48: You are not Ye Gucheng!

Bu Ju, the overall leader of the Sanxiang underworld, said loudly, "Great Hero Lu has a chivalrous heart and righteous courage. Not to mention a sword, even my Bu Ju's head, I would feel very at ease letting him keep it!"

Lu Xiaofeng, under everyone's gaze, inspected the swords. With a shake of his hands, the twin swords unsheathed, their cold light gleaming, and flew into the hands of the two.

With the long swords in hand, the two stood in confrontation.

"The hour of midnight has arrived. The limit is half an hour. Gentlemen, please!" Wei Ziyun said.

"Please."

"Please."

Two cold, concise words, like the clashing of metal, instantly broke the silence of the night.

The moment the words fell, Ximen Chuixue moved!

There was no world-shaking momentum, only a sword light so fast it surpassed the limits of vision!

Like a meteor falling from the Nine Heavens, pure, condensed, carrying a chill that froze the Soul, it thrust directly at Ye Gucheng's throat!

This sword had abandoned all flourishes, pushing speed and precision to the extreme. It was the Peak embodiment of Ximen Chuixue's "Ruthless Sword Dao"!

Ye Gucheng's eyes blazed with light!

Facing this astonishing sword, not only did he not retreat, but he also took a step forward!

Sword light erupted, like white clouds emerging from a mountain, carrying an ethereal and lofty Concept, meeting that deadly cold star!

"Ding--!"

A metallic clang, crisp to the extreme yet long enough to seemingly pierce the Soul, resounded throughout the roof of the Hall of Supreme Harmony!

The tips of two peerless famous swords collided with unparalleled precision at the critical moment!

Sparks flew!

Time seemed to freeze at this moment.

The hearts of all spectators were in their throats, their breath held, their eyes fixed on the spark-scattering point of confrontation.

However, this breathtaking confrontation lasted only for an instant!

Deep within Ximen Chuixue's cold, unmoving eyes, a subtle ripple, yet enough to shake his mind, flashed.

Something is wrong!

The sensation from the sword tip was wrong!

That seemingly ethereal and lofty White Cloud Sword Intent, upon contact with his extremely condensed Ruthless Sword Intent, actually... felt hollow!

It was as if it had a magnificent shell, but lacked the intrinsic isolation and power that came from life itself, which supported its defiance of the world!

This is not Ye Gucheng's sword!

Ximen Chuixue's sword was an extension of his life and will.

His perception of the sword, his insight into his opponent's Sword Intent, had long surpassed the mundane.

Even the slightest difference was like a thunderclap in his heart!

In this flash of lightning, that subtle ripple in Ximen Chuixue's heart instantly transformed into towering rage and icy disappointment!

The opponent he sought, the Peak battle he awaited... was actually a fake?

"You are not Ye Gucheng!"

Ximen Chuixue's voice was like ten thousand years of ice shattering, carrying boundless coldness and killing intent, clearly piercing through the night sky!

Before his words finished, the long sword, which was pointed at the opponent's sword tip, suddenly erupted with an even more brilliant, purer, and more ruthless sword light!

"Chila--!"

Like a hot knife cutting through thin paper!

That seemingly exquisite "White Cloud Sword Intent" was fragile and vulnerable before Ximen Chuixue's suddenly erupting, even more condensed Ruthless Sword Intent!

The sword light, like a maggot in the bone, instantly shook away the fake Ye Gucheng's blade. Its trajectory did not change in the slightest, becoming even three points faster!

Carrying Ximen Chuixue's anger and killing intent, born from his deceived and defiled expectations, it resolutely stabbed towards the fake Ye Gucheng's throat!

Fast! Too fast! So fast that the fake Ye Gucheng's shock and disbelief had only just surfaced on his face, and the fear in his eyes had only just condensed!

He wanted to retreat, wanted to parry, but it was all too late!

Ximen Chuixue's Sword Intent had completely locked onto him, and that icy killing intent froze all his reactions!

"Puff!"

A soft sound, like worn leather being pierced.

Ximen Chuixue's sword tip pierced the fake Ye Gucheng's throat with unparalleled precision!

Time seemed to truly stand still.

All of the fake Ye Gucheng's movements instantly froze.

He made a gurgling sound in his throat, and the strength in his body receded like a tide.

Ximen Chuixue's wrist moved slightly, pulling out his sword without mercy!

A jet of blood, following the withdrawal of the sword, shot out in the bright moonlight, drawing a tragic arc, and splattered onto the cold glazed tiles.

The fake Ye Gucheng, like a puppet with cut strings, softly fell backward with a "bang" onto the ridge of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, rolled a few times, and then lay motionless.

Dead silence!

On the roof of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, and around the square, there was dead silence!

All the spectators were stunned!

Lu Xiaofeng darted over with a whoosh, landing directly beside Ye Gucheng.

Daoist Mu, Bu Ju, Sikong Zhaixing... all the famous figures of the Jianghu were dumbfounded, unable to believe what had just happened before their eyes.

Sword Immortal Ye Gucheng... was actually killed by Ximen Chuixue with one sword?!

No! More importantly—that sentence Ximen Chuixue shouted!

"You are not Ye Gucheng?"

"Who is he?"

Lu Xiaofeng touched and peeled back the skin on his face, directly tearing off a human skin mask.

This person was precisely the gray-clothed man he had been tracking in Li Yanbei's mansion, the gray-clothed man who appeared beside Du Tongxuan, the gray-clothed man who entered the imperial palace through the cesspit.

"Human skin mask, bone shrinking technique! It really is a fake."

"Where is the real Ye Gucheng?"

..."Your Majesty, it's been so long, and you haven't said a word to this old servant. Has this old servant offended Your Majesty somewhere?

Then please, Your Majesty, bear with it."

Eunuch Wang looked at the emperor, who was sitting there only looking at the memorials but not reviewing them, and said in a leisurely tone.

"Oh! Let me bear with it? Wang An, you are quite bold."

Lu Jiuyuan kept his voice very low, deep and strange, not at all like his usual self.

"This servant has always been careful and cautious. How could I be bold!" Wang An shook his head: "It's just that someone gave this servant confidence, that's all!"

"Oh, you actually dare to say that. Then who gave you the confidence?"

"Allow me to introduce someone to Your Majesty. I believe after you meet him, you will know where this servant's confidence comes from!"

Eunuch Wang bowed, raising the curtain.

A man also wearing a Dragon Robe slowly walked in from behind the curtain, with his hands clasped behind his back.

This person's figure and appearance were identical to the emperor's.

Even the Dragon Robe he wore was the emperor's Dragon Robe.

As he approached, he frowned: "How dare you, who are you? How dare you impersonate me? Sit in my chair!"

"He's so similar, simply identical. I don't know what to call him? And who is he?" Lu Jiuyuan looked at Wang An.

Eunuch Wang smiled smugly: "This is precisely the direct descendant of the late emperor, the Prince of Nan, Your Majesty's own cousin.

Ever since the old Prince came to the capital and confirmed that Your Majesty and the Prince looked exactly alike, the plan for today has been in the making for a very, very long time."

Lu Jiuyuan rose from his chair, one hand on his Seven Stars Sword, and slowly walked out. He looked closely, and this person was indeed extremely similar to the emperor, almost indistinguishable.