Chapter 78: Fooling the Cannon Fodder, Shao Yu

"Accept, accept!" Upon hearing the cold voice transmitted through the imprint, Sikong Xu jolted awake, as if someone had just offered him a pillow when he was about to nap. "Hundred Pace Flying Sword" and "Sweeping Across the Eight Directions" were the strongest moves among the vertical and horizontal sword techniques of the Ghost Valley school. Though his skills had been elevated to their peak by the "Infinite Martial Refinement," they remained just skills.

"Hundred Pace Flying Sword" and "Sweeping Across the Eight Directions" had transcended mere technique, entering the realm of true swordsmanship. The former even carried a hint of the immortal art of controlling a sword with one's energy. Even with "Infinite Martial Refinement," Sikong Xu could not conjure such prowess out of thin air.

"The rewards are exceptionally generous, but the difficulty of this task is far beyond the ordinary..." Sikong Xu muttered to himself.

Defeating the Four Heavenly Kings was a given. Judging from the situation with the Peerless Demon, their level should surpass his own dark ink rank, possibly having reached the next stage—the radiant yellow rank.

Against an opponent of the radiant yellow rank, Sikong Xu judged that he could manage, but to truly defeat them would be difficult. As for the final boss, Wei Zhuang, Sikong Xu admitted he was powerless.

How strong was Wei Zhuang? To understand, one need only look at his senior, Gai Nie.

How strong was Gai Nie? In the original story, he alone, sword in hand, carrying the burden of Tianming, managed to obliterate three hundred elite cavalry of the Qin Empire—an achievement that even the radiant yellow rank might not be able to replicate.

So, was Sikong Xu destined to fail this side quest? Not necessarily.

When the imprint revealed the task's contents, Sikong Xu had noticed the last line: "Defeat the Four Heavenly Kings of Quicksand and their leader Wei Zhuang, by any means!" This simple sentence gave him a tangible glimmer of hope.

By any means! That meant no matter what method was used, as long as the opponent was defeated, it counted. In other words, he didn't have to face the enemy head-on; he could set up ambushes in the undergrowth.

If that wasn't enough, there was always assassination, poisoning, or even leveraging others' strength!

Exactly—leveraging others! He could call upon his allies to join in; as long as they won, from a certain perspective, it would count as his victory.

As for whom to rely on, Sikong Xu had long since made up his mind—Gai Nie!

The more Sikong Xu thought about it, the more excited he became. Who was Gai Nie? The foremost swordsman in the world, ranked among the top three for martial prowess in all of "The Moon in Qin Times." With such a figure by his side, how could he fail to complete the side quest?

"Sikong big brother, be careful!"

Suddenly, Tianming's cry pulled Sikong Xu out of his daydreams. Returning to himself, he saw the grotesque Peerless Demon charging at him, mouth agape. Clearly, his earlier kick had done nothing.

"Come on, is it necessary to frighten people like this in broad daylight?"

Seeing the demon's hideous maw, Sikong Xu nearly lost his soul to terror. In his panic, he threw a punch at the Peerless Demon.

Though Sikong Xu's punch lacked the sheer force of Shaoyu's, it was imbued with a unique technique, maximizing its power. Under his control, the punch's trajectory was cunning, aimed straight for the demon's face.

The Peerless Demon was ready for him. Eyes wide with fury, his hand—large as a basin—clenched into a massive fist and struck unflinchingly at Sikong Xu's smaller one.

A dull thud sounded. Sikong Xu, never the stronger in terms of raw power, was sent flying by the collision, crashing hard into the trunk of a large tree before sliding to the ground.

At the moment of impact, Sikong Xu felt his organs shift painfully, as if he'd been struck head-on by a speeding truck. Unable to restrain himself, he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Coughing, Sikong Xu's handsome features twisted in pain. Clutching his chest, he felt a tingling sensation within—his passive skill, "Giant's Resilience (Imitation)," was kicking in.

"Very good... You’re very good… Now, I officially declare... you have succeeded in angering me..."

That giant's resilience was indeed not to be underestimated, even with the "imitation" prefix. In no time, Sikong Xu was able to stand once more.

Expressionless, he stared at the Peerless Demon, adopting a slightly ostentatious air as he said slowly, "You are the second opponent to force me to draw my sword..."

"Huh? Who was the first?" Tianming, though worried, quickly reverted to his carefree self upon seeing Sikong Xu stand up again.

"The first is, of course, the world's greatest swordsman—Gai Nie." Sikong Xu drew the Explainer from its sheath, smiling at Tianming.

Then his gaze shifted to the Peerless Demon, and his smiling face turned cold.

"This sword is called the Explainer. Though it does not rank among the top ten famous swords, it should not be far behind." Sikong Xu raised the Explainer, its pitch-black blade and peculiar guard exposed for all to see.

"This sword is truly strange," Shaoyu commented softly, casting Sikong Xu a glance.

Why was he looking at me? Shaoyu wondered but made no move.

"You, can't you be a bit smarter? Didn't you see my look?" When Shaoyu ignored his plea for help, Sikong Xu lost his temper and shouted.

"You just looked at me—how was I supposed to know what you meant?"

"You..." Sikong Xu calmed himself, then cursed, "I was asking you to come help me! If you can’t read a look, how are you fit for battle?"

So his look meant he wanted help? Did he have a problem? Why not just say it outright? Shaoyu wondered, but kept silent.

He knew the Peerless Demon’s strength, so without further ado, he stepped beside Sikong Xu, ready to join forces against the brute.

"Now that's more like it," Sikong Xu said, shaking his short hair that wouldn’t budge. "Look, I use the sword, so you rush up and draw his attention, while I look for an opening. OK?"

"OK?" Shaoyu didn’t understand the phrase, but grasped Sikong Xu’s earlier words.

"So, you’re making me cannon fodder?" Shaoyu huffed, feeling indignant. Wasn’t Sikong Xu’s plan to send him charging ahead, drawing the enemy’s fire? How disgraceful for the young leader of the Xiang clan to be reduced to cannon fodder!

"Are you going or not? He’s coming—hurry up!" Seeing the Peerless Demon charge again, Sikong Xu urged him.

"Fine, fine, today I’ll be the cannon fodder." With the situation urgent, Shaoyu didn’t argue further, rushing forward to grapple with the Peerless Demon.