Chapter 3 - Sky Assassin

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Still, there was no response from Ma Rulong. If it were other people, even if they hadn't run away, they would definitely have vehemently protested their innocence. But he hadn't. He just calmly stood there, as if this had nothing to do with him whatsoever.

He didn't protest his innocence. Was it because he knew that this matter was undefendable?!

He didn't run away. Was it because he knew that no one could run away from the three people in front of him?!

The Merciless Monk had been standing there calmly, his face expressionless. Only now he began to talk, "It seems like I've heard someone saying that the Five Tigers Door Breaking Saber is the world's best saber technique, and so there is no saber under the sky he doesn't know about."

Peng Tianba said, "You definitely heard it. There is no 'seem' about it."

Merciless Monk asked, "Who said it?"

"Of course, I did." Peng Tianba replied.

Merciless Monk said, "If you say so, then it must be so."

Peng Tianba said, "Even though I brag, I only brag to women, never to a monk." He laughed and continued, "Bragging to a monk is like playing music to a cow, it's all useless."

Merciless Monk didn't get mad, nor did he joke about it. His face remained cold and emotionless. He said, "That man in black just now wanted to kill you with his saber strike. That strike must have been his best technique."

Peng Tianba said, "In such a situation, he certainly would use the best skill he got."

"It seems like you said that there was no saber technique under the sky you didn't know about," said Merciless Monk.

"I did," said Peng Tianba.

Merciless Monk asked, "To which sect did his saber technique belong?"

Peng Tianba said, "Don't know." His answer was really straightforward. People in Jianghu all knew that the current head of the Five Tigers Door Breaking Saber was the most straightforward person.

Merciless Monk kept on asking, "You really don't know?"

Peng Tianba replied, "'Don't know' means 'don't know.' How could there be anything more?"

"You don't know but I do," said Merciless Monk.

Obviously Peng Tianba was very surprised. He slipped, "You do?"

Merciless Monk said, "'I do' means 'I do.' There's nothing more to it."

Peng Tianba laughed and asked, "To which sect did his saber technique belong?"

"It was the Divine Death!" Merciless Monk replied.

Divine Death!

Peng Tianba asked, "I still don't understand. What is this Divine Death?"

"Go undress him and take a look," replied Merciless Monk.

On the chest of that man in black, there were nineteen bright red characters. Was it tattooed with red cinnabar or blood?

It read, "Sky gives all things to man, man never gives anything to sky, Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!

Kill!

Peng Tianba asked, "This is the Divine Death?"

"Right," said Merciless Monk.

"Too bad I still don't get it," said Peng Tianba.

Merciless Monk explained, "It is an assassin society. In this society, people kill for a living, and they kill for joy. So long as you've got money, whoever you want them to kill, they will kill that person for you.

Peng Tianba asked, "How do you know?"

"I pursue them. I've been pursuing them for five years," replied Merciless Monk.

"How do you pursue them?" Peng Tianba asked again.

Merciless Monk replied, "I pursue their base, their leaders, and their lives!" Then he blandly continued, "He who kills will be killed. They've murdered countless victims. If they don't die, where is justice?!"

"You haven't found them?" Peng Tianba asked.

"No, I haven't." Merciless Monk replied.

Peng Tianba said, "But one day you will find them. If not, even in death you won't let them go."

"Right," said Merciless Monk.

The sky turned dark, cold winding cutting like a knife. Peng Tianba bent over and covered the body of that man in black with his coat, looking as if he feared that the man in black would be cold. A dead person certainly couldn't feel cold.

Had the man in black still lived, he would have frozen to death. Peng Tianba didn't have to do this. However, people were always benevolent towards the dead. This was because everybody had to die, and they hoped that others would be nice to them when it was their turn. Anyhow, as Peng Tianba pulled up the coat, something fell down.

It was a piece of jade -- the rare of rares and the treasure of treasures. Jade was a thing of luck. Not only could it repel evil, but it would also bring prosperity and peace.

In an ancient tale, it was even said that jade could 'sacrifice' itself for its owner. That piece of jade given by Xiaowan had saved Qiu Fengcheng's life.

