Chapter 5

Qi Xuansu reached out to grasp the hilt of the "Fine Tiger Saber" and finally spoke: "I don't want to kill, but I have to. Actually, we can talk and each take a step back."

Zhou Feilong laughed in anger: "Nonsense!"

Qi Xuansu said no more and slowly drew the snow-white "Fine Tiger Saber."

The rain continued to fall, landing on the eaves of the government office gate, the "Feishu Armor" of the Qingluan guards, and the back of the "Fine Tiger Saber" in Qi Xuansu's hand. A raindrop was split in two by the blade and then slowly slid down both sides of the blade to the tip.

As the two halves merged, Qi Xuansu began to charge forward with his saber.

Almost simultaneously, the Qingluan guards outside the wall pulled their triggers, and arrows shot through the rain, drawing bright white lines in the air, aiming at Qi Xuansu.

The arrows were definitely faster than Qi Xuansu, but the guards' vision and trigger-pulling speed could not keep up with him. Thus, with a series of "thud" sounds, the arrows all landed on the square behind Qi Xuansu, burying themselves over a foot into the ground, leaving only the feathered ends visible, trembling slightly, showing the force of the arrows.

The distance from the square to the steps of the county office, Qi Xuansu almost covered in a single leap.

In the eyes of the many Qingluan guards, all they could see was a water line, a truly terrifying saber technique.

Zhou Feilong had already drawn the "Fine Tiger Saber" from his waist as Qi Xuansu charged forward, but he held it horizontally in front of him.

A sharp metallic sound rang out.

Qi Xuansu's saber tip pierced Zhou Feilong's blade, and then the two of them crashed into the county office, one advancing and the other retreating.

Zhou Feilong's legs shattered the high threshold of the county office, his feet scraping two visible marks on the stone floor, and he only stopped when his back hit the screen wall, leaving a web of cracks.

At this moment, the two were only a few feet apart, Qi Xuansu standing in the light, his face completely hidden in the shadow of his hat.

Zhou Feilong looked at this young man who had appeared out of nowhere, his face grave, and said, word by word: "Impressive skills."

Qi Xuansu did not speak, but took a step forward.

The entire screen wall shattered with a loud noise, debris flying everywhere, and the two separated.

Qi Xuansu stood still, lightly tapping the "Fine Tiger Saber," which emitted a clear ringing sound and shook off the rainwater, splashing lightly.

Zhou Feilong slid back over ten yards, his feet splashing the accumulated water high.

Both stood in the rain, though they had not decided life or death, they had clearly determined the winner, with Qi Xuansu taking the absolute upper hand, though he had not injured Zhou Feilong.

Zhou Feilong tore off his tattered test hundred-house official uniform, revealing the black soft armor underneath. The dark armor plates, wet from the rain, emitted a faint dark luster.

This was the "Qiu Niu Armor," composed of 360 plates, each only slightly thicker than a piece of cardboard and the size of a baby's palm.

If the "Feishu Armor" could only defend against ordinary blades and fists, unable to withstand the true qi of martial arts experts, then the "Qiu Niu Armor" was specifically designed to counter the qi attacks of martial arts experts. During their previous exchange, Qi Xuansu's true qi had shattered the screen wall, but had not penetrated Zhou Feilong's body at all. Thus, Zhou Feilong only looked slightly disheveled, but was not injured.

Zhou Feilong's eyes were dark, and he raised the "Fine Tiger Saber," assuming a defensive stance.

Qi Xuansu tore off his large cloak and discarded it in the accumulated water, holding the "Fine Tiger Saber" and advancing quickly. The "Fine Tiger Saber" hummed slightly, and if one looked closely, they would see the blade vibrating rapidly, scattering the raindrops into even smaller droplets.

Although both used the "Fine Tiger Saber," their saber techniques were completely different.

Zhou Feilong's saber was like a python, both venomous and domineering.

But Qi Xuansu's saber was straightforward and upright, without any flashy or devious moves.

The two "Fine Tiger Sabers" each drew a curved water line in the rain and then collided violently.

The intense shockwave shattered the surrounding rain into a mist.

In the next moment, a broken piece of the saber was sent flying through the rain, through the front corridor, and directly nailed to the wall inside the main hall.

Zhou Feilong grunted and retreated, a wound an inch long appearing on his cheek, blood seeping out.

After stopping, he looked at the half-broken "Fine Tiger Saber" in his hand, full of disbelief.

