Chapter 187: Demon Sword Duan Li

“General Xie is indeed unparalleled among mortals.”

Inside the military tent, a youth stood beside a woman, watching an envoy from the enemy side offering peace, his face full of flowery compliments for the person beside him.

“This ancient sword is a gift from our city to General Xie.”

A long, narrow box was brought forward. The peace envoy stepped up and slowly opened it.

A dull, lusterless sword lay silently inside the box, as quiet as death.

The box was closed.

The youth heard the woman accept the enemy’s plea for peace, agreeing to withdraw troops from their city so that both sides could live in harmony without further conflict.

“Xie Yuguang, do you not know how arrogant and cruel they were at the start? How can you agree to their plea for peace so easily today?”

The youth stood before the woman’s desk, his hands slamming onto the table, unable to comprehend her actions.

“A-Ying, what I want is peace for Yelan City, not to bring chaos to other cities.”

“Moreover, if the war never ends, the common folk of Yelan City will never find peace of mind.”

“This is the best outcome I could hope for.”

The woman remained unmoved by the youth’s words. She spoke softly, looking down as she opened the box the envoy had just delivered.

Her fingers, covered in thick calluses, gripped the hilt of the sword and drew the so-called “ancient sword” out.

Outside the tent, the sunlight broke through the clouds and pierced into the interior.

The light fell directly upon the ancient blade, causing it to suddenly emanate a trace of brilliance.

It was a deep, cobalt blue, like an ancient legend being chanted.

Just like today, as that cobalt blue light flashed before his eyes.

The man snapped out of his daze and leaned back abruptly, dodging the sudden attack from Meng Yingxing.

“Stupid disciple! Didn’t I tell you to wait for me!?”

Xiu Qingcheng’s brows shot up as she saw Meng Yingxing appear despite her warnings.

“I just felt… being an accomplice with Master is quite a nice feeling.”

Meng Yingxing looked at Xiu Qingcheng, a smile appearing on his face.

It was a lie mixed with truth.

He was simply concerned about the man’s sword technique and the true relationship between the man and Xiu Qingcheng.

The man retreated a few steps, frowning after getting a clear look at Meng Yingxing.

“It’s you?”

Clearly, he recognized Meng Yingxing.

After all, it was hard not to recognize the undisguised Meng Yingxing, given they had met before the auction and had competed for the same item during it.

Since Meng Yingxing was here, the other woman in black…

The man also realized Xiu Qingcheng’s identity.

He sneered. “It seems you two couldn’t win the bid, so you decided to resort to robbery. You truly fit my image of certain spiritual cultivators.”

The man’s words were no different from a provocation, but Meng Yingxing felt nothing. He even politely cupped his hands.

“After all, we really need the Blood Kong Flower right now. I ask for Senior’s… understanding!”

As soon as Meng Yingxing’s voice fell, he lunged at the man.

“Damn disciple! Are you crazy!? You’re no match for him!”

Xiu Qingcheng hadn’t expected Meng Yingxing to charge in so impulsively. Panicking, she quickly followed after him.

“If you want this Blood Kong Flower… then you’ll have to see if you have the ability!”

The man gave a demonic smile, his eyes widening suddenly.

In that instant, Meng Yingxing, who was charging straight at the man, saw his eyes transform into narrow, slit-like demonic pupils.

Meng Yingxing’s heart couldn’t help but tremble—

‘The man before me is actually of the Demon Clan!?’

The sword in the man’s hand swung accordingly, clashing with the Ting Tian Sword.

The two exchanged several rounds of blows. Meng Yingxing was completely at a disadvantage; had it not been for Xiu Qingcheng providing cover from the side, he would have long since been wounded and unable to stand.

Meng Yingxing was forced back several meters by the man’s sword. He watched as Xiu Qingcheng suppressed the man once more.

Setting aside whether the man was human or demon, his sword technique was undoubtedly the exact same Gu Sha Sword he had learned from Xiu Qingcheng.

The four forms of the Gu Sha Sword: Slash, Annihilate, Exhaust, and Kill.

Every move and stance was identical.

Having lived for so long, the man thought he had long since stopped caring about ordinary cultivators, but the pressure Xiu Qingcheng exerted on him was undeniably immense.

Unlike the ease with which he handled Meng Yingxing, the man had to exert all his effort just to deal with Xiu Qingcheng’s attacks.

The man dodged Xiu Qingcheng’s strike and suddenly stabbed his sword into the ground.

[Qingqiu Demon Art: Fox Sword.]

Demonic power surged like a tidal wave. Enormous purple nine-tails erupted from behind the man, his demonic eyes turning a sinister, crimson red.

Purple sword blades continuously extended and pierced through the ground, slicing straight toward Xiu Qingcheng.

Xiu Qingcheng’s cold eyes lifted slightly, and she swung the sword in her hand with surging power.

For a time, sword qi crisscrossed the air, tearing the waves of fox-swords on the ground into fragments of collapsed demonic energy.

Meng Yingxing watched as the two displayed their divine powers. He lightly wiped his face.

Based on his understanding of Xiu Qingcheng, he knew she had already developed the intent to kill.

Even though they had agreed at the start just to steal the item.

Meng Yingxing gazed at Xiu Qingcheng, his eyes filled with a trace of complexity.

‘Master, are you hiding something from me?’

