Chapter 038: No Loose Ends

The winter night in Luocheng howled with cold winds, yet Shen Duo felt none of it; instead, she was warmed by the presence of Yusha and Benyi at her side.

She followed the street, soon to arrive at the little house where she lived.

In the darkness, a phantom-like figure appeared.

"Xiao Duo, be careful, there’s someone ahead," Yusha warned her suddenly through their telepathic link.

With Yusha’s reminder, Benyi too entered a battle-ready state.

Shen Duo narrowed her eyes at the shadow ahead, her delicate brows knitting together.

“Useless Ninth Miss, I’ve been waiting for you!” A sharp, sinister voice echoed, like a demonic chant. The shadow slowly turned; the billowing robe of a Phantom Master hung loosely on his thin frame, and his gaunt face—who could it be but Shen Qing!

Yusha and Benyi knew nothing of the tangled grudges between Shen Duo, Shen Qing, Shen Aofan, and the others, but they could sense that Shen Qing had come with ill intent.

“Xiao Duo, who is this shriveled zombie of a man?” Yusha asked in her mind.

Now was not the moment for explanations. Shen Duo curtly replied with two words: “An enemy.”

Yusha’s blood immediately boiled. His hands had been itching for a fight, and now someone had delivered himself right to their door. He narrowed his tiger’s eyes, but then, all at once, deflated as if pricked by a needle. What was this? Just a Spirit Phantom Master—he could send him flying with a single swipe.

He glanced at Benyi, the meaning clear: This one’s too weak for me to bother with; I’ll leave him to you.

Shen Duo caught Yusha’s thoughts and quickly instructed them in her mind: Neither of you move. Leave this one to me. Benyi, just keep an eye on his spirit beast for now.

Combat experience was essential. Swordsmanship needed the tempering of real battle. Tonight, she would use Shen Qing as her practice.

Benyi snorted in acknowledgment. This opponent was indeed weak enough; since his master wanted to stretch her limbs and enjoy herself, that was fine. With him watching, there was no danger to her at all.

If Shen Qing knew that the two beasts and their master were debating who should bother to deal with him, he would surely cough up blood in rage.

A faint smile curved Shen Duo’s lips. “Lord Shen! What brings you here so late at night?”

Hmph! Shen Qing snorted inwardly. Now that the Flaming Mercenary Group had left Luocheng, let’s see who this useless girl can rely on. Just two ordinary spirit beasts by her side, and she dares to put on airs? Did she think he, Lord Shen, was someone to be trifled with? A few days prior, he had spent nearly all his savings at the auction house to buy a Water Spirit Flower, which he had already consumed. With the flower’s rich spiritual energy, he had successfully crossed the threshold to become a powerful Spirit Phantom Master! At the same time, his spirit beast—the Silver Wolf—had advanced to a seven-star Spirit Phantom Beast. He had waited here for Shen Duo for a long time. Tonight would be the night she died!

“I’ve come to take your life!” Shen Qing’s voice was chilling and dreadful.

But Shen Duo felt no fear; instead, her fighting spirit surged. Hearing this, her smile deepened, “You’ve got it backwards. It’s your life that will end tonight!”

Shen Qing had repeatedly sought to trouble her. In the Saint Radiance Continent, strength was everything. Since he was set on eliminating her, she would show no mercy and leave no threat behind. Determination flashed in Shen Duo’s eyes.

Shen Qing never imagined Shen Duo would be so brazen. His fists clenched in fury. “Words are useless! Only fists speak!” As he spoke, a pale blue ball of spiritual energy formed in his hands, which he hurled straight at Shen Duo.

Shen Duo drew the longsword reforged for her by the old man from her storage ring. With nimble agility, she leapt aside, dodging the attack. The pale blue orb slammed into the ground, instantly forming a shallow pit.

She gripped her weapon tightly, slightly surprised—Shen Qing had actually advanced to Spirit Phantom Master. Though only at one star, his power far surpassed that of a Grand Phantom Master.

