Black Myth: Starting from the Destined One
Chapter 206 - 173: The Fallen Genius!_2

Chapter 206: Chapter 173: The Fallen Genius!_2

As he spoke, Mahaparinirvana struck at Pei Yuanjing with his Zen Staff, but his move was immediately blocked by Li Ping’an.

"My goodness! Brother, what are you doing? I have told you before, to kill is to draw blood, to save is to save thoroughly; this scoundrel must not be spared!"

Li Ping’an turned to Mahaparinirvana and explained helplessly:

"Brother, I still have important matters to attend to in Chang’an. If not for this matter, why would I hesitate and be wary like this? Dear brother, just listen to me this time. When we return, I will treat you to seven days of wine and meat!"

"Hmph, you’ll see!"

Feeling somewhat displeased, Mahaparinirvana turned away, deciding not to interfere any further.

Li Ping’an then pressed the Hundred Plays Steel Rod against Pei Yuanjing’s face and questioned him:

"Pei Yuanjing, don’t try to fool me into a trap, thinking I’m as ignorant as a pig. You smooth talker, saying you’re willing to take on all the guilt, but what guarantee do I have? Eh? If you can’t provide a satisfactory answer, you’ll die on the spot!"

"I..."

Of course, Pei Yuanjing’s little tricks were useless against the vigilant and cunning Li Ping’an, but having delayed until now, a chance to survive had emerged, and Pei Yuanjing certainly did not want to give up. He had to seize this opportunity, so with determination and gritted teeth, he said:

"Isn’t the teacher of the great monk beside you the Emperor Tathagata Dragon Tree Divine Monk? You could take me in front of the Emperor Tathagata Dragon Tree Divine Monk. I will explain the truth to Emperor Tathagata and let his eminence vouch for me. Even if I were to renege and deceive later, with the Emperor Tathagata Dragon Tree Divine Monk as your witness, will the people of the world believe me, Pei Yuanjing, or the Emperor Tathagata Dragon Tree Divine Monk?"

"Hmm, not bad, this is indeed a good idea!"

Li Ping’an agreed with Pei Yuanjing’s suggestion and immediately looked at Mahaparinirvana, the disciple of Emperor Tathagata Dragon Tree Divine Monk, to seek his opinion:

"Big brother, what do you think..."

"This little beast’s proposal does seem feasible..."

Mahaparinirvana stroked his beard, pondering:

"But I have never seen the Emperor Tathagata Dragon Tree Divine Monk until now..."

As Mahaparinirvana was speaking, Xie Wenren, who was hiding in the shadows, was suddenly at a loss. His plan was originally to have Li Ping’an kill Pei Yuanjing and then secretly shoot Li Ping’an to death. He never expected things to develop to this extent!

Thwarted by Li Ping’an’s kindness and Pei Yuanjing’s cunning!

After a brief panic, Xie Wenren immediately changed his mind. A new venomous plan emerged, as he stared sinisterly at the distant Li Ping’an:

"Enough, enough, enough. Since I can’t kill you, Li Ping’an, by my own hands, I’ll first kill Pei Yuanjing, this deceitful maniac. Once Pei Yuanjing is dead, you, Li Ping’an, will find it impossible to clear yourself of the deaths of Cen Fuda and Pei Yuanjing. Even if that great monk speaks for you, with no living witness, who would believe you?

"Not to mention Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Cen Changjin. You, Li Ping’an, killed the favorite disciple of Sect Master Zhuge Junchen of the Flame Cloud Sect and seized the three Sect’s Treasures, the Immortal Slaying Sword. He will not let you go. Fine, consider yourself lucky. I won’t kill you today, but it’s just letting you scrimp a few more days of life!"

After Xie Wenren finished speaking, he aimed the artifact-refined arrow at Pei Yuanjing’s neck.

Seeing that Mahaparinirvana had also agreed to Pei Yuanjing’s proposed plan, Li Ping’an withdrew the Hundred Plays Steel Rod he had pressed against Pei Yuanjing’s face:

"Fine, I will now take you to the Emperor Tathagata Dragon Tree Divine Monk so that he can bear witness!"

"Thank you, Immortal Li, for sparing my life!"

"Thank me? Hmph! I’m afraid your master and Cen Changjin won’t let you off either! You better think about how you’re going to die!"

After glancing disdainfully at the seemingly grateful Pei Yuanjing, Li Ping’an turned to the Dragon King of the Jing River and commanded:

"Old Dragon King, you have labored hard this time. I will honor what I promised you soon. For now, retract the Barrier and rest!"

