Volume One: The Youngest Among Three Hundred Chapter 122: Going Back on One's Word

Tao Yuan led Chen Chang'an to the slope on the other side of the mountain. With a peculiar tone that seemed to carry a hint of mockery, he said, "It seems that so-called family affection and friendship can all be sold out in the face of profit. I originally thought you would refuse!"

"Cut the crap and take me to see your Dragon-Slaying Society leader," Chen Chang'an barked impatiently.

"Young Brother Chen is quite anxious."

At that moment, a sharp, cold, and eerie voice appeared out of nowhere to answer instead of Tao Yuan. Chen Chang'an looked toward the source and saw a tall, slender man walking with a natural, imposing air. However, his entire face was completely obscured by a cloak, leaving his features hidden.

"Who are you?" Chen Chang'an asked.

The cloaked man enunciated each word, "Deputy Leader of the Dragon-Slaying Society!"

"Huh..."

Chen Chang'an mocked, "We had an agreement: you were to take me to the true headquarters of the Dragon-Slaying Society. You aren't thinking of fobbing me off with just anyone who shows up, are you? If that's the case, I'm sorry, but you can wait until your next life for Princess Changning's transcripts."

"Ha! Hahaha!" The cloaked man laughed. "Chen Chang'an, why are you so insistent on going to the true headquarters? What, trying to scout the path ahead so that others can come and wipe us out in one fell swoop?"

Hearing this, Chen Chang'an cursed inwardly. *What an absolutely despicable, paranoid piece of work.* He shrugged nonchalantly. "Fine, it seems you've never trusted me from the beginning. In that case, I won't mention joining the Dragon-Slaying Society anymore. Goodbye."

He turned and whistled lightly, preparing to leave with an indifferent air.

"Wait!"

The cloaked man's previous words were merely a test. His ultimate goal remained the transcripts, so how could he let go? He chuckled, "Don't be so impatient; it was just a joke. If you can even kill Ye Lin and Ruan Jingchu, what reason do I have not to trust you?"

Chen Chang'an rolled his eyes, feigning anger. "That's all bull. If you really trust me, take me to see the leader. Don't send a deputy to fob me off!"

"Fine. Since you have already fulfilled the requirement of killing those two new recruits from the Black-Clad Guards as a token of your sincerity, I will take you to the main base of the Dragon-Slaying Society now."

"Whatever!" Chen Chang'an wore the expression of someone who had lost his temper and didn't care what happened next.

"It cannot be 'whatever'!" The cloaked man shook his head. "The Dragon-Slaying Society is counting on Brother Chen to hand over those transcripts as soon as possible."

"Thud!"

A muffled sound followed. The man delivered a swift, accurate strike to Chen Chang'an’s right shoulder with the edge of his hand, knocking him unconscious instantly.

Tao Yuan leaned in, bowing slightly as he asked, "Are we really taking him? Is there any risk?"

The cloaked man stared at Chen Chang'an’s limp form and replied, "There is no choice. Princess Changning's transcripts are vital for us to seize control of the imperial court. We must retrieve them. As for whether he truly wants to join or is playing tricks, it makes no difference. He has to die once we have the transcripts anyway."

"I have already used a technique stolen specifically from the Celestial Master's Mansion to erase any possibility of him being tracked or spied upon. There will be no issues!"

...

It is unknown how much time had passed. When Chen Chang'an opened his eyes, he was surrounded by utter darkness. He could not see his own hand in front of him. His head felt heavy and swollen, and his shoulder ached. He massaged his temples to maintain as much clarity as possible and shouted into the void, "Is anyone there?"

His voice echoed hollowly, making it clear he was in an underground tunnel.

"Of course there is!"

A reply came from the darkness. Simultaneously, two rows of candles flickered to life one by one along the walls. While not brilliantly lit, it was enough for his pupils to perceive colors other than pitch black.

Chen Chang'an rubbed his eyes and looked toward a dark silhouette in the distance. "Are you the leader of the Dragon-Slaying Society?"

"Indeed, I am," the figure replied.

"Hah!" Chen Chang'an retorted ruthlessly. "You guys are really something—knocking me out and dragging me here to a ghost place where no one would hear me scream even if I tore my throat out. What? No trust? Afraid I'll leak secrets?"

"Hahaha!"

The dark figure laughed. "It is not a lack of trust, merely necessary insurance. Furthermore, knowing too much is not a good thing for Young Master Chen; it might even endanger your life."

"Hah!" Chen Chang'an cursed, "Cut the crap. This lack of trust has completely killed my interest in joining your society. I have three new conditions. If you agree to them, the transcripts are yours."

"Oh? Let's hear them!" The shadow remained motionless in the gloom.

Chen Chang'an stood up and held up three fingers. "First, give me enough money to squander for the rest of my life and send me out of Chang'an."

"Second, find a way to rescue my family from prison and ensure their safety."

"Third, I know people like you have the court in the palm of your hands, so can you arrange a government position for my second brother-in-law in the provinces under a fake name? Living is hard, and he needs some power to cover him."

"Agreed!" the figure replied firmly.

"Good!" Chen Chang'an yawned lazily. "Send your people with me to get the transcripts."

The figure finally turned around, though the lighting made it impossible to see his face, only his silhouette. He asked, "Any other requirements?"

Chen Chang'an shook his head.

"In that case, I will send men to prepare for your three conditions immediately. As for rescuing your family, it may be difficult; it will take some time."

"No matter, I am used to waiting," Chen Chang'an replied.

"Very well, our conversation is over!"

As the word "over" left his lips, the dark figure unleashed a massive, overwhelming wave of energy that crashed into the ground, knocking Chen Chang'an unconscious once again.

