Chapter 26: Night Falls Before Dusk

The hand gripping Lu Jiajia's neck released its hold. She fell to her knees, clutching her throat, gasping for air. Her eyes fixed on the headless corpse, unable to tell if it was real or a hallucination.

The body was headless, and the old fox's spiritual essence was also affected. He had no choice but to emerge from his shell once more. As he left, a sharp claw, burning like ash and flame, reached out and casually grasped the broken blade that had fallen.

The sword-wielding figure arrived in an instant, and their blade and sword clashed again.

The clinking sounds were as rapid as a woman's fingers rapidly plucking a pipa.

Stabs, parries, slashes—each strike was an action of extreme simplicity, without any flourish, as clean and swift as lightning, just like the beheading strike.

Lu Jiajia struggled to turn her head, gazing at the figure that had charged like lightning. She was stunned.

She had never seen such a fast sword. The spiritual energy fluctuations with each strike were incredibly faint; he had concealed his energy to the extreme, wasting not a single bit. What he gained in return was the purest speed from the swordsman!

It wasn't the speed of random hacking; every thrust, every slash, every turn of the sword followed the simplest and fastest path, impeccable in every way.

Its very simplicity made it beautiful.

"Hurry, go!"

The person suddenly shouted, and the voice sounded somewhat familiar.

Lu Jiajia didn't have time to distinguish it. She couldn't recall knowing such a master.

But she knew that in her current state, staying would only be a burden.

Without hesitation, she struggled to her feet and, dragging her heavily injured body, ran towards the palace.

As she left, she cast one last glance at the retreating figure.

In the wind and rain, his green robes billowed, filled with the cold wind, and the sound of the sword was like ten thousand bells ringing simultaneously.

The clash of blade and sword was the most beautiful music in the world.

For that melody was played on the strings of life and death, each collision an exquisite horror and beauty in the space between living and dying.

The old fox intensely disliked this sound at the moment. He wanted to deliver a single strike to make the irritating noise cease abruptly.

Yet, he couldn't.

His blade was being forcefully suppressed by the opponent's sword.

Mobilizing spiritual energy or casting spells required a certain, extremely brief amount of time, but the opponent's impenetrable swordplay forcefully suppressed his spiritual energy deployment.

He could feel that the opponent's cultivation level was far inferior to his own.

Yet, he was forced to engage him solely in blade combat.

Both their blades and swords were too fast; there was no thought involved, all strikes were instincts unleashed in a flash.

After hastily parrying, the old fox forcibly stopped his retreating movement.

The two stood facing each other, enveloped in swirling light and shadow. Their movements were minimal, without any grand flourishes, because even a single superfluous motion would allow the opponent to exploit an opening.

The air between them was shattered by their blades and swords, erupting in bright sparks of sword-fire—bouquets of fireworks that were born suddenly and extinguished in an instant, blossoming magnificently in the dance of their weapons only to vanish into oblivion.

The old fox knew well that both of them were relying on a single breath; whoever ran out of that breath first would lose.

He was confident that his cultivation was higher, and thus, his "breath" would naturally be longer-lasting.

Yet, the other person continued to slash relentlessly, making the sword vibrate like the rapidly beating wings of a dragonfly.

It was pure speed.

Just as the opponent's breath was finally at its last gasp...

The broken blade, unable to bear the strain, shattered again.

This blade had already broken once before; now, shattered again, it was useless for hacking. This was a pure material suppression.

The sword finally pierced through the blade-wind and cut in. At that moment, the sword's body suddenly glowed red, as if all the spiritual energy accumulated beforehand had been waiting for this very moment.

Along the groove on the sword's central axis, it turned a vivid red, as if blood were being poured into it.

It wasn't real blood, but the rising flames of the sword.

The long sword vibrated with a simultaneous hum, like a snapped string, like tearing silk, like a cuckoo crying blood.

That was the sword's fury.

The old fox's heart trembled violently. He didn't understand why this person, who had only just grasped the sword, could cause its spirit to hum. He had no time to ponder further. No longer holding back, he made a hand seal, and a brighter demonic fire simultaneously enveloped his body. A strong wind surged from his bones, and his figure vanished from his spot in an instant.

When he reappeared, his body, still wreathed in demonic fire, was several zhang away.

But he still couldn't evade the sword.

On his body, formed of condensed flames, a clear sword mark, neither long nor short, remained distinct and did not heal for a long time.

In fact, if he had been willing to retreat, he could have long since used movement techniques to escape and then gather strength for a counterattack.

He simply wouldn't believe it. He didn't believe that the opponent's displayed cultivation level, though seemingly low, could truly make his sword faster than his own.

The clang of colliding blades and swords still echoed fantastically in his ears. The old fox gradually calmed down, then discovered something even more infuriating: the young-looking person before him was from Zhao.

"Who are you?" the old fox asked coldly in return.

The youth also seemed exhausted, his face somewhat pale. Hearing the old fox's question, he instinctively frowned and asked, "You don't know?"

The old fox felt bewildered as well. "How could I possibly know you?"

The youth suddenly smiled.

The old fox didn't understand why he was so happy. "You let that woman escape. Do you really think I wouldn't dare to kill you?"

The youth in green robes said, "Your other spiritual essence is outside the palace. It seems you're also wary of something; you need to constantly watch Zhao Xiang'er."

The old fox was inwardly horrified. The spiritual essence outside the palace was indeed keeping an eye on Zhao Xiang'er. Of course, he couldn't see directly through the palace's grand formation, but he could sense the spiritual energy emanating from the Vermilion Bird Fire Staff. Based on that, he could pinpoint Zhao Xiang'er's location within the palace.

He was guarding against a certain 'what if'.

But how did this youth know? Was it just a guess, or...?

