The first time facing Jiang Tu directly, seeing the man's eyes overflowing with crimson, Xie Jingci felt the intense oppressive aura emanating from his entire being.
She was at the Golden Core stage, while her opponent had reached the Nascent Soul stage—a full major realm separated them.
However, for blade and sword cultivators who prioritize combat and slaughter, killing someone a level higher was not an utterly impossible fantasy.
Moreover, the current Jiang Tu was being jointly attacked by Wen Miaorou and Zhou Shen. Although he held the upper hand, under the assault of two experts, he had inevitably suffered severe injuries, and his spiritual energy reserves were also greatly diminished compared to before.
To make an analogy, he was like a critically wounded monster on the verge of a rampage. While his fury likely made his attacks much more ferocious, he had also simultaneously become easier to defeat.
Even Xie Jingci, whose cultivation was a full major realm weaker than his... might just have a chance to slay him.
She must remain cautious at all times and absolutely must not underestimate the enemy.
"You little brat, you don't know the immensity of heaven and earth."
Jiang Tu had a tall and imposing figure, nearly eight feet tall, standing like a mountain. Like the cold, domineering CEOs and princes in romance novels, he possessed the same kind of coldly handsome face.
His facial features were well-defined and profound, with sword-like eyebrows reaching his temples, a high-bridged nose, and eyes full of bottomless darkness, now entangled with rampant bloodshot veins, revealing a beastly, violent killing intent.
His tone was disdainful. The blade at his side and the ground were stained with blood. He gave her a faint, sidelong glance and let out a scornful snort.
A minor cultivator at the Golden Core stage, with delicate skin—clearly a pampered child from a wealthy family, probably accustomed to extravagant praise and lacking a clear perception of her own abilities, foolishly determined to wade into this muddy water.
How long could she last? Two slashes, three, or four?
No matter what, she was destined not to survive the night, even if he was already somewhat exhausted.
Chopping vegetables with a knife, what need is there for stamina?
Jiang Tu had not a shred of thought for sparing the delicate. With a cold laugh, his curved blade trembled and suddenly sliced through the swift wind.
Xie Jingci's expression turned grave as she drew her blade to meet the enemy.
To be honest, Jiang Tu was indeed strong.
As the lord of Wucheng, each of his assaults carried a dense bloody aura. His movements were so fast they could leave ordinary cultivators unable to keep up, almost merging with the wind itself.
Furthermore, the Ghost Domain was imbued with demonic energy, which was greatly beneficial for demonic cultivators.
Furious at having his pleasure interrupted, the demonic energy within Jiang Tu's body scattered like black mist, shrouding his entire form in an ominous aura. As his blade light surged forth, it pressed down like sharp blades.
In just an instant, Jiang Tu seized the dominant upper hand in the battle.
Even so, a trace of surprise unconsciously flickered in the man's eyes.
His assault was like a tidal wave, yet Xie Jingci's footwork was unbelievably swift. The moment the demonic energy launched its sneak attack, she actually managed to dodge sideways in the blink of an eye, narrowly avoiding danger.
...Interesting.
She couldn't be very old, yet she already possessed such cultivation. Judging by this footwork, it was a truly astonishing talent.
They had made an enemy of each other today. If she were allowed to live longer, until her cultivation could catch up to his—
Jiang Tu would not allow such a thing to happen.
Tonight, he would execute her.
The curved blade, wrapped in baleful energy, came with even greater force than before. Xie Jingci strained to block this strike, realizing Jiang Tu was now serious.
Countless sharp energy currents were driven by him, centered on Jiang Tu's body. A gale accompanied by white light instantly swept through the entire hall, unexpectedly shooting towards her.
Xie Jingci used her spiritual energy to protect her vital meridians and raised her blade to block. However, the white wind was thin and dense. Even with her full defense, several strands still pierced her skin.
"Just a little brat, and you really think you're somebody?"
The suppression of cultivation level was all too obvious. Seeing this, the man laughed heartily and intensified his offensive.
