—an essential part of her attire when leaving home, which she would only remove inside her Flower Shop.
It had been almost a decade, the time since Hou Niao had returned; in fact, she had stayed in Sui Mo City for even longer. From the initial fearful and anxious moments to now being accustomed to it, with Hou Niao never leaving the house, what danger could there be?
As long as she was careful, there would be no problems.
She would go out about once every half-month to acquire everything she needed for running her Flower Shop—the seeds, fertilizers, pots, and other essentials. Having spent over a decade in Sui Mo City, she was more than familiar with it all and had become an expert in this field, making a name for herself in Sui Mo City’s flower cultivation circles.
Today was her shopping day.
She was somewhat distracted because she had her concerns.
She was also a living, breathing person, an independent Cultivator, not a vassal to anyone, not even her own man. Having been out for such a long time, she was beginning to miss her family.
Her eldest uncle had passed away, her second uncle’s health was deteriorating after being under house arrest by the Wu Sect for decades, and her third uncle was in his twilight years. She had planned, thinking that Hou Niao would be stirring up storms outside, she would settle her own affairs in Sui Mo City for a few years before returning to Jin City to accompany the two elders. However, before she could make her move, Hou Niao had dramatically returned, and in the blink of an eye, ten years had passed like a fleeting horse.
With her man in seclusion practicing Sword Cultivation, she couldn’t easily speak about leaving. As the years slipped by, this had turned into a constant concern. It was neither easy to stay nor leave; there are some things that, when it comes to the elderly inching closer to their life’s end, cannot be clearly articulated. Time doesn’t wait for anyone.
After ten years, she didn’t know to what extent her man’s Flying Sword had been refined, she could only wait passively...
As she walked, she felt her steps veering off the path she was supposed to take, involuntarily turning into a secluded alley. She wanted to stop, to turn back onto the main road, but her legs wouldn’t obey her commands. She tried to mobilize her Mana, but it was as if she had lost control over her body, except for her legs mechanically moving... following the person ahead!
That person... it was that person who had turned her into his marionette, walking with the same gait, the same rhythm...
Only when they entered a place she couldn’t make out the purpose of, did the person in front turn around and say with a benign smile:
"Be at ease, I have no ill-intent towards you. Let’s just wait here. Once everything is done, you will be free to leave."
Bai Qingqian instantly understood, but by then she had completely lost any leeway to struggle.
Staring at the Daoist, she still harbored a sliver of hope, "Let me go, and I’ll pretend nothing happened. You probably don’t know who you’re dealing with. If it’s just wealth you seek, there’s really no need."
The Daoist’s smile was beaming, "We know who you are, and we know who your Daoist couple is. Sorry, even if the Bai Family exhausts all its resources, it can’t change the outcome. Congratulations, being with such a dull person must have been terribly boring, right? You’re liberated now."
Bai Qingqian’s heart sank, she knew the worst had happened, and she was powerless to stop it.
...Upon receiving the message from Tang Yan, Zhang Han Cheng immediately quickened his steps and headed toward the flower shop; their cooperation was exquisite. Bai Qingqian still had no clue what was happening, as she was captivated by the pace of Tang Yan’s steps, following his every move. At the exact moment when Tang Yan was turning over the card to that woman, it was also when he made his move against Hou Niao.
The reason for such precise coordination was to prevent the Daoist couple from connecting through some mysterious technique; in the Cultivation World, it’s not uncommon for Daoist couples to have such secret techniques, which one must always be wary of.
For example, the Harmony Dao has a kind of secret technique, "Hidden deep in the mountains the pearl becomes moist, with a shake of the tiger’s body, it stands tall as a pine" ... it is a mysterious connection perfected through long periods of cultivation together.
Of course, what they didn’t know was that this Daoist couple actually didn’t have the time for that, with the woman being more conservative; the man could use the technique, but his partner would be a certain Fangfei...
Tang Yan was walking, and so was he; but while Tang Yan’s next task was simple, he was about to face a challenge.
A tiger is always a tiger, even a toothless tiger remains a tiger; he had been present during the battle between Hou Niao and Duan Wuqian, and although it was just a fleeting moment, he had observed a lot. Apart from the dazzling Body Sword Skill, there was a certain brilliance that had shattered Duan Wuqian’s protective Dragon, and there was a hint of thunderous power...
In the instant of Tang Yan’s confrontation with Bai Qingqian, Zhang Han Cheng had already approached within a hundred feet of the flower shop. Any closer, and he would be unable to conceal his identity as a Golden Core Cultivator.
As Tang Yan confronted her, he too appeared a few dozen feet above the flower shop in a flash, sweeping down with his Divine Sense...
The Stone Formation in the backyard!
He was certain of its presence, but uncertain about its exact location within the formation.
Before coming here, he had considered many possible scenarios, even preparing for the worst. Even if Hou Niao were to attack him first, he would not be surprised, but now the problem was...
There was no attack, no abnormalities, everything was calm, as if they were completely unaware of him, the uninvited guest.
But how could that be possible?
The Stone Formation was small, with a radius of just a few dozen feet, yet it was covered by numerous tall and aberrant plants. Even though he was not an expert in plant species, he could easily tell that these were the Continent’s most common plants, not even Spirit Plants. The only difference was that they were particularly thick, tall, and lush.
What were clearly just grasses gave off the impression of a forest.
The Cultivator’s aura was faintly discernible among them, unmistakable; in that moment, the most complete information about Hou Niao flashed through his mind—this person was proficient in Earth Escape!
The situation of his opponent suddenly became clear, evidently, the person had not yet mastered Flying Swords, hence the need for Earth Escape to flee!
This was within his expectations.
As an assassin, who wouldn’t be proficient in Earth Escape?
That was also his expertise, and he had a few related treasures that could be borrowed for this purpose.
