Another Demonic Cult Branch

"Ah!" With a shrill cry of pain, the man in black whirled his longsword into a flurry of silver light before him and leaped backward. The powder settling on his skin was bad enough, but the flying dust that had entered his eyes blinded him completely, leaving him unable to see. Then he heard Wang Yu declare, "This is my family's secret Soul-Chasing, Life-Snatching, Form-Obliterating Powder! It seals the throat upon drawing blood and corrodes flesh and bone. If you don't rinse it with water within thirty breaths, your flesh will rot to the bone and you will drop dead!" "You little whelp! Like hell I'd believe your bullshit!" the man in black cursed furiously. "This is clearly quicklime! If water touches it, I'll be permanently blinded!" "Uh?" Wang Yu blinked, taken aback. "Oh, you knew?" Zi Ling burst into giggles, and even Li Yunxiu couldn't help a smile. Then, with a gentle flick of Li Yunxiu's hand, two golden needles sank straight into the man in black's eyes. The man in black shrieked again and twisted around to flee. Yet fast though he was, Li Yunxiu was just as swift. In a flash, she glided behind him, reached out a slender, fair hand, and pressed it against his back over his heart. With a surge of internal energy, she shattered his heart meridians. Blood erupted from the man's mouth, and he crumpled dead to the ground. Wang Yu breathed a sigh of relief, then stiffened up again, scanning all around. "There isn't anyone else, is there?" An evening breeze blew gently, dry leaves rustled softly, and not a single human sound remained. "It seems not," Li Yunxiu said, also letting out a breath. Three scares in a single day—even she felt mentally and physically drained. ... She ordered the imperial guards to find tools and dig two deep pits in the back courtyard. They brought out the grandfather and granddaughter from the cellar, intending to bury them separately from the impostor woodcutter pair and the assassin in black. Before burying them, of course, they had to loot the corpses. "One bottle of poison, one bottle of antidote, twelve poisoned throwing darts, and thirty gold leaves," Zi Ling reported, beaming with joy. "Who knew this old codger was so loaded?" While Zi Ling looted the bodies, Li Yunxiu and Wang Yu stood beside her. "Where did you hear that theory of swordsmanship you just spoke of?" Li Yunxiu asked. "I read it in a novel," Wang Yu replied. Civilian life in this world had grown quite prosperous, and literacy among the common people had risen. Aside from scholarly classics and literary works, various operas, novels, and illustrated storybooks had naturally emerged. "In the novel, there was a peerless master who dominated the world. Before he turned twenty, he used a sharp, fierce, invincible precious sword," Wang Yu continued. "Before thirty, he used a flexible sword, but cast it into a deep valley after accidentally injuring a righteous man. He switched to a heavy sword and roamed unchecked beneath the heavens before forty. The novel then explained that after forty, he was no longer bound by material things; grass, trees, bamboo, and stones could all serve as swords. From then on he progressed further, gradually reaching the realm where having no sword surpasses having a sword." "'No sword surpasses having a sword'?" Li Yunxiu furrowed her brow in thought. "Even if the author of a typical novel practiced martial arts, their achievements wouldn't be very high. At most, they could write stories, develop characters, and make up some techniques. How could they articulate genuine martial philosophy? Though this theory sounds profound, it may not reflect reality." After a moment of thought, Li Yunxiu still asked, "What was the title of this novel?" "I forgot," Wang Yu answered with complete confidence. Li Yunxiu was left speechless. Pondering for a moment, her bright eyes deep as still water, Li Yunxiu gazed intently at Wang Yu. "How did you think of using the principle of mixing feints with reality—first intimidating him with words, then drawing his attention with a piece of firewood, and finally striking true with quicklime?" Elder Yan had died unexpectedly. Although she had quickly outwitted the old woodcutter, when the man in black appeared, she truly had possessed no certainty of victory. Even though she had trump cards of her own and had never revealed her true martial arts before others, the fact that she hadn't detected his presence earlier meant his skills were by no means weak. Her initial reaction had been to show weakness to lure the enemy in and feign panic, while concealing her golden needle projectiles that she had never shown before. Yet Li Yunxiu had not been sure whether the opponent would truly grow careless and fall for the trap. Compared to her conventional response using her status as a woman, Wang Yu's reaction had astonished her. Although Zhao Yu's reputation as a profligate echoed across the capital, as the son of a Xiantian Grandmaster, he still possessed a shred of deterrent force. Coupled with his enigmatic, profound words, he had momentarily bluffed the man in black. In the capital, Zhao Yu normally used a sword. By all rights, his longsword should never have left his hand. Yet facing an assassination that could strike at any moment, not only was his sword nowhere near him, but he was also holding a piece of firewood as a sword. Anyone would have felt suspicious and uneasy. Yet as someone sent to kill Wang Yu, the man in black was bound to attack him. During his probing strike, he would naturally proceed with the utmost caution, focusing his entire attention on the firewood stick in Wang Yu's hand. Under that probing strike, however, no matter what possibilities the man in black had imagined, he would never have guessed that the firewood in Wang Yu's hand was actually so brittle and fragile. Seizing that split-second lapse when the man in black hesitated, Wang Yu could rely on the shallow internal energy he had just acquired to fling the quicklime, scattering it into the man's eyes at point-blank range with lightning speed. Li Yunxiu's sharp eyes had caught that Wang Yu let go of the firewood almost the very instant the man's sword touched it to avoid being injured by the impact of his internal energy, showing just how cautious he was. Thus, a martial expert no weaker than herself had been brought down by methods resembling a street rascal's brawl. Li Yunxiu couldn't help but sigh with feeling. Her title as the female Number One Scholar was famous throughout the realm, yet today she