He actually came — and he'd been hiding in the team the whole time!
"That's… Li Taixuan!""I heard he cut down a thousand monsters with a single sword… Is he really that legendary?""Come to think of it, the capital was attacked last week. Tens of thousands of New Humans swarmed in — they almost broke the city's defenses!""They said a blade of light shot into the sky and flattened an entire section of the wall!""Ancient martial lineage… unreal."
Voices from offstage hushed and buzzed as people recognized him. For many, he was an untouchable immortal — peerless, aloof.
"Old Yang, what else are you hiding?" Old Master Li stared at the Yang contingent, suspicion darkening his face. Li Taixuan had come to back the Yangs — could the Yangs have struck a deal with the military? If so, the fragile balance between the top three families might be ruined.
"Old Li, Officer Yuan's only here to congratulate Kaier on his wedding and lend a hand," Old Master Yang chuckled, trying to smooth things over.
"Oh? You have such a guest and didn't tell us?" Old Master Zhang's nod felt heavy; in his chest a storm churned.
Officer Yuan — the highest authority in the Capital Military Region — was here too. A man of real power. His presence made the room tilt.
"Old Li, Old Yang, there's no need to be anxious," Officer Yuan said, stepping forward with a calm smile. He wore a brown Zhongshan suit; square-faced, with thick, sword-like brows and a steady, resolute gaze that spoke of years of hard decisions. His words eased some of the tension in the Zhang and Li camps.
"Taixuan, make your move.""Yes."
At Officer Yuan's nod, Li Taixuan stepped forward and slowly drew a white jade sword. His expression was cold as frost — life and death meant little to him.
"Kunlun Sword — Dragon Slayer."
He swept the white jade blade through the air toward the crowd, then sheathed it and turned away without looking back.
Officer Yuan nodded, satisfied. Everyone else was baffled — had he even attacked? He'd swung at empty air. Nothing visible happened. Why the nod?
Then — a soundless moment, and the world changed.
A terrifying sword aura exploded from the ground. That casual-looking sweep had not been casual at all.
It ripped the sky open like dawn tearing the night. The sword intent blossomed into a dazzling, savage arc — wild and merciless, as if it could erase the world. It screamed straight for Jiang Chuxue and the others.
"Black Turtle!" "Vitality!"
Jiang Yunhan roared. A massive green energy cloak wrapped around him — a terrifying life-force like that of the Tree of Life. He raised his arms; his muscles coiled like iron. The long-accumulated magic in his body burst out like a mountain flood. Power ripples rolled from him, rattling the air. Black Turtle Shield — the ultimate defense!
But the sword aura met the shield and tore through it like tissue paper. The crushing wave shattered the protection instantly. Jiang Yunhan was blown away like a broken kite, hurled dozens of meters off the stage. He slammed into the ground and spat blood. A ghastly wound gaped in his chest — nearly impaled, flesh and blood a horrifying mess.
One sword. Jiang Yunhan. His life hung by a thread.
"Brother!"
Jiang Chuxue hadn't expected the turn. She didn't know Li Taixuan; she only knew her brother was one of Jiangbei's strongest, ranked high on the Sanjiang Combat Power List. How could this happen? Pain and helplessness crashed over her. Terror rooted her to the spot.
She feared he might really die. Regret flooded her — she had called him here. Cradling Jiang Yunhan, she fought back sobs.
"Brother…" "Jiang Yunhan?" Only the wind answered. His hand lay limp, unable to move. Tears streamed down Jiang Chuxue's face, falling on his blood-smeared cheek. She trembled as she wiped the blood away.
"Answer me, please… Brother.""It was my fault for calling you here…""Say something, Brother… I beg you… don't go."
Dashan, the Little Monk, and Chen Changqing rushed over. They saw Jiang Yunhan covered in blood, his breathing so faint it was nearly gone.
"The top three families… truly untouchable," Chen Changqing sobbed. He had already lost a foster son; did he have to watch these young people die one by one?
From the Yang family's ranks a woman stormed out. Black leather jacket, tight jeans, face hard as flint. She strode up to Tang Shirou and grabbed her collar like she meant to tear her throat out.
Tang Shirou recognized her at once — Yang Yueru, the Yang family's eldest daughter.
"So, you can't bear to part with them?" Yang Yueru sneered. "They dared to cause trouble today, so we've already prepared to feed their corpses to the dogs.""Listen, little bitch.""Tonight you'll satisfy my father and brother, or these people die right here.""And I'll make you watch while I tear them apart, piece by piece."
Tang Shirou looked helplessly at the bloodied Jiang Yunhan, then at the imposing Li Taixuan. The contrast stole her will to resist. Li Taixuan's strength was inhuman; it struck fear into her bones.
The last time she'd felt this deep, gut-level fear was because of Brother Xiao. The thought hollowed her out further. If only Brother Xiao were here.
A voice sliced through Tang Shirou's thoughts: "In the capital, the top three families are heaven.""That girl's pretty, and you two are close. I'll cut her face to pieces — slowly, bit by bit."
"No, no — you can't do that!" Tang Shirou, who had been silent, panicked. She had married into the Yang family to protect Chuxue and the others.
"You think you can tell me what to do?" Yang Yueru spat. "Today I won't only disfigure her; I'll make her serve the whole Yang family — bear us children!""When the Yangs tire of her, we'll hand her to the capital's refugees to amuse themselves in the apocalypse!""Hahahaha!"
The laughter rang cold and cruel, while blood and fear hung heavy in the night air.