Chapter Seven: Disappearance

“Hahaha...” Qin Shuang threw back her head and laughed. The strength of the Twelve Fiends of Tianchi was roughly on par with Bu Jingyun and Nie Feng at this moment, certainly worthy of being called experts. Yet Qin Shuang still did not take them seriously, especially since there were only two of them.

“Of course, there’s no blame!” Who would blame a dead man, after all?

As soon as she finished speaking, Qin Shuang lifted her leg and walked away. No one expected the proud leader of Tian Shuang Hall to retreat without a fight.

In the blink of an eye, Qin Shuang had left Tian Shuang Hall, with her brothers Wuzou and Wudao hurriedly following behind.

Qin Shuang quickly stepped out of the Tianxia Society, just as she had anticipated—none of the usual guards or undercover agents were present. It was clear this was a probe arranged by Xiongba. A smile curled at the corner of Qin Shuang’s lips as she walked briskly.

This was precisely the opportunity Qin Shuang had been waiting for to seize the inheritance of the Mud Buddha.

After a while, Qin Shuang had to halt her steps. Gazing at the person before her, along with a pack of dogs, the name on the tip of everyone’s tongue was unmistakable: “Dog King!”

“Heh heh... that’s me!”

A pack of dogs, their eerie eyes gleaming in the dark, sent chills down the spine of any onlooker.

As they exchanged words, Wuzou and Wudao caught up, and the three of them, along with the dogs, encircled Qin Shuang.

“It’s said that Nie Feng, leader of the Divine Wind Hall, possesses unparalleled lightness skill, earning the title ‘God of the Wind.’ But I think the leader of Tian Shuang Hall’s lightness skill is no less than Nie Feng’s!”

Wuzou’s tone was somewhere between admiration and mockery. As assassins, and among the elite Twelve Fiends of Tianchi, their lightness skill was naturally rare in the world, allowing them to keep pace with Qin Shuang’s speed.

“Since we are assassins, there’s no need for many words! Killing comes with the awareness of being killed!”

Qin Shuang’s voice remained as calm as ever, yet such serene words sent a chill through the hearts of those present.

“Make your move!”

Qin Shuang’s jade-like hand raised slightly, signaling them to attack.

Wuzou and Wudao exchanged a glance before launching their assault. The Dog King took a defensive position, the dogs surrounding to prevent Qin Shuang’s escape.

Wuzou and Wudao’s coordination was flawless—one attacked high, the other low. Each strike aimed directly at vital points, each one a threat to life itself.

Though Xiongba’s intent was to test Qin Shuang, he never guaranteed her survival. After all, the Twelve Fiends of Tianchi only collaborated with Xiongba; they weren’t obligated to follow him blindly.

Qin Shuang moved like a sailboat on the sea, effortlessly evading the relentless onslaught at the last possible moment.

“Is the proud leader of Tian Shuang Hall only good at dodging?” The Dog King jeered, noticing the predicament of Wuzou and Wudao.

Though launching the attacks, Wuzou and Wudao were caught in a sea of overwhelming waves—though they were the crests, the undercurrents pulled them uncontrollably. Their seemingly endless assaults bore no threat to Qin Shuang.

Like watching a martial arts performance, both sides’ moves were the result of countless rehearsals.

The Dog King attempted to use words to force Qin Shuang from defense to offense, hoping to expose a flaw and allow Wuzou and Wudao to break free.

Wuzou and Wudao, trapped within the scheme, still hoped for the Dog King’s intervention, but the Dog King saw more clearly.

Joining the fray would only drag him into the turbulent waves. Qin Shuang’s skill in using opponents’ strength against them had reached a realm where numbers alone couldn’t prevail.

“Do you want to see my attack?” Qin Shuang still had the breath to speak, while Wuzou and Wudao were drenched in sweat, though the attackers, they dared not pause for even a moment. The assassin’s instinct told them: to stop was to die.

Such a spine-tingling sense of death was only experienced when pursued by the Sword Saint. Could Qin Shuang, so young, already possess the Sword Saint’s cultivation?

Hearing Qin Shuang’s announcement of attack, Wuzou and Wudao exchanged another look. Wuzou launched a full assault while Wudao took on all defense.

Qin Shuang faced the fierce attacks aimed at her vital points. With a slight movement of her palms, she deflected their force, then unleashed a tremendous wave of energy she had been gathering.

Wudao followed closely, doing his utmost to shield Wuzou.

The first clash of their moves sent sprays of blood flying. Yet Wudao did not even frown; his hands, with protruding knuckles, exerted three times more force.

Qin Shuang had to yield, taking advantage of their force to retreat, as the Dog King advanced from behind and Wuzou adjusted his stance.

“Ha! Tianchi assassins, not much after all!” Qin Shuang chuckled lightly, showing utter contempt for Wuzou, Wudao, and the Dog King.

“It’s said that the Tian Shuang Fist is unrivaled, yet the world underestimates you, Qin Shuang. Your skill of using opponents’ strength against them—if you don’t apprentice under the Tai Chi Masters, it would be a shame!” The Dog King spoke while repositioning himself, wary of Qin Shuang’s next move.

Qin Shuang watched as the Dog King, protected by the pack, slowly moved to one side with Wuzou and Wudao, working together to guard against her.

“No need to panic, three of you! Since I didn’t kill with the last move, I have no intention to strike again—for now...”

Qin Shuang sneered at the three.

“The defeated must accept the fate of the defeated!”

The three exchanged a glance, and the strongest among them, the Dog King, spoke up. “What conditions does the leader propose?”

Tianchi assassins were shameless by nature, or they would have long perished at the Sword Saint’s hands. Having witnessed Qin Shuang’s strength, they cared little for her mockery if it meant survival.

As long as they outlived their opponent, they could someday stand over their graves—if such graves existed.

Surviving this ordeal meant leaving Qin Shuang to deal with Xiongba. With such fine disciples under him, Xiongba would surely feel uneasy.

This was the unspoken thought among the three as they exchanged looks. As for gathering all the Twelve Fiends of Tianchi to regain face—forget it. For such masters, it was normal to drag a few down before dying. Who could guarantee it wouldn’t be themselves?

“I accidentally injured Brother Wudao just now, my apologies. As the saying goes, injuries to muscles and bones take a hundred days to heal. Why not retire quietly and recover, staying out of sight?”

Qin Shuang revealed her true intent. Three months would be enough to obtain what she desired and undergo a transformation in strength.

Though she wasn’t particularly afraid of Xiongba now, she still had to be wary of the hidden boss behind him—Xu Fu.

“So simple?”

The Dog King and the others exchanged another look, somewhat incredulous.

“Exactly that simple. What do you say?”

Qin Shuang did not really care whether they would comply. If they did, all the better; next time she met them, she would give them a lesson.

If not, she would turn the Twelve Fiends of Tianchi into ice sculptures and display them at the Tianxia Society.

“Aren’t you afraid we’ll go back on our word?”

As the three turned to leave, the Dog King looked back and asked.

“Before the time comes, if you appear, do you think you can hide it from me? I’m sure you wouldn’t want to see me angry, would you?”

Qin Shuang waved her hand, motioning them to leave quickly.

From then on, Qin Shuang and the three Fiends vanished from the martial world. Neither the Tianxia Society could track Qin Shuang’s whereabouts, nor could Xiongba find the three Fiends.