Chapter 60

"How did you discover Jiang Asheng's true identity?"

Ling Xiao replied, "Does Your Majesty remember the doctor who returned with us from the Jin Kingdom?"

A pouting, proud face flashed through the Emperor's mind, "You mean the little girl's father?"

Ling Xiao choked, it seems you only remember Li Yingqiong! "That's right, her father is named Li Guishou, the very doctor who performed the plastic surgery on Jiang Asheng! To be honest, his skills are really impressive."

The Emperor's face brightened, but he was inwardly skeptical, "You're just making it up! Even if it were true, how did you know?" However, these were trivial matters, everyone has their little secrets!

"The Black Stone organization has attempted to assassinate many officials, and I have sent people to suppress them. Yet, despite the lack of high-level experts, the Black Stone has managed to break through our encirclements time and again, as if they knew our military deployments inside out. This has greatly annoyed me. This time, the matter of Jiang Asheng is an opportunity. Now that the brute called the Wheel King has shown his face, he can no longer hide!" The Emperor looked at the peony king and spoke softly, though his tone was calm, the anger in his words made Ling Xiao understand his resolve.

"Should I take this opportunity to ask for more rewards? Oh, what a dilemma!" Ling Xiao sighed, then knelt on one knee, "Your subject will not fail Your Majesty's expectations. I will root out the Black Stone, and if all goes well, we should be able to find the traitor within our court."

"Very well, go!"

Ling Xiao bowed and left, and the Emperor continued to admire the flowers. However, without a companion, the flowers no longer seemed as beautiful. The Emperor shook his head in boredom and turned to leave the imperial garden. No one noticed that the peony king, without any wind, moved strangely!

...

Slap!

Wei Zhongxian slapped a ninth-rank eunuch to the ground, "Worthless! You left a trail while killing someone. What else can you do! What three great killers! What Wheel King! Your names sound impressive, but you're all useless! Three of you surrounded one person and still got beaten up. The puppet master was even more disgraceful, killed by a postman. How can I trust you in the future? If you ruin my lord's plans, I'll make you wish you were dead!"

The ninth-rank eunuch quickly got up, kowtowing and begging for mercy, "Please spare me, I will immediately lead the killers to deal with Jiang Asheng!"

Wei Zhongxian snorted, "It seems you still have some hope. It's not too late to mend your ways. Ling Xiao is a lazy person; he won't waste his sleeping time investigating. So you have at least one more night. Get out of here!"

"Yes, I will do my best not to disappoint your cultivation," the ninth-rank eunuch kowtowed several times and left, bowing as he went.

"Hmph! If it weren't for your martial skills, I would have gotten rid of you long ago! Worthless!" Wei Zhongxian spat.

...

"The night gave me black eyes, but I use them to find the Wheel King!" Lying on the beam of Zeng Jing's house, Ling Xiao crossed his legs and muttered to himself, feeling frustrated.

"Just wait a bit longer! Your analysis is very reasonable. The Wheel King must be in a panic now. Given his character, he will definitely come tonight!" Zeng Jing, also crouching on the beam, watched Jiang Asheng quietly reading a book below.

"How did your talk with him go last night? Did you turn your hatred into passion and put on a show of intense emotion?"

Before Zeng Jing could respond, Jiang Asheng paused his reading, and Ling Xiao noticed this. Seeing Zeng Jing's awkward expression, he smirked, "Love is like a rose, beautiful and thorny! It can hurt others and yourself! I only hope you can use this flower well, turning the thorns into the most lethal weapons to clear all obstacles ahead!"

Zeng Jing was silent for a moment, then smiled, "That's the most lethal description of love I've ever heard!"

"Your story is inherently filled with killing intent! The warmth has only diluted it a bit. I hope you can temporarily forget the warmth and release the killing intent. For your husband's revenge, and for your own liberation!"

Jiang Asheng put down his book and said coldly, "The Wheel King will die today!"

Ling Xiao smirked, "What are you reading, a postman? Are you trying to tell the Wheel King that we're ready and waiting for his grand arrival?"

Jiang Asheng was taken aback, looked at the book in his hand, and sighed, "I'm too nervous! No, I should say too excited! If I could face my enemy calmly, I wouldn't be Zhang Renfeng anymore, I would truly be Jiang Asheng!"

Anticipation and longing, a moment felt like a year! Waiting is so agonizing!

"It's past the hour of the Pig. Is the Wheel King not coming?" Jiang Asheng was getting impatient, now holding a piece of watermelon and devouring it.

"Don't worry. If they don't come, you'll go with me to the palace tomorrow. I'll have all the eunuchs line up for you to identify! I don't believe he can escape!" He also took a piece of watermelon and enjoyed it.

Zeng Jing, much calmer than Jiang Asheng, comforted him, "Don't worry! Based on my understanding, he will definitely come!"

"You said you understood Little Lingzi before! But he managed to take down the three great killers of the Black Stone alone," Jiang Asheng countered.

