The blind girl is called a saint with a sword!

"The Joyful Taoist? Is that the Joyful Taoist who was a disciple of the Grand Eunuch during the reign of the late emperor?"

Shen Hong's heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was about to burst out of his chest.

If his father, the Iron-Clad Ancestor, was a hypocrite, then the Joyful Taoist was a pure villain.

The Iron-Clad Ancestor killed someone because killing that person would bring him tangible benefits.

The Happy Taoist was different; he killed people mostly on a whim, and that was it.

He once slaughtered hundreds of people in the entire Liujiabao village in Longyou, simply because the eldest son of Liujiabao splashed some mud on his shoes when he drove by.

How could Shen Hong not be terrified in the face of such a capricious and unscrupulous villain?

Although the person who came now was not the Joyful Taoist himself, but just one of his flower servants, there was actually not much difference.

They were all murderers.

They are all cold, indifferent ice.

Shen Hong glanced at the corpses hanging in the tree again, and felt a chill run down his spine.

"Young lady, is there something important that you've come to visit so late at night?"

He dared not run away.

The woman opposite him was able to steal his sword without him noticing; her skill in lightness and agility was far beyond his reach.

If he doesn't run away, he might still have a sliver of hope. But if he does run away, he'll probably die just like those people in the tree.

The red-clad flower slave coldly asked, "Do you know who killed the sect leaders and elders in this tree?"

Shen Hong forced a smile and flattered, "Young lady, your skills are unparalleled. Not to mention these second-rate figures, even my father is probably no match for you. They died because of you..."

“You’re wrong,” the red-clad flower servant suddenly interrupted Shen Hong. “They didn’t die at my hands, nor at the hands of the Taoist priest, nor at your hands.”

"Then they are..."

"They were killed by the goddess An Qingwan of Xiaoxiang."

"what?"

This answer left Shen Hong feeling like his brain was about to freeze.

“An Qingwan just left, how could she…”

The red-clad flower slave said, "An Qingwan made a scene in the Ironclad Gang's ancestral hall during the day, killed the Ironclad Ancestor in front of everyone, burned the manual of the 'Eight Directions of Qimen Swords', and then left gracefully."

Shen Hong nodded.

Okay, so what's next?

The Red-Clad Flower Slave said, "She acted all righteous and awe-inspiring, but it was all just a conspiracy. She framed the Iron-Clad Ancestor, and the sword manual she burned was fake. She was not a righteous person at all, but a hypocritical murderer."

Shen Hong's eyelids twitched violently.

Is...is that so?

The Red-Clad Flower Slave said, "She deceived everyone. After leaving the Ironclad Gang, she ambushed them on the way and killed all the people from the Seven Stars Sect, the Raincoat Sect, and other sects who came to the Ironclad Gang to participate in the self-proof meeting. She wanted to make it look like the Ironclad Gang killed people in anger and push all the bad reputation onto the Ironclad Gang."

Shen Hong gradually calmed down.

He realized that this flower servant wasn't there to kill him.

The woman in red said, "She was very confident, thinking that she had done everything perfectly, just like what she did at the Taiqing Taoist temple in Nanlu County that day. But she had overlooked one person."

Shen Hong was drenched in sweat. He swallowed hard and asked, "Who is it?"

The woman in red said, "You."

Shen Hongdao: "Me?"

The woman in red said, "She didn't expect you to be hiding in the shadows and overhear her entire plan. By the time she realized something was wrong, you had already escaped far away. She was blind, and although she chased after you, she ultimately failed to kill you, only injuring you."

Shen Hong: "..."

The red-clad flower slave said, “She is your father’s killer. You know she is powerful, but you remember the hatred even more. You stepped forward, risking being killed, to expose her true face to the world, to prove your father’s innocence, to prove the innocence of the Taiqing Dao people, and to call on righteous people all over the world to eliminate this witch.”

Shen Hong took a deep breath: "Who exactly are you?"

The red-clad flower maid threw Shen Hong's sword back.

“I am a flower servant under the command of the Joyful Taoist, and the Joyful Taoist is a guest of honor of the Prince of Pingnan.”

Shen Hong caught the sword.

At that moment, he understood completely.

This was a scheme by the Taoist Huanxi, or rather, by the Prince of Pingnan.

The world is in chaos, and numerous peasant uprisings have been sparked in various parts of the north.

However, the imperial court did not completely lack control over local areas.

Moreover, there are always some hot-headed heroes in the martial arts world who like to cause trouble for others.

Although the Prince of Pingnan had long harbored rebellious intentions, he was unwilling to be the first to be targeted, so he naturally tried his best to "clear the name" for Taiqing Dao and himself.

The best way to clear one's name is not to prove oneself, but to vilify An Qingwan. As long as An Qingwan is portrayed as a celestial being, all problems will be solved.

Shen Hong realized this was his opportunity.

As long as he does what this red-clad flower slave wants, he can not only avenge his father, but also gain the favor of the Prince of Pingnan, and rise rapidly in rank.

The Prince of Pingnan would never mistreat anyone who had rendered meritorious service.

