Chapter 62: Exit Without Playing

The surroundings were silent, save for the drip of water from the eaves and the flow in the ditch.

Shi Chun drew his blade, and blood spurted forth.

This action instantly ignited the scene, which erupted as if an explosion had occurred.

"How dare you!"

"Senior Brother!"

"Senior Brother Wei!"

Gasps and shouts of alarm filled the air, accompanied by the flashing of figures.

Some rushed to save the fallen, while others launched a palm strike at Shi Chun from a distance. Shi Chun swiftly tried to evade, but it was difficult; the assailant's strength far surpassed his.

Surrounded by Wukang Mountain disciples on all sides, he had nowhere to evade. It truly was a chaotic melee of punches and kicks.

"Stop!" Xia Fuli's enraged roar reverberated through the air.

With a flick of his sleeve, he not only neutralized the attack on Shi Chun but also sent almost everyone sprawling. Moving like a phantom, he cradled Wei Bian with one hand while seizing Shi Chun's head with the other, forcing him to his knees at his feet, in a position where he could easily end his life.

The blade in Shi Chun's hand uncontrollably plunged into the thick stone slab. His hand was too weak to pull out the blade, and he couldn't release the hilt.

One person's decisive action instantly silenced and awed everyone present.

Bian Weiying had clearly been treated with deference, remaining unharmed at the scene. Her cold gaze fixated on Shi Chun, who was forced to his knees, and the killing intent in her eyes was undisguised.

Her capable and trusted subordinate had been assassinated right under her nose. Even the most composed person would struggle to contain their temper, let alone her, who already wished Shi Chun dead.

The other people who had been knocked down now stumbled back to their feet.

"Spring!" Wu Jinliang, who had scrambled to his feet, cried out in alarm, about to rush forward.

"Hm?" Xia Fuli suddenly turned and glared. An invisible force instantly flattened Wu Jinliang to the ground, pinning him motionless.

After witnessing this, who would dare to act rashly?

"Spring, what are you doing..." Wu Jinliang cried out from the ground, but before he could finish, he saw Shi Chun winking at him. He immediately paused, then quickly calmed down, pondering with a mixture of surprise and uncertainty.

Wei Bian's mouth and nose were bleeding. His entire body convulsed, unable to utter a single word, and his face quickly turned ashen. He struggled to turn his head, his gaze shifting from Shi Chun to Bian Weiying's face. He gurgled, trying to speak, but only gushes of blood emerged instead, clearly in immense pain.

Bian Weiying met his gaze, but her frosty face showed no response.

Xia Fuli's expression was also grim. As soon as he took hold of Wei Bian, he immediately performed a diagnostic spell. He discovered it was indeed a fatal blow; the heart had been directly pierced by a blade. How could he possibly be saved?

With a push of his hand, Wei Bian floated towards his fellow disciples. Several of them frantically caught him, attempting futile resuscitation.

Xia Fuli lifted his hand, directly gripping Shi Chun's hair and yanking him forcefully to his feet. Staring at him, he asked fiercely, "Why did you kill him? Are you looking for death?"

The gnashing hatred in his words was palpable.

From the rooftop, Feng Chi also wondered why Shi Chun had acted this way, yet showed no intention of intervening to save him.

Everyone present wanted to know.

Shi Chun was not in a hurry to answer Xia Fuli. He had dared to make this move precisely because of Xia Fuli's presence, which now further confirmed his assessment of Xia Fuli's identity.

Ignoring Xia Fuli, he slightly turned his head to look at Bian Weiying. "City Lord Bian," he asked, "why do you think I killed him?"

Bian Weiying's eyes flickered slightly, but she offered no response.

Shi Chun continued, "I heard someone call him Senior Brother Wei. So, his surname is Wei, correct?"

At these words, some instantly bristled with fury. *You killed him without even knowing who he was?*

Then they heard Shi Chun ask, "City Lord Bian, can the body of that previous assassin still be found? I presume Mr. Wei has already made it disappear, haven't you?"

