The high-ranking imperial confidant, who controlled the Brocade Guards of the Great Ming, Qian Ning, had died.
He was killed by a man who in a few years prior was unknown and whom he had never taken seriously, a man he could have easily crushed as if squashing an ant.
He died with regret and unwillingness, in disbelief.
But the deceased him did not know that, at the same time, several other people were even more shocked and found it more unbelievable than he did.
Pei Xuanjing had focused all his efforts on killing Qian Ning, disregarding the sneak attacks of Wang Zhi's group's swords, without any intentions to stop them.
So, even as they watched Qian Ning die in front of them, the three of them could only feel regret; knowing that today they would bring down Pei Xuanjing.
However, when their swords stabbed into Pei Xuanjing's back, the confident smiles on the three men's faces suddenly froze, replaced with shock and disbelief.
Thwack, thwack, thwack.
Their swords pierced through Jiang Bin's precious armor that was gifted to Pei Xuanjing, but what happened next completely contradicted their expectations.
Their swords only scratched the surface of Pei Xuanjing•s skin, without even reaching his muscles and bones.
"The Eighth Stage of Dragon Elephant Art."
"That's impossible!"
"I can't believe this."
Heavy shock painted the faces of the three men as they looked at Pei Xuanjing in disbelief.
The Eighth Stage of Dragon Elephant Art, this seemingly lost technique, was indeed unbelievable.
Such an almost lost technique was more than enough to rival the Buddhism School's "Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill".
However, traditionally, such demanding cultivation was a significantly time-consuming skill. Even for those with exceptional talents, they could only advance a little quicker than the average person.
This Pei Xuanjing in front of them was only in his early twenties. Even if he had started cultivating this technique in his mother's womb, it would still be impossible for him to have reached the Eighth Stage of the Dragon Elephant Art.
Therefore, the three men found it hard to accept at this moment.
Having killed Qian Ning, Pei Xuanjing had fulfilled one of his wishes.
Even though their swords penetrated his armor and lacerated his skin, only leaving three wounds due to his skill practice, not much blood seeped out.
However, after all, these were three first-class martial artists. No matter how strong Pei Xuanjing's physical body was, it was difficult for him to shake off the force of the three instantly, therefore inevitably suffering a slight injury.
However, despite being injured, Pei Xuanjing was unfazed, he turned round without hesitation and swung his sword again.
This time his target was Ding Yulong, the youngest and weakest among the three.
Upon seeing Pei Xuanjing's thunderous approach, Ding Yulong's face changed as he lamented in his heart.
He knew that the latter was aiming for the soft persimmon, but he was at a loss for words. Because he realized that if he were in Pei Xuanjing's shoes, he would make the same choice.
"Attack!"
He could only urge Wang Zhi and Bei Wenxuan to make their move.
At the same time, he himself wielded his weapon and met Pei Xuanjing's sword skills.
Naturally, Wang Zhi and Bei Wenxuan were unwilling to watch Ding Yulong being easily killed by Pei
Xuanjing. Because if one of them died, it would unquestionably mean the death of the rest.
The three men teamed up and fought against Pei Xuanjing.
Clang, clang.
The flash of swords and light interweaving, in a short while, they had already exchanged several moves.
A combat between first-class martial artists ruptured the atmosphere, the stone slabs on Long Street were shattered and flew in all directions.
The houses along the street, affected by the power of the fight, had their walls cracked and foundations collapsed.
It could be said that within dozens of feet in all directions, everything was a mess, resembling a ruin, with the site of the fight as its centre.
Although there were many Brocade Guards present, not even the second-class masters dared to join in.
Earlier, a second-class master thought he was strong and tried to intervene, but he was slapped and killed by Pei Xuanjing in just a few simple moves.
As a second-grade martial arts expert, engaged in combat with three first-grade martial artists for a long period of time without a clear outcome. This level of performance had already left many people astoundingly speechless.
However, Pei Xuanjing, who was in the midst of combat held a resigned feeling in his heart as the first-grade martial artists were not yet out of their tricks.
Actually, if he looked back on it, the two first-grade martial artists he had killed, whether it was Gong Xingqiu or the Southern Ghost Emperor, had initially underestimated his strength. He was able to kill them due to some opportunistic measures.
Otherwise, given the strength of these first-grade martial artists, even if they were unable to kill Pei Xuanjing, there is a great chance of escape when facing him. At least, killing them wouldn't be as simple as he had thought.
Just like now, the three men, deterred by Pei Xuanjing's consistently demonstrated strength, had no intention of fighting him; they just wanted to exhaust him.
The three men, although they had never fought together, were nonetheless experienced. Facing Pei Xuanjing as a team, they were able to handle both attack and defense with ease.
