Chapter 412 - 225: The Prodigies’ First Display of Joint Might

Chapter 412: Chapter 225: The Prodigies’ First Display of Joint Might

Mr. Qian’s expression shifted as he stared at the tip of Xie Yuan’s sword, aimed right at him.

He tilted his head slightly, looked at the clean-shaven monk beside him, and said in a deep voice:

"Prajna Temple... Huie Jue?"

"Amitabha. You are correct, Mr. Qian. It is I."

Huie Jue placed his palms together, a faint smile on his face.

At the monk’s confirmation, Mr. Qian’s expression darkened slightly.

He then looked to the Daoist on his right and slowly asked:

"And who might this young Daoist be? You couldn’t possibly be a disciple of the Xuanzhen Sect, could you? Heh heh—"

"Xuanzhen Sect. Zhang Junyi."

Zhang Junyi announced himself crisply, his brow knitted in a fierce glare at Mr. Qian.

He had already heard of this man’s evil deeds from Xie Yuan. Colluding with officials and bringing harm to the region were the very things Zhang Junyi despised most.

Mr. Qian’s smile froze, catching in his throat.

His expression was one of shock and uncertainty. ’He’s really a disciple of the Xuanzhen Sect?’

This was Zhang Junyi’s first time venturing down from his mountain. Although Mr. Qian had never heard his name, the name "Xuanzhen Sect" alone was enough to make him extremely wary.

"What could I have possibly done to deserve the star pupils of both the Xuanzhen Sect and Prajna Temple joining forces against me?"

Mr. Qian forced a smile, his voice full of insinuation.

The conflict between Buddhism and Daoism was an ancient one. As the Xuanzhen Sect and Prajna Temple were both known as the "Two Great Sects," world-renowned and of equal fame, the history between them was long and complex.

At the founding of the Great Li dynasty, the Grand Ancestor had exploited the conflict between the two sects. By playing them against each other, he successfully weakened both their powers, allowing him to take control of the Martial Dao. He then established the Six Gates and the Spring Rain Building, laying the foundation for a thousand years of stability for the Great Li. This was a stark contrast to the previous dynasty, which had been constantly plagued by powerful independent Martial Artists.

Although both were righteous Major Sects of great renown, they were hardly on friendly terms. When their disciples met, if they didn’t immediately try to kill each other, they would at the very least compete to determine who was superior.

Hearing Mr. Qian’s subtle attempt to sow discord, Huie Jue simply smiled faintly.

"You yourself are not enough to warrant this, Mr. Qian. But your actions are."

Zhang Junyi nodded in firm agreement.

"The monk’s right."

Seeing the two of them completely unmoved, Mr. Qian’s eyelid twitched. He turned back to face Xie Yuan, but addressed the others in a strange, mocking tone:

"Gentlemen, surely you must have some misunderstanding of me? I have always been an upstanding citizen and have done nothing wrong. This man before you, on the other hand, has murdered a loyal official. His crimes are heinous, the evidence against him is ironclad, and he is a wanted fugitive. How can you possibly believe the slander of such a villain?"

"Slander? You’re the one spouting slander. I heard you admit it with your own mouth."

Huie Jue shook his head and sighed.

Zhang Junyi snorted coldly.

"That corrupt dog of an official dared to call himself loyal and good! Brother Xie was willing to tarnish his own reputation to rid the people of a pest. He is a true hero!"

His attitude—that anyone who killed an official was a brother-in-arms—made Mr. Qian’s eyelid twitch.

Xie Yuan sized up the nobleman before him. Honestly, the man not only had an extraordinary bearing but was also quite young—probably not yet forty, still in his prime. To have reached such a level of cultivation at this age meant he had a very real chance of becoming a Grandmaster one day.

But for such a talented individual to be so cruel... the stronger he became, the greater the threat he would pose.

Xie Yuan’s voice was grim as he said,

"What’s the use of spouting such nonsense? We heard what you and Yao Qinglai said with our own ears. I’ll ask you: why did you murder Wang Zhiyi, the steward of the Sword Sect? What secret of yours had he discovered?"

’Heard with our own ears?’

Mr. Qian’s pupils contracted. Hearing the last part of the question, he realized they really had been eavesdropping outside the study. He cursed inwardly:

’The Yao family... letting a few kids slip in without anyone noticing. What a bunch of useless trash!’

Seeing the situation was dire, he quickly composed himself. He dusted off his robes and smiled faintly.

"Xie Yuan, don’t make such baseless accusations. You claim I murdered someone—do you have any proof? And don’t tell me it’s just something you ’overheard’."

Xie Yuan brandished his long sword and said coolly,

"Once I capture you, I’ll make you confess everything."

With that, he strode forward. His long sword became a flash of white light as he lunged!

Mr. Qian, now certain they had no proof, relaxed slightly. The deeds of their two families could absolutely not be exposed to the world.

But when he saw Xie Yuan attack without another word, his eyes went cold. A short sword slid from his sleeve, and he moved to intercept him.

’Hmph. So what if they have impressive heritages? They’re just three practitioners at the Second Transformation Realm. Arrogant fools, overestimating their own abilities!’

’You think you’re so tough with a couple of helpers? I’ll make an example out of you! Once I kill Xie Yuan, this whole mess will resolve itself.’

Mr. Qian dodged to the side, becoming a faint shadow. His short sword was nearly invisible in the moonlight as it traced a cunning, hidden arc, stabbing toward Xie Yuan from under his arm.

’This strike will...’ ’Huh?’

Just as Mr. Qian thought he was about to succeed, he saw Xie Yuan’s sword inexplicably trace an arc, perfectly blocking his short sword and locking it in place.

’How did he counter that?’

’He had lost count of how many people he had assassinated in the first exchange with this hidden swordsmanship technique he was so proud of. An ordinary Martial Artist could never dodge it. At best, a desperate reaction might let them avoid a fatal wound. Even an expert in the Third Transformation Realm couldn’t have parried it so easily.’

’But how could Xie Yuan’s long sword move as if he already knew what strike was coming? How did he block it so easily?’

Mr. Qian was stunned. Before he could dwell on it, just as he was about to pull his sword back for another strike, two blasts of energy surged toward him from the sides.

Huie Jue threw a deceptively plain-looking punch toward Mr. Qian’s left cheek. At the same time, Zhang Junyi let out a great shout, his Peach Wood Sword glowing with cyan Sword Qi as it hacked down at Mr. Qian’s right arm!

The hair on Mr. Qian’s arms stood on end. He sensed that although the two were only in the Second Transformation Realm, he absolutely could not block their attacks directly. He had no choice but to retract his sword and take two steps back.

But as he tried to retreat, would Xie Yuan simply let him? With a sweep of his long sword, he slashed directly at Mr. Qian’s right arm.