The clashes between blades were dazzling. Xie Jingci's Ghost Cry was a legendary famous weapon. Jiang Tu recognized its extraordinary quality at a glance and laughed even louder: "That blade of yours is quite good. What a pity it will soon be mine—Fu Chaosheng's blade was good too. I still treasure it in my study."
Hearing Fu Chaosheng's name, Wen Miaorou and Zhou Shen, who had collapsed weakly on the ground, both had a dark glint flash in their eyes.
Jiang Tu spoke with smug satisfaction, yet before long, the smile at the corner of his mouth gradually froze.
His opponent's strength was greater than he had imagined.
Far greater.
Although Xie Jingci was on the passive side, she did not seem to be steadily suppressed. Instead, at times, she could force him to retreat.
Her footwork was bizarre, and her blade technique was exquisitely sophisticated and unpredictable, far exceeding all the conventional frameworks Jiang Tu had ever seen.
Because it left no trace to follow, it was also difficult to decipher, leaving him unsure how to block.
—Just who was this person?
The battle grew increasingly fierce. The surrounding doors, windows, and eaves were affected, collapsing in ruin amidst the flashes of blades and shadows, shattered into flying debris as they fell.
Jiang Tu decided to end it quickly.
Demonic energy gathered once more, so dense it seemed tangible. Under the cold moonlight, it resembled hellish specters waiting to strike.
He was already tired of this cat-and-mouse game of back-and-forth with a junior. Combined with his dwindling internal strength, he could not afford to delay and wanted to achieve victory with a single decisive blow.
Xie Jingci saw his intent and took a deep breath.
She had only one chance with her blade.
Either live, or die.
Thanks to countless storms weathered in the minor world, now in this desperate, life-threatening situation, she unexpectedly felt no fear. She allowed thoughts to surface in her mind, unraveling them step by step.
Fu Chaosheng was not a reckless man.
Since he was determined to assassinate Jiang Tu, he would have made thorough preparations. If there wasn't the slightest chance of success, he would never have gone alone.
He believed he would win.
But their cultivation levels were similar, both were demonic cultivators, and both used blades. What was Fu Chaosheng's basis for thinking this?
The only difference between him and Jiang Tu...
Xie Jingci blocked another strike, her heart stirring slightly as she remembered the conversation between the two when she first met Wen Miaorou.
"What blade technique did Fu Chaosheng use most often?"
"Severing the Frost."
The only difference between him and Jiang Tu was that the blade techniques they used were completely different.
Fu Chaosheng was thin, weak, and short, very different from ordinary blade cultivators. The reason he could fight his way out of encirclements every time relied on a blade technique he created himself.
Called Severing the Frost.
Using a blade on the ground to sever the frost and snow at the horizon—true to its name...
Using weakness to overcome strength.
She finally understood. Back when the group was in the Black Tortoise Realm and Fu Nanxing was jokingly called by Mo Xiaoyang as "too weak to wield blades and swords comfortably," when he borrowed Ghost Cry for a few clumsy swings, Xie Jingci had inexplicably found his movements familiar.
In "Life and Death Struggle in the Ghost Domain," the author had described Fu Chaosheng's killing move in detail.
Xie Jingci had tried to imitate and recreate it, but words couldn't convey all the movements. Her vigorous attempts ended up achieving nothing.
Only at this moment did she finally realize with a start: Fu Nanxing's movements... perfectly overlapped with that passage of text.
When Fu Chaosheng left, he was still just a young child, innocent of the world's ways. Having spent his days with his father, the images of him practicing his swordplay were the only remnants left in his memory.
Coincidentally, "Severing the Frost" was Fu Chaosheng's favorite and most frequently used move.
That day, Fu Nanxing, eager to salvage his pride, had deliberately dredged it up from his memory and displayed it before everyone.
All the seemingly unrelated threads suddenly converged at this very moment.
That person, who had fallen into a deep slumber fifty years ago, seemed to vaguely step through the snowy night and the cold frost, finally arriving by her side.
Jiang Tu's blade descended with the force of a thousand jun, his confidence absolute. Yet, he saw the female cultivator before him swing her straight blade, scattering snowflakes, and tracing a bright, gleaming arc against the cold moonlight.
