The sky over the rivers and lakes is very clear

Chapter 158

One of the men in black casually sheathed his knife, a string of blood dripping down the blade. He kicked the headless corpse over and looked toward where the head had fallen. He saw a tuft of long hair on the water, a wooden boat hidden by dense reeds on the opposite bank, and terrified passengers on the boat.

Although the river was not very wide, the two banks were about thirty feet apart, and the current was turbulent. Even though they knew that the man in black could not possibly kill them, the people on the wooden boat were still terrified by the cold cruelty in his eyes.

Without a second thought, the man in black flicked his wrist, and the long sword shot out from his palm like a bolt of lightning, flying straight towards the captain of the wooden boat opposite, piercing straight into his chest.

The boatman was spitting blood, swayed a couple of times, and then fell into the river.

The homeless child was sprayed with blood, and his legs went weak. He sat down on the boat, where a fat man was writhing on top of him in fear, making strange noises.

The people on the boat were terrified, and some screamed in horror.

The middle-aged man with the knife seemed to be a martial arts practitioner. Although he was also stunned by the massacre on the other side, he was much bolder than the ordinary people. Seeing that the men in black had discovered his whereabouts, he knew that if he did not escape quickly and let them cross the river, he would be silenced. In a panic, he grabbed a bamboo pole and pushed off into the water, causing the ferry to move further backward and then be pushed downstream by the swift current.

Several men in black stared at the departing ferry, their eyes gleaming with a sinister light.

The Sky Over the Martial World is Clear - Part One (2)

The thick fog dissipated, and the moon was full in the sky.

In the wild, a flower so vibrant it was almost blackish-red bloomed in vast swathes, covering the entire landscape in a breathtaking display.

The crimson flowers are alluring and eerie, like flames or blood, resembling a magnificent carpet laid out on the road to the underworld. Stepping on them and walking forward leads to the realm of the netherworld.

Thirteen Wolves stared wide-eyed, somewhat terrified, wondering how they had gotten here.

Thirteen Wolves is a man, one of the most notorious womanizers in the martial arts world.

Last month, he seduced the younger sister of Sun San, a powerful figure in the Guanzhong martial arts world. As a result, Sun San and his friends and followers chased after him all the way. Even though Thirteen Wolves was skilled in hidden weapons, he was no match for the enemy's numbers and had to flee back to Guanzhong.

Two hours ago, in order to avoid the ambush of the Guanxi Martial Arts Path, he entered an old forest. After running through the forest for a while, he got lost in the fog. When the fog cleared, he found himself trapped in a strange, blood-red sea of flowers.

"What kind of hellhole is this?!"

Thirteen Wolf muttered, raising his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, then his hand froze on his forehead.

As the wind rustled the flowers, and with that plaintive sound, a patch of snow-white suddenly bloomed amidst the burning flowers in front, cold, serene, and noble, like a lotus in a lonely valley.

He was a boy.

Dressed in white, she stood quietly amidst the blood-red hues, like a snowflake resting among flowers, graceful and elegant, with an air of unparalleled pride.

Thirteen Wolves stared at the sword in his hand, its white sharkskin scabbard and platinum hilt exuding a chilling aura even before it was drawn. He immediately thought of someone and couldn't help but shiver.

In the martial arts world, there are many people who like to wear white, but only the one from the legendary Maple Snow City, known for its "thousand acres of reeds like snow and a river of red trees like rosy clouds," can wear white with such aloof elegance and pristine purity.

If it really is him... then... what a damn bad luck!

After a moment of staring at each other, the man in white spoke: "The Thirteen Wolves of the Thousand-Handed Flower Picker?"

Thirteen Wolves tentatively asked, "Are you the Snow-Colored Young Master of Maple Snow City?"

The man in white nodded slightly, paused, and then said, "I've come to kill you!" His voice was as calm as spring water.

"oh!"

Thirteen Wolves didn't even bother to ask why. These self-righteous sects always had a reason for killing someone. It was either because he raped someone's sister, seduced someone's wife, or kidnapped someone's daughter—nothing new.

Seeing that he didn't react, the Snow-White Prince found it rather strange: "Aren't you going to run away?"

Thirteen Wolves sneered: "Why should I run away?" No matter how famous the other party is, he can't be scared to death without even trying!

