After learning from Li Luoqiu that the Xiao family also had assassins, Jun Changxiao gnawed on his thumb, falling into deep thought.

When attacked by assassins in Liyang City, his initial judgment pointed to the Bei family and Xiao family. Later, after seeing the Bei family waist token, he temporarily excluded the Xiao family.

Why?

Because Jun Changxiao believed that something so obviously exposing the Bei family’s identity would easily make people think it was a frame-up.

At the time of the sect competition, the Xiao family’s higher-ups and direct descendants’ various behaviors—any person with a normal brain would guess they were definitely the ones doing the framing.

Jun Changxiao excluded the Xiao family to avoid being deliberately manipulated by someone with ulterior motives. But now that he knew the Xiao family had assassins, he had to think this through carefully.

“Assuming the assassins were sent by the Xiao family.”

“To clear themselves of suspicion, they deliberately brought Bei family waist tokens, creating a false impression that someone was framing them?”

Holy crap.

If that were really the case, they were totally playing psychological warfare!

“Or was it someone else attacking, deliberately framing both the Bei family and Xiao family?”

Jun Changxiao’s mind was a bit chaotic, a bit insufficient.

“Phew!”

He took a long breath. “Hall Master Li, this seat now gives you your first task.”

Li Luoqiu listened.

Jun Changxiao considered briefly. “Send people to Liyang City to monitor the Bei family’s and Xiao family’s every move, especially that Xiao family Grand Elder.”

He didn’t care whether it was psychological warfare or not. Keep an eye on the suspicious Xiao family. If it really was them, they would definitely show their tail.

“Just watch people, not kill them?” Li Luoqiu said.

“Mm.”

“Understood.”

Killing people was troublesome; watching people was easy.

Li Luoqiu handed the matter to Viper, who hurried back to the Fine Rain Hall, selected several gold-ranked assassins skilled in concealment, then left the sect for Liyang City.

The Fine Rain Hall’s usefulness was already manifesting.

“Sect Leader.”

Li Luoqiu smiled. “Do you have time to teach me how to shoot?”

…

The back mountain.

Jun Changxiao’s left hand and right hand in slow motion poured spiritual power from crystal cores into the low groove of the newly purchased Desert Eagle, then loaded the bullet and removed the safety at the hammer. “Did you see clearly?”

“I saw clearly.” Li Luoqiu said.

She took out the Desert Eagle, following the sect leader’s method step by step. She really did load the bullet properly and removed all safety devices.

“Bang!”

She pulled the trigger. Streaming light flew out.

It accurately hit a fruit on a tree several dozen meters away!

Li Luoqiu, a fifth-grade Wushi, could withstand the recoil, so her arm was perfectly fine.

Sect Leader Jun was dumbfounded. “Fire another shot for me to see.”

“Bang!”

Li Luoqiu shot down another fruit hanging on a nearby branch.

“Amazing, amazing!” Jun Changxiao exclaimed.

He wasn’t praising Li Luoqiu’s marksmanship, but the vibration the woman produced after firing made her chest bounce along with it.

“Fire another shot, let this seat see!”

“Bang!”

“Bang!”

Li Luoqiu fired two shots in succession, her body vibrating.

Indeed… a woman with substance—even her shooting had such impact.

Li Luoqiu lowered the gun and noticed the sect leader’s eyes were looking in the wrong place. Her willow brows furrowed slightly. “Where are you looking?”

“Uh.”

Jun Changxiao quickly looked up, sighing. “The sky is very blue and very vast.”

Li Luoqiu said, “Earlier outside headquarters, the Sect Leader used another type of Divine Might Fire Blunderbuss. Can I try it?”

“Sure.”

Jun Changxiao called over Xiao Zuiji, tossed the Type 88 Sniper Rifle to her, then simply taught her how to calibrate the eight-times scope’s crosshair and how to shoulder the rifle when prone.

“Got it.” Li Luoqiu said.

“Swoosh! Swoosh!”

Jun Changxiao and Xiao Zuiji both retreated far away.

“Sect Leader, aren’t you letting her wear the shoulder guard?”

“Hall Master Li is a fifth-grade Wushi—she can definitely withstand the recoil.”

“Makes sense.”

The two watched. The next second they were dumbfounded.

Because Li Luoqiu didn’t follow the teaching just given to lie prone and mount the rifle, but instead directly shouldered it, brought her single eye to the eight-times scope—clearly intending to shoot standing!