Zeng Jing was taken aback, not knowing how to respond. Ling Xiao laughed, "I'm an exception. You probably won't find another person as talented and handsome as me in the whole world!"

Zeng Jing then said to Jiang Asheng, "You're right, I don't understand him."

Creak!

The door slowly opened and closed, and several black-clad killers stood at the entrance, blocking all of Jiang Asheng's escape routes. Ling Xiao also heard a slight vibration from the roof, indicating it was also occupied.

"Are you Zhang Renfeng?" A masked man in a dark red cloak slowly entered the room, frowning at Jiang Asheng, who calmly held the watermelon.

Jiang Asheng didn't even look up, just finished the watermelon, wiped his mouth, and said, "I am now Jiang Asheng. As for Zhang Renfeng, he died with the rain."

Ling Xiao raised an eyebrow, looking at Zeng Jing's happy smile, inwardly thinking, "Is he declaring his determination to his wife? How blatant."

Two more people entered, and Ling Xiao immediately recognized them—Lei Bin and Ye Zhanqing!

"So, did you also kill the rain?" Ye Zhanqing clearly didn't believe it.

Jiang Asheng replied smugly, "Yes, the rain repaid her debt to me with the rest of her life! What about you?" Jiang Asheng spoke the truth, so no one noticed the subtleties.

"Hand over the remains of Rama, and I'll spare your life. From now on, leave the Central Plains and never return," the Wheel King said in a sinister, hoarse voice.

Jiang Asheng was slightly surprised, "What? Are the remains of Rama more important than your lives? You're leaving such a big threat alive?"

Ye Zhanqing and Lei Bin also looked at the Wheel King in surprise, "This isn't your concern. Tell me your decision."

Jiang Asheng frowned and coldly said, "Let's see if my Cenci Sword agrees!"

Clang!

The sword was drawn, and the Cenci Sword, hidden under the table, was swung, flipping the table. The table flew toward the Wheel King, who didn't dodge. He simply raised his scabbard, and a white light flashed, splitting the table in half.

Jiang Asheng followed the table with a swift strike.

Clang!

The Wheel King's scabbard blocked Jiang Asheng's blade accurately. Jiang Asheng roared and swung the Cenci Sword, its flexible and varied movements making it difficult for Lei Bin and Ye Zhanqing to get close.

The Wheel King stood aside, not interfering, while Ling Xiao watched with a frown, "Why does the Wheel King's technique seem a bit..."

Zeng Jing tightly gripped the Water-Parting Sword, though anxious, she had to be patient. The plan must be flawless to report to the Emperor.

Clatter, clatter, most of the objects in the room were wooden and couldn't withstand the destruction. Soon, Jiang Asheng used a kitchen knife to wound Ye Zhanqing, and Lei Bin found it increasingly difficult to defend against Jiang Asheng alone.

The Wheel King narrowed his eyes, slowly drew his sword, and with a wave, blocked the Cenci Sword for Lei Bin, then moved with the sword. A sudden fierce attack put Jiang Asheng in a dangerous position.

This fight revealed many things to Ling Xiao. As he had predicted, the Wheel King was indeed the only innate expert in the Black Stone, and his skill was quite high! Compared to Cen Chong and others, the biggest difference was the sword intent!

Yes, you read that right, it was sword intent! The slight distortion on the Wheel King's sword was sword intent, but this sword intent was very weak! If Ling Xiao's guess was correct, the Wheel King had only recently grasped sword intent, probably just a few days ago!

His sword intent wasn't as grand as a celestial being, but it made Jiang Asheng feel as if his sword was out of control, about to fly away with the Wheel King's movements.

Ling Xiao scratched his nose, suddenly thinking of the Water-Parting Sword. Zeng Jing's Water-Parting Sword was given by the Wheel King, so his understanding of water should far exceed Zeng Jing's. This sword intent indeed had a sense of flowing water, but it also had a cold, sinister undertone, probably related to the Wheel King's gloomy personality!

Jiang Asheng was very cautious during the fight, trying not to expose Zeng Jing and Ling Xiao's presence, keeping the battle in the hall.

The Wheel King, though lowly in the palace, had connections above, so he often visited the palace armory. He knew many sword techniques, making his fighting style versatile, which was the direct reason for his unpredictable sword intent.

Jiang Asheng, on the other hand, had practiced the family's Cenci Sword since he was seven. Specialization made him strong in one area but weak in others. After a while, the Wheel King seemed to have found this weakness.

Suddenly, the Wheel King's sword style changed. The previously subtle and mysterious attacks turned into a torrential downpour, pressing down from the front!

Jiang Asheng swung his sword into a light curtain, the rapid and dense attacks sounding like a rain of metal!

"Ah!"

A cry of pain, Jiang Asheng clutched his injured wrist and knelt, the short sword of the Cenci Sword falling to the side.