Chapter 48: Wound (Fourth Update, For Alliance Leader ‘Su Xiaochang~’)
Black Tongue died, dying in her sister’s arms. For this girl, who had been transformed into something inhuman by drugs, this was both fate and her final destination.
Red Tongue gently laid Black Tongue on the ground, sheathed the nearby Eight Houses, and placed it beside Black Tongue.
“I once swore that if we met a second time, I would kill you to avenge Brand.”
Red Tongue didn’t charge in recklessly. Instead, she calmly looked at Su Xiao.
“Is that so.”
Su Xiao flicked away the cigarette butt in his hand. In the nearby forest, a dark shadow flickered, as if wanting to run out and sniff the butt Su Xiao had tossed, to see what it was, if it was edible, and if it tasted good.
Su Xiao glared into the forest, and the shadow quickly shrank back into the underbrush.
“You’re definitely not a loyal Dark Division member of the Empire. What’s your goal?”
Red Tongue stared at Su Xiao, her tone certain.
“Who knows. But… in your current physical state, you’re no match for me.”
Su Xiao didn’t belong to any faction. He only acted according to his own will.
A cold wind blew through the forest, rustling the leaves.
“Right. So I have to abandon my human form.”
Red Tongue slowly raised Village Rain, aiming it at her palm.
Pfft.
A splash of blood. Red Tongue had actually cut her palm with Village Rain.
Village Rain was a blade of certain death. Wounded by it, curse poison would invade the body, and the victim would die quickly.
But Red Tongue was different. She was the user of Village Rain and had killed many with it. Now, using this move was her ultimate technique.
“Ah!!”
Red Tongue dropped to one knee, tilting her head back with a low roar. The sound seemed to come from the deepest abyss, hollow and overlapping with many voices.
A cloud of purple-black mist spread around Red Tongue. The curse poison was eroding her body.
Clearly, Red Tongue was unleashing her ultimate move. Su Xiao never made it a habit to watch enemies charge up their attacks. This was a good opportunity, and he decisively charged forward.
In a few quick strides, he reached Red Tongue, his long blade slashing toward her head.
Clang.
Village Rain blocked the strike of Dragon-Slaying Flash, sparks flying.
Red Tongue’s appearance had drastically changed. Her originally waist-length hair now reached her calves, her crimson eyes were even redder, and the whites had turned black.
On her fair skin, many blood-red patterns appeared, even climbing up to her right cheek.
Raising her blade, Red Tongue looked at Su Xiao.
“I’ve killed many people. Anger, hatred, resentment, despair… Village Rain recorded all of it.
Now I bear them, turning them into power. Even if I burn myself out, I’ll take you down.”
The Red Tongue before had been a righteous assassin, but now she seemed eerie and ghostly.
Su Xiao said nothing. His concentration was razor-sharp. Red Tongue gave him a very dangerous feeling.
Whoosh~.
Her long black hair fluttered in the wind. As a fierce gust hit him head-on, Su Xiao found Red Tongue already in front of him, with Village Rain thrusting toward his face—at most ten centimeters away from wounding him.
Death was rushing toward him. Su Xiao had felt this closeness to death many times.
Blocking with Dragon-Slashing Flash in front of him, Su Xiao immediately turned his head.
Zzzz~.
Dragon-Slashing Flash scraped against Village Rain, sending up a shower of sparks.
So fast! Red Tongue’s speed was so great that he could barely react. If not for his rich combat experience, he might have died from that strike.
Red Tongue’s power had surged as much as her speed.
Clang, clang.
After two direct clashes, Su Xiao felt his sword arm go numb.
Moreover, fighting Red Tongue was far more dangerous than fighting others. Being wounded meant being invaded by curse poison, and Su Xiao wasn’t sure he could withstand it.
Su Xiao engaged Red Tongue in a direct sword duel, but he changed his usual tactics, focusing on defense this time.
Dragon-Slashing Flash danced in front of him, forming an impenetrable barrier. Though Red Tongue’s power and speed had skyrocketed, her swordsmanship hadn’t.
Su Xiao was now like someone leaping across a blade’s edge—one misstep and he’d be dead.
Red Tongue’s strikes grew faster, but Su Xiao’s defense remained airtight.
