Asesino sin nombre

Capítulo 67

Just as they were talking, the floodwaters at the bottom of the well had already submerged the entire ancient well. The floodwaters that reached the wellhead brought up a huge, dark mass of insects, which were struggling desperately on the surface of the water. But then, as if a volcanic eruption had suddenly occurred from below, a colossal wave rose from the water, carrying countless struggling insects out of the well. Pu Shidong was shocked and retreated. Amidst the splashing water, he saw several people emerge from the water. One of them, calm and composed, was none other than Yu Cuiwei.

At this moment, Shengxiang pointed to the spot where the sound of water pouring had just come from, shoved Shangxuan, and shouted, "'Gunxue Divine Skill,' slay!"

Shang Xuan swung his palm, the edge of which brought with it a chilling heat, and slammed it into the southwest corner of the ancient well. His sudden appearance and strike startled Pu Shidong and Yu Cuiwei. A loud rumble came from the ground again, and several cracks appeared. As the water surged, the soil on the ground collapsed, revealing a waterway less than three feet from the surface. It was from this waterway that the water continuously flowed into the dry well.

But one by one, the people in the dry well rose to the surface with the rising river, none of them drowning. No one drowned, but the man-eating insects were scattered and broken by the water, seemingly doomed.

Pu Shidong hadn't expected that a single misstep would lead to such a dramatic turn of events. His face hardened, and he waved his hand, issuing a sharp warning whistle. At that moment, a young man in brocade robes slowly and cheerfully climbed down from a large tree on the east side, holding a half-eaten piece of fruit he had picked. Pointing at Pu Shidong, he grinned at Yu Cuiwei, "I've lived so long and never seen such a stupid old man. Does he think people are like weights, sinking to the bottom and unable to move when submerged in water? Of course, people float when water is poured into such a big well—dumb, big-headed, stupid, pig!"

Even a person who can't hold their breath will float in water, let alone those experienced martial arts masters in the well. Holding their breath for a moment wouldn't be difficult. The inky creatures, however, are much lighter than water and float on the surface in dense layers. They were easily overturned by the combined force of Yu Cuiwei, the Golden Elixir Daoist, and Xue Weiming, but they didn't harm anyone. Pu Shidong suggested filling the well with water. Yu Cuiwei, who was struggling to escape, laughed inwardly. His righteous words were merely a ploy to get him to fill the well quickly, lest he regret it later.

As the Golden Elixir Daoist and his companions rushed to the well's edge, their first astonishment upon landing on solid ground was witnessing the Supreme Mystery Palm cleave the earth, cracking three feet of soil. "The 'Rolling Snow Divine Skill'!" they exclaimed, staring at the Supreme Mystery with disbelief. Yu Cuiwei and Shengxiang, however, acted faster than the others. They positioned themselves at the east and west corners of the crowd, guiding the group of elderly, weak, and disabled who had just emerged from the water step by step towards the center. Although Yu Cuiwei had outmaneuvered Pu Shidong, this group consisted of remnants of the Southern Han dynasty's last emperor, wielding considerable power. Rescuing the people from the dungeon was tantamount to publicly turning against Liu Ji. In this situation, there was no room for maneuver except for the three words: "Fight your way out."

The underground river is here; there must be a way out of Moqu Manor, perhaps even in a corner of the house behind them. But facing hundreds upon hundreds of servants and archers, and facing Pu Shidong and Su Qing'e, this path seems so distant, almost unreachable. Shengxiang and Yu Cuiwei stood back to back, separated by dozens of people emerging from the ancient well, while Shangxuan blocked Pu Shidong's path. The three of them shielded the others in the middle, forming a defensive barrier.

Pu Shidong laughed coldly, “Young man, let me give you a piece of advice: wanting to save lives is a good thing, but if you also get yourself killed, then it’s not a good thing, it’s pig!” Just now, Shengxiang mocked him as a stupid pig, and now he retorted, venting his anger. “Shoot!” At his command, archers all around fired arrows like rain, “whoosh” from all directions.

