Talisman Emperor

It was an assassin that was completely enveloped in black clothes.

The sword in his hand was extremely narrow, long, fine like a finger, pitch black, and lusterless. The sword moves executed with it was like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, and it only sought after speed, accuracy, and ruthlessness. It moved indeterminately and was peerless in assassination.

This sort of combat style was usually unable to cause death on a large scale, yet if it was utilized to assassinate a certain target, it could be lethal with a single strike.

But it was precisely because of this that Chen Xi was able to rely on his extraordinarily high combat instinct to predict the movements of his enemy and safely avoid the assassin’s assault. Otherwise, if the assassin were to spread some sword qi out, it would be sufficient to take his life.

It couldn’t be helped, his strength hadn’t recovered yet, and he was only around the Golden Core Realm, whereas the black clothed assassin was around the 4th level of the Earthly Immortal Realm in cultivation…

Gu Tian was a sword cultivator as well, yet he was forced into a difficult position by the assassin, and he appeared inferior upon comparison.

On the other hand, those guards were only at the Nether Transformation Realm. They were utterly unable to help, and their expressions were extremely unsightly.

“Big Brother Chen Xi, quickly help Uncle Gu Tian.” Cui Qingning spoke in a low voice. At this moment, she was still glued to Chen Xi’s body, and she only revealed a young little face that was pale and carried dense worry.

“Don’t worry, it’ll be fine.” Chen Xi patted her on the shoulder and comforted her.

Clang!Sure enough, just as Chen Xi had guessed, the black clothed assassin suddenly stabbed repeatedly with his sword and knocked Gu Tian back before he flashed to the side and easily withdrew from the battlefield.

“All of you won’t be able to escape next time.” The black clothed assassin turned and glanced at Chen Xi before his figure flashed, and he tore through space like a black bolt of lightning before swiftly vanishing without a trace.

Thump! 

Gu Tian couldn’t endure it any longer and fell to the ground while gasping heavily for breath. His rigid and cold face couldn’t help but reveal a wisp of fear from surviving a calamity, and it flashed on his face before vanishing.

“Commander Gu, are you alright?”

“Uncle Gu Tian!”

Cui Qingning and all the guards swarmed over with a swish.

Chen Xi looked towards the direction the black clothed assassin vanished and seemed to be lost in thought. If it wasn’t for him, the assassination this time would have probably succeeded a long time ago, whereas since a 4th level Earthly Immortal Realm assassin could be sent to assassinate Cui Qingning, her identity was probably not simple at all.

Was he warning me? Chen Xi’s intuition told him that the glance from the assassin before the assassin left was directed at him, but he was indifferent towards it.

If they were to meet again next time, his strength wouldn’t be as weak as it was now!

“Who was that?” Chen Xi walked forward and asked.

“He’s Qing Xiao!” A guard had an extremely unsightly expression, and his voice trembled slightly. “He’s a mysterious assassin that enjoys a great reputation in the Netherworld now. His assassination technique is extremely formidable, and he rarely meets a match, so there have been countless experts that have perished beneath his sword. Especially in the past few years, he’s assassinated a 7th level Earthly Immortal Realm expert from Granny Meng Hall and became renowned throughout the world.”

After panting for a moment, the guard continued. “Supposedly, the cost to hire Qing Xiao is one Immortal Artifact! So long as an objective is targeted by him, then he has never failed.”

When the guard spoke up to here, he couldn’t help but raise his head to glance at Chen Xi with a strange expression.

The cost is an Immortal Artifact? Chen Xi was slightly surprised, and he didn’t notice at all that those guards were looking at him with gazes that were filled with a strange and complicated feeling.

“Thank you, Brother Chen Xi!” Gu Tian stood up and bowed solemnly.

The surprise assault of Qing Xiao this time could be said to be without the slightest sign, and it had appeared abruptly. Even he didn’t dare be sure if he would be able to notice that strike, yet Chen Xi had actually dodged the attack Qing Xiao was certain would hit!

Most importantly, he even successfully rescued their Young Miss…

Besides causing him to be shocked, he felt slight disbelief because Chen Xi’s strength was clearly only around the Golden Core Realm, and it was almost impossible to determine if Chen Xi had achieved this by luck or quick reaction.

Chen Xi smiled and didn’t mind at all. “I was just lucky to be there at that time and got lucky.”

Gu Tian nodded because he suspected it was luck as well. But the gaze he looked at Chen Xi with had become much calmer, and there wasn’t any vigilance that he had from before.

“Young Miss…”Gu Tian inadvertently noticed Cui Qingning ghastly pale countenance and beautiful eyes that were filled with worry and fear, and his heart couldn’t help but ache. “Don’t worry Young Miss, I’ll surely send you safely to Darkcliff City!”

“Uncle Gu Tian, I’m fine.” Cui Qingning raised her small face and smiled, but her smile seemed to be slightly forced. After all, she was only an young woman around the age of 11 or 12, so encountering a sudden and unexpected event like this was simply like experiencing a life and death event. How could she possibly not be fearful in her heart?

“There’s no time to lose. Set out!” Gu Tian’s expression swiftly recovered its coldness before he ordered with a deep voice.

In the next moment, everyone seized the time of the blood red night to swiftly dash forward.

All along the way, the group’s attitude towards Chen Xi had changed silently. They stopped rejecting and disregarding him, and they took him to be one of their own instead.

Just think about it, that was the renowned assassin Qing Xiao, and if it wasn’t for Chen Xi, their Young miss would have probably suffered calamity.

