The martial world is a singular realm that forever draws in young dreamers and ambitious souls, trapping them in endless cycles of rivalry. In the Jianghu, fame, glory, and wealth go hand in hand. It was so years ago, remained unchanged decades ago, and was the same centuries past. Slaughter, resentment, and vengeance never fade from this world. These cycles repeat endlessly; everything must be seized by force. This is an immutable law of the martial world.

  If one desires renown, the most favored method is naturally to conquer a figure already established in the martial world. Thus, challenges arise daily, without a single day’s respite. At this moment, before the bridge crossing the canal of the Zhang family village, stood a wooden board fashioned into a sign. Upon it, a message was scrawled in bright red:

  “Challenge issued to The Absolute Jade, Di Yuning; Mute Sword, Yang Songwei; Young Master of the North, Ke Daobing; The Destitute Wanderer, Kang Kang; and Merry Meanderer, Jin Tianwang, at the empty fort at the West Gate of Liang City. But if any among you is a puppy, do not bother attending. From Sword Slave.”

  Liang City was once a vital frontier stronghold for many dynasties. Yet now that the empire is unified and vast, this border town has withered into a desolate ruin. Inhabitants are few, for the land here is arid and far from major rivers. Though a grand canal was once dug, it runs dry through many seasons.

  The West Gate, constructed as a stone fortress, has weathered many years and is now in extreme disrepair. Yet, at this very moment, a figure stands there.

  This person is hairless, browless, and beardless. His skin, from face to toe, is dark as soil, rendering his features indistinguishable. He is shirtless, revealing a frame that is thin yet packed with dense muscle. He stands arms crossed, eyes closed, as if awaiting something. Beside him, a sword is driven firmly into the ground. Its blade gleams black, its hilt sitting slightly lower than the hand of this earthen man.

  At the end of the stretching road, a caravan of horses appeared. Among them rode a figure clad in eye-catching emerald green robes. All eleven horses approached at a slow, deliberate pace.

  A woman’s voice rang out from atop the gatehouse. “Who has arrived?”

  “It is that wealthy man.”

  “Is it him? That fool surnamed Ke who prefers throwing money over weapons. I am currently establishing a sect and require vast funds; I hope he does not disappoint.”

  “Whatever the Mistress desires, she shall naturally obtain.”

  “How many have come?”

  “Eleven people, eleven horses.”

  “Spare one; let him carry our tale to the world.”

  “Understood, Mistress.”

  “Wait until they are closer. I shall kill one or two first, then you act.”

  “Understood, Mistress.” Sword Slave spoke these words, yet his body remained motionless; only his mouth moved.

  Ke Daobing had spotted Sword Slave waiting before the fortress from the start, yet he intentionally slowed the caravan, leaving the man to stand in the sun. Others in the party naturally saw him too; his black skin was starkly visible near noon. These riders were all friends of Ke Daobing—more than half were renowned in the martial world, others were new acquaintances, but all enjoyed Ke Daobing’s generous wealth.

  “That clay lump of a man has been waiting for the Young Master from the start; he may have laid a trap.” A bearded man with fierce eyes, riding alongside Ke Daobing, voiced a warning. This was The Cold Halberd of Three Moons, Wang Bei, famous in the north. Rumor had it his heavy halberd was so sharp it could slice through stone as easily as a banana trunk.

  The caravan fell silent as they neared the fortress. Just as the lead rider prepared to stop and speak, a flurry of glittering lights tore through the air. Panic erupted. Ke Daobing rotated his wrist, throwing weapons to intercept the lights. However, the lights seemed to possess eyes; they spun in a full circle before looping back. Ke Daobing realized they were handle-less flying knives with curved blades. He flicked his wrist to throw again but missed. The knives embedded themselves in the horses' throats and bodies. The beasts shrieked, rearing up before collapsing dead. Ke Daobing rolled safely from his mount. Scanning the area, he found four of his companions dead by those flying knives.

  Furious, Ke Daobing turned back to Sword Slave, shouting, “Bastard, you shall die as well!”

  Sword Slave seemed bored of waiting. His right hand moved for his sword hilt, but suddenly a woman’s voice whispered in his ear, “I will play with the one surnamed Ke first. You kill the servants.”