"Alright, but I must ask the Immortal to wait a moment!"

To dispel the two Barrier Formations, the Dragon King of the Jing River had to imagine all enemies within his sight as living invaders and obliterate them. After flying away from Li Ping’an’s feet, he turned to the remains of Cen Fuda, Iron Staff Wang Lang, and others. Imagining their skeletons as living intruders, he struck down several bolts of lightning, causing the Barrier Formations to vanish instantly, and the Dragon King of the Jing River returned to the Dragon Locking Well.

Just as Li Ping’an and Mahaparinirvana, the Monk Who Broke Precepts, watched their lifesaver, the Dragon King of the Jing River, return to the Dragon Locking Well, Xie Wenren, who had been hiding in the shadows, finally seized the rare opportunity. He took advantage of Li Ping’an and Mahaparinirvana’s complete lack of defense and fired an arrow straight at Pei Yuanjing’s neck:

"Goodbye, The Second Most Talented Under Heaven, Pei Yuanjing!"

After Xie Wenren said this with a mocking tone, the arrow, refined through his Artifact Refining Technique, shot out silently and at an angle, piercing straight into Pei Yuanjing’s neck and deep into his vitals!

Since Li Ping’an had not used his Divine Travel Technique, it was already too late by the time he sensed the disturbance. When he and Mahaparinirvana turned around, they were shocked to see Pei Yuanjing with a blank stare, bulging veins, blood dripping from the corners of his mouth, convulsing violently on the spot, and a distinctly visible arrow shaft stuck in his neck!

"Li Ping’an... save... me..."

Pei Yuanjing’s eyes were filled with confusion and fear as he struggled to raise his right hand to touch the arrow that had entered and passed through half of his body, trying to find out who had ambushed him from the shadows.

"Damn it, there’s still someone else?"

Neither Li Ping’an nor Mahaparinirvana had anticipated that after battling for so long at this location, there had always been one person hidden!

After the brief shock, their first reaction was not to pursue but to pick up their weapons in defense, fearing another stealth attack from the person hidden in the shadows.

"It’s... you... Xie Wenren... you despicable...!"

Pei Yuanjing had finally reached the arrow that had been tempered with Artifact Refining Technique, but just as he spoke, the ruthless Xie Wenren, worried that Pei Yuanjing might survive, shattered the arrow from a distance, an arrow that had been tempered with remnants from the Yinrang Ring.

As the arrow shattered, Pei Yuanjing’s neck wound was left unstopped and blood pressure unbalanced, causing him to bleed profusely. He tried to use his hands to stem the flow, but the injuries inside his body were the most fatal.

The fragments of the shattered arrow acted like numerous tiny knives scattering within Pei Yuanjing’s body, further lacerating his already injured vitals.

"Li Ping’an... save... me..."

At this moment, even if Pei Yuanjing was as tough as iron, the numerous fatal wounds he had sustained meant that even an Immortal could not save him now!

The once revered and universally admired Second Most Talented Under Heaven, Pei Yuanjing, met his utter despair, fear, and pain, and died a complete death!

Pei Yuanjing, the Taoist prodigy who might have had the potential to become an Immortal first among his peers, was ironically killed in an ambush by a villain. What an irony!

Who knows if he regretted his prideful behavior in his last moments, or regretted expelling Xie Wenren from the sect?

But whether he regretted it or not was now inconsequential; karma had been incurred, retribution had come, every sip and every bite had been predetermined!

"It’s over! The whole damn thing is over!"

Li Ping’an closed his eyes in rage and helplessness, understanding that with the death of Pei Yuanjing, Cen Fuda’s death would also be accounted to his name, and now the situation was as good as muddying the waters - guilty even if not guilty!

"Xie Wenren? How could it be him? You left him severely injured!"

Mahaparinirvana, clutching his weapon, squinted and scanned the surroundings carefully before finally locking his gaze on the civilian dwellings to the left of the Fallen Dragon Pit:

"Brother, if it’s as Pei Yuanjing said and Xie Wenren is the killer, then with Xie Wenren’s current Cultivation, he definitely can’t have gotten far! Your brother will capture him and bring him back right now!"

Li Ping’an kept his eyes closed, feeling utterly helpless:

"Big brother, even if we capture Xie Wenren, neither Sect Master Zhuge Junchen of the Flame Cloud Sect nor Cen Changjin will believe what I say! You must realize that Cen Fuda and Pei Yuanjing came here to kill me; Xie Wenren had nothing to do with this. It’s me who can’t clear my name now!"