The surroundings were silent, only the sound of raindrops from the eaves and water flowing in the gutters could be heard.
Shi Chun drew his blade, and blood spurted out.
This action instantly ignited the scene, exploding into chaos.
"How dare you!"
"Senior Brother!"
"Brother Wei!"
Cries of shock and alarm mixed with shifting shadows as figures flashed around.
Some rushed to save the injured, while others launched attacks at Shi Chun from a distance.
Though Shi Chun tried to dodge, he couldn't escape as the strength of the assailants far surpassed his own.
Moreover, he was surrounded by the people from Wukang Mountain, leaving him nowhere to hide.
It was truly a setting of fists and chaos all around.
"Stop!" Xia Fuli's voice thundered with anger.
With a wave of his sleeve, he dispelled the attacks aimed at Shi Chun and even knocked over most of the crowd.
Moving like a phantom, he caught Wei Bian with one hand and grabbed Shi Chun's head with the other, forcing him to kneel at his feet, ready to kill him at any moment.
Shi Chun's knife, now uncontrollable, plunged into the thick stone slab.
He couldn't pull it out nor let go of the handle.
With one person's intervention, the entire scene was shocked into silence.
Bian Weiying, clearly treated with respect, stood unharmed, cold eyes fixed on Shi Chun, who was being held down on the ground.
The killing intent in her gaze was unmistakable.
Her trusted subordinate, her confidant, was assassinated right under her watchful eyes.
Even the calmest of temperaments would struggle to hold back anger.
Moreover, she had long wished to eliminate Shi Chun.
Those who had been knocked down struggled to their feet, shaky and unsteady.
"Spring!" Wu Jinliang jumped up, exclaiming in shock, ready to rush over.
"Hmm?" Xia Fuli suddenly turned, glaring fiercely.
An invisible force pressed Wu Jinliang to the ground, making him unable to move.
With this display, who else would dare act recklessly?
"Spring, what are you...?" Wu Jinliang, lying prone, began to shout.
Before he could finish, he noticed Shi Chun signaling to him with his eyes, causing him to pause, quickly calming down while his mind raced with suspicion.
Wei Bian bled from his mouth and nose, convulsing so hard he couldn't speak a single word.
His complexion rapidly turned pale as he strained to turn his head, shifting his gaze from Shi Chun to Bian Weiying.
He gurgled, trying to say something, but only blood flowed out, leaving him in visible agony.
Bian Weiying caught his gaze but made no response, maintaining a face as cold as frost.
Xia Fuli's face was equally grim.
As soon as he had Wei Bian in hand, he cast a spell to inspect him, finding it was a fatal blow.
The blade had pierced straight through his heart—there was no saving him.
With a casual push, Wei Bian floated towards his comrades, who hurried to catch him in a frantic attempt to provide useless aid.
Xia Fuli yanked Shi Chun up by the hair, glaring at him with fury.
"Why did you kill him? Do you have a death wish?" His words dripped with seething hatred.
Even from the rooftop, Feng Chi seemed curious about Shi Chun’s motives but had no intention of intervening.
Everyone present was eager to know the reason.
Shi Chun, however, wasn't in a rush to answer Xia Fuli.
His confidence in taking such drastic action stemmed from Xia Fuli’s presence, and now he was certain of his judgment regarding Xia Fuli’s identity.
Ignoring Xia Fuli, Shi Chun slightly turned his head towards Bian Weiying, "City Lord Bian, why do you think I killed him?"
Bian Weiying's eyes flickered but offered no response.
Shi Chun continued, "I heard someone call him Wei, is his surname Wei?"
These words made some outraged.
You dare kill him without even knowing who he is?
Shi Chun asked again, "City Lord Bian, can the assassin's corpse still be found? I suppose Mr. Wei here has already made it disappear?"
Xia Fuli was slightly startled, slowly turning to stare at Bian Weiying.
But Bian Weiying remained with her cold expression.
Shi Chun went on, "Before the assassin made a move, a carriage passed by us, a hand reached out from behind the curtains and threw two Immobilization Talismans that held us still. That hand had a scar on the thumb. Once wasn't enough, seeing me again triggered another killing intent. When does this end? I think it's best if it stops here. With him dead, a dead man tells no tales, and there's nothing more to investigate. City Lord Bian, wouldn't you agree?"
Following Shi Chun's words, everyone turned to examine the scar on Wei Bian's hand.
Some could see it, while others couldn’t due to their viewpoint.
Wei Bian had already stopped breathing, staring blankly as he left swiftly.
On the rooftop, Feng Chi watched Bian Weiying with skepticism.
The crowd's gazes gradually shifted to Bian Weiying.
No one was foolish; they all understood who Shi Chun was implying.
Actually, Shi Chun himself hadn't wanted things to escalate to this point.
No one would willingly tread this path unless forced.
Regardless of what others thought, Shi Chun felt the very real threat himself.
The previous assassination attempt was genuinely lethal, with not a hint of holding back.
If he hadn’t stumbled upon the method to break the Immobilization Talisman in the Eastern Nine Plains, he'd be a dead man now.
Once he figured out that Bian Weiying was pulling the strings, he already wanted to retreat.
