The Imperial Martial Pill Venerable

After seeing Hua Wuchang off, Qin Ya found himself growing interested in Black Saber, the assassin coming to kill him. In fact, he was even a little excited.

’Just how strong is an assassin who can rival the seven great prodigies of the Imperial Capital?’

Qin Ya couldn’t help but shake his head with a wry smile. ’Someone is coming to kill me, and not only am I not worried, I’m actually looking forward to it. Do I have a masochistic streak or something?’

Three days later, Qin Ya received a letter.

It was from Gong Yu. The contents were brief, revealing only the name of the mastermind who had placed the bounty on him in the Black Market: Wang Yuanhong!

"It’s... the Wang Family!"

Qin Ya’s eyes narrowed, a flicker of piercing coldness in their depths.

Gong Yu smiled charmingly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "To be precise, it wasn’t the Wang Family, but Wang Yuanhong," she said. "She’s Wang Yan’s mother and has harbored a grudge ever since you killed him. She went behind Wang Mingxiu’s back to secretly post a bounty for your assassination on the Black Market. The reward is a hundred thousand."

"Hah. Is that really how it is?"

Qin Ya gave a cool smile. ’Wang Yuanhong is a member of the Wang Family, and she’s Wang Yan’s mother. She hires an assassin in secret, and the Wang Family truly has no idea?’

’The Wang Family must hate me too, but they’re wary of my status as an Advanced Academy Teacher. That’s why they didn’t stop Wang Yuanhong. If the assassin succeeds, great. If he fails and they’re exposed, they can just throw Wang Yuanhong under the bus as a scapegoat and plead ignorance.’

"Hm? Teacher Qin, what do you mean?"

Gong Yu asked.

Qin Ya shook his head, keeping his suspicions to himself. ’As the sovereign of the nation, Nangong Wen can’t possibly miss the scheme at play here. He must have his reasons for not spelling it out in the letter. After all, while the Wang Family might not be on par with the Four Great Noble Families, they are still a top-tier Noble Family with a deep foundation.’

"I never would have guessed you were one of His Majesty’s people."

Gazing at Gong Yu, Qin Ya smiled faintly. ’I always felt like you were deliberately trying to get close to me, but I never imagined you were sent by Nangong Wen. His Majesty is truly a man of profound foresight. I’d only been at the Academy for a few days before he had his eyes on me.’

"You flatter me, Teacher Qin. I was only following imperial orders. But... after spending all this time together, I find myself growing quite fond of you." Gong Yu chuckled, her entire body leaning in until her tender red lips were almost touching Qin Ya’s. "And you, Teacher Qin?"

Qin Ya took an imperceptible step back. "Student Gong Yu," he said coolly, "teasing an Academy teacher is a very dangerous game."

"Just how dangerous?"

Gong Yu, relentless, closed the distance again.

"AHEM!"

Just then, a cough echoed from the doorway. A cool, aloof girl in white with black hair stood there. Her dark brows were knitted slightly as her crimson lips parted. "I need to talk to you about something, Qin Ya. Do you have time?"

"Well, Teacher Qin, I suppose I won’t disturb you any longer."

Gong Yu shot him a charming smile. As she walked past the other girl, their gazes locked. Gong Yu felt a slight sting in her eyes; the girl before her was brimming with a piercing sharpness!

"Hah, interesting," Gong Yu chuckled to herself and then departed.

"Peiyi, is there something you need?"

Li Peiyi said coolly, "My Cultivation has reached Profound Origin Perfection. I’m only half a step from breaking through to the Spiritual Element Realm. I need you to do me a favor."

"Oh? What is it? Do you need an Elixir of some sort?"

Qin Ya smiled. Refining a Realm-Breaking Pill was a simple matter for him, so he didn’t mind taking the time to help Li Peiyi. He was also a little surprised. ’I can’t believe she’s already at Profound Origin Perfection. It’s only been a few months, hasn’t it?’