Futhermore, the three of them didn't aim to kill Pei Xuanjing immediately, instead they wanted to delay and entangle him. After all, they could wait for reinforcements, while Pei Xuanjing couldn't afford to wait.
"At this moment, the three of them intend to drag on the fight which is extremely unfavorable to me." Pei Xuanjing thought clearly.
Now, even though he seemed to be on top in the fight against the three of them, he was aware that if this delay persisted, whether it's the depletion of True Qi or Blood Qi, the situation would only worsen for himself.
Not to mention, within Xuanfu, there might be concealed first-grade martial artists.
Here in Xuanfu, this important military stronghold was heavily guarded. Once the news of him killing Qian Ning reached the emperor's ears, in his rage, the emperor might just send an army to hunt him down.
One must understand that although the Brocade Guards were known as the emperor's personal troops, they were more like a special intelligence agency, filled with martial arts masters rather than soldiers.
However, the soldiers in these important border towns could form battle formations. The power displayed by these soldiers when they formed battle formations was incomparable to the Brocade Guards.
Then, Pei Xuanjing might end up being worn down by an ever-increasing number of soldiers.
"So, the present priority is to act quickly, beat these three men and escape. Only then will I have the chance to leave. Once I have left this place, I am free to roam. There will definitely be opportunities to avenge today's losses." Pei Xuanjing thought to himself.
Being able to kill Qian Ning today, the chief culprit, in front of these people was already quite an achievement.
Looking at the current situation, it would be impossible to kill these three as well.
The best plan for now was to leave as soon as possible. Once he left Xuanfu City, he would be free to go anywhere.
Upon this thought, Pei Xuanjing carefully observed the three men, contemplating his next move.
His eyes hardened as he set his target in his mind..
"Your Excellency, disaster has struck!" Lin Qingyi knelt halfway in front of Jiang Bin, reporting.
Surrounded by countless Brocade Guards, even if Lin Qingyi were a master who had already reached the Third-grade Realm, it wouldn't be easy for him to leave.
However, the situation naturally changed after Pei Xuanjing killed Qian Ning.
Everyone knew there were two people among the Brocade Guards whom the Emperor trusted most, one was the late Commanding Officer Qian Ning, and the other was Commanding Officer Jiang Bin.
Qian Ning had originally allowed Lin Qingyi to relay information, intending to capture someone red-handed and conveniently trouble Jiang Bin.
However, Qian Ning had never expected that, under his heavy siege, not only did he not capture Pei Xuanjing, but instead got killed in the act.
With Qian Ning dead, many assumed the Commanding Officer of this imperial guard, aside from Commanding Officer Jiang Bin, would be no one else.
Given this line of thought, it was inevitable that someone would wish to curry favor and switch sides.
As a result, Lin Qingyi seized the chance to leave amidst the confusion and immediately reported everything that happened here to Jiang Bin.
Even though Jiang Bin was able to stand on an equal footing with Qian Ning in the Brocade Guards and naturally had many supporters, he was fully aware of the happenings here.
However, even if he understood the situation clearly, Jiang Bin could only feign ignorance due to his awkward predicament.
His attempt to win over Pei Xuanjing was a known fact.
Now that Pei Xuanjing's identity as a remnant of the Shenxiao Sect had been exposed, he found himself in a bind.
To aid Pei Xuanjing would be the equivalent of blatantly opposing the imperial court, which was courting death.
Yet if he didn't help, how would others perceive him?
While he may not care how others regard him, what he was more concerned about was the Emperor's opinion of him.
This Emperor was unique. Besides his royal status, he carried a hint of Jianghu spirit. If Jiang Bin really turned a blind eye, the Emperor would inevitably harbor resentment.
So, for Jiang Bin, the only thing he could do was to have Lin Qingyi relay the news, then stand by and observe.
"This situation is likely beyond retrieval now!" Jiang Bin'S expression darkened. He looked troubled as he spoke.
It could be said that he wasn't at all happy about Qian Ning's death or the possibility of him assuming the position of Commanding Officer. Instead, he felt the matter was getting trickier.
"That bastard Qian Ning, even in death, leaves trouble behind for me," cursed Jiang Bin furiously. Lin Qingyi didn't understand this and asked, "Your Excellency, what do you mean by that?" Jiang Bin sneered. "Do you think His Majesty really cares about the remnants of Shenxiao?" "The issue of the Shenxiao remnants is significant. How could His Majesty not…"
As Lin Qingyi was halfway through his sentence, he was interrupted. Jiang Bin laughed cynically, "How glorious was the Shenxiao Sect at its peak? Yet, it still fell in the end. Even if a Pei Xuanjing has appeared now, what could it possibly do?"
