The Fairy: From the Traveling Merchant

Chapter 911: The picture shows the dagger
After scanning the spirit tree with his divine sense, Zhao Chen patted the "Hundred Flowers Manual" hidden in his sleeve. Immediately afterward, a thin bolt of lightning traveled along the ground and eventually disappeared into the mountain wall.

However, Fang Peiniang, also known as "Lei Ji," was secretly released.

As a cultivator with supernatural powers, and with her presence deliberately concealed, no one in Ye Nan Town could detect her existence.

After setting up his hidden traps, Zhao Chen continued eating and drinking, exchanging only a few pleasantries with the heads of the Zong and Peng families when they came to pay their respects, as if he were truly just a young nobleman who had come to watch the excitement—although that was indeed his original intention.

Soon, after a rather uninformative opening speech, the fencing tournament officially began.

Both sides first sent ordinary disciples to warm up the crowd. They were only at the initial stage of "True Qi" realm, and their sword skills were commendable. Apart from that, Zhao Chen thought that even he before he cultivated True Qi could defeat them.

After all, the cultivation techniques and swordsmanship practiced by these ordinary disciples were all commonplace and far inferior to the "Secret Record of Qi Circulation in the Twelve Gates of the Golden Pavilion and Jade Chamber" that Huang Xianjun had passed down to him.

“It was because I wasn’t knowledgeable enough back then, otherwise I would have realized my master’s extraordinary abilities long ago… After all, how could someone who can translate ‘Great Dao Characters’ to that extent be simple?” Zhao Chen sighed inwardly. “Moreover, the ‘Yu the Great Taming the Flood’ painting hanging in my master’s study is also a treasure. Ordinary cultivators with supernatural powers cannot paint that kind of meaning.”

Just as he was slightly lost in thought, a girl who looked to be about twenty-three or twenty-four years old stepped forward from the crowd, jumped onto the arena, and cupped her hands to Zong Fangqing, who was in the main seat, saying, "This niece would like to ask Uncle Zong for guidance."

She wasn't particularly beautiful, but her inner energy was abundant and perfectly balanced. Moreover, judging from her control over her body and mind, she must have opened her seven orifices and formed her inner world.

"This person must be Peng Qi, right? But according to what I heard before, she has only been a disciple of 'White Spirit Sword' for half a year, and she wasn't even a cultivator before that..."

"While this cultivation speed can't compare to that of direct disciples from aristocratic families or top sects, it surpasses that of ordinary collateral branches of aristocratic families and prominent clans." Zhao Chen sized her up and smiled knowingly.

Seeing that "Young Master Wang" seemed interested, the elderly "renowned figure" who had previously struck up a conversation with Zhao Chen smiled and introduced him:

"This is the daughter of the second elder of the Peng family, named Peng Qi. She is a disciple of Senior Xue, the 'White Spirit Sword'. It is said that she is deeply favored by Senior Xue and has been taught the complete 'Flying Fox Sword Manual'."

From their previous conversation, Zhao Chen learned that the old man's surname was Meng, and he was the garrison commander of Ye Nan Town. He was also a cultivator with seven orifices, but he was old and frail, and in a real fight, he was no match for Zong Fangqing.

As for the "Flying Fox Sword Manual" he mentioned, Zhao Chen had indeed heard of it, after all, it was an outer sect technique of the "Ten Thousand Beasts Sect".

Although this is just one of the more common external techniques among the many techniques of the "Ten Thousand Beasts Sect," and even one that disciples are allowed to pass on to outsiders, it is still a true technique that leads directly to the fourth-grade divine power!

"So 'White Spirit Sword' practices the 'Flying Fox Sword Technique'... No wonder it's called 'White Spirit'." Zhao Chen's face showed a look of realization, but he suddenly became alert.

After all, he had somehow gotten involved with the "Upper Sect" again, which didn't suit his desire to "smash" low-level players.

"Bai Ling" is the name of a fox-like monster found in the far northern snowfields. Due to its cute appearance, it is kept as a pet by many cultivators in the Great Xia Dynasty.

On the other side, facing Peng Qi's challenge in front of everyone, the head of the clan could not refuse. After exchanging a glance with the white-haired old man beside him, he drew his sword and went into battle.

Without exchanging any more words, the two immediately engaged in combat, their swords flashing brightly as they unleashed their full power of transformation, exchanging blows dozens of times in the blink of an eye.

"Excellent swordsmanship!" The onlookers cheered in unison, clearly recognizing the extraordinary skill of these two swordsmen.

Zhao Chen was also watching with great interest. Peng Qi's "Flying Fox Sword Manual" was certainly impressive, but Zong Fangqing's swordsmanship was equally well-structured, clearly indicating a lineage. Moreover, the origin of this "lineage" was probably illegitimate!

"Huh? It seems that the clan head isn't using his family's 'Amazing Swan Sword Technique'..." Meng Zhenshou exclaimed in surprise.

Of course not... Zhao Chen listened to the message Fang Peiniang sent back, and sneered in his heart. On the surface, he watched Peng Qi knock Zong Fangqing's longsword away with a single sword after more than a hundred moves, causing him to stagger and fall off the stage.

It's not that he didn't want to resolve the issue beforehand, but as an outsider, killing someone before they even revealed their true colors makes even a reasonable argument seem unreasonable.

This member of a collateral branch of the Wang family has a pretty good background, and he doesn't want to be wanted for this.

"You flatter me," Peng Qi said, head held high, seemingly humble but actually proud.

Zong Fangqing, who had fallen off the stage, sighed and said, "My niece is indeed a genius. She has developed such skills in just a few months. I am afraid she will have supernatural powers in the future."

Just when everyone thought the head of the clan was going to lament about how the younger generation surpasses the older, trying to make amends for his defeat, he changed the subject: "It's just a pity..."

"What's a pity?" Peng Qi frowned and asked, sensing something was off about the other person's tone.

"It's a pity I'll die here today; there's no future for me!"

As Zong Fangqing finished speaking, a black paper banner shrouded in mist rose from each of the four corners of the courtyard. They intertwined to form thick walls of smoke, trapping all the cultivators inside.

"What is this? A soul-summoning banner?"

"Zong Fangqing, what are you doing?"

"My internal energy is not circulating smoothly... The smoke coming from the black banner is poisonous!"

The cultivators present were shocked and furious at the sight, and they all drew their weapons and cursed. However, some of them soon realized that their energy and spirit were rapidly depleting, so some decisive ones immediately took advantage of their remaining strength to attack Zong Fangqing.

However, since Zong Fangqing had set up this trap, he naturally had a way to deal with it. One by one, the dead souls emerged from the four black banners and blocked the way for the cultivators present.

These wandering souls varied in strength; the weaker ones could only contend with those at the True Qi Realm, and even a combined attack could only take away a portion of the cultivator's blood and energy, causing them to feel dizzy.

However, the stronger ones among them were able to use magic, which even Peng Qi, who had just defeated Zong Fangqing, found difficult to deal with. He could only form a formation with his own family members to barely defend.

Even so, the Peng family began to suffer heavy losses and gradually could not hold on.

Even so, it was because Zong Fangqing sent his three strongest undead to besiege Zhao Chen!
Zhao Chen wasn't using his full strength at this moment, only exerting his combat power of around level six in "magic power". However, he was still able to handle three undead souls at level eight in "magic power" with ease, and was even able to protect the innocent people in the courtyard.

After all, the real mastermind hasn't even arrived yet!

(End of this chapter)