Chapter 60: The Crimson Blade and the Cunning Cripple

Simultaneously, two hundred meters outside Master Qian’s residence.

“Get lost!” Lu Hongzhuang’s furious cry cut through the air, sharp as glacial ice.

She trembled, not from fear, but from a searing rage that consumed her.

That corpulent fox of a magistrate had resorted to such despicable tactics to achieve his aims! A diversion, a feint to draw them away, with Su Qinghan as the true target!

The thought of that stubborn, kind-hearted, and frail individual potentially facing danger twisted Lu Hongzhuang’s heart into a tangled knot. Her fury threatened to incinerate her very reason.

“Clang—” Her longsword hissed from its scabbard, a clear, resonant dragon’s cry. The blade’s gleam flowed like water, and a chilling killing intent instantly locked onto the two masked figures before her.

“Senior Sister Lu…” Junior Sister Yun, standing beside her, paled with fright. Though a disciple of the Demon Exorcism Division, her cultivation was shallow, and she had never witnessed such a fierce confrontation. The bloodthirsty aura emanating from the two masked men pressed down on her, leaving her barely able to breathe.

“Step back!” Lu Hongzhuang snapped, not even glancing over her shoulder.

She had no time for explanations, and certainly no time to waste!

“Oh, quite the fiery one, aren’t we?” one masked man sneered, lunging forward with his steel blade. “My brothers and I like spirited women like you. I hope your sword is as fierce as your temper!”

His blade work was broad and sweeping, heavy with power—clearly a lethal skill honed in the Jianghu. The other, more insidious, flanked her, his blade aiming directly for Lu Hongzhuang’s lower body. Their coordinated movements suggested seasoned criminals. Any ordinary Jianghu practitioner would likely be thrown into disarray after a single exchange.

But they faced Lu Hongzhuang! A Lu Hongzhuang desperate to save someone, a Lu Hongzhuang consumed by incandescent rage!

“You court death!” Lu Hongzhuang’s foot tapped the ground, and instead of retreating, she advanced, a graceful red butterfly flitting into the blind spots of their attacks. Her longsword transformed into a dazzling streak of silk!

*Clang, clang, clang!* A rapid succession of metallic clashes exploded across the empty street!

Junior Sister Yun, watching from behind, was utterly dumbfounded. She couldn’t discern the movements of the three combatants; all she saw was a blur of red weaving between two flashes of gleaming steel, each flicker of the sword accompanied by a shrill clang and a spray of sparks. Senior Sister Lu’s swordsmanship was… astonishingly fast!

The two masked men grew increasingly alarmed with each exchange! They had initially believed that holding back a young woman, even a genius from the Demon Exorcism Division, would be more than enough. Perhaps, if they didn’t hold back, they could even slay her.

But the moment their blades met, they realized how gravely mistaken they were! Her sword was too swift! So swift that they could barely parry, unable to find even a sliver of an opening to counterattack! Her sword strikes appeared light and agile, yet they were cunning and merciless, each one aimed at their vital points, forcing cold sweat to trickle down their backs.

This was no greenhorn female warrior; this was clearly a battle-hardened god of slaughter!

“Brother! Something’s wrong! This woman is too formidable!” one of them yelled, parrying a swift thrust aimed at his throat, his hand throbbing numbly from the impact.

“Nonsense! I bloody know!” the other man cursed, his complaints endless. His blade’s momentum was completely suppressed, forcing him into a desperate defense. The tip of her sword had grazed his neck several times, the resultant gust of wind raising goosebumps on his skin! No, they couldn’t prolong this any further! If they did, both of them would meet their end here!

“Brother, we have to retreat!” The leader made a snap decision, feigned a strike, and spun around, intending to flee. The other man hastily pulled back as well. The thought of retreat had already taken root in their minds. Once their morale faltered, weaknesses inevitably emerged!

“Now you wish to leave?” Lu Hongzhuang’s voice was devoid of even a trace of warmth, chilling to the bone.

