Alex had no clue about the drama unfolding on Mount Hua. With the Dugu Nine Swords now his, he felt a rush of joy. The skill filled a gap in his close-range fighting, a perfect match for his weakness in melee combat.
He could wield metal from afar with Magneto's power and now strike up close with the Dugu Nine Swords' deadly precision.
"Master, your swordplay back there was incredible," Lin Pingzhi said, his eyes shining with admiration as he walked beside Alex. "But I'm confused. Didn't you go to Huashan Sect to get the Dugu Nine Swords? Why waste your true energy teaching Linghu Chong a skill and then just leave?"
Alex glanced at Lin Pingzhi and said, "The sword moves I used to beat Yue Buqun and Lu Bai? That was the Dugu Nine Swords."
"What? That was the Dugu Nine Swords?" Lin Pingzhi's jaw dropped. The amazing swordplay he'd seen was the legendary technique—but had his master already known it?
Boom!
A sudden thunder of hooves cut through the air, growing louder from the distance. Alex and Lin Pingzhi looked up to see twenty to thirty riders charging toward them, circling them in a tight ring.
Their clothes marked them as Sun Moon Sect members. Leading the pack were Jia Bu, head of Qinglong Hall; Shangguan Yun, head of White Tiger Hall; and Tong Baixiong, head of Wind and Thunder Hall.
"Tong, what's this about?" Alex asked, his eyebrows rising as the Sun Moon Sect group surrounded him. Three hall heads showing up in person was no small matter.
"Elder Alex, you just came from Mount Hua, right?" Tong Baixiong said, his face uneasy. "The leader says you betrayed the Sun Moon Sect and teamed up with the Five Mountains Sword Sect. We're ordered to capture you and bring you to Blackwood Cliff. Resist, and we kill you on the spot."
"The leader says I betrayed the sect?" Alex's brow furrowed. He looked at Tong Baixiong and the others. "Did you hear that order straight from the leader, or was it Yang Lianting talking?"
"It was Manager Yang with the Blackwood Order, passing the leader's command," Shangguan Yun cut in.
"I figured," Alex said, his voice low. Shangguan Yun's words confirmed his suspicions.
His eyes narrowed, a spark of killing intent flashing in them. Yang Lianting was out to destroy him.
Alex and Lin Pingzhi were bound with ropes and led straight to Blackwood Cliff. Alex didn't fight back, so Tong Baixiong and the others kept the journey peaceful. Along the way, Tong Baixiong and his group offered several times to speak up for Alex at Blackwood Cliff.
After all, just days ago, Alex had rescued Qu Yang from the Five Mountains Sword Sect single-handedly, boosting the Sun Moon Sect's reputation across the martial world.
"No need," Alex said, shaking his head at Tong Baixiong and the others. "You can't get involved in this."
They didn't know, but Alex was certain: Yang Lianting was behind this, set on having him killed. No amount of pleading would sway that man.
"Brother Tong, please look after my apprentice," Alex said when they reached Blackwood Cliff. "I'll face Yang Lianting alone."
Tong Baixiong nodded, taking Lin Pingzhi away. Under Shangguan Yun's escort, Alex was brought to the Sun Moon Sect's main hall, its towering pillars casting long shadows.
"Butler Yang, Elder Alex is here," Shangguan Yun said, stepping into the hall. "He didn't resist and came willingly. I don't believe he'd betray us for the Five Mountains Sword Sect. Could this be a mistake?"
"Enough, Hall Master Shangguan," Yang Lianting said, waving a hand. "I'm acting on the Sect Leader's orders. I'll take him to the back mountain for the Leader's judgment."
With a sly glance, Yang Lianting signaled two disciples. They rushed forward, seizing Alex's arms tightly, their grips like iron.
"I'd rather report this to the Sect Leader myself," Shangguan Yun said, hesitating. He wanted to plead Alex's case directly to Dongfang Bubai.
"Hall Master Shangguan," Yang Lianting snapped, his face darkening. "The Leader is in seclusion at the back mountain. No one disturbs him without a summons. Have you forgotten?"
He ordered the two disciples to drag Alex away, then turned to Shangguan Yun. "You've had a long journey. Go rest."
Shangguan Yun sighed, watching helplessly as Yang Lianting's men took Alex. Yang Lianting held near-total control over the Sun Moon Sect. Even if Shangguan Yun tried to help, his words would fall on deaf ears.
"This isn't the path to the Leader, is it?" Alex said, his voice calm as the disciples led him to a barren corner of the back mountain, its rocky slopes empty and silent. He glanced around, taking in the desolate scene.
"Heh, Alex," Yang Lianting sneered, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "The Leader doesn't want to see you. He ordered me to execute you here. This scenic spot is perfect for your grave."
As he spoke, the two disciples raised their steel blades, slashing down at Alex's head with deadly force.
But the knives twisted mid-air, bending at impossible angles. With a sickening crunch, they sliced into each other's chests, nearly splitting them open. Blood spilled onto the rocky ground.
"What are you doing?" Yang Lianting gasped, his face pale with shock. His two loyal disciples had just slashed each other dead, their blades turning on them without warning.
Alex didn't give Yang Lianting time to think. Using his power, he sent one steel knife soaring through the air toward Yang Lianting's neck. The other blade whipped around, slicing through the ropes binding Alex's arms and legs.
"Ah!" Yang Lianting screamed, his weak martial skills no match for the flying blade. He spun around and bolted, yelling, "Leader, save me!"
"Hmph, where do you think you're going?" Alex muttered, watching Yang Lianting's panicked figure stumble over the rocky ground. Free from the ropes, Alex gripped the steel knife and chased after him, his steps heavy but determined.
Yang Lianting's martial arts were pitiful, but Alex wasn't exactly swift. He hadn't learned any Qinggong lightness skills to boost his speed. Channeling ten years of inner energy into his feet, Alex ran faster than most, but catching Yang Lianting wasn't easy.
Qinggong was now Alex's biggest weakness, a gap in his otherwise deadly arsenal.
Still, Alex's ten years of inner energy gave him stamina, while Yang Lianting's skills were barely worth mentioning. After a chase of three or four miles through the back mountain's barren trails, Alex closed the gap. Yang Lianting was gasping, his legs wobbling, ready to collapse.
Whoosh!
Alex raised his hand, and the steel knife shot forward, glinting in the dim light as it aimed for Yang Lianting's back.
"Alex, stop!" A sharp, delicate shout echoed across the mountain. A red shadow flashed from the distance, moving like a phantom, swift and unstoppable.
Dongfang Bubai had arrived.