Chapter 128: Dragon's Roar and Sword's Cry
Translator: NullTranslationGroup
With a "thud" sound, Seal Heaven's sword struck Su Ling's back, also piercing Xiao Jingshu's heart.
Su Ling groaned in pain, his back burning as if his heart and bones were being corroded.
His body softened, almost collapsing.
Xiao Jingshu cried out in sorrow, embracing him without hesitation.
Suddenly, she turned around, shielding Su Ling with her own body.
"Su Ling... Su Ling..." Tears rolled down Xiao Jingshu's face.
Su Ling's eyes were somewhat unfocused, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He gasped for breath, suppressed and rapid.
Ling Yijian's eyebrows raised, and he coldly said, "Little girl, step aside, don't seek death!"
Xiao Jingshu's eyes were filled with determination, her voice desolate, "Isn't it just death? Come on!"
Su Ling struggled to get up, but any effort pulled at the bleeding sword wound on his back, causing unbearable pain.
He let out a low roar, unable to rise.
Ling Yijian's eyes showed a sudden murderous intent, coldly saying, "Then I'll grant your wish, die together!"
The sword Seal Heaven hummed, like a death knell.
At that moment, a purple light flashed in the dark sky above Zhuque Long Street.
Like a roaring purple dragon soaring into the sky, it climbed higher and higher, relentless and unyielding.
At the top of the purple light, a substantial purple dragon head faintly appeared, suddenly opening its mouth as if to swallow the pale moon in the sky.
In an instant, the moonlight and clouds also carried a mysterious purple glow.
A person, like wind and lightning, stepped on lanterns, and wherever he passed, countless lanterns instantly fell into the snow.
"Boom, boom, boom—" Snow splashed in all directions.
The person, dressed in white, held a dark purple spear in his hand.
The spear was surrounded by a substantial purple glow, the same as the purple light in the sky.
In three breaths, the spear-wielding person arrived at the scene.
Just then, Ling Yijian's Heaven-Sealing Greatsword also swung down.
The white-clad person charged his dark purple spear straight at the descending Heaven-Sealing Greatsword.
The white figure was as graceful as a startled swan, the dark purple spear like a swimming dragon.
A faint dragon's roar broke the tranquility of the snowy night.
The fierce and domineering spear intent arrived head-on.
The Heaven-Sealing Greatsword seemed somewhat inferior.
A loud "clang" echoed as the spear and sword collided.
Snow, cold light, and sparks.
Heaven-Sealing Greatsword, Purple Lightning Dragon Spear.
Ling Yijian was caught off guard, having only used thirty to forty percent of his strength in this sword strike.
Killing this little girl didn't require much effort.
He hadn't expected such a domineering spear to block him.
The great sword was almost knocked out of his hand.
His body retreated more than ten zhang before he landed, barely stabilizing himself.
A huge dull pain instantly spread throughout his body from his fingertips.
His throat felt sweet, and he was about to vomit blood the next moment.
Ling Yijian, after all, was at the peak of the Ninth Rank. He quickly extended two fingers and tapped several vital points on his body.
Only then did his expression and breath return to normal.
Even so, a hint of surprise appeared on his face.
He thought to himself, although I only used thirty to forty percent of my strength, it's not something an ordinary person could withstand.
This sudden arrival, presumably in a hurry to save someone, didn't have time to mobilize all his strength and blocked my sword in a moment of desperation.
He didn't use his full strength, neither did I.
Yet he managed to make me so disheveled!
It seems that in the ten years I haven't been in the world, many talents have emerged.
The white-clad spear wielder, having repelled Ling Yijian with a spear, didn't delay further. He took out a pill from his pocket and handed it to Xiao Jingshu, saying, "Quickly let him take this, he'll be able to move in no time..."
Xiao Jingshu didn't hesitate, gratefully glanced at him, then took the pill, supported Su Ling's head, and fed the pill into his mouth.
The white-clad man then walked a few steps towards Ling Yijian, holding his spear upside down, coldly staring at him, "Ling Yijian, the master of Sword Inquiry Valley, with such a high status, fighting with a sixth-level martial artist, isn't it shameful? It's time to end this!"