  Sword Slave immediately yanked the sword from the earth and leaped out. Ke Daobing hastily threw hidden weapons at three vital points on Sword Slave: the glabella, the heart, and the navel.

  Sword Slave showed no reaction, merely somersaulting over Ke Daobing’s head. The three weapons—a valuable pure silver six-inch nail, a gold-cast Iron Chakra of perfect weight and sharpness, and a sharpened Jade Bullet—all struck Sword Slave’s soil-colored body. Yet, he showed not the slightest distress. The Iron Chakra embedded itself in his chest, but no blood seeped from the wound. Ke Daobing was astonished, but his surprise was cut short as more glittering lights rushed at him. Sword Slave charged the mounted martial artists, his sword stabbing with decisive cruelty.

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  Judging the trajectory, Ke Daobing pinpointed the hidden attacker. He used agile footwork to dodge the knives and wall-climbing skills to soar up the fort, intending to kill the ambusher above. The knives had been curving out of a side window; he decided to smash directly through the front window instead.

  A laugh of amusement rang out, and a shadow darted from the room. Ke Daobing pursued. Three more flying knives rushed at him. He spun his arms, sending hidden weapons to knock the knives aside. Without slowing, he pressed the chase.

  Finally, Ke Daobing spotted the back of a woman running ahead. He hooked his arm low and flicked a weapon at her back, but she abruptly jumped from the second floor. The fast nail missed. Ke Daobing continued the chase. Reaching the wall’s ridge, he looked down to see only Sword Slave fighting The Cold Halberd of Three Moons, Wang Bei; the rest of the caravan was dead.

  The halberd in Wang Bei’s hand trembled. Sword Slave’s swordplay was profound and bizarre—slashing, hooking, pointing, and pressing with invisible speed. Wang Bei’s weapon was heavy and slow. After a few moves, though he protected his vitals, he was already riddled with wounds.

  Ke Daobing leaped from the wall, throwing a Jade Bullet at the back of Sword Slave’s neck. Sword Slave did not look back. His sword thrust forward, piercing Wang Bei’s throat. Wang Bei fell, dropping his halberd. Meanwhile, the Jade Bullet struck Sword Slave’s neck, eliciting a grinding sound. Sword Slave pulled the bullet out; no blood followed. His earthen skin feared no weapon.

  Ke Daobing lost sight of the woman, but the moment his feet touched the ground, Sword Slave rushed him.

  Sword Slave moved with speed, his body impervious, his moves mad and ruthless. In a blink, his sword stabbed toward Ke Daobing.

  Ke Daobing sprang back, throwing a six-inch silver nail between Sword Slave’s brows. The force knocked Sword Slave onto his back.

  Sword Slave was down for only a moment before forcing himself upright. The silver nail remained in his forehead, making his terrifying appearance truly ghastly. It was stuck but had not pierced the skin layer. He stabbed again.

  Ke Daobing yanked a silver belt from his waist—a long silver chain. He whipped it against the sword. Metal clashed against metal. The chain’s tip bounced off but miraculously looped back toward Sword Slave’s eyes..

  Instinctively, Sword Slave dodged, fearing for his eyes.

  Feeling hope, Ke Daobing manipulated the chain to strike the other eye. Sword Slave blocked with his sword and swept out a black arc. Ke Daobing dodged with bizarre footwork. Sword Slave followed up, stabbing and slashing madly. Ke Daobing spun the chain in defensive circles, but the chain moved with strange fluidity, undulating like a living serpent. Its tip rose and struck Sword Slave’s right eye. Blood seeped from the corner of the eye; the chain had cut the eyelid but missed the eyeball.

  Seeing his own blood, Sword Slave’s madness intensified. He threw his black sword at Ke Daobing.

  Caught off guard, Ke Daobing stiffened and barely swayed left. Sword Slave slammed into him, pinning him down. Knees holding down Ke Daobing’s arms, Sword Slave roared, ready to gouge out Ke Daobing’s eyes with his fingers. Ke Daobing closed his eyes in terror. Suddenly, a great gust of wind arose. Sword Slave was lifted into the air and blown away.

  The wind was actually a man, who had grabbed Sword Slave by the neck and thrown him before the eyes could be destroyed.

  Ke Daobing opened his eyes to see a familiar smile on a young man’s face. “Brother Ke, I trust you are unharmed.”

