Feiyun Villa.

The air in the small villa suddenly fell silent.

Zhou Jingong clenched the knife in his hand and dropped to one knee.

"Disciple Zhou Jingong pays his respects to the Sect Leader!"

However, Liu Dexuan's expression was ugly. Seeing the murderous aura pouring off Zhou Jingong, he could guess the man's purpose without even asking.

"I am here for revenge. I implore the Sect Leader not to stand in my way!"

"Revenge?" Liu Dexuan's eyelids drooped. "Against whom?"

Zhou Jingong shot to his feet, pointing his knife at Luo Xiu. "This little bastard!"

"Insolent!" Liu Dexuan roared, flashing forward and slapping Zhou Jingong across the face.

The slap left Zhou Jingong dazed, unable to comprehend the Sect Leader's actions. Liu Dexuan's gaze was icy as he grabbed Zhou Jingong by the collar and dragged him outside.

Back in the living room, Luo Xiu shrugged and chuckled. "Looks like my part in this is over."

Elder Ye paid the knife-wielding Zhou Jingong no mind. Even he didn't take the man seriously, so Luo Xiu certainly wouldn't. Now that Queen Chi Sha's matter was resolved, the old man was in a fine mood. He cupped his fists, saying, "It's getting late, so I will take my leave. Xiao Xue, let's go home."

"Goodbye, Master! I'll bring you and Mistress a treat tomorrow!" Xiao Xue called out to Luo Xiu.

「Meanwhile, in the small grove outside the villa.」

Zhou Jingong's face was a mask of confusion. "Sect Leader, why did you stop me? That Luo Xiu killed my disciple! If I don't kill him..."

"Silence!" Liu Dexuan snapped, cutting him off. "The Wind Blade Sect never acknowledged that so-called disciple of yours. He doesn't count. Mister Luo, however, is now an Honorary Elder of our Wind Blade Sect. If you dare to disrespect him again, don't blame me for being merciless!"

Zhou Jingong stared in disbelief, his gaze trembling. "Honorary Elder? Him? On what grounds?! What makes that boy worthy?"

Liu Dexuan smiled faintly, looking at Zhou Jingong as if he were an idiot. "Let me tell you the truth. With Mister Luo's strength, if he truly decided to act, even I wouldn't last a single move against him. If you don't know what's good for you, then going after him is suicide. I'm saving you, not stopping you!"

"No, that's impossible!" Zhou Jingong ground out, his face a mask of disbelief. "Someone so young can't possibly possess that kind of power! Sect Leader, you're lying!"

Liu Dexuan's expression didn't change. "It is not for you to believe or disbelieve. What's more, Mister Luo's true identity is that of a Descendant of Ghost Valley. This means he is the next Ghost Valley Heavenly Master."

At these words, Zhou Jingong froze, his eyes wide with shock. It was as if a bolt of lightning had struck his mind. "Ghost... Ghost Valley?"

He found it hard to believe that the mysterious faction, said to be thousands of years old and existing only in legends, still had successors today. It was even harder to believe that he had been opposing such a legendary figure all this time. The thought filled him with retroactive fear; he was simply grateful to be alive.

Liu Dexuan gazed up at the night sky and said slowly, "When he is angered, the feudal lords tremble. When he is at peace, the world is at rest. Throughout history, every Ghost Valley Heavenly Master has been an existence capable of steering the course of the world. The heavens are watching over us, allowing our Wind Blade Sect to gain the support of a Ghost Valley Descendant in our time of decline. If we manage this relationship well, the Wind Blade Sect is destined for everlasting prosperity!"

He turned to Zhou Jingong, his tone grave. "Jingong, consider this carefully. Whatever you choose, I will not stop you. But let me be clear. If you insist on revenge and try to harm an Elder of our sect, then for the sake of the Wind Blade Sect... I will cast aside our old bond and take your head myself!"

Zhou Jingong's old body shuddered at his words. After a long silence, he relaxed his grip on the knife and turned, walking back toward the small villa.

Watching his retreating figure, Liu Dexuan let out a long sigh of relief. It's good that he sees the bigger picture. His hatred is insignificant in the face of absolute benefit!

「Back inside the small villa.」

Zhou Jingong walked up to Luo Xiu and once again knelt on one knee.

"Zhou Jingong, Chief Disciple of the fourth generation of the Wind Blade Sect... pays his respects to Elder Luo! The Sect Leader has just explained everything to me. For the sake of the Wind Blade Sect... I hope we can consider this matter settled!"

He let out a long sigh, suddenly looking much older. "Fortunately," he said slowly, "I have not caused you any irreparable harm, Elder Luo."

Luo Xiu watched him with a calm gaze and nodded gently. He had no reason to hate Zhou Jingong, yet Zhou Jingong had every reason to hate him. Because he had killed the man's disciple.

"However, I don't feel the slightest remorse for killing Cao Hong," Luo Xiu stated. "He wanted to kill me, so I killed him. It's that simple. Objectively speaking, a man like him deserved to die anyway."

"I," Zhou Jingong said, looking up at Luo Xiu, "feel no remorse either."

"You shouldn't," Luo Xiu smiled. "A master who doesn't seek revenge for his disciple isn't a worthy master at all."

"Let this matter be settled, then," Zhou Jingong declared. "Let bygones be bygones, as if none of it ever happened. From now on, I pledge to assist you with all my strength, Elder Luo!" As he spoke, he seemed to remember something. "That boy Duan Feibai probably won't let this go easily. The Duan Family's power in Henghai Province is absolute. There may be trouble."

Luo Xiu just smiled nonchalantly, as he had never taken Duan Feibai seriously. "Understood. Thanks for the warning."

"Then I will take my leave."

As Luo Xiu watched Zhou Jingong's retreating back, his vision suddenly went black and his body gave way, collapsing to the floor.

Lin Xiyue's face paled, and she rushed to his side. "Luo Xiu, what's wrong?"

Luo Xiu opened his mouth, his voice weak. "It's nothing... I'm just exhausted. I'll be fine after some rest."

He had felt weak ever since Queen Chi Sha forced her way into his body, as if she were siphoning something from within him. And there was nothing he could do about her.

「Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.」

The Henghai Provincial City Martial Association had already earned enough points to secure a spot in the quarter-finals, even if they lost all their remaining qualifying matches. Consequently, Luo Xiu spent those days recuperating at Feiyun Villa, giving his teammates a chance to get some experience on stage.

Although his teammates were not particularly strong—all of them only at the Body Refinement level—they needed to experience failure in order to improve. If you only ever watch the strong from the sidelines, you will never gain anything for yourself. If you want something, you have to work for it, challenge the strong, and eventually become strong yourself!

After the qualifying rounds, the quarter-finals began. Of the sixteen participating teams, the eight with the highest point totals advanced, while the bottom eight were eliminated. The quarter-finals would eliminate half of the teams, with the remaining four advancing to the semifinals. The top-ranked team from the semifinals would advance directly to the finals. The other three would have to fight it out in a losers' bracket for the last spot.

Because Luo Xiu had been slacking off at Feiyun Villa, the Henghai Provincial City team failed to advance directly, landing them in the losers' bracket.

Looks like my vacation is over. Luo Xiu knew he had to step in.

As most had predicted, Luo Xiu easily led the Henghai Provincial City Martial Association out of the losers' bracket and into the finals!

「That day.」

After what felt like an interminable wait for countless spectators, the day of the finals had finally arrived!

However, much to Luo Xiu's surprise, his opponent turned out to be...

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