The memories of all humanity are awakening, except for mine.

Under the moonlight, the man's eyes shone with an eerie brightness.

"Ye Ye Liangchen?"

The swordsman's voice suddenly trembled.

The young man leaped down, his tattered robes fluttering in the wind.

He landed without a sound, as if it were a feather.

"Wrong, wrong."

The young man held up one finger and shook it.

"My name is Ye Qiu, and Ye Liangchen is my brother."

He suddenly leaned closer to the swordsman, a bright smile on his face.

"But you know my brother?"

Large beads of sweat appeared on the swordsman's forehead, and his hand holding the sword trembled slightly.

Su Wen was shocked to discover that this expert, who had driven him to the brink of despair with a single sword strike, was now like a mouse seeing a cat.

"Go back and tell your master."

Ye Qiu suddenly stopped smiling, his voice as cold as ice.

“I’ll be unhappy if you overstep your bounds.”

A simple sentence, yet it made the swordsman feel as if he had been granted a pardon.

He hurriedly clasped his hands in a fist salute, turned around and fled, not even daring to pick up the fallen sword.

Su Wen tried to get up, but Ye Qiu pressed her shoulder down.

"Don't move, the poison from the Ghost Needle is no joke."

Why?

Su asked in a hoarse voice.

Ye Qiu didn't answer, but just looked up at the alley entrance.

Two stunningly beautiful women had appeared there unnoticed; one wore a fiery red dress, and the other a snow-white veil.

"Son."

The woman in the red dress said sweetly.

"The soldiers from the Military Command are coming this way."

Ye Qiu pursed his lips.

"Delightful."

He casually popped a pill into Su Wen's mouth.

"You're lucky, I'm in a good mood today."

The pill melted instantly upon entering the throat, and a cool sensation flowed throughout the body.

Su Wen wanted to say something, but saw Ye Qiu turn around and walk towards the two women. The three figures gradually blurred in the moonlight.

The sound of orderly footsteps could be heard in the distance; it was a night patrol.

Su Wenqiang took a deep breath, turned over, and disappeared into the shadows of the alleyway.

Lengyue Courtyard is one of the most inconspicuous residences in Longhai County, and the plaque above the gate is already mottled and unclear.

The inner room was warm as spring, with wisps of smoke rising from the gilded incense burner.

"That old bastard Lu Jianxiong has a tough bone to stick."

Ye Qiu leaned lazily against the soft couch, letting Fan Su massage his shoulders.

His shirt was wide open, revealing his muscular chest, on which was a sword wound that had not yet healed.

Xiao Man knelt to one side, using a silver needle to twirl the lamp wick.

“Young master could have easily dodged that sword strike.”

"If you're going to act, you have to go all the way."

Ye Qiu chuckled and pinched her cheek.

"However, that old guy's Thunder Sword is indeed quite something."

Fan Su skillfully poured him wine.

"Why did you save that Sword-Wielding Hall disciple in the alley, young master?"

"Su Wen?"

Ye Qiu took a sip of wine.

"It's such a pity that Jiang Chuan's brother died."

The two women exchanged a glance, and Xiaoman hesitated before speaking.

"But the rules of the Blood Shadow Tower..."

"rule?"

Ye Qiu suddenly sneered.

"Using the Ghost Needle to ambush a disciple of the Sword-Holding Hall is breaking the rules!"

He tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, and the black poisoned needle he had brought back from the alley gleamed eerily in the candlelight.

Fan Su's expression changed slightly.

"Is that really a ghost needle? I thought it was a replica."

"The subtle patterns at the needle's end cannot be faked."

Ye Qiu's eyes were sharp as knives.

"Of the thirty-six halls of the Blood Shadow Tower, no more than five can use the Ghost Needle."

The room fell silent for a moment. Blood Shadow Tower was the most mysterious assassin organization in the martial arts world. Each of its thirty-six halls had its own duties, while the Ghost Gate branch specialized in poisoning and always obeyed only the orders of the tower master.

Does Hongluan know about this?

Xiao Man asked in a low voice.

Ye Qiu shook his head.

"That woman is very shrewd; she should have noticed it long ago."

He suddenly revealed a playful smile.

"However, she has been busy dealing with General Zhenxi lately, so she may not be able to spare the time."

