In her entire life, she had loved only two people.
That single strike of the mace claimed the life of one.
That single strike left the other with an eternal wound in their heart.
It was as if that single strike had not merely pierced his shoulder and his chest, but had pierced through all the love and emotion in the world.
That single strike shattered the grievances and debts of ten thousand lifetimes.
*The rise and fall of past and present,*
*Are all to be seen in the city of Luoyang.*
(To understand the rise and fall of history, one need only look at the city of Luoyang).
At dusk, Guo Zhi clutched a bundle of newly won banknotes to his chest as he headed toward his fourth gambling house of the day.
Since morning, Guo Zhi had won eight million seven hundred thousand taels of silver, forcing three gambling houses to shut their doors.
Huichang Dangqi Pavilion.
It was the largest and final gambling house owned by Young Master Wei in the city of Luoyang.
Guo Zhi was originally the wealthiest merchant in Luoyang, known to the world as "Luoyang Guo."
Back then, he was not only deeply satisfied, but indeed highly complacent.
Unfortunately, ever since Young Master Wei's influence expanded into Luoyang ten years ago, he had lost much of his smugness.
One forest cannot hold two tigers.
Although Young Master Wei did not interfere with his businesses, nor did he go so far as to openly vie for supremacy with him in Luoyang, from that moment on, no one dared risk provoking Young Master Wei by calling Guo Zhi "Luoyang Guo" ever again.
Young Master Wei was not only a figure who could summon wind and rain in the imperial court, but also a man whose very name made those in the jianghu turn pale.
Those ten years had been truly agonizing for Guo Zhi.
In the past, he would have surely swallowed his pride, just as he had endured this resentment for the last ten years. But now, things were different. Great merit always arouses the master's suspicion; Young Master Wei had fallen from grace, lost his official post, and fled to Jiangnan. General Ming was determined to hunt him down and eradicate him completely. On top of that, many of his enemies in the jianghu were beginning to stir upon catching wind of this. Even a previously nameless nobody like Chu Tianya could destroy nineteen of Young Master Wei's sub-branches. Why shouldn't he, the great Luoyang Guo, take advantage of a burning house to loot, targeting Young Master Wei's gambling houses to vent the resentment he had suppressed for ten long years?
Moreover, he had a terrifying bodyguard standing behind him.
The awe and respect in everyone's eyes made him recall his former glory from ten years ago.
Young Master Wei was fleeing for his life thousands of miles away. His remaining subordinates in Luoyang might very well become Guo Zhi's own subjects in the future. If he did not seize today's opportunity to assert his dominance, when would he ever get another chance?
"Haha, where is the dealer? My gambling luck today is simply too spectacular!"
"How would Boss Guo like to play?"
Guo Zhi pointed at a man before him whose right hand was heavily wrapped in bandages and said, "Hall Master Luo has already experienced my way of gambling. There is no need for further explanation."
The man with the white-bandaged hand was none other than the opponent Guo Zhi had faced at his very first stop today—"Sky-Striking Eagle" Luo Zhongguang.
Ever since Guo Zhi stepped through the door, Luo Zhongguang's resentful gaze had been fixed on the bodyguard in tight-fitting black attire standing behind him.
In fact, the black-clad man was the first person everyone noticed upon looking over. Yet, after a single glance, none dared to look at him again.
For he was truly terrifying.
Some people put others at ease the moment they are seen.
Others inspire instant dislike.
But he only inspired a sense of cold, ruthless malice.
To look upon this black-clad man was to think immediately of pure evil.
Like the eyes of a leopard!
Like the fangs of a wolf!
Like the claws of a crocodile!
Like the venom of a serpent!
Even Guo Zhi did not know his background, only that he held General Ming's token and claimed he would help him seize Young Master Wei's enterprise in Luoyang.
