: Shadow Swordsman Yang Xuyan! Lotus Seed of the Heavenly Lotus Sect, the Ice Fiend Twin T

Chapter 86: Shadow Swordsman Yang Xuyan! Lotus Seed of the Heavenly Lotus Sect, the Ice Fiend Twin Tigers! [Please Subscribe!]

But the shadowy figure moved with lightning speed and was as elusive as a ghost, giving no one time to react.

"laugh!"

With a whooshing sound, a cold, gleaming longsword burst through the window, its tip aimed directly at Fang Zetao's heart; the move was ruthless and cunning.

Fang Zetao has controlled Jingling for many years; his martial arts skills are extraordinary.

In a critical moment, he suddenly dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow to his heart!

But the sword strike was too fast, and he had no way to avoid it.

"Pfft!"

With a muffled thud, the sharp tip of the sword pierced through his armor and deeply embedded itself in his right shoulder blade!

The excruciating pain caused Fang Zetao to break out in a cold sweat, and he nearly stumbled and fell.

The shadow swordsman's eyes were cold. After succeeding, he didn't stop. With a flick of his wrist, he was about to deliver another blow to finish off Fang Zetao!

"stop!"

In that life-or-death moment, a sharp blade of energy suddenly swept over. Su Yang's Xiao Cheng Snow-Treading Without a Trace unfolded, like an arrow released from a bow, the Cold Abyss Blade slashing out with a bone-chilling coldness.

"when!"

'

The sound of metal clashing was deafening as Su Yang's blade struck the shadow swordsman's longsword with pinpoint accuracy.

A surge of powerful, icy energy spread along the blade, instantly engulfing the entire study. Frost formed on the windows, and the candlelight went out abruptly!

Taking advantage of the momentum, Su Yang spun around and swung the Cold Abyss Blade again, unleashing an even more intense surge of icy blade energy.

"boom!"

With a loud bang and a violent force, the roof of the study was blown off, sending shards of tile and wood flying everywhere!

He stood firmly in front of Fang Zetao, his Cold Abyss Blade shimmering with icy light, his eyes as cold as ice: "You lowly scoundrel, how dare you act so presumptuously in the City Lord's Mansion! You're courting death!"

The shadow swordsman was forced to retreat repeatedly by the force of the blade's energy, his arm went numb, and a hint of surprise flashed in his cold eyes.

Fang Zetao, lying on the soft couch, had his right shoulder instantly soaked through with blood. The excruciating pain made him tremble all over. He groaned and leaned back on the couch, staring intently at the dark figure before him. His pupils contracted sharply, and he exclaimed in shock, "The Shadow Swordsman—the Shadow Swordsman of legend in the martial world?!"

The Shadow Swordsman is a renowned and mysterious assassin in the martial arts world. His swordsmanship is as fast as lightning, and his lightness skill is superb. Wherever he goes, no one survives.

Fang Zetao had only heard of him but never seen him, yet he recognized him instantly by his ghostly movements and swift swordsmanship.

The surprise in the Shadow Swordsman's eyes vanished in an instant. Without uttering a single word, he lowered his body and pounced on Fang Zetao once more.

Su Yang brandished his Cold Abyss Blade, blocking the Shadow Swordsman's sword.

The Shadow Swordsman's longsword moved as fast as a shooting star, each move aimed directly at vital points with unpredictable and cunning angles. His sword energy collided with Su Yang's icy blade energy, producing a hissing sound, and the cold air and strong winds intertwined and spread.

"Who sent you?!"

Fang Zetao glared at him, his chest heaving violently, and the sharp pain in his shoulder blade made his voice tremble.

Faced with the questioning, the Shadow Swordsman remained silent, but his attacks became even more ferocious.

Fang Zetao's sense of crisis surged. The person behind such a top assassin must be extremely powerful and determined to kill him!

"Don't even think about harming the city lord!"

Su Yang snorted coldly, and activated the perfected-level Po Jun Tiger Soul Blade technique at full power. The abundant Bright Moon True Qi continuously poured into the Cold Abyss Blade, making the icy blade aura even more intense.

With his extraordinary perception, he could always detect the direction from which the Shadow Swordsman's longsword was coming at the first moment. His Cold Abyss Blade danced into an impenetrable curtain of blades, the ferocity of the Overlord Blade, the sharpness of the Tiger Soul Blade, and the icy coldness of ice intertwined, perfectly countering the Shadow Swordsman's unpredictable and swift swords.

"Ding! Ding! Ding!"

""

"Ding! Ding! Ding!"

The sounds of swords clashing were incessant, sparks flew in the cold air, and every parry was incredibly precise.

After dozens of moves, the Shadow Swordsman gradually showed signs of fatigue, and his offensive rhythm slowed down significantly. Although his fast sword was sharp, it consumed a lot of energy, and his weakness was his lack of endurance.

Su Yang, supported by his profound inner energy, maintained a steady and fierce offensive, causing the Shadow Swordsman to suffer repeated setbacks and secretly alarmed.