The only problem is that, as the red-clad flower servant said, if he steps forward, he will be in great danger and may very well be killed by An Qingwan.

But did he even have a choice?

Shen Hong looked at the sword in his hand.

"I understand."

He suddenly raised his sword and slashed his left arm. Blood gushed out from the wound, quickly staining his long sleeves red.

Shen Hongqiang endured the pain: "This hand was injured when An Qingwan threw a sword at me while I was running away."

The red-clad flower servant nodded: "You are a smart person, and I like smart people. You only need to testify that An Qingwan killed the Seven Stars Sect leader and others. The matter of Taiqing Dao, as well as your father's innocence, will be taken care of by the Daoist Master and the Prince of Pingnan."

Shen Hong just laughed, his mouth twitching from the pain.

A moment later, the red-clad flower maid disappeared into the night and was never seen again.

Shen Hong didn't care about anything else and quickly treated his wounds. Then he took the corpses down from the tree and disposed of them in a random place.

Where the body is is not important.

The important thing is that there is a body, and that he is there.

After finishing all this, Shen Hong hurriedly returned to his room.

Upon seeing the injury on his hand, Madam Shen flew into a rage.

"Who hurt you?"

Shen Hong hurriedly recounted what had just happened.

"Mother, we can get revenge! We can avenge Father and Brother Zhao!"

His hands trembled slightly with excitement.

Upon hearing this, Madam Shen was so excited that she almost couldn't stand up straight.

"Good, good, Hong'er, you did well, you did well! Haha, I'm going to make those three bastards wish they were dead! I'm going to break their arms and legs, throw them into a beggar's den, and I want to see it with my own eyes..."

Madam Shen was uttering vicious words when a sneer suddenly came from the roof beam.

"Who?"

Madam Shen's expression changed drastically.

She stared intently and witnessed a white figure fall from the roof beam.

When the white figure stopped, standing still in the candlelight, she could see it clearly.

Who else could it be but An Qingwan?

"What's making you so happy? Tell me so I can share in your joy."

Shen Hong felt as if he had been doused with cold water; his mind went blank, and he could no longer laugh.

PS: Thank you to Night Wind Feather, 1733319834, Net Bug, Aust, God for the World (Yuan Shen), Terrifying Rice Man, and Seele Zaychek's Blade.

Fifty, do you think you've already won? [Second update, 4k views]

From soaring into the clouds to plummeting into the abyss.

Shen Hong only needed a single breath.

He stood there, staring blankly at An Qingwan, who shone like a piece of bright jade under the lamplight.

This is a truly delightful scene.

But for Shen Hong, this was absolutely the most terrifying nightmare in the world.

He just hoped he could wake up as soon as possible.

But the pain in his arm constantly reminded him that this was not a dream, but something that was truly happening before his eyes—

An Qing returned late at night to the Ironclad Gang and overheard his and Huanxi Daoren's plans clearly.

Shen Hong thought that his father's death and the Ironclad Gang's ruined reputation were the most despairing things in the world.

But now he knows that there are things in the world that are even more despairing!

Shen Hong asked in a trembling voice, "You... how did you get here?"

An Qingwan sat down at the table: "Why can't I be here?"

Shen Hong said, "You shouldn't be here. You should have already gone far away."

An Qingwan said, "But I'm right here now."

Shen Hong placed his hand on the sword.

His breathing was heavy.

He wanted to draw his sword countless times.

But he knew that the moment he drew his sword, An Qingwan's sword would pierce his throat.

This was unavoidable; An Qingwan's sword was just that fast.

The only way to avoid An Qingwan's sword is to prevent her from using it.

Shen Hong released his grip and said urgently, "I'm still useful to you. I can clear up the rumors for you and thwart the conspiracy of the Happy Taoist and the Prince of Pingnan."

An Qingwan had not yet spoken.

Madam Shen, who was standing nearby, screamed.

"Hong'er, what nonsense are you spouting? You actually begged this vile woman for mercy? Have you forgotten that your father and your brother were killed by her?"

Madam Shen's face was full of anger, and she was just short of slapping Shen Hong across the face.

After scolding Shen Hong, she looked at An Qingwan with a cold smile.

"If you had really left just now, I wouldn't have been able to do anything to you. But you insisted on coming back, and when you came back, you insisted on walking into my room!"

Before anyone knew it, a sachet appeared in Madam Shen's hand.

"Perhaps it's because I haven't made a move in too long that people in the martial world have forgotten my name, 'Poisonous Lady.' An Qingwan, you've already been poisoned by my Heavenly Fragrance Seven Deadly Poisons. Now that you've come, don't even think about leaving. I'm going to..."

puff!

Madam Shen did not finish her sentence.

Because she could no longer speak.

An Qingwan used her palm as a sword and slashed at the teacup she was holding, carving out a smooth porcelain ring.

The porcelain ring was as thin as a knife blade. As it flew out, a flash of cold light severed Madam Shen's neck.

"Or was I too lenient, that you dare to talk to me like that?"

An Qingwan calmly took a sip of tea.