C17 It Was a Mistake

"You're back?"

The moment Ye Qinghui arrived, he was greeted by the voice of his master, Chen Laosan, who had been waiting for some time.

Chen Laosan was deeply concerned about the affairs of the Jade Garden, though the latest reports had yet to reach him.

"The Lady Boss is dead!"

"What? Who did it?"

Chen Laosan rose to his feet, his presence so commanding it felt as though he could throw the world into disarray. This was no trivial matter.

"In my heart, she was no longer just the Lady Boss; she was the Master's wife! Did you send me there on purpose? If you have something to say, just tell me. Once I know, I can act accordingly. But leaving me in the dark like this... what if I had been killed?"

"How could someone who has outwitted Zhou Zhihao twice be killed? I have complete faith in your abilities!"

"You can't be deceived by anything on this mountain, can you?"

Ye Qinghui shook his head, conflicted about having such a cunning master. Was it a blessing or something else? Either way, it wasn't a great feeling.

Enough of that, he thought. Time to focus on more important matters.

"When will you teach me the techniques? It's not right to keep bluffing like this. You're still young, and as a master, you have a duty to fulfill. You can't keep neglecting your responsibilities."

Ye Qinghui addressed Chen Laosan directly.

"Follow me," Chen Laosan commanded.

Having decided to impart his knowledge after the mission's completion, Chen Laosan led Ye Qinghui to a secluded canyon.

Each person had their own place of cultivation, and this was Chen Laosan's. He had placed a seal over it, invisible to the uninitiated. Only his disciples knew of this place and could detect and break the seal, though they would never dare.

The spiritual energy here was abundant, having gone untapped for many years since Chen Laosan had last taken on a disciple.

And now, Ye Qinghui would benefit from this surplus.

Chen Laosan proceeded to demonstrate the sword technique, a dance of precision and grace.

The process was simple: remember, then forget, and finally, master it until it becomes second nature.

Time flew by!

It was hard to tell how long had elapsed.

Ye Qinghui's gaze was fixed intently ahead.

After a lengthy period of cultivation, his strength had somewhat returned, and he noticed activity just beyond the barrier.

Whoosh!

In a flash, Ye Qinghui propelled himself forward.

In the woods, two men were in hot pursuit of a woman.

Judging by the situation, it seemed the woman's life hung by a thread.

The woman was none other than Zhou Ke'er.

Once again, she was the target of an assassination attempt.

Again, within the confines of the forest.

This time, Ye Qinghui sprang into action in the blink of an eye, averting the crisis at hand.

Thwack!

One of the assailants was swiftly impaled through the heart.

The ease with which the knife found its mark was almost playful.

But this was only the beginning!

Next came the second strike!

Then the third!

The fourth assault was unleashed upon the remaining man.

The situation for this man had turned dire in an instant. He had never anticipated that his comrade would be dispatched so swiftly, nor that he would be the next target.

Damn it, this relentless assault could actually lead to death.

Death was certainly not the outcome the assailant had hoped for!

He had to find a way out of this predicament quickly.

Clang, clang!

The clashing of metal suggested a relentless barrage of attacks, one after another.

Clang!

"Do you even know who you've crossed?"

"An assassin?"

"And yet you're so smug? Offending an assassin means offending their entire organization. Do you think you can get away with that? You're done for, don't you get it?"

"No, I don't get it, hmm!"

"You think this is a game? You've genuinely angered our organization!"

"If you're dead, who's to say I'm the one who crossed your organization? How could anyone trace it back to me?"

"So you're intent on killing me, is that it?"

"Yes, exactly!"

"Fine, fine, fine. It infuriates you, doesn't it? You've made up your mind, then!"

"Hehehe!"

"I'll kill you, for real!"

The assassin bellowed.

But Ye Qinghui was unfazed!

His attack continued unabated, targeting his adversary.

The opponent's grand declarations meant nothing to him. By simply disregarding the other man, the matter was settled. Why bother with such trifles? The other man had clearly overthought the situation.

The assassin reminded himself to stay cool.

He had to keep his composure.

Once he was composed, this guy would be nothing more than a paper tiger.

If you didn't consider this guy a threat, then he was nothing at all!

And if he was nothing, then there was nothing to fear. It was as simple as that!

However, thoughts are one thing, and reality is quite another.

Looking at the current situation, the attack seemed to be coming at him as if it were child's play!

If this kept up, he wouldn't have a chance to react.

"Why do you have to be so unlikeable?"

"I've always been unlikeable. So what? Is that a problem?"

Ye Qinghui's knife thrust towards the assassin's chest with lethal intent.

The speed, power, and precision of the strike had increased twofold!

It was a strike with finesse.

If Chen Laosan were here, he would no doubt give Ye Qinghui a thumbs-up for his near mastery of the Life-Threatening Three Swords.

With a piercing sound, the knife penetrated the assassin's chest.

How could this happen?

The assassin was on high alert; how could he still fall for it?

Damn, all the previous moves were a ruse, but this critical, deadly strike was the real threat. Absolutely terrifying.