The general Su Yang before us is not only extremely skilled in movement and swordsmanship, but also possesses profound and enduring true energy, as well as such a strange and icy internal force and keen perception. It is now hopeless for him to kill Fang Zetao today.

At this moment, the sound of dense footsteps came from afar, and dozens of guards carrying knives and spears rushed over, surrounding the damaged study. The torchlight illuminated the surroundings as if it were daytime.

Seeing this, the Shadow Swordsman stopped fighting and feigned an attack, pointing his sword at Su Yang's face. Taking advantage of Su Yang's parry, he suddenly flipped backward and darted out of the broken roof like a ghost. With a few leaps, he disappeared into the deep night, without uttering a word, leaving only the lingering chill and killing intent in the room.

Su Yang did not pursue rashly, knowing that the Shadow Swordsman's lightness skill was unpredictable and he feared an ambush.

He first cautiously surveyed his surroundings, and once he was sure the other party was far away, he immediately turned around and supported the swaying Fang Zetao, asking in a deep voice, "City Lord, are you alright? Let me check your injuries first!"

Fang Zetao leaned against the soft couch, his body covered in cold sweat from the pain, his face as pale as paper. Hearing Su Yang's voice, he calmed down a little, his tone filled with exhaustion and lingering fear: "I—I'm fine, just badly injured—thank you for arriving in time. If you hadn't stopped him, I would have died today."

At this moment, dozens of guards arrived with knives and guns and surrounded the study.

Wang Yanzhang knelt on one knee and begged for forgiveness: "City Lord, I failed in my duty of defense. Please punish me!"

"Get up, it's not your fault."

Fang Zetao waved his hand, the movement aggravating his wound, causing him to gasp in pain. His tone was tired but firm: "The Shadow Swordsman's movements are unpredictable and his swordsmanship is fast and deadly. Ordinary guards simply cannot stop him."

He looked at Su Yang, his eyes filled with gratitude and complete trust: "If you hadn't risked your life to protect me today, I would have died by your sword."

My injuries are severe, and I fear I will be unable to personally manage the affairs of the household and the army from now on. Did you bring the medicine?

Su Yang then remembered the medicine packet in his pocket, quickly took it out and handed it over. At the same time, he gently pressed around Fang Zetao's wound, circulating his Bright Moon True Qi to temporarily seal the blood vessels and relieve the pain and bleeding: "City Lord, this is a tonic medicine prepared for you to strengthen your body and regulate your constitution. Take one qian (approximately 3 grams) daily, dissolved in warm water, to slowly neutralize the remaining toxins in your body." He added, "Your shoulder blade injury is severe; I will later prepare a hemostatic and tissue-regenerating ointment for you to apply externally to the wound to prevent it from worsening. You must not get angry now, and do not move your right arm unnecessarily."

Fang Zetao gripped the medicine packet tightly, feeling the warmth and pain relief emanating from his wound. His trust in Su Yang reached its peak, and he said in a deep voice, "Su Yang, from now on, you will be fully responsible for all matters concerning the investigation of henchmen in the manor and the deployment of troops! My injuries have not yet healed, and I cannot show my face. You can act in my stead without needing to consult me ​​on every matter! Now that the mastermind has already made a ruthless move, we don't need to wait any longer. We must strike back immediately and give them no chance to breathe!"

Feeling Fang Zetao's complete entrustment, Su Yang nodded solemnly, a cold glint in his eyes, and whispered, "Rest assured, City Lord! This humble general will certainly not fail in his mission! We have already won over Deputy Commander Ma, and now is the perfect opportunity! I will go and confirm his condition shortly."

"Send the antidote, and then immediately join forces with him to take down Huang Zhenggang and his henchmen! Before that, I'll arrange for reinforcements to the City Lord's Mansion, to guard against another surprise attack by the Shadow Swordsman!"

In the night of Jingling City, the clanging of armor broke the silence.

Su Yang and Ma Qun led their elite troops in separate attacks, one heading straight for Huang's residence and the other sealing off the military camp. The long line of torches illuminated the sky, foreshadowing an impending storm.

The underground chamber of the Duba Mountain Villa is secluded from the outside world, with flickering candlelight.

Huang Zhenggang removed his captain's armor and wore a black robe with dark gold lotus patterns. He sat quietly in front of the mirror, playing with a golden mask. Beside him stood his subordinate wearing a tiger mask, his aura calm and waiting for orders.

Huang Zhenggang stroked the mask with his fingertips, a cold light swirling around it, and slowly raised his eyes: "Tiger Mask, let's go."

His tone was calm yet resolute.

The tiger-faced man trembled, his voice hoarse and urgent: "My lord, we... haven't lost yet! If we give up now, wouldn't all our years of planning have been for nothing?"

"shut up."

Huang Zhenggang interrupted coldly, his eyes gleaming with a hint of amusement, and said, "Shadow failed, and the aura of the Thousand Machine Powder within the horse herd has weakened, indicating that the poison has been neutralized. In this vast world, few can catch my eye, but I never expected that Su Yang would abandon Jingling today not out of fear of him, but for other reasons."