Ling Yijian steadied his mind, also holding the great sword Seal Heaven upside down, took a few steps forward, and with a rare seriousness, said, "Who are you, why meddle in others' business?"
The white-clad man said indifferently, "Because you hurt Su Ling, hurting him is not a trivial matter to me."
"Dare to report your name?" Ling Yijian coldly said.
"Why wouldn't I dare?" the white-clad man coldly stared back.
"Purple Lightning Dragon's Roar Spear, Uncle Bai is here!"
"Uncle Bai... are you from the Bai family?" Ling Yijian's pupils slightly contracted.
Uncle Bai nodded. He sighed and said, "I thought that ten years later, no one in this world would know about the Bai family... Ling Yijian, the decline of the Bai family is all thanks to you!"
A hint of anger appeared in Ling Yijian's eyes, "Shut up! If it weren't for your Bai family, I, Ling Yijian, wouldn't have fallen from a Grandmaster to the peak of the Ninth Rank. Your Bai family got what you deserved back then!"
Uncle Bai gently shook his head, "Back then, I was only seven or eight years old, and I can't clearly remember the situation. Today, I'm not here to settle accounts. You hurt my brother, so I won't let you off!"
The Purple Lightning Dragon's Roar Spear in his hand seemed to sense its master's overwhelming fighting spirit, slightly humming, like a dragon's roar.
The purple glow surrounding the spear body immediately intensified.
Ling Yijian held his breath and focused, not for anything else, but because this spear-wielding man was surnamed Bai.
It's said in the world that in the current Great Jin empire, four spears and halberds dominate the world.
Back then, the Celestial Halberd's War God Duan Bailou was undoubtedly the first, and the remaining three spears were equally matched.
The Purple Lightning Dragon's Roar Spear was one of them.
However, Ling Yijian never expected that the current master of the Purple Lightning Dragon's Roar Spear would be a young man in white.
Uncle Bai, he firmly remembered this name.
Holding his breath and focusing, Ling Yijian could also feel that this young man in white, though young, was like him.
Possessed the strength of the peak of the Ninth Rank.
Just as the two were about to engage.
Su Ling's somewhat weak voice came, "Brother Bai... is that you?"
Hearing this, Uncle Bai quickly turned around.
Su Ling, supported by Xiao Jingshu, slowly walked over.
Uncle Bai's eyes suddenly showed some excitement, hurried over, and supported him, "Su Ling... we meet again! It's just that I arrived a step late..."
Su Ling smiled, slightly shaking his head, "Not late, just in time!"
Then he pointed at Ling Yijian, "Brother Bai, beat that pervert hard for me!"
Hearing this, Ling Yijian turned his face away, somewhat self-pityingly hummed, his tone and movements looking quite awkward.
Uncle Bai faintly smiled, "Su Ling, don't worry, even if you didn't say it, he's going to get a beating today!"
Suddenly, he looked at Su Ling with a meaningful expression.
Su Ling heard his voice in his ear, "Su Ling, Ling Yijian has the ability to hear everything within tens of zhang, so you must keep your composure and not let him see through any flaws."
Su Ling signaled with his eyes that he understood.
"Can you walk on your own?" Uncle Bai's voice sounded again.
Su Ling again signaled with his eyes that he could.
"Ling Yijian and I are almost at the same level, if you and this young lady stay here, he might use it to his advantage, making it inconvenient for me, even so, I might not necessarily win against him. Later, when I engage him in a fight, you and this young lady seize the opportunity to leave quickly!"
Su Ling remained calm, signaling with his eyes.
After instructing Su Ling, Uncle Bai then shook his spear, took a step forward, and said, "Ling Yijian, let me see what skills you, who are called the number one sword under Lingwu City, have!"
As soon as Ling Yijian uttered the word "see," his figure disappeared into thin air.
In an instant, he reappeared in mid-air above Uncle Bai, the Heaven-Sealing Greatsword slashing down.