When he woke up, he was back on the hillside. Tao Yuan and the cloaked deputy, along with seven or eight subordinates, were surrounding him.

Chen Chang'an rubbed his eyes. "Sigh, dragged away unconscious and brought back unconscious. You guys are really careful."

The cloaked man laughed. "We have to be careful with you. Now that you have met the leader and discussed your conditions, is it time to take us to retrieve Princess Changning's transcripts?"

"Fine!" Chen Chang'an gestured. "Follow me!"

In just half an hour, Chen Chang'an led them to the spot where he had buried the transcripts. He dug them up with both hands and tossed them over. "Here. Don't forget your promises."

The cloaked man caught them eagerly with both hands and inspected them carefully. The sound of rustling paper filled the air. After verifying their authenticity, he nodded with satisfaction. "Good, it is indeed the transcript. Chen Chang'an, you are a man of your word!"

"Uh... I always keep my promises. You should hurry and—"

"Whoosh!"

"Thud!"

Before he could finish, the cloaked man struck, his right fist slamming into Chen Chang'an’s chest with a heavy blow. Chen Chang'an felt a salty taste in his throat, his body feeling as if it were falling apart. Under the intense pain, he was sent flying dozens of meters back, rolling in the dirt.

The cloaked man chuckled. "Keeping one's word is a good thing, but unfortunately, our Dragon-Slaying Society only does bad things. Now that the transcripts are in hand, you have no further value."

"Rest in peace... and die."

Chen Chang'an felt nauseated looking at the man's triumphant, smug face. He coughed up several mouthfuls of bright red blood and stood up. "Why... why do you do this?"

"Bah! I should have known better than to make a deal with dogs like you."

"Ha! Hahaha!" Tao Yuan laughed toward the sky. "But in fact, you didn't just make the deal, you seemed quite satisfied with it. Chen Chang'an, only by your death will that list of Dragon-Slaying Society members in the court appear authentic. Do you understand?"

"After you die, the Left Imperial Guard will present your corpse and the list found on you to the Emperor. Rest in peace."

Seeing him severely wounded, Tao Yuan took a long blade from a subordinate and walked toward him. He stopped, raised his arm, and thrust the blade directly toward Chen Chang'an’s heart.

No mercy; he was determined to kill!

"Clang!"

However, to his surprise, just as the tip of the blade pierced his clothes and was about to sink into flesh, a crisp metallic sound rang out. The blade shattered into two pieces.

At the same time, the heart-protecting mirror Chen Chang'an had hidden beneath his clothes cracked, though it did not completely break.

"This..." Tao Yuan was stunned.

Chen Chang'an seized the opportunity to draw his blade, *Cangming*. Without giving him a moment to breathe, he slashed across Tao Yuan's throat. Tao Yuan’s head, still frozen in an expression of shock, flew off and rolled four or five paces across the ground.

The process was so fast that Tao Yuan’s consciousness still lingered for a moment; he witnessed his own head separate from his neck and saw his own headless corpse.

"You..." the cloaked man roared in fury.

Chen Chang'an retorted coldly, "I never intended to kill anyone from the start. You were the ones who went back on your word."

"Good... very good!" The cloaked man's chest heaved with rage. "Since that's the case, go accompany Tao Yuan in the afterlife!"

As he finished speaking, the cloaked man launched himself like a cannonball, fists raised high.

Chen Chang'an remained indifferent and calm. "Do you know why I chose to hand over the transcripts here? Because I have a way out."

As he spoke, he stepped on a tree trunk in front of him, using the force to leap backward. Simultaneously, he unleashed his internal technique, channeling the natural spirit of the surrounding vegetation into *Cangming*.

But the cloaked man was much faster, and the distance between them was now less than eight meters.

Chen Chang'an felt his spiritual power intake was sufficient. He ended the channeling and launched his sword art, slashing out a wave of cyan light that surged forward like a tide.

Massive, towering trees were uprooted one by one, crashing to the ground with a thunderous roar. The cloaked man was forced to dodge left and right, his speed slowing down.

"Excellent!"

Seeing his goal achieved, Chen Chang'an launched a second attack. He unleashed the power of the *Xinglang* Demon Bone, sending purple lightning surging forward. The fallen trees instantly emitted thick white smoke, creating a choking barrier.

The cloaked man wove through it. Although his six-rank peak cultivation allowed him to isolate the smoke and avoid suffocation, his vision was hampered, forcing him to slow down even more.

Consequently, Chen Chang'an, retreating rapidly, moved further and further away until he vanished from sight.

"Damn it!" The cloaked man gnashed his teeth, his face twisted in rage!

His subordinates caught up. Seeing Chen Chang'an had escaped, one of them said, "My Lord, calm your anger. Regardless, we have the transcripts..."

"Slap!"

Before he could finish, the cloaked man slapped the subordinate's head to pieces. "Calm down? I'll show you calm! We have so many people here, yet we let him escape after losing Tao Yuan! Argh!"

...

Around noon, Cheng Mulong and Cao Wu arrived at the forest behind the horse track. After a careful search, they found no trace of Chen Chang'an, but they did find the remnants of a charcoal fire, proving he had indeed stayed there.

Just as they were preparing to return to the Black-Clad Guards, Cheng Mulong glanced to the side. "What is that?"

Cao Wu looked in the direction he pointed. "It looks like two corpses!"

They approached and, upon seeing clearly, gasped in shock. "Ye... Ye Lin, Ruan Jingchu! How are they here? They..."

Cao Wu’s face turned pale. Her breathing grew heavy as she knelt down and placed a finger on their noses.

"How is it? Are they alright?" Cheng Mulong asked anxiously.

Cao Wu looked grim. She uttered two words in a defeated tone: "They... are dead!"