Chapter 22: It Was Actually Him

Looking at the person lying unconscious on the ground, Gu Xian recalled his flying sword and removed the man’s mask.

"Hiss, it’s actually him."

The man in the green robe suddenly drew a sharp breath. Just then, several figures approached the scene rapidly. They soon appeared beside Gu Xian, and among them was Xia Qinghe. Seeing that he was unharmed, she let out a sigh of relief.

Gu Xian asked with a puzzled look, "Master Xia, why are you here?"

Her voice remained as cool and detached as ever. "I hadn't seen you return for a long time, so I came to check."

The man in the green robe looked at her; although her tone was cold, he could still sense a faint glimmer of concern. He shook his head gently. "It is nothing."

He then recounted how the three men had ambushed him. Upon hearing this, Xia Qinghe’s cold eyes narrowed. She looked at the only survivor on the ground and said in an icy voice:

"Xie Lin, I never expected that even you would work for those people."

This man, named Xie Lin, was also a Silver-Rank Demon Slayer, highly valued by the Garrison Commander. Faced with the situation, Xie Lin remained unrepentant. He did not bother to argue, instead offering a mocking smile.

"Master Xia, what is wrong with being like me? Working in the Demon Slayer Division all year round, exhausted and broken, how much of a salary do we get? But working for those people is different. Just this one job alone has earned me far more than all the years of pay the Demon Slayer Division has given me combined."

As he spoke, he became increasingly agitated. "Water flows downward, and people strive for higher ground. Master Xia, you are a rare talent, deeply supported by the Demon Slayer Division, so naturally, you lack for nothing. But I am not you."

Xia Qinghe did not refute him; instead, she nodded slightly at his words. She said with a touch of melancholy, "You are right."

But the next moment, her tone shifted sharply. "However, that is no excuse for you to act as a dog for those people."

Before the words had even faded, she drew the long sword at her waist and pressed it against Xie Lin’s throat. "Tell me, who is the person behind this? I can spare your life."

Feeling the chilling touch of the blade, Xie Lin’s breathing became ragged. He pleaded, "Master Xia, we have been colleagues; just grant me a quick death. If I speak, even if you spare me today, I am destined not to live long, and it will implicate my wife and children. Xia Qinghe, do you have the heart to do that?"

Xia Qinghe remained silent, slowly increasing the pressure of the sword against his neck. She watched his expression, which was set in a look of stoic martyrdom.

Faced with such a stubborn rogue, Xia Qinghe was at a loss.

"Master Xia, let me try," Gu Xian’s voice rang out.

Not only Xia Qinghe, but the other Demon Slayers looked at the green-robed man—who had recently risen to fame—with astonishment. Gu Xian then asked via telepathic thought, "Master Xia, are the people you brought reliable?"

Xia Qinghe frowned and replied directly, "Rest assured, they were all trained by my senior brother; they are absolutely trustworthy."

Gu Xian nodded and offered a thin smile to Xie Lin. "That is good."

He then used his mind to control his flying sword, driving it into Xie Lin’s shoulder. A flash of light streaked by, and the blade pierced deep. Xia Qinghe and the others instantly changed color. Gu Xian gave them a reassuring look. "Don't worry, I won't let him die so easily."

Sure enough, the man in the green robe only drove the sword an inch into Xie Lin’s body before gripping the hilt with one hand. As the blade vibrated, threads of sword energy surged into Xie Lin’s body, wreaking havoc. Wherever they passed, Xie Lin’s acupuncture points were destroyed and his meridians were severed.

"Ah..."

A quarter of an hour later, unable to bear the excruciating pain any longer, Xie Lin screamed, the veins on his forehead bulging. Gu Xian remained expressionless, continuing to infuse sword energy into the man. He maintained a precise level of control—enough to cause unbearable agony, yet not enough to kill him.

Xie Lin was left to endure pure torment. His blood surged like a tidal wave, his acupuncture points were shattered one by one, and his meridians were completely ruptured. Drenched in cold sweat, his hair standing on end, his face turned deathly pale.

Xia Qinghe and the others watched the scene, exchanging uneasy glances with strange expressions. They could not help but think: *This man looks like a refined scholar, but who would have thought his methods would be so ruthless?*

Even these Demon Slayers, who were known for their own ferocity, looked at Gu Xian with a hint of trepidation. They each silently vowed never to offend this man in the future.

The constant, piercing screams echoed through the woods. Xie Lin had long since lost his previous resolve. He roared, "Quick, quick, just kill me!"

Gu Xian had no intention of granting his wish and continued to pour in a steady stream of sword energy. Before long, Xie Lin’s vitality began to wither, and he whimpered, "I'll talk, I'll talk."

Gu Xian finally stopped and withdrew his sword.

Suddenly, a strange, eerie smile appeared on Xie Lin’s face. He voluntarily ruptured his own acupuncture points, and a powerful, frantic aura erupted from his body. In the next moment, a voice resonant as a temple bell rang out through the forest:

"Marquis of Zhennan, Li Jin, ordered the three of us to assassinate Gu Xian, because Gu Xian ruined his plans regarding the Chen Kai affair!"

Having said this, his head slumped to the side, and he breathed his last.

His voice, however, had been like a thunderclap, carrying far into the distance. The people present all wore grim expressions. One of them cursed, "That dog, Xie Lin, truly deserved to die."

Everyone realized that Xie Lin’s words had likely been heard by all the Demon Slayers in the camp. With so many mouths, the news would inevitably spread. The Marquis of Zhennan would certainly face scrutiny, but for Gu Xian, who had already become a thorn in the Marquis's side, this ensured even more relentless retaliation.

The others could not help but wonder: even though Xie Lin was dead, his actions would surely enrage the Marquis—did he truly not care about his wife and children?

Inside the camp, the high-ranking officials of the Lingzhou Demon Slayer Division, led by Master Liu, had all heard Xie Lin’s final words. Their expressions were varied: some were watching the spectacle, some were secretly annoyed, some looked as gloomy as a storm, and others remained stone-faced.

After a moment, Master Liu sighed. His expression became grave as he said in a low voice, "Keep your people in check. Nobody is to speak of what happened today."

Having said this, he turned and left first. In truth, Master Liu knew well that his warning was merely a formality; with his own strength alone, he could never suppress this matter. The likes of Xie Lin were merely the most insignificant pawns in the hands of the powerful, and their deaths mattered little.

But after today, Gu Xian was destined to be locked in a blood feud with the Marquis of Zhennan.

Back in his tent, he took a slow sip of tea and murmured to himself, "A season of troubles, indeed."