The assassin was behind Chen Changsheng. He had used the simplest, and even somewhat stupid, method to make all of Chen Changsheng's vigilance and defenses fall to nothing. Now, he had already rushed in front of Su Li, only a distance of one zhang.
To an upper level Star Condensation assassin, this distance did not exist. Besides experts of the Divine Domain, only a few people like Jin Yulu and Nanke could rely on their innate speed to be faster than him.
The assassin's and Su Li's gazes met in the torrential rain.
It was already an unchangeable situation of certain death, so their gazes were very calm. However, this calmness concealed an extremely complex emotion. The assassin looked at Su Li. In the depths of his emotionless eyes, one could faintly see a trace of pain that was difficult to erase and a hatred that had been accumulated for countless years. As for Su Li, he looked at the assassin that had broken through the rain. The emotions between his brows were very undisciplined, as if he did not care about this person's life at all. Yet why did he seem so solemn?
The Yellow Paper Umbrella was in Su Li's left hand, soaked in the rain. His right hand was still some distance from the handle of the umbrella. Did he still have the strength to fight? In the next moment, would he do what he did in the snowy plains, or in the inn, and grab the handle of the umbrella?
After following them silently for several dozen days and nights, no matter how desperate Chen Changsheng and Su Li had been when facing Xue He and Liang Hongzhuang, the assassin had never acted. Even when Liang Wangsun and Xiao Zhang had arrived in the inn, he still did not take the opportunity to act. It had to be said that this assassin ranked third in the world truly possessed an unimaginable cautiousness and acuity. At that time, he believed that the situation could still change, so he had never moved. Only now, when Wang Po had appeared, Zhu Luo had struck, and Chen Changsheng had walked hot-bloodedly to the other end of the street, when all the changes had come to an end, did he choose to strike.
When all the changes had come to an end, his appearance was the only change.
At the end of the road, when the water flows, the stone will be revealed. When the sun sets, there is naturally no turning back. It was just like how Chen Changsheng had left Su Li. Even if it was only ten-odd steps, it was already too late to turn back, much less turn around to save him.
Chen Changsheng's body was very cold.
He was not Jin Yulu, nor was he Nanke. Although he knew the Yeshi Step, it was still impossible for him to return to Su Li's side in such a short amount of time.
The fastest thing in the world was not the Red Eagle, not the Red Goose, not Jin Yulu, not Nanke, not that assassin, but thought.
As he thought these things with despair, his body began to move.
He didn't even realize he had moved.
What he used was the Yeshi Step. He did not turn around, nor did he calculate the position of the stars. He completely relied on his knowledge of the several thousand positions of the Yeshi Step to recall Su Li's position, and then he disappeared into the rainy sky.
He knew that it would be difficult for him to get back before the assassin, but he wanted to try.
Perhaps it was because the entire world felt that Su Li should not have died at this time, or perhaps it was because the entire world was moved by his intense remorse and desire to make up for it, or perhaps it was because his increase in cultivation made the Yeshi Step even faster, or perhaps it was because the assassin's movement technique and sword were not as fast as people imagined, or perhaps it was because he had attached a strand of sword intent to the Yeshi Step …
A soft sound rang out in the rainy street. Pfft.
That was the sound of the sword coming into contact with blood. That was the sound of the water sack bursting.
Chen Changsheng appeared in the rainy sky in front of Su Li.
He had actually used the Yeshi Step to get ahead of that assassin!
He lowered his head to look at his abdomen.
The assassin's sword had pierced into his abdomen, and blood slowly flowed out.
The assassin looked at Chen Changsheng, a slightly perplexed expression appearing in his originally indifferent eyes.
He could not understand how his sword had pierced into Chen Changsheng's body.
Chen Changsheng also had many things that he could not understand. For example, an upper level Star Condensation assassin was actually so formidable, actually able to easily pierce through his body. Although the stab was not too deep, it really was still painful. He looked at his abdomen that was slowly leaking blood, somewhat perplexed, and also somewhat gratified. Why was it that the blood that flowed now had no taste?
The assassin could not understand how Chen Changsheng could return so quickly.
There was a remnant sword intent that lingered in the rain.
The assassin sensed it, and then he knew that it was the final move of the Mount Li Sword Style.
The final move of the Mount Li Sword Style, Mutual Destruction, risking one's life and forgetting one's own. It was a sword that did not care about one's life.
To not even care about one's life, it was naturally very ruthless. Because it was very ruthless, it was very fast.
From the battle in the Grand Examination to the snowy plains, and then to cultivating the Blazing Sword, Chen Changsheng was very familiar with this sword.
In the world, there was no one more familiar with this sword than him.
In his moment of despair, he had no time to strike, only enough time to strike.
This strike did not need the sword, only its heroism.
Fortunately, or perhaps unluckily, he won his gamble.
He used the final move of the Mount Li Sword Style to return to Su Li.
He used his own body to block this assassin's incomparably sinister and powerful strike.
Blood slowly flowed out and was then washed away by the rain.
The rainy street was quiet.
Seeing this sight, the crowd was shocked speechless.
No one had expected that Chen Changsheng would actually risk his life to protect Su Li. And no one had expected that he would be heavily injured because of this.
Everyone in Xunyang City had come to kill Su Li, but no one wanted to kill Chen Changsheng. He was the Principal of the Orthodox Academy, he was the Pope's nephew. This … was just an accident.
An accident, right? It truly was an accident. Whether it was Zhu Luo on the other side of the street, Su Li on his horse, or even the assassin in front of him, they were all very surprised. Then, what to do next?
Soon after, there was another light sound in the rainy street.
