The neat, long corridor of closed doors was broken by a single outlier. Yet, in this case, it was a helpful one. Ye Tian’s group of four quickly rushed into the scene to find a garden with a timid girl who had fallen down on her back unto the wooden floor that coated the soil. Blood had lightly splattered over her face and light pink robes, and, in front of her, a young, green-robed teen with, delicate, yet refined features, stood while drenched in blood that overflowed from the wound on his chest.

The assailant was a black-robed man, and, beside him, another similarly clothed man lay on the ground with a pool of blood. Ye Tian had seen the two before, Lu Lan’s guards. Seems like even the pearl’s personal guards couldn’t avoid joining the enemy side.

The girl, Lu Lan, stammered with a horrified expression, “L-Lu Ning! Why did you block it?!”

The man clicked his tongue, “This doesn’t concern you, kid. Out of my way. Your dad is a recent turncoat to Elder Lu Ka’s faction. Don’t compromise his credibility.”

However, once more, Ye Tian saw the conviction, the same one that appeared when Lu Ning entrusted Ye Tian.

Lu Ning’s quivering but resolute voice declared, “No!”

Impatient, the man raised his sword.

“Then you can go to hell.”

The sword did not come down as the man’s attention was drawn to the incoming projectile from the side.

He turned his head.

A sword!

By reflex, the man leapt back to avoid trading a blow for blow.

“A bunch of bone stages? Tch, I didn’t need to dodge.”

Lu Ning immediately collapsed with relief at the arrival of reinforcements. Before he completely fell, the girl rushed forward to catch Lu Ning while Ye Tian’s group entered the room.

“Are you okay, Lu Ning?! Don’t die on me!”

Ye Tian gave a second look to the girl, Lu Lan. It seems like there was untold history between the two from the concern that she displayed towards Lu Ning. The explaining will come later. For now, the traitorous guard must be dealt with.

“Zhang Qiang, give me your sword and you should know the basic treatment. Go help Lu Ning. Yu Ling and Nan Feng, coordinate with me and kill this man.”

“Ah? But, I...” stammered Zhang Qiang which was returned with a deadly glare by Ye Tian. Even though Ye Tian threw his sword, Zhang Qiang knew that the strength difference between himself and Ye Tian meant that being choked or punched to death was not impossible. Fearing for his life, Zhang Qiang quickly gave his sword to Ye Tian and hurried over to Lu Ning’s side.

Zhang Qiang quickly grabbed the sword that Ye Tian threw and started cutting the sleeves of his robe to act as a makeshift dressing.

Meanwhile, the other three combatants had already thrown themselves at the guard.

Nan Feng charged upfront first as a tank. While he did not understand what a tank meant, Ye Tian’s descriptions helped Nan Feng understand that he was a meatshield. With previous burn wounds from the fire lady, Huo Hua, back at the houses, even though it was a casual blast, Nan Feng was brimming with confidence about his star’s defense.

Soon, Nan Feng reached the enemy.

The guard roared, “Tidal Wave!”

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The guard’s sword glowed a bright blue, and, with an uppercut, sent Nan Feng back a few yards. From the bandits, Nan Feng had already learned to block with a stable stance, using his gigantic broadsword and spreading apart his feet, thus this time he was not knocked flying. Instead, his feet dug into the ground and left two long marks on the floor.

Ye Tian used Qi Burning Movement Technique to close in on the guard immediately after Nan Feng was knocked away. With Qi Gathering Strikes, it seemed as if Ye Tian’s blade was going to land on the guard’s skin, but the blade was parried. A follow-up counter-strike forced Ye Tian back.

At this time, Yu Ling had, similarly, already closed in from behind with Qi Burning Movement Technique and struck out with Qi Gathering Strikes. However, the guard moved his sword to the back without turning around, and, like Ye Tian, Yu Ling’s close blade was parried and followed up by a counterstrike.

The three’s coordination was flawless from months of working together at the edges of death. Constant tries at hurting the guard left him neither any room to breathe nor chance to concentrate and use another ability.

Suddenly, the guard released a powerful aura along with a thin ring of water around him.

‘Rainstorm Sword Arts: Ring’

“You forced me! Damn it!”

A powerful aura gushed out from the guard.

***

‘What?’

Hao Nan looked at the residential area of the courtyard where pure qi was being emanated

“Is fighting with me that boring?!”

Huo Hua interrupted Hao Nan’s train of thought by jabbing at him with a lance made of flames.

Hao Nan turned back to Huo Hua and threw a punch with his glowing, silver gauntlet, a part of his armor set.

The force of the punch left some cracks on the tip of the flame lance which only made Huo Hua lick her lips in anticipation of a strong foe. The flame lance, from the tip to the end of the handle, transformed into many tiny snakes made of flames that sought to engrave themselves unto Hao Nan and burn him.

Hao Nan’s quickly retreated with no room left to spare for Ye Tian’s group.

***

Elemental!

Ye Tian motioned for Yu Ling and Nan Feng to stop.

“You hid yourself well.”

The black-robed guard’s eyebrows twitched.

“Hid? Boy, the limiting factor to the elemental stage is resources. Since the city lord doesn’t want to give them to me, I got them from the rebels. This power. All of it was from joining the rebellion.”

Lu Lan could not help but speak up, “Hu Hei! You could’ve told me! I would’ve gotten them for you!”

The guard, Hu Hei, looked at Lu Lan with pity, “I’ve risked my life countless times for the Lu Clan… Do you even know why I was removed from the active force to become your guard? It was because they thought that was all I ever amounted to!!!”

Whilst speaking, Hu Hei began to tear up, ”Even though my battle records would net me the resources! A mortal root at the soul stage…”

“THAT WAS ALL I WAS WORTH!!!” Hu Hei roared with red eyes.

‘Rainstorm Sword Arts: Ring - Explosion’

The thin ring of water, around Hu Hei, exploded outwards into many droplets of water. Something told Ye Tian that they weren’t normal droplets of water either. However, none of the people, other than Hu Hei, had the abilities to protect themselves or each other.

“Get down!” Ye Tian yelled.

Everyone quickly dropped down to the floor at the command.

Blood splattered the floors as a few droplets landed and penetrated the bodies laying on the floor, although there were far fewer injuries due to Ye Tian.

The combatants were incapacitated.

There was not even time to inspect the wounds as Hu Hei began to walk over to finish off the sitting ducks.

Hu Hei came to a stop before the bodies and looked at Lu Lan with a melancholy gaze, “I’ve been at your side for many years and watched you grow up. I can’t help but feel for you.”

He raised his sword, “Don’t hate me for this. I’m doing this, not as a part of my orders but to ease your suffering. For you, dying as a casualty of war is better than falling into the hands of Lu Ka’s son, Lu Sha.”

Lu Lan looked up with misty eyes at this uncle who had been beside her for the longest time.

Schlunk!

Hu Hei looked down at the blade of ice that quickly retracted from his body.

Lu Lan rushed to Hu Hei's body, "Hu Hei!"

"... Is this retribution..."

The final light in his eyes dimmed into nothingness.

Ye Tian looked to the door.

A man, in his twenties, wore black and red robes with sharp eyebrows and pale skin while also carrying a dignified disposition. Ye Tian had seen him before.

Lu Fan.