Heroine, don't turn back, I'm just a farmer.

"kill!"

With a roar, Lu Guo felt a sharp killing intent pierce down from above, the force cutting into his body and making his hair stand on end.

There was no need to see who the other party was, nor was there any chance. The newcomer was definitely a master who had mastered the essence of an assassin. Only a knife could have such a strong killing intent and domineering aura, and the person wielding the knife was even more skilled.

—The force of thunder

Using his master thief's agility, Lu Guo drew his sword with incredible speed, unleashing a move called "Overlord Against the Cauldron," rising from below to meet the sword that was cutting towards him.

"Sizzle..."

Sparks flew as the two swords clashed, and a powerful, heavy force surged from the blades into Lu Guo's hand, then flowed into his body, causing him an indescribable discomfort.

The man seemed startled as well, not expecting that his renowned Ten-Step Killing Blade technique had been dodged.

But he had no time to think. He twisted his body with the force of the impact, advancing instead of retreating, and pulled out a bone-piercing nail with his left hand, swinging it at his chest.

Just as Lu Guo was about to change his move to block, he suddenly smelled a faint fragrance.

Extremely pale, extremely cold.

Ming Suxue's sleeve swept past him, fluttering in the wind.

Then the man in black flew away.

Lu Guo didn't see how she made her move. He only saw her pinch the bone-piercing nail with her right index and middle fingers, and then gently flick it across the swordsman's chest. The man was then struck as if by lightning, his arm went limp, and he flew backward, crashing directly into the dilapidated courtyard wall.

Several exclamations came from the roof tiles, followed by the sounds of weapons being drawn.

Ming Suxue withdrew her hand and looked down at her fingertips.

"A single meeting of the golden phoenix and jade dew surpasses countless encounters in the mortal world." She explained, "The palm techniques in the 'Heavenly Net Scripture' usually only result in death for those who witness my attack."

The moonlight flickered, and her shadow swayed on the wall. Lu Guo gripped his knife tightly and met her gaze. This woman had only shown a simple move, yet her strength was extraordinary.

"If you wanted to kill me, you wouldn't have saved me in the first place."

Lu Guo answered.

"You're right." Ming Suxue tilted her head. "How about we make a deal?"

"What kind of deal?"

"There are four people here. I'll take on three, and you'll take on one. After this fight, I'll answer three questions for you." She held up three fingers. "Any question, including everything you want to ask—"

She paused, as if she had thought of something, and the smile in her eyes deepened.

"Including who my real identity is."

The footsteps on the roof tiles grew closer. Behind the screen wall on the south side, two figures had already climbed onto the eaves. On the roof of the east wing, two figures holding swords were faintly visible in the night.

Lu Guo took a deep breath and held the knife horizontally in front of him.

"make a deal."

Ming Suxue smiled and suddenly reached out and gently patted his chest.

A warm internal force penetrated his body, and Lu Guo felt as if a flame had suddenly ignited in his meridians. An unprecedented power surged through his limbs and bones. This power did not belong to him, but in a brief moment, it merged seamlessly with his internal force.

"The Qi-transferring method from the 'Heavenly Demon Manual'." She took a step back, her robes fluttering in the night wind. "Hold on for the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, don't die."

Then she turned around.

With her white sleeves spread out, she looked like a white crane spreading its wings. With a light touch of her toes on the ground, she was like a white rainbow, instantly disappearing into the night.

A cold glint suddenly appeared on the roof tiles.

Last night I witnessed Madam Xue's palm technique, but I never expected her to be so amazing when she used a knife. The knife was drawn from her sleeve, simple, direct, and sharp—the purest form of killing. It seems that the martial arts she has mastered are far more complex than what I have seen.

But why would you deliberately show this to yourself?

Lu Guo was puzzled and had no time to think about it, as a sword was already thrust towards his chest.

The sword strike was swift and aimed at killing.

Before, Lu Guo felt that the swordsman's strength would be a challenge, but after being struck by the palm, he felt a surge of power within him.

The true energy that Ming Suxue poured into his body circulated through his meridians like a warm flame, burning his original internal strength to a scorching heat, filling his limbs and bones with a strange, eager power.

"It seems like he can fight..."

Almost subconsciously, he raised his knife and began with the "Five Styles of Thunder" to overturn the vast sea.

Hold the knife with both hands and swing your arms to chop downwards.

This strike added a touch of power to him, like the surging waves of the ocean, and the thunderous roar that shook the heavens.

The swordsman's expression changed slightly. To say that he was unaffected by such an aura would be a lie, and to say that he was not shocked by this sudden aura would also be a lie.

But he is, after all, a master, and will not be easily defeated. Once the sword is drawn, there is no reason to sheathe it.

Of course, dodging is necessary, but it's too late.

"Click—"

With a deafening roar, airflow surged toward Lu Guo at an extremely high speed, then condensed on the knife in his hand, forming an unparalleled storm in an instant.

Everyone present was horrified. What kind of swordsmanship was this? What kind of kung fu was this?

Lu Guo felt a powerful suction force pulling at his aura and the knife in his hand, making him feel powerless.

