Chapter 197

Chapter 197: Played, Bai Xianwu is Furious! Transforming Myriad Ways, Black Jade Qilin!

Li Mo touched the bronze box in his hand.

Give it?

Or not?

That is the question!

“Does National Advisor think that this bronze box is not worth more than your friend’s life?”

“Exchanging a bronze box for the life of the Ninth Prince, isn’t it worth it?”

Bai Xianwu looked at Li Mo coldly, seeing his hesitation, and spoke.

Li Mo pursed his lips.

Honestly speaking, it really wasn’t worth it.

Bai Xianwu thought he didn’t know the secret of the bronze box.

And she was unaware that the former kings of Han had already removed what was inside and hidden it elsewhere.

Comparing Han Fei’s life with the Seven Sacred Dragons, the latter was indeed more valuable.

The bronze box was a crucial clue about the Seven Sacred Dragons.

Its value was immeasurable!

Its importance was obvious.

But Bai Xianwu was right about one thing.

Li Mo could be cold and indifferent towards strangers, but he could not be so ruthless towards those around him.

He couldn’t just watch Han Fei die here.

“My patience is wearing thin.”

Bai Xianwu placed the red sword against Han Fei’s neck.

The headless commander stepped back, giving her space.

Bai Xianwu glanced coldly at Han Fei.

“Your friend doesn’t seem to care much about your life.”

Han Fei gave a bitter smile, “Don’t rush, don’t rush, give him some time to think.”

Bai Xianwu’s hand moved slightly, making the cold blade press closer to Han Fei’s neck.

“But my patience is limited.”

Han Fei felt the coldness of the blade spread through his body.

He couldn’t help but shiver.

He raised his hands restlessly, and repeatedly reminded, “Hey, hey, be careful, be careful.”

“If I die, you lose your bargaining chip.”

Bai Xianwu glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, without expression, “You should remind him.”

Han Fei bit his lip tightly.

His eyes, full of the will to survive, settled on Li Mo.

His life or death was in Li Mo’s hands.

“Alright, I’ll give it to you.”

Li Mo lifted his head, speaking calmly, “But you have to release him first.”

Bai Xianwu shook her head gently.

With a blank expression, she said, “You’re in no position to negotiate terms with me right now.”

Dead men hold no grudges, right?

Bai Xianwu sure held a grudge!

When Li Mo said during the day that there was no need to explain to her, she had held it against him.

“Hand over the item, otherwise, he dies.”

Bai Xianwu left no room for negotiation, her attitude extremely forceful.

Li Mo pondered without speaking.

After a moment, he slowly extended the arm holding the copper box.

He said calmly, “I hope you keep your word.”

A flash of cold light flickered in Bai Xianwu’s eyes.

She had no intention of letting the two of them leave alive today.

With a “ding”, the white longsword in her left hand was directly thrust into the ground.

The copper box in Li Mo’s hand was lightly sucked over with a grasp of her five fingers.

“Can you release me now?” Han Fei couldn’t help but ask when he saw she got the copper box.

Bai Xianwu cast a sidelong glance at him. “Say another word, and I’ll cut your tongue out.”

The copper box was heavy, and without opening it, one wouldn’t know if there was anything inside.

Li Mo’s brows slowly furrowed.

He knew Bai Xianwu wasn’t foolish enough to not check.

As soon as the copper box was opened, Han Fei’s head would fall.

Not to mention there was still a red sword pressed against his neck.

Even without it, it wouldn’t be easy to snatch him from Bai Xianwu at this distance.

This woman’s speed had already surpassed the human realm.

Bai Xianwu glanced at Li Mo and then nailed the red sword from Han Fei’s neck into the ground beside her.

Although the threat of the sword was gone, Han Fei still didn’t dare to move carelessly.

He stood with hands raised, waiting for Bai Xianwu to finish her inspection.

Slender and fair fingers like jade reached the clasp of the copper box.

