When Zong Zheng Huai En saw Zuo Ying covered in blood, barely breathing, his heart sank to the bottom. The seven people who had accompanied him, all top experts within their sect, were all cleanly killed, leaving only Zuo Ying barely alive.
Before Zuo Ying lost consciousness, he struggled to deliver a final message. He said, "Su Yin told me to tell the young master that you will never see Jin Xiao Bao again in this lifetime."
Blood continuously spilled from his mouth as he spoke, making his words choppy and difficult to understand, but the meaning was clear enough to make Huai En's eyes widen in fury.
Fear engulfed Huai En like a flood, threatening to drown him. Despite being close to blades, almost drained of blood, and having faced countless dangers, he had never felt such fear before.
A fierce killing intent erupted from Huai En and after a brief agitation, it vanished into thin air. His aura became as calm as the quiet before a storm, a calm so oppressive it instilled even greater fear in those around him.
Huai En took a porcelain bottle from his pocket and threw it to You Ying, who was frantically pacing around Zuo Ying. Without looking back, he walked away, saying, "No need to follow me anymore."
You Ying, overjoyed upon seeing the porcelain bottle, knelt down and repeatedly kowtowed in gratitude, "Thank you, young master, thank you for saving my life!" He quickly administered the pills inside to Zuo Ying, handling them as if they were fragile jewels.
As You Ying realized the implications of Huai En's words, his master had already disappeared. Realizing the urgency, You Ying instructed the sect's physician briefly before drawing his sword and rushing out.
Huai En moved at a speed barely visible to the naked eye, leaping from rooftop to rooftop and soon out of his residence. Several dark figures suddenly appeared in front of him; Huai En raised his sword and struck.
His mind was blank, driven only by the determination to find Xiao Bao.
Anything that stood in his way was to be mercilessly killed.
When You Ying caught up, he found his master entangled in a fight with three sect leaders who had come rushing at the news, two of whom were his master's own teachers.
His master's face was expressionless, his moves brutally efficient, his eyes vacant as if the figures before him were not the elders who had raised him, but merely foes.
The oldest among them yelled while fighting, "Have you gone mad, young master? Ever since you returned from the south, you've been off, no wonder the sect leader asked us to watch you! Wake up!"
Huai En replied indifferently, "Anyone who blocks me will die."
With a flick off the eaves, he soared towards the speaker, his sword aiming straight for the man's chest. The man, shocked, blocked the attack, but Huai En performed an astonishing maneuver in mid-air, redirecting his sword to strike at the man's lower body. It was too late to dodge, and the man felt a searing pain in his thigh as he crashed to the ground, blood spurting from a wound three inches above his knee, the pain snapping him back to reality.
Seeing Huai En overpower the other two, leaving no room for mercy, he realized the gravity of the situation. He pulled out a rope from his waist, placing the small wooden piece at his mouth...
As the man hit the ground, You Ying rushed to his side, pressed acupoints on his leg to stop the bleeding, and applied hemostatic medicine to the wound. "Elder Sun, the young master is confused, you..." Before he could finish, Elder Sun pushed him away, grabbed a sword from the ground, and with a face full of rage, charged again at Huai En.
In moments, numerous sect members surged around like a tide, and a white figure appeared abruptly in mid-air, rushing towards Huai En with terrifying speed.
Huai En was facing three opponents alone when he suddenly realized a white shadow was attacking him. He was too late to dodge and was kicked fiercely in the chest, sending him flying three meters before crashing into a wall.
The white shadow then leaped from the eaves, standing not far away and coldly watching him. It turned out to be Zong Zheng Yuzhan, who now had a bloody gash on his right shoulder, stark against his pale face and snow-white clothes.
He glanced indifferently at his shoulder and said, "Huai En, you truly are a martial arts genius. Your progress is indeed frightening, but father did not teach you martial arts for you to use them to harm me."
Huai En wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his face still as icy as ever, showing no emotion, but the obsession in his eyes made everyone present shudder.