Xia Fuli paused slightly, slowly turning his head to stare at Bian Weiying.

Yet, Bian Weiying still maintained a frosty expression.

Shi Chun continued, "Before the assassin made his move, a carriage passed by us. A hand reached out from behind its window curtains and cast two immobilization talismans, pinning us down. That hand had a scar on the web between the thumb and forefinger. Failing to kill me once, then seeing me again and harboring murderous intent again—when will this endless cycle stop? I think it's best for this matter to end here. With the person dead, there's no witness, and the investigation will halt. City Lord Bian, what do you say?"

At these words, everyone's gaze immediately fixed on Wei Bian's hand to check for the scar on the web between his thumb and forefinger. Some saw it, others couldn't due to their angle.

Wei Bian had already stopped breathing, his vacant eyes staring blankly. He had died quickly.

On the rooftop, Feng Chi showed a look of surprise and doubt, staring intently at Bian Weiying.

Everyone's gaze then gradually turned to Bian Weiying. They weren't foolish; they all understood who Shi Chun was implicating.

In fact, this was no longer an insinuation; it was an open and public accusation.

In truth, Shi Chun himself hadn't wanted to escalate things to this point. No one would willingly choose this path, and he wasn't a lunatic; he had truly been forced into it.

Regardless of what others thought, Shi Chun, immersed in the situation, genuinely felt the danger. The previous assassination was truly an attempt on his life, with absolutely no intention of holding back. If he hadn't, by chance, learned how to counter immobilization talismans in Dongjiuyuan, he would be dead by now.

After realizing Bian Weiying was the mastermind, he had already decided to back down.

Although he didn't know why Bian Weiying wanted him dead, he realized he had come to the wrong place, miscalculated, and couldn't continue. This was no game for someone of his caliber.

Who was Bian Weiying? She was the City Lord of Linkang City, the daughter of the Wukang Mountain Sect Leader. For such a person to want you dead, and you still intend to remain in her territory? How foolish would one have to be? Who did he think he was?

He was not that arrogant.

Yet, the methods for refining immobilization talismans and the cultivation effects of demonic energy were simply too great a temptation. He was unwilling to give up easily, still clinging to a sliver of hope that he could continue to maneuver.

It was only with Xia Fuli's appearance that his resolve to leave was solidified.

The path to demonic cultivation wouldn't be cut off, and acquiring the immobilization talisman refining methods didn't necessarily require entering Wukang Mountain. This Elder Xia likely knew how to refine them. So, with other choices available, why risk entering Wukang Mountain?

He truly couldn't afford to play this game. Therefore, he made a decisive choice: "I'm out! I'm not playing anymore!"

As for assassinating Wei Bian, he hadn't initially intended for things to be so drastic. It was Wei Bian's blatant killing intent that made him realize he wouldn't necessarily be safe even if he obediently went with them. The opponent's murderous intent also reawakened his resentment from nearly losing his life to the immobilization talisman previously.

He decided it was time for revenge; he wouldn't tolerate it any longer. He was leaving anyway.

He had no confidence at all in assassinating a high-level martial cultivator, as he had never done it before.

It was merely about finding an opportunity to deliver a single stab. Success would be ideal, but failure wouldn't bother him; it was just an excuse to force the issue into the open.

In any case, Xia Fuli was there for him and certainly wouldn't let him die.

If things escalated, the demonic cultivators would have to extract him. Since he was now in Xia Fuli's hands, it wouldn't be difficult for them to retrieve him, providing a perfect opportunity for his exit.

By creating a fierce antagonism with Bian Weiying, he could ensure that once captured, he wouldn't be under her control.

In any case, he had initiated the action only after careful planning. Otherwise, with his cultivation, how would he dare to act amidst a crowd of Wukang Mountain disciples?

Yet, what outsiders witnessed was sheer madness.