In the imperial court today, who did not know that Grand General Ming was a figure below only one man and above ten thousand, capable of blotting out the sky with a wave of his hand? This time, he had even overthrown Young Master Wei, his long-time political rival. With such a backer protecting him, and finally being able to vent the resentment he had harbored for so many years, how could Guo Zhi not be overjoyed?
The black-clad man finally spoke: "Luo Zhongguang, you certainly weren't slow to move, managing to arrive in time to deliver the news. It seems that finger strike should have pierced your leg instead."
His voice carried an indescribable allure and coldness, as if echoing from the depths of hell, sending an eerie shudder through those who heard it.
"Eagle Striking the Sky" Luo Zhongguang had made his name with his Eagle Claw finger force. Matching finger against finger, he had unexpectedly been defeated by a black-clad man who was only in his early twenties. Furthermore, his right hand was completely ruined. Everyone standing around felt a chill of terror in their hearts.
A man stepped out from the crowd and shouted, "I will gamble with you!"
The newcomer was sturdily built, yet short and dark-skinned. What caught everyone's attention was his red hair. This was the grand boss of the Huichang Dangqi Pavilion, known as the "Red-Haired Yu Fei of Jibei."
The black-clad man looked coldly at Yu Fei. "If we play dice, there must be a winner and a loser. I bet eight million seven hundred thousand taels of silver. If you lose, you must tear down the signboard of the Huichang Dangqi Pavilion and chop off one of your own arms."
Seeing his brother injured, even though Yu Fei knew Luo Zhongguang's martial arts were not inferior to his own, he still could not bear it and stepped forward to accept the challenge. But when he heard that the wager not only demanded one of his arms but also aimed to humiliate Young Master Wei's enterprise, he was momentarily stunned despite his fury.
Rolling dice relied on finger force. Luo Zhongguang had matched finger against finger and ended up injured by this black-clad man. It was clear that this opponent was unfathomably deep.
But since they were running a gambling house, they could not restrict the methods of the players.
Yu Fei knew he was no match for his opponent, but he was now in a position where he was riding a tiger and could not dismount.
"Very well, I will play with you. If you lose, you will leave the silver behind and kowtow five times to Hall Master Luo." Five imposing figures suddenly strode in from the door. Among them was a middle-aged man in his early forties, strolling in leisurely.
The black-clad man glared at the newcomer. The middle-aged man showed no fear, his brow only slightly furrowed.
The newcomer was not particularly tall, and his face was devoid of emotion. If he were to stand in a crowd of a hundred, he would look completely ordinary, without anything special about him. Yet, he walked in with the majestic strides of a dragon and a tiger.
An overwhelming aura swept forward, dominating the entire room.
The black-clad man suddenly threw his head back and laughed. "And what if you lose?"
The middle-aged man smiled faintly. "Then naturally, I forfeit my life!"
"Fine, then I want your life as the wager."
The middle-aged man showed no anger. "You roll first. If you roll triples, consider it my loss."
Three dice were thrown into the bowl. With a grave expression, the black-clad man tapped his fingers repeatedly in the air with both hands.
Everyone in the hall fell silent; only the sound of finger force piercing the air could be heard.
The middle-aged man gently raised a single palm, neutralizing the waves of finger force unleashed by the black-clad man, causing the dice in the bowl to spin erratically.
Sweat broke out on the black-clad man's forehead, while the middle-aged man's expression remained completely unchanged.
The black-clad man pressed both hands onto the table, while the middle-aged man blew a breath toward the bowl.
The black-clad man let out a shout, pressing both hands down onto the table once more.
The middle-aged man's thick eyebrows arched, and he gave a low, cold snort.
Upon hearing this, the black-clad man tumbled to the ground, leaving behind two hand-shaped indentations on the surface of the peach-wood table.
The dice finally came to a stop. Unexpectedly, the result was the lowest possible score: one, two, three.
"Once you kowtow, you may leave."
The middle-aged man spoke cheerfully, acting as if nothing had happened.
