Of course, this method could only be used when one had the advantage, because the opponent could only receive attacks. If they could counterattack, it might disrupt this patchwork sword technique and expose even greater weaknesses.

Under this kind of attack, Xiaoyao seemed less agile than before, only able to barely defend, blocking his opponent's sword strike by strike.

Very good, this was indeed the right decision. A few more strikes and this kid would be taken down.

"Young master..." Mudan and others watched worriedly. They wanted to help but knew they couldn't. Few among them practiced martial arts, and even those who did were very weak, completely unable to intervene in a battle of this level.

"Haha, kid, let's see how arrogant you are now! You're finished!" Master Wang laughed loudly from the side, as if he could see victory before his eyes.

At this moment, something happened, something that could turn the tide, and something Lian Shenqing couldn't believe.

"Snap!"

The Emerald Talisman Sword in Lian Shenqing's hand broke, it actually broke while clashing with Xiaoyao's backup sword.

...

Lian Shenqing was stunned, and Xiaoyao seized this opportunity, directly placing his sword at Lian Shenqing's neck.

"How is this possible?" Lian Shenqing stared blankly at the broken sword in his hand. He couldn't believe his sword had actually broken. Could it be that his sword was inferior to his opponent's?

"What's impossible about it? Your sword isn't as good as mine. I said this from the beginning,” Xiaoyao smiled, then pressed a pressure point on Lian Shenqing, sealing his acupoints. Such a dangerous person, once captured, definitely needed to be restrained somehow, otherwise who knew if he might resist.

If this hadn't been a life-or-death confrontation, Xiaoyao's sword just now wouldn't have been placed at his neck but would have slashed directly down.

"My Emerald Talisman Sword... impossible. My Emerald Talisman Sword was forged by a master craftsman who spent..." Though his pressure points were sealed, Lian Shenqing could still speak, continuing to express his disbelief.

"I know, forty-nine days to forge." Xiaoyao waved his hand. "But it still broke, a bit inferior to mine."

"Who forged your sword?" Lian Shenqing asked. Now that his Emerald Talisman Sword was broken while his opponent's remained intact, the result was clear, his opponent's sword was indeed better.

"I did it myself. I was forging self-defense swords for two women and incidentally made several backups for myself." Xiaoyao said with a smile.

"..." Lian Shenqing didn't believe Xiaoyao's words. He felt Xiaoyao was lying, this was too obvious, just like when Xiaoyao had said Guxing had broken through to Saint Level, all unbelievable things.

"Stop toying with me. Let me tell you, if your sword wasn't better this time, I wouldn't have lost to you." Lian Shenqing stopped investigating who forged Xiaoyao's sword. He felt Xiaoyao's words lacked sincerity and showed no intention of really telling him.

He was very unconvinced now, unconvinced that Xiaoyao had won. This kind of victory was just luck, just relying on superior weaponry!

"That's right. Without this good sword, it would be very difficult to beat you. After all, you're a late Emperor Level expert. But weapons are originally meant to increase strength, otherwise why would everyone use weapons?" Xiaoyao directly admitted the sword's superiority but felt no shame about it. As he said, weapons were meant to compensate for martial strength and were part of overall combat power.

"What level are you?" Lian Shenqing looked at Xiaoyao with some unwillingness.

"Me? Just a small King Level, nothing compared to you." Xiaoyao said with a smile. This was a naked slap in the face, making Lian Shenqing's face feel very painful.

You say you're just a small King Level, nothing worth mentioning, yet you could subdue me, a late Emperor Level, so what does that make this late Emperor Level?

"Hmph!" Lian Shenqing could only grunt to express his dissatisfaction. If he had observed carefully, he would have discovered some things, his sword actually wasn't too inferior and shouldn't have broken like this.

The reason it broke was that Xiaoyao had struck the same spot many times, forcibly cutting through his Emerald Talisman Sword!

If he knew this, he would definitely be convinced. Someone who could do this, how could they be a simple person? Though still only King Level, this swordsmanship was enough to earn admiration.

Unfortunately, he would never know this because Xiaoyao took his sword.

"Since this sword is broken anyway, I'll reforge it. I'm short on materials." Xiaoyao said with a smile.

"Hmph!"

Lian Shenqing snorted again, somewhat disdainful, disdainful of Xiaoyao's shameless behavior and also of the broken sword. For him, sword materials were easy to obtain; commissioning someone to forge was the difficult part.

