A person sacrifices himself to become a saint in a chaotic world of martial arts.

Chapter 151 Golden Knife Alliance War

Su Bai stopped by the table, glanced at Jin Tangjing, and then at the experts behind him.

His gaze swept across everyone's faces, very indifferently, as if he were looking at tables and chairs.

Then he sat down.

He sat down naturally, lifting the hem of his robe as he took his seat, as if this were his territory, he was the host, and Jin Tangjing was the guest.

Jin Tangjing's eyes narrowed slightly, and his pupils contracted.

He concealed his unusual expression, a polite smile appearing on his face, a few fine lines appearing at the corners of his eyes. He raised his hand to indicate, "Lord Su has come from afar. I have prepared a small feast, but it is of little importance. Someone, serve Lord Su tea."

"No need."

Su Bai interrupted him, her voice very faint, as faint as a wisp of breath leaking from between her lips.

Jin Tangjing's hand froze in mid-air, his five fingers stiffening slightly.

Su Bai looked at him, his gaze calm as still water, without any emotional fluctuation in his eyes: "I came here not to listen to your nonsense."

The atmosphere on the top floor froze instantly.

The lights seemed to dim slightly.

The experts behind Jin Tangjing sharpened their gazes, and one of them placed his hand on the hilt of his knife, his knuckles turning white from the force.

Wang Muzhi and the others also tensed up, their hands on their swords, their chests heaving, ready to strike at any moment.

The air seemed to solidify, pressing down on everyone's shoulders.

Jin Tangjing slowly withdrew his hand, the movement was so slow it seemed intentional.

His smile remained unchanged, but his eyes darkened, as if a thin layer of ice had formed in them.

"Lord Su is a man of few words." He smiled, his laughter dry. "Then I, Jin, will speak frankly."

He paused, staring directly at Su Bai, his gaze seemingly trying to see through him: "My Golden Knife Alliance elder, Wei Huanzhen, was murdered here at Qingfeng Tower. The murderer is none other than Lord Su."

Su Bai picked up the teacup on the table and gently blew on the tea foam.

The tea foam floated in the cup, and the breath he exhaled was so light that it created ripples.

He didn't reply.

Jin Tangjing's gaze deepened, the thin layer of ice in his eyes seeming to thicken further: "Elder Wei may have been offensive in his words, but his crime does not warrant death. Even if Lord Su is the chief constable of the Zhenfu Division, he cannot kill someone in the street simply because he is an official. He should at least give me an explanation, shouldn't he?"

"An explanation?" Su Bai raised his eyelids to look at him, his tone still indifferent, as if he were asking casually, "What kind of explanation do you want? Who do you think you are?"

Before Jin Tangjing could speak, An Chen, who was standing next to him, couldn't hold back any longer.

He slammed his hand on the table with a loud "bang," causing cups and saucers to jump, spilling wine, and chopsticks to roll onto the floor.

His face, full of fat, trembled, his eyes almost bulging out as he roared, "How dare you! Don't think you can act with impunity just because you're some kind of chief constable! Elder Wei is a member of my Golden Knife Alliance. You killed him without cause. You won't leave Qingfeng Tower alive until you give us an explanation!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the dozen or so Golden Saber Alliance experts behind him drew their weapons in unison.

The sounds of swords being drawn blended together, and the glint of blades flashed coldly in the lamplight, reflecting on everyone's faces in an uncertain light.

Wang Muzhi and the others instantly drew their swords and stood in front of Su Bai to protect him.

The blades were pointed at each other, the two were only a few feet apart, and the tips of the blades were almost touching.

On the top floor, tensions were high, and a conflict could erupt at any moment.

The air seemed to solidify, making it hard to breathe.

The lamplight flickered slightly in the wind, stretching and distorting everyone's shadows, making them sway on the walls and floor.

Su Bai remained seated and motionless.

He picked up the teacup, took a sip, the tea wetting his lips. He savored it for a moment, his Adam's apple bobbing, then he swallowed and said lightly, "The tea is alright."

An Chen's face turned ashen, and veins bulged on his forehead: "You—"

—

"What do you want?" Su Bai looked up at him, her gaze still calm, so calm that there was not a ripple in it.

An Chen grinned maliciously, his mouth stretching to his ears, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. He drew a long knife from his waist and slammed it on the table with a "smack," the blade gleaming coldly in the lamplight.

The blade trembled slightly, emitting a faint hum.

"How?" he said, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth. "A life for a life, a debt for a debt. Lord Su, you killed an elder of my Golden Knife Alliance. If you don't give me a satisfactory explanation today, you'll leave your life behind!"

As he spoke, he placed his palm on the blade, his inner energy surging, causing the blade to hum and the cups on the table to vibrate slightly.

The Golden Knife Alliance experts behind him shouted in unison, their voices shaking the roof tiles and startling the night birds on the eaves into taking flight.

Cold sweat beaded on Wang Muzhi's forehead, sliding down his cheeks. The veins on his hand gripping the knife bulged, and his knuckles turned white.

He looked at Su Bai, only to find that the young chief inspector remained completely calm, without even twitching his eyebrows.

