"A song breaks my heart. Where can I find a soulmate in this world?"
The thin man on the right suddenly uttered these incomprehensible words. As he spoke, the sound of a zither filled the air. He plucked the strings of the guzheng with his fingers, producing a soothing yet eerie melody. A solemn and murderous atmosphere began to spread throughout the yard.
Arya looked grim, knowing that he would not be able to escape today. He took a step back, approached Ben, and whispered, "Brother Ben, I originally wanted to ask you for help, but I didn't expect that Tiancan Dique would be so powerful... I will hold them back later, and you take the opportunity to escape!"
Hearing this, Ben was not surprised. Arya was a loyal person. This was the reason Ben was willing to come in the first place.
At that moment, the thin man opposite suddenly leaped into the air.
"Buzz!"
A transparent blade flew from the guzheng like a bullet, cutting through the air and reaching Arya in an instant. His face changed drastically in shock. He quickly drew his sword and slashed at the oncoming Blade.
Just moments ago, Arya had rushed out of the restaurant, grabbing the knife by the door...
"Clang!"
A crisp sound rang out. Though Arya's sword made contact, it immediately shattered! His sword was crafted from the finest steel, yet the attack from Tiancan Dique's Blade destroyed it in one strike. This alone proved that their reputation as the number one killers was well-deserved.
Staring at the broken blade in his hands, Arya was horrified. At the same time, Tiancan Dique plucked the strings again.
"Ding ding ding!"
Three consecutive attacks shot towards Arya with deadly precision. He was only at the peak of Minerva and had no chance of withstanding such an assault. His eyes widened in despair.
Just as the blades were about to strike, a large hand suddenly pulled Arya backward. He found himself soaring through the air before landing safely behind.
Then, he saw that Ben had stepped in front of him, taking the three fatal attacks on his behalf.
"Puff, puff, puff!"
Three dull impacts sounded almost simultaneously.
"Brother Ben, you..."
Arya was shocked and rushed forward to check on him, only to find that Ben was completely unharmed.
"I'm fine," Ben said with a smile. "Honestly, this kind of attack feels more like a massage."
Arya: "..."
Tiancan Dique's expressions darkened.
"Is there another expert among them?" the tall and thin Tiancan murmured.
"He's a master of horizontal training!" the short and strong Dique added.
The duo took a few steps forward, then sat cross-legged in mid-air, resting the guzheng on their legs before plucking the strings.
"Ding ding ding…"
This time, the melody was different. The effect was also vastly different. If the previous notes were bullets, these were now razor-sharp blades.
"Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh…"
Countless razor-like energy slashes shot towards Ben.
"Be careful!" Arya warned.
However, Ben remained unmoved.
The next moment, the blades made contact, slicing through his clothes but failing to harm him. Without even summoning his body-protecting energy, Ben endured the attacks with his sheer physical strength.
Having analyzed their attacks, Ben estimated Tiancan Dique's strength to be at the Hua Jin level. The difference in their power was massive—Ben didn't even need to release his full potential.
Seeing Ben effortlessly withstand the attacks, Arya exhaled in relief. Tiancan Dique, on the other hand, looked far more serious than before.
"With this level of ability, you dare call yourselves the number one killers?" Ben mocked. "Are you just trying to tickle me?"
Enraged, the duo launched a new technique. They stood the guzheng upright, fixing it to the ground before playing it with both hands.
"Buzz——"
The deafening melody reverberated throughout the yard, unleashing a terrifying sonic attack. Suddenly, countless ghostly skeletons appeared, wielding sharp blades as they charged toward Ben.
Faced with this overwhelming presence, Arya felt suffocated by fear.
At that moment, Ben finally made his move.
Raising his right palm, he struck forward.
This palm seemed ordinary, yet its effect was earth-shattering!
A loud dragon's roar echoed through the yard as a golden dragon-shaped true qi emerged from Ben's palm, rushing toward the skeleton warriors. It was so lifelike that it seemed as if a real dragon had descended.
The moment it appeared, the very heavens seemed to tremble.
Arya's worldview shattered.
A dragon conjured by a mere palm strike? Was such martial arts even possible?
The dragon-shaped true qi clashed with the skeleton warriors, instantly obliterating them. Without losing momentum, it continued toward Tiancan Dique.
Realizing escape was impossible, Tiancan Dique could only stare in horror as the attack struck them.
"Boom!"
A violent explosion erupted, leaving behind a massive crater and half a guzheng. The courtyard walls collapsed, and Tiancan Dique had been reduced to scattered debris.
Ben had only used 10% of his strength in "The Dragon's Regrets." Satisfied with the results, he turned to Arya, who was completely dumbfounded.
"Brother Ma? Brother Ma?"
Hearing Ben's voice, Arya snapped out of his stupor.
"I don't deserve it..." Arya stammered. "Brother Ben, just call me Hello."
Ben chuckled. "No need to be so formal. But, Brother Ma, please keep tonight's events a secret. The imperial court is cracking down on warriors, and I'd rather not attract their attention for now."
Arya immediately pledged, "Brother, don't worry! I would never betray you!"
Ben nodded, trusting him. "Good. I'll leave this mess to you. I'm heading back to the hotel. Call me if you need anything."
"Of course! Brother, you saved my life. I'd go through fire and water for you."
After leaving Arya's residence, Ben checked his status panel. Killing Tiancan Dique had earned him 4,000 competition points and 2,000 spiritual energy.
Not a bad harvest!
Back at the hotel, Ben changed into black warrior clothes and quietly left through the window. Using his agility, he navigated the rooftops before arriving at a mental hospital.
His target? The legendary assassin hiding within.
The Fire Cloud Evil God!
For more chapters
patreon.com/Liamlivingstone