This sword was now broken and could only be reforged, which was more troublesome than making a new one. He might as well take materials and have a new one made.

"Young master, that Master Wang ran away!" Mudan and others suddenly called out, because Master Wang had fled after seeing the situation turn unfavorable.

"If he ran, he ran. He probably can't hire anyone else anyway. Let's deal with this person first." Xiaoyao said indifferently. If that Master Wang came again, he'd definitely show him what's what.

"How to deal with him? Slice him?" Qingyan asked, making a throat-slitting gesture.

"..."

Little girl, who would have thought you were so violent, straight to taking lives!

"Killing him would settle everything!" Xiaoyao looked at Lian Shenqing, eyes narrowed, seeming to accept this suggestion.

"Don't kill me! We have no grudges, no need to kill me!" Lian Shenqing immediately said.

Xiaoyao smiled and said, "But you wanted to kill me just now. I could feel your killing intent."

"Hehe, that was just momentary anger, just momentary anger..." Lian Shenqing immediately lost his confidence. He had indeed had killing intent just now, though as he said, it was only momentary.

"A moment is enough. Here, swallow this." Xiaoyao produced a pill.

"No... cough cough..." Lian Shenqing wanted to refuse. As soon as he opened his mouth, Xiaoyao flicked the pill in. Only then did he remember he shouldn't have opened his mouth to speak, even to refuse.

He tried to cough up the pill, but it seemed to have already gone down his throat, no chance of coming back up.

"What did you make me eat?" Lian Shenqing said somewhat panicked. Even as a late Emperor Level practitioner, he feared poison and such things. Many strange poisons in this world couldn't be resisted even by God Level martial artists.

"Poison, of course. Did you think I'd give you medicine?" Xiaoyao said coolly, then unsealed Lian Shenqing's pressure points. "From now on, stay here as a guard and protect everything here."

Xiaoyao found that Yihong Courtyard seemed to lack martial protection. Originally, with Master Wang's connections, there should be no problem, but now it seemed there was no protective circle. The Young Miss hadn't come yet and couldn't provide deterrence. They needed martial protection, and Lian Shenqing seemed like a good choice.

Lian Shenqing was also very unlucky. If he had known things would develop to this point, he wouldn't have come here even if beaten to death. To become a brothel guard, if this got out, where would he put his face?

"I won't do it! What exactly did you make me eat?" Lian Shenqing refused. How could he do such a thing?

"If you won't do it, I can let you go back and think about it. Come back when you've thought it through in a few days." Xiaoyao said with a smile.

"Then what did you just make me eat?" Lian Shenqing was somewhat confused. If Xiaoyao said this, it meant he was fine, so what had he just eaten? Was there no problem even without an antidote?

"Just a chronic poison. It won't kill you, but you must stay here and work to get the antidote." Xiaoyao replied. His tone was very calm, not emphasizing the word "poison" much, making people think his chronic poison was a very ordinary kind.

"Hmph! You want me to be a brothel guard? I'd rather die! Farewell!" Lian Shenqing said coldly, then turned and left. It was just chronic poison, fortunately he knew a divine doctor who could handle anything. Why fear this small poison?

At this moment, Lian Shenqing didn't take Xiaoyao's poison seriously at all. But after a few days, he wouldn't feel this way anymore. He would take it very seriously and never be negligent again, because then he would understand that there was a kind of pain so unbearable it could tear one's heart apart.

Only then would he know that divine doctors weren't omnipotent, that not all poisons could be cured. Only then would he understand that Xiaoyao's poison wasn't ordinary, even divine doctors had no solution.

This divine doctor, he clearly knew his medical skills weren't just empty reputation but had real substance. To put it dramatically, as long as there was one breath left, he could save someone.

Yet even a divine doctor with such medical skills couldn't cure this poison, couldn't even identify what poison it was. One could imagine how powerful this poison was and how formidable the person who created it.

Though he didn't think Xiaoyao was the one who created such poison, someone who could possess such poison was definitely not simple.

"Young master, he just left like that? Doesn't he want the antidote?" Mudan and others hadn't thought that much, they just found it strange. If it were them, they would definitely get the antidote before leaving.

"He thinks he can solve it himself, so he left." Xiaoyao said indifferently. He could guess Lian Shenqing's thoughts, this was very normal thinking.

(End of Chapter)