In that instant, the man's pupils trembled violently.
Fifty years ago, although he had set a trap to lure Fu Chaosheng to the desolate outskirts, Jiang Tu, proud and arrogant, had still engaged him in a duel.
When that swordsman, eyes blazing like fire, inflicted a heavy wound upon him with a fierce killing intent, he had used a movement identical to the one this female cultivator before him now employed.
Under the same deep night and burdened by frost and snow, he actually experienced a moment of stunned hesitation during this decisive battle. In his daze, it was as if he saw that young man standing tall with his blade once more.
This was... the sword technique Fu Chaosheng had used to defeat him.
The blade was sharp, its cold light menacing. Within the intense killing intent in Xie Jingci's eyes, a faint, ethereal glimmer surfaced.
Watch closely, Fu Chaosheng.
This is your—
Subordinate overcoming the superior.
The ghostly wail of the blade tore through the wind, the long sword like a dragon, its chaotic and intricate shadows severing layers of white frost.
Before the astonishment in Jiang Tu's eyes could fade, it was enveloped by boundless agony.
Xie Jingci's figure moved like a phantom. Using her spiritual power to pierce through the demonic energy, she drove the blade into the center of his abdomen. In the bone-chillingly cold air, the scent of something like rust began to spread.
He was defeated.
Such a thing... how was it possible?
The towering man stared blankly, his gaze fixed on the slender, young female cultivator before him.
How old could she be? How could he possibly lose to such a junior? It was all because of Zhou Shen and that woman who came out of nowhere...
Yes, it was all because of them!
Jiang Tu was already wounded by those two, a cornered beast on the brink of ruin. Now, having received Xie Jingci's merciless strike, the demonic energy he had mustered with great effort collapsed like a mountain, dissipating utterly in disgrace.
He only felt an immense pain.
"Tonight's battle, I am defeated."
He forced a cold smile, attempting to cling to the last shreds of his dignity: "But what use is your hatred? I know you all wish to avenge Fu Chaosheng, but clearly, he was the one who abandoned everyone to seek fortune in the outside world. What does that have to do with me—"
He was adaptable, having already calculated his next move in his mind.
No matter what, these people could not find Fu Chaosheng's whereabouts. As long as he flatly denied killing him, there would be no evidence to threaten him.
This way, it would instead seem like this group was making unreasonable trouble.
However, before he could finish, Xie Jingci's long blade, already embedded in his lower abdomen, suddenly exerted more force, plunging deeper. At the same time, layers of spiritual power erupted, mercilessly grinding against his blood vessels.
His already precarious meridians were shattered to pieces.
Jiang Tu, wracked with pain, spat out a mouthful of blood. Unable to even stand upright, he crumpled to the ground in a heap.
...He had already admitted defeat and called for a truce! How could this woman be so dishonorable!
Cursing her vehemently in his heart, he heard her low, hoarse voice by his ear: "We've already found Fu Chaosheng. At the city wall."
Jiang Tu's body stiffened.
Now he was truly left with no defense and no escape.
"Impressive that you could conceive such a vile scheme. It's truly disgusting."
Xie Jingci made no attempt to hide the disgust in her eyes, pressing the blade against his throat. She was about to speak again when she heard numerous, chaotic footsteps approaching from outside the door.
Guessing the identity of the newcomers, her voice was flat: "The people of Wucheng are here. Do you know what you should say?"
She didn't use much force, but the coldly glinting tip of the blade pressed against his skin, causing a pinprick of pain.
Jiang Tu, tormented by the gaping wound in his abdomen, had no mind to think of anything else. He hurriedly stammered, "I-I-I know! I know!"
Led by Fu Nanxing and Mo Xiaoyang, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, the citizens of Wucheng arrived somewhat earlier than Xie Jingci had anticipated. The guards in the building had never seen such a massive, imposing crowd. Terrified by the ever-growing tide of people, they initially put up a token resistance but soon, unable to hold out any longer, simply chose to give up.
