Thest talisman was finally repaired, and the array resumed its operation, stabilizing the ship once more.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
Xu Yang, caught off guard and immobilized, stiffened as his swollen eyes darted to the sword pressed against his neck. He gritted his teeth. "I never expected that Miss Jian, despite her youth, has already reached the Golden Core stage."
Xu Yang had always known that Jian Huan''s cultivation was higher than his, but he hadn''t anticipated her being at the Golden Core level. She was only in her teens, yet she had already ascended to Golden Core!
As a Foundation Establishment fourth-level sword cultivator, he had assumed Jian Huan was at most at the sixth or seventh level of Foundation Establishment. He thought he could at least buy some time for his elder brother by confronting her, but now…
Jian Huan replied coldly, "I also didn’t expect that Brother Xu, who seems so amiable, would be involved in such treacherous acts."
Above, lightning streaked across the sky like a fleeting shadow, and the rain continued to pour, droplets clinging to the edges of Jian Huan’sshes. As she blinked, the droplets fell, sliding down her cheeks.
Horrifying ghost fish emerged incessantly from the turbulent river, only to be blocked by the talisman array.
But they were relentless, their bodies crashing against the array with loud thuds.
Inside the ship, more than twenty ghost fish remained, having evaded destruction. Sensing the blood of their kin on Jian Huan, they avoided her, instead attacking the temporary protective barrier she had erected.
Inside the barrier, the defenseless shipworkers huddled together, their faces pale with terror as they pressed back against the wall, watching the ghost fish just inches away.
The protective barrier’s spiritual shield was on the verge of copse, seemingly unable to hold much longer.
Seeing this, Jian Huan had no intention of interrogating Xu Yang further. She pressed the de downward, aiming to sever one of his arms.
"Miss Jian, be careful!" Almost simultaneously, a surge of Golden Core first-level sword energy shot up from below the deck, targeting Jian Huan’s wrist.
There was another traitor!
Jian Huan’s lips tightened as she channeled her spiritual energy, grabbing Xu Yang, who was trying to escape, and pulling him aside to dodge the attack.
At the same time, dozens of talismans flew from her sleeve, obliterating the remaining ghost fish in the ship.
With that done, Jian Huan’s de dug deeper into Xu Yang’s neck, drawing blood. She spoke coldly, "Stay still! If you try to run, my sword will take your head. Feel free to test me!"
"The same goes for you, Miss Jian!" From below the deck, a man emerged, holding a sword to Xie Yuanying’s neck. His face was filled with malice. "How you treat my brother is how I’ll treat the young master."
Jian Huan’s gaze fell on the man—a servant who had been by Xie Yuanying’s side.
He was also at the Golden Core first level, just like her. He had concealed his strength, just as she had pretended to be at the high Foundation Establishment level while he had posed as an ordinary man.
Xie Yuanying’s face was pale, blood staining his lips. His expression was a mix of shock, disbelief, and despair. He struggled to speak, "Miss Jian, don’t worry about me! Do what you must—"
With a sickening sound, Xie Yuanying coughed up more blood as the servant, Fei Xu, used his spiritual energy to shatter his tongue, silencing him.
At the same time, Xu Yang, still in Jian Huan’s grasp, also spat out blood.
His small eyes widened in panic as he tried to speak, but only muffled sounds came out. His tongue, too, had been shattered.
Fei Xu roared in anger, "Miss Jian, it seems you didn’t hear me clearly!"
Jian Huan smiled warmly, though her eyes were devoid of any warmth. She replied innocently, "Didn’t you just say that whatever you do to Young Master Xie, I’ll do to your brother?"
"However," Jian Huan added, gently pressing the de against Xu Yang’s neck, "I must admit, I’m not particrly concerned about Young Master Xie’s life. After all, he and I are strangers—you’ve spent far more time with him than I have. But Xu Yang is your brother, so—"
Fei Xu remained calm, not falling for her provocation. "Miss Jian is from the Jade rity Sect. We outsiders know a thing or two about how Jade rity Sect disciples operate. If you truly don’t care about Young Master Xie or the others—"
He nced disdainfully at the tremblingmoners, "—then go ahead and harm my brother. I’ll ensure Young Master Xie and everyone on this ship die alongside him."
Jian Huan lowered her gaze and fell silent.
Both sides held leverage over the other, and the standoff continued.
But the situation was unfavorable for Jian Huan.
She could sense that Fei Xu and Xu Yang were stalling for time.
They seemed to be waiting for something from the depths of the river…
The rain poured down, sshing into puddles on the deck, creating ripples that spread outward.
The ripples reflected Jian Huan’s blurred figure and the hem of a ck robe that was drawing closer.
The masked man had arrived.
Fei Xu instinctively tightened his grip on Xie Yuanying.
If it were just Jian Huan, a Golden Core first-level cultivator, he wouldn’t have needed to resort to threats or summon the ghost fish.
