Chapter 470: 怪难为情的

Sang Qian was stunned. He had always believed that Zu'an was bullying Zheng Dan and that she was being forced, but what was happening now? It must be some trick that scoundrel Zu'an played to deceive her! Yes, that must be it! Rage value from Sang Qian: 734!

Only Sang Hong, standing nearby, secretly shook his head and sighed, seeing through the situation.

Zheng Dan's pretty face flushed slightly. She knew that her current actions amounted to completely revealing her true feelings, but years of upbringing made her feel embarrassed in front of so many people. So she stated directly, "As the saying goes, 'a kindness received must be repaid.' He saved me before, and I can't just stand by and do nothing."

Although she knew this reason was a bit far-fetched, she still told herself it was true, offering an explanation to her fiancé's family.

As she spoke, the water arrow she had conjured reached Ding Run. Ding Run snorted, raised his hand, and crushed the incoming water arrow into tiny droplets.

Clearly, given the disparity in their cultivation levels, Zheng Dan's attack couldn't break through his defense.

At the same time, Ding Run vibrated his palm, sending countless water droplets flying back towards Zheng Dan.

Although Zheng Dan did her best to dodge and defend, she was still hit. She coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed weakly to the ground.

Ding Run then flicked his wrist again, and a leaf slowly drifting in mid-air instantly transformed into a green arrow, shooting towards Zheng Dan. Its speed was such that the injured Zheng Dan couldn't possibly dodge it.

A whistling sound from the leaf cutting through the air could be heard from a distance, indicating its immense power. If Zheng Dan were hit, she would surely perish.

Clearly, Ding Run realized he had wasted too much time here and had lost patience, intending to end the fight quickly.

From a distance, Sang Qian's face showed hesitation. To be honest, his fiancée was incredibly beautiful, gentle, and possessed the elegance and classical beauty of a noble lady. He hadn't yet enjoyed the benefits of having such a beautiful wife, so he naturally couldn't bear for her to come to harm.

In any other situation, he wouldn't mind playing the hero and rescuing the damsel, perhaps even earning her favor. But the thought of Ding Run's power made him shiver; the gap between them was too vast, and he was no match.

The premise of rescuing a damsel in distress was to show off, not to commit suicide!

Staying alive was the most important thing. Once he saved his own life, wouldn't he be able to find another elegant and beautiful wife in the future?

So, after only a brief hesitation, he immediately picked up Sang Hong and fled.

Witnessing her fiancé's reaction, Zheng Dan's expression remained calm. She didn't resent him; instead, she felt a sense of relief. She knew she had somewhat wronged the Sang family, and Sang Qian's choice actually freed her.

Just then, her vision blurred as a figure suddenly appeared in front of her, embracing her directly and shielding her from the fatal attack with his back.

Feeling the warm embrace and familiar scent, Zheng Dan's face turned pale with shock. She quickly hugged him and cried, "Ah Zu!"

Zu'an coughed up a mouthful of blood and immediately looked weak and listless. Clearly, taking that blow directly had gravely wounded him.

If not for the two temperings from the Primordial Chaos Sutra, which had made his body incredibly tough, he would have likely died from so many severe injuries.

Even so, he was on the verge of collapse, his energy depleted. He managed to force out a faint smile, saying, "Our outfits match so well; it's as if we're destined to be a pair of mandarin ducks who share the same fate."

Ding Run, meanwhile, looked at the three people frantically fleeing in the distance. He snorted, "Trying to run? Do you think you can escape?"

Since Zu'an and Zheng Dan were already dealt with, he decided to handle the others first, to prevent them from disappearing from sight and having to waste days searching for them later.

His elemental ability was lightning, and speed was his forte. His figure transformed into a series of afterimages, and in just a few breaths, he caught up and blocked Sang Qian's path.

Sang Qian was greatly alarmed. He quickly drew the knife his sister had just given him and swung it.

