Chapter 56: Surprise!

Upon hearing what Wang Hao did, Fang Lin just sighed in exasperation. He patted Yao’er’s head as he praised her.

“You did good Yao’er. I’ll give you some candies tomorrow.”

“Un! Master is the best!” Yao’er was back in her high spirits as she melded back with Wang Hao’s shadow.

“Geez, master really have the penchant for surprises. But sect mission huh? Should I also try to get one? Well who cares, I need to win first!” Fang Lin then slept as a preparation for the incoming Group Finals tomorrow.

……….

The next morning.

Fang Lin, Tang Ya and Venomshade have all met-up outside Fang Lin’s house. Upon seeing Fang Lin, Tang Ya slightly averted her eyes, clearly remembering all the awkward happenings the last night. Fang Lin was similarly embarrassed too.

Venomshade saw this strange behavior of the two. He could not help but smile as he saw that these youngsters were clearly going through some sort of love situation.

“Hehehehe…. Would you stop that awkwardness for now? We still have a match to win!”

Upon hearing Venomshade’s encouragement, Fang Lin and Tang Ya shook all their lingering thoughts. All of them walked together as they went towards the arena.

Upon arriving in the arena, they saw Lin Xiang’s team also waiting outside. Fang Lin wanted to greet them, but then he saw the grave expressions on the faces of Lin Xiang, Tao’er and Yue’er. So he just kept his mouth shut and went inside the arena.

“Strange, why do they have those very serious expressions? It was not as if winning or losing this battle will be fatal to them?” Fang Lin mused this to himself while walking with his teammates. “Well, they are assassins, so maybe they just want to not lose because of their pride.”

Fang Lin then put the matter at the back of his head as he and his team went at the middle of the arena. Once arriving there, Lin Xiang’s team also appeared. They met face to face at the center, while Chu Yang approached them.

“The final match between Lin Xiang’s Group versus Fatty Lin’s Group shall start now!”

Tao’er and Yue’er immediately rushed towards Tang Ya and Venomshade, who have been prepared for this kind of attack.

“So even your angels want you to fight me alone huh?”

“Of course. I wanted to see your power by myself.” Lin Xiang then discarded the bow he was carrying on the ground. He then drew two 3-feet long knives from his back. He swished both of them with his hands, as his own shadow essence mingled with the surroundings.

“Here I go!

Even though Lin Xiang could not yet completely shadow meld like Yao’er, he was still able to increase his speed by covering his body with the shadow essence. Since he was at the Peak Mana Circulation Stage with the shadow essence, as long as his body has some traces of the shadow essence, he can link it with the shadows at the surroundings to improve his movements.

He disappeared in a blur. The next moment that Fang Lin realized that he disappeared, Lin Xiang already appeared in front of him, with his knives slashing towards Fang Lin’s throat. But before Lin Xiang’s knives could hit him, Fang Lin dodged his slashes with his eyes closed!

“Hmmm… so you have used your qi to sense your surroundings huh. I am definitely impressed by that. I only managed to do that after going through countless life-death battles. You really have a good talent.” Lin Xiang’s eyes looked happy as he saw Fang Lin capabilities.

Is it hard to sense with qi? Of course it is! The cultivator must constantly send out qi waves on his surroundings. The practitioner then must analyze the reflection of these waves in order to make out his/her surroundings. This walks on the similar principle as echolocation.

Sensing with qi is very useful in combat. Since qi is everpresent in a cultivator’s body, any reflection from these qi waves does need to be read by the brain. The body itself, which had been filled with qi will automatically react. This then leads to an instantaneous movement from sudden attacks.

“Hahaha! Let’s dance with my knives as the conductor!”

Fang Lin has no choice but to dodge at this situation. True, he can also attack now, but that will cost him to be attacked by Lin Xiang too. Since Fang Lin preferred to be in a good condition in combat, he chose to just dodge Lin Xiang’s attacks.

Fang Lin will just wait for Lin Xiang to tire and have an opening. Once Fang Lin sees that opening, he will immediately strike. Fang Lin was sure that Lin Xiang’s defense is not enough to endure Fang Lin’s attack.

Lin Xiang realized what Fang Lin was planning to do, so he increased the speed and frequency of his attacks, hoping to catch Fang Lin off-guard.

While Fang Lin was busy dodging Lin Xiang, the situation with the other fighters were quite different.

