Take the blame, part two

Outside the scripture pavilion, about thirty feet from the main gate, the steward Lei Yuan paced back and forth with a grim expression, hands behind his back.

County magistrate Cao sat calmly in a grand chair, observing the main gate of the scripture pavilion from a distance. He picked up the tea cup brought by his subordinate and raised it to his lips, but then spat out the tea with a "pah," even though the temperature and fragrance of the tea were both acceptable. However, he couldn't bring himself to drink it, as three blisters had unexpectedly formed on his lips.This only added to his growing frustration.

"Have you been able to contact Daoist Zijing? When will he arrive? Any news from the Ten-Thousand House in the city? Where is the Prefect?" he demanded.

Zijing was not only the head instructor of the Zhengyang Martial Arts Academy, but also a revered sorcerer in the Jinyi Battalion of Xiushui County.Cao didn't want to rely solely on a mysterious young man for help. Without a martial expert of the fourth rank in Xiushui County, the only solution would be to use magic to counter magic.Daoist Zijing's magical prowess reached the sixth rank, making him capable of dealing with the 6,900 Explosive Fire Talismans in the tower. However, he had ventured into the mountains two days ago to gather herbs and had not been contacted since.The Jinyi Battalion in Dongzhou was the superior authority overseeing the cavalry in the entire province and its eight counties.

Cao received no response from the people around him. Just when his headache was becoming unbearable, a captain of the Jinyi Battalion approached and said, "My Lord, Chu Xisheng has replied."Cao's eyes widened with a glint of anticipation. "What did that boy say?" he inquired.Neighboring Lei Yuan, Ye Zhizhi, and Shao Lingshan immediately turned their attention towards Cao.

"He says he can try, but we must supply him with a good knife and a top-grade Blood Fusion Pill. He also insists that during the operation, there must be three sixth-rank experts to forcefully enter through the third window from the east on the fourth floor. He also requests that Instructor Ye of the martial arts academy be stationed under the fifth window from the east to provide support," the captain reported.

Ye Zhizhi furrowed his brows with concern and gazed worriedly at the fourth floor of the martial arts academy.Upon hearing this, Shao Lingshan sneered coldly, his eyes tinged with sarcasm.Lei Yuan remained indifferent, giving no indication of his thoughts.

"He wouldn't let a disciple who hasn't even reached the second stage of Yuan cultivation go to his death, but he also wouldn't actively interfere."

"Top-grade Blood Fusion Pill? Chu Xisheng's Yuan cultivation hasn't even reached the second stage, so this request seems reasonable."

Cao Xuan tapped the armrest with his fingers, deep in thought. "We have a seventh-rank artificer among us, so it shouldn't be difficult to smuggle these two items in. However, he instructed us to forcibly enter through the third window from the east. What could be his intention?"

The Blood Fusion Pill is an internal elixir used by the Brocade Guards, which can temporarily stimulate the bloodline's unique power, enhancing strength and true essence. A top-grade Blood Fusion Pill not only poses no future troubles, but also strengthens the physique of martial practitioners to a certain extent.

"As for that, I'm not sure. In addition, Chu Xisheng has another request." The Brocade Guard captain glanced around at the others, then leaned in to whisper a few words to Cao Xuan.

Cao Xuan listened intently, and a playful smile gradually appeared on his face. "Interesting. You can grant his request."Inside the library, Chu Xisheng's yellow talisman paper began to change gradually.This talisman was quite extraordinary.Using his blood to write, Chu Xisheng watched as the voluntarily and involuntarily written words slowly disappeared, including all those who had willingly and unwillingly submitted.

Before long, a new word appeared on the smooth paper.It was the character "允" (approval).Chu Xisheng's eyebrows lifted slightly, a hint of joy appearing on his face.The Lily Maiden glanced at him with a hint of disdain. "You're quite good at taking advantage of opportunities."Chu Xisheng, however, replied confidently, full of resentment, "You're the one taking someone else's place, accepting this life-threatening task on my behalf. I can't just risk my life for nothing."The Lily Maiden chuckled softly, shaking her head slightly. "Who asked you to risk your life? Just stand by and watch later. Don't drag me down."

As they spoke, a sudden red light darted in through the window, hovering precisely in front of Chu Xisheng.It was a mahogany box, about four feet long and as thick as an arm, with intricate and exquisite wood grain patterns and mysterious characters inscribed on both sides.Chu Xisheng opened the box to find a three-foot-long Goose Feather Blade inside, the blade dark and gleaming, with a cold brilliance radiating from it.Next to the blade lay a blood-red pill, the size of a little finger's tip, emanating a fresh herbal fragrance.Chu Xisheng's expression lit up as he reached out to grab the Goose Feather Blade. However, before he could touch the hilt, the Lily Maiden had already reached out with her fair hand and snatched the blade away.

"Hey? It's actually the 'Black Cloud Flying Goose Knife' from Dongquan? Well, with this knife to assist me, I'm more confident." Chu Xisheng's voice immediately glared at the girl angrily, as he had demanded this knife from the Brocade Guards himself.

