Chapter 21: Chapter 21
The Red-Robed Eunuch chuckled. This brat certainly knew when to bend and when to stand firm.
“Junior, use whatever other tricks you have. Our patience is limited.”
Use what, exactly?
Zhao Jiu felt sickened. What was this old eunuch putting on airs for? At the moment, the only difference between Zhao Jiu and a dead pig was that they belonged to different species. Even if he had any other tricks, he could not use them.
Shaking his head, Zhao Jiu said helplessly, “Senior, your Cultivation Rank reaches the heavens, and your martial prowess is unparalleled. I truly have no other tricks left. Even if I did, they would be insignificant before you. Besides, after taking that palm strike from you, I doubt I can even stand up now…”
“Very well, brat. We gave you a chance, but you proved useless!”
The Red-Robed Eunuch dispersed his True Qi. He had no intention of killing Zhao Jiu.
Turning to look at Liu Rouwei, who was still running through the snow, he called out loudly, “Young Miss Liu, you should return with us. The Northwest is bitterly cold. It would be terrible if your precious body were harmed by the frost.”
Liu Rouwei, who was running toward Huai’an County, heard his words and glanced back in the Red-Robed Eunuch’s direction before silently sighing.
However, she did not blame Zhao Jiu. The Red-Robed Eunuch was simply too terrifying. He had crossed several li with a single step. Zhao Jiu had already reached his limit by buying her nearly eight minutes.
Without allowing herself to think further, she quickened her pace and hurried toward Huai’an County.
“Stubborn fool!”
The Red-Robed Eunuch shouted, causing the branches to rustle violently.
His True Qi surged like the Milky Way pouring backward, vast and unending. He stepped on the crown of a tree, and his immense True Qi shattered a trunk as thick as a man’s body.
His body soared into the air like a golden eagle swooping upon a rabbit or a fierce tiger seizing a dragon. He hurtled toward Liu Rouwei with such speed that only a flurry of snow and a trail of afterimages remained behind him.
Zhao Jiu, lying on the ground, felt immensely fortunate when he saw this.
The old eunuch truly had not tried to kill him. Otherwise, with such terrifying power, Zhao Jiu would probably have met his maker in a single exchange.
The Red-Robed Eunuch was astonishingly fast. In an instant, the distance of several li had shrunk to only a few dozen paces.
“Young Miss Liu, you had better stop!”
The Red-Robed Eunuch shouted as his speed increased once more. His hands curved into claws, and his fingertips nearly touched Liu Rouwei’s back.
CLANG!
A streak of golden light tore through the air, leaving an afterimage as it shot straight toward the Red-Robed Eunuch. Its momentum was overwhelming, and its killing intent was terrifying.
The Red-Robed Eunuch hurriedly turned his head and circulated his True Qi. He struck out with his palm, stopping the golden streak in its tracks. With another burst of force, he sent it flying backward.
It plunged into the snow, revealing itself to be a golden saber.
A dark figure rapidly approached from the distance and arrived beside the golden saber in the blink of an eye.
The newcomer wore black clothes and had white hair. His face was covered in wrinkles, and he stood with his back bowed and his hands clasped. It was none other than Gao Qi, the manor steward.
A faint smile rested on Gao Qi’s face as he stood beside the golden saber. An exceptionally sharp light shone from his cloudy eyes as he stared at the Red-Robed Eunuch.
The Red-Robed Eunuch, however, wore a grave expression.
“Who are you?” he asked.
“Heh. Gao Qi, steward of the Liu Residence,” Gao Qi replied evenly, neither cold nor warm.
“It was not easy for you to live this long. We do not wish to kill you. Stand aside.”
“Merely a First Rank?” Gao Qi rested one hand on the golden saber. “This old man may be untalented, but I am also a First-Rank expert.”
His voice was not loud, yet it rang with strength and conviction, utterly unlike that of a decrepit old man.
“Hmph. We shall have you know that even among First-Rank experts, there are differences!”
As soon as he finished speaking, the Red-Robed Eunuch’s True Qi erupted violently. Snow burst upward from the ground, and Liu Rouwei, who was farther ahead, was shoved off balance by the wave of True Qi and nearly fell.
The instant the snow rose, the Red-Robed Eunuch moved.
