Ordre du Lotus Rouge

Chapitre 37

Qi Mo turned to look at her, his smile quite meaningful: "Does it seem somewhat familiar?"

Yun Ran had already made her judgment, but she was still surprised: using corpses to poison and lure enemies was indeed a common tactic of assassins, but Muying Tower was famous throughout the world, so who would dare to sneak into the mountains to harm the Muying envoy?

She hesitated for a moment, then her gaze fell on the exposed chest of the corpse, and she shuddered. A blood-red handprint was embedded in the heart, the surrounding skin festering and blackened as if scorched by fire. She looked up at Qi Mo and whispered, "This...could it be..."

Qi Mo nodded in affirmation: "Crimson Flame Palm." He stood up and looked at Yun Ran, "It seems that the Crimson Flame Island Master has already arrived at the mountain before us."

Yun Ran frowned and said, "But Gongye Yang usually lives overseas, how could he be involved with assassins from the Central Plains?"

Qi Mo slowly said, "What if they've joined forces this time, and are targeting the same person?"

Yun Ran's expression changed slightly. She gathered her strength and ran towards the mountain, but Qi Mo quickly grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to his side. A look of displeasure flashed across his face as he sighed in a low voice, "Since you've agreed to be my wife, don't always rush to the front and make me worry. I need to protect you more."

Yun Ran raised her eyebrows. She was initially quite dismissive of Qi Mo's words, but when she met his deep and tender gaze, she felt a sudden flutter in her heart and involuntarily nodded slightly.

Qi Mo smiled slightly, hugged her and kissed her, and said gently, "That's a good girl. If we encounter an enemy later, I'll make the first move, understand?"

Yun Ran's face flushed slightly. She felt that Qi Mo had become increasingly affectionate and protective of her lately, and she seemed to be growing more and more dependent on him. This inexplicable sense of peace was something she hadn't experienced since her father and brother passed away. Thinking of this, she reached out and gently wrapped her arms around Qi Mo's waist, pressing her cheek against his chest, and whispered, "But in my heart... I also miss you very much."

Qi Mo was taken aback, but then he saw Yun Ran blush and slip out of his arms, running forward with her head down. He pondered her words for a moment and was overjoyed. He quickly caught up with her and ran alongside her into the mountains.

As they passed by, they saw several corpses of Twilight Shadow Messengers. Yun Ran thought that although Huo Qingfeng was a master of martial arts, he might not be able to defend against a sudden attack from a powerful enemy. She became increasingly worried and quickened her pace. Her figure swept through the mountains and forests as if riding the wind, almost invisible. Qi Mo was secretly surprised to see that her skills had improved so much.

Before long, the two reached the mountain peak. They heard a strong wind blowing in the distance, and the sound of weapons clashing. They quietly approached and saw several figures leaping and flying around Huo Qingfeng in an open space.

Huo Qingfeng remained calm, his long sword radiating a chilling aura, dense and powerful. He fought against the other four, mostly defending and less attacking, yet he showed no signs of defeat.

Yun Ran felt reassured and looked closely. He saw that among the four people attacking him, the short sword of the Crimson Flame Island Lord Gongye Yang was surrounded by red light, and his moves were ruthless and cunning. Another man in black was tall and handsome with a cold expression. Purple energy was flowing in his hand, and he was using the Purple Thorn Soft Sword. His sword moves were strange and unpredictable, and his movements were swift and elusive. His skill seemed to be no less than that of the Crimson Flame Island Lord.

Yun Ran recognized the man as Ling Shang, the head steward of the Marquis of Chang Le's residence. She had only known that he was pledging allegiance to Qin Luo behind the Marquis's back and secretly having dealings with Wen Huaifeng, making him unpredictable and cunning. However, she never expected his martial arts skills to be so astonishing. In comparison, the other two, Su Rang and the young Marquis Qin Luo, were significantly weaker.

Su Rang laughed and said, "Lord Huo, why not just hand over that item? Why keep resisting and risking your life?"

Qin Luo snorted and said in a sinister tone, "Whether he hands it over or not, I'm determined to take his life today!"

Hearing Qin Luo's definitive statement, Su Rang, though dissatisfied, dared not show it in the slightest and could only silently dart around with his sword. Since his and Qin Luo's skills were not yet up to par, they only harassed the enemy from the sidelines, attacking from both sides, and dared not confront Huo Qingfeng head-on.

Huo Qingfeng's expression turned cold, and his swordsmanship suddenly changed, switching from defense to offense. Points of cold light were scattered towards Su and Qin. Gongye Yang and Ling Shang wanted to come to their rescue, but Huo Qingfeng's sword moves were unpredictable and swift as a dragon. With hooks, turns and flicks, he drew the longswords in Su and Qin's hands back towards Gongye Yang and Ling Shang's treasured swords and soft blades.

