Chapter 258 - 134: Slaying a Foe of a Higher Rank

The next morning, Liang Cheng finished packing and went to the Instructor Hall to bid farewell to his master.

"Master, I will be departing for home today."

Liang Cheng bowed respectfully.

"Mm."

Chen Xuanfeng looked at him and nodded. "Be careful on the road."

"I will keep that in mind."

Chen Xuanfeng paused, as if he had thought of something, and his tone softened slightly. "When you return to Lin Wu City, say hello to an old acquaintance for me."

Liang Cheng was slightly taken aback. "An old acquaintance? I wonder who Master is referring to..."

"Huangfu Qi."

Chen Xuanfeng slowly uttered the two words.

Liang Cheng quickly searched his memory, confirming he had never heard the name before. He couldn’t help but ask in confusion, "Huangfu Qi? I don’t know this person. How am I supposed to find him?"

Chen Xuanfeng glanced at him and sighed softly. "It’s Elder Huang from the Martial Arts Academy’s Back Mountain Alchemy Room."

Elder Huang?!

Liang Cheng’s heart jolted.

’Elder Huang is Master’s old acquaintance?’

’No wonder Elder Huang recommended Master to me before. It turns out they have quite a history. But Elder Huang’s real name is Huangfu Qi?’

’That name...’

’It sounds anything but simple.’

"Master, Elder Huang, he..."

Liang Cheng couldn’t resist asking for more details.

"It’s an old story. You don’t need to pry."

Chen Xuanfeng waved his hand, cutting him off. A flicker of complex reminiscence crossed his face before he regained his composure.

"You just need to deliver my regards."

Liang Cheng suppressed his countless questions and nodded. "Yes, I understand."

"Go on."

Chen Xuanfeng turned away and said no more.

Carrying this new puzzle with him, Liang Cheng left the Instructor Hall. He knew his master’s temperament; asking again would be pointless.

Arriving at the Main Courtyard’s exclusive dock, a passenger ship had already raised its sails, ready to depart.

Ye Zhiqiu was there to see him off. He stuffed a bulging bag into Liang Cheng’s hands. "Junior Brother, have a safe trip. Here are some seafood products and snacks from Bibo City. Take them back for your mother to try. Please give her my regards."

"Thank you, Senior Brother."

As Liang Cheng took the bag, their eyes met, and Ye Zhiqiu gave a slight nod.

"Senior Brother, I’ll see you after the new year."

Liang Cheng boarded the passenger ship, found his cabin, and settled in.

With a slight shudder, the ship slowly pulled away from the port. Liang Cheng left his cabin and stood on the deck, taking a deep breath as he watched the receding silhouette of Yunhai City.

’It’s been almost a year since I left home. I wonder how Mother’s health is?’

’And how are my master and the others at the Martial Arts Hall?’

Lost in thought, he didn’t notice an ordinary-looking docker in an inconspicuous corner of the dock, who quickly turned and left after he boarded the ship.

...

「Yunhai City, the top floor of the Treasure Pavilion.」

Qian Wanjing received a report, and a cold, grim smile appeared on his face.

"The ship has left port. Southeast route. Target confirmed."

He repeated the information in a low voice, walked over to the enormous nautical chart on the wall, and picked up a Communication Jade Slip.

"The target has departed. Set up the ambush in the designated sea area as planned."

Qian Wanjing picked up a teacup, which held a liquid as crimson as blood.

He swirled it gently, watching the liquid ripple in the cup.

"Liang Cheng, oh Liang Cheng, if you must blame someone, blame your own bad luck for choosing to go home at this time."

"The winds are strong and the waves are rough at sea. It’s only natural for accidents to happen."

He drained the blood-red liquid in his cup in one gulp, a cold glint exposed in his eyes.

...

Liang Cheng later discovered that Fu Qingyun was also on the ship, apparently returning to Central Origin Island for the new year as well.

However, the other man seemed to be afraid of him. After boarding, he stayed obediently in his cabin and never came out except for meals.

The passenger ship sailed for three days, venturing deep into the vast sea, far from any islands.

The sky was gloomy, with lead-gray clouds hanging low. The sea wind grew stronger, churning up rows of whitecaps.

Liang Cheng spent most of his time meditating in his cabin, only occasionally going out on deck for some fresh air.

On the evening of the fourth day, they reached the Dark Current Group Reef area, and a thick fog rose over the sea.

The fog came on suddenly and swiftly, quickly enveloping the passenger ship and reducing visibility to less than a hundred feet.

The ship was forced to slow down, and the guards on board heightened their alert.

Liang Cheng was regulating his breath inside his cabin when a sudden sense of alarm flared in his mind!

Almost simultaneously, the ship jolted violently, accompanied by the loud crash of splintering wood and several short, bloodcurdling screams!

’An attack!’

Liang Cheng’s eyes snapped open. The Zhenxian Saber was already in his hand. His body moved like a flash of lightning as he quickly opened the cabin door and went out.

The deck was already in chaos.

Several black-clad figures leaped from small boats hidden in the thick fog onto the ship’s railing. They killed on sight, their methods ruthless and efficient. They were clearly veterans skilled in assassination.

Although the ship’s guards fought back desperately, the difference in strength was obvious. In the blink of an eye, several of them had already fallen.

There were seven attackers in total, all dressed in black waterproof gear and masked, their auras cold and sinister.

Six of them fanned out, suppressing and eliminating the ship’s guards and the few passengers who tried to fight back.

The leader, a man of medium build, wielded a pair of jet-black Water-Splitting Spikes. His aura had shockingly reached the True Gang Realm!

His gaze was like a hawk’s, and he immediately locked onto Liang Cheng, who had just burst out of his cabin!

"Target confirmed. Kill him!"

The leader’s voice was hoarse. With his command, his figure blurred into a black shadow and shot straight toward Liang Cheng!

The Water-Splitting Spikes in his hands were silent, yet they carried a sinister, cold Gang Qi capable of piercing metal. They stabbed toward Liang Cheng’s throat and heart, so fast that only afterimages remained.

Liang Cheng’s eyes were icy. Instead of retreating, he advanced!

A faint golden Protective Gang Shield instantly materialized, and at the same time, his Zhenxian Saber transformed into a bolt of cold lightning, precisely striking the trajectory of the incoming spikes!

CLANG! CLANG!

Two sharp clashes of metal on metal!

The Water-Splitting Spikes were deflected by the saber’s edge, but the sinister, cold Gang Qi they contained tried to bore through Liang Cheng’s Protective Gang Shield like a venomous snake.

However, how could the defense of a Mixed Element Gang Body at the Great Success level be ordinary?

The Dark Gold Gang Shield merely rippled slightly before completely dissipating the invading Gang Qi!