Thirty-two people escaped from the ancient well, including ten elderly men, three women, and nine whose martial arts had been crippled. The rest, even those physically intact, had seen their martial arts skills deteriorate considerably after twenty years of neglect, and were all physically weak. The Golden Core Daoist and Xue Weiming, still in their prime, were somewhat spared, but most were too weak to endure another fierce battle. For the first time since leaving home, Sheng Xiang had encountered a situation where there was no chance of escape except to fight. Among the people blocking his way, three had their right hands crippled, and two were elderly women, practically defenseless. Whether he could survive depended entirely on Sheng Xiang's martial arts prowess!

Arrows rained down, whistling through the air. Saint Incense's gold-edged folding fan flicked, pointed, swept, struck, slashed, pushed, and blocked, making rapid, sharp "crackling" sounds as he deflected and parried, like a barrage of raindrops, stopping fifty-five long arrows three feet away! Jade Cuiwei unleashed a series of palm strikes, and after ten strikes, not only were the arrows knocked down, but half the archers were also killed. Shang Xuanping pushed out with a single palm strike, sending thirty archers and their bows flying, their fates unknown. The Golden Elixir Daoist, holding a small golden sword, stood guard within the circle, exchanging horrified glances with Xue Weiming: Twenty years had passed since he last entered the martial world, and the younger generation had surpassed the older; the talent and martial arts of these young people were truly astonishing.

After the rain of arrows, Pu Shidong, seeing the situation was dire, waved his hand and shouted, "Disperse the crowd! Don't let them form a battle line!" With his shout, a dozen or so tall horses charged towards the crowd from within Jinghua Garden, instantly scattering the assembled masses. The crowd scrambled to avoid the galloping hooves, and in an instant, the semi-circular formation crumbled. As the crowd dispersed, dozens of strange men wearing cowhide masks and wielding long knives flashed into the fray, beginning a frenzied slaughter.

A bloodcurdling scream rang out as a man in yellow was hacked to death by two leather-clad men, blood splattering everywhere—a horrifying sight. Shengxiang parried a blow aimed at an old woman. A gust of wind blew from behind, and someone kicked. He parried the blow and then retaliated with a flying kick to the wrist of the person in front of him, causing their long sword to slip from their grasp and plunge into the chest of someone behind them. A low "heh" was heard from both sides, and Shengxiang had already smiled and vanished. Xue Weiming, having not practiced his whip for many years, was rusty. Suddenly, he lost control and the whip lashed out at his own head. Just as he was about to smash his brains open, the whip was suddenly grabbed mid-strike. A young man in brocade robes, while dodging swords, had actually caught his whip, tied a tight knot at the tip, and then smiled and slunk away. Xue Weiming was initially taken aback, but after cracking the whip, he immediately realized: the knotted whip tip concentrated the weight, making it easier for him to control, which greatly increased his goodwill towards Shengxiang. The Golden Core Daoist's small golden sword was only five inches long and hadn't been used for many years; he felt it was too dangerous to engage in close combat with a long saber. Suddenly, a saber came crashing down on his head. The Golden Core Daoist raised his sword to parry, but with a clang, the saber, though shorter than the sword, struck the Golden Core Daoist's forehead—the situation was extremely perilous. Suddenly, a figure flashed, and the pressure on the Golden Core Daoist's hand eased. Shang Xuan had picked up the long saber, pushed it, and caused the hilt to strike the swordsman's chest. The swordsman immediately coughed up blood and lay lifeless.

The battle within Jinghua Garden was fierce and chaotic, with corpses strewn everywhere and the air filled with the cries of the wounded. Upon seeing the encirclement, Pu Shidong and Su Qing'e both frowned, and suddenly one took Yu Cuiwei and the other Shangxuan, joining the fierce battle.

Meanwhile, Liu, the prostitute, was in Li Ling's banquet room, spending the night with him, whispering sweet nothings.

Chapter Twenty-One: Intending to Entrust Zhu Xian with Writing a Tragic Tale

Pu Shidong also wielded a two-foot-long sword, identical to the swordsmen around him. With a swift, lightning-fast strike, he aimed for Yu Cuiwei's neck. Yu Cuiwei leaned back, and Pu Shidong unleashed his full power on the sword. With a sharp "crack," the smile on Yu Cuiwei's face vanished—the sword, just an inch from his clothes, had torn a foot-long section of his sleeve! "Death Blade!" Yu Cuiwei roared.

