「Yellow Leaf City, East District, Zhou Mansion.」

Before the vermilion-lacquered main gate, a pair of stone lions stood silent guard. The gold-painted words "Zhou Mansion" on the lintel were slightly mottled, but they still projected the prestige of a wealthy household.

With steady steps, Fang Han walked directly up to the mansion’s gate.

The burly guard recognized the Disciple’s Robe of the Qingxuan Sect and remembered that Fang Han had come with disciples from the Law Enforcement Hall a few days prior. Not daring to be disrespectful, one of them stepped forward, cupped his fist, and spoke with a tone of mixed respect and confusion:

"This Young Hero, you are..."

"I am Fang Han, a disciple of the Qingxuan Sect. I have urgent business with Zhou Tong. Please announce me."

Fang Han’s voice was calm, betraying no emotion.

The burly man noted that Fang Han was alone this time, his expression grim, unlike his previous visit with a group. Though he found it odd, he didn’t dare ask questions and hurriedly said:

"Please wait a moment, Young Hero. I’ll go inform the Second Master right away."

With that, he turned and hurried into the mansion.

「Inside the mansion, in the study.」

Zhou Tong stood by the window, his fingers unconsciously caressing a smooth, warm Jade Pendant. His brow was slightly furrowed, as if lost in thought.

He was around forty, with a square-jawed face and a short beard. Dressed in brocade robes, he looked like a wealthy merchant or a country squire at first glance.

Were it not for the sharp glint that occasionally flashed in his eyes, it would be difficult to associate him with the ruthless murderer who had slaughtered an entire village.

"Second Master! Second Master!" The burly guard’s voice called out from outside the door.

Zhou Tong’s train of thought was broken. A flicker of annoyance crossed his eyes as he asked in a low voice, "What is it?"

"Second Master, Young Hero Fang Han from the Qingxuan Sect has returned. He says he has an urgent matter to discuss with you," the burly man reported from outside the door.

"Fang Han?"

Zhou Tong’s heart leaped. His fingers, still holding the Jade Pendant, tightened unconsciously. ’The people from the Qingxuan Sect left and came back... Could it be... they’ve discovered something?’

A chill shot up his spine, but he quickly forced the feeling of dread down.

’Impossible! I paid a fortune for that Concealing Breath Powder from a secret source. Its effects are extraordinary—more than enough to hide my scent.’

’Unless one of them has cultivated a scent-based Tracking Secret Technique to an extremely high Realm, it’s impossible for them to have picked up my trail from a scene that’s long gone cold.’

’The disciples from the Qingxuan Sect’s Law Enforcement Hall came up empty-handed a few days ago, which proves none of them have mastered a Tracking Secret Technique.’

’They must have hit a dead end in their investigation. They’re not ready to give up, so they’ve come back to test me, or maybe they’re after something else.’

At this thought, Zhou Tong felt a little more at ease. His expression became composed again. He even deliberately feigned a hint of perfectly measured impatience as he straightened his robes and called out:

"Please show him to the front hall for some tea. I’ll be there shortly."

"Yes, Second Master."

The fragrance of tea wafted through the air in the front hall. Fang Han sat quietly in a guest’s chair, his calm gaze sweeping over the furnishings—rosewood tables and chairs, Porcelain Bottles, and antiques, all arranged with considerable elegance.

A moment later, footsteps echoed. Zhou Tong strode into the hall with his usual, somewhat slick smile, cupping his fist as he spoke:

"Young Hero Fang, you’ve returned! My apologies for not greeting you at the gate. Has there been a new development in the case? Is there anything else I can help you with?"

Though his words were warm, his eyes were probing, carefully scrutinizing Fang Han’s expression.

Fang Han slowly set down his teacup and lifted his gaze. His eyes were like two bolts of cold lightning, piercing straight through Zhou Tong.

He got straight to the point. His voice was not loud, but every word was crystal clear, laced with an undeniable chill.

"Zhou Tong, drop the act. The one hundred and eighty-three souls in Huangshi Village, along with the five disciples of my Qingxuan Sect, were all killed by you. You’ve been found out."