Instead of being the aggressor, the assassin twins were on the defensive now. They continuously dodged Tang Ya’s broadword attacks and Venomshade’s poison vials.

Upon seeing this, Fang Lin felt a slight unease. It was as if their opponents were leading them to something.

“Is it me or are you stalling for time?” Fang Lin asked as he narrowly dodged another one of Lin Xiang’s attacks. “I feel like you three are not serious in fighting us.”

“Hahaha to tell you the truth, we are currently doing our job now.” Lin Xiang replied with a smirk.

“A job?” Fang Lin’s heart went cold as he heard Lin Xiang say it. He then remembered what Lin Xiang said to him in their last meeting.

“An assassin hates those who interferes.”

“No!” Fang Lin tried to reach out to Tang Ya and Venomshade but Lin Xiang blocked his way.

“Leaving already? That’s no good!” Fang Lin had no way to get out of Lin Xiang’s ferocious attacks.

While Fang Lin was desperately trying to escape from Lin Xiang, the twins still continued their defensive approach on Tang Ya and Venomshade.

And while the two are dodging, they are also constantly moving towards the center of the stage. Tang Ya and Venomshade had to follow them.

They approached the center slowly but surely. Once Tang Ya and Venomshade passed by the center of the arena, a certain object on the ground suddenly moved.

It was Lin Xiang’s bow that he threw to the ground earlier.

The bow moved quickly that Venomshade and Tang Ya were not able to react. The bow pierced Venomshade’s back and went out of his left chest.

Venomshade let out massive amounts of blood as he fell on the ground, convulsing.

Upon seeing this, Fang Lin’s vision turned red.

“I will kill you!”

But before Fang Lin could let out his murderous attack, Lin Xiang said to Chu Yang,

“Team Lin Xiang surrenders.”

Chu Yang immediately jumped in to restrain Tang Ya who was crying and was desperately clawing towards the twins. As for Fang Lin, Chu Yang had to bind him with his aura to stop him from moving.

“Why?” Fang Lin could only ask Lin Xiang. Raw emotions of hatred and disappointment was evident on his voice.

“Because it was a job.” Lin Xiang said with a flourish of his hands. ” Someone commissioned a mission to kill someone named Venomshade, and we just accepted it.”

“Who?”

“Sorry I cannot tell you that! But if you ever want revenge, you can just look for us after this. Though it will be very hard to see us!” Lin Xiang and the twins then left the sect, seemingly with no intent of coming back.

Fang Lin just stared dully at the ground after that. He then heard Tang Ya’s voice on his ears. Her enchanting voice healed some of the cracks that formed on his heart.

“Venomshade still has a few minutes before…. he passes away. He wants to tell something to us privately.”

Fang Lin nodded as he and Tang Ya entered the tent where Venomshade resides. Upon seeing Venomshade, Fang Lin knew that there was no more hope for him. A bodily injury like this can be withstood by someone at the Second Stage. But at the First Stage? It was a miracle that Venomhsade could still talk now.

If the attack had been different than that, he could have been healed by other practitioners. But the bow contained traces of a powerful poison that even Venomshade’s body could not counteract. This poison strengthens at the presence of qi and mana.

This means that he cannot be healed through the use of qi or mana. But this kind of poison must be definitely expensive and hard to obtain!

Fang Lin then thought to himself “What kind of person wanted Venomshade to die with no hope for survival? Is seems like I have to ask him.”

Venomshade slowly looked towards Fang Lin. He used his hands, beckoning Fang Lin to come near him. Once Fang Lin was near, Venomshade put an object on Fang Lin’s palm.

It was a portrait of a beautiful girl. Her black, curly hair cascaded across her head. Her full lips and enchanting eyes just emphasized her beauty. She had a look on her face that makes you want to protect her.

“This girl is…..”

“She was the most important person in my life, my sister!” Venomshade coughed some blood as he said that. He grimaced as he continued. “I need you to look for her and take care of her. I cannot tell you of my past as of now, but I am sure you will know more about me in the future.”

He then smiled deprecatingly. “I always thought I will die alone in a secluded cave. I did not expect to die being watched by a beauty and a fatty.”

Fang Lin smiled sadly as he showed his real appearance.

“Damn! You are even more handsome than Wang Hao! Can you say goodbye to him from me? He had been a good friend of mine…………..”

“…………….”

Fang Lin let out a sad sigh. He then hugged Tang Ya tightly. She froze at first, but then she started crying miserably.

The great poison concoctor, Venomshade, has fallen.