The village of Qinglan was thrown into turmoil, shocked by the sudden arrival of Officer Kai. Twenty soldiers, fully armed and mounted on mighty horses, had ridden into the village under his command.

  The uproar grew even louder when the officer wounded a woman,someone they all recognized as the wife of Lu Taihiap (Warrior Lu). Some young men tried to stand up for Mei Mei, but all they received in return were harsher blows from Officer Kai’s subordinates.

  Then, yet another commotion erupted with the arrival of Yang Feng, his voice amplified by internal energy, making it several times louder.

  "Who here goes by the name of Officer Kai?"

  Roosters crowed and scattered in fear. Pigs, cows, goats, and other livestock cowered as if terror had descended upon them. Moments later, the sound of horses neighing echoed from one side of the village. Yang Feng turned toward the source and saw a group of horses tied to the trees.

  It was a modest roadside inn where Officer Kai and his men had stopped. Soon, all twenty soldiers emerged, led by the officer himself.

  "I am the one you're looking for," Officer Kai declared, his voice also infused with internal energy, a display of his own strength.

  Yang Feng strode toward them without hesitation, his every step unwavering. Long Wei and Lu Kwan followed behind him.

  As the two groups stood face to face, the villagers watching from the sidelines immediately sensed trouble. They hurried into their homes or fled as far as possible.

  "You imperial soldiers, the ones who should be protecting the people, why are you oppressing us instead?" Yang Feng’s face had turned red with rage.

  Officer Kai answered in the manner of a true officer, his head held slightly high. "Who are you referring to?"

  "The woman you cruelly tormented earlier, she is the wife of my dear friend!"

  "That woman?" Officer Kai furrowed his brows, then turned his gaze to Lu Kwan, pointing at him. "I know she is his wife."

  Yang Feng’s eyes widened as he glanced between them, his shock apparent. But he quickly brushed it aside and roared, "If you knew, then why did you still do it? Do you even realize who he is? He is Lu Taihiap, a righteous warrior who has beheaded countless villains. If the world learns that his wife has been wronged, you can be certain that your body will be torn apart by the gallant warriors who come to avenge her!"

  Yet, Officer Kai showed not even the slightest hint of fear.

  "I have brought him, just as we agreed."

  Yang Feng and Long Wei turned toward Lu Kwan, their faces filled with unmasked confusion.

  "What do you mean?" Long Wei, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.

  Lu Kwan’s expression hardened. "He is Yang Feng, one of the holders of the Sky Jade."

  "You bastard!" Yang Feng bellowed. "What do you mean by that, boy?"

  The sound of weapons being drawn filled the air, followed by a thunderous command.

  "Seize them!"

  Officer Kai’s sword sliced through the wind, producing a sharp whistling sound.

  Yang Feng, the primary target, swiftly leaned back until his body was nearly parallel to the ground. In the same motion, he kicked Officer Kai’s sword-wielding arm while propelling himself into the air.

  "Fight them, Wei Ji!" he shouted. "Fight! Stay alive!"

  Long Wei ducked just in time to avoid a cleaver aimed at his neck, rolling to evade another soldier’s thrusting sword. As he sprang to his feet, he saw the two soldiers were relentless in their pursuit to gut him.

  Of course, he would not allow that. Drawing his short sword, he struck back.

  The sound of clashing steel rang through the air, echoing for several moments before one of the soldiers screamed in pain,Long Wei’s blade had sliced into his neck.

  Meanwhile, Yang Feng was fending off an onslaught from four soldiers at once, their strikes aimed directly at his vital points.

  "Follow your officer’s orders, you fools!" He struck one of the soldiers on the head, sending him tumbling. "He said to capture me, not to behead me,get lost!" He parried another attack with his bare hands, instantly snapping the blade in two.

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  The remaining soldiers hesitated, standing motionless as they observed the battle.

  Lu Kwan whispered something to Officer Kai, his face pale with fear, while the officer grinned in amusement.

  "Lu Kwan, what are you doing?" Yang Feng shouted as he leaped high into the air to dodge an attack. "Did they threaten you? Speak the truth!"

  Long Wei had just taken down another soldier, but the one still facing him was far more formidable. His skill was leagues above the others, leading Long Wei to suspect he was a senior soldier.

  As the enemy’s sword came swinging, Long Wei spotted an opening near his right rib. He would not let this chance slip away.

  Closing the gap with a single step, he lashed out with a lightning-fast kick. Just as expected, the soldier slashed at his leg, but Long Wei smirked,his kick was merely a feint. His true attack was a powerful left-handed punch aimed straight at the soldier’s ribs.

  Crack!

  "Aaaarrrgghhh!" The soldier screamed in agony.

  Long Wei seized him by the throat and forced him down to waist level before,sraaattt,severing his head clean off.

  Seeing their comrade slain, three more soldiers charged at Long Wei, who only grinned in excitement.

  "Come!" he shouted. "I’ll take your heads just like his!"

  The secret conversation between Lu Kwan and Officer Kai seemed to have ended. The officer’s grin widened.