As his words fell, the air in the room seemed to freeze solid.

The smile on Zhou Tong’s face froze, and his pupils contracted uncontrollably.

But it was only for an instant. He quickly composed himself, his face twisting into a look of utter shock and profound injustice as his voice rose several pitches.

"Young Hero Fang, what is the meaning of this?! I have no quarrel with Huangshi Village. Why would I commit such a depraved act? And to think you’d accuse me of harming the esteemed disciples of the Qingxuan Sect!"

"Even if I had a hundred times the courage, I would never dare make an enemy of the Qingxuan Sect! Young Hero, you mustn’t listen to the slander of some villain and frame an innocent man!"

He spoke quickly and urgently, sounding both agitated and aggrieved.

Fang Han’s expression remained unchanged, his gaze as cold as ancient glaciers. He rose slowly to his feet, and an invisible, oppressive aura began to fill the room.

"Slander? Zhou Tong, did you really think you could rest easy just by using Concealing Breath Powder to hide your scent? A pity. You have gravely underestimated my skills."

"My Spirit Nose Technique has already reached the Mastery Realm. The scent you left at the Huangshi Village site was faint, but it couldn’t escape my nose!"

"The... the Mastery Level of the Spirit Nose Technique?!"

Struck as if by lightning, Zhou Tong staggered back half a step, all the color draining from his face.

He stared at Fang Han as if he were looking at a monster.

Practicing a Secret Technique improperly can often cause physical harm, so very few are willing to attempt their Cultivation. Even fewer possess the Talent to cultivate one to a profound Realm.

He had never imagined that this young man had not only learned a Tracking Secret Technique but had even cultivated the Spirit Nose Technique to the Mastery Level.

His greatest defense had completely crumbled before his opponent’s unbelievably keen sense of smell!

His last shred of hope was mercilessly crushed.

Zhou Tong’s chest heaved, his breathing grew ragged. The horror in his eyes gradually gave way to the desperate ferocity of a cornered beast.

He slowly straightened his posture. The feigned shock and anger vanished from his face, replaced by an utterly sinister coldness. His voice was hoarse as he spoke:

"Well... well done, you genius of the Qingxuan Sect! To think that I, after running wild for half my life, would fall to a mere brat like you!"

Now that he had confessed, the last trace of doubt in Fang Han’s mind vanished. But a far greater question immediately took its place.

His gaze sharp, he fixed his eyes on Zhou Tong and asked in a low voice:

"Zhou Tong, you might have had a reason for slaughtering the people of Huangshi Village. But what did our five Qingxuan Sect disciples have to do with you? Why did you murder them?"

"Didn’t you know that killing a disciple of the Qingxuan Sect means making an enemy of all of Qingyang County? That it would surely bring the relentless wrath of the Qingxuan Sect down upon you?!"

Hearing this, a muscle in Zhou Tong’s face twitched. A deeply complex emotion flickered in his eyes—a mix of regret and viciousness, but mostly the reckless abandon of someone with nothing left to lose. He snarled.

"Why? Hmph! If they hadn’t discovered something they weren’t supposed to, why would I have needed to take such a desperate risk! That night, I carelessly dropped an important item in the village. When I went back to find it, I ran right into your five fellow disciples!"

"They didn’t recognize me at first, but they grew suspicious and wouldn’t stop questioning me. If I had let them leave and word got out, I would have been a dead man. I had no choice but to send them on their way and eliminate the threat for good!"

His words still ringing in the air, a murderous light erupted in Zhou Tong’s eyes!

With a piercing shriek of metal, the broadsaber at his waist was suddenly unsheathed. The blade was thick and heavy, its edge glinting with a faint, blood-red light.

Carrying a brutal killing intent, it transformed into a streak of cold light, cleaving down at Fang Han’s head without the slightest warning!

The wind from the blade was chillingly sharp, cutting a visible ripple through the air!

"Brat! Die!"

’Now that I’ve been exposed, falling into the hands of the Qingxuan Sect means certain death. I can’t just sit here and wait to be executed!’

