In the Casting Sword Village.
The lightning had destroyed the entire back hall. The fire had been put out by the heavy rain, but the air was still filled with a pungent smell.
Everyone stood in the corridor, dumbfounded. The cries of the servants in the villa could be heard from all directions.
"The entire back hall collapsed. Many of the servants in the villa were the children of the servants. Their entire families were inside …"
The steward of the villa stood in front of Chen Haiping, trembling. He burst into tears and said, "The old lady is resting in the back hall. I was going to ask a doctor to treat her after the rain stopped. I didn't expect … I didn't expect …"
Chen Haiping walked to the ruins like he was sleepwalking. The charred beams and supports were all over the ground. The bricks, furniture, and kang had all been shattered by the lightning. The ground was covered with debris.
The lightning must have been very fierce. Even the smell of blood had evaporated. The charred bodies were buried deep in the ruins.
— — Unexpectedly, the old and young of the Fu family had all died in one day. Not even a complete corpse was left behind.
"How can there be such a coincidence? Could it be retribution …?" Someone whispered behind him.
"That baby's body. It's said that their young madam had a difficult birth …"
"Struck by lightning, vengeful spirits demanding lives. The Sword Forging Village has done a lot of immoral things …"
"Shut up!" Zhou Yu turned around and scolded them, "How can you talk about supernatural things? Which sect is so unruly?!"
The young disciples didn't dare to say anything, but they still looked at each other unwillingly. The meaning of their unspoken words was clear.
After the lightning struck the villa, Jing Ling immediately ordered the Shengui Sect to search for Fu Wenjie at the bottom of the cliff. He also ordered everyone to go back under the pretext of escorting them, but in reality they were forced to go back.
Chen Haiping wanted to go down to find his cousin, but he was also afraid that the old lady in the villa would have an accident. He had no choice but to go back to the villa in a hurry. He didn't expect that they would encounter such terrible news as soon as they entered the villa.
He stood in front of the ruins, gasping for breath. Suddenly, someone pushed him from the side and said, "Move."
"… Miss Long?"
Xie Yun stepped onto the pile of charred wood and bent down to search. Suddenly, she picked up a few bricks and asked, "Are these your floor tiles?"
"What?"
Xie Yun frowned and said, "I'm asking you a question. Are these your floor tiles?"
There was still half a lotus pattern on the broken brick. Chen Haiping said in surprise, "It, it was laid on the floor of the inner hall of the villa. This …"
Jing Ling suddenly strode forward from behind and grabbed Xie Yun's hand. He said calmly, "Miss Long."
They looked at each other at a close distance. The rain had already turned into fine rain falling from the side of their bodies. Xie Yun's eyelashes that were covered with fine water vapor slightly narrowed, and the ends of his eyes formed a sharp arc.
"You know how the Shengui Sect does things." Jing Ling looked at him condescendingly and said, "Don't be a busybody."
"…"
Jing Ling reached out and seemed to want to brush Xie Yun's wet hair behind her ear. But in the next moment, Xie Yun raised her hand and stopped him.
"Do you know what this is?"
Seeing that Xie Yun's gaze fell on his arm, Jing Ling pointed at the old dark red scar on his elbow and asked.
"…"
"It's you."
Xie Yun's eyebrows twitched slightly. Jing Ling approached her and said maliciously, "Look, you usually pretend to be a good person, but you forget what you did.
How many scars do I have to make on your body to pay back this old debt? "
Xie Yun's pupils contracted slightly. Jing Ling didn't say anything. He just turned around and walked down the ruins with a smile. He waved his hand at the Shengui Sect killers who surrounded everyone.
"Someone, please bring everyone here to the front hall. I have something to discuss!"
·
Although the front hall of the Casting Sword Village was not affected by the thunder and lightning, the servants of the Fu family were like birds startled by the twang of a bow. They hurriedly served tea and immediately retreated far away, afraid that lightning would suddenly strike from the sky and bury everyone here.
Not only the servants, but the disciples of the major martial arts sects were also trembling with fear. From time to time, someone would look up at the roof beam and try to move as far as possible to the door.
Jing Ling didn't care. He sat down in the hall and looked down at everyone. The first sentence he said was:
"The Casting Sword Village has been destroyed. The Shengui Sect is willing to take the place of the Fu family and make arrangements for the funeral."
Everyone was in an uproar. Chen Haiping said angrily, "What did you say?
My cousin might not have really died. Don't talk nonsense! "
Zhou Yu, who was beside him, also agreed, "After daybreak, we will immediately set off to the cliff to find Master Xin Chao and Young Suzerain. We definitely won't leave them alone!"
"How could the dignified Casting Sword Village be destroyed?"
"It's too early to come to a conclusion!"
"That's right!"
…
The hall was full of praises. After a while, it gradually quieted down. Everyone seemed to have finally reacted. They stared vigilantly at the killers of the Shengui Sect who were surrounding the front hall and the corridor outside the door.