A gentle flick produced a “click” sound.

Li Mo’s brows furrowed even more.

Bai Xianwu slowly opened the copper box, her gaze suddenly froze.

Inside, it was empty!

In that instant of her daze, a blue light swiftly flew towards her neck.

Han Fei, who had been standing still, suddenly attacked!

A short sword emitting a blue glow had somehow appeared in his hand.

When Bai Xianwu realized, the short sword was less than a foot away from her.

She lifted her left hand across her throat.

The sharp short sword pierced through her jade-like hand with a “puff”.

A trace of anger flashed in Bai Xianwu’s eyes.

She dropped the copper box in her right hand, her fingers clawing towards Han Fei’s heart!

Han Fei was no match for her.

Before he could release the dagger, his chest was gripped.

Bai Xianwu mercilessly exerted force with all five fingers, intending to crush his heart.

Yet, her fingers felt like they were gripping air, only leaving a few round holes in Han Fei’s clothes.

A black shadow slipped out of Han Fei’s robe.

Only the outer garment remained in Bai Xianwu’s grasp.

Bai Xianwu’s eyes turned icy, switching hands to lift the longsword and slash at the shadow.

But a bizarre scene occurred again.

The shadow collapsed like a pool of black water onto the ground, making Bai Xianwu’s slash miss.

The shadow merged with the ground and swiftly squirmed towards Li Mo.

Li Mo leaped into the air, forcing back Bai Xianwu with one palm.

When they landed, the shadow slowly rose beside him.

Bai Xianwu’s cold gaze fixed on the shadow standing at Li Mo’s shoulder level.

The shadow was petite, draped in an indigo cloak that covered the entire body.

A hood was worn on the head, with only a long ponytail visible.

Under the hood, it was pitch black, revealing no face or gender.

Only two eyes emitting a ghostly light could be seen.

Standing next to Li Mo, the figure was a head shorter than him.

Li Mo’s lips curled slightly as he spoke slowly, “Let me introduce, this is Mo Yu Qilin, a master of disguise.”

A black night, cold wind, an invisible killer, and myriad transformations—Mo Yu Qilin.

Known as “Han’s top assassin.”

Though this reputation had some exaggeration, the art of disguise was indeed flawless.

This person had no fixed form, capable of transforming into anyone.

Mastering the art of disguise, imitating voices and moves with uncanny accuracy, almost no one could detect.

Only now did Bai Xianwu realize she had been thoroughly tricked by Li Mo.

The copper box was fake.

Han Fei was also fake!

The real Han Fei had long been sent away the first time Li Mo saw him.

The one left in the mansion was this Mo Yu Qilin.

Bai Xianwu’s pale face turned icy cold.

She said icily, “Playing me?”

This person had anticipated she would capture Han Fei to threaten him and had prepared a backup plan long ago.
Li Mo raised an eyebrow: “Hmm… Given the public setting, your request seems rather inappropriate, don’t you think?”

“And besides, I’ve already told you, I have no interest in dead people, so I don’t want to play with you.”

Mo Yu Qilin, beside him, was visibly stunned.

He lifted his head, and his two eyes with a ghostly gleam stared blankly at Li Mo.

What kind of comprehension do you have?

Even Bai Xianwu, who usually showed no emotion, had a spark of anger in her eyes due to Li Mo’s antics.

“Did you go through all this trouble just to land one sword strike on me?”

Bai Xianwu still had Mo Yu Qilin’s short sword stuck in her left palm.

But such an injury was hardly any real harm to someone of her level.

If not for Mo Yu Qilin’s perfect timing, the strike wouldn’t have even scratched her, and she could’ve countered it.

Li Mo shook his head and said, “I never expected to kill you like this. Just wounding you is enough.”

With strength comparable to the Tongshen Realm, how could a Mo Yu Qilin possibly kill her?

Bai Xianwu suddenly furrowed her heroic brows.

She raised her injured left hand to see that the wound had already turned pitch black.

