Volume One: The Youngest Among Three Hundred Chapter Thirty-Three: Fierce Battle

Azure Toad drew a dagger from his chest and lightly licked its point. “Chen, you could have lived a happy life. Why did you have to get yourself involved in this deadly game?”

With that, he bent his legs and then straightened them, shooting forward like a cannonball, becoming a straight line that lunged directly at Chen Chang’an.

“Damn, protect me—”

“No, save me!”

Terrified, Chen Chang’an blurted out incoherently and darted behind Li Shu and Wu Yuanheng for cover. At that moment, atop a courtyard tree outside, Su Dingfeng unsheathed his iron sword with a sharp sound, drawing out a crescent-shaped arc of blue-green light that sliced through the air with a piercing hum.

The sword light swept irresistibly across, and before Azure Toad could react, he was struck and sent tumbling several meters, half his body crashing miserably into the wall.

Seeing this, Chen Chang’an glanced back with blurred vision at his brother-in-law, a white blur in his eyes, then looked at the bloodied Azure Toad, straightening his back. “Heh, looks like you’re still not up to the task.”

No sooner had he spoken than dazzling rays of light shot up from outside, bursting above the Princess’s Residence into interlocking circles, weaving together into a massive net. Li Shu and Wu Yuanheng’s expressions changed sharply. “This is bad!”

Coughing, Azure Toad picked himself up, a twisted smile on his lips. “Heh. This time, the plan allows no failure—only success. Chen Chang’an, you may be clever, but against true power, everything else is an illusion.”

“Our people have been in control of every step from the very beginning. If there’s any unexpected change, we’ll use force without hesitation!”

Outside in the courtyard, four figures appeared in a measured, unhurried rhythm—from left to right, two men and two women. Their skin was dark, their hair braided into tight plaits, and they wore primitive clothing sewn from animal hides, most of their arms and chests exposed, revealing faintly tattooed totems.

“Scorpion!”

“Fire Serpent!”

“Violet Centipede!”

“Red Lizard!”

Each shouted their own name, murderous intent rolling off them in waves.

Azure Toad said proudly, “The entire Princess’s Residence is now under a barrier. No one outside will notice a thing. Even the Plum Blossom Attendants or Black-Clad Guards would need at least half an hour to realize anything’s wrong!”

“And in that half hour, we can kill whoever needs killing and take whoever needs taking!”

He met Changning’s gaze, his tone mocking. “Your Highness, this could all have ended happily. You only needed to tell us how to reveal the writing on the tung oil paper. But no, you let this blind fool named Chen force you into a fight.”

“Enough with the nonsense!” Li Shu’s arms flashed, spinning out two copper coins—one red, one blue—that hurtled toward Azure Toad’s heart with overwhelming force.

With a clang, Azure Toad parried with his dagger and immediately counterattacked.

Li Shu faced him head-on, and the two engaged in fierce combat.

Su Dingfeng, balanced on the treetop, descended with his sword, standing poised on one leg, turning his face sideways. “You can still move forward, kill whoever you like, do whatever you want. But on one condition—don’t touch Chen Chang’an!”

Damn, thought Chen, almost falling to his knees before this show-off of a brother-in-law. What did he mean by ‘kill whoever you like’? Couldn’t he give the Princess some respect? Just because you’ll return safely to Bashan Sword Sect, does that mean you can offend the nobility without consequence?

“Your Highness, he’s always joking—just a bit of humor!” Chen Chang’an explained with a sheepish grin.

Changning said nothing, her attention focused on the four outside. After a few glances, her gaze settled on Scorpion. “Chen Chang’an, didn’t you say the one who killed Xiaolian used a saw-toothed weapon? Could it be him?”

Before Chen could answer, Scorpion waved his machete, its main blade gleaming blue, its secondary edge lined with steel teeth. With a cold laugh, he replied, “That’s right. Your little maid and the Da Min painter Xu Hezi—both were killed by me!”

He laughed madly.

Suddenly, Su Dingfeng flashed before him with such speed it was almost impossible to follow, delivering several hard slaps before returning to his place. “I’m talking to you. What are you cackling about?”

Scorpion was left speechless.

The woman, Fire Serpent, lashed her whip and cursed, “Su, get lost! Mind your own business.”

Su Dingfeng remained nonchalant. “As I said—you can proceed, kill or do as you please. But don’t touch Chen Chang’an.”

Violet Centipede, his tongue unnaturally long, drawled in a magnetic voice, “Chen Chang’an has ruined our plans twice. Today, he must die.”

“Oh?” Su Dingfeng tilted his head, saying nothing more. He spread his palms, and his iron sword, instead of lowering, rose, spinning at a level height. At a certain point, he snapped his fingers. The hovering sword split into two; the sword energy doubled. Another snap—two became four, and the force doubled again. This cycle continued, multiplying endlessly, until seventy-three swords hung in the air, their energies covering the entire Princess’s Residence.

“Chen Chang’an!” he suddenly called.

