In the mountain temple, the wind and rain were blowing, and only a few bright red embers remained on the bonfire.
Ning Huaiyuan and Yue Pingshan stood under the mountain god statue, both of them were a little dazed, only the disheveled little beggar walked over step by step with water dripping all over his body.
Mud footprints left by his bare feet were left on the blue brick floor of the mountain temple.
He looked to be only seventeen or eighteen years old, thin, with tattered clothes, wet and messy hair, and dry and wet patches on his face. He was clearly a little beggar, but his appearance could not be seen clearly. At this time, Yue Pingshan realized that although he was going to die, he did not want other innocent people to die here.
So he shouted to the little beggar, "Run!"
The little beggar didn't respond, but Ning Huaiyuan sneered. Among the three, his attire was the most similar to the little beggar. They looked like two beggars, one big and one small. But at this moment, he sneered and swung his sword to cut down the beggar who had rashly walked into the land of life and death.
He was a man of great fortitude. He could even kill his fellow disciples who he had been with day and night, let alone this poor beggar he had just met by chance?
Just like Yue Pingshan, his true energy was released as sword energy, enough to decapitate an enemy from more than three meters away.
With a single strike of his sword, a subtle, transparent wave of air was generated in front of his sword, shattering the rain-filled night wind in front of him and slashing towards the little beggar.
But the little beggar seemed oblivious. He took a step forward, pointed at Ning Huaiyuan, and said, "Who are you trying to scare with your sword? I'm not afraid of you. Killing someone means paying with your life. If you don't stop immediately, I'll report you to the police and sentence you to public beheading."
The little beggar's voice was hoarse, not sounding like he was seventeen or eighteen, but rather the mature voice of someone in their forties or fifties.
Ning Huaiyuan's sword energy seemed to vanish instantly from his body, not even a strand of hair was severed.
Yue Pingshan and Ning Huaiyuan were both stunned. How could this little beggar, who had clearly not used any martial arts, have been able to dispel Ning Huaiyuan's sword energy? However, Ning Huaiyuan's surprise was only momentary. His original plan was clear: to kill Yue Pingshan, seize his treasures and secret manuals, and then destroy the body. Now that he had been caught by this little beggar, it was just a matter of killing one more person to silence him. Why would he hesitate?
But how could he have avoided that sword attack, which was so decisive?
Ning Huaiyuan was cautious by nature, and in this situation, he weighed the pros and cons almost instantly. His immediate priority was to kill Yue Pingshan. Of course, it would be better if he could easily kill this little beggar who had come to disrupt the situation, but if that wasn't possible, then his priority should be to deal with Yue Pingshan, the greater threat. So, after making up his mind, Ning Huaiyuan ignored the little beggar and unleashed the Phoenix Arrives move at Yue Pingshan.
Yue Pingshan and Ning Huaiyuan were fellow disciples, and they often practiced countering moves. Phoenix Arrives was the killing move of the Huashan Three Immortal Swords, even more swift and fierce than the Return Return move Yue Pingshan had just used to intimidate the beggars.
If he had a sword, Yue Pingshan would have three ways to counter it, but now he had no sword in his hands. His bare hands hadn't been trained to the level of Vajra Indestructibility, nor was there any such thing as cultivating invisible sword energy. But with the interruption of the little beggar, he was not without any preparation.
He turned his back to the blue brick wall of the mountain temple, and let his Qi flow through his body. Although his hands were made of flesh, they were as hard as iron and stone when infused with Qi, unable to stand up to the sword.
However, he dug out a large piece of brick from the brick wall behind him as if it were rotten soil. Seeing the opponent coming at him, he raised and threw it unexpectedly, hitting Ning Huaiyuan head-on.
This raise crushed blue brick debris and rotten mud in his hands.
This throw targeted the large brick dug out of the wall.
He used the hidden weapon technique taught by Huashan, the Cangsong Welcoming Guest technique. Both the debris and the brick were imbued with true Qi. This decisive move truly exhausted Yue Pingshan's lifelong training and his ability to adapt to changing circumstances.
With a flick of his wrist, Ning Huaiyuan shattered the brick before him. His soft sword danced like a silver snake, but despite his superior swordsmanship and immense internal energy, he couldn't completely block the curtain of brick and stone debris, and his body still faltered.
Yue Pingshan seized this opportunity. Having been cornered by Ning Huaiyuan, with no room for maneuver, he suddenly saw a glimmer of hope. Like an arrow, he shot towards the wide-open gates of the mountain temple. Once he could escape, his light-weight skills and the chilling wind and rain would allow him to at least escape.
His steps were light and quick, like an arrow. In the blink of an eye, he had shot a dozen feet away. Seeing the little beggar still standing there, he felt a surge of pity. Knowing he was doomed, he grabbed the boy's shoulder, intending to take him with him.
While he couldn't quite carry him with him, at least he could throw the little beggar out. Ning Huaiyuan was eager to catch up, so he wouldn't stop to finish him off. Even if he did stop, Yue Pingshan would take the opportunity to run even further. In any case, he'd still earned his keep.
The thought flashed through his mind like lightning, but the moment he grabbed the little beggar's shoulder, he felt a numbness in his waist. His entire body instantly lost strength, and he collapsed. He lost control of his body, losing his balance in mid-air and falling to the ground. Inertia sent him sliding another dozen feet toward the temple gate. He saw the way to survival right before him, but he couldn't get up.
Yue Pingshan lay on the ground, forcing his head up to look back at Ning Huaiyuan.
He reached for his waist, only to feel a thin silver needle. A chill instantly washed over him, and he trembled as he spoke, "Hanpo Silver Needle? Are you a member of the Luo Sect?"
"Brother, you're joking," Ning Huaiyuan said, standing still, chuckling calmly. Though he'd been caught off guard by Yue Pingshan, he'd actually used his tactic against him. As he watched Yue Pingshan flee, he fired needles at his back.
The Hanpo Silver Needle was as thin as an ox's hair, making it soundless. How could he possibly dodge it while he was fleeing? Furthermore, any contact with it would numb him, leaving him vulnerable to the attack.
However, the little beggar stood there, stunned, seemingly paralyzed by what had just happened. He no longer spoke a word of humor, and even forgot to turn and run.
But Ning Huaiyuan was now confident of victory. He looked at the little beggar who had almost ruined his plan and smiled sideways: "Big brother, your martial arts are very powerful, aren't they?"
"Do you want to learn?"
As he said this, he took a step forward and stabbed the little beggar's chest with Yue Pingshan's Yinghuo sword.
The sword energy had no effect on him just now, so this time he would directly poke a transparent hole.
Ning Huaiyuan thought so.
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(End of this chapter)