The Death Blade! Pu Shidong's strike was known as "The Blade of Death and Impermanence," said to be able to injure internal organs with just a trace of its intent, killing without leaving a visible wound. Xue Weiming's expression changed upon hearing this, but Shengxiang, unaware of the Death Blade, tugged at his sleeve without any regard for appearances, "What is that?"

"Death Blade injures people with its intent. No matter who it is, you must stay at least one foot away from its blade, otherwise the injury will be fatal!" Xue Weiming roared. The twenty or so people who were fighting in a scattered manner changed their expressions upon hearing Death Blade's name and retreated, forming a new circle on their own.

Upon realizing that Pu Shidong possessed the deadly blade technique, Yu Cuiwei instinctively tried to dodge backward. However, he suddenly noticed a circle of elderly, weak, and disabled people gathered behind him, clearly defenseless. If he dodged, several of them would surely fall victim to the deadly blade. For some reason, Yu Cuiwei, who never cared about the lives of others, hesitated for a moment. This hesitation gave Pu Shidong an opening, and his gleaming longsword was already at Yu Cuiwei's chest. Yu Cuiwei swiftly dodged to the side, but Pu Shidong's blade flashed close, and with the momentum of his sidestep, he suddenly slashed at a woman in yellow behind him—this strike was the culmination of Pu Shidong's full power; he wanted to kill to establish his authority! The woman in yellow was no ordinary person either; she parried with her sword, and judging from her stance, she was a disciple of the Emei sect. But as Pu Shidong's "Death Soul Slash" swept through the air, a faint black mist rose from it. The woman in yellow's sword suddenly snapped in mid-air with a "crack." Pu Shidong suddenly let out a cold laugh, and the broken sword, propelled by his internal force, shot backward. With a "whoosh," it and his "Death Soul Slash" struck the woman in yellow's chest!

Just as the killing was about to happen, Pu Shidong suddenly trembled violently, and a mouthful of blood gushed out before his "Death Soul Slash" could strike the woman in yellow. The woman in yellow dodged in horror; the "Death Soul Slash" had lost its power by the time it reached her, and was actually parried by her broken sword, barely escaping death. Pu Shidong spat out a mouthful of blood, took a step forward, and then furiously turned back—behind him, Yu Cuiwei gracefully retreated, his scholar's robe spotless, not a drop of blood on it, as if he hadn't been the one who had seized the opportunity to ambush Pu Shidong with a "Single-Handed" strike that shattered Pu Shidong's protective aura. Xue Weiming loudly praised him. A slight smile appeared on Yu Cuiwei's face. He didn't care whether the woman in yellow lived or died, but Pu Shidong had used him to kill someone. Who was Yu Cuiwei? He wasn't someone to be easily manipulated!

Pu Shidong, slightly injured, held his sword still, staring fiercely at Yu Cuiwei.

Yu Cuiwei raised the corner of his eye slightly, a hint of a smirk in his eyes, as he waited intently for Pu Shidong's counterattack.

If these two really start fighting, the next blow will surely kill someone on the spot!

Su Qing'e lunged at Shang Xuan, her weapon being half a spear. The "Yang Family Spear" of the Song Dynasty was renowned; what was the purpose of her broken spear? Shang Xuan's eyes flashed with a long-lost arrogance. With a flick of his sleeve, Su Qing'e's broken spear was already within his sleeve. Shang Xuan drew a circle with his left hand, then with a steady twist, bent Su Qing'e's broken spear, rendering it useless.

But this old woman was incredibly fierce. After being disarmed, she actually pulled out half an iron chain from her sleeve, with two hooks at the end, and with a glint of dark light, she flicked it towards his eyes with a "whoosh".

Half a spear, half a rope—these are both common weapons in half. The Golden Core Daoist said in a deep voice, "You are from the Purple Robe Sect!"

It turns out there's a Purple Robe Sect in Lingnan, skilled in using eighteen kinds of weapons. The sect's rule is to use the weapon of the enemy defeated by them as their own, cutting it in half to distinguish them. The more weapons one can wield, the higher their martial arts prowess. Su Qing'e switched from spear to rope, then from rope to sword, then from sword to saber—four different weapons in the blink of an eye—all destroyed by Shang Xuan's single move! However, Shang Xuan's "Rolling Snow" technique is extremely energy-consuming. After such a long and arduous battle, when Su Qing'e used her fifth weapon, the half-staff, Shang Xuan's palm strike only cracked the staff, unable to cleave it in two.