The old fox's expression remained unchanged. "So what?"

The youth in green robes said, "If I'm not mistaken, Zhao Xiang'er is also waiting for you to kill someone. As soon as you kill a person from Zhao, she'll take advantage of the backlash to act immediately. I'm just an insignificant person; killing me isn't worth it."

"Insignificant... Heh." The old fox grew even more curious. "What else do you know?"

The youth in green robes said, "Isn't this enough?"

Murderous intent was barely concealed in the old fox's eyes. "Who exactly are you?"

The youth calculated that the time was about right. He directly threw the sword to the ground and made a gesture of surrender. "Great immortal, spare my life. Allow me to introduce myself: my name is Ning Changjiu."

The youth in green robes was indeed Ning Changjiu.

"Ning Changjiu? You are Ning Changjiu?" The old fox's spiritual essence trembled, and an unusual expression appeared on his face.

Ning Changjiu nodded and said, "Does the great immortal know me?"

The old fox did not answer. Instead, sharp claws extended from the ball of fire, and the murderous intent in his eyes intensified. "I won't kill you now, but I never said I'd let you go."

Ning Changjiu said innocently, "I've already thrown my sword away. Isn't it a bit unfair for you to attack a junior? Or, should I pick up my sword first?"

With that, he actually bent down to pick up the sword.

Before he could touch the hilt, the old fox's claw struck. The old fox had made up his mind to sever the youth's sword-wielding right hand, even if it meant enduring a backlash.

Their figures intertwined.

With a tearing sound, three deep claw marks were left on the bluestone bricks of the ground.

The sword lay on the ground, and Ning Changjiu's figure had vanished into thin air.

In the puddles on the ground, a new, blue talisman lay soaked.

That new talisman, placed on the sword, had leveraged the immortal sword's aura on the ground to forcefully amplify its own insufficient power, allowing him to escape instantly.

The old fox picked up the talisman, his expression surprised. "A Daoist body-shifting talisman? Who... who exactly is he?"

Outside the detached courtyard, Ning Changjiu stepped over the ruined gate and patted his chest, smiling with lingering fear. "Master Ning Qinshui, your lifetime of cultivation has left you with too thin a foundation. Your disciple just used up half of it. If I encounter something like this again, I'll have to come see you."

As he spoke, he returned to the house and called Ning Xiaoling's name several times.

There was no response.

Ning Changjiu sighed, muttering to himself, "Didn't I tell you not to run around?"

He took off the soaked green Daoist robe and changed into a snow-white right-lapped robe with light-colored piping embroidered with plum blossoms on the lapels, making the youth's features appear even colder and clearer.

Outside, the hourly chime rang out again.

It was You shi (5-7 PM); the sun had set, and night was approaching.

"What a hassle," Ning Changjiu grumbled.

Lu Jiajia finally reached the city wall. She sensed the blue-and-white palanquin. With a thought, the palanquin flew out from a temple beside the main hall, crossed over the city wall, and came to retrieve her.

The old fox's figure appeared behind her. She noticed him and glanced back.

Before she could panic, she heard the sound of a bell.

The old fox sighed, "What a bother."

He then let go of the woman who was so close, and his spiritual essence swept towards the palace gate to rendezvous with the other two.

Only then did Lu Jiajia realize that Zhao Xiang'er had made a move, and this spiritual essence, not daring to take risks, was forced to return to its original place.

This time, it came and went quickly. She didn't even have time to feel the joy of surviving a disaster. At that moment, she only wanted to slip into the blue-and-white palanquin and recuperate her body and soul.

"I wonder how that benefactor swordsman is doing..." Lu Jiajia leaned against the city wall, closed her eyes, and recalled the sharp glint of the sword, her emotions complex.

The old fox clearly had no time to kill me, so why did he glance at me? Was he trying to tell me that my benefactor was already...

This thought flashed through her mind, and Lu Jiajia's chest ached. She even felt an urge to run back to that long street.

She shook her head, thinking that since the unseen swordsman could wield such a fast sword, his cultivation should be no less than her own. If the old fox was merely a wisp of spiritual essence, he would certainly not be able to kill him. Moreover, what could she, in her current state, even do?

Despite thinking this, worry still gnawed at her heart.

*Plop.*

Suddenly, something fell out.

Lu Jiajia bent down and found a folded note. She picked it up, then suddenly remembered that it was the prescription given to her by the youth named Ning Changjiu.

Remembering this youth, she couldn't help but recall certain things, and her mood became even more complex.

"This youth is strange too," Lu Jiajia muttered to herself as she unfolded the note. "Doesn't he know that ordinary herbs are almost useless for cultivators?"

The blue-and-white palanquin had already flown over the city wall. The grand formation seemed to implicitly allow it, offering no resistance.

Lu Jiajia's gaze traced down the prescription; indeed, every ingredient listed was a common herb, with nothing special about them.

Suddenly, her eyes paused.

A line of text in the middle seemed particularly glaring. The characters... seemed to be upside down?

She turned the paper upside down and, holding it against the light, quietly read it aloud. Then, her pupils constricted instantly, and her spine straightened. On the paper, clearly written, was...

"BE——WARE——OF——NING——XIAOLING!"

She couldn't tell if it was a prank or something else, but the moment she read it aloud, the hairs on her body stood on end, and an inexplicable surge of dread welled up within her. At that very moment, a voice suddenly sounded from behind her, making her blood run cold instantly.

"Sister Lu, so you're here! My senior brother went off somewhere, and I couldn't find him after looking around the city for a while. I never expected to run into you, Sister Lu... Oh, how wonderful! Is this the blue-and-white palanquin you mentioned, Sister Lu? It's so pretty."

Lu Jiajia felt her body growing increasingly rigid. She turned around and met Ning Xiaoling's innocent smile.