‘Why won’t you tell me?’

‘Or… do you want me to uncover it myself?’

Meng Yingxing gripped the hilt of the Ting Tian Sword tightly and once again charged toward the man with resolve.

The four forms of the Gu Sha Sword moved in sync with the blade.

Just as Xiu Qingcheng was about to unleash a wide-range sword move, Meng Yingxing suddenly dashed past her eyes.

“Meng Yingxing! Are you crazy!?”

She halted her sword momentum, staring with wide eyes at Meng Yingxing, who was recklessly attacking the man.

‘With his current strength, he’s just going there to get slaughtered?’

Getting slaughtered was secondary; if Meng Yingxing injured his spiritual veins a second time, it wouldn’t be something a mere Blood Kong Flower could fix.

The man saw Meng Yingxing appear before him again, a sword move carrying a cobalt-blue light lunging toward him.

The man’s eyes dimmed, and he withdrew his explosive demonic power.

He swung his sword again, meeting the attack with the four forms of the Gu Sha Sword.

Gu Sha Sword against Gu Sha Sword.

Despite the massive gap in strength, the two still exchanged dozens of blows.

Perhaps it proved the saying: when taught by the same master, one cannot break the other’s moves.

Xiu Qingcheng watched their swordplay. She stopped her steps and stood silently behind Meng Yingxing.

She dispelled the sword in her hand and pressed a hand against her heart.

Did she truly not know the man currently clashing with Meng Yingxing?

No, perhaps she did.

The blurry memories had already begun to surface the moment they entered Yelan City, feeling as vivid as yesterday.

In truth, what she feared was not this man, nor the events of the past.

She was afraid of what Meng Yingxing might discover—

But now that Meng Yingxing was facing the man with the Gu Sha Sword, someone as clever as him would surely notice the connection.

Xiu Qingcheng suddenly let out a laugh.

She suddenly felt that what she feared in her heart might not be so significant after all.

Meng Yingxing’s Ting Tian Sword and the man’s red sword collided fiercely, bringing them face to face.

“The Gu Sha Sword!”

The man stared intently at Meng Yingxing. “Hey, kid, are you a member of the Yelan City Guard?”

Meng Yingxing’s crimson-gold eyes were a swirl of chaos. He shook his head gently. “I am not.”

“Then how do you know this sword style!?”

“That’s exactly what I want to ask you!”

The two clashed and separated once more.

Blades collided, sparks flew, and the scenes of yesterday became hazy and flickering.

‘You want to learn the sword?’

Facing the youth’s request, the female general seemed somewhat surprised.

‘I only know this one set of sword techniques, the Gu Sha Sword. Do you really want to learn it?’

The youth nodded, firm in his resolve.

‘The Gu Sha Sword only has four forms: Slash, Annihilate, Exhaust, and Kill. Moreover, this sword style is fierce; it leaves no room for defense.’

‘But A-Ying, you must remember… the Gu Sha Sword was not created for the sake of slaughtering enemies, but for the sake of protection.’

Risking one’s life, charging forward without hesitation—all for the sake of protecting what lies behind you.

The sparks dissipated, and Meng Yingxing’s heavy expression reappeared before the man.

“Tell me, where exactly did your sword style come from!?”

The man’s questioning grew agitated. His demonic eyes turned ferocious, and the nine-tailed demonic power behind him surged abruptly.

Meng Yingxing was blown back. He quickly adjusted his posture, using his sword to brace himself against the ground.

Facing the man’s interrogation, Meng Yingxing stood tall and pulled the Ting Tian Sword from the earth.

“My sword style was, of course, taught to me by my master.”

“Who is your master?”

Meng Yingxing didn’t speak. He twirled the Ting Tian Sword and held it before his chest.

The entire blade of the Ting Tian Sword was revealed to the man without reservation.

Behind Meng Yingxing, Xiu Qingcheng slowly clenched her hands.

Meng Yingxing looked firmly at the man and spoke softly, “You likely don’t know my master.”

“But perhaps, you recognize this sword?”

After saying this, Meng Yingxing stared at the man without blinking, hearing his own heartbeat like a thundering drum.

The man followed Meng Yingxing’s words and finally took notice of the sword in his hand.

The sword was cobalt blue throughout.

The man’s pupils shrank violently as countless memories began to flood his mind.

Her, the peace envoy, the box.

Cobalt blue, the ancient sword.

That was right. The sword Meng Yingxing was using was the very ancient sword that held a place in the man’s memories—

Meng Yingxing waited for the man’s answer.

However, within a few seconds, Meng Yingxing’s vision suddenly began to spin.

With the Blood Kong Flower in one hand and his sword in the other, the man pinned Meng Yingxing to the ground with terrifying speed.

His cold blade was pressed against Meng Yingxing’s neck, his face looking even more grim than before.

“Kid, tell me, where did you get this sword!?”

“I clearly sank this sword into the bottom of the ocean long ago! Tell me!!!”

The man’s sudden roar left Meng Yingxing stunned for several seconds. He saw that the man’s eyes were bloodshot, looking as if they were about to tear at the corners.

“What are you talking about?”

Meng Yingxing asked back, somewhat dazed.

The man suddenly let out a burst of wild, cold laughter.

“You don’t know? You actually don’t know?”

“The sword currently in your hand is the world-famous…”

“Demon Sword Duan Li!“