Silencing the Witness

Han Li’s seven sub-blades had barely engaged the silver sword when he immediately felt the opponent’s strength.

With that single giant sword artifact, the burly man had completely suppressed all of the golden blades. The defensive golden net formed by the seven streaks of golden light was utterly routed under the savage charge of the silver giant sword, unable to trap it in the slightest. Instead, under the silver sword light’s assault, the light on the golden blades rapidly dimmed—a clear sign that they were on the verge of collapse. It seemed they would share the same fate as the girl’s silk handkerchief; it was only a matter of time.

But none of this surprised Han Li, who had already seen the silver sword’s power. His “Golden Cicada Mother-Child Blades” were merely average among top-grade artifacts in terms of power. Losing to the opponent’s silver sword was expected; there was nothing strange about it. So Han Li pointed a finger at the battle in the air, intending to detach two of the entangled golden blades and send them flying at the burly man. He would first probe the opponent’s defensive measures and see if there was any opening to exploit. After all, if a man died, what use was a powerful artifact?

But just as two streaks of golden light, under Han Li’s control, turned to fly toward the barefoot man, the opponent’s giant sword suddenly erupted with blazing silver light. Spinning rapidly around its hilt, it transformed in an instant into a massive silver disc. From the center of that silver disc, countless strands of suction force shot out, weighing down all nearby golden blades as if they carried a thousand pounds, rendering them unable to move an inch. Naturally, the two blades trying to leave were not spared either.

Seeing this, Han Li was stunned speechless. When he came to his senses and hurriedly looked toward the burly man across from him, he saw the man indeed making a strange hand seal, his hands dancing in a flurry like wheels as he gestured something.

Without a second thought, Han Li slapped his storage pouch. A blue flying knife and a golden flying cymbal flew out in haste, not lingering beside Han Li for a moment before shooting straight at the burly man.

Although the barefoot man from the Giant Sword Sect had not let up with his hands, he clearly saw Han Li’s movements. He sneered, suddenly changed his hand seal, freed one hand, and pointed it twice from a distance at the flying knife and golden cymbal coming his way.

Han Li immediately sensed that the two artifacts, which had been under his control, had lost all connection with him. With two sharp “whoosh” sounds, these two top-grade artifacts—separated by seven or eight zhang—were snatched through the air by the silver disc and forcibly sucked into its center.

Puff! Puff!

The moment they entered, the two top-grade artifacts were caught in the whirlpool of the rapidly spinning silver giant sword. Before they could last even a moment, they exploded into powder like smoke. The star-like fragments of the shattered artifacts rained down like a beautiful, unusual meteor shower.

Han Li’s mouth was bone-dry. He had never imagined the opponent’s technique and silver sword could be so wondrous. Not only was his “Golden Cicada Mother-Child Blades” trapped, but the two top-grade artifacts he had just sent out hadn’t even played the slightest role before being utterly destroyed. This truly unsettled him.

Another cracking explosion sounded. Han Li’s heart leaped, and his expression shifted dramatically as he looked again. Sure enough, of the seven original golden cicada sub-blades, only six remained. At the center of the silver disc, another radiant shower of golden star-fragments appeared. The silver disc, under the burly man’s control, was now methodically seizing the golden blades one by one and destroying them.

If the destruction of the top-grade artifacts by the silver sword had only made Han Li uneasy, then the loss of one golden blade truly pained him. This was a top-grade artifact! And because it was part of a set, losing even one would significantly reduce its power.

Grieved, Han Li did not hesitate. His right hand flipped over, and the small mirror he had obtained from the Many Treasures Woman appeared in his palm. He rapidly infused spiritual power into the mirror and aimed it at the sky. A stream of hazy green light sprayed out from the mirror’s surface, immediately forcing the silver disc—which had transformed from the silver giant sword—back into the giant sword’s original shape. It then trapped both the sword and the remaining golden blades alive within the green light, freezing them motionless in midair.

The barefoot man’s originally proud and manic expression vanished the instant he saw Han Li’s small mirror. His face changed dramatically as he cried out in shock:

“The Green Solidifying Mirror! How could that be in your hands? Wasn’t that the personal defensive artifact of the Moon-Masking Twin Jewels? Did you kill one of them?”

After speaking, the man stared at Han Li with an unbelieving gaze, as if Han Li had committed some heinous, heaven-defying act, which made Han Li’s skin crawl.

From the other’s tone, it seemed that possessing this top-grade artifact would bring him immense trouble. He couldn’t help but temporarily stop and listen to what the man might say.

“What do you mean? That woman wasn’t killed by me. I got it from a man named Feng Yue, who did kill her! Is there something wrong?” Han Li frowned, his expression not looking good.