It was clear that the short sword was poisoned.

The poison was spreading, and soon her hand lost all feeling.

Bai Xianwu looked surprised.

Most poisons spread through the bloodstream, but her blood did not circulate. Logically, even if she were poisoned, it wouldn’t take effect.

But this poison defied logic.

The toxin spread autonomously, as if it was alive.

Li Mo sneered, “Fascinating, isn’t it? This is a Baiyue concoction.”

The poison was refined using gu and was exceedingly rare.

It wouldn’t kill a person but would paralyze them completely.

His plan was to capture her alive!

Bai Xianwu, watching the black fumes spread in her palm, coldly and calmly said, “Indeed, it’s fascinating.”

Having said that, she raised her head to look at Li Mo.

Her gaze became chilling.

She slowly lifted her left hand and pulled out the short sword lodged in it.

The sword had run through her entire palm, and after pulling it out, no blood seeped out.

Suddenly, a burst of white frost emerged from her left hand, freezing it instantly.

Bai Xianwu looked at her frozen hand.

Although the poison had stopped spreading, this hand was temporarily useless.

“I thought you would just chop off that hand.”

Li Mo spoke up.

Bai Xianwu, her expression frosty, raised her right hand.

The sword’s edge pointed at both him and Mo Yu Qilin.

The strong wind made her long hair flutter like a black flag.

“I will use your lives as compensation.”

Bai Xianwu was truly furious!

Not only had she been toyed with several times, but she had also lost the use of a hand.

Several puppets seemed to receive a command simultaneously and charged towards them.

Boom!

A wall of fire suddenly rose from the ground, instantly igniting five of the puppets.

But the flaming puppets didn’t pause for a moment and continued their charge.

“It seems these things aren’t afraid of my fire.”

A sorrowful voice sounded.

Yan Lingji walked in elegantly, her steps like those of a cat.

She toyed with a hairpin in her right hand.

The ends of the hairpin were both ablaze, and she skillfully twirled it among her five slender fingers.

Buzz!

A buzzing sound surged through the air.

A silver-white beam cut through the night sky, shattering a puppet’s head like a sword.

The puppet instantly stopped, collapsing backward as if a switch had been flipped.

“Destroy their heads, and you can kill them.”

Fei Yan, wearing a black and yellow gown, stood imposingly. In a few steps, she teleported to Li Mo’s side.

The Yin-Yang School also practiced puppet techniques, so Fei Yan knew the puppets’ weaknesses.

Puppets were created from dead bodies.

Lacking life, they were immune to water, fire, blades, and swords.

Just like that commander—decapitate him, and as long as the head was reattached, he would continue to function.

Their only weak point was the head.

Smash the head, and they were finished.

Puppets were immensely strong, tireless, and insensitive to pain.

A dozen puppets acting in concert could even make an opponent at the Free and Unfettered Realm retreat.

Destroying their heads was no easy feat.

Fei Yan destroyed a puppet with one blow, and Bai Xianwu took notice immediately.

“I told you, you will remember me.”

Fei Yan raised her hand slightly, quickly forming seals with both hands.

In the blink of an eye, she formed several hand seals.

Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz.

It was as if the air was vibrating.

Four beams of light fell from the sky, blocking all escape routes for a puppet, smashing it again on the spot.

Bai Xianwu’s cold gaze swept over the puppet on the ground.

“Dragon’s Qi?”

When she looked at Fei Yan again, there was a hint of vigilance in her eyes.

The remaining puppets still showed no signs of retreat.

Fearlessly, they continued to charge forward.

Each puppet came at them like a raging bull.

Moyu Qilin pulled out a short sword from his bosom to meet them.

Yan Lingji’s slender eyebrows almost knitted together!

The five puppets she had just ignited were already reduced to skeletons by the flames.

Yet they still stood firm.

The sharp finger bones slashed like ten short blades.

One hit, and more bloody holes would appear on your body.

