Chapter 50: A Bold Assassination

Sword Dynasty

Volume 1: Great Rebel

Chapter 50: A Bold Assassination

Ding Ning's eyes slowly turned pure white, like the whiteness of a snowflake.

Just now, his attacker's blow had left him with two broken ribs and serious internal injuries.

He was well aware that even if he used his true cultivation, he would not be able to kill this black-robed, masked man.

After all, his opponent was a rare seal master in Changling.

From the beginning, his opponent had seemed intent on a quick fight, using seals that consumed a great deal of vital energy. He would not be able to withstand this kind of pressure from pure cultivation.

However, he was no ordinary cultivator. He possessed a keen sense of perception toward certain presences; especially presences he was more familiar with than this seal master.

The calm and indifference on his face was genuine calm and indifference.

Because, he was waiting for an opportunity to kill this seal master at close range.

That opportunity was now!

like a pure white snowflake with sharp yet not quite sharp edges, formed by his head, a gray figure suddenly swooped down toward the balck-robed, masked man's side.

The balck-robed, masked man’s mental power was focused on controlling the snowflakes in front of him. Despite this, he was an experienced fighter. Even at this moment, he sensed a sharp bloodlust coming from behind him. Thinking this was another unexpected surprise, he shouted. His left hand, holding a dagger, finally emerged from its hiding place in his sleeve. The blade reflected no light and stabbed towards the gray figure attacking from behind him.

Despite his hasty response, the black short sword still radiated a powerful layer of vital energy. With a booming sound, a straight sword energy shot out from the tip of the sword, piercing the cold air as a thick, straight black spear.

However, the black-robed, masked man did not expect the gray shadow behind him to not dodge the blow, but instead use his chest to shield the attack. At the same time, a fierce sword light slashed towards the back of his head.

This black-robed, masked seal master would normally be undaunted even in the face of such a vicious tactic that would severely injure both fighters. However, he knew he couldn't die here. So he once again let out an angry shout, his vital energy surging to his feet, and he hurriedly drifted to the side, like a falling leaf, to avoid the trapping blow.

Ding Ning had already attacked!

As the black-robed, masked seal master stabbed with his left hand, he had already charged forward, holding his breath and gathering as much strength as possible.

The heavy snowflakes still hovered in the air, their edges scraping against his face and hands, leaving countless cuts. Despite this, he did not stop. Just as the black-robed, masked seal master slid one foot like a leaf, he was less than ten feet away from him.

The blck-robed, masked seal master screamed, his entire body leaning toward the roof to the side. At the same time, he gathered his mental power and concentrated it between himself and Ding Ning.

He could sense that he was about to lose even more control here. He did not care about the suicidal swordsmen behind him. All he wanted was to kill Ding Ning instantly and leave.

The pure snowflakes once again trembled and transformed into a terrifying blizzard.

At that moment, Ding Ning swung his sword.

With a shadow in front of him, the inky green light blazed like wildfire.

He was still dozens of feet away from the black-robed, masked seal master, and his sword was only two feet long. With his current cultivation level, he could not touch the other.

But at this moment, the black-robed, masked seal master felt a surge of pain on his face, and his eyes refused to open.

As the cold pierced his body, he suddenly reacted. Ding Ning had used his sword to swat away some snowflakes that were bouncing rapidly towards his face.

What shocked him even more was that, while he could not open his eyes, his mental power could not sense Ding Ning's presence!

His perception could only sense a swordsman charging ferociously from behind him.

Ding Ning's entire existence had simply vanished!

A wave of blood suddenly gushed from his body.

This black-robed, masked seal master finally realized something. He forced his eyes open and screamed, the black short sword in his left hand slashing downward.

Through his blurry vision, he saw the inky green remnant sword pierce stab straight into the side of his right thigh!

His short blade once again emitted powerful sword energy.

However, it was too late. A chill reached his bones.

The inky green remnant sword quickly cut through several vital blood vessels before quickly retreating followed by a spray of blood!

The black-robed, masked seal master was shocked. The black sword blade spun and slashed towards Ding Ning's head.

With a loud bang, Ding Ning's body was thrown back again.

The black-robed, masked seal master’s eyes widened in disbelief.

He could not believe that Ding Ning was still alive.

He could not believe that, in a situation like this, Ding Ning could still fend off such a counterattack.

At this moment, the sword in the hand of the gray shadow behind him once again began to approach him.

Due to the natural difference in cultivation, when the black-robed, masked seal master's right arm was thrown back, a burst of vital energy and dozens of snowflakes produced from the incomplete seal rushed towards the gray shadow behind him.

A muffled sound.

The gray shadow's robe was torn open at the front by vital energy.

Then, a dozen soft pops sounded.

Small, bloody holes appeared on the gray shadow's chest. White snowflakes seemed to melt within them.

But this gray shadow was incredibly brave.

Even in this kind of situation, he only reacted with a loud snort.

The long sword in his hand tilted slightly and slashed deeply into the balck-robed, masked seal master's left arm.