Shen Qing gave her no chance to catch her breath. He unleashed his seven-star Spirit Phantom Beast, the Silver Wolf, commanding it to attack. The spirit Silver Wolf was three or four times the size of an ordinary wolf. With its advancement, its fangs and claws were now laced with deadly poison; a single swipe or bite would leave an ordinary Phantom Master gravely wounded or dead.

The Silver Wolf charged at Shen Duo, howling. But before it could reach her, Benyi swatted it away with a single claw. The wolf crashed heavily to the ground with a thud, yelping in pain. Benyi bared his teeth at it, and the Silver Wolf, trying to rise, whimpered in terror and collapsed, trembling.

Shen Qing was dumbfounded. His spirit beast had been subdued by a single swipe from an “ordinary” beast! Impossible! He refused to believe his own eyes, frantically reaching out through his bond to order the Silver Wolf to fight. But under Benyi’s oppressive aura, the wolf was paralyzed, unable even to stand, let alone battle its master’s foe.

A flicker of unease flashed in Shen Qing’s eyes. But at this point, there was no retreat. He glared at Shen Duo with vicious malice. The pale blue spiritual energy surged in both hands, forming two invisible weapons shaped like meteor hammers, which he hurled at her. Though intangible, the force of these hammers shattered everything they struck.

Relying on her agility, Shen Duo dodged left and right. One hammer came crashing down in front, the other swept at her waist. Under the immense pressure, she felt a sudden heat in her abdomen and instinctively drew upon the white energy surging from her dantian. Her sword arm filled with power. Leaping upward, she evaded the waist attack; the downward blow met her raised heavy sword. The sword’s edge burst with white light, cleaving Shen Qing’s phantom hammers apart.

Shen Qing staggered backward, eyes wide with shock. “You’re a Great Swordswoman! No, you broke my energy sphere—you must have awakened sword spirit!”

Shen Duo had no intention of wasting words. All she knew was that her body was now brimming with strength, and the heavy sword in her grip shimmered with a faint white glow. If Shen Qing were left alive, he would only cause more trouble. After everything she’d been through, she would show no hesitation. She didn’t understand the sudden power within her, but one thing was certain: she was now stronger than Shen Qing.

No longer hesitating, Shen Duo raised her sword, its blade gleaming faintly, and lunged straight for Shen Qing’s heart.

It was as if a mountain pressed down on him, rendering him immobile. Shen Qing’s pupils shrank with terror. He poured every last ounce of spiritual energy within him into moving just a single step, but under the crushing force, blood gushed from his mouth.

Because of that desperate movement, Shen Duo’s sword would have missed his vital point—but the tip suddenly twisted, as if guided by unseen eyes, and found its mark.

In the next instant, Shen Qing’s heart ceased to beat.

In death, his eyes contracted in terror and disbelief, his withered face contorted with fear.

Shen Duo withdrew her sword from his body, noting the lingering white glow upon the blade with some confusion.

Yusha trotted over, looked Shen Qing’s corpse up and down, and snorted disdainfully, “Foolish weakling!” Then, spreading his wings, he perched on Shen Duo’s shoulder. “Xiao Duo, hurry and take his storage pouch and ring—let’s see if he had anything worthwhile.”

Shen Duo rolled her eyes. Had Yusha really come just to loot the body?

Benyi’s thought came through their link: “Master, there’s one left here.”

The Silver Wolf, quivering under Benyi’s gaze, lay trembling beside Shen Qing’s corpse.

Yusha narrowed his tiger eyes. “Benyi, bring it over.”

Shen Duo removed Shen Qing’s storage pouch and ring. The Silver Wolf slunk over, shivering beside its dead master.

Yusha opened his mouth and spat out a cluster of “Hellfire.” In an instant, both Shen Qing and the Silver Wolf were reduced to ash.

At this, Shen Duo and Benyi exchanged a silent, speechless glance at Yusha…