Eternal Swordmaster
Chapter 272 - 265 Outside - Part 1

Chapter 272: Chapter 265 Outside - Part 1

Shasha

The tree leaves swirled down from the sky.

Sheet after sheet, like raindrops, like snowflakes, they landed on the ground, growing thicker and denser.

"Today, I’ll see where you can run to!"

In the woods, a black-clad woman with a covered face brandished her knife, slashing repeatedly at a dirty-looking boy in front of her.

Her knife technique was sharp and disciplined, exuding an air of nobility, but she just couldn’t manage to really hit the boy in front who slipped away like an eel, no matter how hard she tried.

"I have no grudges against you. Miss Ye, you’ve pursued me so many times. Last time, I almost got killed by someone under the influence of Flower Drink, and you ended up seriously injured, spitting blood yourself," the boy shouted loudly. "What’s the point of all this, Miss Ye? The weather is so nice. We hit it off at first sight, why not sit down for a drink and chat about poetry? Wouldn’t that be better?"

Tch!

A vicious slash grazed his forearm, making the boy break out in a cold sweat, and he hurriedly sped up his movement technique.

"You scoundrel! Go die!" The black-clad and masked Miss Ye was furious, her knife technique becoming even sharper and filled with murderous intent.

As one chased and the other fled, they passed through a small yellow flower wood, and there was a slope ahead which they were about to leap over.

Pop pop pop!

Suddenly, several figures burst out from the ground, rushing past the boy in a flash, paying him no heed as they charged straight towards the pursuing Miss Ye.

Four gleaming steel spears sprang out like poisonous snakes, targeting death points on the masked woman’s body from four different directions simultaneously.

"Mysterious Shadow Cult!" The masked woman snorted coldly, her longsword swirling around like a wheel, suddenly bursting forth a bundle of silver light, dazzling to the eyes.

Clang clang clang clang!

With four consecutive crisp sounds, the spear shafts were deflected, and five figures clashed together in a melee.

That dirt-covered boy finally got the chance to catch his breath.

"Thank goodness for the timely appearance of the masters from the Mysterious Shadow Cult. Otherwise, I’d already be headless by now! Much appreciated. I will secretly offer incense and prayers to your cult to repay this benevolence!" he whispered to himself. Then, he sneaked glances left and right, quietly preparing to slip away towards a specific direction.

"Brother Zhao, I trust you are well. Why the thought of fleeing as soon as we meet?"

Suddenly, a clear male voice sounded from behind him.

The boy jolted, turned around abruptly, and saw a middle-aged man in a black python robe playing with a pair of golden steel balls, rolling them around gurgudugudu, looking at him with a half-smiling expression.

"As expected of the genius who received the Northern Spear King’s heritage, managing to escape so far from the hands of Si Jue, and still without a scratch, impressive indeed!"

The man’s eyes were full of a wild sharpness as he smiled, merely meeting his gaze gave one a stinging sensation in their eyes, clearly indicating his cultivation had reached an incredibly alarming level.

"Ah... so it’s Brother Fu in person. The Mysterious Shadow Cult has mobilized so many resources just for an ordinary little guy like me. Isn’t that a bit of a waste..." the boy chuckled dryly, sneakily surveying other directions. He didn’t expect that each direction seemed to carry a stern aura. The seemingly empty woods now appeared dreadfully dangerous, evidently with ambushes laid out.

"Brother Zhao, since you’ve called me ’big brother,’ I, as your big brother, naturally wouldn’t harm my little brother," the middle-aged man said with a slight smile. "You were merely scraping by on the streets before, living from hand to mouth, but if you follow your big brother, you’ll have glory, wealth, the Divine Technique, and the affection of countless beauties. Whatever you want, you’ll have it. Won’t that be delightful?"

