Chapter 62

As the Wheel King gently waved his sword, the wheel on the sword emitted a rumbling sound under the infusion of true qi. It was clear that he did not want Ling Xiao to continue speaking.

"You shouldn't have come, at least not alone," the Wheel King said slowly, his sword pointing at the ground.

Ling Xiao sighed helplessly, a bitter smile on his face. "I had no choice. You eunuchs made your identities so mysterious that I didn't even know if there were spies among the Six Fans and the Embroidered Uniform Guard. How could I dare to seek their help! Besides, you are a先天高手 (先天 means 'innate' or 'natural-born,' and 高手 means 'expert' or 'master.' In this context, it refers to a highly skilled martial artist with innate abilities.), how could those low-level guys possibly evade your perception!"

"Then you came alone to die?" the Wheel King asked with a smile.

Ling Xiao looked as if he had known this would happen. "Your personality! You are so insecure yet so arrogant. Your three top killers couldn't stop me, do you really think you are my match?"

"You seem very confident! What gives you such strong confidence?" the Wheel King asked, pretending not to care.

Ling Xiao smiled contemptuously. The Wheel King was still so suspicious. He might as well call him a cowardly villain! "Many powerful enemies have tried to kill me, but their appearances only proved that a nobody is the strongest creature in the world, no exceptions!"

As he spoke, Ling Xiao slowly pulled out a gun from his chest and fired a shot without turning his head. "Uh!" A black-clad assassin who had quietly approached fell to the ground.

The Wheel King's eyebrows furrowed. "It seems rumors can't be trusted. The intelligence suggested your gun skills should be poor."

Ling Xiao neither confirmed nor denied it. He wouldn't say that he just wanted to fire a warning shot.

The atmosphere can be contagious. Now, although Ling Xiao wanted to use his signature sarcasm to lighten the mood, after entering the Yunhe Temple, Zeng Jing had clearly begun to gather his spirit and energy. After the previous conversation, his sword intent had reached its peak.

This greatly displeased Ling Xiao because his style was being overwhelmed by the intense atmosphere between the two. Annoyed, he shouted at the other assassins, "Hey, you guys, what are you looking at? If you do a job, you should love it! Even a monk who rings the bell for a day should do it for a day. How can you call yourselves assassins if you just stand there watching?"

The black-clad assassins looked at each other and finally turned to the Wheel King, who had a serious expression.

The air was filled with killing intent, the sky suddenly darkened, and the night was shrouded in dark clouds!

"Kill!" A single word was spoken, and countless lives could be lost.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The assassins drew their swords and attacked. Ye Zhanqing wisely targeted Ling Xiao. There was no choice; compared to Zeng Jing's overwhelming aura, he seemed like a minor character!

Behind Jiang Asheng, Lei Bin pulled out two steel needles and rushed out with a look of struggle, his target unexpectedly being the Wheel King.

"Quick! Give me my sword!" Jiang Asheng shouted, enduring the pain in his wrist.

Hearing this, Ling Xiao tilted his head to dodge Ye Zhanqing's sword and turned to throw the Cenci Sword to Jiang Asheng. The Cenci Sword, named for its uneven and unpredictable nature, could change in length and form, but with a single hand injured, Jiang Asheng could not fully utilize its power. At his peak, he was no match for the Wheel King, let alone now! So Jiang Asheng wisely targeted Lei Bin.

Ling Xiao casually deflected Ye Zhanqing's sword to the side. If it weren't for her good looks, he would have kicked her to death long ago. Why would he play with her now? Ye Zhanqing clearly noticed Ling Xiao's lack of focus but, knowing her limits, she understood she was no match. Since Ling Xiao wanted to play, she was happy to continue.

In a short time, Jiang Asheng and Lei Bin exchanged a hundred moves. It seemed like a flash of lightning, but Jiang Asheng knew Lei Bin wasn't using his full strength. In those hundred moves, he only fired three needles, all when Jiang Asheng forced him into a corner. For a moment, Jiang Asheng had no idea what to do and could only pay attention to Zeng Jing's battle.

The black-clad minions, though not skilled, had good eyes. Seeing that Ye Zhanqing wasn't using her full strength, they didn't put in much effort either. They made loud noises and performed exaggerated movements, like a group of clowns.

Ling Xiao, surrounded by the group, looked at Zeng Jing. That was the most important battlefield, and the outcome there would directly affect everyone's next move.

The Pishui Sword is a flexible sword that can bend and attack from unexpected angles under the influence of true qi. It moves like rain and snow, striking silently and lethally.

The Wheel King initially didn't take Zeng Jing's attack seriously, but when he saw the Pishui Sword, he knew who he was dealing with. The sword light flickered, the sword moves were fast and dense, and the sword path was as unpredictable as a light rain. But the Wheel King wasn't overly concerned because he knew the greatest weakness of the Pishui Sword technique.

Soon, the Wheel King paid the price for his arrogance. As he was about to counterattack when the Pishui Sword bent to its limit, he felt an indescribable force that cut his hand with the fluidity of a flowing stream.

The two separated instantly, a drop of blood slowly dripping from the Pishui Sword. The Wheel King, incredulous, shouted in anger, "You have grasped the sword intent, the sword intent of the Pishui Sword!"

