People in the Qin Dynasty sought good fortune and avoided misfortune.

Chapter 311, One Man and One Sword Fight a Hundred Birds
After leaving home, Xu Qing gripped the hilt of Cheng Ying's sword with his right hand, pressing his index finger against the hilt, letting the cold rain lash his body.

"It seems the person has arrived."

Xu Qing coldly surveyed the street ahead. The once bustling street was now deserted. Dark shadows kept flashing across the archway not far away, and the imperial guards could be vaguely seen rushing towards them from behind.

Footsteps echoed through the silent street as more than sixty dark figures appeared on the eaves of houses on both sides of the street.

Mo Ya, who was leading the group, looked at Xu Qing, who was standing alone on the street with a sharp aura and holding a sword hilt. A hint of doubt flashed in his eyes, but he did not rush forward to make contact with Xu Qing.

"Imperial Physician, it's cold and rainy. Where are you going, wandering the streets alone? The King's decree has arrived. You should go back and receive it." Mo Ya said, standing on the rooftop and looking at Xu Qing from afar.

However, as soon as Mo Ya finished speaking, more than a dozen silver needles flew out from Xu Qing's hand.

The silver needles, enveloped in the internal energy of the Evergreen Skill, pierced through the rain like a streak of light, heading towards Mo Ya and the dozen or so Hundred Birds Assassins beside him.

"Watch out!" Mo Ya's eyes narrowed. He hadn't expected Xu Qing to know martial arts. After shouting coldly, his figure disappeared in an instant, leaving only a few black feathers.

The Hundred Birds Assassins, alerted by Mo Ya, dodged, but one unlucky fellow was a beat too slow, and the silver needle pierced his brain through his forehead.

With a muffled groan, the body of the Hundred Birds Killer rolled off the roof and landed on the ground, splashing up a lot of rainwater.

"By imperial decree, the Imperial Physician Xu Qing has committed treason and disrespect towards the concubines of the harem. He shall be immediately arrested, beheaded, and his head displayed to the public!"

Mo Ya looked at Xu Qing and immediately read out the decree. The Hundred Birds Assassins around him narrowed their eyes, and the Hundred Birds Assassins behind him raised their crossbows and pulled the bowstrings, sending dozens of sharp arrows slicing through the rain towards Xu Qing.

The six people closest to Xu Qing immediately leaped up, wielding daggers and attacking him. Their movements were so fast that only afterimages could be seen.

Xu Qing's eyes narrowed as he looked at the overwhelming swords and six assassins approaching. A black and white Tai Chi diagram unfolded beneath his feet, and his inner strength erupted, instantly creating a domain.

Heaven and earth faded.

The colors on the clothes of the Hundred Birds Assassin were stripped away, and the world was plunged into black and white. The arrows and rain in mid-air all stopped, and water columns floated in mid-air, clearly visible.

"Today is the perfect day to test your skills!"

Xu Qing gripped the Cheng Ying sword in one hand and made a hand seal with the other, unleashing the Myriad Rivers Autumn Water technique. The arrow in mid-air swayed slightly, and under Xu Qing's control, it instantly changed direction and headed towards the Hundred Birds Assassin.

"Whoosh~"

The moment the sky and earth lost their color and the suppression eased, dozens of feathered arrows flew towards the Hundred Birds Killer.

The six assassins in mid-air were instantly riddled with bullets. The Hundred Birds assassins behind them didn't know what had happened, but they dodged the incoming arrows. The leader, Mo Ya, looked at Xu Qing with a solemn expression.

After dodging several incoming arrows, Bai Feng approached Mo Ya and asked...
"What just happened? I felt like my body was being restrained, and I could hardly move."

"In this situation, I've only ever heard of the Daoist Heavenly Sect's ultimate technique, the one that makes the world lose its color. It seems our Imperial Physician is hiding something very well!"