’My only chance is to kill this disciple and flee a thousand miles!’

This strike contained all of Zhou Tong’s lifelong power. It was a long-prepared sneak attack, intended to kill Fang Han instantly!

However, Fang Han had long anticipated the man’s violent nature. Though he appeared to be merely questioning him, he had never once let his guard down.

The instant Zhou Tong’s shoulder twitched and the blade flashed, he activated Wind Shadow Step. His body drifted back half a step like a phantom, and at the same time—

SHING!

The Cyan Blade Sword sang as it left its scabbard, its blade shimmering with a pale green light. Though drawn second, it struck first, precisely tapping the critical point on the broadsaber’s blade—the point where its force was greatest and its trajectory most difficult to alter!

TING—!

The sword and saber clashed, sending a shower of blinding sparks into the air!

The two separated as quickly as they met. The shockwave from the clash of Qi Force sent the hall’s tables and chairs CREAKING, while teacups and decorations SHATTERED on the floor.

’Late Stage of Seventh Grade! And he’s at the very peak of the Late Stage!’

Fang Han’s eyes narrowed as he instantly assessed Zhou Tong’s true Cultivation.

His Inner Qi was so powerful and dense, far surpassing that of an ordinary practitioner at the Late Stage of Seventh Grade. He had clearly been at this Realm for many years, and was already touching the bottleneck of the Sixth Grade!

In terms of Cultivation, his opponent was significantly stronger than him, who had only recently entered the Middle Stage of Seventh Grade.

’But in a battle between Martial Artists, Cultivation is never the only thing that matters!’

His strike having failed, a flicker of surprise crossed Zhou Tong’s eyes. He clearly hadn’t expected Fang Han to parry his fully-powered attack so easily. But that surprise was instantly replaced by an even thicker killing intent.

"Worthy of a Qingxuan Sect disciple, you do have some skill! But today, you will die!"

He roared and lunged forward, his broadsaber a whirlwind as he unleashed his Saber Technique.

Fierce and ferocious, his technique was also laced with a cunning, unpredictable edge. The light from his blade fell like a waterfall, blanketing all of Fang Han’s vital points. His immense combat experience was obvious; this was no amateur.

"You think too highly of yourself!"

Fang Han’s Middle-stage Seventh Grade Inner Qi surged through him. Pushing his Wind Shadow Step to its absolute limit, his body moved like wind and lightning, weaving through the torrent of blade-light and dodging fatal attacks by a hair’s breadth time and again.

At the same time, his Cyan Blade Sword became a blur of green lightning as he unleashed the full power of his Perfection Level Wind-Splitting Swordsmanship!

His Sword Techniques were no longer bound to rigid forms; each movement was fluid and spontaneous, yet packed with power.

At times, it was like a spring breeze caressing a willow, subtle and inescapable. At others, it was like a hurricane, devastating and unstoppable.

The Sword Momentum stirred the air, not only drastically increasing his speed but also making the trajectory of his Sword Techniques unpredictable. He often struck from unbelievable angles, forcing Zhou Tong into a defensive position.

SHLICK!

With every exchange, Zhou Tong found himself outmatched and forced back, completely on the defensive. After a mere dozen moves, his arm grew numb, his reactions slowed, and Fang Han’s sword sliced through the robe at his ribs, leaving a deep gash.

’A Middle Grade Sword Technique at the Perfection Level?! How is that possible?!’

Terror raged in Zhou Tong’s heart. He had painstakingly practiced his Saber Technique for decades, yet had only managed to reach the Great Success level of a Middle Grade Saber Technique.

’How old is this kid? How could he have already mastered a Middle Grade Sword Technique to the Perfection Level?!’

Pressing his advantage, Fang Han was relentless. His sword moved like the tide, his attacks coming in waves, one after another, each more powerful than the last.

Despite his advantage in Cultivation, Zhou Tong was completely suppressed by the Perfection Swordsmanship. He could only rely on his abundant Inner Qi and vast combat experience to barely hold on.

More and more wounds appeared on his body. Though none were fatal, he was covered in blood and in a pathetic state.