"Seal Heaven's Cloud Dragon appears... still a bit lacking compared to the Grandmaster Realm!" Uncle Bai pointed out Ling Yijian's move, but didn't even look at the descending sword, instead, he held his spear upright in his right hand, neither dodging nor avoiding.
Ling Yijian thought to himself, this man is so arrogant, from the moment I swung my sword to its descent, it only took three breaths, yet he neither dodges nor avoids?
"Die!" Ling Yijian's ghostly pale face was full of malice.
At the critical moment, Uncle Bai suddenly moved, his right hand gripping the shaft of the Purple Lightning Dragon's Roar Spear, then thrusting it upward.
The spear's tip faintly resembled a dragon's head, seemingly substantial.
A flash of purple light directly aimed at Ling Yijian's heart.
What kind of tactic is this, neither dodging nor avoiding, unreasonable and domineering!
If I slash him, his spear will also pierce my chest.
This kid has guts, actually betting his life against me!
Uncle Bai's lips curled into a mocking sneer, saying in a deep voice, "Ling Yijian, dare to bet?"
Ling Yijian, valuing his life, didn't dare to take the bet, so he could only withdraw his sword, intending to retreat and attack again.
Uncle Bai coldly shouted, "I was waiting for you to withdraw your sword!"
After saying that, his wrist turned, and the purple light spear suddenly reversed in mid-air, its tip horizontally moving forward, directly attacking Ling Yijian's retreating figure.
Ling Yijian was horrified, hurriedly using the Heaven-Sealing Greatsword to block in front.
Just as the spear and sword were about to collide again.
Uncle Bai suddenly smiled, his right wrist flicking upward.
The dragon head at the tip of the Purple Lightning Dragon's Roar Spear proudly raised, firmly pressing down on the blade of the Heaven-Sealing Greatsword.
Then, Uncle Bai gripped the spear shaft with both arms, concentrating all his strength in his arms, the spear seemed to weigh a thousand jun.
He coldly shouted, "Let go!"
Ling Yijian's Seal Heaven trembled uncontrollably, almost slipping from his hand.
After all, he was at the peak of the Ninth Rank, it was just that Uncle Bai took the initiative, and he couldn't react in time, so how could the Seal Heaven sword easily slip from his hand.
Ling Yijian let out a strange roar, suddenly unleashing all his strength, pouring it into the Seal Heaven sword.
Looking at the two, one pressing down with a spear, the other lifting up with a great sword.
Secretly exerting force, neither yielding.
At this moment, although Su Ling's complexion was poor, due to excessive blood loss, his movement and strength had somewhat recovered.
Seeing the two engaged in a stalemate, he suddenly pulled Xiao Jingshu's hand, whispering, "Follow me, to Sikong[-] Manor!"
After saying that, the two dashed towards Sikong[-] Manor.
Ling Yijian was surprised, realizing Su Ling's intention to flee as soon as he moved.
But he was entangled by Uncle Bai in front, unable to move an inch.
He could only turn his head and shout at the remaining four Ghost-Masked Men, "Are you just standing there watching? Hurry up and chase!"
Only then did the four realize, four black lights chasing straight towards Su Ling and Xiao Jingshu.
Su Ling, pulling Xiao Jingshu, ran for his life, the intense pain in his back notwithstanding, he couldn't care less at this moment.
At this moment, he was only able to move at full speed because of the pill he had taken earlier, if caught by the four, he would surely be no match.
Xiao Jingshu, being a young girl, although she knew some basic martial arts, this was her first time running like this.
She understood that Su Ling was seriously injured, barely holding on, and she had to keep up no matter what.
Biting her cherry lips, she also used all her strength.
But her breathing became increasingly rapid.
Just after passing a street corner, she felt physically and mentally exhausted, her vision blurring.
At that moment, Su Ling suddenly felt something unusual on the rooftops of the surrounding shops.
Looking up sharply, he was shocked to see three black lights on the rooftops, one in front, two behind, rapidly moving towards them.
Su Ling's heart tightened, knowing this was Ling Yijian's backup.