The seal master's eyes changed. He roared like a wild beast on the verge of death.

The black short blade in his left hand stabbed towards the gray shadow's heart. However, due to the dizziness from the blood loss from his legs and the blow to his left arm, his attack deviated slightly and instead pierced the gray shadow's armpit.

The gray shadow also roared.

His long sword was raised again and continued to slash.

First strike!

Second strike!

Blood continued to spurt from the black-robed, masked seal master's shoulder and neck.

The black-robed, masked seal master fell to his knees under the force of the sword blow.

He raised the short blade in his left hand, while the fingers of his right hand trembled.

However, he lacked the necessary strength in both the short blade in his left hand and the vital energy in his right hand. Therefore, he was unable to hit his target.

When the fifth blow landed, he sat down listlessly, his hands at his sides.

Regret and incomprehension were his last thoughts.

According to the plan for tonight, he should not have attacked. But when he saw Ding Ning's efficiency and the gangsters' inability to kill Ding Ning, he had defied orders. He thought he could kill Ding Ning and leave quickly. He had not expected this to be his doom.

He was not afraid of death. However, when he thought of the dire consequences his death might have for his esteemed master, he was filled with regret.

He also could not understand… why Ding Ning was able to control his presence and completely conceal it at that moment, and even his physical presence could disappear? What cultivation method was this?

The last snowflakes remaining in the air crumbled and disappeared.

Despite this, the gray shadow did not stop.

He once again swung his sword forcefully at the black-robed, masked seal master's neck. The seal master's vital energy vanished. This blow severed the black-robed, masked seal master's head and sent him flying into the air.

With this, the grey shadow finally released his long sword and staggered towards Ding Ning, who had fallen to the ground.

Ding Ning looked at the gray shadow walking towards him. He suppressed the nausea from the shock within him and managed to grimace slightly.

This gray-robed swordsman was the one Wang Taixu had sent to take him to the White Goat Cave.

He had not even asked this swordsman’s name, but he had already sensed that this swordsman had only reached realm two second class cultivation.

He never expected that, in this alley, he and a gangster like this would kill a realm three first class seal master!

And at this moment, he felt a very familiar presence approaching.

Only now did he feel truly safe.

Then, with very slow movements, he shook his head toward that presence in the darkness.

He really wanted to lean into Zhangsun Qianxue's embrace.

Because he was truly weak, truly tired, and truly cold.

But he knew very well that if he wanted to continue surviving in Changling, Zhangsun Qianxue had better stay away from that alley.

He shook his head, looking at the Last Flower Remnant Sword he held in his hand. He inwardly thought, fortunately, this was not truly the last path.

Then he raised his head and looked at the gray-robed swordsman who was trying to approach him, and asked, “How are you… why are you here?”

His cultivation was relatively low in Changling, but based on his bravery and ferocity, he and Ding Ning managed to kill another cultivator who was skilled in seals. The gray-robed swordsman had a gaze full of shock and admiration as well as joy at being alive.

“I won’t die.”

He took out two medicinal pills from his sleeve and handed one to Ding Ning. Then, he sat down next to Ding Ning and swallowed one. “Master Taixu told me to pay attention to Falling Parasol and do my best to protect you and Zhangsun Qianxue.”

As the medicine entered his body, he felt a wave of warmth rise from his abdomen. Ding Ning coughed softly. He knew that since this gray-robed swordsman had appeared, naturally more people from the Two Level Tower would come to clean up. He looked at the badly injured gray-robed swordsman and slowly said, “Wang Taixu is an honorable man. I told him to stop paying attention to me, but he still left you here… but now, I owe you a favor, and my life.”

“Mister is too polite.” the gray-robed swordsman, who usually did not speak much, said tiredly but sincerely. “You saved yourself. I know you are a genius. I didn't expect you to possess such terrifying swordsmanship after just a few days of cultivation.”

“I haven't asked your name yet.” Ding Ning said softly.

“This one is Jing Mozong.”

Ding Ning looked at him. “What a unique name… with the character mo. Are you from Yuezhi Country?”

The gray-robed swordsman, Jing Mozong, nodded. “My parents were all stablehand slaves from Yuezhi Country.”

The Yuezhi Country was a small country next to the Qin Dynasty, and also subservient to the Qin Dynasty. The stablehands of the Yuezhi Country were slaves of the nobility. As a descendant of stablehand servants of the Yuezhi Country, he had freedom in Changling and could wield weapons. Ding Ning knew that Wang Taixu’s help was definitely involved.

“You are very skilled with the sword. If you can live longer in Changling, you will definitely become a great swordsman.” Ding Ning looked at him and solemnly spoke.

Jing Mozong fell into silence.

He felt this was impossible, but he also felt that Ding Ning's words contained a strange meaning.

“Where did these people come from?” He turned to look at Ding Ning, but Ding Ning's gaze was fixed on the corpse of the black-robed, masked seal master.

 

Notes:

This novel is not my work... I just translated it from a Chinese web novel written by Wu Zui

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