Why do I have so many masters?

Chapter 129 This Intent Is Hard to Quell (2/2)

Fufeng County City, North City.

Various announcements were posted outside the city walls for the public to see. Standing apart from the crowd, Xia Changqing led his horse and carried a zither, seemingly existing in a different world from the bystanders. He looked at the newly posted notices without any change in expression. After observing them for a few moments and just as he was about to turn and leave, he suddenly heard a commotion near the city gate.

He didn't intervene but had only walked about a dozen steps away when he suddenly heard a soldier loudly reading behind him:

"Wanted!"

"Last night, General Yu Wenze went to The Number One Manor in the World and then proceeded to Danfeng Valley with an order executor to issue the Manor Master's Order, hoping to resolve the murder case within the city. It was found that Danfeng Valley had already been deserted for several months, leading to the conclusion that they had fled due to guilt, and an arrest warrant was issued."

"Anyone who discovers the whereabouts of the criminal Xia Changqing may…"

Xia Changqing closed his eyes and did not listen further. His face didn't show even a hint of the hatred that comes with betrayal. He regarded others as pawns in the game, but he too was just an insignificant piece within the grand scheme of this world.

On the stage of this world, the roles of pawn and player are constantly changing, never ceasing.

The world bustles with people seeking profit, and they hurry about for the very same reason.

Pawns that lose their value can be abandoned at any time.

Even the publicly known identity and residence of Danfeng Valley were merely a choice based on interest. Having that identity and residence was indeed nice, but there were always things that required casting them aside for convenience.

They, at their core, were not a mere Sect but assassins, killers, members of a Suicide Squad.

No matter how the world changes, assassins and killers will always exist.

And there will always be a fitting place for them to continue their existence.

However, at this moment, he no longer belonged to Danfeng Valley. He had already prepared an escape route for himself. Although this plan hadn't been fully successful, being able to retreat with his life and freed from the ties of Qingya Cliff was a precious outcome on the tumultuous paths of Jianghu.

With this thought, the regret in his heart slightly diminished. Currently severely wounded and unwilling to reveal his movement technique, he had no choice but to ride his horse. He mounted, lightly nudged the horse's flank with his right foot, and the stallion neighed loudly, galloping away along the official road.

He had traveled Jianghu when he was younger, and his equestrian skills were quite good. His body moved in sync with the horse's gait, but as there was movement, the odd, broken sword inside the zither case inevitably collided with the case, making strange noises.

But since he wasn't channeling his martial power, the weapon's charm was not on display and had no bewitching effect on people. Instead, it sounded ordinary, blending with the autumn wind and subsequently shattered by the rhythmic thudding of the horse's hooves.

"Go!"

Man and horse gradually faded into the distance.

At that moment, in front of the announcement, a young boy wearing a blue gown showed a slight change in expression.

Wang Anfeng frowned slightly.

Just a moment ago, the Buddhism inner strength within him suddenly halted, then abruptly accelerated, as if a strong man had shouted in anger. Such a change puzzled him. Upon calming his mind, he perceived a strange sound that made him feel uncomfortable. Instinctively, he turned around and saw a strong horse galloping towards the horizon.

His Pupil Skill had been cultivated for a long time. Just by seeing that figure, the image of a man in grey surfaced in his mind. He recalled the wildly arrogant Xia Changqing, remembered the horrific scene at the Mi Family clan residence, his pupils shrank, and an uncontrollable killing intent seethed within him.

Even though the other party had changed clothes, and his formerly severed arm had regrown in an unexplained way, the uncomfortable sensation he felt was the same as before, if not stronger, instinctively reminding him of the odd broken sword in the other's hand.

Yesterday, when Xia Changqing had thrust the sword tip into the ground, he felt the same sensation in his chest.

Feeling heavy-hearted, he intended to inform the soldiers, but upon turning back, he saw only ordinary warriors, and even though the military leader of the city was strong, according to regulations, even if a major incident occurred, they could not leave their posts, especially for a mere arrest case.

Besides, earning their trust would be difficult, and at most, it might trigger an investigation. However, by the time orders were given and people arrived, Xia Changqing would probably have disappeared without trace.

Turning back again and gazing into the distance, he saw the shadow of the man and horse vanishing at great speed. Wang Anfeng bit his lip, no longer hesitating, his Golden Bell Shield inner strength circulated, and he employed his movement technique, chasing after him.

He still remembered from yesterday that Xia Changqing, having forcefully taken Yu Wenze's attack, was left with a severed arm, coughing blood, and his vitality drained. As Zhu Jian'an said, only one-tenth of his strength remained, his Military Family's killing intent turned inward, unable to connect with Heaven and Earth.

The Military Family of Great Qin keeps their word.

Yu Wenze had said that his crimes did not warrant death, so the result of that strike was that he did not die.

Just one step away from death.

A night had passed, and he did not know whether the other man had recovered, or how strong he might still be, but at that moment, he could only gamble that Xia Changqing was riding away because he was severely injured and that he could not easily use his inner strength.

But even if it was dangerous, he could not let him get away.

Wang Anfeng clenched his teeth and pushed his movement technique to its limits.

