Chapter 32: Nothing More Than This
Raindrops gathered under the pull of inner force, forming a massive hand that blocked Chu Qing and Wu Qianhuan's path.
Wu Qianhuan's heart sank. She knew this aura—it was Tang Yinfeng, the Great Hall Master of Falling Rain Hall.
His strength was formidable. Even her father, Wu Ganqi, had once exchanged blows with him and later admitted that Tang Yinfeng's power was no less than his or Chu Yunfei's. He had warned her to show respect if she ever met the man.
But tonight, there was no room for courtesy.
Tang Xi had practiced the Heaven-Hating Demonic Art, Liu Shijie had conspired with the Iron Horse Seven Bandits. The deputy hall master and the young master were both corrupted—could the Great Hall Master truly remain untouched by evil?
There was no time to dwell on it. The moment demanded action.
As the rain-forged palm neared, Wu Qianhuan's sword was about to leave its sheath.
But Chu Qing was faster.
Before her hand even gripped the hilt, his blade pierced through the watery palm.
Though the strike slowed from the resistance, when Wu Qianhuan looked up again, the sword was already at Tang Yinfeng's chest.
Even with his vast skill, Tang Yinfeng was startled. Had he not attacked first, that sword might have slain or gravely wounded him.
What kind of sword technique was this?
In that flicker of thought, he brought both palms together, blood-colored light surging between them. Chu Qing's eyes flashed with violet light, and the two forces collided head-on—neither gaining the upper hand.
Then Tang Yinfeng's expression hardened; his hands twisted, and Chu Qing saw his sword begin to corrode before his eyes.
"Blood-Transforming Divine Palm!"
Wu Qianhuan's heart trembled with fury and shock.
Tang Xi had cultivated the Heaven-Hating Demonic Art and the Blood-Transforming Divine Palm—so Tang Yinfeng was no different after all.
What exactly was Falling Rain Hall hiding?
With a sharp crack, Chu Qing's sword shattered into fragments. The explosion of force sent the rain scattering in all directions.
Yet both men moved in unison, each launching a palm strike straight at the other.
Wu Qianhuan's face changed drastically as she cried out, "Be careful—that's the Blood-Transforming Divine Palm!"
But battles between experts lasted no longer than a breath—there was no time to intervene.
Just as their palms were about to collide, a sharp whistle cut through the rain.
Something shot from Chu Qing's sleeve and pierced Tang Yinfeng's palm clean through.
The man screamed, tumbling backward and crashing from the wall into the courtyard below.
At that moment, Wu Qianhuan reached Chu Qing's side. He seized her wrist, lifted her with his remaining strength, and darted away into the storm, his voice fading into the rain:
"The Great Hall Master of Falling Rain Hall—nothing more than this!"
Tang Yinfeng trembled with rage, pain, and humiliation.
That despicable scoundrel!
To ambush him and then speak such arrogance!
If only they could exchange one true strike, he would prove who was superior!
As his fury boiled, a numbness crept into his palm.
He looked down—and his anger deepened.
"Poison! He even used poison!?"
Before he could vent further, several hall disciples rushed in.
"Hall Master! The Young Hall Master—he's gone!"
"What!?"
Tang Yinfeng's face twisted. Forgetting the poison in his veins, he dashed toward Tang Xi's quarters.
A quick glance at the room told him everything—the blood trail led straight to the hidden door.
He flung it open—only to find a headless, naked corpse sprawled on the ground. Tang Xi was long dead.
But… where was the head?
Suddenly, he remembered—the assassin's hand. He had been holding something…
Could it be—
Before he could finish the thought, the poison surged. Blood spurted from his lips as he roared toward the heavens, his face contorted in fury and despair:
"Who are you!?"
Tianwu City was where Chu Qing and Wu Qianhuan had grown up together.
After escaping Falling Rain Hall, it took them only moments to lose all pursuers in the rain.
They stopped at a secluded spot, breath steady despite the night's chaos.
"Pleasant cooperation," Chu Qing said lightly. "Farewell."
"Wait!"
Wu Qianhuan's voice stopped him.
Chu Qing turned, puzzled. "Something else?"
"…You think there's nothing else?"
Her voice trembled slightly—not from fear, but disbelief. They had just killed Tang Xi, toppled a hornet's nest, and this man acted as though nothing had happened.
She stared at him, searching his face beneath the mask. Not a single trace of the young man she once knew remained.
She had followed him tonight partly because of Tang Xi's special identity, but also to observe him—to see if he was truly Chu Qing. Yet now…
Wu Qianhuan shook her head and drew a deep breath. "You let me strike first on purpose, didn't you? Just to create an opening for yourself."
She was no fool; her position left no room for one.
By now she fully understood—Chu Qing had agreed to let her join him precisely so he could use her strike to seize the chance to kill.
Chu Qing smiled faintly. "This whole thing went smoothly thanks to you, Miss Wu. But as agreed, the bounty for Tang Xi's head isn't yours."
In truth, Chu Qing hadn't earned any payment either—Er Gou had no money to give.
Wu Qianhuan was almost beyond anger now. She simply stared at him, her tone flat.
"So, from the moment you agreed to let me come, you'd already planned everything out?"
"…I'm not some fortune-teller," Chu Qing said helplessly. "But when one person kills, it's one plan; when two act together, it's another.
"Since Miss Wu is so kind and eager to rid the people of evil, it would be wasteful not to make full use of—cough, no, never mind, you misheard."
"'Make full use,' is it?"
Her voice dropped cold. Even through the mask, he could imagine her expression darkening.
He had clearly counted on her following him from the start, and now had the gall to act innocent.
This couldn't be Chu Qing—the real Chu Qing had never been so calculating.
But then again… people change.
He had been gone for seven years. There was a past she didn't know.
What if this was simply who he had become?
She was about to speak when Chu Qing interrupted, his tone brisk.
"Save it for later. You'll be busy tonight. Tang Yinfeng's poisoned and his strength crippled—Falling Rain Hall is at its weakest in years. You should return to your father and decide how to uproot this cancer from Tianwu City."
The logic was sound—but to Wu Qianhuan, it sounded like an excuse to run.
Just then, the sound of commotion broke through the rain.
Both of them instinctively slipped into hiding, thinking it was men from Falling Rain Hall.
But several figures in blue uniforms rushed past—each one drenched and hurrying through the night.
Chu Qing and Wu Qianhuan exchanged glances.
"The Chu clan?"
They both recognized the attire.
But what were Chu family men doing out here in the storm—searching for something?
Could it be… something had happened at the Chu estate?
(End of chapter)
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