Of course, no one would believe that Chen Xi’s strength was sufficient to avoid Qing Xiao’s assassination, and they took it to be luck. After all, they clear noticed that Chen Xi’s strength was really too weak…

“Why aren’t all of you travelling in the air?” Chen Xi noticed everyone’s change in attitude towards him, so he took the initiative to inquire.

“This is the Bloodbasin Hardlands, a place of danger in the Netherworld. The heavens and the earth here are densely covered in countless fine chaotic flows of space, and they’re extremely difficult to notice. Once one’s swept into it, the consequences are unimaginable.” A guard explained patiently and said, “Not only that, according to legend, the Bloodbasin Hardlands is the place spirits converge and terrifying qi surged into the sky. Very few ordinary living beings dared to step foot into this place, and if it wasn’t for avoiding being pursued, we wouldn’t choose to go through this place.”

Chen Xi came to a sudden understanding and said with a smile, “If I want to head to the Netherhell, how should I make my way over there?’

The guard was stunned, and he had a strange expression as he said, “We’re heading exactly towards the Netherhell, and you only have to follow us there.”

“Haha! Lucky kid, you followed the right people this time. If it was any ordinary time, it’s impossible to approach even a step into the Netherhell no matter how formidable one’s strength is.” Another guard suddenly started laughing as he spoke.

Chen Xi said with surprise, “Could it be that all of you are from the Netherhell?”

The guard seemed to have realized something, and he instantly shut his mouth before looking at Gu Tian with a slightly perturbed expression. The guard heaved a sigh of relief in his heart when he saw Gu Tian had no intention of scolding him, yet he didn’t dare continue speaking rashly.

Chen Xi couldn’t help but rub his nose and stop asking when he saw this.

“Big Brother Chen Xi, don’t be angry, Uncle Gu Tian and the others are doing this to protect you.” Cui Qingning opened up the curtain in her carriage and revealed her young and little face. “You’re probably still unaware but I’m a descendant of the Cui Clan in the Netherhell. Some unexpected events occurred in my clan, causing me to have no choice but to conceal many things. I hope you can forgive me.”

Chen Xi was bewildered. “The Cui Clan?”

Cui Qingning nodded and said, “Right, the Cui Clan that manages the Punishment Bureau in the Netherhell.”

Chen Xi acutely noticed that when Cui Qingning spoke this name, the gazes of all the guards including Gu Tian converged onto him, and they seemed to desire to see his reaction.

This is really too surprising. Could it be that the Punishment Bureau is just like the Six Paths of Hell and plays a decisive role?

His reaction was calmness that revealed a wisp of bewilderment, and everyone seemed to become much more relaxed when they saw this.

“Then…who’s trying to kill all of you?” asked Chen Xi.

Cui Qingning was stunned, and then her face dimmed and revealed a wisp of melancholy and pain that was impossible to conceal.

Chen Xi hurriedly consoled her when he saw this and said, “Alright, I won’t ask any further.”

Cui Qingning shook her head and said, “You’ll find out sooner or later.”

She took a deep breath and calmed down greatly. “It’s members of our own Cui Clan that’re chasing after us. They aren’t willing to allow me to return as they’re afraid I’ll take over my father’s position. So they obstructed us in every possible way and didn’t hesitate to send all sorts of forces with the intention of killing us on the way.”

“But they’re utterly unaware that I’ve never thought about replacing my father, and if they’re willing, I’ll even offer it up to them. I’ll be very happy so long as everyone doesn’t kill each other and can live together in peace. Unfortunately…”

When she spoke up to here, Cui Qingning’s voice grew lower and lower, and it emanated a dense sense of loss and disappointment.

Chen Xi couldn’t help but sigh in his heart when he heard this. Scheming and deception within a clan again. Such internal strife seems to be occurring everywhere.

For the sake of authority, wealth, and status, the examples of fathers and sons becoming enemies or loved ones turning against each other is a common occurrence.

Even though a situation like Cui Qingning’s wasn’t common, it wasn’t something that had never happened.

Chen Xi pondered deeply for a long time before he said to Cui Qingning in a serious tone, “Young Miss Cui, constantly hesitating and weakness will only cause the matter to become worse. If you can’t stand to see your clan engage in internal strife, then you must first become strong yourself because only in this way would others respect you.”

Cui Qingning stared blankly at him for a long time before she shook her head and said, “Unfortunately, it’s already too late…” As soon as she finished speaking, she lowered the curtain and sat alone within the carriage.

Chen Xi couldn’t help but feel a wisp of pity towards the kind and pure hearted young woman when he saw this. She was swept into the bloody and deceptive internal strife of her clan at such a young age. She surely feels extremely hurt in her heart when facing those friends and loved ones that turned against her, right?

“Brother Chen, you should leave after we arrive at Darkcliff City.” Meanwhile, Gu Tian approached once more and said in a low voice, “This matter is too dangerous for you to get involved with, and you’re bound to encounter too many storms if you stay with us.” 

His voice was low and sincere, and it was obviously spoken from the heart.

Chen Xi stared blankly for a short moment before he shrugged with a helpless expression. “I’ve already offended that assassin, Qing Xiao, so it’s probably impossible for me to extricate myself. So it’s better for me to stay with all of you.”

Gu Tian was stunned and was slightly at a loss for what to say, and he sighed in the end and said, “I’m truly sorry. If I knew this would happen, I would have refused to allow you to come with us when we met.”

“Unfortunately, it’s still too late. Brother Gu Tian, it has already come to this, so you can’t leave me alone.” Chen Xi blinked his eyes and smiled in a slightly candid manner. He seemed as if he was saying ‘I’ve already gotten on your sinking ship, so you must be responsible until the end…’

Gu Tian couldn’t help but sigh once more when he saw this.