Great change.

This time, they encountered an attack which was an undisguised show of force. The momentum of the attack, however, swept through the forest. The flash of lightning, which had long since transcended the extremity of the Thunder-shocking Realm, first shone and then disappeared suddenly. But for the reconnaissance team led by Li Tianlan, it was a great change from the inside out.

The killing intent that was condensed to the extreme hid perfectly, then suddenly broke out, and abruptly vanished. The whole process lasted only a few seconds. In the shadows and killing intent that obscured their sight, each one of them clearly felt the crisis.

External crisis.

And the internal crisis.

The forest was secluded and quiet. The harsh dim blue lightning disappeared, and killing intent faded like the tide. Only the power contained in the blow was still stirring in the forest. Not only the Thunder-shocking Realm master in East Island who was attacked, but his two companions, and two patrols of more than twenty men a few dozen meters away, had been blown to pieces with the surrounding trees under that devastating blow. The smell of blood could be smelt in the chaotic forest. Once again, the sparse starlight shed from the sky, and everything around seemed noisy yet quiet.

Deep Dream and Sunset Shadow had already stood on the left and right sides of Li Tianlan respectively as soon as possible. The two frowned at the dagger which Dongcheng Rushi was holding. They did not speak, but their eyes grew cold.

It was even the most subtle moment in Li Tianlan’s life. All kinds of emotions, killing intent and tenderness, crisis and doubt, were completely intertwined and seemed unspeakably complicated.

He shifted his gaze from Du Hanyin to Dongcheng Rushi, as if absorbed in thought.

Dongcheng Rushi looked puzzled. She quietly watched Li Tianlan for a while, then turned her head slightly, and her eyes fell on Du Hanyin.

Du Hanyin’s eyes were cold, but her hands, which were holding two knives, were exerting some force. One of the shiny and delicate blades quivered under the great force and suddenly left a red and shallow line on Dongcheng Rushi’s white, delicate neck.

However, Du Hanyin knew that the woman in front of her was special. She was not only the most favored second Miss in the Dongcheng Clan but also the representative of the younger generation in the Giant Group of Zhongzhou State in the Special Warfare System. Now she was even Li Tianlan’s fiancée. To kill her at this point would be big trouble. Du Hanyin did not take back her hands, which were holding knives, but she cast a look at Li Tianlan.

“Do you have anything to say?”

Li Tianlan’s eyes grew increasingly deep and calm. In Du Hanyin’s perception, at this moment, Li Tianlan had almost turned into nothingness. His essence, qi, spirit, and even his breathing were completely restrained. He stood there in this state, but it was as if he did not exist. She was unable to capture or control him.

Only Dongcheng Rushi felt completely different from other people. Li Tianlan’s eyes were calm and gentle, but vaguely, she could sense enormous pressure from them. She couldn’t lock Li Tianlan either, but she could clearly perceive the magnificent sword intent behind nothingness.

“She hurt me.”

Dongcheng Rushi said as she looked softly at Li Tianlan. There was no panic, hatred, vigilance, or sadness in her eyes. She just stood defenseless in front of Li Tianlan. They were so close that Dongcheng Rushi could plunge her dagger into Li Tianlan’s stomach with a flick of her arm.

As the youngest genius of Jade Pool, Dongcheng Rushi was an expert at the peak of the Fire-flaming Realm. Under this distance, even Deep Dream and Sunset Shadow were not confident enough to stop her. The could only count on the blades that Du Hanyin put on Dongcheng Rushi’s neck and Li Tianlan’s strength.

Li Tianlan took a deep look at Dongcheng Rushi and waved his hand to Du Hanyin. “Put the knives down.”

“Young Master.”

Du Hanyin hesitated, but her hands did not move. She didn’t have the traditional loyalty to Li Tianlan, at least not now. However, their ultimate goal was exactly the same. Li Tianlan had become her only hope for revenge. Based on this, she would protect Li Tianlan at the risk of her life. Now the dagger in Dongcheng Rushi’s hand was way too dangerous. It was hard to know what would happen if she put her knives down.

Biting her lip, Du Hanyin whispered, “Young Master, she wanted to kill you just now.”

At that moment, in the dazzling light and shadows, Du Hanyin actually failed to see everything clearly, but she instinctively sensed that something was amiss with Dongcheng Rushi’s movements. Under such circumstances, Dongcheng Rushi’s actions were completely inexplicable.

“Put down.”

Li Tianlan’s voice was not loud, but with overwhelming pressure.

Du Hanyin shot a cold glance at Dongcheng Rushi and unwillingly put down the blades in her hands.

“Why?”

Li Tianlan allowed Dongcheng Rushi to put the dagger in her hand at the most dangerous distance from him and asked insipidly.

