Volume One: The Youngest Among Three Hundred Chapter Thirty-Four: The Bodhisattva Lowers Her Eyes

Mr. Fenyang and the man with eagle-like claws, both standing steady on the ground, looked up in shock at the words they had just heard. “You… Cao Wu, how do you know of these changes?”

“The barrier shrouding Princess Changning’s residence was arranged by me with a special formation. Even with your cultivation at the seventh rank, the Life and Death Realm, you would have to break through it first. There’s no way you could enter silently, is there?”

Cao Wu’s face was cold and unfeeling, her voice pure and clear. “There’s no need to break through—because from the start, I was already here.”

“What?” The eagle-clawed man staggered.

Chen Chang’an helped his gravely wounded brother-in-law, Su Dingfeng, to his feet, and then hid behind him, making a face. “Since I guessed what you were up to yesterday, of course I made thorough preparations. Otherwise, how would I dare to act?”

Mr. Fenyang, his long hair bound like a Daoist, forced down the twitch at the corner of his eye and slowly raised his hand. “Very well, very well. I have never failed so utterly before. To be outwitted by a blind woman—what a miserable feeling.”

“But, Cao Wu, you are hailed as the foremost heroine of the Nine Provinces, but I don’t believe in fate. The technique of Dominion need not always be checked by your Mercy for the World.”

The fear-stricken eagle-clawed man, hearing this, was suddenly filled with blind confidence. He leapt forward, his sharp claws striking toward the woman in silver armor who stood upright, spear in hand.

Cao Wu flicked her toe, and the silver spear embedded in the ground surged up, lifting chunks of paving stones, spinning three hundred and sixty degrees, righting itself as it landed in her grasp.

“Wearing a mask in broad daylight—how much do you have to hide?”

With a crisp rebuke, she vanished from where she stood and reappeared half a foot below and to the side of the eagle-clawed man, the tip of her spear flicking upward.

A deep groove tore open across his abdomen, spreading rapidly to his chest as blood spattered. He tried to cross his claws to block, but in a flash, the silver-armored woman darted like a ghost behind and above him.

She stretched her arms, gripping both ends of the long spear, one hand forward, one pressing back, bending the snow-white shaft into an arc, gathering force before releasing it with a thunderous crack onto the man’s spine.

“Aaah!”

With a scream, he crashed to the ground, shattering the stones into fragments and blasting a crater two meters across. He lay gasping, spitting blood, unable to move a muscle.

Mr. Fenyang dragged Princess Changning farther away, keeping his distance. He took a deep breath. “Excellent, truly worthy of the title ‘Foremost Heroine of the Nine Provinces’, and Deputy Commander of the Black-robed Guards.”

“But… I still wish to try!”

Waves of force exploded outward from him as the center. Mr. Fenyang aimed his palms at Cao Wu, unleashing his original art, Dominion, with full mental power. Wherever the force reached, bones ground against each other, organs roiled and boiled, and at its most intense point stood Cao Wu, clad in white armor, spear gleaming.

“In the face of the seventh rank, your original art at the Unity Realm is futile.”

She spoke calmly, raising her arms, the silver spear resting across her elbows. Concentrating her will, a vision gradually formed behind her—a robed Bodhisattva standing atop golden clouds, face sculpted and dignified, radiating sacred majesty, its gaze compassionate yet awe-inspiring.

Its posture and expression seemed to unite with Cao Wu herself as her starry brows lowered.

The Fifteenth Original Art: Great Mercy for the World.

Those tormented by Dominion’s agony were instantly released and freed, as if beneath the golden light there were no lusts or worries—only boundless joy. Li Shu, whose kidneys had exploded, was wholly restored. He opened his eyes and gazed up at the Bodhisattva’s form with pious sincerity.

Wu Yuanheng stood silent.

Su Dingfeng coughed dryly. “She’s practiced her original art to the Manifestation level—no wonder Master said she… Hmph, if she had such means, why didn’t she show up sooner?”

Even with his vision dimmed and blurred, Chen Chang’an could still see clearly the towering, magnificent vision behind Cao Wu.

“Cao Wu is a martial artist—why can she summon a Buddha image?” he muttered, betraying his ignorance.

Su Dingfeng hesitated before answering, “Martial artists are… a rather chaotic system. Once they awaken their original art, with understanding and training, they can manifest a body related to their art. This level is called Manifestation!”

“As long as it’s linked to the original art, they can form Buddhist Bodhisattvas and Arhats, Daoist Immortals, even legendary beasts or wonders of the Nine Provinces.”

Chen Chang’an’s heart quivered. “So martial artists are truly formidable beings.”