Jing Ling looked at the crowd calmly. When it was so quiet that even a pin drop could be heard, he said leisurely, "Are you done?"
"…"
"Young Suzerain fell down the cliff because of a servant's mistake. Now we don't know whether he's alive or dead. It's a foregone conclusion."
Chen Haiping opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but Jing Ling interrupted him, "Of course, the Shengui Sect won't do such a thing. So I've sent the disciples to the bottom of the cliff to search.
If we really find Young Suzerain … "
He smiled slowly, revealing his white and sharp teeth.
Under the candlelight, his hazy and arrogant eyes made everyone's heart tremble.
"… I'll let you know."
The people in the front hall were so frightened by the terrible meaning in his words that they didn't dare to speak. After a long time, Zhou Yu said weakly,
"Even … even if Young Suzerain has died, the Casting Sword Village still has the Chen family in Jiangnan as their in-laws, and the eldest son of the Chen family is the young master of the Chen family. How can the Shengui Sect deal with the funeral?"
Zhou Yu was indeed the representative disciple of a famous sect in Qingcheng. His words hit the nail on the head.
"Oh, is that so?"
Jing Ling didn't panic. He asked, "Who is more qualified to deal with the funeral, young master of the Chen family or young master of the Chen family?"
Chen Haiping blurted out, "When did you become —" Then his words stopped abruptly.
Jing Ling had forced the Casting Sword Village to send the eldest daughter of the Casting Sword Village to marry him. Finally, he agreed to do it here!
At this point, Sima Zhao of the Shengui Sect could no longer be concealed.
In the middle of the night, the people in the front hall looked at each other. Only the crackling of the oil lamps could be heard. The atmosphere was so heavy that it was suffocating.
"The Chief of Wulin …" A voice as soft as a mosquito sounded from somewhere.
"The Chief should be the one to deal with the aftermath of the extermination of the Fu family …" another disciple of the Qingcheng Sect said timidly.
Zhou Yu's expression brightened up. He said loudly, "Yes!
The rules of Jianghu have always been like this. If a family is exterminated, the Chief of Wulin will come forward and supervise the elders of the famous sects. They will take care of the orphans and property properly and avenge the exterminated family!
Although the Wulin Convention hasn't been held since the Chief passed away, but — "
He wanted to say that they could wait until the Wulin Convention was held and the new Chief was elected. Then the new Chief would deal with the funeral of the Fu family. He didn't expect that Jing Ling would coldly interrupt him.
"It's still unknown who will be the Chief of Wulin."
"If the Shengui Sect is elected as the Chief of Wulin, won't you have to wait for the Fu family's remains for a month in vain?"
— The Wulin Convention was held to discuss how to deal with the Shengui Sect. But he actually dared to say that he wanted to be the Chief of Wulin Convention!
How arrogant, how bold!
Everyone couldn't help but shout. The entire front hall was suddenly filled with noise.
Zhou Yu's voice was the loudest and angriest. He said, "The Chief of Wulin Convention has always been the Righteous Sect. Since when did the Shengui Sect have the chance?
Miss Fu hanged herself because of you. If you become the Chief of Wulin Convention, who in Jianghu will be convinced? "
"That's right!"
"That's right!"
"We definitely won't be convinced!"
…
Jing Ling finally took a breath and waved his hand lazily.
— In fact, his movements were very lazy. He was like a powerful cheetah licking its claws casually before hunting.
The next moment, the killers of the Shengui Sect unsheathed their swords at the same time. They pounced on several disciples of the Qingcheng Sect around Zhou Yu and dragged them out of the door in an instant!
"Ahhhh —" "What are you doing?!" "Stop, stop!"
Zhou Yu pulled out his sword furiously. "Jing, what do you want to do?!
I'm the dignified Qingcheng Sect. I've been famous for hundreds of years. I won't allow you to do this — "
Clang!
Chen Haiping flew up. His long sword popped out and was caught in the palm of his hand in midair. At the critical moment, he blocked the killer's attack on Zhou Yu from behind!
"Ahhh —!"
No one expected that the Shengui Sect would really kill them. In an instant, everyone in the front hall scrambled to retreat. The scene was suddenly chaotic. The sound of tables being overturned could be heard one after another.
Zhou Yu was shocked and angry. "Thank you, Brother Chen. This …"
On the other side, Jing Ling got up and strode down from his seat of honor. He pulled out the two Soul-Seizing Hooks from his back.
Chen Haiping's face changed color. "Watch out!"
Before his voice died away, the Soul-Seizing Hooks flew through the air and slashed in front of the two of them in an instant!
Zhou Yu and Chen Haiping hurriedly separated and fought each other. Clang!
Clang!
Two heavy sounds were heard. Jing Ling's hooks caught the two of them at the same time. The terrifying momentum of the hooks threw the two of them out in an instant.
Zhou Yu and Chen Haiping fell to the ground one after the other. They didn't even have time to catch their breath before Jing Ling attacked them like a ghost. The Soul-Seizing Hooks locked on their throats like a poisonous snake spitting out its tongue!