Blood spurted out and the sword left Chen Changsheng's body.
The assassin once more attacked Su Li. He was very calm, even somewhat wooden.
Chen Changsheng stepped onto the star position, broke through the curtain of rain, and used his sword to get up.
He once more appeared in front of the assassin's sword.
With a squelch, the edge of the sword once more sank into his abdomen, bringing with it fresh blood.
His face was pale, but there were two smears of red.
This was the color brought about by pain and blood loss, and also the heroism of stubbornness and willpower mixed together.
The assassin slightly lowered his head and calmly looked at him. He said nothing, but the meaning in his eyes was very clear: You will die.
Chen Changsheng was heavily injured and unable to speak. As the rain flowed past his face, the meaning was also very clear: So what?
… …
… …
Some people chose to die in order to save others, like Chen Changsheng. Some people chose to die in order to kill others, like Liang Xiaoxiao.
From the snowy plains of the land of demons to Tianliang County, tens of thousands of li to the south, Chen Changsheng and Su Li encountered many things and were concerned about certain places.
The place that Chen Changsheng was most concerned about was the capital, while the place that Su Li was most concerned about was Mount Li.
Mount Li was also very concerned about Su Li, but at that time, Mount Li was facing many troublesome problems. Qiushan Jun was still unconscious from his heavy injuries, and Qi Jian, who had just been transported back to Mount Li, was also unconscious. Afterwards, many people came from Mount Li. Many people in the capital were worried about Chen Changsheng. Luoluo stood on the roof of the Hall of Pure Virtue, gazing at the setting sun every day. Her elegant and small face was filled with worry and sorrow. The Orthodox Academy was as quiet as a grave. Every day, Xuanyuan Po would go to the Mausoleum of Books to see if Tang Thirty-Six had come out. The great banyan tree by the lake was a pressing green in the spring, yet no one came to investigate.
The matter in the Garden of Zhou had already come to an end, but the aftermath was far from settling. People left Hanqiu City and spread the matter in the Garden of Zhou as well as the shocking news outside the Garden of Zhou to the entire continent — the demons had used some unknown method to sneak into the Garden of Zhou and then forcefully closed it, stirring up countless rains of blood and foul winds. Afterwards, the Garden of Zhou suddenly collapsed for some reason and should have been destroyed by now. Many talented young cultivators had fallen within, but the most shocking thing was that Chen Changsheng had disappeared from the Garden of Zhou, his fate unknown.
The current Chen Changsheng was no longer that young Daoist from Xining Village's old temple. He was first place of the first banner in last year's Grand Examination. In the Mausoleum of Books, he had attracted a sky full of starlight and helped several dozen cultivators of the same age break through. He was also the young genius that the Pope valued the most, the youngest Principal of the Orthodox Academy in history.
The fate of such a person was unknown and his whereabouts unknown. Of course, it would attract the shocked gazes of the entire continent. The only thing that could compare to this matter was the accusation that Liang Xiaoxiao had made before his death. Before his death, Liang Xiaoxiao did not explain, but everyone present knew that what he wanted to say was … Chen Changsheng, Qi Jian, and Zhexiu were colluding with the demons.
If it were anyone else making this accusation, they would only invite ridicule, but Liang Xiaoxiao was a disciple of Mount Li, one of the illustrious Divine State's Seven Laws. He had no reason to frame his junior brother, Qi Jian. Most importantly … Liang Xiaoxiao was dead.
He had died under the final move of the Mount Li Sword Style.
And the dead could not lie.
… …
… …
"The dead can't even speak, so they naturally can't lie. The problem is, when that Mount Li disciple said those words, he was still not dead, so what makes you think that he wouldn't lie?"
"But Liang Xiaoxiao was already heavily injured at the time and not far from death. Those words … were equivalent to his last words."
Zhou Tong was expressionless. His two eyebrows, under the illumination of the oil lamp, were like two lines of ink. He said, "Just because his last words are reliable? Then it will be much easier for my Department for Purging Officials to handle cases in the future. If there's any lord that feels that I don't have enough evidence, I can arrange for one of their nephews to commit suicide and leave behind a few words before he dies. "
"I never knew that Lord Zhou Tong cared so much about evidence," Mo Yu said to him. She had never liked Zhou Tong, and the entire capital knew of this matter. Of course, this did not affect her and Zhou Tong's cooperation in the court. As the Divine Empress's two most reliable arms in the Imperial Court, they had to cooperate well.
"The important point is that no one believes that Chen Changsheng is colluding with the demons, so I need evidence."
Zhou Tong's expression did not change as he calmly said, "In reality, if that Mount Li disciple had not died, do you think that the Li Palace would have agreed to hand Zhexiu over to me just based on Zhuang Huanyu's accusation?
After a moment of silence, Mo Yu asked, "What was the result of the interrogation?"
"He did not say a single word, so there is naturally no result."
Zhou Tong expressionlessly said, "I will interrogate him for a month. At that time, if he still does not admit that he and Chen Changsheng are colluding with the demons, then … I will admit that what he said was the truth."
Hearing this, Mo Yu felt a chill and her face paled.
Zhexiu had already been imprisoned for many days. If he were to be imprisoned for another month, would he still be able to come out alive? It must be known that the prison he was in was not the Imperial Court Prison, nor was it the prison of the Ministry of Justice. It was the most sinister and terrifying Zhou Prison of legends. No one could last so long in Zhou Prison. Even if they could, it was still too cruel.
Cruel to the point … that even Zhou Tong felt some sympathy for that wolf youth.
… …
… …
(It's written quite well. I hope that there will be an update tomorrow. If not, I will let everyone know in advance.)
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