“Formidable my foot—how crude!” Su Dingfeng sneered.

“But you just complained she didn’t act sooner!”

“That’s another matter, don’t confuse the two.”

Chen let the matter drop and focused on the ongoing battle.

Mr. Fenyang roared, both palms thrust forward, wave after wave of rippling power surging forth. Yet under the Bodhisattva’s downcast gaze, all his power seemed pale and vanished without a trace.

“Pity the Nine Provinces, have mercy on the world!”

Cao Wu spoke, and the Bodhisattva behind her gently plucked a willow branch from the jade bottle, dipping it lightly. Instantly, bands of translucent light twisted through the air, crashing down upon Mr. Fenyang’s chest with unstoppable force.

At the same moment, an invisible power swept up Princess Changning from his grasp and carried her to safety.

Step by step, Mr. Fenyang staggered back, each footfall making the ground quake within a hundred meters, until at last he was hurled backward, smashing through a wall into a pile of ruins.

Chen Chang’an shouted, “Sister Wu, awesome! Quick, those two are the ones who kidnapped Her Highness at Sanyuan Temple last time—don’t let them go!”

At his words, Cao Wu dismissed the vision of Mercy, then flew to the crater, spear pointed at the eagle-clawed man. “Wearing a mask—what are you hiding?”

“Wait—stop!” Just as she was about to rip off his mask, Mr. Fenyang struggled up from the ruins and called out, “Deputy Commander Cao’s Mercy is indeed formidable, but… I beg you to show clemency today.”

Cao Wu’s coldly beautiful face was impassive. “You’ve done evil in Chang’an, even dared lay hands on a princess—do you really think you’ll leave here alive today?”

Mr. Fenyang was calm and confident. “I believe, Deputy Commander Cao, that you will let us go.”

As he spoke, he pulled from his belt a jade pendant, creamy white as if steeped in milk, and tossed it to Cao Wu. She caught it, her expression changing subtly as she asked through a soundless transmission, “Where did this come from? What is your connection to its owner?”

Mr. Fenyang smiled cryptically. “Deputy Commander Cao, will you let us go or not?”

She lowered her gaze from the jade pendant, her eyes icy. “Get out of here.”

“Many thanks!”

Mr. Fenyang bowed, fearing this valiant, silver-armored heroine might change her mind. He dragged the gravely wounded eagle-clawed man from the crater and left without a backward glance. Cao Wu watched until their figures vanished, her hand half-raised to strike before letting it fall.

Wu Yuanheng asked in confusion, “Deputy Commander Cao, why… why let the criminals go?”

Cao Wu saluted. “Don’t worry, Lord Wu, I have my reasons. Let’s first see if Her Highness is alright.”

Changing the subject, she dragged her spear along the ground, sending sparks flying, and hurried to Princess Changning, who was still unconscious. Two fingers pressed to her brow, channeling energy, and soon the princess awoke.

“Forgive me for arriving late, Your Highness!” Cao Wu knelt, spear upright.

Li Shu and Wu Yuanheng both knelt. “We failed to protect you, Your Highness—please punish us.”

Princess Changning rubbed her dry eyes and shook her head. “No harm done. As long as the bastard who killed Xiao Lian is dead, that’s all that matters. Oh, and what about those two? I remember the scoundrel who captured me at Sanyuan Temple was here as well.”

Li Shu and Wu Yuanheng were silent. Cao Wu answered, “Forgive me, Your Highness, I failed—they escaped.”

“Oh!” Changning’s eyes rolled, then she waved it off. “Never mind, those bastards are slippery anyway!”

She yawned and stretched her supple waist. “You all did well to solve the case—especially you, Chen Chang’an. As promised, what reward do you want?”

“Wait, where is Chen Chang’an?”

…

In the rear garden of the princess’s residence, the very place where Su Dingfeng had slaughtered dogs with his twin swords days before—

The white-clad swordsman once again stood, sword in hand, one foot upon the carved stone arch. He tossed Chen Chang’an, who he had dragged by the collar, to the ground and turned his face aside. “Case closed.”

Chen Chang’an dusted himself off and straightened up. “Yes, the case is solved—though it shouldn’t have been so quick.”

Su Dingfeng raised an eyebrow. “But you did solve it quickly!”

Chen Chang’an straightened his back. “Wasn’t I always quick?”

“Yes, very quick!”

“Well, if a person is quick in all things, luck will rarely desert him.”

“Bah!” With a flash of the sword, a tree toppled in the courtyard. The white-clad swordsman erupted in fury. “What I meant was—hurry up and tell me the full text of ‘A Gentleman’s Sharp Edge’! I’ve been hinting and hinting—can’t you take a hint?”