Though he didn't know why Bian Weiying wanted him dead, he realized he had come to the wrong place, made a wrong assumption; this wasn't a place he could handle.
Who was Bian Weiying? The City Lord of Skyward Gaze City, the daughter of the Sect Leader of Wukang Mountain.
If someone like her wants you dead, sticking around would be absurd.
Who did he think he was?
He wasn't that arrogant yet.
But the method of making Immobilization Talismans and the effects of cultivating Demonic Qi were too alluring for him to give up easily.
He still harbored a glimmer of hope, wanting to maneuver a bit longer.
It wasn't until Xia Fuli appeared that his resolve to leave was cemented.
He knew the Demonic Path wouldn't abandon him and acquiring the Immobilization Talisman’s crafting method wasn’t impossible without joining Wukang Mountain.
Given Elder Xia's capabilities, there were choices available, so why risk entering Wukang Mountain?
He simply couldn’t afford to play this game, therefore, he promptly stepped off the stage.
As for the assassination of Wei Bian, Shi Chun didn't initially intend for it to be so extreme.
Yet, Wei Bian's overt killing intent convinced him that even if he went with them obediently, he might not be safe.
The aggressive intent also rekindled the grudge from nearly dying to the Immobilization Talisman!
Revenge for grievances justified him not holding back since he was about to leave anyway.
Targeting a practitioner of the Advanced Martial Realm, he had no guarantee of success—he’d never done it before.
It was merely a matter of finding an opportunity to stab, succeeding if possible; if not, it still served as an excuse to stir things up.
Knowing that Xia Fuli was there for him, Shi Chun was confident he wouldn't let anything happen to him here.
Making a big deal out of it, the Demonic Path would surely rescue him.
With Xia Fuli having his interests at heart, his conflict with Bian Weiying assured that he wouldn’t fall into her control after being caught.
Thus, anyone else seeing his actions would perceive them as madness.
Except for Bian Weiying, who, at first, thought he was truly insane, later recognized that his subtle, revealing cues were anything but the actions of a madman.
Drenched and smiling, she took step after step toward Shi Chun.
Xia Fuli became wary, his voice stern, "Weiying, don't fall for his provocation, the sect will investigate thoroughly!"
With a pushing palm motion, he signified she should not approach, warning her against acting rashly.
Many held their breath, including Wu Jinliang, worried about what Bian Weiying might do.
Shi Chun, however, showed no concern.
Recognizing Xia Fuli's identity, he knew he was here for him and would ensure his safety.
So he remained composed and calm, smiling at the woman approaching, even showing a hint of mocking provocation at the corner of his lips.
Ultimately, daring not or unable to act rashly before Xia Fuli, Bian Weiying halted, casting Shi Chun a deep, meaningful look as her smile widened into laughter.
"Hahaha..."
It seemed as if something was amusing her to the extreme, laughing heartily and freely, her laughter isolating everything else in the rainy night, just water drips and flows accompanying.
Everyone watched her laugh, unsure of the reason, Shi Chun included.
After a while, nearly laughing to tears, Bian Weiying calmed herself, casually waved her hand, "Fine, I'll avoid suspicion, let the elder handle it!"
Waving to her people, "Let's go!"
Her tone was light, and she appeared relaxed and cheerful, even giving Shi Chun a playful wink as she turned, seemingly whispering, "We’ll see each other again."
Leaving Shi Chun baffled, feeling uneasy, like he had confronted a madwoman.
Why was she so insistent on opposing him? What had he done to provoke her?
The group departed in a wave, Wei Bian’s body carried away, and Bian Weiying returned to her carriage, which turned and left.
Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang's fate was predictable; they were naturally taken away for questioning.
Before leaving, Shi Chun looked at his knife embedded in the stone slab and called out, "Shopkeeper, keep my knife safe."
That short blade was his trusty weapon, accompanying him through many battles.
Wu Jinliang unsurprisingly added, "And my knife too."
"Huh? Oh!" The shopkeeper acknowledged, although his face showed his worries, knowing he couldn't ask Xia Fuli for compensation with the roof damaged by the rain.
Mostly, he was checking on Feng Chi on the rooftop.
Feng Chi simply bit his lip, muttering softly, "This kid is truly crazy, utterly unafraid, putting the young lady in danger with such madness."
The gaunt figure in a green robe replied, "Can he remain at Wukang Mountain?"
Feng Chi answered, "What could possibly keep him here? Regardless of the reason, slaying a Wukang Mountain disciple in public is undeniable, no one can speak for him. Moreover, that Wei Bian was Yin Huixin’s personal disciple.
Keeping someone like that in Wukang Mountain to pursue the young lady, what a scandal, it’s unbearable to behold. Impossible to explain to the disciples of Wukang Mountain! The perfectly laid plan he ruined again, the young lady will have to revert to her original plan to stay.
He certainly can't remain, not even as a corpse, it’s certain he'll be executed to appease the sect. Not saving him isn’t an option, but thankfully he caused his own downfall; pulling him out and letting him leave simplifies matters."
As people slowly dispersed, even the Scruffy Old Man left.
(End of this chapter)