Mo Ya's expression was solemn. He had deduced Xu Qing's identity from the "world losing its color" technique, but he also understood that capturing him would not be easy. Therefore, he gave the order.

"Everyone come together!"

Without the slightest hesitation, the remaining fifty-odd Hundred Birds Assassins used their lightness skills to wield their sharp swords and short blades and charged towards Xu Qing.

Just as Bai Feng was about to take action, Mo Ya stopped her.

"No rush, let's see how things go first."

The world lost its color, and Mo Ya had only heard about it; he had no idea how to deal with it.

However, if Xu Qing could freeze six people in mid-air, then even with all his internal energy, he wouldn't be able to handle an attack from over fifty people at the same time.

Seeing more than fifty people charging towards him at the same time, with colorful feathers floating in mid-air, Xu Qing did not hesitate at all. He immediately withdrew the colorless sky and earth, leaped up from the ground, and took the initiative to attack these assassins.

Although Xu Qing's internal energy was sufficient to maintain the colorless world, and even if he couldn't control all fifty-odd people, he could still influence them, the consumption of internal energy was too great, which would be detrimental to Xu Qing's escape later.

With over sixty Hundred Bird Assassins and three hundred Imperial Guards, Xu Qing wasn't stupid; he naturally understood that he couldn't possibly be a match for them.

However, in order to contain the forces on this side and buy time for Zilanxuan and Ying Zheng, he had to engage in battle to delay the situation.

But once the signal sounds, he can leave.

Xu Qing arrived in mid-air, and with Cheng Ying in his hand, he unleashed several sword energies.

However, Cheng Ying's assassins were completely unprepared. By the time the five assassins realized the danger, the sword energy had already reached them, severing their short blades and leaving gruesome wounds on their chests.

The blood exploded in mid-air, like roses, bloody yet beautiful.

As the corpse hit the ground, Xu Qing charged into the group of Hundred Birds Assassins. Several of the closest assassins brandished their swords and attacked Xu Qing.

Xu Qing brandished Cheng Ying, the invisible blade slicing through the rain, milky white sword energy swirling around the blade.

The sound of a sword being severed rang out. These second-rate assassins had no chance to retaliate and fell silent in shock. They hadn't seen the blade and didn't know why their swords had been cut in two. "Be careful, the sword in his hand is invisible!" Mo Ya shouted a warning.

"The invisible sword, Cheng Ying? Han Guang?" Bai Feng asked, frowning.

Mo Ya didn't speak, but kept his eyes fixed on Xu Qing, a feather between his fingers, ready to launch a sneak attack at any moment.

After being reminded by Mo Ya, the remaining Hundred Birds Assassins came to their senses and no longer rushed forward to their deaths. They landed on the ground and watched Xu Qing warily.

Xu Qing looked at the assassins who had surrounded him and knew that they were waiting for the Imperial Guards to arrive.

Cheng Ying was lifted to the side, and Xu Qing looked around and found the weakest spot. His figure suddenly rose up and turned into a blur as he attacked the Hundred Birds Assassin.

"Do it!"

A Hundred Birds Assassin dressed in blue raised his sword in front of him to block the Cheng Ying Sword, and shouted to the others.

"Ding~"

With a flick of his wrist, Xu Qing's figure bypassed the assassin in green, his shadow slicing through the sword in the assassin's hand and plunging straight into the assassin's abdomen.

A drop of blood appeared on the invisible sword blade, but was quickly washed away by the rain.

The moment the assassin in blue fell, Xu Qing continued to wield Cheng Ying, using the skill of riding the wind to dodge and parry among dozens of assassins while constantly counterattacking.

The Eight Swords of Noble Emptiness, the Three Questions of Equality, The Banana Deer Following the Shadow, The Man of Qi Collapsing the Sky, and The Man Transforming into the Lost Tower.
Xu Qing unleashed his sword techniques, a combination of real and feint, afterimages, and mind-bending moves. Coupled with the invisible Cheng Ying Sword, these second-rate assassins were completely unable to cope.