But now there was also the masked man.
Before this, no one had expected that a simple five-star Xuanwu mission from the Xie family would attract a Golden Core cultivator.
Weren’t the Golden Core cultivators of the Jade rity Sect supposed to take missions of twenty stars or higher?
And yet, this masked man from the Immortal Storage Tower had also taken on the Xie family’s minor mission!
In the city lord’s n, Fei Xu and his brother, one at Golden Core and the other at Foundation Establishment, were supposed to ensure sess.
Who could have predicted they’d run into a nest of Golden Core cultivators?
What rotten luck the Xie family had!
The masked man, Shen Jizhi, carried an old, threadbare sack as he walked, picking up the corpses of the ghost fish.
Jian Huan suddenly spoke up, "The ones over here were killed by me."
Shen Jizhi straightened, nced at her, and held his hand up, letting the rain wash away the bloodstains.
Then he continued collecting the corpses, saying indifferently, "In my book, whoever picks them up owns them."
Jian Huan red at his five fingers and understood his meaning.
She gritted her teeth, her eyebrows furrowing in anger. "You shameless scoundrel!"
The masked man continued collecting the fish, moving closer to her.
Jian Huan stepped back warily, her eyes darting between Fei Xu and the masked man, her expression alert. "Stop! Who are you working for?"
Fei Xu observed Jian Huan’s reaction and nced at the masked man.
Uncertain of the masked man’s intentions, he remained cautious.
The masked man examined a ghost fish with half its head missing before tossing it into the sack. He asked, "How much can Miss Jian offer?"
Jian Huan took another step back, confused. "What do you mean?"
"I’m not aligned with anyone, but I can be aligned with anyone," the masked man replied, pausing briefly to nce at Fei Xu. "It all depends on who offers more spirit stones."
At this, Jian Huan and Fei Xu exchanged nces.
Jian Huan turned to the masked man, her eyes filled with resentment. She smiled bitterly, her voiceced with anger. "Sir Shen, need I remind you that you’ve taken on Young Master Xie’s mission? If you’re not aligned with Fei Xu and Xu Yang, you should be helping me!"
The masked man shook his head, seemingly disappointed. He ignored her and turned to Fei Xu. "How much can you offer?"
Fei Xu hesitated.
Instinctively, he wasn’t eager to coborate with the masked man.
But Jian Huan grew anxious. She said, "I can give you 2,500 spirit stones!"
The masked man repeated, "2,500?"
"Yes, 2,500," Jian Huan replied, her lips pressed together. "This mission only pays 5,000, so I’m giving you half."
"That’s not enough," the masked man scoffed, clearly dissatisfied. Ignoring Jian Huan’s final offer of 5,000, he approached Fei Xu. "Name your price. I can help you subdue Miss Jian. Otherwise, I’ll have toe after you."
Fei Xu retreated, pulling Xie Yuanying with him, and pressed the sword closer to his neck. "Sir Shen, stay back. des are sharp, after all."
Jian Huan, noticing Fei Xu’s movement, also pressed her de deeper into Xu Yang’s neck, eliciting a cry of pain from him.
Fei Xu paused, not daring to move further, and shouted angrily, "Are you both willing to let Young Master Xie die?"
Shen Jizhi remained indifferent to Xie Yuanying’s injuries, his tone calm. "I’m a rogue cultivator with no particr sense of righteousness. I’m not overly concerned with Young Master Xie’s safety. Once the demons are dealt with, the Immortal Storage Tower will pay me. How the Xie family handles it is their business."
Jian Huan added, "You were the one who attacked Young Master Xie first. I’ve already said that whatever you do to him, I’ll do to your brother."
Fei Xu, watching the masked man slowly approach, said to Jian Huan, "Make him stop."
Jian Huan was furious, stomping her feet and shouting, "Are you out of your mind? He''s not on my side! Can''t you see he''s not listening to me at all?"
As she yelled, the sword in her hand moved, causing Fei Xu and Xu Yang to grow increasingly anxious.
The masked man approached steadily. Fei Xu, observing Jian Huan''s genuine distress, decided to act without hesitation. "Fifty thousand spirit stones," he dered. "I''ll give you fifty thousand!"
He fixed his gaze on Jian Huan, his eyes gleaming with determination. "Help me subdue her first."
"Fine," the masked man halted, extending his hand. "But you''ll have to pay me part of it upfront."
Fei Xu had always been wary of the masked man, but his demand for payment upfront actually put him at ease. This man was truly driven by money, which was reassuring. However, he frowned and said, "I don''t have that much on me."
The masked man replied, "I said part of it. Give me what you have. How do I know you won''t renege on our deal after I help you subdue Miss Jian?"
Fei Xu felt even more reassured. He freed one hand and tossed a small pouch to the masked man. "Here''s ten thousand to start."
