NOVPUBThe footsteps in the bushes began to sound slightly, with three or four people stepping out from behind the big trees nearby.
All four of them were masked, dressed in green robes, concealed behind the trees and among the bushes.
"This, this," Jiang Changsheng said in surprise, unable to finish his sentence.
"You could have chosen Heaven but you did not, and with no doors to Hell, you come uninvited. It seems the lesson from last time was not enough for Young Master Lin," said one of the men in green with a sinister tone.
"Regardless, it’s still better than you rats who don’t dare to show your faces," Xu Zimei said indifferently.
"If you’re seeking death, don’t blame us brothers," the man in green scoffed, not wasting any words, and charged directly towards him.
"Senior Brother, you must protect me," Jiang Changsheng, frightened, quickly hid behind Xu Zimei.
Xu Zimei frowned slightly as he watched one of the men in green charge at him with a knife.
He grabbed Jiang Changsheng from behind and used him as a shield in front of himself.
"Damn it, Senior Brother, you’re betraying me," Jiang Changsheng shouted in terror, quickly struggling free and rolling to the ground, dodging to the side.
Elsewhere, Yelv Liang blocked one of the men in green, as they fought to a standstill.
The other three men in green all charged at Xu Zimei.
Surrounded by several people, Xu Zimei dodged frantically.
The cultivation of these men in green was not very high, only at the level of Origin Mansion, but they had mastered a set of combined attack techniques, which were very proficient.
Every attack Xu Zimei fended off was fraught with danger, and finally, as another blade descended, Xu Zimei had nowhere to retreat.
The bright cold gleam of the long blade was mere inches from Xu Zimei’s head.
Suddenly, a large, bronze-colored hand as hard as iron reached out from the side and firmly grasped the blade.
With a light twist, the longsword shattered into dozens of pieces, and the green-robed man was flung away.
Everyone quickly turned to look, only to see Jiang Changsheng looking at them nonchalantly.
"Kill," another man in green spoke softly, and along with another man, they both charged at Jiang Changsheng.
...
"Taiji Cloud Hand," Jiang Changsheng said lightly.
His hands waved slowly, tracing the shape of Tai Ji in front of him.
The power of his hands could be soft or firm, dissolving the attacks of the two men in green and incorporating them.
The two men felt like they had sunk into a quagmire, unable to control their arms, following Jiang Changsheng’s rhythm.
"The Blend of Hard and Soft," Jiang Changsheng shouted, his hands suddenly exerting force, pushing the two men flying away.
This strike was immensely powerful, containing hidden energy, and the bodies of the two exploded in mid-air.
Xu Zimei looked at Jiang Changsheng with some surprise.
Yelv Liang, having subdued another man in green, ran over worriedly and asked Xu Zimei, "Junior Brother Lin, are you alright?"
"I’m fine," Xu Zimei said, shaking his head slightly.
"That’s good, you scared me to death," Yelv Liang took a deep breath, raising his hand to wipe the cold sweat from his brow.
At that moment, his hand forcefully grabbed his longsword at his waist and swiftly slashed towards Xu Zimei.
This strike was unexpected, resolute, and swift.
With a clang, before the sword could fall, Jiang Changsheng had already caught it midair.
"How can this be?" Yelv Liang looked at Jiang Changsheng in shock.
"You say these men in green couldn’t possibly guard here twenty-four hours a day.
We didn’t let many people know about our departure from the sect, how could they be lying in ambush here?
I’ve long suspected someone was tipping them off."
Jiang Changsheng grinned and said, "You see, it’s always good to be extra cautious."
As soon as his words had fallen, Yelv Liang could not worry about anything else and tried to draw his sword.
But he found that the sword was gripped tightly by Jiang Changsheng, virtually impossible to withdraw even slightly.
He abandoned the sword and fled, not looking back as he ran towards the distance.
In Jiang Changsheng’s hands, the longsword was like a nimble serpent, flexible and ever-changing.
He pinched the blade between two fingers as if it were a dart and threw it swiftly.
The sharp sword turned into a streak of light and in the blink of an eye pierced through Yelv Liang’s back. 𝔫𝔬𝖛𝖕𝔲𝖇.𝖈𝖔𝖒
It penetrated his heart, nailing him directly to a large tree in front.
.........
In the quiet forest, everything was serene within these woods.
A few leaves fluttered down gracefully.
Jiang Changsheng slowly approached Yelv Liang’s corpse and began to search it.
He pocketed some mysterious medicines and pills.
"My real name is Jiang Nan, an orphan from birth.
An old man found me on a winter day heavy with snow and took me home; from then on, he became my grandfather.
I grew up fed by the entire village. The villagers there were my family.
One day, a group of martial artists arrived at our village, and to vent their bad moods, they slaughtered the villagers.
My grandfather hid me, allowing me to escape the massacre."
While searching the green-clothed men for their belongings, Jiang Changsheng narrated to Xu Zimei with a smile.
"Before he died, my grandfather grabbed my sleeve and told me to run, to run as hard as I could without looking back.
He wanted me to survive, to live well.
Since then, I have changed my name to Jiang Changsheng, living solely to survive."
Xu Zimei smiled calmly as she watched Jiang Changsheng.
Finally, having finished going through all the spoils of battle, Jiang Changsheng grinned at Xu Zimei.
He said, "The person you knew before was called Jiang Changsheng, but now standing before you is Jiang Nan.
Life is like a play; you must never trust what your eyes see."
Before Xu Zimei could reply, two figures approached from not far away.
It was Lin Feng and Murong Yan’er.
"Junior Brother," Lin Feng called out in some surprise, then looking around at the scene, his expression changed slightly.
"What has happened here?" he asked hastily.
"The truth lies before you. Yelv Liang conspired with others to kill me.
Then he was killed by me in return," Xu Zimei replied indifferently.
"Yelv Liang? How is that possible? He’s our fellow disciple," Lin Feng said in disbelief.
"And with your strength, you’re no match for Yelv Liang."
"That’s none of your concern; just report the truth to father," Xu Zimei responded.
"Yelv Liang is the second elder’s true disciple. You will have to explain this yourself," Lin Feng said with a slight frown.
"Then it’s not your problem," Xu Zimei waved it off and turned to walk down the mountain.
Watching Xu Zimei’s unharmed figure, Lin Feng squinted, his expression flickering but eventually decided to follow quickly.
.........
Huohuang City was not far from the foot of Nine Skies Mountain.
The two were only about seven or eight kilometers apart.