Moreover, the continuous sounds of collapsing and shattering had been coming from the top floor; the entire Lan Yue Pavilion seemed on the verge of toppling at any moment. Working for the city lord was nowhere near as important as saving one's own skin. The urgent task was to flee without delay.
Pei Du, frail and with his cultivation not yet recovered, was unable to fly by sword. He could only ascend the stairs with the others.
For some reason, even though it was Xie Jingci who had been fighting for her life, his complexion was paler than hers. Seeing her injuries, he immediately took off his outer robe and draped it over her long skirt, which had been torn in several places: "Miss Xie—"
"I'm fine."
She paid it little mind, looking down at Jiang Tu on the floor: "Do you remember what you're supposed to say?"
Most of the gathered citizens had seen Fu Chaosheng's remains and were standing at the doorway, barely containing their fury. A few with more volatile tempers, not bothering to consider anything else, directly raised their fists and started walking over.
Jiang Tu, terrified, shrank behind Xie Jingci: "No, no, no! Stop, stop, stop! I'll talk, I'll say everything!"
He paused, and after a moment of silence, finally spoke with difficulty: "It was me..."
Jiang Tu gnashed his teeth in hatred, but with Xie Jingci's blade at his throat, he could only cough up another mouthful of blood and continue in a raspy voice: "It was me who killed Fu Chaosheng. Back then, I got word from Jin Wuzhen that a supremely powerful swordsman was coming for me... I had no choice! Blame Jin Wuzhen! He's the traitor who betrayed everyone. Even I look down on him! Pah, that waste!"
Xie Jingci grew impatient and increased the pressure: "No nonsense."
He had no choice but to stop his insults toward Jin Wuzhen: "He said I likely couldn't defeat that man, so I thought of a plan... You probably all know by now. During the fight, I suddenly disengaged and destroyed the wall beside us. He had no choice but to use his own body to block it..."
Not daring to meet the gazes of the crowd, clutching the wound on his stomach, he suddenly intensified his tone: "I'm a despicable thing, I'm not human... I know I'm guilty. D-don't kill me, alright? I was also helpless. Think about it, as city lord, consolidating the people's support is very important. I couldn't just let everyone rebel."
He, who usually strutted with arrogance, now severely injured and with his cultivation greatly damaged, had actually changed his attitude so swiftly.
A truly ruthless character who had climbed from the very bottom; this man knew how to bend and stretch.
The truth buried for fifty years was finally slowly unveiled through the mouth of the chief culprit. The furious crowd suddenly fell silent, standing motionless before the door. In the prolonged stillness, a woman suddenly shed tears: "You bastard..."
Xie Jingci said softly, "Fu Chaosheng won, didn't he?"
"...Yes."
Admitting this was an indescribable humiliation for him.
Jiang Tu's voice and body were both trembling: "I was severely wounded by him at the time, facing imminent defeat, so... I chose that last-resort strategy."
As his voice faded, within the dilapidated pavilion, only suppressed, increasingly audible sobs remained.
Even the most taciturn and stern men couldn't help but have red-rimmed eyes.
Fu Chaosheng won.
He was an ever-victorious hero, from beginning to end.
"Jiang Tu's spiritual power is greatly depleted, posing no threat for a short time."
Zhou Shen was helped up from the ground by Mo Xiaoyang, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.
He no longer wore his usual careless grin; his eyes were deep and silent as he asked hoarsely, "Fu Chaosheng... where is he?"
Unlike Wen Miaorou, Zhou Shen did not possess a vast intelligence network capable of uncovering Jin Wuzhen's questionable identity.
He had no relatives in Wucheng; his only close relationship was with his best friend, Fu Chaosheng. Therefore, when Fu Chaosheng mysteriously disappeared and the whole city went mad with rumors of his compromise with Jiang Tu, Zhou Shen looked around in confusion, finding no clues related to it.
Regarding this matter, he remained completely ignorant of the truth from start to finish, yet for fifty years, he steadfastly believed in his friend.
Like a traveler walking in boundless darkness, though not a glimmer of light could be seen, he had a path to forge ahead.