"Uh... Brother Fu has shown great kindness, and I am grateful in my heart, but the command of my master is difficult to disobey... The old man passed on all his cultivation to me when he was dying, and left me with a mountain of debts of gratitude that still aren’t repaid. If I were to give up now, wouldn’t I become a man who breaks his promises? Since childhood, I have always looked down on those who do not keep their word, as they are no better than dogs and pigs." The youth chuckled and planned to find a way out while speaking.

"The cultivation of the Northern Spear King is indeed valuable, but that’s not what we want. Why does the young brother play dumb?" The middle-aged man slowly approached, pressuring with every step.

"Uh... Brother Fu, you think too highly of me..." The youth stepped back relentlessly, sweating more and more profusely.

In the past, he had always found a crack to escape through when faced with desperate situations, but now he could think of no way out.

The masked woman by his side was also close to exhausting her strength. Originally, she was powerful and should not have been defeated so quickly. Even if not a match for the Four Great Spear Spirits of the Mysterious Shadow Cult, she should have been able to hold her own for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. However, the long duration of their escape had greatly drained her.

Now, after just a short while, she was panting continuously, struggling to maintain balance on either side.

"How about it? If you agree to join our Mysterious Shadow Cult, with your innate talent and abilities, I can decide right now to give you the Si Jue enchantress to play with at your will. She had been after your life for so long, it would be fitting for you to vent and relieve that pressure," the middle-aged man said with a step forward and a smile.

"Uh...." Just as the youth was about to speak, he felt a bone-chilling murderous gaze from beside him. It was obviously from Fairy Ye Qingchang of the Si Jue.

"Forget it... I’m just an ordinary hoodlum. A fairy like Miss Ye certainly wouldn’t look twice at me, so I won’t harbor any wishful thoughts."

Just moments ago, he had nearly been tempted.

But upon recalling the final entrustment of his master, his mind suddenly cleared. A promise made was to be kept. He, Zhao Ke, may not have been worth much, having been nothing but a lowly thug scraping by in life.

But the one thing he took pride in was keeping the promises he made!

Although his master had taught him for only a short time before dying, with the responsibility he undertook and the cultivation he received, he had to fulfill what he had promised!

Upon hearing this, Brother Fu also showed a look of regret.

"What a pity... Such an outstanding young man like you also has moments of insensitivity. A wise man adapts to circumstances. Dragons can soar to the heavens and also coil in the abyssal rivers. The ancient sage Huang Zihan was able to endure the humiliation of being spat upon."

"Since Brother Fu says I’m a dragon among men, how could someone with my astonishing talent and remarkable beauty die silently in a deserted wilderness..." The youth chuckled dryly. "What was that saying? There is an endless road for the despairing!"

"It’s ’heaven has endless roads’..." Suddenly, a figure dropped down beside them with a whoosh, revealing the masked woman now with several spear wounds.

She staggered and nearly fell but was steadied by the youth, who wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Miss Ye, are you alright?!"

As soon as the youth steadied her, he felt his hand slick with sticky blood. Pulling it away, he saw it was covered in blood.

He was startled.

"Miss Ye, you’re injured!"

"Let’s join forces to escape from here first!" said the masked woman through gritted teeth. Now powerless, her soft, graceful body could barely stay upright with the support of the youth.

A spear had pierced a hole in her leg, the blood flowing more and more, showing signs it might not stop. If this continued, she would surely die here.

"Alright!"

The youth was decisive and nodded in agreement.

"Young Zhao, holding a beauty in your arms, it’s a shame not to enjoy the prime of life. At such a young age, to die alongside the enchanting woman of Si Jue seems such a pity, doesn’t it?"

The middle-aged man closed in step by step.

And the two of them retreated with every step.

The members of the Mysterious Shadow Cult slowly surrounded them, all with cold expressions and murderous auras.

Zhao Ke’s eyes darted wildly, his mind frantically searching for an escape plan. The corners of his eyes flickered as he desperately scanned for any crack or opportunity.

The cultists, who had been eluded by him multiple times, dared not be the slightest bit careless and did not allow their attention to waver, closing in with every step.

