A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu stretched out his hand to hold the hilt of the Slim Tiger Saber and finally said, “I didn’t intend to kill anyone, but I had to. In fact, let’s talk and reach a compromise.”

Zhou Feilong was infuriated. He scoffed. “What a joke!”

Qi Xuansu did not reply. He slowly pulled out the extremely sharp Slim Tiger Saber.

It was still pouring. Raindrops kept falling on the eaves of the county government office and the Green Phoenix Guards’ Flying Squirrel Armor. A drop of rainwater split into two as it landed on the spine of the Slim Tiger Saber in Qi Xuansu’s hand and slowly slid down along both sides of the blade.

By the time the two halves of the raindrop formed a whole again, Qi Xuansu had already charged forward with the saber.

At the same time, the Green Phoenix Guards standing outside the splayed wall pulled the triggers of their crossbows. The bolts shot through the rain curtain toward Qi Xuansu, forming a bright white water line.

Qi Xuansu was slower than a flying bolt but much faster than the guards, who were always one step behind when pulling the trigger. Thus, with each click of the trigger, a bolt landed on the ground behind Qi Xuansu. All those launched bolts were stuck more than thirty centimeters into the ground, with only the tail end exposed and trembling slightly, proving just how strong the impact was.

Qi Xuansu crossed the grounds and made his way to the steps in front of the county government office gates at a shocking speed.

Many of the Green Phoenix Guards present only saw a line of water in midair. This kind of saber technique was terrifying.

While Qi Xuansu advanced toward Zhou Feilong, the latter managed to pull out the Slim Tiger Saber from his waist to block his midriff.

What ensued was a harsh sound of metal colliding.

The tip of Qi Xuansu’s saber struck the face of Zhou Feilong’s blade. Then, the two men crashed into the county government office one after another.

Qi Xuansu continued advancing while Zhou Feilong retreated.

Zhou Feilong’s calves smashed into the high threshold of the county government office’s door, breaking it. His feet rubbed against the bluestone floor, leaving two visible marks as he slid back. He only stopped when his back hit the screen wall, creating spider web-like cracks.

At this time, the two of them were less than thirty centimeters apart. Qi Xuansu stood with his back against the light, his face completely hidden in the shadow of his bamboo hat.

Zhou Feilong looked sternly at this young man who came out of nowhere, then remarked, “You’re skilled.”

Qi Xuansu did not reply, but he took a step forward.

The screen wall shattered, scattering debris in all directions. Qi Xuansu and Zhou Feilong were separated.

Qi Xuansu stood in the same spot. With a flick, the blade of the Slim Tiger Saber resonated beautifully. At the same time, the raindrops stuck to the blade bounced off.

Zhou Feilong slid back more than thirty meters from his position at the screen wall, sloshing up water that had pooled on the floor.

The two men stood in the rain, unwilling to back down. However, it was clear who among them held the advantage. Qi Xuansu had the upper hand in the fight, but he did not manage to hurt Zhou Feilong.

Zhou Feilong stretched out his hand and ripped off his tattered uniform, revealing the soft, black armor underneath. The scales of the armor had a dull luster when wet.

That was the Bull Dragon Armor, composed of 360 scales, each around five centimeters wide and slightly thicker than cardboard.

The Flying Squirrel Armor could only defend against ordinary swords, punches, and kicks. It could not block the qi from a master, but the Bull Dragon Armor was specifically designed to counter the qi’s impact. When the two fought just now, Qi Xuansu’s qi shattered a screen wall, but it did not penetrate Zhou Feilong’s body. Zhou Feilong only looked a little embarrassed, but he was not injured.

Zhou Feilong’s eyes were gloomy as he raised his Slim Tiger Saber in a defensive posture.

Qi Xuansu pulled the large cloak off his body and threw it into the puddle at his feet. He quickly charged forward with the Slim Tiger Saber. The blade was vibrating so rapidly that the raindrops falling on it dispersed into smaller droplets.

Although both of them used the same saber, their saber skills were completely different.

Zhou Feilong’s saber moved like a python, vicious and aggressive. On the other hand, Qi Xuansu’s technique was straightforward. It was not fancy, nor were there any underhanded moves.

The two Slim Tiger Sabers drew an arc-shaped water line through the rain curtain before they collided.

A strong qi radiated from the collision, atomizing the rain curtain into a white mist.

The next moment, a section of the blade broke off, flying through the rain curtain and the front porch. It was nailed to the wall in the main hall.

Zhou Feilong groaned and stepped back. Blood oozed from the three-centimeter-long wound on his cheek that was inflicted by the broken-off blade.

After he stopped retreating, he looked down in disbelief at the Slim Tiger Saber in his hand, which had only half the blade left.

The fight between the two seemed slow, but it all happened within a split second. At that moment, the Green Phoenix Guards outside the county government office started pouring in.

