The village gate was already in sight, just a few steps away. However, a sudden thought struck Long Wei, furrowing his brows. He just realized that during the battle earlier, officer Kai was nowhere to be seen.

  "Where is he?" The young man halted in front of a house, causing its occupants to become even more frightened and quickly hide.

  His eyes scanned every direction, searching for officer Kai in case the man had secretly followed him. Long Wei drew his short sword and assumed a combat stance.

  Another sudden realization hit him shortly after. "Could it be..." Without hesitation, Long Wei sprinted toward Lu Kwan's house.

  ***

  With his massive broadsword, Lu Kwan slashed at Yang Feng's head with all his might. That weapon was not to be taken lightly, as it was the very sword that had earned him the title of the renowned warrior, Lu Taihiap.

  Yang Feng cursed inwardly at having to fight his own friend. He was already severely wounded, which was understandable,his battle against Sea Ghost and the White Ascetic a few days ago had been no trivial matter. It was a miracle he was still alive.

  "Lu Kwan, are you sure you want to fight me?" Yang Feng blocked the incoming strike, creating a loud metallic clang. "Do you really think that just because I’m injured, I will lose to you?"

  "Save your breath," Lu Kwan replied. "You should be thinking about how little time you have left."

  Yang Feng knew that Lu Kwan was doing this against his will. He had known Lu Kwan for a long time, and Lu Taihiap was not the type to betray easily. There had to be a strong reason behind all this.

  However, that did not quell Yang Feng's fury. He never expected Lu Kwan to act like a coward by selling out his own friend. He began to suspect that officer Kai’s proposal to marry Cang Er was nothing but a lie.

  Yang Feng decided not to hold back. Although he did not intend to kill Lu Kwan, he unleashed one of his most formidable techniques,Thunderstorm Shattering the Clouds.

  A sharp, ringing sound echoed repeatedly as his palms struck Lu Kwan’s broadsword, forcing him to retreat. Lu Kwan was utterly shocked to see Yang Feng immediately resort to such a powerful technique.

  "You leave me no choice! Surrender!" Yang Feng shouted, still trying to be merciful.

  His movements grew faster, his palm strikes targeting vital points,neck, heart, stomach, and solar plexus. Those were all key targets of the Thunderstorm Shattering the Clouds technique.

  Combined with Yang Feng’s overwhelming internal energy, Lu Kwan’s arms trembled every time he tried to parry.

  Lu Kwan’s broadsword technique, Falling Star, was no match for the relentless waves of the Thunderstorm Shattering the Clouds. The heat and electric-like shock that accompanied each strike made it even worse. As the battle progressed, Yang Feng gradually gained the upper hand. Lu Kwan was gasping for breath, his body now covered in wounds.

  "Are you still unwilling to surrender?" Though exhausted, Yang Feng launched a kick. Lu Kwan dodged. "Lu Kwan!"

  "You are injured. You won’t be able to save Cang Er and Mei Mei," Lu Kwan stubbornly insisted.

  Suddenly, Yang Feng’s left palm struck Lu Kwan’s chest with great force. The impact sent him stumbling back five steps, coughing up fresh blood. Fortunately, Yang Feng halted his assault.

  "That would have killed you if you don’t treat it immediately," Yang Feng said, panting but only lightly wounded.

  Meanwhile, Cang Er had managed to subdue the remaining soldiers. Though she couldn’t kill them all, she had rendered them incapable of fighting any further.

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  Yang Feng actually felt pity for Lu Kwan, who now lay groaning in pain. He wanted to help his old friend, but then a woman’s scream pierced the air.

  "Aaakkhhh!"

  "Drop your weapons!" officer Kai shouted, pressing his broadsword against Mei Mei’s neck. "Hand over the Sky Jade!" He glared at Yang Feng.

  The elder clenched his fists, blood boiling with rage. His sharp, piercing gaze was enough to make officer Kai and even Lu Kwan tremble. But officer Kai still had Mei Mei as a hostage, allowing him to maintain his smug grin.

  "Hurry up and hand it over, or she dies."

  Lu Kwan looked at Yang Feng, pleading, while Yang Feng returned the gaze with deep sympathy.

  He took a long breath before speaking. "I no longer have it."

  Lu Kwan’s eyes widened in shock. He immediately shouted, "Liar!"

  Yang Feng avoided his gaze.

  "Liar! You have it! You are the bearer of the Sky Jade in bracelet form! Give it to him,at least do it for Mei Mei!" Lu Kwan’s voice was hoarse with sorrow.