"A lonely city?"

Fan Su's hand trembled, and the wine spilled onto Ye Qiu's clothes. She hurriedly wiped it off.

"Isn't he at the Liang Prince's residence?"

"The brothel was massacred this afternoon."

Ye Qiu's tone was calm, but his eyes turned cold.

"None of Hongluan's twelve most capable undercover agents were left alive."

Xiao Man gasped.

On the surface, Fengyue Tower is a brothel, but in reality, it is the most important intelligence base of Xueying Tower in Longhai County.

This move by the isolated city is tantamount to a declaration of war.

"why?"

Fan Su's voice trembled.

"Didn't the original poster say..."

"You should take what the original poster says with a grain of salt now."

Ye Qiu suddenly got up and walked to the window, looking at the golden light in the direction of the Liang Prince's Mansion.

"This game is much more complicated than we thought."

When he turned around, his face returned to that cynical expression.

"But let's not think about that tonight."

He reached out and pulled the two beauties into his arms.

"Such a beautiful time and scenery, how can we let it go to waste?"

Fan Sujiao smiled and pushed him away.

"Young master is still injured."

"hurt?"

Ye Qiu ripped open his shirt, revealing the sword wound.

"What's a little injury? Tonight, I'm going to teach you a lesson."

The candlelight suddenly went out, the curtains fell, leaving only a scene of enchanting spring beauty.

The night sky over Longhai County was torn apart by a blinding blast.

The garrison commander, Zhao Tieshan, suddenly looked up, his pupils shrinking.

"Someone breaks into the formation!"

He roared, and the long sword at his waist was already drawn.

But it was too late.

The dark figure was incredibly fast; the defenders only saw a blur before their eyes and heard a sharp whooshing sound.

Dozens of elite soldiers on the city wall instinctively raised their weapons, but they couldn't even touch the hem of the other's clothes.

"boom--"

The city's protective array completely collapsed, and a surge of spiritual energy swept across the city walls, knocking more than a dozen soldiers to the ground.

Zhao Tieshan barely managed to steady himself, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

He had fought on the battlefield for twenty years and had never seen such a terrifying speed.

"Commander, we didn't even see a shadow of anyone."

The lieutenant's voice trembled.

The veins on Zhao Tieshan's hand, gripping the knife, bulged.

"Report this to the Liang Prince's residence immediately! This is definitely not an ordinary expert; I'm afraid..."

He looked in the direction where the dark figure disappeared, which was where Moonlit Lake was located.

"It's going to change."

Meanwhile, the waves on Moonlit Lake were surging.

Two figures darted and weaved across the lake, each exchange sending up a water column several meters high.

Under the moonlight, Ye Qiu, dressed in white as snow, held a three-foot-long sword, the tip of which emitted a chilling glint.

"Old Lu, it's been ten years, and your Heaven-Burning Technique has improved quite a bit!"

Ye Qiu laughed loudly, his long sword drawing a perfect arc, splitting the oncoming wave of fire in two.

On the opposite shore of the lake, Lu Jianxiong's red hair flew wildly, and nine crimson flames surrounded him. He snorted coldly upon hearing this.

"Young Master Ye, even your master wouldn't dare speak to me like that back in the day!"

After saying that, he clapped his hands together, and the nine flames suddenly merged, transforming into a fire dragon that rushed straight at Ye Qiu.

"Boom——"

A huge crater, ten feet in diameter, was blasted open in the lake. Amidst the rising steam, Ye Qiu's figure appeared like a ghost behind Lu Jianxiong, his sword aimed straight for Lu's heart.

"Ding!"

At the critical moment, a crimson short sword flew out from Lu Jianxiong's sleeve and accurately parried the attack.

The shockwave generated by the collision of the two spiritual energies completely emptied the lake within a radius of a hundred feet, revealing the lakebed full of silt.

"happy!"

Ye Qiu used the momentum to retreat and landed on the mast that was halfway out of the water.

"But old man Lu, you didn't lead me to this desolate place in the middle of the night just to reminisce, did you?"

The fire in Lu Jianxiong's eyes burned even brighter.

"Stop pretending! My grand-disciple Wu Shuang was missing for three days, and the last place she was seen was your Liang Prince's Mansion!"