The black-clad man slowly stood up, the five fingertips of his right hand now fitted with five refined steel finger-guards. His face slowly turned livid, looking so fierce that no one dared to look at him.
The middle-aged man looked down coldly. "I was wondering who could be so bold. As it turns out, it is someone from the Li family."
The black-clad man's eyes spat fire. "I am Li Ming. Who are you?"
The middle-aged man smiled faintly and said, "So you are the prodigal son whom Li Jing dotes on the most. It is best you do not make a move. I do not wish to end Old Ghost Li's bloodline just yet."
"No need to humiliate me. If you have the ability, show it face-to-face."
Guo Zhi was currently terrified, and he suddenly recalled a verse that had been widely circulated in recent years.
"Southern wind, northern snow dance,
The Li ghost, the judge dragon,
Once past the cold waters,
One must bow to the General's Mansion."
This doggerel, which resembled poetry yet was not, referred to the six great experts of the unorthodox sects in the jianghu.
"Li ghost" among them referred to Li Qingsheng, who had single-handedly annihilated the Famous Sword Villa.
In that battle, Li Qingsheng rose to fame.
The reason was simply because of a rumor that someone in the Famous Sword Villa could resist the demonic sound of the Qingfen Flute.
From then on, the Famous Sword Villa vanished from the jianghu.
Only two kinds of people remained.
One kind was the dead, who were left with a finger-sized hole in their foreheads.
The other kind was those who had been driven mad by fear.
These were the two unique ultimate techniques of Li Qingsheng.
Tribulation Finger.
Evil Spirit Dance.
The middle-aged man let out a sigh. "Li Qingsheng was originally a grandmaster of his generation. Why must he follow the General and plot for fame and fortune?"
"You are not worthy of addressing my father by his name like that."
"Whether I am worthy or not, you will know once you make a move," the middle-aged man said calmly, his expression unchanged.
Li Ming's face suddenly flushed red. He leaped into the air, executing an unbelievable twist of his body mid-air. His five fingers, curved like hooks, transformed into a sky full of finger shadows, aiming straight for the opponent's crown.
Just as his hands were about three inches away from the opponent's crown, the steel finger-guards flew off his hands—a highly bizarre technique that was none other than the closely guarded secret technique of Li Qingsheng.
The middle-aged man simply rose to his feet, took a deep breath, and thrust both palms toward Li Ming. A loud explosion rang out.
The middle-aged man sat back down gently, his demeanor leisurely. "Having had the fortune of fighting the Tribulation Finger, when shall I witness the Evil Spirit Dance again? I wonder if Li Qingsheng will still be able to play and sing night after night once his son has been killed?"
Li Ming was forced back several zhang before he could steady himself, his face pale as wax, staggering and nearly falling. Finally, he slumped dejectedly to the ground, clutching his chest with both hands, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "My father will surely avenge me!"
The middle-aged man threw his head back and laughed heartily, his eyes shining brightly. "My enemies span the world, but those worthy of being called my rivals are far too few. Li Qingsheng is indeed worthy of a battle. It is just a pity that he remains far away in the Ghost Capital of Xiangxi, leaving only a worthless son like you to throw away your life for the General. Is there anything else you want me to convey? I will certainly have someone deliver it to him—along with your head, of course."
"Who... who on earth are you?"
"You still haven't guessed by now?" The middle-aged man smiled. Without sparing Li Ming another glance, he turned toward Guo Zhi.
"Boss Guo, you ruined three of my casinos in a single day. How do you plan to settle this debt?"
Only now was Guo Zhi absolutely certain of the identity of the man before him. Stricken with terror, he was speechless, merely pointing at the other man. "You... you are..."
The middle-aged man slowly peeled off a human-skin mask as thin as a bat's wing. "Yes, this Young Master is surnamed Wei."
Li Ming let out a wretched scream, blood spurting from his mouth as he collapsed to the ground...
The Hour of the Rat...
A waning moon...