The masked man weighed the pouch in his hand and gave Fei Xu a nod of acknowledgment.
After stashing the pouch, he drew his snow-white sword. Its silvery de glinted coldly in the dark night, mirroring the shes of lightning above.
The sword swung down toward Jian Huan.
The pressure that had been on Fei Xu now shifted to Jian Huan.
Jian Huan had Xu Yang in a chokehold, her footwork swift, her eyes zing with anger. Her face flushed as she shouted, "Fei Xu, if you team up with the masked man, don''t think I won''t kill your brother first!"
Fei Xu sneered, watching from the sidelines. "Feel free to try, Miss Jian. I promise you, if you kill my brother, not a single one of the hundred people on this ship will survive. But if you surrender, I’ll feed them memory-loss pills and let them go. I swear this on my cultivation. The choice is yours: kill one viin or a hundred innocents."
His eyes gleamed with a bloodthirsty light.
In the Nine Provinces, cultivators could not make oaths lightly, or they would risk inner demons.
Unfortunately, Fei Xu''s golden core had been damaged during his tribtion, and he would never reach the Nascent Soul stage. So swearing on his cultivation meant little to him.
Shen Jizhi had already closed in, his every move dripping with killing intent.
Jian Huan had no breath left to speak. She dragged Xu Yang with her, dodging Shen Jizhi''s sword in a desperate struggle.
The sailors inside the protective barrier watched anxiously.
"What should we do? Wasn''t that masked man on our side? How could he betray us like this?"
"That Fei Xu, he was even the young master''s servant! People die for wealth, birds for food. Such is the world, s."
"I hope that girl can hold on. I don’t want to lose my memories. I want to go home and see my parents..."
Only the Daoist in green robes seemed unfazed. He clutched his wine gourd, scratching his messy, bird''s nest-like hair, puzzled.
For some reason, amidst all the shing swords, he felt a strange undercurrent of affection.
Ah, never mind. While no one was looking, he quietly reached out and dragged a ghost fish corpse into the barrier.
That masked man had been collecting them; they must be worth something. He could sell itter and buy more wine. He chuckled to himself.
In a matter of moments, Shen Jizhi and Jian Huan had exchanged over a dozen blows, with Jian Huan clearly losing ground.
Suddenly, in a swift maneuver, Shen Jizhi positioned himself between Jian Huan and Fei Xu.
The girl''s dark eyes met the boy''s light brown ones through the curtain of rain.
Under Shen Jizhi''s cover, Jian Huan slowly raised her hand, and an invisible sword intent, like a leaf falling in the rain, blended seamlessly into the downpour and the river breeze.
Everything happened in a sh. Xu Yang saw it all, but his tongue had been removed, leaving him only able to grunt helplessly.
The fight continued. Fei Xu kept an eye on Jian Huan and the masked man while constantly ncing toward the river.
In an instant, a gust of wind swept by, and with a dull thud, Fei Xu''s right arm was struck. His sword slipped from his grasp, ttering onto the deck and sending water droplets flying.
Jian Huan''s sword was aimed at Shen Jizhi, but he didn''t dodge. Instead, he turned his back to her, moving like lightning toward Fei Xu.
The sword intent carried a murderous aura, slicing through the rain in midair.
The water droplets, propelled upward, reached their peak. The crystal-clear raindrops, illuminated by the sword light, sparkled brilliantly.
Fei Xu was caught off guard. Xie Yuanying reacted quickly, throwing himself to the side with all his might.
Fei Xu tried to grab Xie Yuanying, but Shen Jizhi''s sword was already upon him. Fei Xu had no choice but to face Shen Jizhi, his voice filled with hatred. "You two were in cahoots all along!"
"Indeed. Couldn''t you tell?" Shen Jizhi''s voice was calm.
The remark enraged Fei Xu, making his sword strikes even more ferocious.
The water droplets at their peak paused briefly before plummeting downward uncontrobly.
Seeing Xie Yuanying safe, Jian Huan''s silver sword curved in midair, mercilessly severing Xu Yang''s head.
The head thudded onto the deck, and the small pool of water on the deck was instantly stained with crimson.
Jian Huan looked up, her gaze fixed on the midair battle between Shen Jizhi and Fei Xu. She waited patiently.
Seven movester, Jian Huan''s wet shoes tapped lightly on the bloodied water. She leapt gracefully into the air, intercepting Fei Xu as he tried to evade. Her sword plunged deep into his chest.
Fei Xu grunted in pain, retreating in another direction, only to run into Shen Jizhi, who was waiting for him.
Shen Jizhi''s sword pierced Fei Xu''s other chest with perfect symmetry.
Two cultivators at the first level of the Golden Core stage, cornering one whose core was damaged.
The oue was inevitable. Soon, Fei Xu joined his brother Xu Yang in death.