"This kid is full of tricks. Hall Master Fu, why not just break his legs first, then bring him back for a slow interrogation?" one of the Four Great Spear Spirits said coldly.

"No, please! The body, hair, and skin, I received them from my parents. I’ve always cherished my body greatly. If I lose my legs and can only crawl, I would rather commit suicide!" Zhao Ke quickly exclaimed.

"With me around, you’ll find even dying is difficult!" another Spear Spirit chuckled with a sinister laugh.

"You really think I’m out of options?" Fairy Qingchang said with a cold voice.

"Miss Ye’s divine arts are indeed daunting, which is why we haven’t hastened until now, isn’t it?" Big Brother Fu laughed heartily. The golden orb in his hand disappeared, replaced by a silver-white short spear with a spearhead faintly revealing strands of spear light.

The others also summoned their cultivation, with their spear tips similarly emitting strands of white light.

Just as they were about to make their move.

"Wait!!" Suddenly, Zhao Ke shouted loudly.

"What is it? Brother’s come to his senses?" Big Brother Fu laughed and asked.

Zhao Ke instead revealed a mysterious, slight smile.

"Do you know why I didn’t go anywhere else and chose to come to this barren mountain and ridge?"

"Why?" Big Brother Fu asked casually, a hint of admiration in his eyes. Facing desperation yet still able to joke and laugh, taking his promises as his life. Although Zhao Ke appeared slippery on the surface, he was at his core a man of loyalty and honor – a hero. This was the most regrettable aspect for him, and precisely for that reason, he had extended the olive branch multiple times.

"Because this place is home to a close friend of my master," Zhao Ke said calmly, with an air of natural dignity.

"If it had been somewhere else, perhaps I would indeed have no chance to escape even with wings, but here... hehehe!"

He suddenly looked up toward the distant sky, eyes gleaming with mad joy.

"The same old tricks?" Big Brother Fu shook his head and smiled, "Fooled once, I won’t be fooled a second time."

"I would never use the same tactic twice," Zhao Ke couldn’t help but laugh proudly.

Then suddenly, he shouted at the top of his voice.

"Godfather!!!!!"

The sound was so heart-wrenching, so full of grief and despair, that it seemed to echo for days without end.

Before the members of the Mysterious Shadow Cult could react.

An ominously cold presence thundered through the air, and a chilly breeze blew from behind everyone.

Big Brother Fu hurriedly looked back, only to see a greyish-black figure swiftly float out from the woods,

"How about right here?"

Then another voice came from mid-air.

Amidst the howling sound and the gusting wind, a giant yellow bird flew into the woods overhead, hovering in the air and staring down at the figure.

That figure, however, turned around with a smile, with eyes slightly red and sinister, glancing over the crowd.

"Oh? A few little bugs..."

He licked his lips, holding a red longsword that faintly chimed with the sound of tiny wind chimes.

"If they’re just bugs, why bother with them! I’ll swallow you first before dealing with the rest!" the giant yellow bird suddenly swung a wing, fanning downwards.

Boom!!

A sharp yellow light shot down like lightning, drawing a slender yellow line. Where the line passed, trees were silently sliced through, seemingly without any resistance.

The yellow line charged towards the figure.

But that person lifted the red longsword from below and flicked it upwards like lightning.

Clang!!!

A shrill sword clang suddenly spread through the air.

Red light met the yellow line, and the two were locked in a stalemate for a moment.

Bang!

The yellow line broke, and the figure stood motionless, the red sword trembling violently, emitting an almost ear-piercing screech.

Beneath his feet, the ground unknowingly spread out with large cracks. The surrounding trees fell one by one, yet no sound was heard, all suppressed by the sword’s humming vibration.

The severed yellow line instantly carved an invisible deep groove in the ground.

"Initially, I didn’t want to make my move so soon."

The figure held the red longsword, which whooshed up into intense flames. The flames burned vividly, with some reaching his arm, seemingly ready to completely engulf him. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)