Ye Qiu frowned.

"Wu Shuang? That little girl from Huoshenshan Hospital?"

He suddenly remembered something, and his expression changed slightly.

"Wait, you said she went to the Liang Prince's residence?"

Just as the two were facing off, a commotion suddenly broke out in the woods by the lake.

Dozens of men in black appeared, armed with crossbows, led by Deng Yinhe, the chief retainer of the Liang Prince's Mansion.

"Mr. Ye, His Highness has ordered that the enemy be killed without exception."

Deng Yinhe's cold voice came over, and he made a gesture at the same time.

In an instant, hundreds of poisoned crossbow bolts pierced the air, engulfing Ye Qiu and Lu Jianxiong simultaneously.

"court death!"

Lu Jianxiong flew into a rage, flames erupting all around him, and the crossbow bolts were incinerated before they even got close.

Ye Qiu's sword flashed like a waterfall, slashing down all the incoming arrows.

Seeing that things were not going well, Deng Yinhe was about to retreat when he suddenly felt a chill on his neck.

He looked down in disbelief and saw a gleaming sword tip protruding from his throat.

"Sea of ​​Clouds, Immortal Gate"

He turned his head with difficulty and saw a face as handsome as an immortal.

Jiang Chuan slowly drew his sword, and Deng Yinhe's powerful aura from the Four Realms quickly deflated like a punctured balloon.

Before he could even display his signature skill, this top retainer of the Liang Prince's mansion collapsed in a pool of blood, his eyes wide open.

"The long river rolls on."

Jiang Chuan said softly, "Not a drop of blood stained the sword's edge."

This sword strike was faster than anything else, as if time itself had stopped.

The men in black on the shore were all frozen in place; they hadn't even seen where Jiang Chuan had come from.

Ye Qiu and Lu Jianxiong also showed surprise, especially Lu Jianxiong—he clearly sensed that Jiang Chuan was only at the third realm of cultivation, yet he killed Deng Yinhe, who was at the fourth realm, with a single sword strike!
"The eldest son of the Cloud Sea Immortal Sect truly lives up to his reputation."

Ye Qiu broke the silence first, clasping his hands in a gesture of respect.

Jiang Chuan nodded slightly, but his gaze fell on Lu Jianxiong.

"Senior Lu, Junior Sister Wu Shuang is currently a guest at the Liang Prince's Mansion and is safe and sound."

Flames flickered in Lu Jianxiong's eyes.

"Visiting? Then why didn't you send me a message?"

Just as Jiang Chuan was about to explain, a deafening clap of thunder suddenly echoed from the sky.

Everyone looked up and saw a fiery red meteor streak across the night sky, heading straight for Longhai County City.

"not good!"

Ye Qiu's expression changed drastically.

"It's Senior Lu's Crimson Sky Flying Sword! He's going to force his way into the Liang Prince's mansion!"

Jiangchuan frowned.

"Mr. Ye, please lead the way. Things are probably more complicated than we thought."

Inside the Liang Prince's Mansion, the sounds of string and wind instruments filled the air.

Liang Maoye leaned back on the soft couch covered with white tiger skin, holding a luminous cup filled with fine grape wine from the Western Regions.

Sitting beside him was a young man with a sinister face, none other than General Gu Cheng, the General Who Guards the West.

"Your Highness has a refined taste."

Gu Cheng toyed with the jade cup in his hand, but his gaze kept glancing at the Crown Princess Zhou, who was bowing her head and playing the zither in the palace.

"I heard that a young girl from Huoshenshan Hospital broke into the mansion the other day. I wonder what happened?"

Liang Maoye's smile froze.

"The general is well-informed. It's just a misunderstanding, that girl."

Before the words were finished, the entire palace suddenly shook violently, and the glass lamps fell and shattered.

A roar exploded like thunder.

"Liang Maoye! Hand over my grand-disciple!"

"Lu Jianxiong!"

The wine glass in Liang Maoye's hand shattered with a crack, and the red wine stained his sleeves like blood.

Gu Cheng revealed a playful smile and slowly straightened his clothes.

The palace gate shattered with a crash, and Lu Jianxiong stepped into the raging flames, leaving charred footprints on the bluestone floor with each step.

