SFS Chapter 61 Love, Hate, Life, and Death
Chapter 61 Love, Hate, Life, and Death
Chen Qing returned to the golden palace and settled Princess Chenxing on the bed.
The young girls serving in the hall were terrified, their faces drained of color, and they knelt down in fear.
As her closest attendants, they naturally knew that the princess had secretly left, but the princess had instructed them to pretend not to know.
Now that the princess has returned injured, they naturally cannot escape their guilt.
Princess Chenxing slowly opened her eyes and weakly said to Elder Chenqing:
"It's not their fault, it's my fault."
Elder Chen Qing snorted coldly, and the kneeling maids around him immediately went limp and collapsed to the ground.
She said coldly, "If you continue to act so recklessly, more people will die because of you."
Princess Chenxing had no reply and could only turn her head away in silence.
Elder Chen Qing, however, persisted, continuing in a cold voice:
"You promised me you would never see him again, which is why I didn't kill him. But what have you done? Not only did you meet him in secret on Jianlu's territory, but you were also stabbed by him with a poisoned blade. If this gets back to the Zhao court, how will you explain it to the Great Khan?"
Princess Chenxing's eyes were filled with tears as she sobbed softly:
"I never expected him to be here. I originally wanted to see him one last time and cut all ties with him... I never imagined he hated me so much..."
"Hehe, now it's definitely a clean break."
Elder Chen Qing sneered, "It's just that he was the one wielding the knife."
Princess Chenxing felt a pang of pain in her heart. Thinking of the resolute look in his eyes when he tried to assassinate her, her face turned even paler, and she almost fainted again.
Elder Chen Qing's face was gloomy as he took out a golden pill and fed it to Chen Xing.
This elixir is made from the essence and blood of the Golden Feathered Serpent, along with various precious spiritual ingredients, and has a strong healing effect on the people of the Gumi tribe.
A sliver of color returned to Chen Xing's face. She reached out and grabbed Chen Qing's clothes, her expression pitiful, and pleaded:
"Grandma, please, forgive him this once more."
"Foolish!" Elder Chen Qing was furious that Chen Xing was going to plead for that person. He shouted:
"He was about to kill you, and you were actually pleading for him!"
Chen Xing shook his head and whispered:
"I'm the one who wronged him."
Elder Chen Qing nearly fainted from anger, and said sternly:
"The people you have wronged are your father, and all the subjects of the entire Kingdom of Gumei!"
"Don't forget, you're now Young Master Wuju's fiancée!"
"If he finds out about this, it could even trigger a war between Yue and Gumi, and countless people will die because of you!"
Chen Xing's slender hands gripped Chen Qing's clothes tightly, tears streaming down her face as she pleaded:
"Grandma, I know I was wrong. I will never see him again. Please spare his life."
Chen Qing remained expressionless. "Where do you think this is? This is Sword Furnace's territory. They will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly, otherwise how can they explain it to Young Master Wu Ju?"
Chen Xing was anxious. She had already witnessed the methods of the Sword Furnace and knew they would definitely find the person. She could only continue to plead with Chen Qing.
"Grandma, please help me. He's the only one left in the entire Night Bat tribe. I've already severed ties with him, but we should at least ensure that he leaves behind some bloodline."
Chen Qing brushed her hand away and said coldly:
"Do you want his descendants to cut off my head? Don't forget, I killed his entire clan."
"That's not how it is." Chen Xing quickly shook her head, sobbing, "I just want him to escape from Fujian and live a peaceful life somewhere else."
"You should think more about yourself!"
Elder Chen Qing rebuked him sternly and stormed off in anger.
"Grandma!"
Princess Chenxing was in a great hurry and sat up, trying to stop Chen Qing from leaving. However, she was seriously injured and had no strength left to catch up. She almost fell off the bed.
Chen Qing ignored him and walked all the way outside the hall.
She was extremely agitated, beckoned to several maids, and sternly ordered them:
"Keep a close watch on the princess and don't let her leave the palace!"
Several maids acknowledged and hurried into the palace to look after Chenxing.
Elder Chen Qing returned to his tent with his hands behind his back, sat down on the mat, and his expression quickly calmed down.
"To make matters worse, this matter has to involve that genius of the Sword Furnace. If it were an ordinary disciple, I would have killed him with one palm and that would have been the end of it. There wouldn't be so much trouble."
She sighed softly, her aged face showing even more weariness.
Although she said she wouldn't help Chenxing, she secretly didn't want to make Chenxing sad.
"Given the current situation, the Sword Furnace will definitely do everything in its power to search for Zhai Yao. Even if he has the Hidden Bat Cloak, it will probably be of little use."
Chen Qing frowned. If the Sword Furnace really found that kid Zhai Yao, he would definitely be sent to Yue Kingdom for interrogation. It would be fine if he died, but it would be terrible if he revealed his affair with Chen Xing.
"It seems we have no choice but to give the sword furnace an answer first."
Elder Chen Qing had already made up his mind.
She took out a dough drum, on which many names were carved in blood.
These are all assassins she trained, usually scattered in various places, to be used only in special circumstances.
