Enveloped by that icy murderous intent, Zong Dingfang felt his scalp tingle and his body hair stand on end, as if he had fallen into a frozen abyss. Despite his years of fame and countless duels—no less than eighty if not a hundred—this was the first time he truly felt the threat of death so vividly.
In a rush, he barely had time to dodge, or more accurately, there was no fleeing Mu Hanyan’s bizarrely unpredictable and swift sword. No matter how he tried to evade, he couldn’t escape the edge of her blade.
The only thing he could do was continue the motion he had started, thrusting his sword toward Mu Hanyan. It wasn’t that he wanted to perish alongside Mu Hanyan, but he simply had no other choice. He couldn’t just do nothing and wait for death to claim him.
His strike did have some effect. The blade grazed over Mu Hanyan’s shoulder, splattering a trail of blood, while her sword slightly trembled and then pierced his chest, missing his heart meridian by a mere fraction.
"What a vicious swordsmanship!" Shou Dingfang exclaimed as he watched Mu Hanyan, a jet of blood spurting from his chest, and his body fell straight down.
Although the sword missed by a fraction and did not immediately claim his life, the close proximity and the vibration of the Qi from the sword still severely damaged his heart meridian.
"This kid’s strength doesn’t seem as formidable as last time," Zong Dingfang thought with a slight feeling of relief before he passed out. If Mu Hanyan’s sword had been as overwhelmingly powerful as before, combined with such a peculiar swordsmanship, he wouldn’t have stood a chance.
Mu Hanyan didn’t hesitate for even a moment, seizing the opportunity while Zong Dingfang was down and wounded to bolt through the doorway.
The brocade box also fell to the ground; its lid was shaken open, revealing its emptiness. It was meant to contain a Qi Transformation Pill, but since the pill had been given to Mu Ze, the box was naturally empty now.
"You cheeky brat, daring to play us ," Qu Shanhai and He Songhua exclaimed furiously, quickly chasing after her.
Stepping out of the teahouse, the bright sunlight stung her eyes, boosting Mu Hanyan’s spirits. Although her strength was still not on par with Qu Shanhai and the others, her determination as a Ninth-Order Swordsman meant that if she decided to flee, they might not necessarily catch her.
Thinking this, Mu Hanyan suddenly felt a dizzy spell and stumbled.
"The sword was poisoned!" Mu Hanyan realized almost instantly. The minor injury on her shoulder couldn’t possibly affect her this much; the only explanation was that the sword had been poisoned.
"This old lecher really thinks highly of me, even discarding the dignity of a Great Swordsman," Mu Hanyan cursed silently.
Little did she know, after his previous defeat at her hands, which Zong Dingfang considered an immense and humiliating disgrace, he no longer dared underestimate her. Determined to reclaim the Dragon Blood Stone from her this time, he had prepared thoroughly, even going so far as to coat his sword with poison, disregarding the dignity of a Swordsman.
As she staggered, Qu Shanhai and He Songhua had already blocked her way.
"Run? I’d like to see where you can run to," He Songhua sneered.
"Despicable and shameless," Mu Hanyan, mustering her strength, bitterly spat out those words.
"Great achievements are not concerned with trifles. Haven’t you understood that yet? What does being despicable and shameless matter, as long as we kill you, who will know of our shamelessness?" He Songhua scoffed.
"Killing me won’t be so easy," Mu Hanyan declared resolutely.
The scenes of her previous life, where she was ambushed and brutally murdered, surged before her eyes, filling her chest with intense anger and unwillingness. She couldn’t die, absolutely could not die. Even if she had just a breath left, she would resist to the bitter