Dongcheng Rushi wanted to kill him?

It was not that he could not accept the fact, but he could not believe it at all. Because in any case, he could not think of a reason why Dongcheng Rushi wanted to kill him.

He hadn’t had much contact with the Dongcheng Clan since he entered the secular world, but he clearly felt their breathless kindness. Furthermore, the Li family had done the Dongcheng Clan a great favor in those days, and there was no animosity between the two sides. Although Li Tianlan had doubts about the Dongcheng Clan before, now the doubts had largely dissipated. Even if he and the Dongcheng Clan turned against each other, the worst that could happen was that they would become strangers. Not to mention he was the Young Governor of Sigh City now. Even if the Dongcheng Clan didn’t want to help him, they were not stupid enough to want to kill him. It didn’t make any sense.

As for Dongcheng Rushi, even if she did not want to keep her engagement, she probably wouldn’t use this kind of drastic means that would plunge the Dongcheng Clan into a state of everlasting perdition.

“Why did she want to kill me?”

“Or was she really going to kill me?”

“Is it a misunderstanding or her malevolence?” thought Li Tianlan.

“I didn’t want to kill you.”

Dongcheng Rushi looked at Li Tianlan and said seriously. She had the purest eyes. So when she was affectionately staring at Li Tianlan, only faint gentleness and obedience instead of impurity could be seen from her eyes.

“I just want to stand with you when there’s danger, no matter what it is.”

“Chicanery!”

Du Hanyin was standing right beside Dongcheng Rushi. She stared at the dagger in her hand and sneered.

Li Tianlan stayed silent.

“You don’t believe me?”

Dongcheng Rushi’s pure eyes seemed a little dim, but there was no emotion like grievance in her eyes. Her eyes were as clear as ever.

“Can you show me the dagger?”

Li Tianlan said suddenly.

Without hesitation, Dongcheng Rushi handed the dagger in her hand, together with the scabbard, to Li Tianlan.

Her movement made everyone, including Li Tianlan, felt relieved, but Li Tianlan quickly frowned.

It was the most magnificent dagger he had ever seen in his life. Its entire body was scarlet, but it was covered up and down with subtle and intricate golden patterns. The end of the hilt and scabbard were inlaid with two small but pleasing crystals. In the pale moonlight, the whole dagger appeared transparent, shimmering daintily and exquisitely.

Li Tianlan looked at it over and over again, and at last, he saw a neatly and meticulously written small traditional character near the hilt at the end of the blade.

Lovesickness.

“Is this the name of the dagger?” thought Li Tianlan.

“Where does this dagger come from?”

Li Tianlan asked casually.

Dongcheng Rushi first froze. Then she lowered her head and said calmly, “I found it accidentally.”

Everyone could see that she didn’t speak sincerely, but Li Tianlan did not say much. He just returned the dagger to her and said indifferently, “Put it away.”

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“I really didn’t mean to kill you.”

Dongcheng Rushi shook her head and did not take the dagger named Lovesickness. Instead, she looked at Li Tianlan and stressed it again.

“Hmm.”

Li Tianlan nodded nonchalantly. It was true that he hadn’t felt the killing intent, but if he felt the killing intent when a brilliant killer was close to him, it was already too late. Just like the attack just now, the mysterious person broke his limit and then escaped unscathed. And before he made his move, he had even escaped the perception of Deep Dream and Sunset Shadow. That was definitely the work of a top assassin in the Dark World. Before he had an outburst of power, none of the people present felt anything was wrong.

Dongcheng Rushi’s behaviors today were really out of whack. Li Tianlan wasn’t sure of anything, but it was clearly not the time to say more. At least the five of them could not stay any longer in the forest. Leaving here was their top priority.

Li Tianlan scanned the surrounding forest.

The so-called forest had already turned into flat ground. All the trees within a range of tens of meters were crushed to dust and fragments by the blow. Only the flesh and blood a few meters ahead proved what had just happened.

Li Tianlan’s eyes flickered. He made a prompt decision and said without hesitation, “Retreat!”

“I’ll take the lead. Deep Dream follows in the rear.”

Sunset Shadow immediately opened his mouth, and his face was a bit gloomy. He cast a look at Li Tianlan, gave a bitter laugh, and said, “Young Master, we’re in big trouble this time.”

“Really?”

Li Tianlan raised his eyebrows, but without hesitation, he turned and walked away.

From the beginning of the attack, he knew that there was something wrong with this incident. Although he did not know which force from East Island was stationed in the village in the front, the mysterious figure who killed the master from East Island got them into a mess. Let alone Li Tianlan, even top assassins—Deep Dream and Sunset Shadow, failed to see who the figure was clearly. The two were not so much worse than that figure. But top assassins had always escaped unscathed after they had an outbreak of power in a flash. Everything happened just so abruptly that Deep Dream and Sunset Shadow were caught unprepared as they were all focused on the master from East Island back then.