  Cang Er stood frozen in place, unable to move, staring at her mother with wide, teary eyes.

  Yang Feng then looked at Mei Mei, her face deathly pale. The woman seemed frail and pitiful. Anyone witnessing this scene would feel sympathy. However, Yang Feng was taken aback by the unwavering determination in her eyes.

  Then, Mei Mei suddenly shouted, shocking everyone. "As a great warrior, do not disgrace yourself by surrendering such a sacred artifact! Elder Yang, I will die to prevent you from being burdened. Kill this emperor’s dog!"

  Before anyone could react, Mei Mei pressed her own neck against officer Kai’s blade. Blood gushed, staining the ground beneath her feet. A choked, heart-wrenching sound escaped as her body went limp.

  "Mei… Mei…" Lu Kwan stared in disbelief.

  Cang Er covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face.

  "Useless wench!" Officer Kai spat as he tossed Mei Mei’s lifeless body aside. A moment later, he realized he no longer had any leverage.

  "Die!"

  Officer Kai flinched at the furious cry. He turned to see a young man charging at him, wielding a short sword.

  "Uaahhh!" Officer Kai clumsily blocked. "You little demon, you are the one who will die!"

  Long Wei slashed at officer Kai’s throat in blind fury. He was enraged at himself for not running as fast as Yang Feng, which caused him to arrive too late at Lu Kwan’s empty house. That delay also cost him the chance to save Mei Mei.

  Fueled by seething rage, Long Wei’s attacks became completely unpredictable. Though officer Kai was skilled, Long Wei’s fighting style was entirely different.

  The young man had grown up among ruthless brigands who fought with brutal efficiency. His father’s martial arts technique also disregarded aesthetics, focusing solely on killing. Because of that, every one of Long Wei’s sword strikes aimed only at vital points,either the heart, the neck, or the face.

  Amid their increasingly fierce battle, Lu Kwan, kneeling and leaning against his broadsword, sobbed uncontrollably. Cang Er was the same, covering her face with both hands as she wept. The wounds from the earlier fight were nothing compared to the unbearable pain of witnessing her mother's tragic death.

  "You despicable coward! Long Wei, I'm coming to help!" Yang Feng prepared to launch himself forward again.

  But suddenly, Lu Kwan’s cries stopped. His eyes widened as he forced himself to his feet, then charged straight at Yang Feng. "You killed my wife!" he roared.

  Yang Feng was startled to see Lu Kwan executing a move from the Star Breaker technique. It was an advanced variation of the Falling Star blade art, but unlike its predecessor, Star Breaker was a reckless, suicidal technique that focused solely on attacking with no regard for defense.

  Having lost all hope after his wife's death, Lu Kwan seemed to no longer care about the future. He charged at Yang Feng with every last ounce of strength, putting everything he had into his final strike.

  Yang Feng clenched his teeth. He had no choice. Blocking the attack would only worsen his injuries. The only option left was to counter. "May the gods forgive you," he whispered before stepping forward to meet Lu Kwan’s attack.

  A massive surge of internal energy crashed into Lu Kwan’s broadsword, shattering the blade into several pieces. His body was sent flying several meters, blood spurting from his mouth. When he finally hit the ground, he remained still.

  "Ugh..." Yang Feng collapsed to one knee, the impact from their clash having inflicted further damage on his already battered body.

  Cang Er let out a terrified scream as she rushed to her father's lifeless body. Her cries echoed through the battlefield, even louder than before.

  "Now, only you remain." Long Wei continued his relentless assault on officer Kai. "Your men can no longer stand. Now let me send you to hell!"

  Long Wei’s sword sliced across officer Kai’s cheek, and his foot slammed into the back of the officer’s knee, forcing him to kneel.

  Seizing the opportunity, Long Wei swiftly swung his sword, aiming for officer Kai’s forehead. But at the last moment, a sharp pain tore through his side,Kai had managed to slash his stomach.

  Ignoring his own injury, Long Wei let his blade pierce through Kai’s skull, pinning him to the ground. Only then did he stumble back, clutching his bleeding wound. Fortunately, the cut wasn’t too deep.

  As his fury subsided, watching officer Kai convulse in his final moments, Long Wei suddenly noticed Cang Er standing before Yang Feng. The old warrior was seated in meditation, trying to recover.

  Long Wei's heart nearly stopped,Cang Er had raised her sword high above her head.

  "Cang Er, stop!"