"No. Spar with me!"

A flash of War Intent ignited in Li Peiyi’s eyes, her gaze turning sharp and cold.

"What?" Qin Ya was taken aback, then gave a wry smile. "Peiyi, this doesn’t sound like asking for help. It sounds like you’re here to challenge me."

’The first time they met, she had challenged him. Back then, his Cultivation was still incomplete; he’d taken one of her sword strikes head-on and used the opening to flee. Ever since that day, Li Peiyi seemed to have fixated on him, treating him as her ultimate rival and seeking him out for a spar at every turn.’

"I’m not yet qualified to challenge you. But one day, I will defeat you, fair and square," Li Peiyi stated coolly.

"Fine... alright."

Resigned, Qin Ya had no choice but to agree.

「Outside Ningxiang Pavilion, by the lake.」

A man and a woman stood opposite each other. The man, handsome and composed, stood with his hands clasped behind his back, radiating the subtle air of a grandmaster. The woman’s dark hair streamed in the wind. She held a longsword, her delicate yet well-defined figure exuding a sharp aura, like a peerless Divine Sword.

"Your guidance, please!"

Li Peiyi spoke coolly, slowly drawing her longsword. With every inch of the blade that emerged from its scabbard, the sharp aura around her intensified.

Countless wisps of Sword Qi swirled around her, forming a storm of invisible blades.

"This is... Sword Momentum at the Minor Achievement stage!"

Qin Ya’s pupils constricted, his expression shaken. ’How long has it been? Her Sword Momentum has already jumped two stages to reach Minor Achievement.’

’Others in the Academy have also comprehended Sword Momentum. Teacher Lin Yifeng, for instance, is a Swordsman, but his Sword Momentum is barely approaching the Minor Achievement stage.’

’I can’t believe that after such a short time, her Sword Momentum has already reached Minor Achievement. If word of this got out, it would shock everyone.’

"’Heh, it seems the opportunity Peiyi found was no small matter. For her Sword Dao to progress this quickly...’ Qin Ya mused."

SWOOSH...

The whistle of a blade cutting through air—the longsword thrust straight toward Qin Ya!

Executing the Chasing Wind and Shadow Technique, he deftly dodged the strike. The Ghost Cloud Pan Flood Dragon Long Spear appeared in his hand, and he thrust it out in a sudden counter. CLANG! Sword and spear clashed.

A rapid exchange of blows followed!

The sword and spear blurred into countless afterimages, moving too fast for the eye to follow. The sound of their clashes was incessant, a rapid patter like rain on broad leaves.

"’Her Swordsmanship has grown even more profound.’"

Qin Ya nodded to himself. Unhurried, he allowed his True Essence to circulate slowly, handling her attacks with ease.

Seeing this, Li Peiyi’s sword strikes grew even faster.

In the span of a dozen breaths, they had already exchanged over a hundred blows.

"You really are amazing!"

A rare look of excitement crossed Li Peiyi’s face. She thrust her sword forward in a seemingly ordinary attack, but one that concealed a thousand possible variations.

"A fine Sword Technique!"

With a cry of admiration, Qin Ya met her blade with his spear.

They fought on, and nearly an hour passed.

Li Peiyi was drenched in sweat, yet her expression showed no sign of fatigue. Instead, she grew ever more excited as the Cultivation bottleneck within her began to loosen.

"’Almost there! Almost there!’"

Li Peiyi roared in her heart, unleashing all her True Essence without reserve. It erupted into a sky-filling torrent of Sword Qi. Seeing this, Qin Ya just smiled coolly and thrust out a palm!

"Heavenly Cold Earth Freeze!"

Boundless frigid energy condensed the very air into frost, clashing violently with the incoming Sword Qi. For an instant, the air was filled with shattered ice and wild Sword Qi. Then, suddenly, an impossibly powerful sharpness erupted, soaring into the heavens like the birth of a peerless Divine Sword.

"Finally... I’ve broken through!"