Heart-wrenching screams from Cao Hong suddenly tore through the pitch-black, dense forest.

Just a moment ago, Ai Hongye had severed his right arm in the blink of an eye. The intense pain was only just reaching him now. He clutched the stump with his left hand, but the blood couldn't be contained, spurting out like a gushing spring.

At that moment, the subordinates Cao Hong had brought with him were dumbfounded. None of them could understand. Isn't Miss Xiao Ye on our side? Why would she suddenly attack Cao Hong?

But Ai Hongye obviously had no intention of clarifying the confusion for the ants in her eyes. Her cold gaze slowly swept over everyone. Wherever her eyes fell, Sword Qi materialized from the Void.

A few seconds later, all of Cao Hong's subordinates lay on the ground, lifeless. Without exception, the Sword Qi had slit their throats in an instant.

Cao Hong's wailing stopped. Trembling, he moved to kneel before Ai Hongye and pleaded pitifully for mercy. "Spare me… please spare my life. I'll do whatever you say from now on."

Ai Hongye looked down at him impassively and said, "If you have a next life, remember to be born into a better one."

A moment later, Luo Xiu couldn't help but frown as he looked at Cao Hong, whom Ai Hongye had dismembered into several pieces with her sword. He was abruptly reminded of a time he went to the market with Xu Qianqing and watched a shopkeeper chop a turtle into several pieces. Even after being dismembered, the turtle's legs still twitched spasmodically. It was just like Cao Hong now.

He couldn't imagine what a kind little girl like her must have gone through to turn out this way.

The Whale Crying Sword's smooth, mirror-like blade remained unstained by blood. It was as pure as a lotus leaf in a spring rain, a stark contrast to the bloody filth covering the ground.

Ai Hongye performed a graceful sword flourish before sheathing her weapon. She said to Luo Xiu, "His body was strong. Chopping it up was quite fun and a good way to relieve stress."

Luo Xiu couldn't help but purse his lips. "I'm a pervert, and even I think you're twisted."

Ai Hongye's willow-like eyebrows rose slightly as she suggested, "Why don't we see our good deed through to the end? We can show some mercy and send his entire family to the Western Heaven for a reunion."

"There's no need for that," Luo Xiu said.

Ai Hongye said, "But he bullied you."

Luo Xiu smiled. "And you haven't?"

"Only I can bully you. No one else."

"Forget it. I can't be bothered to argue with you."

Luo Xiu waved his hand dismissively and tried to stand up, but the moment he moved, a piercing pain shot through his entire body, inside and out. Helpless, he had no choice but to sit back down.

Ai Hongye said, "You're badly injured."

"And whose fault is that?"

"You hurt me too, just now," Ai Hongye said. "That makes us even."

Luo Xiu asked, "Are you really leaving?"

"I still have things to do. I only came to Sea City this time to see you."

"When will I see you again?"

Ai Hongye tossed a business card to Luo Xiu and then turned to leave, her steps unsteady, a slight limp suggesting a leg injury.

"Little Mule, you'll only see me again if you strive to stay alive."

"Also, if you run into something you can't handle, contact me anytime. No matter what it is."

Luo Xiu watched with a look of reluctance as her figure gradually faded into the night. He couldn't help but remember the vows he had made so many times as a child—to stay with his master and senior sisters forever.

A long time passed before Luo Xiu could finally stand. Using the sword on the ground as a cane, he clenched his teeth against the agony and staggered away. After navigating through the dense forest for what felt like an eternity, he finally returned to the shore of the reservoir where they had been before.

Lin Xiyue was lying there, still unconscious.

Luo Xiu sat down beside her, gasping for air. His consciousness gradually blurred until he, too, succumbed to the darkness.

***

The sky began to pale with the light of dawn. A red sun slowly broke through the distant horizon, climbing over the mountain range. In the early summer morning, a thick mist shrouded the forest. Crystalline dewdrops hung from every blade of grass.

But on one flattened blade, a few drops of crimson dew clung, standing out starkly from the rest.

That was the crimson shed by Hongye.

***

When Luo Xiu awoke, he found himself lying in his large bed at home. Bright, slightly scorching sunlight shone on his face. The gentle curtains billowed in the breeze, and through the gap, he could see the medicine furnace on the balcony emitting steam. Li Jiuzhen stood beside it, waving a cattail leaf fan and muttering to himself as he carefully selected herbs. On the sofa not far away, Lin Xiyue, Sun Li, and Wu Xin were playing cards, all dressed for the heat in shorts, skirts, and camisoles. Su Shanyue squatted in front of them, her face covered with little paper strips, looking pitifully at the other three—the punishment, presumably, for losing. The occasional clatter of pots and pans drifted up from downstairs, likely from Xu Qianqing busy in the kitchen.

A faint smile touched Luo Xiu's lips. He slowly closed his eyes, quietly enjoying the rare moment of tranquility.

***

「The funeral home.」

Assisted by a servant, Cao Ende walked over and lifted the white cloth. The next moment, an extreme, piercing grief assaulted his mind, causing him to faint as his body fell stiffly backward. The servant reacted quickly, catching him just in time.

"Family Head, are you all right?"

Cao Ende's old body trembled, tears streaming down his face. He was utterly and truly devastated. The horrifying image of his son torn into pieces replayed endlessly in his mind, a boundless nightmare from which he couldn't wake.

Not far away, a well-dressed, middle-aged woman sat slumped on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. She was Cao Hong's mother, Liu Xuelian.

"Cao Ende, I want the beast who killed my son to pay the price!"

A long while later, Cao Ende and his wife, Liu Xuelian, left the funeral home. Supported by servants, they climbed into a luxurious van. Cao Ende dried his tears and took out his phone. After a moment of hesitation, his hands trembling, he dialed the number of Cao Hong's master.

"Hello, Elder Zhou… Hong'er… he's had an accident…"

After hearing Cao Ende's words, the other end of the line was silent for a long time before an old voice finally responded, "I will come to Sea City immediately."

Just then, someone knocked on the car window.

Cao Ende lowered the window and saw Duan Feibai standing outside.

"Family Head Cao, Mrs. Cao, please accept my condolences," Duan Feibai said.

Liu Xuelian bit her lip, her voice trembling with rage. "My son was brutally murdered! How dare you ask me to accept condolences?"

Duan Feibai ignored Liu Xuelian's outburst and said, "I want to know what, exactly, happened that night."

That night, he had only sent Ai Hongye to assist Cao Hong in dealing with Luo Xiu; he hadn't gotten involved personally. In his mind, with Ai Hongye on the case, helping Cao Hong deal with Luo Xiu should have been a simple matter. After all, besides Ai Hongye, there were more than a dozen Martial Artists at the peak of the Body Refinement Phase. With an ambush like that, Luo Xiu's death should have been certain. But he never would have imagined that the very next day he would receive news of Cao Hong's death, while Ai Hongye seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth.

Cao Ende took a deep breath. "That's a question I'd like to ask you, Young Master Duan. What on earth happened that night?"

Duan Feibai simply shook his head slightly, then turned to leave.

"Our Duan Family owes Master Zhou a favor, so I will avenge Cao Hong."

"No need!" Cao Ende said coldly. "I've just contacted Hong'er's master. He's on his way to Sea City now. Moreover, the South District and the Western District also want Luo Xiu's life."

Hearing this, Duan Feibai smiled. "In that case, it seems my involvement is no longer necessary."

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