Chapter 43: Blood Bat Palace Appears

This display deeply shocked several of the Shadow Guards. It made those who had been considering challenging him abandon the idea.

“No wonder he’s the number one Shadow Guard,” one remarked. “His elusive movements are, at least for me, very difficult to counter.”

“Ye Qingxue’s judgment is truly impressive!”

Listening to their compliments, Xu Yining became even more defiant. Ashamed of her own poor performance, she stared at Jiang Fan’s mask and said, “Dealing with the Blood Bat Palace remnants requires sufficient strength. Assassination techniques might not be very useful here.”

Her words resonated with some of the more experienced Shadow Guards.

Assassination relies on the assassin being hidden while the enemy is exposed, allowing for a concentrated, decisive strike that guarantees a kill. However, the Blood Bat Palace remnants operate in the shadows with unpredictable movements, leaving no opportunities for assassination. Therefore, dealing with the Blood Bat Palace requires raw power and combat prowess.

Jiang Fan glanced at Xu Yining’s mask and couldn’t help but smile. Even through the mask, he could imagine Xu Yining’s stubborn expression. Moreover, with the mask on, he finally didn’t have to write things down and could speak freely.

“Who told you I specialize in assassination?”

Xu Yining scoffed, “We’ll see when the real fight begins!”

The other Shadow Guards showed no surprise, merely seeing it as a verbal sparring match between the two.

However, Ye Qingxue was so shocked her mouth hung open. Jiang Fan could speak? He wasn’t mute? Suddenly, Ye Qingxue was overwhelmed with curiosity about him!

Why did he pretend to be mute? Why did he pretend to be useless? Why did he humble himself by staying in the Xu family?

These questions made her momentarily lost in thought. It wasn’t until Xu Yining impatiently reminded her, “Miss Ye, why have you summoned us?” that she snapped back.

Ye Qingxue then snapped back to reality and clapped her hands with a smile. Several guards then brought over various weapons and low-grade Qi Cultivation Elixirs.

“Here are various types of weapons, all forged from profound iron, making them both hard and sharp,” she announced. “And these are low-grade Qi Cultivation Elixirs; each of you can take ten bottles.”

Upon hearing this, the Shadow Guards’ eyes lit up. While the low-grade Qi Cultivation Elixirs were good, the weapons were top-tier, specially crafted by the City Lord’s Manor. Their quality far surpassed those made by ordinary blacksmiths!

Xu Yining’s heart swelled with joy. The Qi Cultivation Elixirs held little appeal for her, but a good sword was something she desperately needed. The green sword in her hand was of average quality, far inferior to the divine weapons before her.

Her gaze swept over the selection, and she spotted a deep blue profound iron sword. While others were still scrambling for the Qi Cultivation Elixirs, she excitedly ran towards it.

However, just as she took two steps, a strong gust of wind swept past her. Immediately after, the blue longsword she had set her sights on was grasped by the number one Shadow Guard.

“A fine sword!” Jiang Fan said, weighing it in his hand.

Xu Yining retorted angrily, “I saw it first!”

Jiang Fan replied without turning his head, “I also set my sights on all the weapons; does that mean they’re all mine?”

Knowing she was in the wrong, Xu Yining gritted her teeth, unable to speak.

Jiang Fan rummaged through the weapons and found a black sword. It was much heavier, but undoubtedly more suitable for the sweeping, powerful moves of the Seven Star Sword Art. So, he deftly slipped the large black sword into the sheath on his back.

As for the blue longsword in his hand, he tossed it to Xu Yining, saying, “Here, take it.”

But Xu Yining bit her red lip and pushed it away, declaring, “I don’t want it! I don’t want something you don’t want!”

She was in a foul mood. Yesterday, Jiang Fan had ‘bestowed’ something upon her, and today, she was being ‘bestowed’ upon by the number one Shadow Guard. This was outrageous! Why were all the men in Lone Boat City so alike!

Jiang Fan looked speechless, saying, “Dealing with the Blood Bat Palace remnants is very dangerous. The sword you have might not be enough.”

This warning only made Xu Yining more stubborn, and she retorted, “Mind your own business!”

What a mule!

Jiang Fan couldn’t be bothered with her any longer. He picked up the iron sword and began to practice with it, finding it increasingly comfortable to wield. The only pity was that it wasn’t a magical artifact and couldn’t deliver the surprising lightning strike effect like his wooden sword.

