Containment

(T/N: The Zhanma Sword is a title for Han Meng, while the Zhanma Blade is an actual blade after which Han Meng's title is named. Do not confuse both of them.) 

Han Meng's words made Mo Qingkuang's eyes narrow. He could tell that initially, Han Meng's target was only him. 

With Han Meng's Grandmaster-realm cultivation, even if both Han Yan and Gu Hongyi joined forces with him, they wouldn't stand a chance. 

Han Meng appeared in a black robe to conceal his identity, but unfortunately, Han Yan had already revealed it, leaving him no choice but to eliminate everyone. 

Mo Qingkuang couldn't help but feel despair. He realized that even if he alone struggled to survive, facing an opponent like Han Meng, Han Yan and Gu Hongyi would be nothing more than a burden. 

It was shocking for Han Yan to witness Han Meng daring to assassinate a princess within the capital. His notorious reputation indeed preceded him, but who would dare to assassinate a princess within the capital? 

This man was truly fearless. 

Today, during the parade, Han Yan hadn't brought any guards along. Now, with the unexpected turn of events, only the three of them remained. 

With no one to rely on, Han Yan felt somewhat at a loss. 

"What are you standing there for? Run!" Seeing Han Yan still hesitating, Mo Qingkuang gritted his teeth and yelled. 

Then, with a sudden burst of speed, he charged towards Han Meng. 

Although he had died once, his strong-willed nature remained unchanged. 

In front of a woman, he couldn't hesitate. Especially in front of a woman he liked, he couldn't afford to hesitate! 

At this moment, he could only do his best to delay Han Meng, creating a glimmer of hope for Han Yan and Gu Hongyi's escape. 

Seeing Mo Qingkuang charging towards him, Han Meng sneered disdainfully, "Such an ignorant young man, don't you know when to play the hero?" 

With both hands gripping his sword, he launched a fierce attack. 

The reputation of the Zhanma Sword was not for nothing. Under his relentless onslaught, Mo Qingkuang's speed advantage was greatly diminished. The reason was simple —its wide coverage. 

Mo Qingkuang's figure darted left and right, maximizing his speed to the extreme. 

Even Han Meng's naked eye found it difficult to pinpoint his exact position. 

This strike narrowly missed Mo Qingkuang's side, only slicing through his outer robe. 

Seizing this opportunity, Mo Qingkuang moved closer to Han Meng, intending to deliver a powerful blow. 

Although externalizing true energy was powerful, its attack power would slightly decrease when in close quarters in return for the high coverage area. This gave Mo Qingkuang a slight advantage. 

Ironically, in previous battles, it was always Mo Qingkuang's opponents who sought to engage him in close combat. Now, he found himself resorting to the same tactics for a chance at survival. 

Seeing Mo Qingkuang's intentions, Han Meng felt disdainful. 

So, he wanted to engage in close combat to delay him. Smart kid. 

Mo Qingkuang's displayed strength far exceeded his estimation, but he still wouldn't be a match for him, even if Mo Qingkuang succeeded in closing the distance. 

Mo Qingkuang's displayed strength far exceeded his estimation, but he still wouldn't be a match for him, even if Mo Qingkuang succeeded in closing the distance. 

The Zhanma Sword also had a small weakness because its techniques were derived from Zhanma Blade, emphasizing powerful strikes that required the mobilization of the entire body. This resulted in a long recovery period after each strike. 

Therefore, Han Meng's battles often ended with a single fatal blow. Engaging in prolonged combat would lead to fatigue and a slower attack rate compared to normal warriors. 

However, even so, he was confident that Mo Qingkuang, who was a whole realm below him, wouldn't pose any threat even if he managed to get close. 

And indeed, that was the case. 

Mo Qingkuang successfully closed in during the opening, launching a fierce finger strike towards Han Meng's ribs. 

Han Meng not only required a significant amount of true energy but also precise bodily manipulation. 

The rib area was often one of the most vulnerable parts of a warrior's body and the primary area for generating force. 

Mo Qingkuang was clear in his mind: as long as he could injure Han Meng's ribs, he could significantly weaken his strength. 

As he wished, his finger strike didn't miss its mark, landing squarely on Han Meng's waist. 

Unfortunately, to his dismay, the injury he anticipated didn't manifest. His strike felt as if it hit an iron plate. 

Mo Qingkuang looked up to see the grimacing face revealed from the black hood, feeling a sinking sensation in his heart. 

Han Meng sneered, "Ticklish?" 

He retaliated with a sword strike towards Mo Qingkuang's body. 

Mo Qingkuang swiftly rolled out of the way, planning to counter with a palm strike from behind. 

But before he could execute his move, Han Meng swiftly turned around and struck him with his elbow, sending Mo Qingkuang flying over ten meters, tumbling several times before coming to a halt. 

"Mo Qingkuang!" Han Yan watched Mo Qingkuang's plight, feeling a pang of heartache. 

"Go! Run!" Mo Qingkuang struggled to his feet, roaring. 

His cheek was swollen high, blood mixed with saliva oozing from his mouth, making him look battered. 

Upon hearing this, Han Yan turned and ran. It wasn't that she disregarded Mo Qingkuang's life, but she knew that with her current strength, staying here would be of no help to Mo Qingkuang and would only hinder him. 

"You wait for me! Hang in there!" Tears streamed down Han Yan's face as she sprinted away. 

Gu Hongyi didn't hesitate either and ran in the opposite direction of Han Yan. 

Their divergent paths made it impossible for Han Meng to intercept them, and this was the smartest escape plan. 

As long as they could contact reinforcements, they could rescue Mo Qingkuang, subdue Han Meng, and force the mastermind behind the scenes to reveal themselves. 

Han Meng smirked coldly, "Trying to run?" He stomped the ground fiercely, and a violent force spread from beneath his feet towards the direction Han Yan and Gu Hongyi were fleeing. 

The ground rippled with waves of unknown force, like two earth dragons traversing underground, heading straight for Han Yan and Gu Hongyi. 

Seeing this, Mo Qingkuang knew that if this attack landed, both of them would lose their mobility, and their attempt to seek help would be in vain. All three of them would be caught here. 

Mo Qingkuang was determined not to let Han Meng's attack succeed. However, his speed could only cover one person. 

The result was predictable. 

Mo Qingkuang flashed behind Han Yan in an instant. Before the earth dragons surged, he struck Han Yan's back with his palm, sending her flying more than ten meters away, out of the attack range of the earth dragons. 

Before Han Yan could land, the earth dragons erupted. Gu Hongyi was lifted high into the air and sprayed blood before crashing painfully to the ground. 

"Hongyi." Han Yan, lightly injured by Mo Qingkuang's strike, also spat out blood in distress as she witnessed her friend's plight. 

"Don't worry, you'll all die together. Mo Qingkuang, you're lucky to have two beauties accompany you to the underworld. You're quite fortunate!" Han Meng laughed grimly, slowly approaching Mo Qingkuang with his sword raised. 

"Go quickly. I'll hold him off." Mo Qingkuang waved hurriedly, his figure darting like lightning once again towards Han Meng.