Elder Chen Qing's thin fingers traced across the drum surface, finally settling on one of them, and information related to that person immediately surfaced in his mind.
"Huo Duo, a sixth-level embryonic breathing cultivator at the Refining Realm, was originally the young master of the Huo family of Jinchuan Ridge and is proficient in the Six Harmonies Saber Technique."
"Let's choose him."
Chen Qing tapped Huo Duo's name with his index finger, making two soft thuds.
Not long after, a young man came to the tent and reported:
"Your subordinate, Khodo, greets Your Excellency."
"Come in," Chen Qing said.
Hodo lifted the curtain and went into the tent.
He looked to be in his early twenties, with thick eyebrows, large eyes, and strong, powerful arms. Upon seeing Chen Qing, he immediately knelt on one knee and said:
"What are your orders, sir?"
Chen Qing's expression was cold, and he said directly:
"I want you to kill someone, and after you kill him, find a place to commit suicide by poisoning yourself."
"Your subordinate obeys."
Hodo immediately agreed, without even flinching at the thought of dying.
His entire family was killed when he was young, and he was the only one who managed to escape with his life. He was later raised by Chen Qing, who avenged his family's death. After so many years of nurturing, he had long since dedicated his life to Chen Qing and was just waiting to repay this kindness one day.
Chen Qing remained unfazed, showing no surprise whatsoever.
She took out a set of clothes, a black robe to conceal her aura, a few leaves of the fragrant goldenrod, and a few other miscellaneous items.
"Take off all your clothes, put on these clothes, and carry these items with you."
"Yes."
Without asking why, Huo Duo immediately stripped himself clean, put on the clothes Chen Qing had prepared for him, and covered the black robe on the outside, instantly transforming into a black-robed man.
Chen Qing nodded slightly and handed him a bottle of poison.
"Go to the market and steal a knife, then coat it with this poison, and keep the rest for yourself."
Hodo took the poison, his eyes already flashing with murderous intent, and asked:
"Whom does the lord want me to kill?"
Chen Qing plucked a strand of hair from his head, then chanted a spell, infusing Fan Zhou's aura into it.
"This strand of hair will guide you to your target, and it will disappear automatically when you get within five feet of him."
Huo Duo carefully wrapped the strands of hair around his index finger, then kowtowed to Chen Qing several times.
"Take care, my lord."
As Chen Qing watched him leave, for some reason, she still felt a sense of unease.
She lowered her head and pondered, "Have I forgotten something?"
…………
The night was pitch black, and cicadas and frogs were chirping loudly.
Hodo first stole a knife, then coated the blade with black ash to prevent it from reflecting light. He then took out poison and carefully applied it to the blade.
After doing all this, he followed the direction of his hair and walked towards a corner of the market.
He was a professionally trained assassin, highly skilled in stealth and assassination. Even when there was no one on the road, he would always land in the darkest shadows.
Not long after, he heard faint footsteps coming from ahead.
He immediately hid in the shadows, pressed his ear to the ground, and listened carefully to make his judgment.
"This person's steps are light and brisk, indicating they are not very old, and their cultivation level is likely at the fourth level of the Nascent Soul stage."
Huo Duo felt relieved. He was at the sixth level of the Nascent Soul Realm, and had also cultivated sword energy, mastering various sword techniques. In addition, the black robe he wore concealed his aura. Dealing with a young man at the fourth level of the Nascent Soul Realm was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
The thought that his life was equivalent to that of such a person filled him with a sense of resentment.
"However, the adults do this mostly to ensure nothing goes wrong."
Thinking of this, Huo Duo's admiration for Chen Qing deepened even further.
He quietly circled around to the front of the person and confirmed that the person the hair was pointing at was indeed this person.
Hodo hid in the shadows and secretly observed his target, only to see that the man was holding a fireball, the firelight illuminating his face.
It was a boy's face with distinct features, looking about fifteen or sixteen years old, with a high nose, a pointed chin, lips shaped like a bow, and somewhat dark skin, but his eyes were very bright and full of vitality.
"Turns out he's just a callow brat."
Hodo stood to the side, walking close to the shadows, always keeping a certain distance from his target.
He quickly realized that the boy's destination was a small house.
Hodo picked up a pebble from the ground and then quickly hid in the shadows next to the hut.
As the boy stood in front of the house, ready to open the door, he immediately flicked the pebble in his hand, making a slight sound.
Everything went as he expected. The inexperienced young man looked back and asked in confusion:
"Who?"
Hodo seized the opportunity and suddenly swung his poisoned longsword toward the boy's neck.
Die!
This slash was brimming with killing intent, its blade gleaming, and it was hidden in the boy's blind spot, sure to be fatal in one strike!
But at this critical moment, a long sword with a bright red light appeared out of nowhere, instantly enlarged, and suddenly pierced his eye socket. The sharp sword energy had already damaged his pupil, and blood and red light flowed in his vision. In the next instant, it would pierce his head.
At this moment, the long knife had not yet reached the man's neck, but the sword light was aimed straight at his vital point.
