The old man was a seasoned expert, just one step away from reaching the pinnacle of martial arts. Although his spirit was suppressed and his movements somewhat restricted, he still fought back with full force.
After exchanging a few blows, both fighters were injured. An Jiu’s internal organs were damaged, but she had no visible wounds. The old man, however, was covered in bloody gashes from her blades, his clothes in tatters.
An Jiu’s spirit force enveloped the entire alley, concealing their presence to prevent others from discovering them. She adjusted her breathing briefly before attacking again with her dual blades.
Most skilled fighters would first try to find their opponent’s weak spot before striking, but An Jiu’s approach was different. She always sought opportunities during combat.
Clang!
The old man blocked An Jiu’s sword aimed at his throat, but her other blade stabbed towards his abdomen. Feeling a chill in his stomach, his eyes flashed fiercely as he pinched the sword between his fingers.
An Jiu’s expression remained unchanged. Instead of struggling against his grip, she twisted her wrist, turning the blade horizontally. With a crack, the sword broke, slicing the old man’s fingers to the bone.
Discarding the broken sword, An Jiu swiftly drew another from her back and plunged it into his ribs. This sequence of moves took less than a breath.
The old man unleashed his energy to push her away violently.
An Jiu’s body flew like a kite with cut strings, but instead of crashing into the wall as the old man expected, she dropped her sword, used her hands to push off the wall, and sprang back towards him.
Landing four zhang away, she steadied herself instantly and charged forward without pause. She drew the sword from her back with her right hand and unsheathed the flexible sword at her waist with her left. Taking advantage of the brief moment the old man spent pulling out the sword and covering his wound, she launched another fierce attack.
The old man retreated hastily, raising his walking stick to block her swords. His bony fingers with long nails suddenly turned purplish-black as he clawed at her throat.
An Jiu sensed, perhaps mistakenly, that his arm had grown longer. She immediately withdrew her swords, leaning back to avoid his attack while kicking at his lower abdomen.
The old man retracted his hand with lightning speed and grabbed her ankle, yanking her backward.
Unable to use her other foot for support, An Jiu used her right-hand sword to brace against the ground while kicking at his arm with her free leg.
Cackling wildly, the old man dragged her as he began to run at an incredible speed.
Her sword scraped against the stone slabs, producing a harsh screech and shower of sparks.
The old man’s long nails pierced An Jiu’s ankle. She frowned slightly, biting her lip as she quickly assessed the situation.
Those nails were poisoned. If she couldn’t break free soon, the poison would take effect, leaving her powerless. With only a split second to act, An Jiu made a risky decision. She abandoned her sword, her sole support, and as she fell, she triggered the sleeve arrow on her arm.
At such close range, the arrow instantly buried itself in the old man’s forearm, silencing his laughter abruptly.
Simultaneously, An Jiu raised her head as much as possible, her shoulder slamming heavily into the ground with a muffled thud. She felt her internal organs shake violently as if her heart might leap out of her mouth. Blood instantly filled her mouth.
Ignoring everything else, she reached for the universal antidote in her leg pouch and swallowed a pill immediately.
The old man seemed particularly protective of his left hand. Seeing his arm injured, he let out an enraged roar. His chaotic internal energy caused the high walls on both sides to collapse with a thunderous boom.
As the antidote dissolved into a fragrant liquid sliding down her throat, An Jiu felt slightly relieved. She looked up to see the old man charging towards her.
With her foot temporarily numb, An Jiu saw the killing intent approaching. She unstrapped her Subduing Dragon Bow, focusing her spirit force on her fingertips.
The bow could only be drawn a few inches, and the arrow might not have much power, but for a spirit force bowstring shock at such close range, it was enough.
He was getting closer!
An Jiu released her finger, and the bowstring emitted a low hum.
In an instant, the wind in the alley grew fierce, whipping the old man’s clothes and hair. An Jiu gritted her teeth, drew her dagger, and kicked off with one foot. After the bowstring shock, she flew towards him like a sharp arrowhead.
The bowstring shock reached him first, causing a momentary blank in the old man’s mind.
When he regained his senses, he looked down to see a pair of pale hands gripping a dagger firmly embedded in his heart.
“Ah—” The old man let out a long howl, clutching An Jiu’s shoulders tightly. Knowing he had no hope of survival, he unleashed all his internal energy, determined to take An Jiu down with him.
An Jiu twisted the dagger, carving out a bloody hole. The blade turned into a flash of lightning as it sliced across his neck.
The outpouring of internal energy stopped abruptly. An Jiu coughed up a mouthful of blood, pried the old man’s fingers from her shoulders, pushed him away, and stabbed his dantian area a few more times with a grim expression before staggering away with the Subduing Dragon Bow on her back.
The thunderous collapse of the walls had alerted the patrons of Pan Lou and the street patrol officers.
When they arrived, they found a chaotic alley with a still-warm corpse lying on the ground, a gaping hole in its chest gushing blood.
The coroner examined the body. It was emaciated, with eyes wide open, as if shocked or confused. The chest wound could have been caused by a sword or dagger. The corpse’s fingernails were sharp and covered in blood and flesh, with a purplish-black color, possibly due to poison or being natural claws. Most people leaned towards the latter explanation.
The old man’s face looked fierce, with a lingering aura of violence, clearly not a good person. Thus, while many people gathered to watch, only a few commented on the killer’s brutality.
As the alley buzzed with activity, An Jiu concealed her presence and hurried back to Konghe Court, enduring excruciating pain throughout her body.
Upon reaching the Imperial Road, she suddenly sensed an eighth-level expert rapidly approaching from behind. She spun around and shot a sleeve arrow.
The figure dodged it while recognizing the Subduing Dragon Bow on An Jiu’s back. “It’s me!” It was Lou Mingyue.
When she steadied herself, An Jiu saw that Lou Mingyue looked disheveled, having just been through a fierce battle herself.
“Quick, let’s go!” Lou Mingyue said. “When I went back to look for you earlier, I was intercepted by a ninth-level expert. I barely managed to escape.”
“Mm.” An Jiu nodded. The intense pain in her ankle confirmed that the sensation had fully returned. Having experienced the pain of body reconstruction, this level of pain was almost negligible.
She wrapped a cloth around her ankle and hurried along with Lou Mingyue.
Lou Mingyue had also sustained severe internal injuries and couldn’t muster her internal energy, so their pace wasn’t particularly fast.
It took them nearly two incense sticks’ worth of time to reach Konghe Court from the Imperial Road.
Mo Sigui had just left the pharmacy with a basket of high-quality medicinal herbs when he caught a strong scent of blood. Initially, he didn’t pay much attention, as the smell of blood was common in Konghe Court. However, as he walked towards his residence and noticed the blood scent persisting, he quickened his pace.
Upon entering the courtyard, he was hit by an overwhelming smell of blood in the darkness.
Mo Sigui dropped the herb basket and rushed into his room, following the scent.