Chapter 586: Fang Jie and Cao Ying
Zhang Ruochen thought for a moment, then reached into his sleeve and silently retrieved a purple crystal card from his storage ring.
He pulled the crystal card out from his sleeve, holding it between two fingers, and said, "Will this suffice?"
"A Nine-Star Noble Card from the Martial Market Bank." Duanmu Xingling was startled once again.
Only those who had deposited at least one hundred million spirit crystals in the Martial Market Bank were eligible to receive a Nine-Star Noble Card. Generally speaking, even many Half-Saints only possessed Eight-Star Noble Cards.
Duanmu Xingling nodded and quietly gave an order to a nearby maid.
The maid walked over to a pillar, reached out, and began to pull on a rope.
"Rustle, rustle!"
The white curtain that had been separating Zhang Ruochen and Duanmu Xingling slowly rose. With the curtain no longer blocking her view, Duanmu Xingling finally began to scrutinize the man across from her.
Unfortunately, to her disappointment, he wore a metal mask that completely concealed his features.
However, relying on a woman's intuition, she could sense that the man opposite her was very young. Yet, such a young man, when looking at her, had eyes devoid of any lustful thoughts or impurities.
Duanmu Xingling couldn't help but wonder if she had lost her seductive power over men.
"With such firm willpower, he is indeed no ordinary person."
This was the first impression Zhang Ruochen left on Duanmu Xingling.
"Cultivation at the sixth change of the Fish-Dragon Realm."
Zhang Ruochen merely glanced at Duanmu Xingling before withdrawing his gaze, assessing her cultivation level.
This enchanting proprietress actually possessed such terrifying cultivation. The thought alone sent a chill down Zhang Ruochen's spine.
Fortunately, back in Yunwu Commandery, he hadn't offended her; otherwise, he wouldn't even know how he died.
Zhang Ruochen had seen through Duanmu Xingling, but she could not see through him at all. This left her feeling quite frustrated.
Just who in the world was he?
Duanmu Xingling stood up and gracefully, yet seductively, walked toward Zhang Ruochen, smiling. "Your Nine-Star Noble Card can only be used to withdraw spirit crystals from the Martial Market Bank. However, in the Eastern Domain Evil Land, there is only the Black Market, not the Martial Market Bank. What shall we do about that?"
As she spoke, Duanmu Xingling swiftly extended a pair of soft, jade-like hands. In an instant, dozens of afterimages of her fingers appeared in the air.
Each phantom hand shot toward the Nine-Star Noble Card pinched between Zhang Ruochen's fingers.
Her movements seemed casual, but they were as fast as lightning.
However, Zhang Ruochen was even faster. With a slight twist of his arm, he traced an arc and easily evaded Duanmu Xingling's grasp.
Unwilling to give up, Duanmu Xingling twisted her slender waist, carrying a fragrant breeze, and leaned forward as if to fall into Zhang Ruochen's arms. At the same time, she executed a Ghost-rank low-grade martial technique, the Swift Wind Ghost Claw, continuing her attempt to snatch the Nine-Star Noble Card.
But she ended up lunging onto the chair instead, all her moves missing their mark. Meanwhile, the chair Zhang Ruochen had been sitting on tilted rapidly, carrying her backward.
Zhang Ruochen, however, had somehow already moved behind the chair. He reached out a hand to steady it, staring into Duanmu Xingling's eyes from close range. "Proprietress, since I can produce a Nine-Star Noble Card, I can certainly produce the spirit crystals needed to purchase the sacred stones. So, you need not worry about that."
Duanmu Xingling was quite irritated, feeling as though Zhang Ruochen had humiliated her.
After all, she was a top-tier beauty, with a figure to match and looks to spare. Not only did Zhang Ruochen refuse to look her in the eye, but he also deliberately avoided her.
What did that mean?
Zhang Ruochen's actions were a direct affront to Duanmu Xingling's self-confidence.
Back in Yunwu Commandery, Zhang Ruochen had to avoid Duanmu Xingling whenever he saw her. There was no helping it—this proprietress's seduction techniques were too powerful, and she often deliberately teased him.
At that time, Zhang Ruochen was no match for her.
But now, Zhang Ruochen's spiritual power and cultivation were far beyond what they had been back then, so he could naturally handle her with ease.
Duanmu Xingling sat upright again, her full chest heaving as she glared at Zhang Ruochen with her beautiful eyes. "Fine! Within three days, I can procure three sacred stones. However, not here in Liyuan City, but in the county city of Qingyun Commandery. You can come find me at the Wu Wang Inn then. We'll trade spirit crystals for sacred stones. Any problems?"
"Only three sacred stones? A bit scarce, but I suppose they'll do for now."
Zhang Ruochen sat back down on the chair, picked up his teacup, and took a light sip.
Duanmu Xingling smiled. "Young Master Zhang, aren't you afraid I'll set an ambush in the county city, take your spirit crystals, and even your life?"
Zhang Ruochen looked up at Duanmu Xingling's alluring and proud figure, chuckled, and said, "Since I dare to go, I naturally have the means to leave. Also, I should remind you—if you want to kill me, there are probably others who want to kill you. If a person lets their guard down, they might die without even knowing how."
"What are you talking about?"
Duanmu Xingling looked puzzled.
Zhang Ruochen warned her again: "Watch out."
"Whoosh!"
From the pond beside the pavilion, a red figure, radiating killing intent, burst out of the water. The figure paused midair for a moment, then veered left, shooting into the pavilion like a streak of light.
The red figure wielded two short spears, each three feet long. One spear thrust toward the back of Duanmu Xingling's head, the other toward her back.
This person's qi-concealment technique was extremely superb; even with Duanmu Xingling's cultivation, she hadn't detected him lurking in the water.