  “Master Jin...” Ke Daobing exclaimed weakly. Jin Tianwang had saved him; otherwise, he would have lost his eyes and likely his life.

  Jin Tianwang examined Sword Slave, stating, “This person used a strange poison to destroy his pain sensation. This soil-colored skin resembles the corpse-refining technique of the Defying Heaven Sect of the past.”

  Sword Slave stood up, glaring maliciously at Jin Tianwang. “Oh! You are Zhao Xianzhi. Why have you become like this?”

  “There is no ‘Zhao Xianzhi’ anymore. Only Sword Slave, my loyal servant.” A young girl appeared as she spoke.

  Jin Tianwang recognized her as Zhou Songyi, the heir of the Defying Heaven Sect from Mystic Valley. “It was you who used poison to reduce Young Master Zhao to this.”

  “He consented to be my slave; he was not forced.”

  “You are too cruel!” Jin Tianwang shouted. Sword Slave leaped madly at Jin Tianwang, who rushed forward and slammed a fist squarely into his head. The black body flew backward and fell. Alarmingly, he rose rapidly, though unstably, taking two steps before collapsing unconscious.

  “Though he feels no pain, the dizziness remains,” Jin Tianwang told Zhou Songyi.

  Zhou Songyi had not expected Jin Tianwang to handle Sword Slave so easily. Who was he? Suppressing her anger, she said, “Jin Tianwang, the entire martial world is hunting you. If you wish to survive, join my sect. I will make you Deputy Sect Leader.”

  “Are you establishing the New Defying Heaven Sect? If so, we have nothing to discuss.”

  Hearing 'Defying Heaven Sect,’ Ke Daobing looked at the girl in shock. “You want to be an enemy to the whole world?”

  Ignoring the girl, Jin Tianwang changed the subject. “Miss Zhou, detoxify Young Master Zhao. No one deserves this pitiful existence. And you should return to Mystic Valley.”

  “You chase me back? Why don’t you return yourself?”

  “In the past, Silver Serpent Kou Lingsi lost to Blood Hawk Diao Zhufan and promised that Defying Heaven Sect survivors would remain in Mystic Valley forever,” Ke Daobing interjected.

  “That is old Kou’s oath; why must I adhere to it?” Zhou Songyi retorted willfully.

  Jin Tianwang reflected on her words, ‘return to Mystic Valley yourself,’ and smiled depressingly. “Miss Zhou, abandon such schemes. Believe me, return to Mystic Valley.”

  “What is Mystic Valley like? How would you understand?” she snapped.

  Jin Tianwang’s eyes seemed to hold the answer, but he said nothing. With another depressed smile and a sigh, he stopped arguing. He grabbed a surviving horse, helped Ke Daobing onto it, and led them away, ignoring Zhou Songyi.

  Ke Daobing looked sorrowful, absent-mindedly contemplating his recent defeat and near-death.

  Sensing this, Jin Tianwang spoke, “Who has never known defeat? Though unwanted, it is not valueless. Knowing defeat makes you stronger.”

  “But you didn't lose to Sword Slave; I did.”

  “I have also lost. Do you not believe me?” Jin Tianwang smiled. Meeting his eyes, Ke Daobing felt strangely at ease and smiled back. “You are not dead; how can you be a loser forever?” Ke Daobing’s smile widened; these words were divine rain soothing his heart.

  “Let us part here. We both have tasks to complete. Farewell.” Jin Tianwang released the horse, circled back, and tapped its flank to send it forward.

  Ke Daobing did not look back at that sincere smile, thinking, “One day, I will return to defeat Sword Slave, and defeat Jin Tianwang.”

  Jin Tianwang waved goodbye until they were out of sight. He pondered the news from Six-Eared Cat, Lei Yei. The disappearance of Drunken Scholar, Ou Xiatian, had caused his benefactor to search, and now the Senior was gone too. Was this another joke played on him by Frostflower, Han Yuexin?

  He remembered parting from Ou Xiatian at Ten Thousand Bamboo Inn without a goodbye. He still held onto their appointment to drink. Thus, Jin Tianwang refused to drink with others. If he could not drink with Ou Xiatian again, perhaps he would never drink again.

  Only Jin Tianwang was foolish like this.

  Only he valued a friend like Ou Xiatian this much.

  Only with a smile, so there need be no tears.