Boom!

Crack!

A golden crow suddenly flew in from the side and directly shattered a skeleton.

The broken bones on the ground were still twitching, as if an invisible thread was pulling them, trying to reassemble them.

“Disgusting!”

Yan Lingji exclaimed sharply, shooting out the hairpin in her hand.

Wrapped in a layer of flame, it shattered the twitching skull on the ground.

With a wave of her small hand, she retrieved the hairpin.

Only then did the puppet truly die!

Li Mo crushed a puppet with one palm, while also sensing the conditions of those around him.

Inside, he felt only two words.

Envy!

Yan Lingji and Fei Yan’s skills were incredibly magical.

Especially Fei Yan’s Yin-Yang techniques.

With a small gesture of her fingers, beams of light would fall, looking like special effects.

Her moves exuded an air of grandeur!

“Husband, leave this to us.”

After helping Yan Lingji out of her predicament with one attack, Fei Yan softly said to Li Mo.

Their target was Bai Xianwu, there was no need to fight these puppets head-on.

Li Mo didn’t hesitate, giving them a word of caution before flash-stepping to Bai Xianwu’s side.

Bai Xianwu’s eyes sharpened, and she thrust out the long sword in her right hand.

The move seemed simple and unadorned.

But the number of people in the world who could take this strike was few and far between.

Li Mo swept his sleeve, pulling out Bai Xianwu’s red sword embedded in the ground.

Clang!

A sharp collision sound rang out.

One white and one red longsword clashed fiercely.

The violent energy scattered in all directions.

The stone slabs on the ground were shattered by the shockwave!

The two separated quickly but created a world-shattering momentum.

Li Mo’s wrist gave a little shake, steadying his trembling sword.

Bai Xianwu’s strength was astonishing.

Even his arm infused with Qi felt a bit numb.

Bai Xianwu didn’t gain any advantage either, being pushed back by the Qi for a dozen feet.

Just as she steadied herself, she rushed at him with her sword again.

Within a blink of an eye, they exchanged five more blows.

Their movements were too fast for the naked eye to catch.

Wherever they fought, chaos followed.

Idle houses on the roadside were destroyed by the scattering shockwaves of their duel.

Trees toppled, debris flew.

This level of battle was not something an ordinary person could intervene in!

Li Mo’s expression was quite serious.

Although he had never underestimated Bai Xianwu, her strength was still ridiculously strong.

No wonder even Ghost Valley Master had such high praise for her.

Her speed and strength completely surpassed human limits.

Her fighting style was more frenzied than Jing Ni.

Ordinary people would dedicate thirty percent to attack and seventy percent to defense.

Jing Ni would have a seventy-thirty ratio in favor of attack.

Bai Xianwu was just absurd, all attack, no defense!

Either you kill me, or I kill you!

Just as he marveled at her, Bai Xianwu, who had been pushed back, charged at him again with her sword.

The same relentless style as before.

In his perception, Li Mo slowed down her speed to the maximum.

In a flash of lightning, the best moment to strike with the sword was found.

The red sword, like a wandering dragon, bypassed Bai Xianwu’s sword tip and aimed its point at her heart.

A cold gleam flashed in Bai Xianwu’s icy eyes.

Even in this situation, she had no intention of retreating to defend.

With a flick of her wrist, her sword swept horizontally.

Slashing towards Li Mo’s neck.

Li Mo’s brow furrowed.

His sword was obviously faster than hers, ultimately resulting in his sword reaching her heart first.

By then, her offensive would naturally collapse.

It was impossible for a master like Bai Xianwu to not see this outcome.

Yet she seemed completely unconcerned.

Squelch!

As expected, Li Mo’s red long sword pierced through Bai Xianwu’s chest.

Directly penetrating her heart.

But strangely, her movements didn’t pause at all!

Her sword continued to slash towards Li Mo’s neck!

As if the one whose heart was pierced by a sword wasn’t her!