But this piece of jade actually wanted Ma Rulong's life. Because it was tied with a silk cord. The other end of that silk cord was attached to a gold medal. On one side of that gold medal was a horse. On the other side of that medal were four characters!

"Celestial Horse Galloping Sky"

This was the Hall of Celestial Horse's command emblem. And Ma Rulong was the hall leader's son.

How could the Hall of Celestial Horse's command emblem be found on this assassin's body? There was only one explanation. Ma Rulong must have used this piece of jade and the command emblem to pay the assassin to come here and kill people – Du Qinglian, Shen Hongye, Qiu Fengcheng, Jin Zhenlin, and the waiters and servant from the Jufeng restaurant.

But he couldn't have predicted that Qiu Fengcheng would not die and that Peng Tianba, Feng Chaofan, and the Merciless Monk would arrive at the scene. This was unexpected. Failure to kill was also unexpected. This was heaven's message to the killer!

Up until now nobody had said this person's name. Because this was a big matter. The deaths of Du Qinglian, Shen Hongye, and Jin Zhenlin would surely shake the martial world. More than that, it was extremely likely that there would soon be revenge killings among Jianghu's aristocratic families!

As soon as the killings started, they wouldn't end easily. Nobody knew how many innocent people would have to die.

With a grim expression, Feng Chaofan slowly said, "Now we should listen to what Ma Rulong has to say."

Without a word, Ma Rulong slowly took off his silver fox fur coat. Then he slowly said, "My third uncle got this from nighthunting in the mountain snow when he was young. It's my elder's article. I can't see it destroyed by my hand."

He handed the fox fur coat to Peng Tianba and said, "I know years ago your excellency and my third uncle were friends. I hope you can bring his article back to the Hall of Celestial Horse and give it to my third aunt.

With a sigh Peng Tianba said, "Third Brother Ma died young. I.. ..I will certainly return this for you."

Ma Rulong slowly loosened his bright, eye-catching long sword and gave it to the Merciless Monk.

He said, "This sword was originally given to my father by the head of Wudang. Shaolin and Wudang came down the same line. I hope you can return this sword to Wudang so it wouldn't fall into the wrong hands!"

"All right," said Merciless Monk.

Again, Ma Rulong took out a pile of silver certificates and goal leafs from his body and gave them to Feng Chaofan.

"Who do you want to give these to?" Feng Chaofan asked.

"Wealth has no original owner. You can give them to anybody," replied Ma Rulong.

Feng Chaofan paused and then continued, "I will give them away to help people on your behalf. This is a good deed."

By now everybody had figured out that Ma Rulong was explaining to them what he wanted done after his death. Rarely would anybody deny a dying person's last wishes. They were holding items that Ma Rulong had given them with both hands, their hearts inevitably heavy.

With a deep sigh Ma Rulong muttered, "Now the only thing left is this horse."

His white horse was still tied to a bare plum tree on the other side. It was a well-trained, famous colt. And just like its master, even in danger, it would still be calm as if nothing happened. Ma Rulong walked over and unfastened the rope. He gave the horse a gentle slap on its rump and said, "Go!" The white horse neighed softly and jogged off.

Ma Rulong turned around and faced Feng Chaofan. He said, "Right now I've only got one thing to say."

"Say it," said Feng Chaofan.

Ma Rulong coldly said, "Now you all chase me!"

Having said this, his body sprang up like an arrow and flipped in midair. His white horse had jogged off in small steps but then gotten faster, and by now it was twenty, thirty feet away. Ma Rulong exerted his whole body strength, displaying the Celestial Horse Galloping Sky lightness skill. This kind of lightness skill used up the most energy. But by the time his chi energy decined, he'd already caught up with his horse. This was an incomparably fast horse. Right now its body was hot, running at its top speed. Ma Rulong jumped on the horse, and it let out a long neigh. They moved like a dragon. Both the rider and the horse were pure white, and so was the earth.

Feng Chaofan and Peng Tianba moved to pursue, but in their hands they were holding the gold leafs and the fox fur coat that Ma Rulong had given them. By the time they felt how ridiculous it was, the rider and the horse had already disappeared into whiteness. Feng Chaofan stamped his feet, and that pile of gold leafs dropped to the ground. He said, "I'm really a pig."

