Chapter 17

A cold blade flashed like a streak of light, slicing down toward Qin Xiao's head from behind. Watermark GG Test Watermark GG Test

Qin Xiao had already sensed the sharp wind coming from behind, and was shocked. The window had not been broken, so he could not escape. In that instant, he felt his limbs turn cold, knowing he could not avoid the blade, and that his life would end at the hands of Ghost Hand Three.

Han Yunong had calculated that the Dianhou Mansion would not dare to easily harm Qin Xiao due to the court's presence, but he never imagined that Qin Xiao would find the Buddha statue in the mansion, and by a twist of fate, almost make Ghost Hand Three a victim under the blade.

Ghost Hand Three was a reckless man, and tonight, he had come to seek revenge, not caring about the court.

"Thud!"

A muffled groan came from behind. Qin Xiao had already closed his eyes, but the sharp wind suddenly disappeared, and he heard strange sounds from behind.

In shock, Qin Xiao quickly turned around and saw Ghost Hand Three clutching his throat, his hand holding the knife hanging limply.

In the dim light, Qin Xiao was horrified to see a sharp blade protruding from Ghost Hand Three's throat, with blood flowing down.

Ghost Hand Three, clutching his throat, made a "gagging" sound. He seemed to be trying his best to turn around, but only managed to turn his body slightly before collapsing sideways. His body convulsed on the bed twice and then fell silent.

The room instantly became deathly quiet, and the smell of blood filled the air.

Qin Xiao looked at the motionless corpse on the bed, his heart pounding rapidly, and for a moment, he even forgot to breathe.

He had seen dead bodies before. When the plague broke out in Guicheng, he wandered outside and saw many people lying dead on the streets, even once seeing a corpse that had already rotted and stunk, left unattended.

But the corpse before him shocked him like never before.

He knew that if Ghost Hand Three were not dead now, he himself would be the one dead.

Ghost Hand Three had come to take his life, but instead, he died here.

He could now see more clearly that a dagger-like weapon had pierced through Ghost Hand Three's neck from behind.

Without a doubt, when Ghost Hand Three's blade came down, this dagger had pierced through his neck from behind, saving Qin Xiao from certain death.

He looked up in shock and finally saw a figure standing by the door curtain.

In the dim light, the black shadow was like a ghost, completely silent.

Qin Xiao's heart tightened, knowing that Ghost Hand Three must have been killed by this shadow. Since the shadow had saved him from Ghost Hand Three, it should not be an enemy.

"Thank you for saving my life," Qin Xiao immediately clasped his hands in gratitude, staring at the shadow. Suddenly, his body trembled, and he exclaimed, "Is... is it you?"

For nearly two hundred days, Qin Xiao had been waiting for this mysterious person.

The mysterious person had appeared twice, both times when Qin Xiao was suffering from a cold, and both times when he was in a daze. Although Qin Xiao had been waiting for the person to appear again, he had never seen the person's face, only vaguely remembering that the person wore a black robe.

The person by the door curtain was also wrapped in a black robe, almost blending into the dimness. If not for Qin Xiao's excellent eyesight, he might not have noticed the person at all.

The person did not answer but spoke in a hoarse voice, "Drag the corpse down."

The voice was very old, but Qin Xiao could tell it was not a man's voice.

Could the mysterious person he had been waiting for be an old woman?

Although the mysterious person had appeared

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twice, each time without revealing their face or speaking a word, Qin Xiao had always assumed it was a man.

However, since the person gave this instruction, Qin Xiao did not hesitate, jumping off the bed and dragging Ghost Hand Three's leg to pull the corpse off the bed.

The bed was stained with blood, and the room was filled with a strong smell of blood.

At this moment, the black shadow slowly walked over, extending a hand from the sleeve. Qin Xiao noticed that the hand was wrapped in a black cloth, not exposing any skin. In her hand was a small porcelain bottle. The shadow poured some powder onto Ghost Hand Three's face, and the moment the powder touched the skin, it made a "hiss" sound, followed by a pungent odor. Qin Xiao immediately covered his nose, and the changes on Ghost Hand Three's face made him pale, and he took a step back.

After pouring the powder, the shadow immediately put away the porcelain bottle and stood by the corpse without a word.

The moment the powder touched Ghost Hand Three's skin, it began to melt, and in the blink of an eye, the flesh on his face rapidly dissolved and spread to the rest of his body, even the bones began to melt.

As the corpse quickly dissolved, the room was filled with a pungent odor.

Qin Xiao never imagined that such a small amount of powder could have such a terrifying effect.

In a short time, Ghost Hand Three's corpse had turned into a pool of blood, leaving only the blood-soaked clothes and the dagger that had pierced his throat.

"Clean up," the shadow finally said softly, "use a cloth to cover your hands, and don't touch the blood."

Without another word, the shadow turned to leave.

Qin Xiao hurriedly said, "Sir... Sir, why have you saved me several times?"