Zhou Shen had gone to the Moon-Viewing Pavilion early, so he didn't know Fu Chaosheng's final whereabouts. After Xie Jingci gave a brief explanation, the man fell silent for a long moment, finally letting out a long sigh and saying bitterly, "Take me to see him."
So the group set off again, heading towards the city wall.
Jiang Tu was also brought along, as the common people unanimously insisted he must go to the city wall to atone.
In just one night, too many things had been turned upside down.
As they descended the long staircase of the Moon-Viewing Pavilion, no one spoke; all was quiet.
"There's one thing I can't figure out."
Xie Jingci asked via mental transmission: "Sister Wen, didn't you ever think of seeking cooperation with Hall Master Zhou to defeat Jiang Tu?"
"Zhou Shen's usual demeanor is simply infuriating to look at. Who would want to propose cooperation to him?"
Wen Miaorou snorted coldly: "Besides, although I knew Fu Chaosheng, I was a complete stranger to him. Jiang Tu had who-knows-how-many spies and moles planted in the city. If Zhou Shen were one of them, I'd be finished before I even made a move."
She sighed as she spoke: "Zhou Shen probably had the same considerations. Blame his acting skills for being too good, fooling everyone—and both he and Fu Chaosheng were stubborn, always wanting to shoulder burdens alone when trouble arose, unwilling to drag down those around them. The reason Fu Chaosheng went alone to challenge Jiang Tu back then was precisely because there were almost no cultivators above the Golden Core stage in the city; bringing ordinary people would surely result in heavy casualties."
It was for this very reason that she had desperately cultivated with all her might. Unfortunately, by the time she pushed herself to reach the Nascent Soul stage, the person she wanted to help had long since vanished without a trace.
Sensing the low pressure around Wen Miaorou, Xie Jingci said nothing more.
"Miss Xie."
On the spiraling long staircase, Pei Du, who had been walking beside her, suddenly spoke in a very small voice: "I'm sorry."
Xie Jingci looked at him somewhat puzzled: "Did you sneakily eat all the little pastries I left at the inn?"
Pei Du visibly froze for a moment.
"...No."
He lowered his eyes, letting his long lashes cast a raven-feather darkness, reflected in his beautiful, narrow phoenix eyes like ripples on a lake: "I accomplished nothing."
Once, in order to get closer to the girl he secretly liked, Pei Du practiced drawing his sword day and night. His greatest wish in his heart was to be able to fight side by side with her.
That way, she might be willing to look at him more.
Yet when he finally stood by Xie Jingci's side, he had become a useless person who could do nothing, and...
And he had even let her risk her life to fight Jiang Tu.
Even he despised such a useless version of himself.
"Who says you accomplished nothing?"
Pei Du suddenly heard Xie Jingci's voice.
He turned his head to look and saw Miss Xie's clear, bright eyes. She was wearing his outer robe and subconsciously pulled it tighter around herself, then continued thoughtfully: "Having you here with me is already very good. It's just, well... how does that saying go?"
Pei Du blinked in confusion.
"I remember now." She smiled with narrowed eyes, her voice even tinged with laughter, telling him in a casual tone as if saying "the weather is really cold today": "Just thinking that you're still waiting for me to come out alive suddenly makes me feel like I absolutely have to defeat him—that's roughly the meaning."
Pei Du stared at her blankly.
Pei Du hurriedly averted his gaze, lifting a hand to touch his earlobe as if to cover up his reaction.
This look of his probably meant he wasn't dwelling on it anymore, right?
Xie Jingci secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
She wasn't good at comforting people, and Pei Du's appearance was truly pitiful, so she had fabricated this rather unreliable mental victory method.
It seemed quite effective.
Probably.
Exiting the Moon-Viewing Pavilion, a cold wind greeted them head-on.
Pei Du instinctively moved to shield her from it, but the moment he turned, he heard an all-too-familiar voice.
"Is this... Pei Du?"
Xie Jingci noticed the youth shielding her instantly stiffen his back.
She followed the voice and saw an unfamiliar face.
It was a handsome, dashing young master in brocade robes, with peach-blossom eyes and willow-leaf eyebrows. Several guards followed behind him, all uniformly staring at Pei Du.