Once everyone had chosen their weapons and Qi Cultivation Elixirs, Ye Qingxue began to brief them on the situation with the remnants.

“According to our latest intelligence,” Ye Qingxue began, “although these remnants escaped the Qingyun Sect’s encirclement, they fled in haste and lack various resources. Therefore, they have likely infiltrated Lone Boat City, intending to seize resources.”

Hearing this, everyone instantly became alert. The Blood Bat Palace remnants had infiltrated Lone Boat City?

Ye Qingxue continued, “No need to panic. Only their guardians and members should have infiltrated. Their branch master should not be bold enough to risk coming here.”

Only then did everyone breathe a sigh of relief. They stood a chance against a guardian at the ninth level of Qi Cultivation. But if they encountered the branch master, who was at the second level of Foundation Establishment, they would be walking straight into a tiger’s den.

After briefly analyzing the latest intelligence, Ye Qingxue dismissed them, saying, “Just pay attention to the city’s alarms…”

No sooner had she finished speaking than, in the southern part of the city, a signal flare, accompanied by a sharp whistle, shot into the sky and exploded, releasing a large amount of dark red smoke that lingered above.

Ye Qingxue froze. The Shadow Guards were also stunned. For a moment, they all wondered if it was a coincidence. The Blood Bat Palace had appeared just as they had gathered?

Jiang Fan was the first to react. Holding his iron sword, he executed his movement technique, rushing out of the side courtyard like a whirlwind.

Xu Yining quickly reacted as well, grabbing her green sword and giving chase. But just as she left the courtyard, Jiang Fan was nowhere to be seen. This only fueled her competitive spirit: “We’ll see who’s superior on the battlefield!”

The other Shadow Guards gradually came to their senses. This was no joke; the Blood Bat Palace remnants had truly appeared. So, they all headed towards the smoke. Ye Qingxue dared not delay and quickly followed.

Jiang Fan sped across the rooftops, moving from one to another, swift as a rabbit leaping or a falcon soaring, moving like a swift wind. In less than half an incense stick’s time, he successfully crossed half the city district and arrived at the smoke’s origin.

Standing on the ridge of a roof, he looked down. This was where the City Lord’s Manor’s forging officials produced weapons. Several cavalrymen from the official guard lay dead on the ground; it was they who had fired the warning signal before their deaths.

Several members of the Blood Bat Palace were hastily moving various weapons and artifact forging materials. Jiang Fan was certain they were from the Blood Bat Palace because he recognized one of their members. It was one of the three who had tried to abduct Xu Youran back on Lianyun Mountain.

“Who’s there?” shouted one of the Blood Bat Palace members, whose keen senses had detected him. The man appeared to be around sixty years old, with a hooked nose and piercing eyes, exuding an unusual aura.

Hearing the shout, the other four Blood Bat Palace members also spotted Jiang Fan. The one who had escaped from Jiang Fan’s grasp back then recognized him immediately, crying out, “He’s the brat who killed two of our men!”

With that, he and the other three Blood Bat Palace members immediately climbed onto the rooftop. Upon meeting, there was no need for pleasantries; they immediately engaged.

Without a word, Jiang Fan launched a preemptive strike before they could even get their footing. With a sweep of his black sword, he instantly slit the throat of the one who had previously escaped, and blood gushed as the body fell from the rooftop.

But as soon as his sword moved, Jiang Fan immediately sensed a hint of danger. Among the other three Blood Bat Palace members, there was actually a guardian at the ninth level of Qi Cultivation!

The guardian was highly experienced. Taking advantage of Jiang Fan’s sword at the end of its swing, a short blade struck with cunning precision, thrusting towards his ribs. Fortunately, Jiang Fan had just practiced his movement technique. He stamped his foot on the spot and executed a backward somersault, the short blade grazing his scalp.

The remaining two Blood Bat Palace members were both at the eighth level of Qi Cultivation, and their attacks were exceptionally seasoned. They immediately attacked from front and back, slashing with their blades, aiming to strike Jiang Fan while he was in mid-air.

Jiang Fan immediately felt immense pressure! Though also at the eighth level of Qi Cultivation, these Blood Bat Palace members were far stronger than the projections from the Ascending Dragon Path. Every move was lethal, and their killing techniques were incredibly proficient. He dared not hold back any longer.