Chapter 359 - 216: Assassin (2)

Chapter 359: Chapter 216: Assassin (2)

"As much as I loathe them, I have to admit that when the great families make a move, even one planned from a thousand miles away, it’s never just a minor affair.

"The two families collaborating at the Wu River... I doubt it’s just about human trafficking. That would be underestimating them.

"There must be something more to this. The fact that Mr. Qian escaped our combined pursuit means he’s definitely an elite disciple of the Qian family.

"And given their intricate setup, the fact that we were able to cut through the mess, cleanse the evil from this place, get on their trail, and confirm it was these two families... that’s already a huge success.

"If not for your Secret Technique, if not for how quickly we acted, if not for your extraordinary shrewdness, we probably wouldn’t have even had the chance to confront Mr. Qian. The farm would have been deserted, and we’d still be completely in the dark.

"Master Xie, you may be exceptionally talented, but you’re still just starting out. Thwarting a great family’s plot at your level is something to be proud of, but you must also be extremely careful. I can tell you from personal experience that the great families are not to be trifled with. You must never, ever underestimate them."

"As for the sacrifice of innocent people..."

Situ Qin fell silent for a moment before saying coolly,

"When facing a behemoth like this, anyone can be sacrificed. It could be you, it could be me, or it could be innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire. Even my father would be sacrificed if the time came."

Hearing her words, Xie Yuan’s hand tightened slightly around her soft one. He let out a breath and said,

"Alright. I was being too greedy. You’re right."

Because of his own talent and Situ Qin’s influence, Xie Yuan did have a natural bias against the great families, and he had underestimated them.

After all, Yao Tianchuan, the so-called Qilin’Er of the Yao family, had been defeated by his hand, his Sword Heart shattered.

But no matter how much of a genius Yao Tianchuan was, he was still just one young disciple of the Yao family; he couldn’t represent their true strength. Furthermore, the severely weakened Yao family was already at the bottom of the great families and was even less representative of the true power of the others.

Xie Yuan was now part of the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect, which was at the height of its power. He and his partner, Situ Qin, were both prodigies of unparalleled talent, and this made him want to challenge the great families. He knew better than anyone just how powerful the Sword Sect was. From the Grandmasters who took turns teaching classes and the ubiquitous, gifted disciples of the Sword Dao, Xie Yuan knew this was without a doubt a top-tier Sect.

However, he had almost forgotten that even the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect, with all its foundational strength, was not necessarily a match for the great families.

Now, sobered by Situ Qin’s solemn warning, Xie Yuan cast aside his impetuousness and began to properly size up these behemoths.

If before he had merely disliked the great families—these clans that had dominated the Central Plains for a thousand years—because of Situ Qin and the stories he’d heard, now he had truly come into conflict with at least two of them.

The name "Xie Yuan," he presumed, would soon be laid upon the desks of those old lords.

Very dangerous.

But Xie Yuan wasn’t afraid.

’In truth, being afraid is useless. What’s done is done. If he had to do it all over again, he would make the same choice.’

When he encountered injustice and had the strength to act, Xie Yuan could not simply ignore it. Cowering before power and standing by idly was not his way.

Seeing the clarity in Xie Yuan’s expression and his serious demeanor, Situ Qin smiled faintly.

She knew Master Xie was a smart man; he understood with just a hint and needed no further explanation.

During the recent turmoil at the Wu River, although Xie Yuan had often taken the initiative to ask for her thoughts, Situ Qin had rarely offered her own opinions.

It wasn’t that she lacked her own ideas, but that many of Xie Yuan’s decisions truly aligned with her own. From righting injustices and slaying evil to infiltrating and investigating, the two of them rarely disagreed. This both surprised and delighted her.

The two of them were simply in sync. If they hadn’t been, they never would have hit it off so well from their very first meeting and remained so close.

Situ Qin looked at Xie Yuan, her face full of affection. She suddenly broke into a sweet smile, raised a fist, and gave him a cute little shake.

"Master Xie, the one from the Yao family is dead and the one from the Qian family fled! Today is our victory, so cheer up!"

The young woman stood with her back to the gleaming Wu River under the setting sun. The golden radiance washed over her delicate figure, casting a soft glow on even the strands of her hair.

Xie Yuan watched the peerless beauty by the river cheering him on. The scene became an engraving, etched forever onto the canvas of his heart.

He smiled and was about to speak when his eyes suddenly widened slightly.

A faint shadow burst silently from the Wu River, thrusting a short sword with incredible speed toward the center of Situ Qin’s back.

Xie Yuan’s eyes clearly reflected Situ Qin and the shadow breaking through the water behind her. He saw every movement, every step, as if time had slowed down. Yet, he had only managed to slightly raise his hand before the blade reached her.

Situ Qin also seemed to sense something and started to turn her head, but it was too late.

Xie Yuan saw it clearly—he saw everything—but he couldn’t stop it. It was all too fast, faster than human reflexes.

The shadow’s short sword struck the center of Situ Qin’s back, then paused for a fraction of a second.

An intense burst of light erupted from between the blade and Situ Qin’s clothes. She was thrown forward, and Xie Yuan caught her securely, pulling her into his embrace.

CRACK! CRACK! Two of the rings on Situ Qin’s hand shattered, the lusterless fragments falling to the ground.

Seeing his attack had failed, the shadow’s figure flickered. In the blink of an eye, he was behind Situ Qin again, about to strike once more.

A Long Sword suddenly shot out, enveloping the shadow in a shroud of mist. Xie Yuan had started moving the instant he saw the shadow and had been waiting for this moment.

The shadow’s vision blurred. He found himself shrouded in what seemed like clouds and mist, momentarily dazing him and causing him to pause for an instant.