Only Bian Weiying was an exception. Her bright eyes fixed on Shi Chun's words and actions. At first, she too thought he was truly insane, but upon seeing him subtly reveal things, she wondered what part of that was madness.

Soaked to the bone, she suddenly broke into a smile and walked step by step towards Shi Chun.

Xia Fuli immediately showed vigilance and sternly rebuked, "Weiying, don't be provoked by him. The sect will investigate this thoroughly!"

He extended a palm as if to stop her, signaling her not to approach and not to act rashly on her own.

Many people's hearts tightened, including Wu Jinliang, all worried if Bian Weiying would act recklessly.

Shi Chun wasn't worried at all. After confirming Xia Fuli's identity, he knew that the person was here for him and, within their capabilities, wouldn't allow anything to happen to him.

So he remained calm and composed, also smiling as he watched the approaching woman, a hint of mockery and provocation even playing on his lips.

In the end, she didn't dare, or perhaps couldn't, act recklessly in front of Xia Fuli. Bian Weiying stopped, her gaze at Shi Chun deeply meaningful. Her smile grew more intense, gradually turning into a loud laugh.

"Hahahahaha..."

It was unclear what was so amusing, but she suddenly burst into extreme laughter, doubling over and yet sounding so solitary. Throughout the rainy night, apart from her clear laughter, there seemed to be no other human sound, no matter how many people were around.

Everyone watched her laugh, as the dripping water and flowing stream provided the only accompaniment.

No one knew what she was laughing about, and neither did Shi Chun.

After a good while, Bian Weiying, who had nearly laughed herself to tears, finally managed to calm her breathing. With a nonchalant wave of her hand, she declared, "Alright, I'll recuse myself. The Elder can handle this!"

She waved her hand towards her own people. "Let's go!"

Her tone was relaxed, and her whole demeanor seemed to lighten and become pleasant. As she turned, she even playfully winked at Shi Chun, a hint of alluring understanding in her expression, as if saying, "I understand you," and "Let's see about this later."

This left Shi Chun bewildered and strangely uneasy. He felt as if he had encountered a female lunatic. Why did she have to make trouble for him? Had he provoked her?

The group withdrew with a rustle, Wei Bian's body carried away. Bian Weiying entered her carriage, which then turned around and departed.

The fate of Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang was predictable: they were naturally taken away for questioning.

Before being escorted away, Shi Chun's gaze found his short blade embedded in the stone slab. He called out, "Shopkeeper, please keep my blade safe."

That short blade was his meritorious companion, having been with him to this day and repeatedly proving its worth in battle.

Wu Jinliang, as expected, added, "And my blade too."

"Ah? Oh!" The shopkeeper bowed slightly, acknowledging the request.

He then looked back at the overturned roof, his expression troubled. He couldn't demand compensation from Xia Fuli; it depended on whether the man would offer it himself. With the rain, it wouldn't do if the roof wasn't fixed quickly.

Of course, he was more likely using the opportunity to glance at Feng Chi on the rooftop.

Feng Chi gave no indication, only secretly gritting his teeth and muttering softly, "This kid is absolutely crazy, truly fearless of death. It's far too dangerous to let Miss work with such a madman."

The gaunt man in green asked, "Can he still remain in Wukang Mountain?"

Feng Chi replied, "How can he stay? Regardless of the reason, publicly killing a Wukang Mountain disciple is an undeniable fact. No one can speak for him. Moreover, this Wei Bian was Yin Huixin's direct disciple. To keep such a person in Wukang Mountain to pursue Miss would be utterly disgraceful and impossible to justify to all the disciples of Wukang Mountain! Our well-laid plan has been ruined by him again. Miss can only proceed with the original plan and remain here. As for him, there's no way he can stay; if he does, it will only be his corpse. Regardless of the reason, right and wrong no longer matter. Wukang Mountain will certainly execute him to give an account to its disciples. Yet, not rescuing him isn't an option. Fortunately, he messed things up himself; pulling him out and letting him go will be less trouble."

The spectators gradually dispersed, including the scruffy old man.