Chapter 193
Chapter 193
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 193
>Chapter Title: Cleanup
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After saying this, Wang Deqiu hooked the heel of his right foot and directly picked up a single-edged saber from the ground into his hand.
He gripped this saber and charged toward Li Huowang without any hesitation.
“Clang~! Clang!” The sword and saber clashed repeatedly, producing crisp ringing sounds.
Streams of some kind of energy continuously surged from the Right Family Sword in his hand throughout Li Huowang’s body, letting him nearly dominate Wang Deqiu in the fight.
Yet the opponent’s near-suicidal, trade-life-for-life style of combat also made things somewhat tricky for Li Huowang.
However, with a “clang,” the sounds came to an abrupt halt as the broken blade tumbled to the ground—the opponent’s saber had snapped.
Li Huowang had wanted to hold back and capture him alive for questioning. However, the sword caused his blood to surge uncontrollably, making it impossible to stop his hand.
As Wang Deqiu thrust the broken saber into Li Huowang’s abdomen, Li Huowang’s sword pierced into the other man’s chest.
“Who the hell are you?!” Li Huowang gritted his teeth, glaring at the man before him as he demanded.
In the face of death, Wang Deqiu showed no concern whatsoever.
He strained to spit in Li Huowang’s face, but the bloody saliva merely dribbled weakly down his chin.
Mustering nearly all his remaining strength, he roared: “Beast of the Right Family, don’t you dare covet Hou Shu! As long as we’re around, not a single inch of Hou Shu’s soil will be yielded!!”
“I’ve told you how many times! I’m not from the Si Qi Right Family! Someone else gave me this sword!”
But Wang Deqiu could no longer hear him. As hot blood gushed continuously from his chest, his body went limp and slowly collapsed to the ground.
Panting for breath, Li Huowang gritted his teeth and yanked the broken saber from his abdomen.
He then pressed a hand to the wound. After glancing once more at Wang Deqiu’s corpse, Li Huowang cursed under his breath and turned to assist the others.
The entire stronghold had devolved into chaos. However, with their leader dead, the remaining lackeys clearly couldn’t hold out much longer.
Against Li Huowang and the others, they fell back step by step in panic, fleeing deeper into the cave.
Just as Li Huowang and the rest were on the verge of wiping out the final group, a thunderous boom echoed as a section of the cave collapsed, raising a stone wall between both sides.
“Clang clang clang!” Gao Zhijian pounded fiercely at the rock with his iron rod, sending sparks flying with every strike.
“Enough, stop hitting it. It’s obvious this was prepared ahead of time—the path’s completely sealed off.”
Upon hearing Li Huowang, Gao Zhijian sheepishly lowered his hand.
With a “clang,” as the sword slid back into its sheath, Li Huowang felt his mind clear. He slowly exhaled a breath and shook his head vigorously.
He then turned around to look at the corpses scattered haphazardly throughout the Juyi Hall, a wave of irritation washing over him—so many more people had ended up dead after all.
Truth be told, he didn’t want to kill people, yet the blood debt weighing on his hands only grew heavier.
Li Huowang glanced at Wang Deqiu’s corpse once more. He tore a large swath of cloth from a nearby corpse and rewrapped his Right Family Sword.
In the end, it all came down to this sword—at this point, Li Huowang fully understood.
It was because Monkey Er had recognized the sword during the wedding ceremony and mistakenly taken him for one of the Si Qi soldier families.
That was how he’d drawn the ire of someone like Wang Deqiu. Otherwise, none of this trouble would have happened.
“In Hou Shu, there have to be plenty of people with grudges against the Right Family. I can’t casually reveal this sword anymore.”
“Also, we need to hurry on our way for the time being. Once Hou Shu’s soldier families learn Wang Deqiu is dead, they definitely won’t let it slide. They’ll send even more people after us. I can’t let them catch up.”
Though Li Huowang had won this fight with relative ease, he had no intention of clashing against the entire nation of Hou Shu—that would be like throwing an egg against a rock.
Chun Xiaoman prowled through the cave with her sword in hand. Though her chest still heaved with labored breaths, she would deliver a finishing thrust to anyone still drawing breath, preventing any chance of a surprise attack.
Just as she reached Li Huowang, a hand reached out toward her. “Give it to me.”
“Senior Brother Li, give you... what?” Chun Xiaoman replied, feigning bewilderment.
“Quit pretending. Hand over the *Great Thousand Record*. That thing isn’t something you can use.”
Seeing her bloodied fingers, how could Li Huowang fail to realize what she’d been using?
Yet Chun Xiaoman shot a glance at Bai Lingmiao before clutching her chest and retreating several steps, her gaze filled with unyielding resolve.
“Senior Brother Li, this isn’t your scroll. I searched it off someone else—it’s mine.”
As Li Huowang advanced on her, Xiaoman retreated step by step.
“You have no idea what you’re messing with. You can’t use that thing!” Li Huowang’s tone sharpened.
With her back pressed against the wall and nowhere left to go, Chun Xiaoman instinctively drew her sword.
Staring at the blade held horizontally before him, Li Huowang laughed bitterly in anger. “After surviving life-and-death together so many times, now you draw your sword on me?”
Chun Xiaoman’s gaze flickered evasively for a moment before hardening once more. “Sorry, Senior Brother Li. I *have* to have my own trump card.”
“Fine then! You’re so capable—go off and make your own way! Why bother sticking with the group and relying on each other for survival?!”
Her body trembled faintly at his words as tears welled uncontrollably in her eyes.
In her heart, *this* was the thing she cherished most right now.
Bai Lingmiao hurriedly inserted herself between them, her expression troubled. “Senior Brother Li, please don’t say that. We’re all family here—let’s talk it out nicely.”
“I’m saying it one last time! Give me the *Great Thousand Record*!!”
Her eyes red, Chun Xiaoman gritted her teeth and pulled out the *Great Thousand Record*.
Seeing Li Huowang’s attention fix on the crimson bamboo slips, Bai Lingmiao quickly tugged Chun Xiaoman into a nearby corner.
“Sister Xiaoman, Senior Brother Li’s right—that thing is way too dangerous. It hurts like hell every time you use it. You really shouldn’t keep it.”
Chun Xiaoman’s temper immediately flared at those words, her tone laced with indignation. “You *know* it’s dangerous, and you still side with your man? Have you given him your body and lost your senses along with it? You’d back him even on something like this? Can’t you tell good from evil anymore?”
“But Sister Xiaoman, Senior Brother Li isn’t like you. Even if his hand gets cut off, it can grow back. Yours can’t.”
Chun Xiaoman cast a disappointed glance at Bai Lingmiao and strode off into a side cave, sword in hand.
Seeing her like this threw Bai Lingmiao into a panic, and she hurried after. “Sister Xiaoman, we’re still good sisters, aren’t you? You’re not going to ignore me now, are you?”
Chun Xiaoman kept her head down, marching straight through the cave without any desire to deal with Bai Lingmiao’s clinging.
Yet under Bai Lingmiao’s pleading, her resolve gradually softened.
“I know you’re sweet on him, but you can’t just go along with everything he does. That’ll only make him stray further off the path, and in the end, it’ll ruin him.”
Just as she opened her mouth to say more, faint, mournful sobs echoed through the air. Chun Xiaoman swiftly drew her sword and positioned herself protectively in front of Bai Lingmiao.
(End of chapter)