“Heh heh, you go explain that to the grandmother of the Moon-Masking Twin Jewels! See if a Core Formation cultivator and elder of the Moon-Masking Sect will listen to the explanation of a mere Qi Condensation disciple like you!” The barefoot man sneered, mocking him.

Han Li’s heart sank heavily. If what the man said was true, this really couldn’t be explained away. He had no evidence to prove he wasn’t the killer, but the vicious woman’s artifact had fallen into his hands. It was very likely that the Moon-Masking Sect elder would not let go of this “murderer.”

“This trouble is really huge now.” Just thinking about having a Core Formation expert constantly plotting his life made Han Li’s mouth bitter, and he felt so stifled he wanted to vomit blood.

Truth be told, this was terribly unfair! Not only was the woman not killed by him, but his killing of Feng Yue had actually avenged her. Yet now, he was facing the prospect of being hunted down by a Core Formation cultivator. There was just no reasoning with it!

After all, crushing a Qi Condensation disciple like him was no different from crushing an ant. Why would that person trouble themselves to listen to his explanation? And his own sect, Yellow Maple Valley, would most likely not offend a Moon-Masking Sect elder for the sake of an unknown junior like him.

The more Han Li thought about it, the bleaker his prospects seemed—the consequences were dire. Could it be that once he left the forbidden land, he would have to flee far away, change his identity, and go into hiding in another country? Han Li truly couldn’t make up his mind.

The burly man watched Han Li’s dark expression clearly and couldn’t help but laugh loudly, taking pleasure in his misfortune.

Just as the barefoot man’s laughter grew louder and Han Li’s expression grew darker, a timid voice came from the side.

“Can’t we all just keep it secret and not tell anyone?”

The green-clad girl, who had heard everything clearly, hesitantly interjected.

“Keep it secret?”

Both Han Li and the burly man were momentarily stunned, then exchanged a strange glance. Suddenly, they both fell silent.

The girl’s next words were swallowed back by the strange atmosphere between the two. She could only stare with wide, rolling black eyes, not daring to speak again.

In the silence, Han Li suddenly clasped his hands behind his back and slowly paced back and forth, taking a few steps. The burly man, meanwhile, stared intently at every move Han Li made, his brow solemn and serious.

This stillness, which made one’s heart beat faster and faster, lasted for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. Finally, the barefoot man, his expression grave, broke the silence.

“I never thought a little girl would remind us. It seems the saying ‘the bystander sees more of the game’ is true. Now, you’re planning to silence us, aren’t you?”

“That’s right. If there were another way, I wouldn’t want to kill you, brother. Your sword-controlling art is truly marvelous and unparalleled. I have great respect for it.” Han Li sighed and finally stopped pacing, turning to face the man helplessly.

“I suppose swearing a poisonous oath wouldn’t be enough to convince you, would it?” The man was silent for another moment, then suddenly his eyes flashed with sharp light as he pressed aggressively.

“Correct. I only believe that a dead man won’t leak secrets.” Han Li’s face darkened, his voice cold and piercing.

“Fine! Since that’s the case, there’s no need for idle talk. Let’s settle this here—life or death!” The barefoot man raised his brows, a surge of pride rising in his voice.

“Life or death? Not quite. You should say you’re dead for sure.” Han Li heard the man’s words and gave a strange smile, shaking his head as he said softly.

“Bullshit! Do you think that trapping my Silver Radiance Sword for a moment means you’ve already won this fight? You haven’t seen half of what I can do!” The man was enraged and immediately started cursing. He raised his arm, and a silvery light shimmered on his hand—the same sword light as the silver sword in the sky.

“Haven’t you noticed that the distance between us is now within ten zhang?” Han Li looked at the man with an odd expression and said with a sigh. Then his figure blurred, and he disappeared into thin air.

“As long as my opponent is within ten zhang of me and hasn’t activated a protective technique, their life or death is essentially in my hands.” Han Li’s voice still echoed in the void when he suddenly appeared right behind the panicked and flustered burly man. Only when his final word left his mouth did he finish speaking.

“And you are now a dead man.” Han Li slowly retracted the strand of thread he had just swung, muttering softly.

The man stared blankly ahead, motionless. A thin red line suddenly appeared on his neck, and then his head rolled cleanly off his shoulders with a crisp thud. He was truly and utterly dead.

Han Li turned around and looked at the man’s headless body. A flicker of pity crossed his eyes. This man’s strength was absolutely not inferior to Feng Yue’s. But he had still been careless, letting Han Li get so close. His death was not unjust.

“Are you going to kill me to silence me too?”

Han Li suddenly heard a weak voice, filled with caution, suspicion, and fear.