Chapter Six: Defeat

On this side, Lu Zhe and the man in black were locked in a fierce and inseparable battle. Meanwhile, the intensity of Oil Sixth’s fight was no less than Lu Zhe’s; he seemed to have learned a thing or two in the past, for his swordplay held a certain form and rhythm, even showing signs of turning the tide. However, the man in black was no pushover. Though Oil Sixth’s swordsmanship was decent, anyone versed in martial arts could see that he was already spent, while the leader in black remained calm, his breathing steady, not a bead of sweat on his brow—clearly, he hadn’t used his full strength against Oil Sixth.

“You still have time to watch others fight?” roared the man in black battling Lu Zhe, swinging his blade down toward Lu Zhe’s head.

Lu Zhe darted left, narrowly avoiding the strike, but his opponent was prepared. As Lu Zhe dodged the blade, the man’s right fist crashed into Lu Zhe’s unguarded chest.

A sharp, cracking sound echoed. The man’s fist struck true, hurling Lu Zhe backward and slamming him heavily onto the ground.

Clutching his chest, Lu Zhe felt a sweet taste rise in his throat before blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. He wiped it away and struggled to his feet, right hand supporting himself on the ground, left hand pressed to his chest as he gasped for breath—his injuries severe, the man in black’s blow impossibly forceful.

His foe showed no mercy. As Lu Zhe struggled to recover, the man dashed over and drove his boot into Lu Zhe’s wounded chest.

Once again, Lu Zhe was sent flying, crashing onto the tiles. Fine cracks, like a spider’s web, spread outward from beneath his back.

The man in black closed in quickly, grinding his foot into Lu Zhe’s chest.

“Damn it, fight me! Get up and fight!” the man snarled, his voice ringing in Lu Zhe’s ears, but Lu Zhe was utterly overpowered.

He opened his eyes to glare at his enemy, grasping desperately at the man’s foot, trying to push it away. But after enduring the previous blow and now pinned beneath the man’s weight, Lu Zhe no longer had the strength.

Seeing his foot caught, the man in black jerked his leg free and stomped down again, repeating the motion several times until Lu Zhe’s hands finally fell limp to the ground.

“Am I going to die?” The thought flickered through Lu Zhe’s fading mind. He had no strength left to resist; the pain in his chest had already numbed him. The man standing over him was growing blurry, his vision dimming as his eyes slowly closed and consciousness faded.

As his awareness slipped away, Lu Zhe seemed to see that shadow from his dreams again, running toward him, pushing him—everything unfolding just as it had in his dream.

After beating Lu Zhe into unconsciousness, the man in black sat down to catch his breath, rubbing the spot where Lu Zhe had kicked him. He glanced around, first at the leader’s fight—he was confident in the leader’s martial skills and saw no cause for concern—then turned his gaze elsewhere. Seeing that two other men in black had captured Xue Ling’er and Xue Fei’er, he chuckled lewdly, using his blade to haul himself up as he hurried toward them.

The two men holding the girls rolled their eyes at his approach. The one restraining Xue Ling’er spoke coolly, “Fourth, these two maids are yours.”

He paused, sizing up the two shivering maids, then shot a glance at Xue Ling’er and Xue Fei’er, returning the eye-roll.

“Damn it, you give me the leftovers while you enjoy the best,” he spat.

The man holding Xue Ling’er grinned. “Don’t worry, you’ll get your turn after I’m finished.”

With that, he freed a hand to untie Xue Ling’er’s sash. Seeing him tug at her clothing, Xue Ling’er, her hands bound, spat in his face in fury.

A sharp slap rang out as the man wiped his face and struck her, abandoning her sash and instead pinning her to the ground, straddling her as he tore at her clothes.

Pinned helplessly to the ground, Xue Ling’er shielded her chest with her arms, but the man wrenched them aside. As she realized her chastity was about to be stolen, a single tear welled in the corner of her eye, her teeth biting down slowly on her tongue.

Seeing his daughter about to be violated, Oil Sixth flew into a rage, forcing his opponent back with a sword stroke and rushing toward Xue Ling’er.

The leader, having been pushed back, wasted no time. Seeing Oil Sixth charge, he smirked, flicked his sleeve, and produced a short arrow. Pinching it between two fingers, he shot it at Oil Sixth’s leg.

The arrow flew like a meteor, and by the time Oil Sixth noticed, it was mere inches from his leg. He tried to dodge, but it was too late—the arrow buried itself a third of the way into his flesh, and he crashed to the ground.

A howl of pain escaped his lips as he looked down at the wound, the arrow jutting from his leg.

Grimacing, Oil Sixth yanked the arrow free and struggled to his feet. The leader approached at a measured pace and kicked him hard against a pillar.

The impact echoed as Oil Sixth slammed into the column. The leader walked over, sword pointed at Oil Sixth’s throat, and smiled coldly, “Oil Sixth, so you have come to this day as well.”

Oil Sixth said nothing, glaring hatefully at the man.

“You’re a Spirit Master,” he spat through gritted teeth.

“Oh? You can see that? You’re quite the seasoned veteran,” the man replied, surprised but not denying it.

“Judging by your technique, I’d say you’re at least a Two-Star Spirit Master,” Oil Sixth said slowly.

The man chuckled. “You’re not wrong—I’m a Three-Star Spirit Master. But what of it? The strongest guard in your household is only a Five-Star, and you sent him off to escort a caravan.”

“How do you know that?” Oil Sixth asked, astonished.

“That’s not for you to know,” the leader replied coolly.

“With skills like yours, why resort to this line of work?” Oil Sixth gasped, sitting against the pillar, clutching his chest.

The man in black smiled faintly. “We take money to solve others’ problems. Just earning a living.”

With that, he fell silent. Not far away, the three men in black holding Xue Ling’er continued their vile work. The one straddling her tore at her clothing as she struggled desperately; Xue Fei’er, meanwhile, was being kissed and pawed by another, fighting just as fiercely. The two remaining maids had also been seized by the man who had bested Lu Zhe. The situation was dire.