Moreover, his killing intent was incredibly dense. The moment he emerged from the water, the murderous aura emanating from him froze the pond's water solid.
Clearly, this was a highly trained top-tier assassin, lying in wait at the bottom of the pond, also targeting Duanmu Xingling.
If Zhang Ruochen hadn't released his spiritual power earlier to scan the surroundings, he might not have discovered him either.
The moment Zhang Ruochen said "watch out," Duanmu Xingling sensed the danger. She quickly activated her true qi, executing the "Flowing Light Flying Shadow" movement technique. Like a colorful butterfly, she circled the pavilion once before landing on a nearby rockery.
"Boom!"
The two spear strikes from the red-clad man failed to kill Duanmu Xingling but unleashed two powerful shockwaves that shattered the entire pavilion into pieces.
Zhang Ruochen extended a hand, channeling true qi through the air to pull Duanmu Xingling's four maids behind him, saving them from disaster.
Otherwise, the spear's energy alone would have been enough to shake them all to death.
"Mind your own business—I'll deal with you later."
The red-clad man's face was pale, like a zombie's. He shot a cold glare at Zhang Ruochen before charging out to continue his assault on Duanmu Xingling.
Zhang Ruochen remained seated, with a chair, a table, and a cup in his hand. He gently shook his head, unconcerned by the threat.
Despite Zhang Ruochen's warning, Duanmu Xingling was still a fraction of a second too slow in her reaction. The fabric on her back was torn by one of the short spears, leaving a long bloody gash on her fair skin.
One could imagine that if she had reacted even a fraction of a second later, she might have died under the spear.
Duanmu Xingling stood atop the rockery, her voice cold. "Fang Jie, you dare to assassinate me? What audacity."
"Duanmu Xingling, I am here on the orders of the Sect Leader to kill you. However, if you are willing to join the Blood Cloud Sect and become my woman, you may live today." Fang Jie said.
"Just a mere Blood Cloud Sect, and you think you can subdue me?"
Duanmu Xingling shook her head with a smile, as if mocking Fang Jie's ignorance.
"Refusing a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit. Very well, I'll cripple your cultivation first, then slowly teach you how to be a woman."
"Twin Dragons Seize Life."
Fang Jie let out a lecherous laugh, rapidly swinging his twin spears, launching a relentless barrage of attacks at Duanmu Xingling.
Fang Jie had long coveted the enchanting Duanmu Xingling.
Previously, Duanmu Xingling was a member of the Moon Worship Demon Sect, so no matter how much Fang Jie wanted her, he had to restrain himself.
But now, the Black Market was about to sever ties with the Demon Sect. Secret orders had been issued from above: the first step was to eliminate the Demon Sect's branch leaders in various commanderies, a move to strike the snake by hitting its head, forcing the Demon Sect to withdraw from the Eastern Domain Evil Land.
With that in mind, Fang Jie had no more scruples and volunteered to kill Duanmu Xingling.
If he could capture this bewitching beauty, he would gladly sacrifice twenty years of his life.
"Boom!"
One of Fang Jie's attacks transformed into a spear shadow as thick as a pillar, slamming into the nine-meter-tall rockery, instantly shattering it into rubble.
Duanmu Xingling tried to counterattack, but the moment she activated her true qi, a searing pain shot through her back. The flow of true qi through her meridians slowed dramatically.
"Poisoned!" Duanmu Xingling thought, realizing the danger.
The two short spears in Fang Jie's hands were called the Twin Sons Soul-Severing Spears, reaching the level of eleventh-rank True Martial Treasures. Moreover, the spears had been soaked in potent poison for years. As long as they drew blood, the toxin would rapidly enter the victim's body, corroding their true qi.
"Bang!"
Duanmu Xingling forced her true qi to circulate, unleashing two palm strikes to clash head-on with Fang Jie.
The two Twin Sons Soul-Severing Spears—one radiating freezing cold, the other surging with scorching flames—pierced through her palm energy, narrowly missing her waist. The sharp spear tips tore her belt, producing a tearing sound of fabric.
"Fang Jie is the Blood Cloud Sect's eighth-ranked assassin, with cultivation at the peak of the sixth change of the Fish-Dragon Realm. I'm already poisoned and no match for him. I must leave immediately."
Duanmu Xingling was well aware of her situation and knew Fang Jie's strength. Since she couldn't overpower him, she had to retreat.
If she waited until the poison fully took effect, she wouldn't even be able to escape.
Of course, before fleeing, she had to take Mu Lingxi with her. Mu Lingxi's seal had not yet been broken, and her cultivation had not recovered. She was no match for Fang Jie.
If the Holy Maiden of the Moon Worship Demon Sect fell into the hands of the Blood Cloud Sect, the consequences would be dire.
Duanmu Xingling activated the Flowing Light Flying Shadow movement technique, her feet seemingly treading on wind. Her curvaceous figure lifted off the ground, heading toward the direction of the Alchemy Tower.
"Duanmu Xingling, do you think you can escape?"
With a "whoosh," a tall, thin man in a black tight-fitting suit appeared out of nowhere on the glazed tile rooftop below.
Then, the tall, thin man shot upward, sword in hand, thrusting toward Duanmu Xingling's throat.
Unlike Fang Jie, this man was more like a cold-blooded assassin. His sword techniques were purely aimed at taking Duanmu Xingling's life.
"The Blood Cloud Sect's ninth-ranked assassin, Cao Ying." Duanmu Xingling's face turned deathly pale.
The Blood Cloud Sect had sent two top experts to kill her. Were there other hidden strongmen lurking nearby?
Duanmu Xingling's heart sank to the bottom. She felt that even escaping today had become a luxury.