Li Tianlan wasn’t sure if Dongcheng Rushi really wanted to kill him, but the mysterious assassin, who suddenly appeared, absolutely harbored malicious intentions, because such a huge uproar was completely made deliberately. As long as the nearby East Island elites were not blind, they definitely knew that someone was invading their place at this point.

At this moment, not to mention reconnaissance, it was good that the five of them could escape unscathed.

They reorganized their formation immediately. After taking several steps, Li Tianlan unconsciously looked back.

In his sight, Dongcheng Rushi was motionless, and she stared blankly at him with her clear eyes. There seemed to be less radiance in her eyes.

“Don’t stand still.”

Li Tianlan turned around and grabbed her. He then said in a calm tone, “We’ll talk about it later.”

“I… I really didn’t mean to kill you.”

Dongcheng Rushi lowered her head, and finally, there seemed to be a trace of grievance in her voice.

Li Tianlan felt a shiver in his heart. “Hmm,” he said with a nod.

Dongcheng Rushi held Li Tianlan’s hand tightly, not letting go no matter what.

However, no one noticed the look in the eyes of the second Miss from the Dongcheng Clan.

From an angle that no one could see, her eyes were still crystal clear.

But at this moment, one of her eyes was full of vacancy and grievance, while the other eye was full of clarity and determination.

There were messy and swift footsteps behind.

As expected, East Island reacted to it immediately and quickly mobilized men to encircle and suppress them.

No roars or words.

Everyone rushed into the forest in silence, and every inch of the forest was infested with killing intent.

Li Tianlan and his companions dashed to the exit of the forest.

Sunset Shadow rushed before Li Tianlan with a determined look on his face and said hurriedly, “Young Master, the Thunder-shocking Realm expert who was killed just now belonged to Jifeng Sword-reining School. Deep Dream and I met him once in America. He enjoyed a considerably high status in Jifeng Sword-reining School, so I didn’t expect him to go on patrol himself. Chances are that Jifeng Sword-reining School is not the only force which is stationed here. Young Master, if things don’t go well later, we’ll try to hold them off. You go first with Miss Dongcheng.”

Of course, by “we” he meant not only Deep Dream and him but also Du Hanyin.

Du Hanyin looked calm, without any intention of raising an objection.

“We shall go together.”

Li Tianlan said calmly, without any expression.

Jifeng Sword-reining School was one of the three holy lands of East Island!

It was a force which had the longest history in the entire East Island.

In fact, among the three holy lands of Martial Arts in East Island, Wuji Palace was created by Tianhai Wuji, the number one expert of East Island today, but in the hearts of people in the Dark World, it was more difficult to handle Jifeng Sword-reining School than Wuji Palace.

No matter how amazing Tianhai Wuji was, the development time of Wuji Palace was slightly shorter compared to that of Jifeng Sword-reining School. What Tianhai Wuji left behind in Wuji Palace were saber techniques, namely Wuji Kendo—the Martial Arts that belonged to him. Although it was mighty, it lacked history. At least it was not perfect.

However, Jifeng Sword-reining School was a martial arts force with the longest history in East Island and worshiped sword. Jifeng Kendo was a top-level unique technique which was thoroughly tempered by the hard work of numerous generations. After the fall of the Li family in Zhongzhou State, Jifeng Kendo had been recognized as one of the swiftest and fiercest kendo in the Dark World. The five of them went deep into the forest and got exposed before they had begun detecting. Then they had to face the encirclement and suppression of the masters from Jifeng Sword-reining School and other forces.

In addition to acknowledging their bad luck, Deep Dream and Sunset Shadow also prepared for the worst.

Li Tianlan took Dongcheng Rushi’s hand and rushed.

In the darkness, his eyes had narrowed tightly, fierce and cold.

The mysterious assassin appeared at the perfect timing and knew almost everything about their operation.

Behind this assassination, there was an unmistakable whiff of intrigue.

He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, “Accelerate!”

“Now that you’re here, do you still want to go?!”

A soft voice sounded and instantly spread through most of the forest.

Sunset Shadow stopped abruptly.

Li Tianlan’s pupils contracted slightly.

Behind them were endless pursuers, and in front of them were seven or eight shadowy and powerful figures.

They were all Thunder-shocking Realm experts!

There were preventers in front and pursuers behind.

The whole forest, faintly like a tight dragnet, completely surrounded Li Tianlan and his companions.

They were unable to get away no matter what!