Chapter 109: The Actors Are Here Again

Chapter 109: The Actors Return

Logically, after the Fourth Lady joined the fray, she and Chen Guangxi—one with a sword, one with a palm; one long-range, one short—should have complemented each other perfectly. In reality, however, she was merely making a mess of things for Master Guangxi.

This was because Chen Guangxi was currently fuming with rage, shouting as he fought: "Cuihua, you died such a miserable death! I will definitely avenge you. I’ll smack you to death, you little rascal! I’ll crush you to pieces, you bastard!"

The Beggar Sect’s second-tier "Palm of the Eight Directions" was meant to be steady and moderate, unpredictable and fluid. How could it be effective with his current style—brutal, aggressive, and completely lacking defense? Zhang He merely defended without attacking, retreating without advancing. Unless Master Guangxi unleashed a higher-level martial art, he had no chance of wounding Zhang He anytime soon.

Once the Fourth Lady jumped in, her long, flexible sword always reached the target before the palm. In truth, while Chen Guangxi appeared fierce, he was effectively sparring with himself; he couldn't land a blow. By the time he reached the spot, Zhang He had already retreated, and the Fourth Lady’s sword would be thrusting into the space ahead of him.

After she had lunged seven or eight times, Master Guangxi lost his patience. He suddenly surged forward, cutting off the Fourth Lady’s path, and struck with the "Twin Ghosts Knocking at the Gate," aiming both palms at Zhang He’s temples. This time, he channeled his full internal energy and strength, causing the grass beneath them to whip violently in the wind.

Knowing that Chen was now desperate and fighting for his life, Zhang He dared not take the blow head-on. He suddenly rolled on the ground. This dodge was exquisite; since Chen and the Fourth Lady held the upper hand, neither expected Zhang He to resort to such a reckless maneuver.

Master Guangxi’s attack missed, but the Fourth Lady followed up without mercy, thrusting her sword toward Zhang He. Though her skill was great, her reaction was a split second too slow. Zhang He’s Liuyun Blade sprang up, aiming directly for her eyes.

Had the Fourth Lady been willing to trade a sword strike for a slash to her face, the world would have been at peace. Unfortunately, she lacked that ruthlessness. The fate of Ximen Jian earlier that day had cast a long shadow over everyone from the Famous Sword Villa, and the Fourth Lady could not afford to follow in his footsteps.

She withdrew her sword to protect her eyes. Zhang He, however, was even more cunning. Instead of attacking her, he seized the moment to execute a "Backhanded Moon-Viewing" slash toward Chen Guangxi. Having overextended himself with his previous attack, Chen clearly hadn't anticipated this.

But a nine-bag elder of the Beggar Sect wasn't so easily wounded. Choosing his life over his dignity, Chen retreated.

"Good lad, you’ve got some skills. No wonder you were able to kill Cuihua and Ximen Jian. Taste my 'Invincible Divine Palm'!" Chen shouted, raising his hands again.

This time, his palms seemed to shimmer with a faint blue light, as if poisoned.

Zhang He frowned. He had researched this on the forums—it was no "Invincible Divine Palm." That was just a made-up name to intimidate opponents. It was actually a powerful third-tier Beggar Sect technique called the "Wind-Splitting Palm."

As the name implied, the palm wind was so fast it could slice through a gale. It was a long-range technique that used deep internal energy to create pressurized air currents. While the damage per hit wasn't high, the rapid-fire alternating strikes made it nearly impossible for an opponent to escape its range.

With a roar, a spiral of palm wind surged toward Zhang He. He lunged to the side, debris and grass flying in the wake of the pressure. Dodging was difficult, as the constant barrage obscured his vision.

Before Zhang He could even get up, the second palm came. It wasn't that he was slow; Chen Guangxi was no fool—he was moving forward as he launched the attacks.

Another blast of invisible, pressurized air surged out. In desperation, Zhang He unleashed his "Flying Rock Palm." The two currents collided with a sound like an explosion, sending out a shockwave that nearly blinded the Fourth Lady. She did, however, see clearly that although Zhang He was blown backward, his damage indicator remained at "0."