No matter what, he was a well-known strong cultivator in Moonbright City, and at a moment of life and death, he was naturally unwilling to surrender.

A yellow flame ignited on his blade. Facing death, he held nothing back, practically burning his full potential, unleashing 120% of his usual strength with that single strike.

Ding Run snorted, "Playing with a blade in front of me?"

As he spoke, a cold glint flashed. He directly severed Sang Qian's blade from the side, and the fierce flames on Sang Qian's knife instantly flickered out.

Ding Run's blade continued without pause, effortlessly slicing towards Sang Qian's neck. The movement was seamless, and because Sang Qian's full-power attack had been interrupted, his internal energy was in turmoil, leaving him no time to react.

He had done this countless times over the years; now, he was just adding another number to his tally of spoils.

The opponent's emotionless gaze and the intense murderous aura in that instant made Sang Qian unable to breathe. At that moment, he felt completely cold, with only one thought: "I'm finished!"

Just then, Sang Hong, who had been semi-conscious on his back, suddenly opened his eyes and launched a punch towards Ding Run. This punch, in both speed and power, was almost indistinguishable from his peak. Clearly, he had been feigning weakness from the start, waiting for this very opportunity.

To Sang Hong's surprise, Ding Run grinned, "I've been waiting for you!"

Earlier, his sister's act of feeding him healing pills hadn't escaped Ding Run's notice. As a top assassin renowned for many years, his fame came not just from his terrifying cultivation but even more so from his meticulous caution.

In the assassin profession, no matter how high your cultivation, if you aren't cautious, you'll eventually fall into a trap.

Therefore, when he saw Sang Hong become even more listless after supposedly taking healing pills, he immediately realized it was a ploy. He then decided to play along, luring the other party into making a move.

After all, Sang Hong was also an eighth-rank expert. If he had recovered some of his strength, dealing with him would be quite troublesome. However, if one was good at seizing the initiative, the shock of turning the hunter into the hunted in that instant would be enough to finish off the opponent in the shortest possible time.

Sang Hong's heart sank. He immediately realized he had fallen into the opponent's trap, but this was already his full-power strike. Given his current physical condition, he absolutely couldn't unleash a second attack like this.

Therefore, even though he knew he had fallen into the trap, he couldn't change course. He could only brace himself and strike, hoping to wound the opponent before he died, giving his son and daughter a better chance to escape.

However, he was quickly disappointed. His judgment told him that when the opponent's blade sliced across his neck, his own fist would still be three inches away from the opponent's body.

Normally, with his cultivation, three inches, or even three feet, would be nothing. But now, these three inches seemed like an insurmountable chasm.

A malicious grin flashed across Ding Run's face. He had already seen the panic and despair in his opponent's eyes. As an assassin, this moment was the most satisfying, especially when the target was an expert of the same level.

That feeling was more exhilarating than playing with popular courtesans in a brothel.

Just then, a roguish voice suddenly came from the side: "What are you looking at?"

An uncontrollable impulse surged within Ding Run. Instinctively, he glared back and retorted, "What about it?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, he inwardly cursed!

In a contest between experts, victory or defeat hinges on the slightest margin.

The moment he was distracted, the blade in his hand slowed down by a fraction.

But Sang Hong's fist didn't slow down; it landed directly on Ding Run's chest.

Ding Run staggered back, coughing up a mouthful of blood. This was his first injury today, and he hadn't expected it to be so severe.

The power of an eighth-rank expert's long-prepared strike was immense. If not for Ding Run's profound strength, that single blow would have likely sent him straight to the underworld.

Sang Hong was also in pain. Although the opponent's blade had been slowed by the distraction and didn't cut his neck, it still left a long wound on his shoulder, almost shattering his collarbone. If that had happened, he would have been crippled for life, even if he survived.

At this moment, both men, as if by prior agreement, looked towards Zu'an.

Zu'an gave a shy smile, and while holding Zheng Dan, he said, "Don't look at me like that; it's quite embarrassing."