With two sharp clangs, both of their swords were broken, and Huo Qingfeng seized the opportunity to strike each of them with his sword.

Qin Luo groaned, feeling a sharp pain in his wrist. A chill ran through him as he looked down to see a ring of blood around his wrist. He knew Huo Qingfeng had shown mercy with that sword strike; otherwise, he would have lost his hand. Clutching his wrist, he took several steps back, spat on the ground, and said hatefully, "Huo Qingfeng, stop pretending!"

Su Rang's thigh was bleeding profusely, his injury was several times more serious than Qin Luo's, and he lay on the ground unable to move.

Ling Shang frowned slightly, moved swiftly, and scooped Su Rang up by the waist, sending him flying several feet away. He landed behind Qin Luo and called out, "Young Marquis, please step back and stop the bleeding for Sect Leader Su. I will ask Master Huo for guidance on your behalf."

Qin Luo knew that Ling Shang's skills were superb, and that his words were only to save face. She looked up at Huo Qingfeng's figure, who was fighting fiercely, and thought to herself that Ling Shang's plan was well-thought-out. Huo Qingfeng was outnumbered and would eventually die. She couldn't help but smile sinisterly and turned to stop Su Rang's bleeding by pressing acupoints.

Seeing that the time was ripe, Ling Shang exchanged a glance with Gongye Yang. Gongye Yang understood and thrust his short sword outwards, unleashing a thousand shadows with a single strike—his signature killing move, the Crimson Flame Blade Technique. Ling Shang's sword flashed, layer upon layer, sealing off Huo Qingfeng's escape routes. At the same time, he coughed lightly. He had already laid in ambush nearby several elite assassins, waiting for this perfect opportunity. While Huo Qingfeng was focused on dealing with the combined sword and saber attack of Ling Shang and Gongye Yang, he would inevitably be unable to escape the combined onslaught of the group.

Unexpectedly, after he coughed as a signal, all around remained quiet. The ambushing crowd did not launch a surprise attack as promised. Ling Shang's expression changed, and he heard a few deep laughs from the forest. A figure swiftly joined the battle, wielding a sword and attacking him.

Su Rang's expression changed as he exclaimed, "The Absolute Kill Sect Master!" Qin Luo had also recognized Qi Mo. The two were both shocked when they heard a woman's cold voice beside them say, "How have you two been?"

When Ling Shang saw Qi Mo appear, he knew that the assassins he had arranged were most likely thwarted by him. As a result, the plan to assassinate Huo Qingfeng would inevitably fail. He couldn't help but feel resentful. He attacked Qi Mo with lightning speed and a barrage of exquisite moves.

As Qi Mo's longsword clashed with his, he seemed to sense that his own inner energy was responding to the inner force contained in Qi Mo's sword. He raised his eyebrows slightly, a look of surprise in his eyes, and became even more focused on Ling Shang's movements and sword techniques.

Although Gongye Yang had suffered a hidden loss at Qi Mo's hands, he had never faced him directly. Now, seeing him fight Ling Shang with his sword, he was impressed by the depth of his inner strength and the exquisite swordsmanship. A thought flashed through his mind: I thought Sima Liuyun was an unparalleled martial arts genius, but I didn't expect that the young people I met later were all amazing in martial arts. It seems that this time, it will not be easy for him to regain his former glory in the Central Plains.

In a moment of distraction, he was nearly stabbed in a vital spot by Huo Qingyun's sword. He quickly regained his composure and faced the enemy head-on, daring not to be careless in the slightest. He unleashed his Crimson Flame Blade in quick succession, hoping to use the sharpness of the blade to cut Huo Qingfeng's longsword and severely injure him. This was also the purpose of his invitation to come here.

A note from the author: I had a severe cold that developed into a fever, and it was with tears in my eyes that I had to part ways with you all for a few days. I felt deeply guilty. Now that I, Hu Hansan, have recovered, I will certainly repay your kindness in the coming days. *cough cough*

☆, Chapter 60 (Latest)

Gongye Yang unleashed a swift and powerful attack. Huo Qingfeng, wary of the sharpness of his precious blade, was about to evade its edge and prepare to counter when he heard a rustling sound beside him. A black, broken-bladed longsword appeared, resting on the short sword and deflecting Gongye Yang's attack. Yun Ran's cold eyes flashed with murderous intent as she said, "Let this junior experience the Crimson Flame Swift Blade of Island Master Gongye."