Su Bai put down his teacup, the porcelain cup touching the table with a very soft "tap".

He raised his eyelids and looked directly at An Chen for the first time.

His gaze was calm.

It was as calm as looking at an ant.

"You want to rebel?"

Four words, spoken very lightly.

It was as light as if it were a casual question.

But this froze An Chen's sinister smile on his face. The corners of his mouth were still upturned, but his eyes had changed.

Jin Tangjing's eyes narrowed, a sense of alarm rising in his mind, and his pupils suddenly contracted to pinpoints.

Just as he was about to speak, a sword flashed.

There were no signs, no warnings.

Su Bai remained seated, and no one could even see what he did, but his sword was already drawn.

Frost Sword Technique.

The sword's edge was condensed and solid, leaving a cold, eerie arc in the lamplight.

In that instant, the temperature on the entire rooftop seemed to drop several degrees, and everyone involuntarily shivered.

The lights suddenly dimmed, as if the sword light had stolen all their light.

An Chen's pupils shrank sharply, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

He wanted to parry, to retreat, to activate his inner energy to protect himself, but it was too slow.

His palm had just touched the blade of the knife that was slapped on the table, and his fingertips had just touched the cold hilt.

His true energy had barely surged out of his dantian and was flowing through his meridians when the sword light arrived. His body had barely reacted and his muscles had barely begun to contract.

"laugh""

A soft sound.

It was very light, as light as tearing cloth, as light as a leaf falling in the wind.

An Chen's body split open from the middle.

One sword cuts the sword in two.

Blood gushed out, exploding into a bewitching flower of blood under the lamplight.

Blood gushed from the severed body, splattering all over the floor, the tablecloth, the cups, and the clothes of those around him.

His upper and lower body separated, and he crashed to the ground.

The flesh collided with the floor with a dull "thud".

Internal organs spilled onto the floor, still wriggling slightly, and the stench of blood instantly filled the entire rooftop, so thick it was almost unbearable.

Quiet.

A deathly silence.

Everyone was stunned.

The experts behind Jin Tangjing stared wide-eyed, their eyeballs almost popping out of their sockets, their sinister smiles freezing into terror.

Someone opened their mouth wide, but no sound came out.

Some people were trembling all over, unable to hold the knife steady, and the tip of the knife made a soft, cracking sound as it hit the ground.

Wang Muzhi's mouth gaped open, his hand holding the knife frozen in mid-air, his knuckles turning white from the force, yet he forgot to put it down.

Those members of the Golden Knife Alliance even forgot to breathe, their chests stopped rising and falling.

One sword.

It was just one sword strike.

An Chen, who was nearing the mid-stage of the True Qi Realm and had been the vice leader of the Golden Saber Alliance for many years, was killed by a single sword strike before he even had a chance to react.

Jin Tangjing's pupils suddenly shrank to pinpoints, his eyes filled with disbelief.

He realized with a start—

This young chief inspector's decision to attend the banquet was certainly not a spur-of-the-moment impulse.

His courage, his strength—

wrong!

Jin Tangjing suddenly stood up, causing the chair to tip over and crash to the ground with a loud bang.

He gripped the sword hilt, his inner energy surging wildly, causing his robes to flutter and rustle even without wind. He wanted to draw his sword, wanted to fight, wanted to—

late.

After Su Bai unleashed that sword strike, he didn't even glance at An Chen's corpse. Before the sword light faded, the blade's edge had already risen.

The sword at his waist was drawn.

It was still the Frost Blade Technique.

The blade's edge is sharper, more domineering, and faster than the sword's edge.

It was so fast that the trajectory of the knife was invisible; only a streak of white light could be seen.

Jin Tangjing had only drawn his sword halfway, the blade just three inches from its sheath, when the blade's edge was already upon him.

He roared, his voice filled with fear and resentment, and swung his sword with all his might to meet the attack.

"clang--"

The clang of metal rang out, and sparks flew everywhere.

A spark ignited between the two, but it was fleeting.

Then, Jintang Jing's sword flew out of his hand and struck the pillar with a "thud," the blade vibrating and trembling, causing wood chips to fall in a flurry.

Jin Tangjing's tiger's mouth split open, and blood flowed freely, staining his palm red.

He staggered backward, his boots scraping the floor with a harsh sound, his eyes filled with disbelief, his pupils reflecting Su Bai's figure.

Peak of the mid-stage True Qi Realm.

He cultivated himself diligently for decades before reaching that level.

But it was utterly powerless against this one strike.

wrong!

wrong!!

This is not the True Qi Realm!

Jin Tangjing's eyes widened, almost popping out of their sockets, as he stared at the incoming blade of light. A final thought flashed through his mind—

It's true qi! *Pfft*

'

A flash of light.

The head flew off.

Jintang Jing's headless corpse swayed, then crashed to the ground with a dull thud.

Fresh blood gushed from his neck cavity like a fountain, splashing all over the floor, onto the table legs, and onto the surrounding cups and saucers.

