"You..."
The white-clothed girl had met Qi Tuojiang before, but she had never seen him fight. In her subconscious, she had always thought Qi Tuojiang was a frail scholar. She never expected him to be so terrifying when he made a move.
Her previous sword strike had never missed. Although she was injured by Kong Wudao's sneak attack, she had at least preserved seventy percent of her strength. That sword was meant to be a killing blow, but Qi Tuojiang had easily dodged it.
Moreover, after dodging the sword, Qi Tuojiang could instantly counterattack and gravely wound her. This made the white-clothed girl feel a despair she had never experienced before.
The white-clothed girl's name was Qing Cheng Yue. She was an assassin from the Black Ice Guard, an organization established by the Kong and Qi families.
The Kong and Qi families liked to adopt orphans who had no parents, instilling in them absolute loyalty from a young age and training them into assassins to serve the families.
These individuals were brainwashed from childhood, making them absolutely obedient. They consistently eliminated the enemies of the two families, which was why the Qi state's dominance and the Kong family's greed allowed these three families to rank among the top three of the five great families.
"Qing Cheng Yue, as an assassin of the Black Ice Guard, as a slave of the Kong family, if Young Master Kong wants you dead, how dare you refuse to die?"
Qi Tuojiang looked at the shocked Qing Cheng Yue, a smile on his face. He said, "If the ruler wants the minister to die, and the minister refuses, it is disloyalty. If the father wants the son to die, and the son refuses, it is unfilial. How dare you be disloyal and unfilial?"
"Qi Tuojiang, you are spewing nonsense."
Hearing Qi Tuojiang's words, Qing Cheng Yue angrily retorted, "The Kong family took us in, provided us with food and clothing. But over the years, I have done my utmost to be loyal to the Kong family and helped them eliminate many enemies. What? Must I give my life to the Kong family to repay their kindness?"
"I can accept dying for the Kong family of my own volition, but I absolutely refuse to be silenced like a dog, dying without a trace."
"From today onwards, I want to leave the Black Ice Guard, leave the Kong family. My life is my own to control."
"If you want my life, fine. Come and get it with your skills."
Seeing Qing Cheng Yue adopt a defiant stance, Qi Tuojiang's eyes showed a hint of disgust. He seemed to see Shen Lang's face, and a fierce anger flared up in his eyes. He said, "I originally intended to give you a dignified end. Since you refuse to accept it, then this young master will grant you one."
"You want to leave the Black Ice Guard, leave the Kong family? I'm sorry, you can't. Because from beginning to end, you are just a dog. Whether this dog lives or dies is not for this dog to decide, but for the master to decide. When the master wants you to live, you must not die. But when the master wants you to die, you equally cannot live. Do you understand what this is? This is the awareness a dog should have."
Qi Tuojiang's eyes suddenly filled with killing intent. He said, "You want to live, but you cannot."
"No, I can."
Hearing Qi Tuojiang's words, Qing Cheng Yue let out a cold snort, then stood up from the ground and said, "Not only will I walk out of here alive, but I will also achieve something greater."
"Stubborn and courting death."
Qi Tuojiang detested Qing Cheng Yue's defiance, much like he detested Shen Lang's rebelliousness. This only solidified his resolve to kill her.
"Whoosh—"
A second after Qi Tuojiang spoke, Qing Cheng Yue rapidly closed in on him. Her soft sword transformed into a silver dragon, instantly slashing towards Qi Tuojiang.
"A mere trick."
Facing the even fiercer and more vicious sword strike, Qi Tuojiang's gaze was as calm as still water. Just as the sword was a hair's breadth from his throat, Qi Tuojiang's two fingers shot out, and in the next moment, he clasped Qing Cheng Yue's sword.
"Snap—"
With a forceful shake from Qi Tuojiang's two fingers, Qing Cheng Yue's soft sword instantly shattered into seven pieces.
"Whoosh—"
The moment the seven broken sword fragments hit the ground, Qi Tuojiang waved his large hand. Then, all the broken pieces shot towards Qing Cheng Yue.
Qing Cheng Yue had already witnessed Qi Tuojiang's terrifying strength, but she couldn't believe he could shatter her sword with just two fingers.
One must know that her sword was not cast from ordinary steel. It was forged from refined steel and profound iron, capable of cutting through anything, sharp as a razor, and invulnerable after a hundred battles. How could it be shattered by Qi Tuojiang's two fingers?
At this moment, Qing Cheng Yue truly felt the terrifying extent of Qi Tuojiang's power.
Qi Tuojiang was the most gentle among the younger generation in Dragon Capital. He was as warm as a spring breeze to his friends, and he could even be courteous to his enemies, which is why many people did not know how formidable he truly was.
"Ah—"
In a flash, all the broken sword pieces flew towards Qing Cheng Yue.
Qing Cheng Yue dodged with great speed, but she only managed to evade three pieces. The remaining four struck her abdomen, shoulder, chest, and arm, inflicting more wounds and leaving her in a sorry state.
"Qing Cheng Yue, your sword is broken. If you want to live, you need to try harder," Qi Tuojiang said with a playful smile as he looked at her.
"Qi Tuojiang, if I survive today, I will drag you all to hell," Qing Cheng Yue said coldly, looking at him.
Qing Cheng Yue's anger was understandable. For years, she had been loyal to the Kong family, only to face this fate in the end. This was something she could not accept.
As she had said, she could willingly die for the Kong family, but she could not accept being silenced by them.
"No, there will be no 'if'. Even if the heavens wanted to save you, if I did not allow it, you would still die."
Looking at the furious Qing Cheng Yue, Qi Tuojiang chuckled, his smile deep and playful. He said, "You anticipate variables, but I tell you, as long as I exist, there will be no variables."
"Qi Tuojiang, you are truly arrogant and condescending."
Hearing Qi Tuojiang's words, Qing Cheng Yue replied, "I started learning in the Black Ice Guard at the age of six. Besides learning how to be a highly successful assassin, I also learned many self-preservation skills. This is also why my assassinations have never failed over the years."
"Qi Tuojiang, next, open your eyes wide and see which one is the real me."
As Qing Cheng Yue finished speaking, she sprinkled a handful of white powder into the air. In the next moment, in Qi Tuojiang's sight, Qing Cheng Yue transformed from one person into six.
The six Qing Cheng Yue were identical in appearance, height, and even clothing.
As Qi Tuojiang was stunned, the six Qing Cheng Yue scattered in all directions.
"Illusion?"
Qi Tuojiang looked at the scene before him, completely taken aback. He knew this was an illusion cast by Qing Cheng Yue. The other five were definitely fakes, and only one was the real Qing Cheng Yue.
However, he only had one chance to strike. If he hit the wrong person, the real Qing Cheng Yue would escape.