  "Steel Palm Warrior Yang Feng, I suggest you surrender and hand over the Sky Jade to me. The Emperor needs it greatly."

  Yang Feng gritted his teeth. "I swear to protect it with my life. I would rather die than let that tyrant of an Emperor lay a hand on this jade."

  "You brought this upon yourself." Officer Kai was still grinning. "Kill them all." The remaining soldiers who had yet to join the fight now rushed forward.

  "Damn you. I will remember this, Lu Taihiap." Yang Feng glared at Lu Kwan, who averted his gaze. "I will remember. Wei Ji, we retreat."

  In truth, Yang Feng could have ended this fight by slaughtering them all. He was the great warrior from the east, known as Steel Palm. There was no way twenty soldiers and a single officer could trouble him.

  However, the old man did not want to take unnecessary risks. Long Wei was there, and he had to protect him. Long Wei was also the bearer of the Sky Jade. If he kept fighting, it would be difficult to protect Long Wei at the same time. That was why Yang Feng chose to retreat.

  Officer Kai had no intention of letting them escape so easily. He mounted his horse at once and blocked Yang Feng’s path. The old warrior growled in anger and unleashed his lightness skill, soaring through the air like a giant bird.

  "Move aside." With a loud roar, he launched a palm strike aimed at Officer Kai’s face.

  Their close proximity, combined with Officer Kai’s inferiority in skill compared to Yang Feng, left him no time to react. His sword had barely swung up to defend, but the palm strike was too fast. It still managed to land on his chest.

  The officer screamed in pain and fell from his horse.

  Yet his efforts were not in vain, as Yang Feng and Long Wei found themselves surrounded once again. Just as Yang Feng decided to use his highest-level martial arts to end the battle quickly, a sharp, high-pitched cry pierced the air.

  "Cang Er..." Long Wei muttered unconsciously as the beautiful woman with long black hair slashed down two soldiers from behind.

  "Elder Yang, Brother Long, hurry."

  For a moment, Yang Feng was dumbfounded, feeling a slight suspicion that the girl was aiding her treacherous father. But when he saw Long Wei already dashing forward, he had no choice but to follow.

  "Get out of the village quickly. I will hold these soldiers back," Cang Er said without looking at them.

  "Don’t be foolish, girl. Do you really think you can face all of them?"

  From the side of his face, Long Wei could see Cang Er give a faint smile. "This is my redemption for my father’s betrayal." She then looked sorrowfully at her father, who was watching from a distance with wide eyes. "He owes me an explanation. Now go." Cang Er spun her sword as the soldiers charged at her ferociously.

  Yang Feng and Long Wei exchanged glances. "The Sky Jade is worth more than anything," Yang Feng said. "Go. I will help Cang Er."

  "But,"

  "Go quickly. I can handle them."

  After a brief hesitation, Long Wei had no choice but to leave. He was the bearer of the Sky Jade. He understood that, and he had to protect it.

  "I will return," he said briefly before heading toward Qinglan Village’s gate.

  Yang Feng could finally breathe easier, seeing the young man obey him. He then turned back to face the oncoming soldiers and assist Cang Er.

  "Don’t be reckless, Er Ji." Lu Kwan leaped high, his lightness skill truly remarkable.

  He swung his cleaver to block the soldiers pressing against his daughter, sparks flying upon impact.

  Cang Er stepped back cautiously, meeting her father’s gaze without fear. "Why did you betray them?"

  "We cannot fight the empire. Our family was threatened. You know that."

  "Is that the stance of Lu Taihiap?" Cang Er roared in fury. "Then what? A great warrior should fear death?"

  "Cang Er." Lu Kwan snapped angrily. "Listen to your father. Do not attack."

  "I am following your teachings." Cang Er bit her lip, holding back a tear that threatened to fall. "For the sake of justice, I do not fear death. That is the true nature of a warrior." She then turned and attacked her father.

  Lu Kwan felt a deep sadness as he faced his only daughter’s assault. "You don’t understand right from wrong," he muttered. "I did this for you and your mother." He swung his cleaver with such force that it made Cang Er’s hands tremble.

  Yang Feng, who had been busy fending off the soldiers, saw this and quickly dashed forward, placing himself between Lu Kwan and his daughter.

  "Your fight is with me," he said coldly, eyes locked onto Lu Kwan. "Cang Er, take care of the rest. Most of them are already wounded. They won’t be too difficult for you."

  Though slightly worried, as he could tell Cang Er’s skills were not yet fully honed, there was no other choice.

  The blade of a cleaver nearly reached Yang Feng’s back, but its wielder immediately perished from Cang Er’s thrusting strike. The girl then charged forward, determined to cut down the remaining soldiers.

  "You are injured. I have known from the start," Lu Kwan said, unsurprised.

  "Your strength has weakened tremendously. You won’t be able to fight me now."

  "This is not about winning or losing." Yang Feng took his stance. "This is about betrayal and the honor of a warrior."

  Lu Kwan looked somber. "You must forgive me." He readied his weapon. "I will kill you, Elder Yang."