Without a word, he drew his sword and swiftly lunged at Zong Zheng Yuzhan, his icy voice drifting with the wind caused by his flapping robe, "Those who block my path shall die."
Zong Zheng Yuzhan's eyes flashed, and he vanished from the spot. Two white shadows soared into the air, and the sound of clashing blades was incessant, causing the listeners' hearts to race.
The followers around them looked at each other in confusion. One was their leader, and the other his heir, now fighting each other in a deadly manner. What should they do?
As the two exchanged over three hundred moves without a clear winner, several older members of the sect, who could not tolerate this insubordination, were jumping with anger on the ground. One of them silently took an ancient longbow handed to him by a subordinate. The bow was entirely black, with smooth, fine wood grains—an exceptional weapon.
He pulled the bow to its full extent, and the fierce arrow shot out swiftly.
Huai En, caught in a fierce battle, was pushed into a corner by Zong Zheng Yuzhan. A silver-white net of sword flowers had formed between them, and any slight distraction would be lethal. Knowing the deadly force was breaking through the air, if he diverted his attention to dodge, he would not be able to escape the sword before him. In a flash, the arrow pierced his shoulder blade, merely an inch from his heart, causing great pain and rendering his left arm immobile. Huai En's once flawless offense was finally broken.
Zong Zheng Yuzhan, clearly not a magnanimous person, intensified his assault upon seeing Huai En wounded, showing no mercy. Once Huai En's guard was broken, even the older members could not just stand by. They surrounded him with swords drawn.
Now Huai En was attacked from all sides, surrounded by those who had once taught him martial arts. They were all skilled and practiced, making it difficult for him and Zong Zheng Yuzhan to determine a winner, essentially leaving him with no chance of victory from the start.
However, the more desperate the situation, the less Huai En cared about his own safety, determined to fight his way out. This relentless battle began to chill everyone's hearts. Seeing Huai En accumulate more and more injuries, turning almost into a bloodied figure, even the older members began to feel some pity, having raised him themselves. Although he was usually distant and unemotional, he had always shown them respect. Now that they had come to blows, they could not help but hesitate.
Observing the stern faces of Zong Zheng Yuzhan, the sect leader, and his son, Huai En, one could sense a chilling ruthlessness in each, with little hint of a familial connection. Yet their similar temperaments betrayed their relationship as father and son.
After a drawn-out conflict, as Huai En was being gradually pushed back by the group, Zong Zheng Yuzhan seemed to decide enough was enough.
Leveraging the recoil from their clashing swords, he flipped backward, putting distance between himself and Huai En. He then signaled the other elders to step aside.
This pause allowed Huai En a moment to breathe. He quickly pressed on several key acupoints to stem the bleeding and fixed an icy stare on Zong Zheng Yuzhan.
Zong Zheng Yuzhan exhaled deeply, "Do you intend to continue this conflict with your father?"
Huai En turned his head and spit out blood, "I'm leaving, immediately."
"Will you return?"
"No."
Zong Zheng Yuzhan nodded in acceptance, "I expected as much… That's why I can't let you go, not now. I've always said, once you help me achieve our great mission, the world will be yours to explore freely. But I'm far from reaching that goal."
"I don't care anymore. I'm done with your endeavors and have no further connections with you."
Zong Zheng Yuzhan remained stoic. He took a calm look around and commented, "Take a look for yourself, can you really leave? You've always been level-headed, which is why I trusted you. But now, your recklessness shows just how ineffective you've become."
Huai En surveyed his surroundings and realized he was completely encircled. He could feel his strength draining and his limbs chilling from blood loss. He knew he'd soon lose mobility, regardless of any further assault.
Yet, he clung to the belief that Xiao Bao was waiting for him. He had promised Xiao Bao he would return, and he was determined to fulfill that promise, even if Xiao Bao had moved on with Su Yin. Doubting Su Yin and unable to think clearly, his vision blurred intermittently. Realizing his dwindling time, he ceased all pretense of dialogue. With his eyes blazing red, he bellowed and charged at Zong Zheng Yuzhan.