“Too late!” She pushed off the ground with sudden force, her speed increasing severalfold. She became a straight red streak, instantly closing in on one of them! The man felt a sudden chill run down his spine, a deadly sense of crisis engulfing his entire being! Without thinking, he spun around and unleashed a horizontal slash with his blade! However, what greeted him was a sword gleam of ultimate swiftness!

Swish! The sword light flashed and vanished. The masked man’s turning motion abruptly ceased. He stood frozen, gripping his blade, a thin red line slowly appearing on his neck, which then rapidly widened. *Pfft!* Blood gushed forth. His eyes wide with disbelief, his body crashed to the ground. A single strike to the throat!

The remaining masked man’s soul nearly fled his body in terror! He didn’t dare look back, desperately sprinting forward with all his might! But how could his speed possibly contend with Lu Hongzhuang’s sword! Lu Hongzhuang’s figure moved like a shadow, her longsword devoid of any fancy flourishes, simply thrusting forward.

Thwack! The sound of a sharp blade piercing flesh was distinctly audible. The longsword entered through his back, emerging from his chest. The masked man’s body stiffened. He looked down at the bloodied sword tip protruding from his chest, his life force rapidly draining away with his blood. He opened his mouth, as if to speak, but ultimately only lowered his head weakly, breathing his last.

In no more than a few dozen breaths, two desperadoes, considered skilled under Magistrate Jia, had been reduced to mere corpses.

Junior Sister Yun stood not far away, her mouth agape, unable to close it for a long moment. ‘This… it was over just like that?’

Lu Hongzhuang, however, felt no joy in her victory. She abruptly withdrew her longsword, not even sparing a glance at the fallen bodies, and sprinted towards Master Qian’s residence!

‘Su Qinghan! Please, you mustn’t be harmed!’

Master Qian’s residence, backyard.

“Miss Su, it seems your rescuers won’t be arriving.”

The sole remaining black-clad assailant sneered, advancing step by step. He regarded Su Qinghan’s earlier cry for help as an utter joke.

Su Qinghan, seated in her wheelchair, let out a soft sigh.

“Indeed.” She nodded, a hint of disdain in her voice that only she herself would fully grasp.

‘That idiot, always so unreliable.’

The sneer on the black-clad man’s face deepened. He had reached the center of the courtyard, only a few steps away from Su Qinghan. Yet, his immobilized comrade remained rooted to the spot, still in the posture of swinging his blade, like a wooden carving or a clay statue.

“Worthless fool! Still posing? Finish this quickly and let’s get our money and leave.” Annoyed, the black-clad man turned and delivered a fierce kick to his companion’s backside. “Get moving, you bastard!”

Thump!

A dull thud echoed.

The immobilized man stumbled from the kick, lurching forward two steps, yet still maintained his rigid posture. He neither fell nor reacted in any other way.

“Hm?” The black-clad man who had kicked him froze. ‘Something’s wrong! This is terribly wrong!’

He quickly stepped forward, circling behind his comrade, only then discovering a yellow paper talisman affixed to his back. The talisman bore vermilion patterns he couldn’t comprehend, exuding an unsettling, sinister aura.

“What the devil is this?!” A shiver ran down his spine, and he reached out to tear off the talisman.

Rip! The talisman was yanked off.

The instant the talisman detached, the immobilized black-clad man’s body violently shuddered. As if all his strength had been drained, his legs gave way, and he collapsed to his knees with a “thump.” He gasped for breath, his entire body drenched in cold sweat.

“B-Brother…” His voice trembled, unable to form coherent words. “I… I couldn’t move just now! My whole body was paralyzed! It was that woman! She used demonic arts!”

The black-clad leader’s face instantly turned exceedingly grim. He stared intently at the woman still calmly seated in her wheelchair. This woman exuded an unsettling strangeness from every angle!

“Demonic arts or not, who cares!” He gritted his teeth, his ferocity fully ignited. “Both of us will attack together! I refuse to believe a cripple like her can turn the tables! Hack her to pieces!”

The man, now freed from the immobilization spell, was equally astonished and enraged. He snatched up his fallen steel blade and charged forward, his eyes bloodshot. “Kill this demoness!”

The two men, one from the left and one from the right, once again formed a pincer attack!

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