Hodo was utterly astonished. Could it be that someone was secretly activating the flying sword?
Thinking of this, he immediately pushed off with his toes, his body suddenly retreating. The sword blade sliced across his cheek, drawing out a stream of hot blood that splattered onto the ground.
"That was close!"
Hodo stepped back five feet, his right eye could no longer see clearly, and the wound on his face burned painfully, as if he had been scalded by flames.
He paid no attention to his injuries. His left eye quickly scanned ahead, and he saw the boy turn his head. His eyes were as cold as lightning, and he held a long sword with a bright red light in his hand, which was still burning.
"Fire Sword!"
Hodo then realized that the boy had transformed the fireball in his hand into a longsword, which was why it seemed so sudden.
"Even a longsword formed from flames possesses such power; it's almost indistinguishable from a real sword."
A sense of crisis rose in Hordo's heart, and the hairs on his body stood on end.
Fan Zhou stared coldly at the man in black robes before him.
Although he couldn't see the face clearly, he knew that this person was definitely not the black-robed man who had bought his dagger.
But if that's the case, why kill him?
He placed his hand on the hilt of his sword at his waist, preparing to shout loudly.
"die!"
Huo Duo's gaze turned serious. He suddenly lunged forward, his dark longsword slashing towards Fan Zhou's neck once more.
He saw Fan Zhou place his left hand on the hilt of his sword at his waist, and knew that he was about to draw his sword to fight.
"He's already so powerful wielding a flaming sword; if he were to draw his real sword, I fear my stolen longsword wouldn't be enough to handle him. And if he gets an opening and shouts, things will be even worse!"
Fan Zhou frowned. The two of them were extremely close, and with their cultivation levels, it was only a matter of one step. There was no time to draw their swords, so they could only use their fire swords to defend themselves.
As the steel blade and the fiery sword clashed, Hodo immediately felt a powerful force emanating from the blade. He knew this was the change in the young man's energy.
"But the fire sword is not a real sword; how can it possibly stand against the longsword in my hand!"
Huo Duo's confidence soared, and his steel blade danced, creating a series of afterimages and making a screeching sound. Every move was aimed at killing. He was not afraid of getting hurt, and his blade was also poisoned. His moves were extremely ruthless, leaving Fan Zhou with no chance to draw his sword or call for help.
Although Fan Zhou was in danger, he remained calm and used all of the Two Elements and Four Phases Sword techniques. With a fire sword, he would strike, press, point, and knock, or wrap around, stick, guide, and pull, with unpredictable force, sometimes hard and sometimes soft, to block all of Huo Duo's sword techniques.
Huo Duo felt a tightness in his chest, unable to fully utilize his exquisite swordsmanship honed over many years. No matter how he attacked, Fan Zhou would intercept him halfway, and the force transmitted to him was inconsistent, sometimes soft and sometimes hard, and he didn't know what it was, which was extremely disgusting.
Fortunately, this person's swordsmanship is not very good.
Fan Zhou felt fortunate, but he also knew that this was not a long-term solution.
This person's realm is far above his own, his strength is astonishing, and his inner energy is extremely profound. If this drags on, he will definitely lose.
"what!"
With a low growl, Huo Duo saw Fan Zhou's weakness and, no longer caring about swordsmanship, focused all his strength on slashing at Fan Zhou.
Fan Zhou parried several blows with his sword, but the fire sword had no physical form and relied entirely on his internal energy for support. Lacking physical strength, he was at a great disadvantage in the fight. Each blow felt like it struck his internal organs, as if a fire was burning in his chest. His hands were split open, and blood flowed freely from his palms.
Huo Duo noticed that Fan Zhou was having trouble catching his breath, and seized the opportunity to kick him in the abdomen, sending him flying.
Fan Zhou coughed up a mouthful of blood, and the fire sword in his hand instantly disintegrated into sparks.
"Go to hell!"
Hodo strode closer, his dark blade aimed straight for Fan Zhou's throat.
Fan Zhou's pupils contracted sharply, a sense of impending death looming over him.
With the fire sword in hand, he could still hold out for a while by relying on his swordsmanship and internal energy.
But now that he has nothing in his hands, what can he use to defend himself?
Without a sword in hand, one's life and death are in the hands of others.
Fan Zhou's mind suddenly became incredibly clear.
He finally understood what a sword was at that moment.
The sword is the sharp blade that controls life and death!
With the sword in hand, one lives; without the sword, one dies!
"I want to live, not die!"
Fan Zhou roared inwardly, clenching his right hand again. The sword energy in his dantian pierced his palm at an unprecedented speed, and his blood and qi throughout his body moved accordingly.
Scalding blood gushed from the torn tiger's mouth, condensing into a blood sword, which he gripped tightly in his palm. The three-inch azure light on the tip of the sword shone brightly, and with a nimble arc, it easily severed the long knife that was aimed straight at his throat, as if it were nothing.
"How is that possible?!"
Hodo's eyes widened, and before he could figure out what was happening, the blood sword pierced his brow, freezing his shocked and furious face in time.
Fan Zhou remained calm and slowly said:
"I won."