Chapter 128: Murderous Intent Emerges

Outside, the wind began to howl, and the rain fell in torrents.

The people gathered in this room appeared to be mere strangers brought together by a twist of fate and the sudden downpour. Yet, Jiang Chen sensed something unusual beneath the surface. It was a murderous aura deliberately concealed, but these subtle anomalies could not escape his notice.

"Are you going to get some rest as well?" Jiang Chen asked Shen Xueying in a casual, indifferent tone.

The sharp-witted woman immediately grasped the hidden meaning in his gaze. She replied languidly, "I am indeed quite tired. I don't think this rain will stop anytime soon, so I might as well get some sleep."

"I have no desire to travel through this rain and soak my clothes."

Shen Xueying’s words expressed a clear dissatisfaction with being trapped in this house, much like a pampered young lady of a wealthy family—a facade designed to lower the guard of those around her.

As Shen Xueying walked to the bedside where Lan Hui lay and leaned against the side to feign sleep, Jiang Chen turned his back to the strangers, savoring the fragrant, charred soy-sauce pancake he had been roasting. In truth, he had other clever uses for this snack, but the timing was not yet ripe to put them into practice; selling it as a simple breakfast would be a waste of its true potential.

Just as he was focused on enjoying his food, a faint sound drifted from behind him—the subtle scrape of cold iron. Because the noise was so slight, it was impossible to pinpoint which of the strangers it had come from.

The killing intent began to manifest more clearly. It seemed the assailant felt the current situation provided the perfect window for a strike.

"May I ask where you all are from, and where you are headed?" Jiang Chen asked without turning his head. The old man and the woodcutter acted as if they hadn't heard him; neither offered a reply.

*Clang!*

A sharp blade left its sheath, thrusting directly toward the center of Jiang Chen’s back. This strike had been long-prepared, aimed precisely at his vital point. A single piercing blow would be enough to defy even the gods’ ability to save him.

Yet, just as the sword hissed through the air like a viper striking, Jiang Chen’s silhouette seemed to flicker and shimmer in place. The blade plunged into nothingness, missing its mark entirely.

The rapid sword technique cut through the air with a whistling sound. Jiang Chen had already turned to face his opponent. The person holding the longsword, now openly radiating killing intent, was none other than the seemingly harmless old man.

"Old man, we seem to have no grievances between us. Why try to kill me?" There was no surprise on Jiang Chen’s face, though he was genuinely curious about the man’s true objective.

The opponent did not answer. He glanced sideways, and suddenly, the woodcutter struck. However, his target was not Jiang Chen, but Shen Xueying, who sat by the bed, and Lan Hui, who lay upon it.

The woodcutter hurled his felling axe, aiming to finish off Shen Xueying first. His intent became glaringly obvious: he was after Lan Hui.

Jiang Chen quickly pieced it together. It seemed these two had been targeting Lan Hui all along, only holding back until now because he and Shen Xueying were nearby. Now, the dagger had finally been revealed from the map.

"What are you waiting for? Kill one of them first!" the old man roared.

The woodcutter’s axe was less than half an inch from Shen Xueying, but to their shock and disappointment, she appeared entirely oblivious to the danger. In reality, she had been gathering her strength in secret. As she extended a slender, fair index finger and lightly tapped the blade of the axe, the weapon struck as if it had hit an iron plate, recoiling and flying off into the distance.

Shen Xueying had merely been closing her eyes to rest, waiting for them to make the first move. The tacit understanding between her and Jiang Chen was remarkable; a single glance was all they needed to communicate.

The woodcutter’s ambush had failed. Even after his axe was sent spinning away, he did not cease his charge toward Lan Hui. Yet, he would not succeed so easily. Shen Xueying quickly positioned herself between Lan Hui and the woodcutter, forcing him to get through her first if he wanted any chance at his target.

"Damn it, move aside!" The woodcutter had assumed the beautiful woman would pose little trouble for his mission, but once the blades crossed, he realized this hurdle was not so easily overcome.

On the other side, Jiang Chen’s unfathomable skill kept the old man pinned down. Although the old man’s sword transformed into a flurry of countless glints, shrouding Jiang Chen in steel, the latter dodged the treacherous paths of the blade with ease, rendering every attack futile.

"Now I finally know who you are," Jiang Chen stated with absolute certainty. "The people of the Profound Flame Mansion are so concerned for their comrades—are you not afraid that one day, the same fate will befall you?"

The old man grinned. "We are no comrades of Geng Ji. He knew well that his identity and his actions were a path of no return, yet he insisted on entangling himself in romantic sentimentality. Did he think he could live the life of a normal man?"

"If you must blame someone, blame his utter stupidity for allowing himself such a fatal weakness. No matter how fearless a person may be, once they possess a weakness, they are as fragile as a straw man."

"That is why we have come to sever his attachments and seal this weakness for him."

The old man’s words seemed logical enough, but Jiang Chen had no intention of letting them succeed.

As the two stood in a standoff, a figure suddenly flashed behind Jiang Chen with blinding speed, unleashing a terrifying, lethal strike. This surprise attacker was none other than the old man’s simple-minded, deaf-mute grandson.

Of course, by this point, no one believed they were truly grandfather and grandson. The man was indeed deaf and mute, but his martial prowess was formidable.

Jiang Chen crossed his arms to shield his chest, blocking the attack just in time, though the sheer force of the blow still drove him back.

Shen Xueying shouted to him, "The Profound Flame Mansion secretly raises a legion of assassins and death warriors. Their strength is not to be underestimated. You should start taking this seriously."

The two men facing Jiang Chen revealed expressions of astonishment. Had Jiang Chen not even shown his true ability yet?

In truth, all three of them were highly skilled. They had long realized that the man and woman guarding Lan Hui were not easy targets, which was why their actions had been so meticulously planned. They had aimed to eliminate Jiang Chen and Shen Xueying in one fell swoop, yet they had achieved nothing, which put them under significant pressure. Hearing Shen Xueying’s words only deepened their suspicion of Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen’s lips curled into a slight smile. "Miss Shen, you are really stirring up trouble for me."