The sword technique had begun, and his body and sword were pulled by the airflow. His momentum suddenly increased, and the sword technique became wider and more intense until it formed a huge sword shadow.

"cut--"

With a single slash, the sound of the blade ripped through the air, the sword's movement unending, piercing straight to the heavens in the void. It not only cleaved the night but also sliced ​​the swordsman and the courtyard in two, leaving behind a lingering, soul-stirring echo in everyone's ears.

"thump……"

Three muffled thuds fell almost simultaneously. Lu looked over and saw Ming Suxue standing on the roof, slowly sheathing her knife into her sleeve.

"Although it's still a bit short of perfection, it already has some resemblance to the true Overturning the Vast Ocean." There was a hint of surprise in her tone. "Your master once cleaved a hundred meters of sea surface with a single stroke on the shore of the East China Sea. That was the true Overturning the Vast Ocean. You're only twenty years old, and to have reached this level is quite remarkable."

According to the swordsman's memory, unleashing a blade of light is something only those at the Dharma Aspect Realm, one of the three upper realms, can do. He had only received some of her energy, so how could this be...?

Lu Guo was puzzled.

"Thank you for the compliment." However, he still sheathed his sword and flexed his numb wrist. "Aunt Liu, your method of transferring qi...?"

"Don't even think about it; you can only extend the time by the time it takes to brew a cup of tea."

Ming Suxue walked over and placed her hand on Lu Guo's pulse point. Her fingertips were icy cold, but the touch was surprisingly gentle. "Your meridians are stronger than I thought. An ordinary person would be unable to stand by now after enduring the true energy of the Heavenly Demon for the first time."

She released her grip and took a step back.

The moonlight shone on her face, and her plain white clothes clung to her body, outlining her slender shoulders and waist. When he got closer, Lu Guo could see that her cheeks were flushed from a little sweat, and a few strands of hair clung to the corners of her red lips when she spoke. To anyone, she looked delicate and pitiful.

But her actions had nothing to do with gentleness.

"Four people, I dealt with three, you dealt with one." She held up one finger. "You can ask me three questions, but now, we should leave."

Lu Guo looked at her without moving.

Seeing that he didn't move, Ming Suxue narrowed her eyes slightly. "You're not going to speak, are you trying to make me guess who you are?"

Lu Guo remained silent.

But silence is the answer.

Ming Suxue suddenly smiled, but there was an indescribable meaning in her smile.

Let me guess.

She landed slowly with her hands behind her back, pacing gently around Lu Guo. Her steps were still very light, and the hem of her white cloak swayed slightly in the moonlight.

"You guessed that I might be related to Tianluoxiang, but you're unsure of my true feelings towards you—is it to use you? To cooperate? Or to cut ties once the deed is done?"

"So you need an answer, but you don't want to ask directly because if you ask directly, the answer you get will definitely be the one I want you to hear."

Lu Guo did not deny that he had indeed considered this.

Ming Suxue's character design looks very complex, and she's probably not easy to win over. There are definitely many side quests involving her, so it's necessary to learn more about her.

After walking a few steps, Ming Suxue stopped behind him.

"So you sent a letter to test me, and also to test everyone else besides me. You wanted to see how I would treat you when faced with a 'choice'."

"For example, would I betray you to the Demonic Sect or Tianluoxiang? Would I use you to play both sides? And also use me to help deal with some people, testing my strength while seeing if I deliberately let you know the content of last night's conversation?"

As he spoke, Lu Guo saw her circle back to the front and look up at him.

"A very clever move. It did indeed test the waters, and because of you, it has attracted some other people as well."

"To give you a somewhat satisfactory answer, I killed them all." She then reached up and gripped the edge of her straw hat. "And to show you my sincerity."

Lu Guo did not dodge.

The straw hat was gently lifted.

"Guo'er, am I right?"

"Yes."

Why do this?

Lu Guo remained silent for a moment, then decided to tell the truth.

Since the lie has already been exposed, there's no point in continuing to fabricate lies.

"Because I don't trust you."

Ming Suxue raised an eyebrow.

"You acted so well in front of me," Lu Guo continued. "Aunt Liu, so well that I can't tell what's real. I need to know what you would do when faced with certain choices. I need to know... whether I'm a pawn that can be replaced at any time."

Ming Suxue listened quietly to the end.

Then she did something that surprised Lu Guo.

She nodded.

"A reasonable reason," she said. "I would have done the same."

"If you don't do this, I'll think you're not smart enough and have no value in working with me."

She stepped back, her tone regaining its usual calm and composed quality.

"However, you made a mistake."

"What?"

"If you really want to test me, I trust you and would prefer you to talk to me directly. If I don't trust you, what you see with your own eyes is a scam."

"You're a smart person, so stop doing stupid things."

"If you see through my act, I might trust you more; but if you see through my act and still pretend with me, I'll think you have ulterior motives."

"Now that you know what I'm thinking, I'll wait until you've made up your mind before I come back."

With that, she leaped into the night and disappeared.

"..."