Chen, still cowering, responded, “What is it?”

Su Dingfeng’s robes billowed, his hair standing on end. “What if I broke the heavens today?”

Chen Chang’an was silent.

Scorpion was silent.

Fire Serpent, Red Lizard, Violet Centipede—all silent.

“Hmph!” With no reply, Su Dingfeng’s lips curled. He recited loudly, “With a single blade of blue steel, long locked by dust and toil—”

As he spoke, a thunderous chorus of sword hums rose; the crossing sword lights formed the shape of the Big Dipper, aimed precisely at the four figures just a dozen steps away.

Scorpion acted first, gripping his serrated machete, ready to block head-on. Red Lizard, Fire Serpent, and Violet Centipede projected bursts of energy, forming twisted shields before them.

“How ridiculous. You don’t run, but think you can resist? When the years’ dust is gone, you—mere ants—are not worthy to know what comes next—”

With a sweep of his sleeve, the seventy-three sword points above seemed to come alive, flying forth.

The first sword struck—the energy shield trembled.

The second added—the shield cracked like glass.

The third—shattered it.

Countless blades of energy poured in, and the three were pierced through like sieves. Scorpion, trying to resist, barely raised his hands before blood welled from his brow, and his serrated machete snapped apart.

“Oh, one more!” Noticing Azure Toad still fighting Li Shu inside, Su Dingfeng flicked his finger, sending a sword of light speeding through and impaling him.

Azure Toad spat blood and collapsed in a pool of red.

Li Shu, sweating profusely, was stunned. “Good heavens!”

Wu Yuanheng’s face twitched. This, he thought, was truly a prodigy—no wonder the head of Bashan Sword Sect personally chose him as a disciple.

Princess Changning only opened her mouth in shock, showing little emotion, then ran over to kick the lifeless Scorpion. “Bastard! For killing Xiaolian! For killing Xiaolian!”

Chen Chang’an emerged from behind Wu, dusting off his spotless clothes, adjusting his hair and face. Though his vision was too poor to take in the splendor of the swordplay, it did nothing to diminish his respect for his brother-in-law’s strength.

In three words: utterly remarkable!

Su Dingfeng turned, raising his brows at Chen Chang’an. “Well? Was it impressive?”

Without hesitation, Chen Chang’an shot back, “I’m blind—I couldn’t see!”

Su Dingfeng was speechless.

Just as everyone was quietly relieved, two figures dropped from the sky, moving with uncanny, curved steps, heading straight for Princess Changning, who was gleefully kicking Scorpion’s corpse.

“Watch out!” Li Shu cried, charging forward. But after only three steps, two bursts of blood erupted from his waist and he fell.

Wu Yuanheng screamed, “Protect the princess!”

Over ninety men from the Three Bureaus moved at the command—only to feel, with the sound of firecrackers exploding inside them, their organs swelling and rupturing under irresistible force.

“Damn, it’s the Butcher! Protect the princess—not me, protect me!” Chen Chang’an dashed toward Su Dingfeng.

The two figures reached Princess Changning. One was a man with eagle talons fitted to his arms, the other a priestly figure—Master Fenyang.

With a chop, Fenyang knocked Changning unconscious, then raised his palm toward Su Dingfeng, voice cold as ice. “You plan to protect him?”

Su Dingfeng’s brows rose. “You plan to kill him?”

“Hmph!” Fenyang’s face was expressionless. “If nothing had gone wrong, we’d have quietly learned the secret of the tung oil paper from the princess. But because of him, I must use force—take her away and extract it by any means!”

“So tell me—can I not kill him?”

“No room for negotiation, then!” Su Dingfeng slashed with his sword.

The sword light struck Fenyang, but was stopped by an invisible wall of force, vanishing without a trace.

With a crack, Fenyang’s fingers clenched. Several meters away, Su Dingfeng suddenly doubled over in pain, dropping to one knee, gasping, his bones twisting under pressure, his organs slowly tearing apart.

“My Butcher’s Art—unless countered by the innate quality of the Original Technique of Compassion, only a seventh-rank warrior of the Life and Death Realm, a Confucian Sage who knows fate, a Buddhist Vajra, a Daoist of the Boundless Realm, or a cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage could resist!”

“Su Dingfeng, you’re just a mid-stage innate—what can you do?”

He twisted his face into a savage grin, increasing the pressure. Blood mist burst from Su Dingfeng’s body.

And just as the Butcher was about to rip the white-robed swordsman apart, a silver spear crashed down from above like a river of starlight, stabbing three feet into the ground and sending cracks radiating outward.

Atop the spear stood a woman in shining silver armor, her long ponytail flowing, proud and imposing.

With hands clasped behind her back, she looked down on all below, her voice ringing clear over the Princess’s Residence. “I am a seventh-rank Life and Death Realm warrior, and possess the Original Technique of Compassion—innately able to restrain your Butcher’s Art!”

“Can he be protected, or not?”