As she spoke, the Broken Scale Sword in her hand flashed out without warning, using speed to counter speed. With a series of crisp sounds like popping beans, she had already exchanged dozens of blows with Gongye Yang's treasured sword by the time she finished speaking.

Huo Qingfeng, unwilling to join forces with others to attack Gongye Yang, had already withdrawn his sword and retreated to the side. Seeing Yun Ran wielding her sword like the wind, her inner strength improving rapidly, and her quick swordplay demonstrating the essence of the Jade Sword Sect's swordsmanship, he smiled slightly and said, "Junior Sister Yun, our sect's swordsmanship can unleash its potential the stronger the opponent. You should practice with this person; it will greatly benefit your future swordsmanship improvement."

Upon hearing Huo Qingfeng's words, Gongye Yang realized he was being used as a practice target by his junior sister. While he was furious, he also noticed several small nicks on his short sword from the Broken Scale Sword, and a sense of dread crept in. He thought of the woman before him, her unpredictable swordplay, her powerful internal energy, and how her strange sword was even unafraid of his own precious blade. He also suspected the Absolute Kill Sect Master was likely more skilled than her. With these two as allies, the situation against Muying Tower had completely reversed. He feared that a moment of carelessness today could cost him his life.

Having already made up his mind, he sneered, "You junior from the mobile phone industry, how dare you fight me?" With that, he swung a knife to the left and right in front of him, and taking advantage of the strong wind, he pushed off with his feet and darted away into the distance.

Just as Huo Qingfeng was about to give chase, a figure suddenly appeared from the side, blocking Gongye Yang's path. With a grim face, the figure struck him in the chest with a palm strike, shouting, "Go back!"

Gongye Yang sensed the powerful and forceful palm strike from the opponent. He swiftly dodged the wind and looked up to see the newcomer, dressed in snow-white robes with sharp, piercing eyes—it was Sima Liuyun. He was startled and his movements faltered. In an instant, more than ten more people arrived, brandishing their weapons, their cold gleams flashing, and they lined up in pairs. Gongye Yang saw the strange sword formation ahead and knew that Sima Liuyun's skill was profound. He knew that he would not be able to overcome the enemy and escape down the mountain in a short time, so he had no choice but to stop.

Qi Mo and Ling Shang had been locked in fierce combat for a long time, but the more they fought, the more surprised he became. Suddenly, he clashed swords with Ling Shang and frowned, saying, "Are you the leader of that group of assassins?!"

Ling Shang's eyes flashed sharply, a mocking smile playing on his lips. Without uttering a word, he seized the opportunity to release a signal arrow into the air. Qi Mo knew he was summoning the rest of his helpers on the mountain and was on guard when he heard Ling Shang chuckle, "Sect Leader Qi, if there's an opportunity in the future, I'll have another chance to challenge your Absolute Killing Sect." With that, he flicked his sleeve, and everyone felt a gust of wind as a layer of gray smoke spread out around Ling Shang.

Qi Mo's expression changed slightly, and he shouted in a deep voice, "There's poison in the smoke!" He quickly pulled Yun Ran aside. As everyone scrambled to avoid him, Ling Shang had already used the smoke as cover to fly away into the distance.

Gongye Yang was about to flee when Yun Ran, having finally found an opponent to test her skills, refused to let him go easily. With a clear shout, she moved with her sword, leaping into the air to attack him amidst a flurry of sword light. Seeing that his escape routes were blocked by Qi Mo, Huo Qingfeng, Sima Liuyun, and others, Gongye Yang had no choice but to steel himself and raise his sword to meet the attack.

He had already exhausted much of his strength in the sword fight with Huo Qingfeng, and now he had no heart to continue the battle, so his momentum had weakened even more. Yun Ran unleashed the sword techniques of the Jade Sword Sect that he had comprehended, flowing like clouds and water, and the more he fought, the more comfortable he felt. Gradually, he came to understand the supernatural power and brought out the subtleties of the sword techniques more and more thoroughly.

As the two fought fiercely, Yun Ran unleashed a sword strike, its trajectory elusive and unpredictable. Gongye Yang took a deep breath, thrusting his short sword horizontally against his chest, while secretly gathering the power of his Crimson Flame Palm into his left arm. Though arrogant and conceited, he was also shrewd and calculating. Seeing the formidable enemies surrounding him, he had already been devising a countermeasure while fighting Yun Ran. He anticipated that Yun Ran's sword would strike his vital chest, waiting only for their swords to clash before launching a surprise attack with his Crimson Flame Palm. If he could severely injure or capture her, he could then escape.

