Chapter 106: The Gamble

Ning Xiu’s actions would have seemed utterly insane to any ordinary person.

Yet in the end, he succeeded.

Each time he destroyed a part of the Red-Clad’s body, her recovery slowed by a fraction. Until finally, the pool of blood could no longer converge—it became stagnant, lifeless.

Exhausted, Ning Xiu collapsed in the pouring rain.

The golden bell around him gradually faded, until it vanished completely into the world.

The heavy rain then cascaded down, washing away the bloodstains on the ground…

What had seemed an impossible battle to win, Ning Xiu had forced through with sheer will.

And all of it had been within his plan.

From the very beginning, he had laid the trap—continuously numbing his opponent until the Red-Clad completely fell into it.

Still, there is a saying: “Man plans, Heaven decides.” Ning Xiu had no absolute certainty of victory; in the end, he needed a measure of luck.

This time, fortune favored him.

…

Time passed—no one knew how long—before the rain ceased.

From afar came the clear, ethereal call of birds; raindrops still clung to the leaves, dripping softly into small puddles beside the mountain path, producing a crisp, pure sound.

Ning Xiu awoke. He forced his eyes open and struggled to stand.

This battle had wounded him even more severely than the last.

Without the protection of the golden bell’s qi shield, relying solely on his own body to withstand the fierce sword qi of Sword Twenty-Two and the Red-Clad’s attacks was undeniably a mad act.

But as long as he lived, the healing chapter of the golden bell technique, combined with the restorative powers of the Nine Suns Divine Skill, would soon mend his wounds.

The question now was which path to take next.

Was the Red-Clad’s sudden strike merely her own deed, or had the Shadow Alliance ordered it? Was there a third party who knew of this?

Ning Xiu had no answers.

After a moment’s hesitation, he dragged his battered body into Falcon Fortress.

As he expected, not a single soul was left alive; the entire fortress had been slaughtered by the Red-Clad.

He treaded deeper inside, the ground strewn with corpses, a scene of utter desolation.

When Ning Xiu reached the main hall, he found the body of Zhang Daqian.

Looking at the stunned expression frozen on his face in death, this man surely never imagined such an end.

One could say his luck had been profoundly ill-fated.

Ning Xiu cast a glance, then casually found a corner to begin healing.

As the sun dipped behind the mountains, its dim light filtered through the windows, casting a muted glow upon Ning Xiu’s face.

He opened his eyes slowly; in just one day, his wounds had nearly mended.

He left the hall and thoroughly searched Falcon Fortress.

All the gold and silver treasure he found he carried away; all martial arts manuals were handed over to the system for decomposition.

Finally, he located the oil and doused every corner of Falcon Fortress, then set it ablaze.

Though a heavy rain had fallen just yesterday and water still pooled on the ground, the flames spread rapidly.

In moments, a massive fire roared, painting Ning Xiu’s face in a deep red glow.

He glanced back, then turned to pour the remaining oil onto the already piled mountain of corpses, setting them ablaze completely.

It must be understood that all those in Falcon Fortress had died at the Red-Clad’s hands, their deaths unique—almost every drop of blood drained from their bodies.

If discovered, this might raise suspicion.

But now, a single great fire could settle everything.

Killing and arson—people easily linked these two words together.

Since Ning Xiu had started the fire, others would naturally assume he had slaughtered them all.

Amid the raging inferno, Ning Xiu led his horse out.

On its back were two exceptionally heavy chests.

…

Under the night sky,

Ning Xiu led his horse along a silent mountain path.

He lifted his head to gaze upward; the stars were few.

In the vast heavens, one lonely star flickered faintly, on the verge of extinguishing.

Around it, the dark night spread like a monstrous beast, opening its jaws, ready to devour.

In the end, he chose to return to the Six Doors.

He was gambling.

He had no choice but to gamble.

Those who dare not gamble have no chance to win.

From the Red-Clad’s complete annihilation of Falcon Fortress, Ning Xiu deduced that she did not want the court to know.

Whether anyone in the Shadow Alliance knew of her deeds or not, the Six Doors certainly did not.

Even if news of the Red-Clad’s death spread, it would not prove Ning Xiu’s involvement.

Could she not have simply been unfortunate enough to encounter a mysterious ghost hunter on the road?

With this complex feeling in his heart, Ning Xiu returned to the Six Doors as if nothing had happened.

The treasures he could not use he naturally handed over for so-called merit points.

Inside the Fish Dragon Hall, many constables came and went, exchanging assignments.

After all, this was a time of transition between old and new powers; the court depended heavily on the Six Doors.

“Sir.”

Seeing Ning Xiu enter, a young attendant respectfully greeted him.

“May I ask if you have come to receive or submit a task?”

“Falcon Fortress has been wiped out by my hand. Over three hundred souls, none survived,” Ning Xiu said.

“D-Do you have evidence, sir?” The young attendant felt a chilling aura wash over him, making it difficult to breathe for a moment.

After regaining composure, he asked again.

“Evidence?”

Ning Xiu furrowed his brow slightly. “I burned the entire Falcon Fortress to ashes. If you ask for evidence now, I truly have none. Oh wait, do these treasures count?”

He casually lifted the two chests placed on the ground and set them on the counter.

With a loud thud, the counter shook under their immense weight.

The chests opened, revealing dazzling gold and jewels.

“Or should I go back and see if I can find some remains?” Ning Xiu closed the lids and looked calmly at the attendant.

“No… no need, sir,” the young man wiped sweat from his brow. “If what you say is true, it will be verified soon, and the merit points will be credited to you.”

Since in the Six Doors, only one person can claim a mission, verifying Ning Xiu’s claim was simple—no one else could falsely claim it.

All that was needed was to confirm that Falcon Fortress had indeed been destroyed.

“I hope it won’t take too long.”

“By the way, where are the manuals confiscated from the various sects stored?” Ning Xiu suddenly asked.

“In the library. All manuscripts submitted by the lords are kept there.”