Chapter 342
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Just as she finished thinking that, Miss Nie bit her lip, and she was about to step back into the carriage. Suddenly, Little Orange spoke up with a trembling voice: “Miss, please, don’t trust them. These people have never kept their word. If you hand over the item and they go back on their word, what are we to do then?”
Miss Nie gave a bitter smile and said: “Little Orange, do you think I don’t know that? But look—if we refuse to give it up, they’ll kill us anyway. Wouldn’t they still end up finding it? If we show a bit of sense, perhaps they’ll take pity on us for being cooperative and spare our lives.”
With that, she paid no more heed to whatever else Little Orange was trying to say. She lowered her head and entered the carriage. After a while, she reemerged, one hand tucked into her sleeve, the other holding a small embroidered box. Standing atop the carriage, she raised her voice and said: “Hero, here is the item. I beg you, please show mercy and spare the lives of two defenseless women.”
Having spoken, she raised her hand and threw the embroidered box toward the ruffian.
The ruffian was overjoyed at the sight. He reached out carefully and caught it, then cautiously opened it to inspect the contents. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, he finally tucked it into his robes. He hadn’t expected to acquire it so easily, and for a moment, seemed at a loss for what to do next.
After a brief pause, he waved his hand and turned his horse’s head, ready to leave. At that moment, a man with a scar on his face stepped forward and asked: “Deputy Hall Master, we’re… we’re just leaving like this?”
“Of course we’re leaving. The job’s done—what else are we hanging around for?”
“But, what about those two girls? How are we going to deal with them?”
“What? Deal with them? Didn’t we already say? Let them go. Since they were so straightforward, we can’t be the kind who only take and never give.”
“But, if we don’t silence them, and they find out who… we really are, won’t that be trouble? We didn’t wear masks today, after all.”
“Hmph, didn’t I just swear an oath to the heavens? You want me to die a horrible death, is that it?”
“No, no! Hall Master, how could I ever curse you like that? I just…”
“Just what?”
“I’ll speak plainly, then. I just think letting those two girls go just like that is really… truly a waste.”
“Oh?” The so-called Deputy Hall Master glanced back at the two frail young women under the night sky. He felt no desire stirring in him at all. Then, looking again at the glint of lust in the scar-faced man’s eyes, he let out a laugh and said: “Heh, Scarhead, I didn’t expect you to have a taste for that kind of thing.”
Scarface waved his hand with a bashful smile and said: “Hall Master, you’re terrible. Everyone has their own preferences, after all—some like carrots, some like cabbage.”
The so-called Deputy Hall Master immediately broke out in goosebumps. Shrinking his neck in fear, he said: “Alright then, if you come across any you don’t fancy next time, leave them for me. And remember—don’t take their lives. I’ve already made a promise. Also, once you’re done, make sure to sell them off to some brothel far away. I only said I wouldn’t harm their lives—after tonight, whatever happens is no concern of mine!”
With that, he chuckled lecherously and stepped aside, as if preparing to enjoy a good show. The nearby men cast jealous, resentful glances at Scarface, sighing to themselves—why didn’t I think of that?
Inside the carriage, Little Orange’s face had turned ashen. She had long since lost all sense of herself, arms wrapped around her chest as she trembled uncontrollably. Miss Nie, on the other hand, was gritting her teeth so hard that silver fangs gleamed, her eyes burning with furious fire. Yes, she had been too naïve. So what if they didn’t harm her life? There were countless other vile methods they could still use. These men—old enough to be her elders—were so despicable!
Suddenly, the hand hidden in her sleeve extended outward. In it was a small, delicate blade. Without hesitation, she placed it against her own neck. Gazing at the distant moon, the star-filled heavens above, she found the sky so breathtaking—and yet, under such beauty, a scene so shameless was unfolding.
She then looked in a particular direction, as if her heart held deep longing. In the next moment, steely resolve flashed in her eyes. With a single motion of her arm, she was about to cut her own throat.
At that very moment, Zhang Xiaohua, who was dashing toward the scene, caught everything within his divine sense. His heart immediately flashed with memories of Ou Peng, forced to take his own life; of Yang Ruping, holding a treasured sword to her neck, choosing death to preserve the honor of her fellow disciples of Piaomiao Sect. Though Ou Peng had used him at times, he had still treated him kindly in return for saving Ou Yan—Zhang Xiaohua had never forgotten that gratitude. As for Yang Ruping, who gave her life to shield disciples of the Piaomiao Sect—possibly including his second brother, Zhang Xiaohu—how could that not stir his heart? And now, a frail, black-clad girl, showing such courage and resolve—how could that not strike a chord with Zhang Xiaohua?
A thought surged in his heart, and the small sword hovering in the air far above flashed like lightning, poised to strike down and knock away Miss Nie’s dagger. But someone moved even faster. With a flick of his wrist, Scarface sent a spiked iron ball whistling through the air. In a blur, it struck Miss Nie’s wrist with a heavy blow. With a cry of pain, “Ahh!” the small blade clattered to the ground. Her wrist twisted unnaturally, limp and broken. Miss Nie clutched her wrist in agony, tears streaming uncontrollably down her cheeks—her wrist had been shattered!
