The remaining Man in Black was shocked, his gaze filled with horror.
A renowned ninth-level expert of the Repeated Mountain Realm was killed so effortlessly?
What realm could this seemingly ordinary man possibly belong to?
Unfortunately, no one could provide them with an answer.
As they stood in stunned silence, Ye Xuezhang's Yuanhong Sword struck!
The sword energy howled, streaking through the air like a rainbow piercing the sun.
With unparalleled sharpness, the sword light instantly decapitated several of them!
After dealing with these men, Ye Xuezhang searched their bodies but found nothing.
Just as he was about to leave, a tender voice rang out.
"Not bad, your martial skills are impressive."
Ye Xuezhang turned to see the little girl from earlier—Zhang Xiaoyu.
At this moment, her body was emanating a bloody aura, and her sleeves were stained with blood.
Seeing the girl, Ye Xuezhang's eyes turned cold as he prepared to silence her.
But then he suddenly noticed the jade pendant hanging around her neck.
Earlier at the inn, the girl had kept the pendant tucked inside her clothes, so Ye Xuezhang hadn't seen it. Now, however, it was in full view.
Ye Xuezhang recognized this pendant—it was one he had given to this very girl!
When Ye Xuezhang was eleven, he once traveled with his mother and encountered bandits blocking their path.
As the bandits were about to kill them, a martial arts expert appeared and saved them.
At the time, this martial artist was accompanied by a heavily pregnant woman, who was the mother of this girl!
Coincidentally, just after the martial artist saved Ye Xuezhang and his mother, his wife went into labor.
In the desolate wilderness, with no midwife available, Ye Xuezhang's mother assisted in the delivery.
After the girl was born, Ye Xuezhang gave her the jade pendant he always carried as a gift.
Afterward, the couple escorted Ye Xuezhang and his mother back to Cangxi City, and they never had contact again.
Given this connection—and the fact that she was the daughter of his savior—Ye Xuezhang couldn't bring himself to harm her.
This situation exemplified why Ye Xuezhang was reluctant to involve himself in the martial world or take action lightly.
If some martial arts scoundrels witnessed his deeds, it would mean silencing them.
But what if it was someone familiar? A friend or relative? His wife, Xiaoyu, Chun Mei, or Dalou? What would he do then?
Thankfully, the system granted him three exemption slots. Even if this girl knew his true nature, he still had two slots left.
Now, he just needed to find a way to persuade her not to reveal his identity.
Recalling the words of the Man in Black earlier, Ye Xuezhang frowned.
"They were after you?"
These men weren't targeting him but this young girl!
He had simply been caught up in the situation, leading them to mistake him for an obstacle.
The sounds of the earlier fight must have been from Zhang Xiaoyu battling them.
Zhang Xiaoyu gave an apologetic smile.
"Sorry for dragging you into this."
"But I must thank you. If you hadn't dealt with these men, I would've been in trouble."
As she spoke, Zhang Xiaoyu stepped forward and pulled off the mask of one of the Men in Black.
Ye Xuezhang took a closer look. Weren't these the merchants from the inn earlier?
Who would've thought they were martial artists?
...
"What's the story with these people? Why are they after you?"
Zhang Xiaoyu replied, "Have you heard of the Evil Sect?"
Ye Xuezhang nodded.
The so-called Evil Sect wasn't a single organization but a collective term for all manner of heretical factions in the martial world.
Members of the Evil Sect were often deranged individuals capable of any outrageous deed, each one unique in their madness.
Take, for example, a sect called the Righteous Sect.
They didn't steal, rob, or oppress commoners. They even promoted justice everywhere.
But there was one rule: if you were caught breaking the law or violating morality, no matter how small the offense, you would face their wrath.
Even stealing a single green onion could lead to the extermination of your entire family under the banner of justice!
These people were nothing short of lunatics!
"These men are disciples of the Huntian Sect."
Hearing this, Ye Xuezhang's heart skipped a beat.
He had heard of the Huntian Sect.
Their most notable trait was greed.
Their second trait? Recklessness!
Even among the crazy factions of the Evil Sect, some knew when to avoid trouble and wouldn't provoke someone stronger than themselves.
But the Huntian Sect was different.
Even if they were only in the Vast Sea Realm, they would dare to challenge someone in the Sun and Moon Realm!
For the right price, the Huntian Sect never cared how strong their opponents were—only where to find them.
This sect was like the honey badger of the martial world.
To put it nicely, they were audacious.
To put it bluntly, they were a bunch of maniacs.
That the Huntian Sect had survived for a century without being wiped out was due not only to their formidable strength but also their extraordinary luck.
With these thoughts, Ye Xuezhang couldn't help but grow curious about Zhang Xiaoyu's identity.
"Who exactly are you?"
The little girl stepped forward, cupped her hands, and solemnly said,
"Zhang Xiaoyu, the fifty-seventh successor of the Zhang family in Zhongzhou Prefecture."
So the people who saved him years ago were members of the Zhang family from Zhongzhou Prefecture.
Hah, for the Huntian Sect to provoke the Zhang family—was it courage or insanity?
Then, a thought struck Ye Xuezhang.
The Huntian Sect was reckless, but they never acted without gain.
To take on the Zhang family carried immense risk.
What kind of unimaginable reward could justify such a gamble?
With this in mind, Ye Xuezhang asked,
"Why is the Huntian Sect targeting you?"
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