"That is also why he could withstand Pei Danding's sword attacks and even do so with ease. Possessing such martial arts, he's truly troublesome,"
Xie Shan, his face showing admiration, said, "Is he that formidable?"
The old man had been with Xie Shan for seven years, and he knew whether the other was about to fart or defecate simply by his gestures. Now, with a face full of mockery, he said,
"You'd better let go of the thoughts in your head like farting; with such a level of Qinggong, he ranks among the top three in the Jianghu of this century. You have no hope in this lifetime."
"You might as well practice swordsmanship, watch closely!"
Xie Shan obediently responded, but after a quiet moment, he spoke again, "Old man, what did you originally think Brother Thousand Mountains would be like?"
The elder fell silent, then cursed softly,
"None of your damn business."
In Wanling City, a black-clad old man, looking at a chessboard on the table beside him, had a calm and serene expression, tinged with a bit of solemnity, as he thought about the skirmish that had taken place over a hundred miles away today, his eyes half-closed.
His right hand was fiddling with a white chess piece, tapping it gently on the board again and again.
The melody of a stringed instrument played beside him, sounding like a swift flowing waterfall.
The old man probably felt that no one could solve the current game of chess he was playing. It wasn't that really no one could solve it, it was more that within the vast region of Wanling City and Danyang County, there were few who could solve it.
He carelessly threw the chess piece he was holding onto the board, where it spun around.
With his eyes slightly closed, he listened to the music, tapping the chess pieces together with his finger, whispering,
"What a beautiful melody, what beautiful music."
He seemed not to worry at all about the trap he had set up.
This was his pride, as well as his isolation and loneliness.
With one move, who could solve the puzzle?
Only by linking moves oneself, finding one's own amusement.
Hidden on one side of Jade Floating Mountain, Wen Chang's complexion turned somewhat pale, even darkening a bit. He was well-hidden in the lush spring mountain grass, his body almost entirely concealed.
In his right hand, he held a bow, a Strong Bow, powerful enough to pierce Great Qin Iron Armor from eight hundred steps away, surrounded by familiar companions. This alone should have been enough to chill anyone's spine, but he was certain that, at this moment, his companions' faces looked no better than his.
This whole affair had from the beginning exceeded their imagination.
They were ordered by the Family Head to take a life, but before they could make their move, two elders were already ensnared and then, one after another, masters capable of founding sects in the Jianghu sprang up.
Large parts of the immense Jade Floating Mountain were nearly destroyed, with Sword Qi crisscrossing and rocks splitting apart. At this point, he had no desire to act, only wishing to stay hidden in his spot, surviving until the affair was completely over.
But at that moment, a hand gripped his neck.
The hand was slender and pale, a sight he had never seen in his life.
By the time he realized what was happening, that delicate hand had crushed his throat as easily as snapping a twig.
Wen Chang's eyes dimmed, and he slumped limply in the grass.
He indeed was a talented person in concealing himself, having chosen a spot obscured from sight, with lush and soft spring grass where an adult man falling dead wouldn't make a sound that could raise suspicion.
The beautiful hand took the Strong Bow, which he had exchanged for a hundred Silver, pulled an arrow from the quiver on his back, set it on the bow, and aimed downward.
Lin Qiaofu and Wang Anfeng met up.
The person narrowed their eyes slightly, and although the sound of the vibrating bowstring was faint, it reached the ears of the two nearby archers schooled in obeying their leader's commands. They instinctively drew their bows, like a breeze sweeping across the plains, and a hundred Strong Bows were drawn.
From the position originally belonging to Wen Chang, a woman narrowed her eyes.
Her right hand relaxed.
The bowstring hummed and trembled, the arrow flew piercing through the clouds, heading straight for Wang Anfeng. The rest of the archers instinctively released their bowstrings, then mechanically nocked their arrows and fired, three in rapid succession, the arrows densely packed and directed at Wang Anfeng and his companions.
When the speed and quantity of the arrows reached a certain level, a very fitting name would be used to describe it.
Wang Anfeng's expression changed slightly, appearing a bit forced. He raised his hand to take the Qingfeng Edge Longsword from behind Lin Qiaofu and stabbed the first arrow. Then, twisting his wrist with force and relying purely on his swordsmanship, he deflected the arrow, causing it to spin and collide with other arrows.
Like a tidal wave, the arrows momentarily froze.
Despite apparently reaching the end of the line, Wang Anfeng used solely his swordsmanship to create a safe zone amid the rain of arrows. When the last arrow was deflected, Wang Anfeng seemed somewhat exhausted, and the sword in his hand slipped away.
A shadow abruptly descended from the mountain.
It was a stunning woman dressed in plain white clothes, her eyes as serene as autumn waters, yet now filled with venomous hate. Her right hand held a Short Sword, barely longer than a dagger, chillingly lethal and with an unmistakable intent to kill, she charged directly at Wang Anfeng.
Lin Qiaofu's face turned deathly pale as she exclaimed:
"Fish Intestine Sword, how is that possible?!"
The supposed dead master of the Fish Intestine Sword, Shi Huaidie, holding the Fish Intestine Sword, reappeared exactly when Wang Anfeng had lost his sword.
With her exceptional Qinggong, she closed in instantly, grabbed Wang Anfeng's shoulder with her left hand, and aimed the Fish Intestine Sword at Wang Anfeng's heart with her right hand. At that moment, Shi Huaidie on the right side of Wang Anfeng's body could only attack with her left hand.