The head rolled a few times, making a "gurgling" sound on the wooden floor, and came to rest by the table leg, its face still bearing the traces of fear and bewilderment before death.

He never knew the true strength of his opponent until his death.

I only guessed two words: "True Strength".

There was a deathly silence on the top floor.

Blood was still flowing, spreading from under the two corpses and pooling into a shocking red on the floor.

Blood seeped through the wood grain, through the brick seams, and over the scattered fragments of cups and goblets, pooling into a small puddle before continuing to spread outwards.

The stench of blood was so strong it was almost overwhelming, mingling with the aroma of food and wine to create a bizarre mixture that seeped into everyone's nostrils, making them want to vomit.

The experts from the Golden Knife Alliance stood frozen in place, their eyes wide with disbelief.

Someone opened their mouth wide but couldn't make a sound; their Adam's apple bobbed up and down, only producing a faint "gurgling" sound.

Some people were trembling all over, unable to hold their knives properly, and they fell to the ground with a clatter.

Someone instinctively took a step back, stepped on something sticky, and looked down to see blood.

It's An Chen's blood.

It is the blood of their leader.

Blood soaked the sole of the boot, and when the foot was lifted, thin streaks of blood appeared.

Su Bai stood holding a knife.

Blood dripped slowly from the blade, making a soft "drip-drop" sound in the silence, and splashed onto the floor, creating tiny blood flowers.

He looked around, his gaze calm as still water.

It was still those same eyes, still that same look, as if they were looking at a group of ants.

Then he spoke.

"Jin Tangjing and An Chen, who intended to rebel, have been executed on the spot."

The voice was very faint and soft.

But it exploded in everyone's ears like a thunderclap.

Intending to rebel.

Rectify the law on the spot.

Eight words summed up everything that happened tonight.

It was not a feud between江湖 (jianghu, martial arts world) members, nor a battle of egos, but rather an imperial official suppressing a rebellion.

The experts of the Golden Knife Alliance looked at each other, their gazes clashing in the air. Some eyes flashed with anger, some with fear, and some with confusion.

He angrily wanted to step forward, but his feet seemed nailed to the ground, and he couldn't take a single step.

They gripped the hilts of their knives tightly, their knuckles turning white, but they only gripped them tightly, without drawing their swords.

Terrified, they began to tremble, their legs shaking, and they desperately wanted to escape.

Someone quietly took a step back, then two steps, then three steps.

Still staring blankly, eyes vacant, unable to believe what was happening before her eyes was real.

Their leader and their deputy leader died just like that.

Su Bai didn't look at them again.

He turned his head to look at Wang Muzhi, who was also standing there in a daze.

Wang Muzhi's mouth was agape, his eyes were fixed, and his hand holding the knife was frozen in mid-air, as if he had been frozen in place.

"Wang Muzhi".

Wang Muzhi shuddered, as if waking from a dream. He looked at Su Bai, his eyes filled with complex emotions—shock,

Awe, disbelief, and an inexplicable surge of excitement burned in my eyes.

"Your subordinate is here!"

He clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, his voice trembling slightly with excitement.

Su Bai sheathed his sword, the sound of it going back into its sheath being exceptionally clear in the silence, a soft "click".

"The Golden Knife Alliance intends to rebel; the Garrison Command is ordered to immediately encircle and suppress them." He paused, his voice still calm, "If there are any resistance—"

His gaze swept over the experts of the Golden Knife Alliance.

No one dared to meet his gaze. Some lowered their heads, some turned their faces away, and some closed their eyes.

"Kill without mercy."

Wang Muzhi took a deep breath, his chest heaving violently, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed deeply, his voice so loud it almost shook the dust off the beams: "Your subordinate obeys!"

He turned and shouted sternly downstairs, his voice echoing in the stairwell: "All officers of the Garrison Command, listen to my command! Encircle and annihilate the Golden Knife Alliance! Anyone who resists will be killed without mercy!"

soon.

Downstairs, the sounds of swords being drawn and metal scraping together rang out, mixed with hurried footsteps and shouts.

Below Qingfeng Tower, torches flickered.

On the left side of the street, fifty or sixty members of the Golden Knife Alliance stood in a dark mass, with various weapons at their waists and fierce eyes.

Seeing the sudden unusual activity from the Zhenfu Division, everyone became somewhat wary.

But they didn't think much of it; instead, they all mocked the Zhenfu Division.

"Is that all the people you have?" someone scoffed. "I thought the Garrison Command would have a much bigger force."

"Hahaha, they've come here to die, haven't they?"

Laughter began and grew louder.

On the right side of the street, more than thirty constables from the Zhenfu Division stood with knives in hand.

The sword is drawn, the bow is nocked, and the arrows are pointed at the enemy.

Everyone looked tense, their knuckles white as they gripped the knives, and beads of sweat appeared on their foreheads.

Wang Muzhi stepped forward and stood at the front, his face taut and his eyes fixed on the gang members opposite him, his eyes practically spitting fire.

Behind him, a young constable lowered his voice, forcing the words out through clenched teeth: "Sir, these bastards are too arrogant. But there are too many of them. Should we really take action?"