The situation was gradually undergoing subtle changes, shifting from a stalemate to one that was unfavorable to Saint Incense's side.

Yu Cuiwei and Shang Xuan were entangled by Pu Shidong and Su Qing'e, and the heavy responsibility of protecting everyone's safety suddenly fell entirely on Sheng Xiang's shoulders. Jin Dan Daoist and Xue Weiming tried their best to protect themselves, but the three of them already felt that they could not take care of everything at once.

At this moment, if Li Lingyan were here, the situation would surely be very different... The three of them, in the midst of their battle, had all unconsciously thought this.

With a sharp "snap," Shengxiang severed the tendons in the thigh of a man made of cowhide with her fan, leaped back to help an elderly man with white hair parry a knife from behind, and then pulled a middle-aged man in blue robes, who was beaten unconscious, to prevent him from killing his friend by mistake. Shengxiang glanced at him and realized he was a monk, though he hadn't shaved his head for a long time and was wearing monk's robes. Liu Ji had gathered quite a few people from various factions, which was very different from Li Lingyan. Li Lingyan used money to lure brutes, intelligence to subdue subordinates, and revenge to unite his followers, coupled with blatant deception and threats, creating an atmosphere of "those who obey me prosper, those who oppose me perish." Liu Ji, however, lacked Li Lingyan's ability to manipulate people's hearts. Instead, she started small, borrowing power from outside when she couldn't do it herself, using the former prestige of these dozens of Jianghu elders, celebrities, and chivalrous figures to bolster her own power. Xiao Yan hadn't appeared—how could he not have? In an instant, Shengxiang thought: Li Lingyan and Liu Ji—they could complement each other! They could cooperate—they would cooperate—

If these two were to join forces, killing Qu Zhiliang or rebuilding the Southern Han kingdom in Lingnan wouldn't be an insurmountable challenge. A sudden tightness gripped his chest again. Sheng Xiang gasped for breath, gripping his fan handle to deflect the flashing blade before him. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead, dampening his hair—had Li Lingyan really cooperated with Liu Ji? If this cooperation were to occur, it wouldn't just be a matter of江湖恩怨 (jianghu grievances), but would unleash a bloodbath… Li Lingyan, oh Li Lingyan, why do you always choose to be an enemy of the world? Why do you always insist on walking a path of no return… the further you go, the more resolute you become, the less you turn back—is that truly what you seek?

With a clang, the sound of metal clashing suddenly rang in his ears. Shengxiang was startled and realized that the Golden Elixir Daoist had taken the blow for him. He smiled and thanked him, but his ankles buckled as he leaped backward, and he almost fell.

Saint Incense… Shang Xuan suddenly saw it during his fierce battle with Su Qing'e, and his heart skipped a beat! He knew Saint Incense was already at his limit. His foundation in martial arts was not solid to begin with, and coupled with his heart ailment, he was even less able to fight for long. If something happened to Saint Incense… He felt a chill run down his spine. Could something happen to Saint Incense? He couldn't imagine what would happen to the world if something happened to Saint Incense… What would happen to the Emperor, the Prime Minister, Rong Yin, Yu Xiu, Ze Ning, Tong Wei, Qi Yang, Liu Yin, and the others? He was momentarily distracted when a sharp pain shot through his shoulder. He quickly grabbed the spear that was embedded in his shoulder flesh. Su Qing'e had switched to half a spear. In her previous move, "Floating Clouds Probing the Sun," the spearhead had pierced Shang Xuan's shoulder. This spearhead also had a barb. She laughed loudly, pulled back with all her might, and tried to tear a piece of flesh from Shang Xuan's shoulder.

Saint Incense… Yu Cuiwei, standing at the perfect angle, witnessed Saint Incense's stumble and his heart skipped a beat. Pu Shidong and he had been locked in a fierce standoff for a long time, but Yu Cuiwei's experience in combat was vast and unparalleled; he couldn't find a single weakness. Yu Cuiwei was much younger than him, and Pu Shidong knew that if the standoff continued, he would be the first to give in. Just as Pu Shidong was feeling frustrated, he suddenly saw Yu Cuiwei's eyes flicker, and with a loud shout, he unleashed the long-awaited "Impermanent Slash."

