Chapter 08: Desperation

Bai Xuehua narrowly evaded Long Wei’s sword, and again used her jade flute to deflect Zhao Wuying’s invisible blade; but in doing so, she left an opening at her back for Long Wei. Perhaps it was because of their proximity—Long Wei had no time to strike with his sword, so he drove his left palm swiftly and forcefully into her back, unleashing the Heavenly Dragon Palm.

The Heavenly Dragon Palm, like the Heavenly Dragon Sword, was one of the two supreme arts of the Long clan. Three years ago, Bai Xuehua’s adoptive father, Bai Ying, had been mortally wounded by Long Wei’s Heavenly Dragon Palm and never recovered from that injury.

Struck on the back by the palm, Bai Xuehua staggered forward several steps. She spun around, her beautiful eyes flashing with a piercing, icy light.

She seemed like a wounded beast, and with a sharp cry, she leaped from the ground. Her graceful figure soared like a hawk pouncing on a rabbit, descending from above to strike fiercely at Long Wei. This was the “Hawk Seizes the Hare” move from the Sky Hawk Technique.

Simultaneously, Zhao Wuying shouted and unleashed the “Fleeting Shadow” move from his Invisible Sword technique, thrusting at Bai Xuehua. If she injured Long Wei, she herself would be wounded by Zhao Wuying’s sword.

Bai Xuehua knew there was no chance of escaping unscathed. Hatred for Long Wei consumed her, and she ignored the mortal danger from Zhao Wuying, pressing her attack on Long Wei.

Seeing her ferocity, Long Wei had no time to dodge and was forced to meet her with the Heavenly Dragon Sword.

Sword and flute clashed. Long Wei’s arm vibrated violently; the Heavenly Dragon Sword nearly flew from his grasp, and at the same moment, Bai Xuehua’s wounded palm struck hard and fast against his chest. This was a blow delivered with all the hatred in her heart, its power truly dreadful.

The blow sent the once-invincible Long Wei staggering back repeatedly. Had Bai Xuehua not already taken a palm strike from him, suffered a previous injury, and had her left hand slashed by Xiao Zhenfen’s Seven Stars Blade, this strike alone would have left Long Wei dead or gravely wounded. Yet even so, Long Wei’s face turned white, and he was seriously hurt.

At the same time, Zhao Wuying’s invisible blade pierced Bai Xuehua’s right arm. Originally, he had aimed for a vital point on her back, but in that moment of crisis, she twisted aside, so only her right arm was struck. The pain was so severe that the jade flute nearly slipped from her grasp. Worse still, Zhao Wuying’s left palm swiftly struck the center of her back.

Bai Xuehua’s body was sent flying forward by Zhao Wuying’s blow. She staggered several steps, nearly collapsing to the ground. Yet she forced herself to turn and leaned against an ancient tree for support, refusing to fall.

Blood from her wounded hands stained her white garments crimson, and she felt hot blood surging in her chest, threatening to burst forth uncontrollably.

Zhao Wuying stepped forward, sword in hand, slowly advancing on Bai Xuehua. He saw she had taken both Long Wei’s Heavenly Dragon Palm and his own Invisible Palm, yet still managed to stay upright against the tree—he could not help but admire her formidable skill and indomitable will.

As they faced each other, Zhao Wuying again met her gaze. In those sorrowful, beautiful eyes shone a chilling, terrifying light, an unspent rage that burned within her. Her bloodless face was as pale as carved jade, but it radiated an unyielding courage that made Zhao Wuying shudder.

For an instant, doubt flickered in Zhao Wuying’s heart. In truth, he felt a measure of regret for Bai Xuehua, but he steeled himself to kill her.

For the enmity between them could never be resolved. Now that he was the leader of the martial world, he did not hesitate to join forces with others to hunt Bai Xuehua, for she was simply too extraordinary—the most formidable young master he had ever encountered.

In a few years’ time, he feared he would no longer be her match. Indeed, a terrible premonition haunted him: that one day he would die by Bai Xuehua’s hand.

Therefore, he must kill her while he still could. For a man of Zhao Wuying’s skill, it was rare to take action, let alone join forces with others, but when he struck, he never left his enemies alive.

Suddenly, Bai Xuehua wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. Gritting her teeth, she sprang upward like an eagle soaring into the clouds.

This was “Soaring to the Azure Clouds,” a move from the Sky Hawk Technique created by Bai Ying. As she rose into the air, her figure twisted, gliding in another direction.

She was using the “Three Veering Clouds” of the Sky Hawk Technique. In the world, there were only two lightness arts that allowed one to ascend and change direction in midair without external aid: one was the Kunlun Sect’s “Three Veering Dragons,” the other was Bai Ying’s “Three Veering Clouds,” developed after stealing the technique from Kunlun.

Bai Xuehua glided in a direction Zhao Wuying had not expected. Even if he had foreseen it, it would have been useless, for that way led to a sheer thousand-foot precipice. For Bai Xuehua, death was preferable to dying at her enemy’s hand—she would rather leap into the abyss.

Zhao Wuying did not follow her over the cliff, for there was no need to take such a risk. He turned to check the injuries of Long Wei and Xiao Zhenfen; both were not seriously hurt and would recover.

These two had been revered in the martial world for over a decade, yet ended up wounded by a young woman—it was a bitter irony. Fortunately, Bai Xuehua had leaped from the cliff seriously injured, with little hope of survival; otherwise, they would have had no face to return.

Night was falling. The snow that had been coming down all afternoon showed no sign of stopping.

Zhao Wuying looked at the falling snow, a satisfied smile on his lips. He was convinced that Bai Xuehua could not escape the vast, snowbound Qinling Mountains. No one had ever survived his Invisible Palm, at least not that he had seen.

Moreover, she had also suffered Long Wei’s Heavenly Dragon Palm and his sword. Even if she did not die immediately, she was gravely wounded. No one so injured could possibly survive a fall from such a height.

Zhao Wuying also knew that once news spread that Bai Xuehua was severely wounded, local martial artists would spare no effort to hunt her down, for the Long clan had offered a reward of twenty thousand taels of silver for her head.

The Tang clan of Shu had also offered ten thousand taels, for in former years, they and the Bai family had been two great houses of the martial world, bitter rivals. The Tang clan supported Long Wei’s father in defeating the Bai family, allowing the Long clan to rise in the Central Plains.

Together, the two clans’ rewards amounted to thirty thousand taels. Later, Zhao Wuying, as the martial alliance leader, united over a dozen sects to offer another twenty thousand taels for Bai Xuehua’s head, hoping to destroy this “demoness” once and for all. Thus, the total bounty soared to a staggering fifty thousand taels of silver.