He brought the mask close to his eyes, seemingly gazing at Su Yang in the distance, his gaze deep and thoughtful: "The martial world is too lonely without such an opponent."

""

As soon as he finished speaking, he took out a pen and ink, wrote a note, and placed it on the table. Then he knocked on the stone wall, and the secret passage opened in response, with a cold wind carrying the smell of earth rushing out.

Huang Zhenggang said coldly, "Let's go."

At the entrance to the secret passage, there were many corpses of assassins lying haphazardly, all of whom were Huang Zhenggang's trusted henchmen who had been secretly raised for many years.

Huang Zhenggang glanced at the secret chamber one last time, without lingering, straightened his black robe, and stepped into the secret passage first. The tiger-faced man, though unwilling, followed closely behind. The stone walls closed, shutting out the candlelight and noise.

Fifteen minutes after Huang Zhenggang and the tiger-faced man left, Su Yang led his troops to attack the underground secret chamber of Duba Manor.

The secret room was empty, except for a stack of account books, a brocade box, and two pieces of paper on the table, all neatly arranged in a way that was chilling.

Ma Qun rushed forward, opened the brocade box, and after just one glance, his face turned deathly pale: "General—this is...this is irrefutable evidence that Lieutenant General Liu and Commandant Wang accepted bribes from the Huang family! Even the time of the distribution of the spoils and the code words are recorded!"

Su Yang didn't rush to look at the account book, but instead picked up the first note that was pressed on top of it.

The handwriting is calm and vigorous, as if the owner had just left:

[Since General Su intends to reorganize the army, this half of the account book should be returned to its original owner. The other half is with Deputy Commander Ma; the general may retrieve it himself.]

As for the person in the brocade box—his talents can be utilized, but his heart cannot be trusted. The general should make a clear decision on how to handle him.

"Good tactic."

Su Yang sneered. "Even before leaving, you still want to plant spies in my army."

His gaze fell on the second sheet of plain paper.

This paper has a special texture; it feels slightly cool to the touch and has a subtle lotus pattern.

Unfolding it reveals only a few lines:

Today I abandon Jingling not out of fear of you, but because I suddenly realize that the martial world would be too lonely without rivals like us.

[Lotus Seeds - Huang Zhenggang]

"Lotus seeds?!"

Su Yang's pupils suddenly contracted.

Heavenly Lotus Sect!

The most mysterious and unpredictable demonic sect in the martial arts world, one of the two major sects and six major factions!

"Lotus Seed" is the title of its core inheritor!

Su Yang knew that this lotus seed was equivalent to the level of Hou Xibai and Yang Xuyan in the six paths of the Demonic Sect.

All his previous guesses became crystal clear at this moment: the Thousand-Mechanism Powder on Ma Qun, Huang Zhenggang's planning ability far exceeding that of ordinary officers—the root of the matter was here!

"No wonder—no wonder he was able to orchestrate such a grand scheme."

Su Yang gripped the plain paper tightly, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he murmured, "The Huang family has been lurking in Jingling for many years, and Huang Zhenggang is even the heir of the Lotus Seed—their ambitions are far more than just one city or one place."

He suddenly looked up, his gaze sweeping across the secret room like lightning.

Soon, a tiny mechanical mark was found in the corner of the wall.

"Clatter, clatter..."

""

A hidden door slid open, and a strong smell of blood wafted out.

In the firelight, more than a dozen gray-clad corpses were piled up at the entrance of the secret passage, each with a distorted face, clearly having suffered great pain before their deaths.

Even more strangely, faint lotus-shaped bruises appeared on their exposed skin.

"To silence them, they even resorted to such wicked methods with their own assassins—" Su Yang's heart skipped a beat. The ruthlessness and unpredictability of the Heavenly Lotus Sect far surpassed any enemy he had encountered before.

"General!"

Just then, a soldier stumbled in, his face ashen, his voice hoarse: "Thirty miles outside the city, twelve brothers guarding the border—all gone! Frozen into ice sculptures!"

"I only saw two white shadows flash by in the distance!"

"They...they are...they're heading north!"

The room was deathly silent.

Su Yang slowly put away the plain paper, his gaze passing through the stone wall, as if he could already see the two white figures wrapped in cold air.

"good----"

Su Yang placed his hand on the hilt of the Cold Abyss Blade, his voice eerily calm, and said, "It should be the Ice Fiend Twin Tigers of the Yuwen Clan arriving."

He finished speaking.

He turned and strode out, his robes billowing in the wind, and said in a deep voice, "Deputy Commander Ma! Use my token to arrest the people on the list. Anyone who dares to make a move will be killed without exception! At the same time, order all camps in the north of the city to nock their crossbows, and prepare sufficient rolling stones, logs, and boiling oil!"

"Yes, General Su!"

The horses responded in a deep voice.

A cold glint flashed in Su Yang's eyes, his tone as cold as ice: "Since they dare to come—then let them understand that my blade, Su Yang's blade, is never ineffective!"