Stars filling the sky...
Outside Luoyang City...
On Taiping Road...
A horse galloped forward like the wind.
He stopped in the middle of the road, drawing his sword and pointing it toward the sky.
The horse suddenly ground to a halt about six feet away.
Under the pressure of his sword qi, even if the opponent's mount were a Gale Steed capable of traveling a thousand miles a day, it would not dare to draw near.
"Cang Qingfeng?"
"Yes!"
"Dismount! Draw your sword!"
"Chu Tianya?"
He did not answer, his sword pointing directly at his opponent.
Cang Qingfeng's expression turned grim as he lightly leapt down from his horse. The moment his feet touched the ground, his sword was already out of its scabbard.
He truly deserved his reputation as the second-ranked of Young Master Wei's three great experts, the "Ice, Wind, and Rain."
But he knew that he would surely win.
He had spent half the night gathering his qi and concentrating his mind. Compared to his opponent who had ridden from afar, he held the absolute upper hand in terms of momentum.
A flash of movement!
A flash of sword light.
The starlight dimmed.
A single, decisive strike.
A horse neighed.
Blood spilled!
Silence.
He had known the outcome long ago.
The outcome was certain: Cang Qingfeng would never have the chance to see tomorrow night's starlight.
But he had not known that killing someone for the first time would feel so sickening.
He desperately wanted to vomit, trying his best to suppress the churning in his stomach.
Just as the last drop of blood on the blade slid down to the tip of the sword,
a wave of killing intent suddenly condensed behind his shoulder.
Utterly shocked, he did not dare to turn around. For if he made even the slightest movement, the enemy would seize the moment when his old strength was spent and his new strength had yet to arise to deliver a fatal blow.
* * * * *
Seeing his earth-shattering strike, her eyes suddenly lit up, as if she had realized something.
She had long been hiding behind him. For everyone in the jianghu now knew that Young Master Wei's greatest immediate enemy was not only General Ming, but also a man who had suddenly risen to prominence just a few months ago—one who had destroyed nineteen of Young Master Wei's branch halls with a single sword, yet without harming a single person: Chu Tianya.
He had stood completely still for two hours, concentrating his mind and gathering his qi, so that everything within a five-zhang radius fell within his perception. Had she not long mastered the "Mind as Still as Ice" technique, allowing her to go without breathing for several hours, he would have surely discovered her long ago.
She had wanted to see him strike, but she had not expected that in just a single move, Cang Qingfeng—the second-ranked expert of the "Ice, Wind, and Rain" under Young Master Wei—would end up with his sword shattered and his life extinguished.
Only now, even though she could not guess how he would counterattack, she was still certain she could at least severely wound him.
Because she was the number one expert under Young Master Wei—Bing.
What is Bing?
Frozen water.
Incorrect!
Then what is it?
In the jianghu, Bing is a person!
Feng Bing!
Correct. Striking without a trace, Ruthless Feng Bing.
The killing intent behind him suddenly dissipated.
A solitary clapping of hands rang out.
“Not bad indeed. Before Cang Qingfeng could even unleash his Heavenly Passion Art, he was struck by your fatal blow. You truly live up to the name Chu Tianya!”
He had not expected that the person hiding behind him, whom he had been completely unable to detect, would actually be a woman. Her name suddenly flashed through his mind.
“Miss Feng's 'Sparrow Behind' move is truly admirable.”
“Haha, are you that annoying mantis? But I don't just want to be a little sparrow.”
He recalled his master's warnings before his departure and sighed inwardly. Fortunately, the killing intent had dissipated, allowing him to slowly turn around.
And then, he saw the woman whose name shook the jianghu.
She possessed a radiant beauty.
She had an indescribable allure.
She was the enemy's final line of defense.
She was the opponent his master had warned him to guard against.
She was the favorite lieutenant whom Young Master Wei trusted most.
She could also be considered his senior sister.
His hatred of her beauty began at first sight.