Three on the rooftops, four behind, seven assassins.
Even if he managed to kill one or two, he and Xiao Jingshu would be hacked to death by the rest.
At that moment, Su Ling suddenly felt a flash of sharpness from above.
Looking up again, his pupils immediately contracted.
The three assassins on the wall were drawing their bows, aiming at Su Ling and Xiao Jingshu as they moved.
Su Ling couldn't care less, shouting, "Xiao Jingshu, beware of the arrows!"
As soon as the words fell.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—" Three sharp whistles, three arrows shooting through the air towards Su Ling and Xiao Jingshu.
Su Ling shouted, forcefully gathering his strength, ignoring the tearing pain in his back, suddenly embracing Xiao Jingshu.
Holding the young girl tightly, he didn't slow down, running while trying to dodge to the left.
Two arrows missed, completely sinking into the snow.
But the last arrow, Su Ling couldn't dodge.
"Thud—" It hit his right shoulder.
Su Ling couldn't tell where the pain was coming from anymore, only feeling his bones and body were being torn apart, crushed to ashes.
Su Ling groaned, his body trembling, stumbling forward a few steps.
Xiao Jingshu in his arms was shocked, realizing Su Ling was hit by an arrow, shouting, "Su Ling... you're hit by an arrow, where are you injured!"
Su Ling gritted his teeth, whispering, "Shoulder, it's nothing!"
Suddenly shouting, holding Xiao Jingshu with one hand.
His left hand tightly grasped the arrow's feathers on his right shoulder, pulling the arrowhead out of his flesh.
Then taking a deep breath, raising his left hand, he coldly snorted, "Take this back!"
The feathered arrow shot like a stream of light towards the rooftops.
The three on the rooftop were just celebrating hitting Su Ling, not expecting Su Ling to be so tenacious, only seeing a stream of light coming at them.
The leading one looked up in shock.
"Bang—" The arrow Su Ling threw back hit the person's forehead.
The person collapsed, immediately falling.
His body, like a withered leaf, rolled down from the rooftop, bringing down shattered tiles, heavily hitting the snow.
Su Ling's counterattack inevitably slowed him down, and with the effort of throwing the arrow, he had to stabilize himself.
In this gap, the remaining two assassins on the wall, two streams of light, had already overtaken Su Ling.
Then, with a leap, the Scimitar was unsheathed mid-air, blocking Su Ling's path ahead, coldly shouting, "This way is blocked!"
Su Ling, holding Xiao Jingshu, was about to turn back when the four masked assassins caught up from behind.
Caught between two forces, Su Ling and Xiao Jingshu were surrounded.
It seemed like a hopeless situation.
Suddenly, Su Ling noticed a small alley not far behind the two men in front. If he could charge forward without alerting them, they would surely be thrown into disarray, allowing him to dash into the alley.
That's what he decided to do!
He smiled down at Xiao Jingshu in his arms and said, "Hold on tight, little one! I'll get us out of here."
The little girl in his arms was already in tears.
Tonight, they had faced death multiple times, Su Ling was covered in wounds, yet she remained unharmed...
With red eyes, she nodded vigorously at Su Ling.
Su Ling had originally stopped.
Suddenly, he urged his body forward, charging towards the two men ahead without hesitation.
Midway, "Asks for Longing' struck again.
"Lovesickness: Irreversible Sword Strike!" Su Ling shouted, flashing his sword as he charged.
The two assassins, confident of their victory, were taken aback by Su Ling's desperate attack, retreating in panic while raising their Scimitars to defend.
In truth, Su Ling was only feinting; in his current state, he could only shout slogans and scare people, unable to execute the "Lovesickness: Irreversible Sword Strike'.
Taking advantage of the assassins' retreat, Su Ling, holding Xiao Jingshu, swiftly slipped into the alley, continuing forward without slowing down.
Only then did the six assassins realize they had been tricked, cursing loudly as they gave chase.
"Persistent ghosts!" Su Ling cursed under his breath.
