Chapter 21: The Three Demons of Flower Picking

Purgatory...

Deathly Calm listened to Leng Tian recount what had happened outside, his expression unchanged. He turned to Yanlong and the other four and said, “If you wish to learn my throwing knife technique, you must follow my instructions in everything. Can you do that?”

Leng Tian was speechless. He had spoken at length, only to be completely ignored!

“I say, do you truly no longer see yourself as one of the Bloodsworn Alliance? So many comrades have died—doesn’t that sadden you?” Deathly Calm’s eyes were cold and indifferent. His fingers trembled, sending out ten slender threads of true energy, weaving them effortlessly in midair. In an instant, they transformed into various shapes, crisscrossing like a net or forming the contours of different weapons.

“How do you do that?” Xiao Ke stared wide-eyed at the mesmerizing changes in Deathly Calm’s true energy threads, asking with intense admiration.

Deathly Calm did not answer. His expression remained cool and detached. Ten silver-white throwing knives appeared out of thin air. With a slight movement of his fingers, the threads of true energy seemed to come alive, winding around and enveloping the knives.

Leng Tian watched Deathly Calm’s manipulation of the true energy threads, deeply impressed by his mastery. The control was so effortless—while he himself could also turn true energy into threads, he was far from achieving such ease and flexibility.

“Watch closely!” Deathly Calm called out softly. One thread wrapped around a knife and shot out like lightning, a flash of silver streaking across a green stone several meters away. Then, the threads and knives danced in a blur, flitting repeatedly over the stone.

The stone appeared unchanged. The others looked at Deathly Calm with perplexed expressions, unsure what to make of his dazzling display.

“Brother Deathly Calm, your skills are truly extraordinary!” Leng Tian spoke sincerely, genuinely impressed by the throwing knife technique.

“Brother!” Fire Dance cast a questioning glance, puzzled by Leng Tian’s praise.

“Wow!” Xiao Ke’s cry of wonder drew everyone’s attention, followed by a chorus of astonished exclamations. “She’s so beautiful—is she your wife?” The sudden shift in mood was caused by the stone.

Strictly speaking, it could no longer be called a stone. It had become a piece of art—a delicately carved bust of a beautiful woman, flawless and lifelike, her features exquisitely rendered.

Fire Dance crouched to admire the sculpture, moved and asked Deathly Calm, “Is she your wife?”

“I killed her with my own hands…” Deathly Calm gazed at the statue, his emotions unraveling, his face contorted. Two streams of hot tears slid down his cheeks.

“Yu Xin, I’m sorry. I’m not human… I’m not human…” Deathly Calm seemed to lose his mind, running madly into the distance, screaming Yu Xin’s name in anguish, his cries echoing with soul-deep pain.

“What’s wrong with him?” Xiao Ke covered her mouth, watching Deathly Calm run off. At her age, she could only feel surprise and was oblivious to the turmoil in his heart.

“He must have had a love so deep it carved itself into his soul, only to destroy it with his own hands,” Xiao Han said thoughtfully, gazing at the statue.

“It seems we won’t be learning the throwing knife technique for now. Let him vent his feelings—these are wounds only he can heal.” Leng Tian watched Deathly Calm vanish over the horizon, paused, and said, “As for you, don’t be idle. Stay here until you’ve mastered my Swift Slash Blade Technique before you venture out again.”

The five followed Leng Tian’s instructions, sitting cross-legged on the spot. With a thought, five crimson beams descended from the sky, enveloping them.

They had officially begun the Purgatory trial that Leng Tian had prepared for them.

Leng Tian considered going after Deathly Calm, but shook his head helplessly. Matters of the heart were a mystery even to him—how could he guide someone else?

He cast a gentle glance at Fire Dance, sitting cross-legged in the glow, then vanished from Purgatory.

Strolling through the capital’s streets, Leng Tian felt at ease. No wonder it was the capital of a kingdom—the streets and alleys teemed with life, signs of prosperity everywhere.

Leng Tian had come out to wander aimlessly, to soak in the local customs and atmosphere of this world.

His cultivation had declined pitifully since arriving in this world, but his spiritual sense remained as sharp as a peak-level Xuan master’s.

He let his senses roam, listening to conversations from all around, and was drawn to a group whose words piqued his interest. He glanced toward a tavern, a look of disgust crossing his face.

After a moment’s thought, since he had nothing better to do, he entered the tavern. The attendant greeted him warmly, his manner respectful to the point of awkwardness. For a moment, Leng Tian was lost in memories—recalling his days as a young beggar, thrown out by a bullying attendant wielding authority, the scene flashing through his mind.

“Sir… Sir…”

The attendant’s voice pulled Leng Tian back to reality. He stepped inside. At this hour, there weren’t many patrons—just two or three tables. He chose a seat by the window, ordered a pot of wine and a few dishes, and ate and drank at leisure.

Calming himself, Leng Tian extended his spiritual sense, resuming his eavesdropping. Upstairs, in a private room, he heard, “Brother Liu, you were incredible last night. Without you to lead the way, we couldn’t have pulled it off.”

“Heh heh… The women in the palace really are something. I’ll have to enjoy them again when I get back, ha ha…” A lascivious voice filled with vulgarity.

“Ha ha… Brother Sun, Brother Qian, don’t be modest. I, Liu, am honored to be counted among the ‘Three Flower Demons’ with you. The credit is all ours!” Liu spoke in a silky, sinister tone.

“Ha ha…” The three laughed wildly, their conversation sinking into filth and obscenities about women.

Leng Tian probed their cultivation: one was at the mid-Heaven stage, the other two at early-Heaven stage. He withdrew his senses and drank quietly.

Two hours passed before the trio finished and came downstairs. Leng Tian glanced at them, nearly spitting out his wine in amusement—their appearances were truly bizarre.

The one in the middle was a fat man, no more than four feet tall, a rolling ball of flesh. His oversized head was level with his shoulders, his neck seemingly buried in his chest. Three black moles dotted his pudgy face, each sprouting a single long, black hair. The moles were placed on his brow and both cheeks. When he grinned, two enormous front teeth, flecked with vegetable bits, made his smile look extraordinarily strange.

To the left of the fat man was a figure that sent chills down one’s spine: a walking corpse, lanky and shriveled, so thin and gaunt that a strong wind might blow him away.

Martial Way: Extreme Edge, Chapter 21 — The Three Flower Demons, complete.