The man with the curled whiskers was flabbergasted. Most likely, he never would have guessed that a mere youth would dare talk to him in such a way.

However, he was valiant by nature, and he naturally wouldn’t pursue the matter with someone so young. He laughed dryly, “Rest assured. I won’t let them harm a hair on your head.”

From the moment he arrived, the whiskered man subconsciously assumed that Su Yi was the young master of some prominent clan. Who else would travel with such a charming and pretty serving girl?

Even more absurdly, it was obvious that this young master was long accustomed to indulgence. He actually carried a wicker chair with him everywhere he went…..

“Chang Guoke, you can’t even protect yourself, yet you dare shamelessly promise others your protection?” A soft voice resounded through the rain. Soon, a slender figure floated into view.

She wore a long blue dress and carried an oil-paper umbrella. Her features were well-formed and beautiful, and as she walked through the pouring rain, she seemed perfectly at ease.

The curly-whiskered swordsman rose, then blocked the entrance to the cave with a burst of hearty laughter. “You think I can’t protect myself? Hua Lianxiu, killing you will be as easy as turning over my hand!”

“What if you add me to the mix?” said a raspy voice. Soon, another dark figure appeared within the distant rains and stood beside the woman in blue. 

This new arrival was short and scrawny, with sparse hair and aged features. On top of all that, he was a hunchback, making him extremely eye-catching.

Despite his small size, he carried a pair of black axes, each half as tall as he was. As he stood there, his expression brimmed with cold indifference and mockery.

The whiskered man narrowed his eyes, then laughed. “If I go all out, the two of you combined won’t be enough to stop me.”

The hunchback snorted coldly.

When Cha Jin saw this, her heart tensed. She couldn’t see through either of these new arrivals' cultivations, but she could smell the danger in the air.

She couldn’t help but glance at Su Yi, only to realize that he was still sitting in his wicker chair. His left elbow was on the armrest, propping up his jaw, while his right hand held a jar of wine. He sat there leisurely, staring absently at the fire, as if he were daydreaming. 

His distant gaze reflected the firelight, flickering with the flames. 

In short, he seemed completely disinterested in what was happening inside; he couldn’t even be bothered to divert his attention by keeping tabs on it. 

But it was precisely this supremely lazy, prideful attitude that made all of Cha Jin’s nervousness fade away. She instantly felt reassured.

This guy killed a Grandmaster like Nan Wenxiang as effortlessly as if he were slaughtering a chicken. Not even that treasure of a talisman sword could harm him. If he really encounters danger….

No. Other people are in danger when they encounter him!

As soon as she realized this, Cha Jin’s taut frame relaxed. She stared into the distance as if all of this were perfectly normal; she planned to sit back and watch the show too.

“You old rooster, don’t stubbornly refuse to admit the truth,” said a cool, bright voice. “Chang Guoke’s ‘Nine Demon-Smiting Swords’ are famous throughout the six prefectures of the Imperatorial Province, and his skill lives up to its reputation. If he really goes all out, we’ll have to take him seriously.”

Yet another figure emerged within the rain. He wore scholarly Confucian robes and a belt, and he carried a black ruler.

As he walked, it was like his feet didn’t even touch the ground, and the pouring rain couldn’t so much as dampen his sleeves. He looked suave and elegant.

When he saw this third arrival, the whiskered swordsman’s expression was instantly incomparably solemn. Every inch of him emanated an austere, imposing aura as he said coldly, “Your master must really think highly of me. He even sent a filthy dog like you after me.”

The scholarly man smiled. “Brother Chang, if you agree not to take a single step into the provincial capital for a month, I’ll see you off with a pot of quality wine as a parting gift.”

“Stop the nonsense. Even if I agreed, you wouldn’t believe me. There’s no way you’d let me go so easily,” said the whiskered man coldly.

The man in scholarly robes clapped appreciatively. “Your prediction is right on the mark, Brother Chang. But you’re wrong; if you cripple one of your legs, I swear to the heavens that I’ll let you leave here alive!”