The Fourth Lady was horrified. How deep was the foundation of this guy’s first-tier cultivation? He could project palm wind, and even the Beggar Sect’s "Wind-Splitting Palm" couldn't scratch him. She had previously doubted that Ximen Jian died at Zhang He’s hands, but now she was starting to believe it. If caught off guard, Ximen Jian could easily have been cut down.

But Master Guangxi was not Ximen Jian. After failing twice, he channeled his full internal energy for a third push—this was the power of the "Subtle Transformation" realm. A torrent of air surged out like a tidal wave, enough to crush anyone in its path.

The Fourth Lady watched in disbelief as Zhang He, instead of being crushed, dashed toward a large tree. His boots tapped the trunk three times as he sprinted up, performed a backflip, and landed. The palm wind slammed into the tree, shaking it so violently that petals rained down like snow.

Amidst the falling petals, Zhang He tapped his "Immortal Wind Boots" against the ground, utilizing his "Lingbo Ferry" movement technique to soar up into the branches.

"I’ll see you run!" Chen Guangxi roared, throwing out several more palms.

The fourth wave of the "Wind-Splitting Palm" wasn't just a tide; it felt like dark clouds engulfing the sky. He was certain Zhang He couldn't dodge this unless he possessed a peerless movement technique.

Zhang He was indeed unable to dodge, but he was prepared. He flung his Liuyun Blade at Chen Guangxi just as the palm wind swallowed the tree branches. Zhang He was struck as if by a steel plate, tumbling from the tree like a stray dog. He rolled in the grass, appearing completely incapacitated.

The Liuyun Blade, however, carried significant momentum. Chen Guangxi swatted it aside, and whether by accident or design, the blade veered toward the Fourth Lady. She had to lean aside to avoid it, but then, the unthinkable happened: Master Guangxi flipped his wrists, and the palm wind redirected toward her.

"Are you insane?" the Fourth Lady shrieked, retreating.

The moment she moved, she was finished. She felt a sharp pain in her right shoulder as a claw gripped her collarbone. Someone had snuck up behind her. The technique was swift; they twisted her elbow, seized her right wrist, and applied a sharp, agonizing pressure that radiated through her entire body.

*Clang.* Her soft sword dropped into the grass.

The Fourth Lady’s heart sank. She realized she had been caught by a grappling technique. Her combat effectiveness plummeted instantly. When she looked back, Zhang He was already standing far away, hands behind his back, watching her.

The "dying dog" look was gone. He looked like an official on an inspection tour.

"You..." Before she could finish, her body went limp, and her right arm felt as if it had been dislocated.

Zhang He’s "Five Elements Hand" was at the Grandmaster level. By combining his internal energy, he had applied a binding force of 439 points. While it wasn't raw damage, as long as the Fourth Lady hadn't boosted her movement stats above 220, the "Five Elements Hand" would hold her fast.

She wasn't stupid. She realized immediately what was happening. Those two scoundrels were in a party, using team mode. All that intense fighting had been an act. How else could Zhang He have taken a "Wind-Splitting Palm" with zero damage?

They had gone through all this trouble because, while they could easily kill her together, pinning a fourth-tier sword expert who was on guard was difficult. Once she was restrained, she was locked in combat for ten minutes—no logging off, no carrier pigeons, no reaching into her bag for a teleport scroll.

Realizing they didn't intend to kill her, her fear faded, replaced by calm. She sneered at Chen Guangxi, "You really are something. When did you start colluding with someone from the Hidden Sword Villa to deal with your wife’s 'dear friend'?"

Zhang He picked up his blade and walked over slowly. "He isn't colluding with me. He just wants to find the murderer of his wife."

"Hmph," the Fourth Lady retorted. "I am not the murderer."

Zhang He said, "But I must point out, you are certainly no 'dear friend' to his wife. A true friend wouldn't harm her."

The Fourth Lady laughed coldly. "Are you talking in your sleep? Or reciting Buddhist scriptures? I don't understand a word."

Zhang He replied calmly, "You understand perfectly. Because you definitely had a hand in the death of Elder Chen’s wife today."

Her expression shifted, and she lashed out in anger, "You bastard! If you have the guts, kill me with one strike. Stop trying to frame me. I thought you were a hero who dared to act, but you’re just a sinister piece of filth."