Jiang Bin saw it clearly. The Shenxiao Sect incident had occurred two hundred years ago. The reason for the continuous hunt for the remnants of Shenxiao was nothing more than the imperial court issuing a blatant warning to the Taoist School, Buddhism School, and other forces.
Both Pei Xuanjing and Lin Qingyi, as well as many others, had fallen into a misunderstanding.
They thought the Emperor would have a strong concern due to the magnified attention the initial situation had brought.
But even if Pei Xuanjing was incredibly talented and formidable, he was still far from the former glory of the Shenxiao Sect.
To the Emperor, who had witnessed the destruction of the Shenxiao Sect, what threat could a single Pei Xuanjing pose?
Only when he understood this did Jiang Bin have Lin Qingyi relay the information.
"However, now the situation has changed. The moment Mr. Pei killed Qian Ning, the Emperor's attitude towards the matter changed," Jiang Bin said, shaking his head.
From the Emperor's perspective, he could disregard the issue of the Shenxiao remnants. Even if Pei
Xuanjing took the opportunity to flee, as long as he stayed out of his sight, he didn't care in the least.
However, the moment Pei Xuanjing killed Qian Ning and spoke those words, it signified that the Emperor would inevitably be furious, as Pei Xuanjing's existence was now a clear challenge to imperial power.
As the protector of imperial power, the Emperor naturally couldn't allow Pei Xuanjing to continue living.
Jiang Bin glanced at Lin Qingyi and said indifferently, "At this time, the Capital Commanding Department troops should already be mobilized."
"Sir, does this mean Mr. Pei's death is certain?" Lin Qingyi's face showed a look of despair.
Generally speaking, he didn't want to see Pei Xuanjing meet such an end.
Jiang Bin shook his head: "I neither qualify nor dare to interfere with the mobilization of the Capital Commanding Department's troops."
Sighing, he said, "All I can do is give him a warning. If he wants to save his life, he must leave quickly, and not delay any further."
"Also, sir, Mr. Pei has asked me to do something," Lin Qingyi added.
Jiang Bin waved his hand: "If you've agreed to it, then do it. There's no need to tell me."
As Jiang Bin had guessed, even as he was speaking with Lin Qingyi, the garrison's troops had already been mobilized. The Metropolitan Commander of Xuanfu was personally leading a group of soldiers into Xuanfu City from outside the city. They only had one goal: to capture Pei Xuanjing.
Step, step…
A group of soldiers, led by the Metropolitan Commander, were rushing towards Pei Xuanjing's location.
However, since he resided in a bustling area of Xuanfu City, even after the nearby civilians had been evacuated, these large numbers of soldiers were still having trouble reaching the area quickly.
At this time, the backup plan Jiang Bin had left behind was evident.
This could be considered his final aid to Pei Xuanjing.
"My lords, we must keep this beast occupied. The Metropolitan Commander is leading his troops here. Once they arrive, this beast will surely be sentenced to death!" Among the Brocade Guards, suddenly someone shouted at the four individuals engaged in battle.
Upon hearing these words, the four individuals on the field had varied expressions.
Wang Zhi, and the other two, wore delighted faces.
Pei Xuanjing, who was awaiting an opportunity to exploit the trio's weaknesses, frowned. Even if he didn't understand the hidden message was from Jiang Bin, he knew he could not continue to delay, or else he would definitely die today.
At the right opportunity, Pei Xuanjing intentionally revealed a small flaw, to lure the others.
As he awaited Bei Wenxuan's strike, Pei Xuanjing didn't dodge or avoid, instead, he bravely took the hit.
The Embroidered Spring Knife cut through the clothes across Pei Xuanjing•s chest, leaving a long wound on his body.
However, simultaneously, Pei Xuanjing's Blood Qi erupted again. The Shenxiao Sword in his hand unexpectedly changed direction and pierced directly towards Bei Wenxuan.
With a soft "thump," Bei Wenxuan suffered a sword through the chest.
Although Bei Wenxuan didn't die thanks to the tremendous vitality of a First-grade martial artist, this blow inflicted a severe injury that greatly reduced his combat power.
Pei Xuanjing then took another step forward, his Shenxiao Sword once again came out, intending to kill Bei Wenxuan.
Wang Zhi and Ding Yulong on the side changed colors. They had been unable to keep Pei Xuanjing at bay even when the three of them teamed up. If he was truly allowed to kill Bei Wenxuan, both of them would be in danger.
Therefore, the two didn't dare to hesitate even for a moment and did their best to stop Pei Xuanjing..