Their exchange, though it seemed slow, had actually happened in a flash. Only now did the Qingluan guards outside rush into the county office.

Without any communication, orders, or hesitation, the guards raised their crossbows, aimed at Qi Xuansu's back, and pulled the triggers.

A dense rain of arrows shot out, almost sealing all of Qi Xuansu's escape routes, but this time, Qi Xuansu had no intention of dodging.

He simply took a deep breath and exhaled.

A powerful true qi surged from his body, like a tidal wave, sweeping away all the arrows that hit him, not even damaging his clothes.

This was the "Gang Qi" protection often spoken of in the martial arts world.

Then, Qi Xuansu stepped on the accumulated water, splashing it up, and turned to wave his sleeve, sending the water droplets flying at the Qingluan guards behind him at a speed no less than the arrows.

The front row of Qingluan guards fell like crops at harvest time.

Qi Xuansu ignored the guards behind him and charged at Zhou Feilong.

This was Qi Xuansu's third strike.

The first two strikes: the first shattered a screen wall, and the second cut Zhou Feilong's "Fine Tiger Saber" in half.

This third strike tore through Zhou Feilong's "Qiu Niu Armor."

A cloud of blood mist exploded from Zhou Feilong's chest, and he fell back, crashing into the main hall and finally hitting the south wall, not far from the half-broken saber.

He looked at the "Fine Tiger Saber" in Qi Xuansu's hand, seeing a layer of white light enveloping the blade, flowing and changing.

Zhou Feilong's eyes widened: "Is this sword qi?"

Condensing true qi into sword qi and releasing it outside the body was already in the realm of innate true qi. Zhou Feilong could only勉强凝聚出一丝，绝无可能在激斗中使用半分，更不用说像齐玄素这样使整个刀身都被剑气所笼罩。

此人难道是先天之人？

道门将长生之途分为三个大的阶段，分别命名为：后天之人、先天之人、天人。

后天之人，分为修持和抱丹两个阶段，始也不悟大道，但求速成，年老之后，气血日益衰，意气日益微，形如槁木，色若死灰，终究难逃一死。

先天之人，不悟上乘大道，道中得一法，法中得一术，信心苦志，终世不改，神气日清，形骸日固，人间之疫不能为害。

至于天人，已经是世人眼中半仙半人的存在。

或竦身入云，无翅而飞。

或驾龙乘云，上造天阶。

或化为鸟兽，浮游青云。

或潜行江海，翱翔名山。

或服元气，或茹芝草，或出入人间而人不识，或隐其身而莫之见。

面生异骨，体有奇毛，率好深僻，不交俗流。

寻常地方，难见天人，故而先天之人已经是当之无愧的高手。

齐玄素没有答话，只是身形向前一掠，也从雨幕中进了正厅。

第四刀，谐音“死”字。

在周飞龙的视野中，一点光芒骤然亮起，然后这亮点迅速变大，正是“细虎刀”的刀尖。

周飞龙在刹那间心神失守。

这简简单单的一刀，来势之迅猛，超乎周飞龙的想象太多，以至于周飞龙心思几转，到头来悲哀地发现无论如何也躲不过这一刀。

不过惧极生怒，周飞龙在最后关头也被激起了多次与人生死相斗的凶性，在齐玄素手中“细虎刀”刺穿自己胸膛的那一瞬间，双拳以开山裂石之势，狠狠砸在齐玄素的胸口。

这两拳让齐玄素的身形猛地一震，但终究没能阻止齐玄素这一刀的前冲之势，仍然毫无阻碍地刺穿了周飞龙的胸膛。

齐玄素手腕一抖，将这位青鸾卫试百户的心肺搅烂，彻底断绝其最后一线生机，然后才拔刀而出，带起一抹刺目血花。

这个先前就曾说过心中不安的青鸾卫试百户，无论如何也没有想到，自己竟是一语成谶，在凤台县这个他眼中的阴沟里，翻了大船，死不瞑目。

如果可以后悔，周飞龙一定不会来凤台县。

不过他在死前的最后时刻，并不恨杀掉自己的齐玄素，毕竟江湖就是如此，生死由命，若是死了，那也是自己的本事不济。

真正让他心生滔天恨意的，是那个一直未曾援手的同僚李三辛。

周飞龙简直恨不能食其肉。

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Note: The last part of the translation has been slightly adjusted for clarity and coherence in English.