Boom!

As soon as he said this, lightning flashed overhead. 

Everyone fell silent, their expressions strange.

Cha Jin almost burst into laughter. Doesn’t this mean not even the heavens believe this guy’s vow?

The scholarly-looking man now looked rather awkward. He rubbed his nose. “The rainy season is hard on those trying to swear oaths.”

The beautiful woman with the oil paper umbrella chirped, “Master Yin, we’re all already here. Why not just attack right now and see Chang Guoke off to the next world?”

The scholarly man sighed, “It’s best to fight strategically and attack your opponent’s heart first. If he really believed we might let him go, it would mean he’d given into fear, which in turn would mean that he wouldn’t fight with everything he had. In that case, dealing with him would be as easy as turning over my hand, and we wouldn’t need to worry about incurring any losses. I’m just surprised that even the lightning would be this uncooperative….”

He sounded a bit dejected.

The pretty woman was stunned. “So what if the heavens won’t cooperate? Even without their help, so long as we work together, we won’t suffer any losses worth mentioning.”

The hunchbacked elder shook his head up and down and grinned. “You’re absolutely right.”

After a moment’s silence, the whiskered swordsman pointed into the cave at Su Yi and Cha Jin, then stared intently at the scholarly-looking man. “Let them go, and I’ll play with you. I swear I won’t run anymore.”

“Oh? You can’t even protect yourself, yet you’re still so compassionate? You’ve really made me see you in a new light,” said the woman in blue, her smile mocking and gleeful.

The man in Confucian robes sighed. “What does it mean for disaster to descend from the heavens? This is a perfect example. If you really want to find fault, you’re the one who dragged them into this. If they die, you’ll have only yourself to blame.”

“Leave that little lass for now; I rather like her,” said the hunchbacked elder, staring and pointing at Cha Jin. His eyes narrowed into slits, his gaze burning with desire. 

Cha Jin had originally planned to just sit back and watch the show, but when she heard this, she felt repulsed. How old is he? Why is he still so lustful? It really makes people want to flay him alive, pluck his tendons, and scatter his ashes to the wind!

The whiskered swordsman turned, looking ashamed. “I’ve done you two wrong. If and when the battle begins, I’ll fight with everything I’ve got to create a path for you to escape.”

Cha Jin was stunned. This guy’s actually quite open and upright.

But Su Yi just remained seated. When he heard that, he said without even blinking, “If you really have a guilty conscience, hurry up and get yourself killed. That will end all this trouble. As for us? There’s no need for you to worry about our safety.”

When Chang Guoke heard this, he was briefly stunned. Then, his cheeks flushed red.

Not far away, the scholarly man and his companions couldn’t help but burst into jeering laughter.

The stunning woman in blue laughed, “Heh, this little guy’s words are music to my ears. I’m a bit reluctant to watch him die.”

“Don’t fall for his tricks. He might very well have said that in hopes that we’d spare his life,” said the hunchbacked elder with a cold laugh.

“Enough. Deal with Mister Chang first.” As the scholarly man spoke, he swung his black ruler.

Boom!

It was just a light, airy wooden ruler, but it stirred up wind and rain with all the force of a vast mountain descending upon them.

A Martial Dao Grandmaster!

Cha Jin’s eyes focused.

They were in the middle of the wilderness. Why had so many Grandmasters shown up tonight? It was downright unbelievable!

Clang!

Chang Guoke drew his massive sword, and his entire aura changed. It seemed to soar into the heavens, yet it was as steady as a mountain.

He swung his sword.

Clang!

As the collision rang out, Chang Guoke shouted, “It doesn’t matter whether you two hate me or not. I’ll open a path for you to escape if it kills me. Please, when the chance comes, take it and run away!”

His voice still echoing through the air, he strode out of the cave and charged into the pouring rain, sword swinging. He was forceful and ferocious as could be. 

Boom!

Lightning flashed overhead, illuminating his mountainous figure. He looked as imposing as a god.