Suddenly, Xiao Jingshu in his arms said, "Su Ling, they don't want us to return to Sikong[-] Manor, and we can't go back. Given the situation, if we continue towards my father's residence, there might be more assassins lying in wait along the way."
Her words were a wake-up call.
Su Ling nodded firmly and said, "Little one, you're right. I think so too. They know they must kill us tonight, or their master will be in great trouble if we survive!"
Xiao Jingshu, somewhat despairing, said, "If we can't go back to my father's residence, what should we do, Su Ling?"
Su Ling, trying to remain calm, quickly thought and suddenly had an idea, "If there are ambushes in the city, then let's leave the city!"
After catching his breath, he continued, "The South Gate is not far from here. Once we're out of the South Gate, we'll reach Longtai Mountain. Once we're in the mountains, they won't be able to chase us easily!"
Hearing this, Xiao Jingshu's eyes also lit up, and she nodded vigorously.
Without hesitation, Su Ling ran towards the South Gate of Longtai City, with the six assassins hot on their heels.
After running for a while, the South Gate was in sight.
At the South Gate, there were only two night watchmen, probably with a supervisor sleeping on the city wall.
These two watchmen were also drowsy, shivering from the cold and dozing off.
On the night of the Lantern Festival, who would attack the city, especially the Capital Longtai, so the night watch was just a formality.
At that moment, the two watchmen suddenly heard the sound of rapid footsteps approaching.
They rubbed their eyes and looked.
They saw a blood-soaked young man carrying a girl, running towards them on the snowy ground.
Several dozen feet behind them, shadowy figures were in pursuit.
The two watchmen, frightened, quickly gripped their spears and shouted, "Who goes there? Stop!"
Su Ling felt helpless. How could he get these uninformed watchmen to open the gate? If he wasted time explaining, the assassins would catch up, and even these two watchmen wouldn't survive.
If he charged forward, the city gate wouldn't open, and he couldn't break through with his body!
At that moment, Xiao Jingshu in his arms suddenly pulled out something—a golden token! With one hand around Su Ling's waist and the other holding the golden token high, she shouted, "Golden token of Sikong[-] Manor! Seeing the token is like seeing Sikong[-] himself! Open the gate!"
Hearing this, the two watchmen dared not delay, quickly running to pull the gate open with all their might.
Su Ling looked back; the assassins were only thirty to forty paces behind.
Without further delay, Su Ling sped out of the South Gate.
He left behind a message, "Assassins are behind us; you're no match for them. Don't try to stop them, hide quickly! After they chase us away, go to Sikong[-] Manor and report that Lady Xiao Jingshu is in Longtai Mountain! Don't forget!"
As his words fell, he disappeared out of the South Gate.
The two watchmen were stunned, "What? My goodness, Xiao Jingshu, the daughter of Sikong[-], is being chased..."
Turning around, they saw six masked black-clad assassins, murderous and wielding Scimitars, rapidly approaching.
The two watchmen were so scared their eyes nearly popped out; hiding was no longer an option.
One watchman pulled the other and said, "Brother, what should we do? Let's go!"
The other watchman urgently replied, "How many lives do you have? These are the ancestors of assassination in the martial world; we're just cannon fodder to them."
As the six assassins were about to reach them.
The watchman almost cried, "Brother, what should we do?"
The other watchman, quick-witted, said, "Play dead, quick!"
With that, both men rolled their eyes and fell to the ground...
At that moment, the six assassins sped past, glancing sideways to see the two watchmen lying on the ground.
They thought Su Ling had killed them to get the city gate keys, and without delay, they chased after Su Ling and Xiao Jingshu, who were several dozen feet ahead out of the South Gate.
Su Ling, carrying Xiao Jingshu, ran further, the sound of pursuit still clear behind them.
Xiao Jingshu wanted Su Ling to put her down, but he refused, partly because her stamina wouldn't last, and partly because it would slow them down.
He insisted on carrying her forward.
Before them lay the vast mountains.
Longtai stood tall, a scene of snow-white and solemnity!
Su Ling, heedless, plunged into the snowy mountains...
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