The deadly blade struck faster than lightning. By the time Yu Cuiwei regained his senses, the tip of the blade had already touched his chest. A gloomy, murky killing intent seeped into his skin. Behind him were about a dozen defenseless men—a deafening "bang" resounded.

With a loud crash, Yu Cuiwei braced himself against the deadly blade, then flicked out his long right sleeve and gently tapped Pu Shidong's chest.

"You..." Pu Shidong, overjoyed at his successful strike, suddenly had his face twitch, and wisps of black blood slowly oozed from his seven orifices. With a clang, his long sword fell to the ground, and he collapsed dead. He seemed to have won, but he couldn't withstand a flick of Yu Cuiwei's long sleeve. Xue Weiming rushed over, asking in a panic, "Brother Yu, how badly are you injured?"

Yu Cuiwei straightened his torn clothes, turned around, and revealed a chest with snow-white, smooth skin, completely unmarked. He said leisurely, "What do you think?"

What kind of martial arts could withstand Pu Shidong's deadly blow without a scratch? Xue Weiming was dumbfounded and speechless for a long time. Sheng Xiang, whose moves were gradually becoming disordered, said with a smile, "Da Yu is a very amazing person... Xue Datou, you should trust your judgment in choosing 'heroic youths'. All 'heroic youths' who fight against 'evil demons' will not die." He was clearly panting heavily, but his smile was even brighter than usual.

Upon Pu Shidong's death, Su Qing'e's expression changed drastically. She snapped the spear in two with a sharp crack, let out a shrill shriek, and swiftly retreated, disappearing into the bushes. As soon as Su Qing'e retreated, the scattered leather-clad warriors around her also withdrew, and the once noisy battlefield fell silent, even deathly still.

Shengxiang immediately collapsed to the ground, crying out repeatedly, "This young master has a headache, heartache, stomachache, hand pain, foot pain... and my eyes hurt!"

Blood was gushing from the wound on Shang Xuan's shoulder. He was pressing his right shoulder with his left hand, and fresh blood was still dripping from between his fingers. Hearing the sound, he couldn't help but groan, "Why does my eye hurt?"

Shengxiang rolled his eyes at him. "I've seen so many knives flashing in front of me for so long, my eyes are tired and of course they hurt! And my ears hurt too! I've been listening to the 'clang clang clang clang' sound for too long. My nose hurts, my eyebrows hurt, in short, my whole body hurts. I'm weak and sickly, if you don't come and save me soon, I'll die..." He sat on the ground and groaned.

The Golden Elixir Daoist rushed over, ignoring Shengxiang's screams, and removed the spear from Shangxuan's arm, bandaging his wound. With no medicine at hand, he could only tear off a piece of his clothing for a hasty bandage. Fortunately, it was just a superficial wound; at worst, Shangxuan's right arm would be temporarily crippled, but it wasn't serious. Xue Weiming, covered in blood and sweat, also collapsed to the ground, panting heavily. Shengxiang, still yelling, glanced at the number of people: about twenty in the dungeon had survived, but they were all deathly pale, as if a breath would kill them. His eyes darted around, and he pointed to the hidden river channel where Shangxuan had opened a gap, "Let's escape."

An elderly man in gray robes, who had been slashed twice, asked, "Escape from here?"

Shang Xuan snorted: "Those who don't want to leave can stay." He had been pampered since childhood and was also arrogant in Jiang Chenming's army. Once he got rid of that decadent and confused state of mind, his old arrogance naturally resurfaced.

Upon hearing this, the crowd couldn't help but feel that although this man possessed high martial arts skills, he was arrogant and rude, unlike the well-mannered young man surnamed Yu. Their gazes towards Yu Cuiwei shifted from admiration to appreciation. Shengxiang smiled as he watched the old men show such favor to Yu Cuiwei. He now knew that Yu Cuiwei was not only adept at charming young men and women, but also at charming these elderly men and women. It was clear that being called the "bewitching lecher of the martial world" was indeed a remarkable thing.

At this moment, Yu Cuiwei bowed politely and answered the old man's question: "Moqu Manor is located in a basin with no other way out. We guess that the only way out is through the underground river under the manor, but it is difficult to estimate how many dangers are there down there."