Chapter 62: The White Dragon’s Folly

Su Qinghan was too exhausted to respond to her.

Lu Hongzhuang hesitated, observing Su Qinghan’s injuries.

“But you…”

“Go now!” Su Qinghan’s voice sharpened. “You can still catch them if you leave immediately. I’m fine!”

Lu Hongzhuang gritted her teeth. Confronted with Su Qinghan’s unyielding expression, she finally nodded.

She surged to her feet, drawing her longsword with a swift motion.

“Clang!”

The longsword sang a clear note as she gripped its hilt.

In the next instant, her figure blurred into a crimson streak, darting in pursuit of the black-clad man.

A deathly silence finally descended upon the courtyard once more, broken only by Su Qinghan’s ragged breaths.

Moments later, several heads cautiously peeked out from behind the wall, the rockery, and beneath the eaves.

Master Qian, Qian Xiaoxiao, and Master Qian’s Guard, Xiao Li, all appeared, their faces ashen, their legs trembling uncontrollably.

Having just returned from distributing porridge, they had heard the earth-shattering commotion in the courtyard. They had entered through a side gate, hiding in the shadows to observe, witnessing everything unfold with chilling clarity.

The horrifying sight of Su Qinghan’s palm strike obliterating a living man had etched itself into their minds, becoming a nightmare they would never forget.

“This… this…” Master Qian stammered, stepping forward, his gaze sweeping over the chaotic and bloody scene in the courtyard. “Miss Su… who exactly have you provoked?”

This was no ordinary vendetta between Jianghu figures.

This was clearly a premeditated assassination!

Qian Xiaoxiao hurried over, accompanied by her personal maid, and together they carefully helped Su Qinghan to her feet.

“Sister Su! Are you alright?”

As she was supported, Su Qinghan felt as though every bone in her body had come undone. The after-effects of forcefully activating the Palm Thunder technique surged through her, every muscle screaming in agony.

She was gently guided to a stone stool in the courtyard, where she leaned against the cold stone table, forcing a faint breath to circulate as she began to regulate her qi.

‘This time, she had truly suffered a heavy loss.’

‘Not only was her wheelchair destroyed, but she had nearly lost her life.’

‘That blockhead Lu Hongzhuang, she’d definitely have to make it up to her later.’

Meanwhile.

Lu Hongzhuang’s speed was unparalleled.

The black-clad man fled frantically, scrambling over the courtyard wall and plunging into a narrow alley, desperate and disoriented.

Yet, no matter how he ran, the crimson figure behind him clung like a persistent shadow, closing the distance with every stride.

The frigid killing intent remained fixed on his back, sending shivers down his spine and filling him with dread.

Finally, he burst out of the alley, and the landscape abruptly opened before him.

It was the city wall of Qing Shi Town.

There was nowhere left to run!

Gritting his teeth, the black-clad man drew a breath and leaped, scaling the tens of meters high city wall in a few agile bounds.

Standing at the edge of the city wall, he turned to face the pursuing Lu Hongzhuang, gasping for breath.

He knew he had made his escape.

Straightening his back, a wild grin spread across his face.

“Hahahahaha!”

He roared with laughter, his voice echoing across the desolate city wall.

“Heroine Lu! What superb light-foot technique! My brother and I have fallen, and we concede without regret!”

He paused to catch his breath, then, adopting the dramatic tone of a storyteller, he declared loudly:

“However! Taking my life won’t be so easy!”

He thumped his chest, brimming with bravado.

“In the Jianghu, I’m known as the ‘White Dragon of the Waves’!”

He pointed to the shimmering moat below the city wall.

“Below here lies the moat! If I jump in, how could you, an exorcist, possibly dive in after me? Farewell forever, I say!”

Having finished, he shot Lu Hongzhuang a highly provocative glance.

Then, to flaunt his swagger and defiance, he didn’t even turn around. Instead, facing Lu Hongzhuang, he spread his arms wide, leaned back, and plunged straight down!

The action was seamless, brimming with the composure and resolve of a master making their grand exit.

Lu Hongzhuang had just reached the top of the city wall when she witnessed his impassioned speech at its edge.

Her brows furrowed as she watched his figure fall backward.

‘So, he still managed to escape.’

She walked slowly to the parapet and peered down.

The anticipated “splash” of water did not resound.

Instead, a dull, somewhat wet sound pierced the air… “Splat.”

Lu Hongzhuang: “…”

Below the city wall, on the parched earth.

The man who had called himself the ‘White Dragon of the Waves’ lay there in a grotesquely twisted posture, reduced to a crumpled mess.

Blood rapidly spread out from beneath his body.

The moat, on which he had placed all his hopes, was still a considerable distance from where he had fatally fallen. It turned out that seeing the moat from the city wall didn’t mean it was directly below.

He had, quite perfectly, missed it.

Lu Hongzhuang stood atop the city wall, the wind rustling her robes and hair.

She remained silent for a long time.

Finally, she let out a long sigh.

“He blabbered on and on… turns out he was just rushing to be reborn.”

She shook her head, her voice tinged with a complex, uncomprehending nuance.

“To take his own life rather than betray his employer, he was quite the man.”

The sole survivor had, in an extraordinarily careless manner, managed to fall to his death.

‘This was truly troublesome now.’

‘Without a witness, that sly fox of a magistrate would be even harder to deal with.’

Lu Hongzhuang turned and began walking back towards Master Qian’s residence, already contemplating her next course of action.

In the courtyard, the scent of blood mingled with the fragrance of osmanthus, creating a bizarre and nauseating aroma.

Master Qian and his daughter, Qian Xiaoxiao, along with a group of trembling servants, stood at a distance, watching Su Qinghan as she regulated her qi on the stone stool, not daring to even breathe too loudly.

The black-clad man, whose body had been obliterated by a single palm strike, still had fragments clinging to the broken osmanthus tree, creating an extremely gory and terrifying scene.

Yet, the one responsible for all this was merely a delicate beauty who appeared utterly powerless, unable even to stand on her own.

This stark contrast delivered a profound shock to their worldview.

“Sister… Sister Su…”

Qian Xiaoxiao mustered her courage, carrying a cup of hot water, and cautiously approached.

Her voice trembled.

Su Qinghan slowly opened her eyes. Her spiritual energy was completely depleted, and she could only rely on the most basic breathing techniques to gradually restore her vital energy.

She took the cup, its surface still warm.

“Thank you.”

Her voice was soft, tinged with the weakness of her injuries.

Just then, a fiery red shadow flashed in through the main gate, landing silently in the center of the courtyard.

It was Lu Hongzhuang, who had returned.

Everyone’s heart leaped into their throats.

They watched Lu Hongzhuang. Her hands were empty, the murderous longsword already sheathed.

“What about the fleeing assailant?”

Su Qinghan’s movements paused. She slowly lifted her head, looking at Lu Hongzhuang.

“He escaped?”

Her tone was flat, revealing neither joy nor anger.

Lu Hongzhuang’s expression was peculiar, a mix of helplessness and something she was trying to suppress.

She shook her head, walked over to Su Qinghan, and quietly recounted the events.

From the chase to the city wall, to the black-clad man’s impassioned speech, and then his exceedingly stylish backward dive from the wall…

…only to perfectly miss the moat and splatter himself into a crumpled mess.

“…”

A long silence descended upon the courtyard.

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