His high intelligence, combined with his heart’s perception, allowed him to barely track Village Rain’s attack trajectory. Paired with his exquisite swordsmanship, Red Tongue couldn’t get the better of him for the moment.
Su Xiao’s stamina was ample. His earlier fight with Karl had been dangerous but short.
The sharp clang of blade against blade rang out in succession.
Su Xiao raised his sword to block Red Tongue’s overhead strike, then angled the blade to deflect Village Rain’s attack.
Swish.
Village Rain cut into the ground. Red Tongue began to grow anxious. This state of hers wouldn’t last long.
Su Xiao also knew she couldn’t hold out much longer. He was deliberately stalling. Once her state faded, she’d be at his mercy.
Red Tongue stomped the ground, leaving a deep footprint, a testament to her current power.
Su Xiao flipped his left hand, producing a blue-black object. He tossed it toward Red Tongue.
Remembering the earlier flashbang, Red Tongue instinctively closed her eyes and covered her ears, halting her charge.
Su Xiao dashed to her in a few steps and kicked her squarely in the stomach.
Bang.
Red Tongue was sent flying, tumbling several times before getting up.
The blue-black object hit the ground but didn’t explode. On it was written a line: ‘Oreo Sandwich Cookies.’
In battle, one must use wit, or else be no different from a beast.
Red Tongue skirted around the bag of ‘Oreo Sandwich Cookies’ and charged at Su Xiao again, but another object appeared in his hand.
Mid-run, Red Tongue hesitated, thinking of the possibility of a real and a fake.
Su Xiao tossed the object, and Red Tongue stepped back two paces.
Bang.
The object hit the ground, reading ‘Clear Shampoo.’
Red Tongue nearly spat blood. Though she’d never seen these things, she knew they weren’t dangerous.
For the third time, Red Tongue charged at Su Xiao, and another object appeared in his hand!
This time, she gritted her teeth and kept going, but Su Xiao threw it right in front of her.
Red Tongue’s steps faltered. The object landed, reading ‘Snickers.’
Deceived three times in a row, Red Tongue felt her intelligence had suffered unprecedented insult. This time, she lowered her head and charged straight at Su Xiao.
Another object appeared in Su Xiao’s hand, and he tossed it at Red Tongue. She just covered her ears and kept charging.
Boom!
A blinding light flashed before her eyes. Red Tongue’s eyes burned painfully, and her ears rang. This time, it was a real flashbang.
Su Xiao rushed to her in a few steps, his long blade slashing down.
Pfft.
Dragon-Slashing Flash sank deep into Red Tongue’s shoulder. Su Xiao pressed his free left hand onto the blade’s back.
Pfft.
A second wound appeared. Red Tongue’s collarbone was severed.
“Before I die, I’ll drag you down with me.”
Ignoring the blade inside her, Red Tongue endured the cutting edge and slashed at Su Xiao.
Su Xiao had no intention of dying with her. He immediately withdrew his blade and retreated.
Strangely, Red Tongue didn’t pursue. She stood still, seemingly too injured.
Suddenly, Su Xiao’s hair stood on end. An extremely dangerous sensation arose, but Red Tongue was right in front of him. What was this danger?
He didn’t dwell on it. Trusting his instincts, he leaped to the side.
A graceful figure descended from above, her long blade slashing down at Su Xiao from top to bottom.
Su Xiao raised his sword to meet it.
Clang.
Dragon-Slashing Flash took a massive impact. Su Xiao’s hand went numb, the blade tilting slightly as Village Rain slid sideways.
The figure standing in place before wasn’t Red Tongue’s real body. It was an afterimage formed by her killing intent—her ultimate ability.
Village Rain slid along Dragon-Slashing Flash’s edge, aiming for Su Xiao’s left arm.
“Burial.”
Red Tongue shouted low.
Su Xiao immediately raised his left arm.
Pfft.
A tiny wound appeared on the back of his left hand, barely breaking the skin.
But Su Xiao had indeed been cut by Village Rain. He felt the curse poison surge from the wound into his arm, reaching his forearm.
“I’ll give you an arm, then.”
Su Xiao looked at Red Tongue, whose state was rapidly fading.
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