She didn't need to think to know this was someone from the Pei family.
Judging by the entourage of guards behind him, this was likely a young master of the Pei household. She had already met Pei Mingchuan, and Pei Du was right in front of her. The only one left was Pei Yu, who, together with his mother Bai Wan, had set the trap and framed Pei Du.
Pei Mingchuan was a coward, but this one was thoroughly rotten to the core. It seemed the Pei family truly passed down their traits.
Pei Yu was much older than her and Pei Du, so Xie Jingci had never met him at the academy, only vaguely heard that he was a brilliant talent who stood out.
And precisely because of this, when Pei Du overshadowed him, the jealousy in his heart reached an unprecedented peak.
"To think you actually came to the Ghost Realm? You really live up to your notorious reputation for colluding with demons and harming your own elder brother—you're not planning to stay in this place forever, are you?"
He paid no mind to the common people who were emerging one after another from the Moon-Viewing Pavilion behind Pei Du, assuming they were all strangers to him. Glancing at Xie Jingci, he said, "Oh, and this is... your new flame in the Ghost Realm?"
He paused slightly, feigning hesitation: "Looking at her... she seems a bit wild. You should dress up your little lady properly."
Xie Jingci had been running around all day and had just fought a great battle with Jiang Tu not long ago. Her hair was somewhat disheveled, and her face was completely devoid of color.
Xie Jingci chuckled: "Yes, I'm so clumsy, I don't even know how to dress up. Not like you, young master, dressed every day like a glowing pheasant. With such thick skin, you must plaster plenty of powder on it, right? So refined and so skilled at dressing up."
Pei Yu: "You...!"
The Ghost Realm was, after all, the territory of demonic cultivators. They had the advantage in numbers, so Pei Yu was unwilling to provoke a direct confrontation. Swallowing his anger, he said, "Pei Du, the entire clan has been searching for you. Come back with me and apologize to Father."
Xie Jingci stepped forward. "And if he doesn't wish to return?"
"Please recognize your own weight, young lady."
The brocade-robed youth laughed coldly. "Have you heard of the name Jiang Tu, City Lord of Wu City? He is an old friend of our family from fifty years ago. If you stubbornly resist, once he takes action, I'm afraid you won't even be able to keep your life."
With such a powerful backer in hand, who in Wu City would dare to provoke him?
Pei Yu spoke with absolute confidence. Yet, whether it was an illusion or not, he felt the atmosphere seemed to turn awkward for a moment.
From within the crowd, someone couldn't help but snicker.
"Oh, Jiang Tu."
Xie Jingci pointed at a large, bloody, and mangled red sphere behind her. "Are you talking about this thing? Jiang Tu, tell him, what's my weight?"
Jiang Tu felt the urge to instantly obliterate this unfamiliar brat.
Jiang Tu: "The young lady is truly... Mount Tai bearing down upon us..."
Having received a satisfactory answer, Xie Jingci no longer looked at Pei Yu's utterly bewildered face. She turned her head and announced loudly to the people behind her, "Everyone, we have an accomplice of Jiang Tu here!"
This vicious woman used "accomplice" instead of the more common "friend" or "old acquaintance," clearly indicating that neither of them was any good.
How could her heart be so malicious!
"This is it?"
Pei Yu's face was full of disbelief. He pointed at the red, unidentifiable humanoid lump. "I'm talking about City Lord Jiang Tu of Wu City... This is him?"
"He's already been toppled. Not even the time it takes to drink a cup of tea ago. Young master, you really are a harbinger of good news."
Xie Jingci raised an eyebrow, her tone flat. "So now, you either shut up nicely, or end up just like him. What weight do you have, to be barking here?"
Pei Yu was dumbstruck.
What in the world was this?
Where was his backer? Where was his big, formidable, and mighty backer?! Jiang Tu, what exactly have you been doing, Jiang Tu!
And why were those Ghost Realm cultivators behind her looking at him with such eerie eyes? They were utterly vicious, maniacal, and ferocious!
Pei Yu: "..."
Pei Yu: "Y-you... don't come any closer!"
