Standing to the side, Wen Chaoshen knew that the woman he had picked up in the wind and snow was not someone to be trifled with. The scars etched like tattoos on her body testified to the fierce battles she had endured, further indicating her strength and fearsome nature.

  But he truly hadn't expected A Shui to wield her bde with such decisiveness, such ruthlessness, leaving no room for mercy.

  In Wen Chaoshen's past understanding, A Shui was definitely an easygoing person. She cked the usual affectations of women, acted decisively and straightforwardly, and was by no means narrow-minded. She spoke her mind and never got upset over his inappropriate words or actions...

  Yet at this moment, it was the first time he saw A Shui angry, the first time he witnessed such a terrifying killing intent emanating from her!

  When A Shui drew her bde, Wen Chaoshen was completely unable to move, feeling as if he were amidst a mountain of corpses, becoming one of them.

  Her killing intent was so intense that it almost affected reality.

  Only now did Wen Chaoshen truly glimpse a fraction of A Shui's terrifying power, and this was while she was severely injured.

  He didn't know what A Shui used to do. After that day of drinking, he hadn't inquired about her past. To Wen Chaoshen, A Shui was merely a fleeting passerby in his life, with not much intersection between them. He didn't need to risk himself to delve into her background.

  However, his curiosity about A Shui remained.

  He truly couldn't understand what kind of past A Shui had that could hone such a terrifying killing intent.

  What kind of tragic and horrifying experiences could even someone as unyielding as her not withstand, unable to face directly?

  Swish!

  A Shui calmly withdrew the machete from the body of the man in white, turned around, and with a casual flick, all the blood on the bde flew off without leaving a drop.

  Then, she limped outside the temple, crouched down, and used the snow to clean the lingering blood from the bde.

  Wen Chaoshen approached her and said, "Let me clean it."

  A Shui gnced at him sideways, and though she didn't speak, she handed him the bde.

  Wen Chaoshen took the bde, cleaned the edge several times, and then pced the machete by the fire. He then began to drag the now cold body of the man in white, preparing to dispose of it outside.

  Just as he was about to drag the body out of the abandoned temple, A Shui suddenly called out to Wen Chaoshen, "Wen Chaoshen, throw me the pendant from his waist."

  Wen Chaoshen did as she asked, then dragged the body to an inconspicuous spot in the woods outside and returned to the temple.

  Fortunately, he had been chopping wood for Lü Zhiming these past two days, which involved a lot of physical activity. Coupled with being well-fed, although his hands and feet were frozen upon returning, he was fine after warming up by the fire for a while.

  "Thank you."

  Wen Chaoshen added some firewood and suddenly thanked A Shui, which left her, who was examining the small ghost-faced pendant, momentarily stunned. With a puzzled look, she asked softly, "Thank... for what?"

  Wen Chaoshen replied honestly, "That day when we drank, I also brought up the past... I have to thank you for sparing my life."

  A Shui looked at Wen Chaoshen's serious expression and couldn't help but chuckle. Her body shook slightly as she ughed, seemingly aggravating an old injury. She clutched the blood-stained area on her chest and said to Wen Chaoshen, "I can tell, you're really afraid of death."

  Wen Chaoshen corrected her, "It's not fear of death, it's valuing life."

  A Shui: "Is there a difference?"

  Wen Chaoshen answered seriously, "Yes, and... there's a big difference."

  ...

  At night, the two y on opposite sides of the fire. A Shui, with her hands as a pillow, stared at the cobweb-covered bck tiles of the temple ceiling and suddenly broke the silence inside the temple:

  "The people who came tonight were the White Dragon Guards. These guys are hard to deal with. Someone died, and the others won't let it go easily. I suggest you don't come to the abandoned temple for the next few days."

  "Anyway, you already have the identity of a person from Qi Kingdom. There must be a pce in the county city where you can stay."

  "It's at least much safer than the abandoned temple."

  Wen Chaoshen, with his eyes closed, asked, "What kind of organization are the White Dragon Guards?"

  A Shui didn't find it troublesome and patiently expined to him, "The White Dragon Guards are a force from the pace, extremely mysterious, and rarely show up in the Martial World, but they have high prestige. Even Wangchuan and Nine Songs are unwilling to csh with them easily."

  Wen Chaoshen asked again, "And what about Wangchuan and Nine Songs?"

  A Shui: "Wangchuan is the number one assassin alliance across the four kingdoms. Every year, they spend a lot of money from the royal families of the four kingdoms to buy death row prisoners and then train these prisoners into killing machines through extremely cruel methods."

  "These people, from high-ranking officials to commoners, can kill anyone as long as they're paid enough."

  "Within the organization, there are four banners: Wind, Forest, Fire, and Mountain. Among them, the assassins of the Wind Banner are the most terrifying. Twelve of them are notorious figures in the Martial World of the four kingdoms, with martial skills unfathomable."

  "And Nine Songs is a force originating from the western Chen Kingdom. It's the rgest trading caravan in the world, with influence in every corner of the four kingdoms. Wherever there's money to be made, you'll find them."

  Wen Chaoshen, curious, asked, "How big is the rgest trading caravan?"

  A Shui calmly uttered eight words: "Wealth that can move gods, riches that rival nations."

  Upon hearing this, Wen Chaoshen felt a sense of solemnity. In this world where martial prowess is forbidden, possessing wealth without matching strength makes it the most dangerous and terrifying thing.

  For Nine Songs to become the number one trading caravan, their strength is undoubtedly formidable.

  "My understanding of them isn't deep, I can only chat with you about it briefly."

  "...In any case, given your current situation, you can't afford to provoke anyone. Staying honestly in the county city is your best choice."

  kant202323