Snow-Colored Young Master, the only son of "One Sword, Light Maple Color" and his wife "Full Sleeves of Thousands of Snowflakes," the lord of Maple Snow City, is said to be a rare prodigy in the martial arts world, unparalleled in the last three hundred years. Legend has it that at nine, he single-handedly challenged the Black Wind Manor in Shanxi, forcing its lord, who had dominated the region for twenty years, to submit to Maple Snow City; at eleven, he destroyed the Lianyun Alliance, leaving its leader utterly convinced of its superiority; at twelve, he challenged renowned swordsmen across the land, after which over a dozen famous swordsmen mysteriously retired; at thirteen, to save victims of the Yellow River floods, he single-handedly raided forty-eight strongholds in Jiangnan; at fourteen, to avenge the murder of an innocent farm child, he pursued the madman Blood Butcher for thousands of miles, finally killing him in the desert…

For many years, regardless of whether one is in the underworld or the legitimate world, when people mention the Snow-Colored Young Master of Maple Snow City, everyone praises his chivalry, benevolence, and unwavering loyalty. The white longsword in his hand, which can summon heroes from all over the world, is also known as "Snow-Colored" by the martial arts world and is considered the number one of the ten most famous swords of the time. In the martial arts world, there are many who have become famous because of the weapons they wield, but only the sword in the Snow-Colored Young Master's hand has become famous because of the man himself.

Thirteen Wolves sized up the white-clad youth opposite them, a hint of doubt in their hearts:

Rumors in the martial arts world shouldn't be taken at face value. Although Feng Xuese became famous early on, he's still just a greenhorn. Even if he started practicing martial arts in the womb, how skilled could he possibly be? He's probably just relying on his prestigious family background to gain fame and fortune, and has been elevated to the heavens by some shameless people...

Thinking about Maple Snow City's status in the martial arts world, Thirteen Wolves felt a headache coming on.

The Sky Over the Martial World is Clear - Part One (3)

These scions of noble families always consider themselves extraordinary, chivalrous, and dashing. They spend their days meddling in other people's business, getting into fights, or trying to look cool and show off their individuality. They are childish, boring, and utterly detestable.

However, although they may not have real skills, the power they represent is considerable. Being entangled with such people is like being bitten by a leech; once it bites, it won't let go and won't stop until it sucks out some blood.

He may not be afraid of Young Master Snow, but he has to be wary of Maple Snow City and its cronies—forget it, let's not fight. If we can't afford to offend them, can't we just run away?

His eyes darted around, searching for a way out amidst the vibrant red surroundings.

Feng Xuese looked at him and kindly reminded him: "To the right is the forest you just passed through, and Iron Palm Sun San is on his way with his men; behind you is a cliff, more than a hundred feet high. With your lightness skill, even if you don't die after jumping down, you will definitely be crippled; to the left, ten miles away, is the Moon Gazing Stream. If you can cross this stream, you might be able to find a way to escape."

Thirteen Wolves suddenly realized he had underestimated his opponent after someone had seen through his thoughts in one sentence.

Maple Snow Color continued, "However, I won't let you cross the Moon Gazing Stream."

Suddenly, he flicked his sleeves, and with a gust of wind, dozens of gleaming hidden weapons fell to the ground with a series of clanging sounds. Immediately afterwards, thousands of red petals were swept up by a fierce wind, swirling and dancing in the air, eerie and agile, as if flames were burning dust and the heavens were shedding tears of blood.

Thirteen Wolves gripped his hands tightly with hidden weapons, cold sweat trickling down his forehead. He was known as the Thousand-Handed Flower Picker, his hidden weapon skills unparalleled in the martial arts world. Yet, even if he truly possessed a thousand hands to pick flowers, he probably couldn't pull off this fleeting, alluring scene.

All he could see was a sky filled with blood red. Thirteen Wolves threw out all the hidden weapons he had on him as if they had been thrown into the sea, leaving no trace.

Until a waterfall of snow-white light appeared amidst the rain of flowers, and then, he suddenly smelled a bloody odor.

The real smell of blood, yet with a hint of warmth.

Before he could even investigate where the blood energy came from, he felt a slight chill in his throat. Looking down, he saw a silvery-white sword tip slowly being withdrawn, with drops of blood rolling down its blade.