Scarface let out a lecherous laugh and said: “Little girl, I’ve been on guard against that trick of yours for a long time. Do you know how many little brats have had the same idea as you? Heh heh, seeing you in pain makes me feel so damn good inside.”
The wolf-like howls echoed far into the night sky.
At this moment, Zhang Xiaohua had already rushed over and naturally heard these words. He was furious.
“You guys wanted to rob, fine, take the stuff and go. I never intended to play some righteous hero. But going back on your word, that’s where you’re wrong. If you promised to let her go, then don’t deceive people with your dirty tricks. And from the sound of Scarface’s words, this thug has done plenty of evil deeds like this before. With such a golden opportunity for good karma delivered right to my door, how could I possibly turn it away?”
Having made up his mind, Zhang Xiaohua stopped moving forward. He leapt down from Huanhuan’s back, found a large tree, and nimbly climbed up, sitting cross-legged among the branches. He released his powerful spiritual sense, and the small sword that had just been hovering in midair suddenly accelerated, streaking through the night sky like a bolt of lightning, plunging straight into Scarface’s throat.
Scarface, who had been smugly stripping off his clothes and swaggering forward, had no time to react. The lightning-fast strike left him clutching his neck, collapsing to the ground.
The deputy hall master, who had been preparing to enjoy the show, burst out laughing when he saw Scarface’s fate. “You damn fool! Most people get excited after the deed, but you’ve gone mad before even getting started!”
As he spoke, a streak of black light flashed by, and a small sword shot straight for his own throat. As a deputy hall master, he naturally possessed exceptional skills and was not easily flustered even in danger. Seeing that he didn’t have time to draw his longsword from his waist, he boldly reached out to grab the flying sword with his bare hand, fully prepared for his palm to be cut, better than having his throat pierced, after all.
But in that split second, the small sword, which he had mistaken for a hidden weapon, suddenly tilted upward, evading his grasp and darting toward his throat like a swift, cunning serpent.
“A flying sword!?” The deputy hall master cried out in terror.
In the next instant, the sword touched his throat as lightly as a dragonfly skimming the water, then flew off elsewhere.
The deputy hall master toppled from his horse like a rotten log, hitting the ground with a thud. In his final moments, only one thought remained in his mind: “Three feet above our heads, the gods are watching. What people do, Heaven sees. Why did I have to make such vicious oaths for no reason? If only…”
If only what?
Who could say?
Maybe it was: If I never do evil again, I’ll just take the loot and leave?
Maybe it was: If I ever do this again, I swear, may heaven strike me down with five thunderbolts, may I die a miserable death?
No one had paid much attention when Scarface collapsed, but when the deputy hall master fell from his horse, it immediately drew the attention of those sycophants who were always eager to curry favor. Several men jumped down from their horses at once, scrambling to help the deputy hall master up. Before they could even express their loyalty, there was a series of “thud, thud” sounds as more people toppled from their horses. Someone with sharp eyes spotted the small sword darting through the crowd and shouted: “Watch out for hidden weapons!”
The rest quickly drew their swords and stood on guard. At this moment, someone finally realized the deputy hall master was dead, blood pouring from his throat. “Ah? A flying sword, a legendary flying sword! The deputy hall master actually summoned a legendary flying sword!”
Before the words had even faded, another man was killed, falling from his horse with a dull thud.
The rest dared not stay a moment longer. What a joke! Though the Immortal Dao had been lost for millennia, its legends had never faded. A flying sword was the dream of every martial artist, a supernatural power coveted by all. Now, seeing it appear as their own death sentence, how could they not be terrified? These normally well-trained men scattered like startled birds and beasts, fleeing in all directions.
There had been about twenty of these evildoers to begin with. Some had already died in the fight with the caravan guards, and the little sword had just killed several more. Now, only a dozen or so remained, all desperately spurring their horses, fleeing blindly in every direction.
In an instant, the entire scene was left with only a few masterless horses, corpses strewn across the ground, and two young girls standing there, wide-eyed, unable to believe what they had just seen.
A flying sword! It was a flying sword! The very same flying sword that the villain who tried to trick her had sworn by!
Though her martial arts were weak and she couldn’t see clearly, from the moment the thug who tried to assault her fell to the ground, to the villains dropping from their horses one by one, never to rise again, to the panicked shouts and chaotic retreat, how could she not know? This truly was a flying sword.
Though Miss Nie’s wrists ached terribly, she forced herself to clasp her hands together and give thanks to the heavens.
Little Orange, seeing the villains scatter, stopped trembling and her face regained its color. She scolded Miss Nie: “Miss, why are you thanking the heavens? You should be thanking our immortal benefactor instead! Save your thanks to the heavens for when you meet your ideal husband.”
Fortunately, Zhang Xiaohua was far enough away that he couldn’t hear this. Otherwise, he would have fallen out of the tree headfirst in embarrassment.