His gaze was like lightning, instantly locking onto Wu Shuang beside Gu Cheng—the girl was disheveled and shivering in a corner.

"You old scoundrel! What have you done to Shuang'er?!"

Lu Jianxiong's hair and beard stood on end, and nine crimson flames formed a fire wheel behind him.

Gu Cheng calmly took a sip of wine.

"Elder Lu, why are you so angry? I merely treated Miss Wu to a few drinks."

He deliberately drew out his voice, and lightly lifted a strand of Wu Shuang's hair with his fingers.

"court death!"

Lu Jianxiong struck out with his palm, and the crimson palm print whistled away.

A cold glint flashed in Gu Cheng's eyes, and the sword at his waist automatically drew from its sheath, its blade gleaming with an eerie black light.

Just as the two forces were about to collide, a crimson figure suddenly rushed out from the side hall.

"Grandmaster, stop!"

Lu Jianxiong hurriedly withdrew his force, deflecting the palm wind and blasting a beam pillar inside the hall, which took two people to encircle, into dust.

As the smoke cleared, Wu Shuang stood there unharmed, her bright red dress dazzlingly beautiful, showing no trace of humiliation whatsoever.

"Shuang'er, you..."

Lu Jianxiong was stunned for a moment.

Princess Zhou stepped forward and bowed at the opportune moment.

"Senior Lu, you are wise. Miss Wu is just doing her hair and washing up here."

General Gucheng is fond of joking; you've misunderstood.

Jiang Chuan then stepped into the hall and bowed to Lu Jianxiong.

“Senior, there is indeed a misunderstanding. Junior Sister Wu ran away to play and got lost, ending up in the Prince’s mansion. Fortunately, she was taken in by the Crown Princess.”

Lu Jianxiong's expression was uncertain, his gaze shifting between Gu Cheng and Liang Maoye.

Suddenly, Gu Cheng burst into laughter.

"Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, Elder Lu, why don't you stay for a drink? I have long admired the blazing flames of Huoshenshan."

Wu Shuang tugged at Lu Jianxiong's sleeve and acted coquettishly.

"Grandmaster~ We finally got to come out and have some fun, please stay a little longer! Besides, Senior Brother Jiang is here too."

She stole a glance at Jiang Chuan, her cheeks slightly flushed.

Lu Jianxiong snorted coldly, but looking at his grand-disciple's expectant eyes, he finally sighed.

He gave Gu Cheng a warning glare.

"Very well, but I'm warning some people that they'd better behave themselves."

Gu Cheng didn't take it seriously and clapped his hands to summon the maids to set up the banquet again.

Lu Jianxiong was seated in the chief seat, with Wu Shuang and Jiang Chuan to his left and right respectively.

Opposite them sat Liang Maoye, Gu Cheng, and several important figures from the Prince's Mansion.

He Liang, Zeng Xianming, Li Wenzhi, and two disciples of the Cloud Sea Immortal Sect—Chen Qing of Dream Butterfly Peak and Wang Han of Juezui Peak.

"Senior Lu."

He respectfully bowed as he presented his petition.

“My master often mentions your heroic deeds in the Heavenly Fire Realm back then.”

Lu Jianxiong's expression softened slightly.

"How is Liu Yatou now? Back then, she was just a little girl who loved to cry."

Chen Qing covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

“Master is now the Peak Master of Dream Butterfly Peak, but she still often mentions the jar of Fire Lotus Wine that you owe her.”

Everyone laughed upon hearing this, even Lu Jianxiong, who had been keeping a tense expression, smiled.

Taking the opportunity, Wu Shuang poured wine for her grandmaster and whispered.

"Grandmaster, please don't be angry. It's my fault."

Gu Cheng, observing coldly from the sidelines, suddenly raised his glass.

"Come, let's drink to Elder Lu's esteemed presence!"

Unable to refuse, everyone raised their glasses. After several rounds of drinks, Gu Cheng's gaze lingered more and more brazenly on Zhou Shi.

Zhou was on pins and needles and was about to get up to take her leave when Gu Cheng suddenly slammed his wine cup down.

"I have long heard of the Crown Princess's captivating dance. On this auspicious occasion, why not offer a dance to add to the merriment?"

The hall fell silent instantly. (End of Chapter)