had been saved twice by this greenhorn novice. If the first time had involved some measure of luck, the second proved that both his intellect and his methods were first-rate. What a pity he had started martial arts so late. Otherwise, there would surely have been a place for him in the jianghu one day! Still, with such wits and methods, impersonating Zhao Yu would surely be second nature to him. Perhaps taking control of the Prince of Zhenxi's Manor would be far easier than imagined. In any case, having only just learned martial arts today, for him to step forward so bravely and decisively still made Li Yunxiu look at him in a new light. In particular, when she had feigned panic, he had unhesitatingly stood in front of her. That tall back of his had made her heart skip a beat. Li Yunxiu stared at Wang Yu, only to hear him answer, "It was written in a novel too." "Ah?" Li Yunxiu couldn't help freezing in surprise. "I read a novel where an expert knew ventriloquism. When facing an enemy, he would speak through ventriloquism to make his opponent focus on his hands, while in fact he held a mechanical projectile in his mouth, waiting for the chance to overcome his foe," Wang Yu explained with a straight face. Li Yunxiu was once again rendered speechless. "The novels nowadays are... rather interesting," Li Yunxiu remarked dryly. As the female Number One Scholar who excelled in both civil and military arts, Li Yunxiu had of course read extensively. However, what she read were classical literary works, profound theoretical treatises, statecraft, and military manuals. She had always regarded the operas and novels on the market as frivolous trifles, dismissing them with utter disdain. Who would have thought that Wang Yu would actually learn tactical combat maneuvers from such miscellaneous trifles! It seemed no book was truly useless; it only depended on whether one could absorb its essence and apply it in the right place. Li Yunxiu mused that perhaps she should also selectively read some novels and illustrated stories in the future. Just then, Zi Ling let out a soft exclamation. Holding up a bronze medallion, she asked Li Yunxiu, "Young Mis... Madam, this guy also has a waist token. Could he belong to an organization?" This bronze medallion had been recovered from the man in black. Wang Yu watched from the side. The bronze medallion was only about half the size of a palm. On its front were engraved three mountain peaks shrouded in light and shadow, while the back bore the character "Ying." The entire token had been rubbed smooth and glossy with oil and wear, indicating that the man in black had frequently toyed with it in his hands. Seeing the bronze token, Li Yunxiu's eyebrows arched slightly, and she let out a soft gasp. "The Ghost Shadow Sect?" The corner of Wang Yu's mouth twitched. "That sounds like nothing good." Li Yunxiu said solemnly, "Not only is it nothing good, but its background is shockingly formidable!" Seeing Li Yunxiu genuinely change color for the first time, Wang Yu couldn't help asking, "You weren't even fazed by the Seven Great Sword Sects. Just how powerful is this Ghost Shadow Sect?" "The Seven Great Sword Sects are renowned orthodox sects, but this Ghost Shadow Sect is a branch of the Demonic Cult," Li Yunxiu said calmly. "The Demonic Cult?" Wang Yu smacked his lips. In the wuxia and xianxia novels of his previous life, the Demonic Cult appeared frequently. Whether serving as background lore, active participants on stage, colorful supporting figures, or shadowy masterminds, they were without exception top-tier factions harboring top-tier masters. *First the Nanhai Sect, which rivals the Seven Great Sword Sects, and now the Ghost Shadow Sect, a branch of the Demonic Cult. Throwing such heavy hitters at me on day one—aren't they overestimating me a bit much?* Wang Yu thought, dumbfounded. *If you didn't want me to clear the beginner tutorial, just say so. No need to crank the difficulty up to Hell mode.* Yet Li Yunxiu was perplexed. "The Demonic Cult has always opposed the imperial court. Why would they accept a bounty targeting us? It would be normal enough if Ghost Shadow Sect assassins were assassinating high-ranking court officials, but why would they help court officials kill you?" Logically speaking, the Emperor had released Zhao Yu only out of necessity, fearing an outright rebellion by the Prince of Zhenxi's faction. And once Zhao Yu returned to Longshan Prefecture, he certainly wouldn't see eye to eye with the Emperor either. The Demonic Cult had no reason to interfere. Li Yunxiu couldn't make sense of it. "If you can't figure it out, then don't bother. Isn't he already dead?" Wang Yu didn't really care. From now on, all he had to do was hole up in the Prince of Zhenxi's Manor, chug pills like crazy, train like a maniac, and ignore everything else. "That's true," Li Yunxiu nodded. "Now that the Ghost Shadow Sect sent an assassin, no one else from them will come. "However, things seem a bit different from what I envisioned." Li Yunxiu pondered aloud. "I originally assumed those high court officials wouldn't be able to hire any decent assassins. Moreover, most people and factions are glad to see the Prince of Zhenxi's faction remain semi-independent, so they wouldn't intervene either. Having Elder Yan look after us along the way should have been more than enough. Yet to my surprise, not only did the Twin Swords of Nanhai come knocking, but there was also a formidable poison master, and now even an assassin from the Ghost Shadow Sect has surfaced." Li Yunxiu looked at Wang Yu. "I didn't expect their hatred for you to run so deep that they would summon so many experts. I have no idea what caliber of masters will show up down the line." Wang Yu wore a blank expression. *I won't end up dying before even completing my first campaign, will I?* "So what do we do now?" Wang Yu asked. "We can't parade around so openly anymore." Li Yunxiu looked at the imperial guards, who had nearly finished digging the pits. "They're like a walking billboard. If they keep escorting us, it will only draw more assassins." "You're going to silence them by killing them?" Wang Yu drew in a sharp breath. "Truly worthy of the female Number One Scholar—you even made them dig their own graves!" Li Yunxiu nearly stumbled, snapping in exasperation, "What on earth are you thinking?! I mean sending them back to the capital while the three of us disguise ourselves as ordinary jianghu travelers to return to the northwest, concealing our tracks to bypass those assassins."