As their swords clashed, Gongye Yang slightly pulled back his left arm. He saw Yun Ran's dark eyes shining brightly in the moonlight, with a hint of a smile flashing within them. He suddenly felt a chill and realized something was wrong, but it was too late.

With a soft clang, a short hook sprang from the tip of the broken sword. At that moment, the Broken Scale Sword was only an inch from his chest. Gongye Yang had no way to dodge and was pierced by the hook. A fierce look appeared in his eyes. He grabbed the hook that was deeply embedded in his flesh and was about to strike Yun Ran with his left palm when he felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder and the back of his left leg at the same time. He groaned, his left arm went limp, and his body fell to his knees.

Yun Ran showed no mercy. With a twist of her sword at his chest, the infamous Lord of Crimson Flame Island perished in Mount Luwang.

Qi Mo leaped forward, grinning, and said, "Sect Leader Yun's skill has improved so much that he managed to take the life of Gongye Yang, a master of this era. It is truly admirable."

Yun Ran glanced down and saw him casually brushing two iron caltrops behind his feet. She knew that he had just used a hidden weapon to stop Gongye Yang from attacking her. She had a plan in mind, but Qi Mo intervened. Although she eventually killed Gongye Yang, it was a victory that seemed unfair. She couldn't help but feel annoyed. She glared at Qi Mo and said coldly, "It's no match for Chief Qi's hidden weapon skills."

In his haste and concern, Qi Mo had already launched a hidden weapon. Seeing Yun Ran's sullen expression, he feared she was truly angry with him, so he quickly stepped forward and took her hand. Just as he was about to comfort her with gentle words, he felt a numbness in his wrist. Yun Ran had grabbed his pulse point and pressed the Qimen and Jujue acupoints on his chest, rendering him unable to move.

Just as he was feeling surprised, he saw Yun Ran's eyes gleaming slyly as she turned her head to him and said softly, "Chief Qi, I'm going to kill that brat Qin Luo now. Let's see how you stop me this time." With that, she gave him a smug smile, then darted away and leaped to Qin Luo's side.

She had already immobilized Su Rang and Qin Luo by striking their pressure points. However, she had been thwarted by Qi Mo in her previous two assassination attempts on Qin Luo, and she had been harboring a grudge ever since. This time, she planned to ambush Qi Mo first and then kill Qin Luo in front of him to vent her anger.

Qi Mo's expression changed as he watched Yun Ran raise her hand and swing her sword toward Qin Luo's neck, but he was powerless to stop her.

Just then, a green figure flew out, deflecting the Broken Scale Sword with a long sword, thus blocking her seemingly inevitable strike.

Yun Ran was greatly surprised to see that the person in front of her was Huo Qingfeng. She lowered her sword and asked suspiciously, "Senior Brother Huo?"

When Yun Ran applied pressure to the acupoints, she didn't use much force. Qi Momo used his internal energy to rush in and released the sealed acupoints. He was surprised to see Huo Qingfeng stop Yun Ran at the critical moment, and he quickly leaped to Yun Ran's side.

Huo Qingfeng remained indifferent, not even glancing at Qin Luo sitting on the ground, and said calmly, "Please, junior sister, do me a favor and let this person go this time, so that he can leave the mountain."

Qin Luo's eyes were filled with resentment, her gaze fixed on Huo Qingfeng without wavering. She said in a hoarse voice, "Bah, who asked you to pretend to be kind!"

Yun Ran was unwilling to let this villain go so easily. She frowned and said, "Senior Brother Huo, this man is vicious. He tried to kill you just now, and he even..." Her gaze inadvertently fell on Qin Luo's neck, but she paused slightly in her speech.

Qin Luo's clothes around her neck had been torn apart by the sword energy of the Broken Scale Sword, revealing her skin underneath. A dark gold ring hung on her pale neck.

Yun Ran was both surprised and delighted. She gasped and turned to Qi Mo, saying, "So it was him who stole my ring!" Without paying attention to the changing expression on Qi Mo's face, she hurriedly reached out and pulled the ring off Qin Luo's neck, clutching it in her palm.

Qin Luo angrily retorted, "You bitch, what are you doing!"

Qi Mo snorted and swiftly struck his pressure point to silence him.

Huo Qingfeng's eyes flickered slightly as he looked at Yun Ran's hand and asked in a low voice, "What, does this ring belong to Junior Sister?"

Yun Ran blushed slightly and lowered her eyes, saying, "This was given to me by Sect Leader Qi... I lost it a few days ago and don't know how it ended up in this kid's hands." After speaking, she kicked Qin Luo, her eyes filled with hatred, but after all, she had gotten the ring back, and she was extremely happy.