He had the experience of being pursued by martial artists stronger than himself, so he knew all too well how difficult, really difficult, it was to catch a martial artist who had reached the Fourth Rank and genuinely wanted to escape in this vast world. And if Xia Changqing decided to completely abandon his identity in Jianghu and flee beyond the borders of Qin, what then?

If that were to happen,

wouldn't those people have died in vain?

Anfeng's suffering wasn't in vain, was it?

This was indeed a risk, but it was by no means impossible. For some reason, the youth recalled what Zhu Jian'an had said yesterday. He thought back to the trembling deputy chief arrestor kneeling beside the victimized children, and to Mi Xingfa, who had seemed like a man possessed.

He remembered that answer.

"Even at such a cost?"

"...Even so."

He had always been cautious in his actions, never wishing to be aggressively forward, but at this moment only fierce determination remained, with a sharpness that showed through his expression, almost unlike Wang Anfeng and more like a sword that could compete with the world.

This sword was finally unsheathed.

Some things could be conceded, a step back could lead to boundless vistas.

That's why he could still laugh and feast together with Murong Tong after drawing swords against him.

That's why he never wished to contend for victory or embarrass others in a fight.

But some things cannot be conceded, cannot be given up!

To do so would be to fall into an endless abyss, never to return!

If today he let Xia Changqing go because of a slight danger,

what would he let pass another day for the sake of danger?

With no more hesitation in his heart, Wang Anfeng's Thunder Vigor gathered within him. Using the martial arts principle of the Rushing Thunder Step created by Li Qidao, he stimulated the acupuncture points in his legs. As the Thunder Vigor circulated, a subtle electric light flickered in the depths of his originally clear black pupils. Explore more stories with My Virtual Library Empire

Matching the internal with the external, the roar of thunder grew mighty.

In this instant, his legs seemed to be entwined with serpents of lightning.

His speed suddenly increased again.

The Shaolin Vigorous Step Technique could no longer keep up with his speed at the moment, so he simply abandoned its pattern and used its force to step on the positions of the Taoist Nine Palaces Step, causing a drastic increase in inner strength consumption.

Using the maneuvering movement technique in place of light body arts put a tremendous strain on the body, something ordinary people couldn't endure for long, but it so happened that the divine skill Wang Anfeng cultivated was from Buddhism, specializing in body refinement.

Golden Bell Shield, Vigorous Step Technique, Nine Palace Steps, Rushing Thunder Force.

The combination of these four martial arts unexpectedly formed an extremely peculiar kung fu. Without the Golden Bell Shield's body refining capability, without the wondrous Taoist Nine Palaces, without the ultimate foundation of the Vigorous Step Technique, and without the martial arts passed down by Li Qidao, which were specifically tailored for Wang Anfeng, this martial art would have been impossible to exist in this world.

Yet there was such a fate in the world.

With inner strength rushing through his body, Wang Anfeng let out a long cry. His footsteps flew fast as lightning, and in a moment, he saw the lone rider ahead. Xia Changqing also sensed the youth chasing from behind and turned back to see Wang Anfeng, who had thwarted his plan. Shock flashed in his eyes, followed by a cold intent to kill.

There was a slight restraint before, but when he saw that Wang Anfeng had come alone, the coldness in Xia Changqing's eyes intensified. He fiercely clamped his legs around the horse's belly and used a secret technique that merged rider and horse. The steed neighed loudly, reared up, and sharply turned off the main road.

The moment he turned back, Wang Anfeng saw the unfamiliar face, the coldness within the eyes, the slightly mismatched skin on the neck, and the right hand wearing a deerskin glove that showed a wooden texture.

This movement was extremely sudden, and the strange long sword in Xia Changqing's qin case collided, making a clear whistling sound that was exactly the same as what Wang Anfeng had heard the day before: shrill and bone-chilling, like King Yan beating his drum at midnight.

With many clues pieced together, Wang Anfeng no longer had any doubts in his heart.

The peculiar martial art he was using was straightforward and focused only on speed. The subtle variations in his movement were worth nothing; in the blink of an eye, he had already passed by Xia Changqing, still instinctively surging forward, unable to turn around in time.

Wang Anfeng gritted his teeth, raised his right arm, and the long whip that he hadn't used in a long time lashed out like a giant python, coiling around a stone stele by the roadside that marked the distance to Fufeng County City.

The youth continued to rush forward as usual; the chain of the whip tautened sharply, and he felt the pull. With a sudden shout, an intense thunder wound around the whip.

Using the stone stele buried deep in the ground as a pivot, Wang Anfeng leaped into the air, drawing a curve. At the highest point, he released the whip, charged with thunder, and raised his right hand to grip the sword hilt. His eyes widened, staring fixedly at the galloping young man on the horse.

The strange sound grew louder in his ears.

In the ringing of the sword cry, the wooden sword came out of its sheath and slashed straight down. The rider pulled back on the reins, and the qin case on his back leaped up, blocking the young swordsman's blade. The case shattered, revealing a peculiar broken sword that collided with the wooden sword, letting out a resonant clashing sound.

In the midst of the sword cry, Wang Anfeng looked at the man wielding the sword, saw the cold smile at the corner of his mouth, and growled through clenched teeth:

"Xia, Chang, Qing!!"

Thunder Vigor wrapped around his body as the sound of the sword cry soared.

They were evenly matched.

PS: Second update.