Peerless Bodyguard of a Stunning Beauty

Chapter 32: Chapter 29 Whirlwind Knife and Quicksand Sword

Just then, a chilling voice emanated from the secret room. ”You two fools, still thinking you can catch me, the Masked Man? Not a chance.”

Listening to the bone-chilling voice in the dark room, a terrified Lili hid in Zhao Rong’s arms. ”Zhao Rong,” she said fearfully, ”have we fallen into the Masked Man’s trap?”

Zhao Rong looked at the frightened Lili and comforted her. ”Don’t be afraid, Lili. I’m here. Good will always triumph over evil. No matter how formidable the Masked Man is, he will fall before the light of justice.”

Listening to Zhao Rong and Lili’s conversation, the Masked Man, hidden in the darkness, spoke again. ”You two idiots. You’re at death’s door, and you’re still being lovey-dovey. Today, I, the Masked Man, will ensure you both die a painful death.”

Zhao Rong shielded Lili and faced the dark secret room. ”This has nothing to do with Lili! If you have the guts, come for me!”

The Masked Man laughed. ”I, the Masked Man, have roamed the martial world for decades and killed countless people. To think I’d meet two fools today who would walk right into my trap! It seems this is your final day.”

The Masked Man excelled at killing in the dark. In fact, the darker and more confined the space, the greater his advantage.

Shielding Lili, Zhao Rong scanned the darkness for any sign of the Masked Man. He couldn’t find his foe, but he did find two towels.

He poured mineral water over the towels, pressed one against his own mouth, and handed the other to Lili. ”Cover your mouth and nose,” he said. ”I’m about to make my big move.”

Hearing that Zhao Rong was about to make a big move, Lili said in surprise, ”Zhao Rong, we didn’t bring any weapons! Besides, isn’t your cultivation level too low to use an ultimate move?”

From the darkness, the Masked Man heard this and burst out laughing. ”You? With a cultivation level that pathetic? You want to use an ultimate move in front of me? Don’t make me laugh.”

As the Masked Man was mocking him, Zhao Rong suddenly pulled a stink bomb from his pocket. He quickly lit it and tossed it into the air.

While throwing the bomb, Zhao Rong reminded Lili, ”Keep the wet towel over your nose and mouth! It will protect you from the weapon’s suffocating stench.” He did the same, pressing the wet towel firmly over his own face.

In less than thirty seconds, the entire room was filled with a stench so unbearable it felt lethal. But since Zhao Rong and Lili had covered their faces with wet towels, they were completely unaffected.

In stark contrast to the unharmed pair, the Masked Man was writhing in agony from the stench. Coughing and sputtering, he roared, ”Damn it! This is your ’big move’? This smell... it’s worse than a skunk’s fart! It’s killing me!”

With that, the Masked Man threw open the secret room’s door and fled. As soon as he was out, Zhao Rong and Lili followed right behind him.

The Masked Man stumbled out and leaned against a window in the hallway, gasping for fresh air. ”I’ve smelled some bad things in my life,” he wheezed, ”but nothing like that! That stench could literally kill a man!”

Zhao Rong and Lili emerged from the secret room and immediately gave chase. When Zhao Rong saw the Masked Man gasping for air by the window, he tossed his towel aside and ran toward him.

He looked at the Masked Man a short distance away. ”You’ve finally shown yourself, Masked Man! If you have any nerve, let’s duel out in the open!”

The Masked Man immediately agreed to the duel. He sized up Zhao Rong’s slim build, unremarkable face, and low cultivation level. ”Zhao Rong,” he boasted, ”even without the cover of darkness, I can still kill you just as easily.”

Hearing the Masked Man’s threat, Zhao Rong feigned terror. ”Oh, please, sir! When you kill me in a moment, I beg you to be gentle!”

Seeing Zhao Rong’s apparent cowardice, the Masked Man grew even more arrogant. Though Zhao Rong looked terrified on the surface, Lili, who was standing nearby, knew this was his usual trick. Zhao Rong was a master of pretending to be weak to lure in his prey. He often used his small frame and seemingly harmless face to deceive his enemies. He would wait until they completely underestimated him, and only then would he deliver the decisive blow.

Suddenly, the Masked Man took off his mask.

Seeing this, Lili quickly warned, ”Zhao Rong, be careful! When he removes his mask, it means he’s about to attack!”

Zhao Rong was incredibly curious. What kind of face does this Masked Man, who is never seen without a mask, actually have underneath it all?

But to Zhao Rong’s disappointment, when the Masked Man removed his mask, there was simply another mask underneath. This new one was even uglier than the last.

The Masked Man brandished twin blades and roared, ”Whirlwind Knife!”

Whirlwind Knife is a technique only cultivators at Level Ten or higher can master, Zhao Rong realized. So this opponent is a Level Ten cultivator! This is far beyond what I expected.

Zhao Rong had progressed from a cultivator with no rank to his current Level Five, and he had been quite satisfied with his journey so far. However, facing a Level Ten cultivator—an Assassin who had mastered the Whirlwind Knife Martial Technique—left Zhao Rong feeling uncertain.

Although he was a Level Five cultivator, Zhao Rong hadn’t mastered any powerful Martial Techniques. So, facing the Masked Man’s Whirlwind Knife, he resorted to his usual trump card: overwhelming his opponent with lightning speed.

As the Masked Man charged, Zhao Rong moved with lightning speed and appeared behind him. He then grabbed the man’s legs from behind and yanked with all his might.

BANG!

The Masked Man slammed heavily onto the ground, and the twin blades flew from his grasp.

With the Masked Man down, Zhao Rong leaped onto his back, straddling his neck, and began relentlessly pummeling his head. After the vicious assault, the Masked Man’s head was swollen like a pig’s.

Mustering every last bit of his strength, the Masked Man finally managed to escape from under Zhao Rong.

The Masked Man stared at Zhao Rong in disbelief. How could a mere Level Five cultivator with no real skills defeat me, a Level Ten cultivator, so easily?

Still in astonishment, he removed another mask from his face. The old mask came off, revealing a new one beneath. This new one wasn’t the ugliest; it was simply uglier.

The Masked Man roared, ”You think I’m easy to beat just because I used a parlor trick like the Whirlwind Knife on you? Now it’s time for me to use my real trump card!”

Then, the Masked Man executed a new Martial Technique: Quicksand Sword. This technique allowed him to telekinetically control more than a dozen swords at once, sending them flying through the air toward Zhao Rong.

Zhao Rong finally understood. So that’s it! Every time he changes masks, he uses a new skill. And I never would have guessed that each mask also represents a life! He’s already on his third mask, which means he has at least three lives. I’ll have to kill him three times to truly defeat him.

But just as Zhao Rong deciphered the power of the masks, the Masked Man’s Quicksand Sword attack was already upon him.