Zeng Jing quietly looked at the blood on the sword blade. "I seem to understand what Little Lingzi said. Moving with the heart is the highest level. My heart desires simplicity, so my sword intent is as calm as water. Your heart, however, is too chaotic! You don't understand your own heart, so you will never grasp your sword intent!"

The Wheel King, hearing this, roared and lunged forward, "You say I can't grasp the sword intent? What is this!"

The sword wheel in the Wheel King's hand hummed, a sword intent attached to it, strange, sinister, and with a hint of an unwarranted arrogance.

Sword intent is a concept between the real and the abstract. Only when it is sufficiently refined can it unleash its greatest power. Therefore, those who first grasp sword intent often choose to寄托 (寄托 means 'to entrust' or 'to寄托' on a weapon or true qi. This is a way to enhance the power of the sword intent.), which is why some can split the sky with their true qi while others can only use it to blow the wind or kill.

Though both were先天 (先天 means 'innate' or 'natural-born.' In this context, it refers to martial artists with innate abilities.), their realms were not exceptionally high. With limited true qi, they wouldn't have the kind of sword qi that could cut through the air. This was a battle of sword techniques and sword intent.

Zeng Jing's sword intent was like a gentle stream, finding every gap, and like a continuous river, it never stopped. This sword intent, perfectly aligned with the Pishui Sword, completely compensated for its weakness. In contrast, the Wheel King's various sword techniques, though numerous, did not align with his sword intent. His sword intent was more like an auxiliary skill, only enhancing the sharpness of the blade.

One strengthened while the other weakened, and the balance of power slowly shifted. The sword light that darted back and forth gradually diminished as the two shifted from mutual attacks to one attacking and the other defending.

Jiang Asheng was no longer in a hurry and was content to play with Lei Bin. Interestingly, Lei Bin also seemed unhurried and showed no intention of helping the Wheel King.

"You can still run away now!" Ling Xiao said to the worried Ye Zhanqing, his playful tone making the surrounding assassins uneasy, and they began to consider retreating.

The Wheel King clearly realized the situation was dire. Though not the smartest, he wasn't stupid. "Lei Bin, hold back Xiuyu!" he shouted, using his lightness skill to break free from the battle and fly toward Jiang Asheng.

"Be careful, Asheng!" Zeng Jing shouted, but it was too late. The Wheel King's sword was only half an inch from Jiang Asheng's heart.

"Looks like you're a bit too confident!" Ye Zhanqing said with a seductive smile.

Clang!

The sound of metal clashing was unusually clear. A meteor-like object flew from the sky and struck the Wheel King's sword.

The sword blade deflected, slicing through Jiang Asheng's side and drawing a trail of blood. Jiang Asheng grunted and flew backward. The bright red blood was shocking but was the best outcome under the circumstances.

"Ah!" The Wheel King angrily swung his sword but was forced back by Zeng Jing's follow-up attack.

"Why!" the Wheel King roared.

Lei Bin retracted his arm, the steel needle falling to the ground. His furrowed brows finally relaxed.

"Looks like you're a bit too confident!" Ling Xiao repeated Ye Zhanqing's words in a seductive tone, but his pose made the assassins feel nauseous.

Lei Bin looked at the Wheel King with a faint smile, then laughed warmly. "For a woman!"

The Wheel King gasped, looking at Zeng Jing in disbelief. "You're also for Xiuyu!"

Jiang Asheng, hearing this, glared at Zeng Jing with jealousy. Zeng Jing, surprised, shook his head innocently.

Lei Bin laughed again, this time with a look of contempt. The Wheel King couldn't believe what he was seeing. In Heishi, no one dared to defy him, especially Lei Bin, who had always been loyal.

"I have a family, a wife, and children. You never understood that if I didn't love her, I wouldn't have married her. You don't understand love. No! Maybe someone once loved you, but your insecurity and malice drove them away. Like me, Xiuyu, and Cai Xi, we once revered you from the heart. You had the strength and ambition, and Heishi once struck fear into people's hearts. When people mentioned the three top killers of Heishi, they trembled! But over time, your selfishness and insecurity turned Heishi into a lackey of the nobles. You constantly eliminated rivals, killed officials, and hunted down and persecuted others, turning Heishi from a leopard in the night into a cockroach in the darkness!"

The Wheel King's face was dark as he said coldly, "Is this why you all betrayed me? I have obtained the remains of Rama. In time, I will become the first under heaven. Then you will be even more glorious than before, and even this entire world will..."

"Why did you never say he was so sick!" Jiang Asheng interrupted.

"I only knew he had a sick heart, but I didn't realize he had given up on treatment," Zeng Jing sighed.

Lei Bin smiled and continued, "You see, this is what they think of you. A martial art cannot change the world. You think becoming a true man will make you rule the world? I've been a true man for much longer than you, and I'm still just a noodle seller."

The Wheel King's eyes were bloodshot, and two streams of white vapor spewed from his nostrils like an old ox. If Ling Xiao didn't know he was a先天高手, he would have thought his Ren and Du meridians were unblocked!

"You are all very good! You all betrayed me! I don't need you, I don't! I can become the first under heaven on my own!" The Wheel King roared as if with his life, a brilliant white light rising from his sword.

Ling Xiao cursed from a distance, "Heavenly Flying Immortal! Damn! So the sword manual was stolen by you!"