The sky turned darker. The wind got colder, cutting like a knife. But Ma Rulong's face actually looked like it would burst in flame – flame of fury! This was because he knew himself that he didn't kill anyone. And he absolutely didn't poison the wine.

It was too bad that, except himself, no one would believe that he was innocent. He understood this. Therefore, he left.

He certainly didn't care about death. A battle to death with these people who called him a murderer would be a delight. But if he died in their hands, this injustice could never again be rectified. If he would die, he had to die cleanly and frankly. He swore to himself – when this matter came to light, all truths revealed, he would seek them out and fight them to death.

Who was the real murderer? Who put poison in the wine? Who hired the Divine Death?

He had no clue whatsoever.

Whoever it was, one thing was clear. This was an extremely evil and ruthless person. The plan was thorough and flawless. Right now he couldn't say whether he would be able to uncover this plot and find the real culprit, nor did he know where to start. But he knew this -- as long as he couldn't find that person, he was the perpetrator in the eyes of the world.

If Feng Chaofan, Peng Tianba, and the Merciless Monk of Shaolin said that a certain someone was a murderer, no one in Jianghu would ever doubt their words. No matter where he went, there would definitely be people trying to kill him. He couldn't bring this mess home with him either. People would reveal his whereabouts. Really, there was no place to go, and nowhere to turn.

If it were others in his situation, they would have quickly given up living and sought death. But he didn't care. He believed that the world was big, and there would always be somewhere for him to go. He trusted that the god was almighty, seeing all and knowing all. One day he would uncover this scheme and find the real culprit. He had faith in himself. There was not a single cell in his body that he didn't trust. Compared to other people, his hands were more powerful, his mind more alert, his eyes and ears sharper.

At the moment, he'd already heard something that other people couldn't possibly hear. It sounded like a cry but it was also weak, like a whimper. Then he noticed a mop of hair. Although the sky was dark, the jet black hair was such a contrast with the white snow, and so it caught his eyes.

If it were other people passing through here, they would probably have seen this bunch of hair. But they definitely couldn't have seen this person. This person's whole body was buried in snow and ice, and only half of that pale face was revealed. By the time this half-face image flashed before his eyes, the swift horse had already flown past. Ma Rulong didn't stop. He was busy living.

Known for his lack of mercy, the Merciless Monk certainly wouldn't let him go, and right now he was probably already very close. If those people caught him, there certainly wouldn't be another opportunity for him to escape. He certainly couldn't stop for a stranger who was already about to freeze to death.

But that person was not dead yet. Why bothered being self-important? Ma Rulong was a self-important person, extremely arrogant.

The jet black hair was all iced up, and not a trace of pink was seen on that bluish pale face. This person was indeed a living miracle. – If buried in snow and ice like this, wouldn't many people have frozen to death?

It was said that women had the strength to endure hunger, cold, and pain, and that they were stronger than men. This person was a woman. She was very young, but not pretty. In fact, she was ugly -- frighteningly ugly. Under her nose were fat, thick lips like those of a pig. On top of that, she had a pair of mousy eyes and absolutely no color on her round face. This girl looked just like a crudely made porcelain doll that had been ruined in the kiln while baking.

Although right now she was still alive, it would be very difficult for her to survive. If there were a cup of wine, a bowl of hot soup, and a very good doctor, she might make it. What a pity there was none of those things right now.

Ma Rulong's own clothes weren't enough to protect him from the cold, and he might not be able to save even his own life. He knew full well that now was the time to drop this incomparably ugly stranger and walk. Instead, he actually took off the only piece of clothes that remained dry on his body and wrapped her in it. Then he held her tightly, using his body heat to warm her up.

The saddest thing in a man was stupidity, and the worst thing that could happen to a woman was ugliness. Ugly women were usually pitiful. Ma Rulong not only didn't drop her because she was ugly, he also sympathetized with her. As long as he still breathed, he couldn't just let her freeze to death like a wild dog. But he didn't know where to take her. Right now he didn't own a thing, and he had nowhere to go.

By now the sky had become black. Not only did winter nights come very early, they were always long.