As the direct descendant of the famous Jiangnan Chen family, Chen Haiping had long been hailed as the number one rising star in the southern Wulin. If the famous Wulin figures were excluded, he actually had the power to compete for the position of the new leader of the alliance. There was no doubt that his martial arts were strong.
Zhou Yu was the representative disciple of the Qingcheng Sect. He had already practiced the sect's unique skill, the Heaven Evasion Sword Technique, to the point of perfection.
The Qingcheng Sect had been famous for hundreds of years. It was a place where new talents came out in large numbers. There was no need to talk about Zhou Yu's fighting skills.
But now, Jing Ling had beaten them to the point where they couldn't fight back at all. They could only retreat and barely protect themselves. In the blink of an eye, they were even forced out of the front hall!
"You bastard!" Chen Haiping's blood boiled. A faint white light flashed in his palms. He had activated all of his internal zhenqi. Suddenly, he pounced on Jing Ling like a bird of prey!
He didn't hold back at all. If Jing Ling couldn't resist, he would definitely be pushed back to the front hall. Even if he didn't lose a layer of skin, he would still be seriously injured.
However, if Jing Ling was able to withstand it, with Chen Haiping's momentum, there was a high chance that he would be chopped into two by the Soul Seizing Hook!
Zhou Yu cried out, "Brother Chen!"
Although the two of them had never worked together before, they had a tacit understanding at this moment. Before his voice died away, he used all of his strength to twist the Soul-Seizing Hook on his left side, trying to distract Jing Ling as much as possible.
But at this moment, two Shengui Sect killers carrying a stretcher covered with a white cloth hurried into the front yard from the main gate.
"Report!"
"Young Master Jing, we found Young Suzerain Fu's body at the bottom of the cliff!"
Chen Haiping was stunned. His blood and Qi flowed backward, and his heart and liver were destroyed.
Jing Ling's eyes flashed with a trace of cold and cruel contempt. Then, he held the hook in his hand and chopped downwards.
The Soul-Seizing Hook's snow-white and sharp inner side approached Chen Haiping's neck in an instant.
In such a split second, Jing Ling could cut off Chen Haiping's head with the upper side of the blade. If he could cut the lower side, he could cut out Chen Haiping's chest and cut his upper body diagonally in half.
It all depended on Jing Ling's mood at that moment.
Chen Haiping's pupils dilated. He could clearly see Jing Ling's hand, which was holding the hook's handle, with blue veins popping out.
The hook's cold killing intent was attached to the skin of his neck. If it went a little deeper, blood would spurt out and soar into the sky.
There was nothing that could stop his falling momentum. The claws of death had clearly grasped his neck.
Bang!
Chen Haiping only saw a flash in front of his eyes. A snow-white figure appeared out of thin air. The wide sleeves of her robe fluttered, and he was sent flying like lightning!
With a loud bang, Chen Haiping fell to the ground. He could hardly believe that he had escaped death. He trembled and gasped for breath a few times before he suddenly turned around to look.
"Long, Miss Long?!"
He saw Xie Yun appear out of thin air. Her body movements were extremely exquisite. She cleverly "rubbed" the gap between Jing Ling's arm and the Soul Snatching Hook, and stabbed a dagger into the right side of Jing Ling's chest!
This was simply an appalling speed and technique. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, no one in the entire Jianghu would have believed it.
With a muffled thud, Jing Ling hit the wall heavily under the huge impact. Then his hand loosened, and the Soul Snatching Hook fell to the ground with a clang.
Xie Yun was close to him. He held the dagger's wrist tightly. Blood flowed freely, and the dagger couldn't move an inch forward.
"… It's the second time," Jing Ling gasped. His eyes indicated the old wound on his elbow and chest.
On his beautiful face, which was somewhat vicious, there was a mixture of fierceness and bloodthirst like a wounded beast. At such a close distance, it even made people feel a chill from the bottom of their hearts.
"Including this time, I only have two scars on my body. I didn't expect that they were both from you …"
Xie Yun didn't move her dagger. She raised her other hand, stretched out her index finger, and shook it playfully.
"Wrong," he said.
Under the gaze of the people in the courtyard, Xie Yun's body suddenly made a slight creaking sound. Then her legs grew longer, her shoulders widened, and her height suddenly increased by several inches. Even her knuckles made cracking sounds when she opened them, and she suddenly grew by half a centimeter.
— — The "Miss Long" in everyone's eyes for so many days had suddenly turned into a handsome and cold young man!
"No … impossible!" Zhou Yu's voice trembled. "He … he is …"
No one could answer. In fact, no one could even recover from this huge shock.
Xie Yun stared at Jing Ling. The two of them were only a few inches apart. Jing Ling could even feel her slightly damp hair falling on his side.
Then he saw Xie Yun's light red lips curl up slightly.
"There'll be a third time."
Then he exerted force in his hand. Blood spurted out, and the dagger pierced deeply into Jing Ling's right chest again.