His hands formed claws as he lunged straight at Gao Qi.
Gao Qi was startled. The wrinkles on his face seemed to tremble as he drew his saber and retreated three steps, opening the distance between them before slashing forward.
Their True Qi collided, and the world seemed to fall silent.
Only ripples of True Qi could be seen exploding outward. In the span of a single instant, the two men had already exchanged dozens of moves.
A battle between First-Rank experts moved too quickly for the naked eye to follow. One could only sense waves of True Qi being annihilated and then formed anew.
The collision of their Momentum resembled two colossal mountains crashing together, yet not the slightest sound emerged.
The greatest sound was barely heard, and the greatest form had no shape. This was precisely such a sight.
After only a brief exchange, Gao Qi was the first to pull away.
The Red-Robed Eunuch had spoken the truth. Even among First-Rank experts, differences in strength still existed. The Red-Robed Eunuch was clearly a level above Gao Qi.
“Steward Gao, we already told you that First-Rank experts are not all equal. With your First-Rank Cultivation Rank, where in the world could you not go? There is no need to throw away your life over this.”
The Red-Robed Eunuch stood with his hands behind his back, his bearing overwhelmingly arrogant.
Gao Qi remained silent.
He held his saber horizontally and gathered his Momentum. His fierce Saber Momentum cleaved through the white clouds on the horizon. It blazed with magnificent power, as though countless cavalrymen were charging within it, yet it also resembled thunder descending with the force of ten thousand bolts.
The saber light shone brilliantly, striking fear into the heart. Even the sun on the horizon seemed to dim slightly, as though only this single saber remained between heaven and earth.
“You seek death!”
The Red-Robed Eunuch roared.
His Momentum merged into his attack. Amid the swirling snow, an enormous palm took shape. It was extraordinarily lifelike, complete with knuckles, flesh, and skin, just like a real human hand.
Yet it contained a terrifying Momentum that filled all who beheld it with an overwhelming sense of danger.
In an instant, the True Qi throughout more than a dozen li was shut out. The flying snow reversed direction and shot backward.
In the distance, Zhao Jiu could only stare in horror.
The power of a battle between First-Rank experts was far too great, and its effects reached an astonishing distance. Although Zhao Jiu was still some distance from the two men, the circulation of True Qi within his body had already become sluggish.
The battle between them was almost like a clash between one domain of heaven and earth and another.
“Formation Breaker!”
“Vanquishing the Invaders!”
The two men shouted almost simultaneously.
On one side, the saber light blazed with dazzling brilliance. On the other, the palm shadow appeared simple, solid, and heavy.
The instant they collided, the snowflakes melted away. The sky became cloudless for ten thousand li, and heaven and earth darkened. Their Momentum rolled endlessly as True Qi swept in every direction.
The saber light endured for fewer than five breaths before it was extinguished.
The enormous palm, however, continued onward without losing any force. Gao Qi hurriedly swung his saber, delivering seven consecutive slashes. Only then did the palm finally disperse, but Gao Qi had already lost the initiative.
The Red-Robed Eunuch instantly swept forward and struck out with one claw, hitting the golden saber directly.
The Saber Momentum faltered.
Immediately afterward, the Red-Robed Eunuch thrust out a palm. Gao Qi hurriedly abandoned his saber and met the strike with his own palm.
In an instant, Gao Qi was forced backward without pause. Each step he took in the snow caused another cloud of white powder to explode upward.
How could the Red-Robed Eunuch possibly let such an opportunity pass?
Gao Qi’s old breath of True Qi had already been exhausted, while his new breath had yet to arise. The Red-Robed Eunuch closed in, intending to kill him with a single strike.
At that moment, a flying sword shot into the battlefield and positioned itself between the Red-Robed Eunuch and Gao Qi.
The Red-Robed Eunuch halted.
The sword possessed considerable power. He had not expected another expert to be present.
He slowly retreated two steps to open the distance between them. His brows drew together, and his face darkened as he stared into the distance.
On the other side, Gao Qi breathed a sigh of relief. After steadying himself, he silently circulated his cultivation technique.
The old eunuch’s Cultivation Rank was one level higher than his, and his combat experience was abundant. He had clearly been immersed in the First Rank for many years.
As both sides remained silent, an aged voice came from the distance.
“Why must you kill?”