However, he was a discerning person and, seeing the young girl playing with the goose feather knife, emitting a cold light, he wisely gave up on the idea of taking the knife back.Fortunately, Chu Xisheng feared that the young girl might change her mind and take the Blood Fusion Pill, so he swallowed it in one gulp.The effect of the pill was immediate. Before long, Chu Xisheng felt his whole body heating up, the blood in his organs and limbs boiling, and strands of true energy suddenly emerging within his body.The Brocade Guards had clearly timed it perfectly. Just as the effects of the Blood Fusion Pill were fully erupting, there was a sudden thunderous explosion from the window of the third room to the east, and three figures of varying heights burst into the room like ferocious tigers and dragons.

Chu Xisheng used his dynamic vision of the Eagle Eye technique and discovered that the innkeeper, Lei Yuan, was among them, while the other two were wearing flying fish suits and chest armor, clearly skilled members of the Brocade Guards.The three of them exuded a fierce and domineering aura, destroying everything in their path. The bookshelves and walls that stood in their way were pulverized in an instant.They were also exceptionally ruthless, killing anyone they encountered along the way. The four thugs they encountered were all killed at first sight.

Together, these three individuals were like a devastating tornado, sweeping towards the direction of the 'sorcerer.'Chu Xisheng glanced over in that direction, then withdrew his gaze and turned his attention to the real sorcerer hidden among the crowd.This person was extremely vigilant, swiftly retreating as soon as the situation changed, and entering the fifth room to the east, far away from Lei Yuan and his companions.As soon as he entered the room, he began to move his fingers in a spell, intending to cast a spell.However, in that instant, a black flash of a knife gleamed from behind him, swiftly and fiercely cutting across his neck.The sorcerer's face showed horror and disbelief, and then his head slid off his neck, with a large amount of blood spraying out.Behind him, the young girl with a triumphant smile on her lips swung the knife in a graceful manner.

"This is called inviting trouble, this so-called Blood Wind Pirate Group is nothing more than this—"

The young girl stopped abruptly in the middle of her sentence.Her expression froze, with a hint of surprise, as she looked towards the door.

"Below 5th rank? Li Daogui actually has such a master under his command?"

The young girl directly threw the knife in her hand to the ground, turning her entire body into a wisp of green smoke and soaring into the sky.At that moment, the one-eyed young man rushed in from the door. He looked at the sorcerer's body and let out a roar of rage and hatred, his figure bounding like a wolf, pursuing the ethereal green smoke in the sky.Both of these individuals moved extremely quickly, and their figures flew ten meters in the blink of an eye.It was only at this moment that Chu Xisheng just landed from the rafters. He looked at the corpse in front of him, feeling a little dazed, then with a flick of his toes, he held the goose feather knife in his hand.The young girl probably couldn't carry metal weapons when using magic due to her dual cultivation of magic and martial arts.

Chu Xisheng, however, liked this knife very much, thinking about secretly taking ownership of this 'Black Cloud Flying Goose Knife' afterwards.Yet, as soon as he grasped the handle of the knife, two burly figures holding 'Locust Crossbows' burst in.These two men also glanced at the corpse on the ground before looking at the knife in Chu Xi'shengs hand, their eyes filled with fury.Chu Xisheng's forehead broke out in cold sweat, thinking that this misunderstanding would be difficult to clear up.Taking advantage of the fact that the other side hadn't reacted yet, he dashed without hesitation, leaping out of the window.

"The sorcerer is dead! It's that bastard—"

"Kill him!"

The two men shouted angrily, rushing to the window and aiming their locust crossbows at Chu Xisheng as he descended.In an instant, hundreds and thousands of tiny arrows shot toward Chu Xisheng.As he watched the swarm of arrows fill the sky, Chu Xisheng felt his scalp go numb, his chest pounding as if a heavy hammer struck his heart, and a shiver ran through his entire body.But the more fearful and desperate he felt, the more calm and composed his mind became.

Chu Xisheng swallowed the "Spirit Power Pill" without hesitation, his eyes widening as he used his Eagle Eye technique to track the trajectory of each arrow. In that moment, his full potential erupted to its peak. The black feather knife in his hand swept out, cutting down the flying arrows one by one, disregarding everything as he unleashed twenty-seven consecutive slashes.

The rapid movement of his right hand caused a tearing pain in his arm, as if it was about to break. However, despite his efforts, the locust-like crossbow bolts broke through his blade's blockade and continued to shoot towards his vital points.

Just as Chu Xisheng's heart turned as cold as ice, a familiar female voice sounded in his ears. "Get back!" The voice, like silver bells, was incredibly pleasing to Chu Xisheng's ears.

Suddenly, a heavy sword slashed out from beside him, creating a fierce gust of wind in mid-air, sending all the crossbow bolts flying. It was Ye Zhichun. She charged upwards from Chu Xisheng's side, clearing all the arrow shadows in an instant before leaping into the fourth-floor window like a female leopard.

Chu Xisheng landed safely on the ground and rolled to absorb the impact. However, as he tried to stand up again, he felt weak in the legs and trembling in his hands. The sense of surviving a catastrophe left him with no strength.

At that moment, a buzzing sound filled the surroundings. "The sorcerer inside is dead?" "No explosion, the fireburst symbols remained untouched." "Was it that kid named Chu Xisheng? He actually did it."

As these discussions echoed, the sound of footsteps and clattering of armor reverberated through the area. Chu Xisheng looked up to see a large group of fully armed Brocade Guards rushing into the building. At the same time, he saw a massive firework explode in his retina.