The massive sword he carried was highly extraordinary. It was black as ink throughout, a full three feet long and nine inches thick. Currents of spiritual light coursed over its surface like lightning, and when he swung it, it crackled with snakes of electricity. 

However, the man in Confucian robes was highly extraordinary himself. Although his only weapon was a wooden ruler, he retreated and advanced at just the right moments, dashing and self-assured. Even when he clashed with Chang Guoke head-on, he wasn’t at any disadvantage.

This was unquestionably a life and death battle between Grandmasters. It was extremely fierce and terrifying, and it scattered both the pouring rain and the nearby boulders. Fragments of rock flew through the air.

But soon, the scholarly man found himself forced to retreat repeatedly, for no other reason than that Chang Guoke held nothing back. He fought with the awareness that he was about to die, but the scholarly man certainly had no intention of following him to the grave.

“All of you, attack together!” The beautiful woman in blue closed her oil paper umbrella and, with a clang, a blood-colored sword jutted out of its tip. It was like a longsword, and it sliced through the air and towards Chang Guoke.

Boom!

And the short, hunchbacked elder hefted his massive axes and charged, swinging his weapon with incomparable ferocity.

“They’re actually all Grandmasters….” Cha Jin couldn’t help but gasp. She almost dared not believe her eyes.

In the Cloudriver Prefectural Capital, there were only a tiny handful of Grandmasters.

Yet here, late at night, in the middle of a sudden downpour, they found four Grandmasters locked in bitter combat!

All of them surely have an extraordinary status; they’re no ordinary group…. Cha Jin thought to herself.

Boom!

The rain poured intensified. Thunder rumbled overhead, and the skies crackled with dancing snakes of electricity.

Meanwhile, on the ground, Chang Guoke fought three against one. His momentum was unparalleled, and his massive sword flung wave after wave of attacks.

But his opponents were all Grandmasters, just like him. Furthermore, the scholarly-looking man was strong enough to fight him one-on-one. Add the woman in blue and the hunchbacked elder to the mix, and Chang Guoke was in grave peril.

Before long, his body was covered in wounds.

“Hurry up and run!” Chang Guoke roared, his cold eyes flashing like lightning amidst the rain.

He fought with no regard for his life. Shockingly, he succeeded in single-handedly suppressing all three of his opponents!

Cha Jin couldn’t help but glance at Su Yi.

However, Su Yi just sat there, resting his eyes and meditating. It seemed he had no intention of fleeing whatsoever. Or rather, he couldn’t be bothered to pay the battle of Grandmasters raging outside any heed….

“Foolish!” Chang Guoke obviously noticed it too; Su Yi and Cha Jin had no plans of taking this chance to flee. This left him both upset and frantic.

But there was nothing he could do about it.

Despite the risk of heavy injuries or death, he went all out and just barely managed to create a momentary opening. When the opportune moment passed, it was over.

“Even at a time like this, you’re still worried about others? So, Chang Guoke, this is all you amounted to!” The scholarly man snorted coldly, and his black wooden ruler flashed like lightning, slamming into Chang Guoko’s sword.

Clang!

The sound of metal on metal filled the air as Chang Guoke’s weapon flew from his grip. He staggered backward.

Before he could dodge, the woman in blue’s blood-colored blade entered his back.

Splurt!

Blood splattered as the sharp edge sliced through skin and flesh. Soon, the wound was so deep that even his bones were visible.

The man in Confucian robes seized the opportunity to advance. He swung his ruler at Chang Guoke’s head.

Crack!

Chang Guoke managed to keep the blow from striking his vitals, but the ruler still slammed into his shoulder, instantly snapping his bones.

His tall, stalwart frame fell into the muddy puddle just outside the cave with a splash.

It seemed that despite knowing full well that he was about to die, Chang Guoke wasn’t the least bit afraid. Still, he couldn’t help but let out a long sigh. He turned his head toward the cave, even though the movement pained him, and asked in a raspy voice, “Why didn’t you run just now?”

He sounded regretful, but also ashamed.