A woman with a slender figure, holding the Type 88 Sniper Rifle standing in the grassy field—the image was quite beautiful.

“Hall Master Li, don’t…”

“Bang!”

“Bang!”

Li Luoqiu directly fired two shots in succession. The bullets shot out, shattering rocks several hundred meters away. The recoil jerked her body upward and sent her flying backward.

“Swoosh!”

Jun Changxiao arrived in advance at the landing position, spreading both arms to catch her, his heart collapsing. “This woman wasn’t satisfied with one shot—she fired two!”

“Thud.”

Li Luoqiu with person and gun fell directly in front, forming a swastika shape.

Jun Changxiao’s mouth twitched. “Hall Master Li, I’m sorry. This seat misjudged and walked half a step too little—I didn’t catch you!”

…

Li Luoqiu felt that lying prone to shoot wasn’t elegant, so she stood and fired two shots in succession. Elegant it was, but the price was her shoulder and arm going numb for an entire night from the recoil.

The next day.

Disciples continued their morning exercises and cultivation as usual.

The five newly admitted disciples also began their sect life of either growing stronger or singing a lament.

The most tragic was Li Shangtian, who was kicked straight to heaven by Li Fei’s happy soccer ball.

Sun Bukong and Sima Zhongda squatted in the distance, watching their fellow entrant lying spread-eagled on the martial arts grounds, trembling in fear.

The only female among the five new disciples, Ling Yuanxue, was the happiest, because the senior sisters enthusiastically chatted with her, gradually opening up her originally quite shy personality.

“Qingyang.”

Jun Changxiao stood outside the great hall, scanning the disciples one by one. “Where’s Zhou Hong?”

Li Qingyang said, “Sect Leader, this junior brother is a bit strange. After entering the sect, he’s been standing motionless in the inner courtyard martial arts grounds. When disciples speak to him, he doesn’t answer either.”

“Is that so?”

Jun Changxiao went to the inner courtyard.

On the small martial arts grounds, Zhou Hong, who hadn’t even changed into his uniform, stood proudly. One hand gripped the sword, the other rested on the hilt. His head was slightly lowered, black hair scattered.

This was a standard sword-drawing stance. Because he was completely motionless, he looked like a stone statue.

Li Qingyang said in a low voice, “Sect Leader, after eating dinner yesterday, he’s been standing. He’s stood all night.”

Jun Changxiao propped up his chin. “This person is indeed a bit strange.”

“Clang—”

Suddenly, Zhou Hong’s sword left its sheath. Rays of sword light appeared around him, interweaving together, instantly forming an inescapable net.

“Whoa!”

Jun Changxiao and Li Qingyang’s eyes widened.

“Clang!”

Sword returned to sheath, sword energy dispersed.

Drawing the sword, sheathing it—truly extremely fast!

The two of them, Jun Changxiao and Li Qingyang, only heard the sounds of unsheathing and sheathing, but completely failed to see the motions of unsheathing and sheathing!

Even more exaggerated, the tree leaves originally falling around Zhou Hong drifted through the sword light yet weren’t cut, finally settling leisurely on the stone slabs.

So fast, so much sword energy permeating everywhere, yet not cutting the several falling leaves—absolutely a master of human body outlining!

“Whoosh whoosh!”

Just at that moment, a breeze blew through.

The tree leaves at Zhou Hong’s feet were lifted, then decomposed into strips during the flight, sticking to Jun Changxiao’s and Li Qingyang’s faces.

This… wasn’t human body outlining.

This was the leaves being swept by the sword energy, but because the sword was too fast, there simply wasn’t time for them to break apart!

Brushing away the strips of shredded leaves covering their eyes, Jun Changxiao and Li Qingyang exclaimed in unison, “Expert expert expert expert expert!”

In a distant disciple’s room, Ye Xingchen also witnessed Zhou Hong’s sword drawing and sheathing, murmuring, “Drawing the sword twenty-three times in one breath—this person should have comprehended the Fast Realm in the sword path. He’s a rare sword path talent.”

“Such a pity.”

He shook his head. “Though the Iron Bone Sect has miraculous body cultivation techniques, fist techniques, and spiritual power martial skills, it lacks high-quality sword techniques. Cultivating here is equivalent to wasting his life.”