Qi Mo coughed and took the opportunity to smile ingratiatingly, "Since Lord Huo also said he would let this kid go, shall we spare his life this time?" As he spoke, he quietly grasped Yun Ran's hand that was holding the ring.

Yun Ran hesitated, and Qi Mo whispered in her ear, "Didn't you promise to listen to me from now on?"

Seeing Sima Liuyun standing not far away, looking embarrassed and hesitant, Yun Ran quickly pushed Qi Mo aside and asked, "Brother Sima, how did you end up here too?"

Sima Liuyun said in a low voice, "I came here specifically to find Su Rang."

Yun Ran said "Oh," and Sima Liuyun's eyes were gloomy. He looked down at Su Rang and continued, "On the night you left, Wanwan was kidnapped."

Su Rang was seriously injured by a sword in his thigh and lay on the ground unable to move. Upon hearing Sima Liuyun's words, his eyes lit up and his expression was a half-smile.

Sima Liuyun stared at him silently for a moment, then asked in a deep voice, "Did you send someone to kidnap Wanwan? Where is she now?"

Su Rang's eyes flashed, and he let out a cold laugh, but he remained silent.

Sima Liuyun's face showed anger, but he barely managed to calm himself down. He reached out and grabbed Su Rang's neck, saying in a low voice, "If Sect Leader Su still wants to live, he would better answer me as soon as possible."

Su Rang sneered, "What? You still can't forget that shameless woman who sleeps with everyone? Are you perhaps bewitched by her seductive arts? I was intimate with that woman every day recently, and I didn't notice anything special about her..."

Before he could finish speaking, Sima Liuyun was already red-faced with rage, a murderous glint in his eyes. He tightened his grip, and seeing Su Rang's tongue stick out and his face turn ashen, he was shocked. He feared that if he strangled him to death, Wanwan's whereabouts would be unknown. He quickly let go and angrily said, "Will you talk or not!"

Su Rang opened his mouth, panting heavily, and still chuckled, "Sima Liuyun, why don't you kneel down and beg me? Maybe I'll be happy and say it, haha, haha."

Before Sima Liuyun could answer, Qi Mo chuckled and said slowly, "It seems that Sect Leader Su still doesn't know who has captured you." He stepped forward with a smile, squatted down beside Su Rang, and said leisurely, "None of those who have fallen into the hands of my Absolute Killing Sect have been able to keep their mouths shut so far."

☆、61 Latest Chapter

Su Rang closed his eyes and remained silent. Qi Mo smiled and said, "If Sect Leader Su doesn't believe me, he can try it himself." As soon as he finished speaking, a whistle was heard from nearby, and several figures rushed over. The newcomers were all dressed in tight-fitting clothes. After bowing to Qi Mo, they quietly stood behind him.

Qi Mo stood up and cupped his hands, saying, "The few men in black that I just subdued seem to be from an assassin organization. Why don't we hand them over to my Absolute Killing Sect for interrogation and see what their background is? What does Lord Huo think?"

Huo Qingfeng remained calm and nodded, saying, "Then I'll trouble you."

Recalling Su Rang's words, Yun Ran asked in a low voice, "Senior Brother Huo, how could Su Rang and the people from the Marquis of Chang Le's mansion have joined forces to attack? The item he asked you to hand over just now... could it be that they came for the Imperial Seal of the State?"

Huo Qingfeng's expression shifted slightly, and he raised his eyes, asking, "The sect leader already knows?"

Yun Ran looked around and saw that Qi Mo and Sima Liuyun both seemed to understand, so Huo Qingfeng said, "This is not the place to talk. Please follow me."

Qi Mo turned his head and whispered a few instructions to his subordinates, then took Yun Ran's hand and, together with Sima Liuyun, followed Huo Qingfeng into the mountains.

The four walked for a while, and then a small building appeared from the dense forest ahead. Huo Qingfeng clapped his hands lightly, and several men in blue robes silently emerged from the shadows, including the two Twilight Shadow Envoys who had fought Yun Ran earlier.

Seeing the agility and skill of these people, Yun Ran realized that Huo Qingfeng had deployed all of the elite forces of Muying Tower here. He was willing to risk his life to deal with the siege of Gongye Yang and others alone, but refused to spare any manpower to go to their rescue. This place was most likely where the Imperial Seal of the State was kept.

Huo Qingfeng asked, "Were there any enemies who infiltrated this place just now?"

The man in blue, called Lao Liu, bowed and replied, "Several masked men in black came looking for us, but they were killed as soon as they got close to the third defensive perimeter. We checked their clothes and weapons, and they were all members of the Imperial Guard."

Qi Mo sneered and said in a deep voice, "Wen Huaifeng is indeed cunning."