Sensing the auras scattered throughout the alley, Chen Chao unhesitatingly gripped the hilt of the saber at his waist and instantly smashed right through a nearby wall.
As rubble scattered in all directions, the wall crumbled instantly, and a figure hidden behind it was also sent flying in that instant.
Chen Chao stepped into the alley and with just a quick glance ahead, he froze momentarily. The entire narrow alley before him was packed tightly with no fewer than dozens of cultivators.
They were all waiting in full battle array, their killing intent palpable.
Chen Chao lifted his head and cursed, "Zhou Gouqi, how many women bathing did you peek at to deserve this?!"
Zhou Gouqi was still crouching on the wall. Looking into the distance, he muttered, "Don't be unappreciative, kid. The ones Your Father needs to fight are far tougher than those small fries you're dealing with."
Chen Chao silently drew his saber, the sound of Cloud Mud sliding against the sheathe echoing in the air. Speaking to himself, he said, "Better stay alive. Otherwise, Your Father won't get any answers to my questions."
“Don't worry, Even if I die, you'll get answers to what you want to know.”
Zhou Gouqi added with a faint smile, “Still, never thought there'd come a day where Your Father would need your help, kid.”
At the same time, the cultivators in the alley began to attack.
The rain which had paused for a short while began to fall again.
The first raindrop descended from the sky, landing on the blade of Cloud Mud, just as Chen Chao unleashed his first slash toward the figures ahead.
The razor-sharp saber edge swept through the alley, slicing through a falling raindrop and sweeping forward. The surging saber qi stirred up fierce winds.
A cultivator right in front of the strike failed to evade in time. The blade's edge cleaved him in two, splitting his body instantly. Blood spilled alongside the rain, staining the ground red.
In the narrow alley, a silent slaughter unfolded in an instant.
The unidentified assassins were undoubtedly sent to kill Zhou Gouqi. However, Chen Chao's presence disrupted the carefully orchestrated assassination.
Yet the assassins showed no sign of panic. In their view, it was only a matter of time before they killed this young martial artist who was extremely celebrated in the current dynasty.
No matter how strong this martial artist might be, he was still only one person. And the strength of one person always has its limits.
Chen Chao evaded the attack of a nearby cultivator in the alley. Yet, before the qi could dissipate, a streak of sword qi surged toward him. The sword qi entwined with rainwater, carrying an unrelenting sharpness as it swept toward him furiously.
A middle-aged sword cultivator with an unremarkable appearance emerged from within the crowd.
The overwhelming sword qi was like countless sharp flying swords, encircling Chen Chao in the narrow alley. The boundless sharpness constantly pressed against his skin, leaving no respite.
Judging solely by the sword qi, it was evident that this sword cultivator had cultivated the Sword Dao for a very long time. He was likely only a step away from reaching the sword immortal realm.
As the sword cultivator stepped forward, his robe shifted slightly, and an endless torrent of sword qi surged from his sleeves. The rain curtain ahead was instantly torn apart, and several sword marks appeared on a nearby wall.
The sword marks cut deep, penetrating through the structure and causing an entire section of the wall to collapse. Starting from Chen Chao's position, a small courtyard began to crumble inch by inch.
Chen Chao faced the crisscrossing sword qi and began swinging his saber non-stop. The overwhelming saber qi collided with the rampant sword qi in an instant.
The razor-sharp sword qi surged like a massive flood, seemingly about to engulf Chen Chao entirely.
With a single slash, Chen Chao carved out a path through the overwhelming sword qi. His figure darted forward continuously, swiftly closing the distance to the sword cultivator.
The two locked eyes. Suddenly, the sharp sound of a sword's cry echoed through the alley.
A snow-white, radiant flying sword streaked through the rain, heading straight for Chen Chao. He immediately bent backward into a strange arc to avoid the strike. Simultaneously, other cultivators in the alley seized the opportunity to attack, aiming directly at Chen Chao.
Countless streams of qi stacked upon one another before crashing down.
The assassins coordinated seamlessly, clearly well-practiced in joining forces to face the enemy.
However, Chen Chao managed to twist his body and evade their deadly strike just before the qi descended. Yet, while he dodged the cultivators' attacks, he could not avoid the returning flying sword.
The snow-white flying sword streaked past him again, grazing his cheek and leaving a fine, bloody line across his face.
Chen Chao reached out, attempting to grab the sword's hilt, but the flying sword was simply too fast, leaving him grasping at air.
Chen Chao frowned slightly and slashed at the cultivators in front of him. Cloud Mud cut through one person's chest, taking his life in an instant.
The flying sword returned, stabbing straight for the back of Chen Chao's head.
Chen Chao spun around, slashing out with his saber.
In the rain, sparks visibly flashed.
The sword cultivator narrowed his eyes, controlling the flying sword to clash repeatedly with Chen Chao's Cloud Mud.
An endless torrent of sword qi engulfed Chen Chao.
But soon, the sword cultivator's expression darkened. It was because he could sense that something was wrong with his flying sword.
Indeed, the snow-white flying sword that was swimming ceaselessly around Chen Chao, now showed a visible chip.
The sword was no ordinary weapon. Although it did not originate from Sword Qi Mountain, it should have been impossible to damage so easily.
Before he could think further, his snow-white flying sword suddenly shattered and fell to the ground in pieces.
The sword cultivator's face turned ashen, and he spat out a large mouthful of blood. Seizing the moment, Chen Chao stepped forward, landing a punch that sent two nearby cultivators flying.
At this moment, only a quarter of the cultivators in this alley had suffered casualties. Today's story was far from over.
Zhou Gouqi darted out of Peach Blossom Alley, running tirelessly through the curtain of rain.
Two figures followed closely behind him, their movements shadowing his in the rain.
"Zhou Xianshan, there's still time to stop. Do you really want this to end in mutual destruction?!"
A voice came from the rain, distant but audible.
Zhou Gouqi sneered coldly, "So many lives from an entire clan, do you think they can just be forgotten?"
"Even if you don't want to forget, you must. Your strength alone is futile. Even if you really reach the Divine Capital, it probably won't be of any use."
The voice in the rain continued, tinged with a faint mockery.
Zhou Gouqi's pace never faltered as he kept running. "Do you two really think a few words are enough to make me give up? You're far too naive."
"In that case, we can only kill you, then kill that young martial artist. That way, no one will know."
As the voice echoed through the air, a bolt of violet lightning crashed down from the heavens.
The might of heaven and earth was terrifying beyond measure.
Zhou Gouqi swung his sleeve, dispersing the menacing lightning. He then lowered his gaze to the puddle beneath him.