"Someone doesn't want you to die," the shadow said without looking at Qin Xiao, "at least not now."

Qin Xiao was stunned and asked, "Someone doesn't want me to die? Who? Sir... Sir, who are you?"

"Divine?" The shadow seemed to laugh at itself, "I'm not divine, just a ghost that can't be seen in the light."

Qin Xiao knew that if this person was indeed the mysterious one he had been waiting for, it would be a long time before he saw them again after this departure.

This person had appeared several times when his life was in danger, always arriving just in time, which was truly astonishing to Qin Xiao.

Why had the person saved him several times, and why did they always appear at the right moment? This was what Qin Xiao most wanted to know.

Although the shadow did not directly admit being the mysterious person, they did not deny it either.

"Sir, you're joking," Qin Xiao, filled with gratitude, clasped his hands again, "Sir, can you let me see your true face? I would like to remember the face of my savior and repay you when the opportunity arises."

The shadow said coolly, "I'm not joking, I am just a ghost that can't be seen in the light." Thinking of something, the shadow took something from their pocket and threw it to Qin Xiao. Qin Xiao caught it and saw a yellowed booklet, only a dozen pages thick. He was curious, and the shadow said, "You've been lucky these few times, and I happened to arrive just in time, but I can't always be by your side. If you encounter danger in the future, you'll have to rely on yourself."

"Sir..."

"This is the 'Taigu Yiqi Jue,' the lowest-level entry cultivation technique," the shadow whispered, "spend half an hour each day practicing the method inside. You won't see much progress in three to five months, but if you persist, you'll make some progress in a year or two."

Qin Xiao was surprised, "Taigu Yiqi Jue?"

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"Also, clean up the Yu Chang dagger and carry it with you," the shadow said, "it is very sharp and might be useful in a crisis." The shadow's right hand threw something to the ground, which turned out to be a sheath that matched the Yu Chang dagger that had killed Ghost Hand Three.

Qin Xiao put the 'Taigu Yiqi Jue' in his pocket and said, "Sir, do you also live in the city? We haven't seen each other for nearly half a year. Can you tell me where you live? I will visit often."

The shadow's voice suddenly became extremely cold, "Remember, nothing happened tonight. No assassin came, and I didn't come. Or rather, I don't exist in this world. Forget everything that happened."

"Why?" Qin Xiao had always thought that when the mysterious person appeared again, his doubts would be resolved, but tonight, after meeting the mysterious person, his doubts only deepened, knowing only that the person might be an old woman.

"You talk too much," the shadow's mood seemed bad, and the hoarse voice was icy. Without another word, the shadow turned and left.

Despite being old, the shadow moved with incredible agility. By the time Qin Xiao came to his senses, the shadow was already gone from the room. He rushed out of the room, but the main hall was empty. The mysterious old woman seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Qin Xiao was stunned.

He had always thought Han Yunong's martial arts were formidable, but after seeing the old woman's skills tonight, he realized that her martial arts far surpassed Han Yunong's.

He finally understood that the legends of martial arts experts who could leap over walls and move like ghosts were not just tales; such incredible experts truly existed in the world.

After his heart calmed down, he remembered that he still had to clean up the room. Following the old woman's instructions, he found a rough cloth to cover his hands and carefully cleaned the room, wiping away the blood. He then found a shovel and dug a hole in the corner of the kitchen, burying the blood-soaked clothes and sheets, as well as Ghost Hand Three's large knife.

After everything was cleaned up, it was already past midnight, but he did not feel tired. He lit an oil lamp and carefully examined the Yu Chang dagger, which he had cleaned.

The Yu Chang dagger lived up to its name, being the size of a dagger but shaped like a fish, narrow at both ends and wide in the middle. Touching the blade, he felt the cold, and in the light, it gleamed with a cold light. He couldn't resist testing the dagger on the corner of the table, and the corner was instantly cut off, showing its incredible sharpness.

Qin Xiao was both surprised and delighted. When the old woman said the Yu Chang dagger was very sharp, he hadn't fully understood, but now, with almost no effort, he could cut the corner of the table, proving its sharpness exceeded his expectations.

He sheathed the Yu Chang dagger and placed it on the table, then carefully took out the 'Taigu Yiqi Jue' from his pocket and read it by the light of the lamp. The booklet was yellowed, clearly old, and the first page was filled with text.

When he was young and lived with the old man, the old man did not send him to the village school but secretly taught him to read and write at home. At the time, Qin Xiao was puzzled why the other children in the village could go to school, but he had to study at home.

But the old man was eccentric. Although they lived in the village, he rarely interacted with the villagers, and their small wooden house was some distance from the village, making it seem isolated. The old man had instructed Qin Xiao never to reveal that he studied at home, and Qin Xiao never disobeyed.

The villagers did not know that Qin Xiao could read and write, and even when he later wandered to Guicheng and entered the commandery office, few people knew he could read and write.