The sounds of swords clashing rang out continuously, and footsteps splashed up the water on the ground. Xu Qing's figure dodged and weaved through the crowd, and each time Cheng Ying used his sword technique, it would take away one or two lives.

The heavy rain soaked everyone, and as more and more Hundred Birds Killers fell, their blood stained the puddles on the ground.

The stench of blood permeated the rain, but Xu Qing's slaughter did not frighten these Hundred Birds Killers. Instead, stimulated by the blood, they charged at Xu Qing even more frantically.

Compared to the fear of death, they were more afraid of Ji Wuye's methods.

"His strength is formidable, but it's more due to the sword in his hand and his unpredictable sword techniques, making him impossible to defend against," Bai Feng said, gazing at the battlefield below.

Mo Ya nodded slightly in agreement. Even if the Hundred Birds Assassin was no match for Xu Qing, he wouldn't have been killed so easily. The main reason was that the invisible sword in Xu Qing's hand was too strange, making it impossible for anyone to detect the opponent's sword moves.

Although he could judge from the opponent's starting move, Xu Qing was faster. Before the Hundred Birds Assassin could react, the blade was already in front of him.

"kill!"

Cheng Ying slashed across an assassin's neck, and blood splattered onto Xu Qing's clothes.

Xu Qing coldly surveyed the assassins around him. His clothes were already stained with blood, some of it his own, but mostly the blood of the Hundred Birds assassins.

Even though he was stronger than these people, he couldn't fight against so many. With more than fifty people attacking at once, he couldn't defend against them no matter how hard he tried. Moreover, Xu Qing was the one who took the initiative to attack, so he was bound to get injured, but fortunately none of them were serious wounds.

The original group of over sixty Hundred Birds Assassins was reduced to just over thirty under Xu Qing's frenzied attacks, losing nearly half their strength.

Although most of these were second-rate assassins, even less skilled than Vulture back then.

Sweeping across Xu Qing's indifferent gaze, these Hundred Birds Assassins couldn't help but feel a bit fearful, hesitating and not daring to step forward.

Seeing the Imperial Guards appearing in the rain not far away, Xu Qing knew he couldn't waste any more time. He pressed the tip of Cheng Ying's sword against the ground, dissolving the water and leaving a white mark on the bluestone floor with a piercing sound.

The purple energy in Xu Qing's dantian began to circulate, driving his internal energy to circulate rapidly in his meridians. With the support of his internal energy, the originally faint sound was amplified a hundredfold and spread through the rain.

The Hundred Birds Assassins around them were stunned at first, then they all looked at the sharp swords in their hands in astonishment. The swords in their hands were vibrating with the sound of Cheng Ying cutting the ground, and the strong vibrations made it impossible for them to even hold their weapons tightly.

"Do it."

"If we don't act now, we're all going to die!"

The remaining assassins could no longer remain calm. Faced with Xu Qing's bizarre moves, all they could do was launch an attack and wait for death.

A glint flashed in Xu Qing's eyes, and powerful internal energy burst forth from his body. The surrounding rain burst open, and the swords of the dozen or so assassins closest to him suddenly exploded, their blades breaking into several pieces.

The sound echoes through the empty valley; it is the sixth of the Eight Swords of Noble Emptiness, derived from the "Liezi: Tang Wen" which describes "singing a mournful song with a clapper, the sound reverberating through the woods."

The sword's edge swept diagonally across the rock face, its reverberation refracting thirteen times to create a resonance within the mountain, turning even the grass and trees into pillars, shattering the weapon with its sound.

Taking advantage of the moment when these people were stunned, Xu Qing once again made a hand seal and unleashed the Myriad Rivers Autumn Waters technique.

The rainwater around them swirled with the shattered sword blades in mid-air, turning into ripples that spread outwards. A dozen assassins were instantly struck by the powerful internal force within the ripples, coughing up blood and flying backwards.

(End of this chapter)