Without any prior communication or orders, these Green Phoenix Guards raised their crossbows in unison, aimed at Qi Xuansu’s back, and pulled the trigger.

A dense rain of bolts fell from the sky, sealing almost all of the space around Qi Xuansu, which prevented him from moving. But this time, Qi Xuansu had no intention of dodging.

He just breathed in and out.

A bout of qi blasted out of Qi Xuansu’s body, like a great tide. His qi effortlessly deflected all the crossbow bolts aimed at him. Not a thread of his clothes was nicked.

This phenomenon was what people often referred to as the qi shield.

Qi Xuansu stepped on the puddle, turned around, and flung out his sleeves. The water droplets flew toward the Green Phoenix Guards behind him at a speed that was no less than the crossbow bolts.

The Green Phoenix Guards at the frontline collapsed instantly, like falling dominoes.

Qi Xuansu stopped paying attention to the Green Phoenix Guards behind him and rushed toward Zhou Feilong with the saber.

This was Qi Xuansu’s third strike.

Before this, his first strike had shattered a screen wall, and his second strike had broken off the blade of Zhou Feilong’s Slim Tiger Saber.

This time, his third strike tore Zhou Feilong’s Bull Dragon Armor open.

A cloud of blood mist exploded from Zhou Feilong’s chest, and he staggered backward into the main hall of the county government office. Finally, he crashed into the back wall of the main hall, near the broken-off blade of his saber.

When Zhou Feilong looked up at the Slim Tiger Saber in Qi Xuansu’s hand, he noticed a white light spiraling erratically around the blade.

Zhou Feilong’s eyes widened as he asked in awe, “Is this sword qi?”

Sword qi was the art of condensing qi and releasing it outside the body into the sword. Zhou Feilong could only condense a trace of qi when he did breathing exercises and meditated without interference. While in a fierce fight with others, Zhou Feilong could not concentrate enough to release any sword qi, let alone such an intense one as Qi Xuansu’s, in which the entire blade was glowing.

Zhou Feilong thought to himself, Is this man a Xiantian Being?

There were three major stages in the Daoist path to immortality: Houtian Being, Xiantian Being, and Heavenly Being.

Houtian Beings were split into two levels: regular cultivation and Baodan cultivation. Most Houtian Beings started their cultivation journey without understanding the true meaning of the Dao, only seeking quick attainment. In old age, their physical bodies weakened, and their spirits waned. Their complexions turned ashen, and none of them could escape death.

Xiantian Beings did not comprehend the superior Dao, but they had some skills in the Dao. Their faith and determination never changed. Their spirits became clearer, and their physical bodies became stronger so that they were not affected by worldly illnesses.

Heavenly Beings were half-immortal and half-human, capable of flying through the clouds even without wings. They could ride on dragons and ascend the heavenly steps, turn into birds and float on the clouds, dive into the seas, and soar over famous mountains. They could also consume innate qi and immortal herbs.

Heavenly Beings could roam around the mortal world without being recognized by others and stay hidden from view. Some Heavenly Beings looked strange, with extra bones or hair uncommon in humans. Thus, most Heavenly Beings were reclusive and did not interact with mortals.

It was rare to come across Heavenly Beings in ordinary places. Thus, Xiantian Beings were considered the most powerful beings in the mortal realm.

Qi Xuansu did not answer. Instead, he advanced through the rain curtain and into the main hall.

His fourth strike meant death.

In Zhou Feilong’s field of vision, a glint of light quickly enlarged as the tip of the Slim Tiger Saber approached him.

Zhou Feilong was at a loss for what to do.

This strike was so swift and precise, far exceeding Zhou Feilong’s imagination. Zhou Feilong tried to think of ways to dodge this attack, but in the end, he failed to do so.

However, in a fit of rage and fear, Zhou Feilong found a sudden burst of energy to fight to the death. The moment Qi Xuansu’s blade pierced Zhou Feilong’s chest, the latter extended his fists and punched the former in the chest with all his might—a force that was capable of splitting a boulder in half.

Qi Xuansu’s body shook violently with the double punch, but that did not stop him from thrusting his saber and effortlessly piercing Zhou Feilong’s chest.

Qi Xuansu flicked his wrist, shattering Zhou Feilong’s heart and lungs, as well as any hopes of survival. When Qi Xuansu withdrew his saber, Zhou Feilong’s blood sprayed everywhere.

The assistant major of the Green Phoenix Guard, who had expressed his uneasiness before the fight, never expected that his life would end so abruptly in Fengtai County.

If Zhou Feilong could turn back time, he would not have gone to Fengtai County.

However, in his final breath, he did not hate Qi Xuansu, his slayer. After all, one’s life and death were fated. He only ended up dead because he was not capable enough to defeat the opponent. What filled his heart with overwhelming hatred was that his colleague, Li Sanxin, had never offered to help in the fight.

Zhou Feilong simply wished he could skin that man alive.