Chapter 74: Killing with a Borrowed Blade

A deathly silence fell over the room; no one dared utter a sound.

All eyes were fixed intently on the two men before them, scrutinizing their every move.

Under the weight of so many gazes, Xie Xun stared at the Dragon-Slaying Saber before him. The blood-red fury in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by a glint of greed deep within. He was just about to snatch the saber from Yun Zhonghe’s hands when he realized his own hand would not obey him.

Looking down, he saw his right hand trembling uncontrollably, fine lines of blood spurting from each pore, dyeing the entire arm crimson. Even the slightest movement brought him unimaginable agony.

Yet Xie Xun was a hero of extraordinary will. Though cold sweat poured down his face from the pain, he would not utter a single cry of agony.

After what felt like an eternity, the pain within him began to subside. Xie Xun looked as if he had been fished out of water, every inch of him drenched. His eyes locked on the Dragon-Slaying Saber in Yun Zhonghe’s grasp, vengeance burning fiercely in his chest.

As long as he could claim the saber, he could seek out Cheng Kun to avenge the death of his wife and child. For this goal, he was willing to pay any price.

Driven by the fire of revenge, Xie Xun forced himself to endure what no ordinary man could bear. He summoned his inner strength, willing his numb arm to slowly rise and reach for the Dragon-Slaying Saber.

A collective gasp swept through the crowd, disbelief etched across their faces as they watched Xie Xun. None had expected that, clearly outmatched by Yun Zhonghe, he would still risk everything for the saber.

As precious as the Dragon-Slaying Saber was, surely his own life was more valuable. Once dead, everything was lost.

“There’s no need for this,” Yun Zhonghe said, a trace of respect flickering in his eyes as he looked at Xie Xun.

He hadn’t expected Xie Xun to withstand such searing agony, all for the sake of finding Cheng Kun and avenging his family’s wrongful deaths.

Thinking of this, Yun Zhonghe could not help but feel a pang of sympathy. Cheng Kun, for his own selfish gain, had ruthlessly slaughtered Xie Xun’s family, intending to use Xie Xun to provoke a conflict between the six great sects and the Ming Cult. In the end, Xie Xun was but a pitiful pawn.

“Enough!” Yun Zhonghe shouted just as Xie Xun’s hand was about to touch the saber, pulling the blade behind him.

Xie Xun grasped at thin air and, realizing what had happened, glared at Yun Zhonghe with rage. “Yun Zhonghe, you go too far!”

“If you force your energy one more time, even the gods themselves could not save that arm of yours,” Yun Zhonghe replied, meeting his gaze fearlessly.

Xie Xun was stunned by these words, and the crowd wondered if they had misheard.

A wave of murmurs followed.

“Yun Zhonghe actually cares about Xie Xun’s injury now?”

“When did he become so compassionate?”

“I’d wager he’s just pretending. He’s probably plotting something behind the scenes.”

All of this chatter reached Xie Xun’s ears, word for word. He looked at Yun Zhonghe, a wary glint appearing in his eyes, and sneered, “Wasn’t it your own hand that caused this injury?”

His words dripped with sarcasm.

“Your martial arts were never the equal of Cheng Kun’s. If you cripple your arm as well, how will you ever avenge your family?” Yun Zhonghe said calmly.

“What did you say?” Xie Xun’s eyes narrowed, lethal intent brewing within him. His face twisted into something wild and terrifying, like a beast on the brink of frenzy. “You know where Cheng Kun is!”

“Tell me now, or I will kill you!”

Yun Zhonghe only sneered in reply, his gaze sweeping over Xie Xun with disdain and amusement, as if to say, “Look at you now, and you think you can kill me? What a joke.”

Xie Xun realized how empty and laughable his threat sounded. He looked at Yun Zhonghe, madness seething in the depths of his eyes.

Sensing the change in Xie Xun’s gaze, Yun Zhonghe tensed and became wary. Even a cornered rabbit would bite; how much more dangerous was a mad dog?

Just as Yun Zhonghe steeled himself and the crowd braced for another fierce clash, Xie Xun’s knees suddenly buckled, and he fell to his knees before Yun Zhonghe.

With a loud thud, the unyielding ground cracked beneath the force, splintering outward.

This unexpected turn of events left everyone present gaping in shock, speechless.

Yun Zhonghe, too, was utterly dumbfounded by the sight.

Just what was he playing at?

The two men stood locked in a tense standoff, neither willing to speak first.

No one knew how much time passed, but when the crowd finally regained their senses and took in the dramatic scene before them, a tumult of exclamations erupted.

“What on earth just happened?”

“Could it be that Xie Xun’s been beaten senseless by Yun Zhonghe?”

“To think he would kneel to him!”

The crowd’s murmurs shattered the uneasy silence between them.

Xie Xun met Yun Zhonghe’s eyes with unshakable resolve. “If you help me kill Cheng Kun and avenge this ocean of blood, I, Xie Xun, will serve at your command for the rest of my life. Should I break this oath, may heaven strike me down.”

“Get up first,” Yun Zhonghe said, noticing the strange looks being cast his way. He reached out a hand to help Xie Xun rise.

“If you do not tell me where Cheng Kun is, I will kneel here and not move!” Xie Xun insisted stubbornly.

Faced with such obstinacy, Yun Zhonghe felt a headache coming on.

Why must you all insist on moral coercion? If I don’t help, it becomes my fault!

With this thought, Yun Zhonghe’s expression darkened visibly.

“Then kneel as you wish!” he snapped, turning to leave.

Now Xie Xun was truly desperate; he scrambled to his feet and cried out, “Young Master Yun, I beg you—tell me where Cheng Kun is. I would be eternally grateful!”

Hearing the plea behind him, Yun Zhonghe paused and looked back at Xie Xun. “With your current skills, you are no match for Cheng Kun. Moreover, you’ve always been a pawn in his hands.”

Xie Xun fell silent, fully aware of the gulf in strength between him and Cheng Kun.

But the memory of his parents’ brutal murder, his wife’s violation and death, and even his infant son, Wuji, slaughtered in his crib—these thoughts filled him with such hatred that blood suffused his eyes, veins bulged at his temples, and his face became a mask of fury.

“Even if it costs me my life, I will have my revenge on Cheng Kun!”

Yun Zhonghe sighed. “From the very beginning, Cheng Kun only used you to sow discord between the Ming Cult and the six great sects.”

Xie Xun’s eyes contracted in shock. He had never understood why Cheng Kun would murder his entire family, but Yun Zhonghe’s words offered at least a partial explanation.

But why? New questions flooded his mind, and he looked at Yun Zhonghe in bewilderment.

“The leader of the Ming Cult stole Cheng Kun’s beloved junior, and he has harbored a grudge ever since. He will stop at nothing to destroy the Ming Cult.”

“And you are the blade Cheng Kun chose to do the killing.”

As Yun Zhonghe finished, terror filled Xie Xun’s gaze, a cold dread rising from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.