The roar of the waterfall saturated the atmosphere. The winds blew cold and damp, while the trees and leaves remained unnervingly still. On the sandy bank beside the lake, Gu Zong lay motionless, water droplets still sliding down his face. Han Wuang Shi stood nearby, watching him in silence.

  The wounds on Wuang Shi’s back had reopened due to the water and the exertion, blood now seeping through his white robes, staining them a stark, vivid crimson. Seeing that Gu Zong’s breath was steady, he turned to leave. At that moment, Gu Zong’s eyes snapped open.

  He sat up abruptly and saw Wuang Shi walking away. Rage flared in Gu Zong’s eyes once more. He drew his sword and roared from across the distance:

  "Coward! If you have the courage, face me! Why are you running away with your back turned? Huh? Fight me! Kill me! Duel me, Han Wuang Shi!!"

  Wuang Shi froze in his tracks. His grip tightened around his sword.

  But Gu Zong wasn't finished. He rushed toward him and stood behind him, his voice dripping with venom.

  "Huh. Who am I even challenging? A coward. Not just you your entire Han Qiantian Clan is full of cowards who only know how to kill through betrayal, not in a fair fight!"

  Suddenly, Han Wuang Shi unsheathed his blade with a violent force, striking directly against Gu Zong’s sword. In an instant, dozens of strikes were exchanged. Amidst the clashing steel, Gu Zong taunted,

  "Oh... so the coward Wuang Shi actually knows how to fight?"

  Han Wuang Shi shouted back, his voice cracking with intensity:

  "Shut your mouth! You are not even worthy of standing before me!"

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Gu Zong parried another blow.

  "I never wanted to be worthy of someone like you! You cowards are useless. You are all a heap of garbage!"

  Wuang Shi landed a swift strike on Gu Zong’s arm, but Gu Zong blocked the follow-up.

  Suddenly, Gu Zong began to laugh a loud, manic, broken laugh that echoed against the rocks. At that moment, Grandmaster Kang Jue, Yung Ke, Jun Wan, and Han Lao Fang arrived on the scene. Their world seemed to tilt as they witnessed the horrific spectacle.

  Still laughing, Gu Zong screamed:

  "Kill me, Han Wuang Shi! Go ahead!Murder me just like your people murdered my parents! Kill me, Han Wuang Shi! What are you waiting for?!"

  Han Wuang Shi’s eyes stared at Gu Zong with a terrifying ferocity. His sword trembled in his hand. A deathly silence fell over the forest. Gu Zong laughed again, but this time blood sprayed from his mouth. He fell to his knees, coughing violently.

  Jun Wan rushed to his side, cradling him, but Gu Zong continued to howl with every bit of strength left in his lungs:

  "Why are you just standing there, Han Wuang Shi? Kill me! Or can you not do it? Perhaps I forgot that you people only know how to strike from the shadows. You cannot fight a true war!"

  With those final words, Gu Zong collapsed, utterly broken. He had not only fought beyond his physical limits but had pushed his very soul into the abyss.

  Han Lao Fang walked over to Wuang Shi. What he saw shook him to his core.

  Wuang Shi’s entire body was shaking. His eyes were like a forest fire, fixed unblinkingly on Gu Zong. Lao Fang looked at Wuang Shi’s back; the blood was flowing steadily. Without a word, Lao Fang took Wuang Shi by the arm and began to lead him away. Throughout this, Lao Fang remained silent, as if he had lost the ability to speak.

  Fukun Xueyuan

  The corridors and courtyard of Fukun Xueyuan were swarming with students. News had already spread like wildfire of the bloody battle between Gu Zong and Han Wuang Shi.

  When Lao Fang entered the academy supporting Wuang Shi, a collective gasp went up. The Prince was drenched, blood-stained, and looked like a ghost of himself. Lao Fang glared at the crowd with such intensity that they all averted their eyes.

  Mo Jinxiang and Mo Zhenhai exchanged a worried look and followed silently behind them.

  A few moments later, the Grandmaster’s disciples brought Gu Zong in, followed by Jun Wan, Yung Ke, and the Grandmaster himself. Once again, the students’ breath hitched at Gu Zong’s condition.

  He was covered in gashes, blood dripping from his arm and his mouth.

  It looked as though the two hadn't just fought each other, but had returned from a battle against a thousand assassins.