Chapter 245: Qiao Wan hung up.
Xiao Jingzhou died at the gathering of the same practice. Everyone from different families and sects had their own secret intentions, hoping to take advantage of this opportunity and gain something for themselves.
However, unexpectedly, Xiao Jingzhou died under mysterious circumstances, but the Xiao family showed no signs of chaos. Xiao Jingzhou's son, Xiao Huan, decisively took the stage and killed his own half-brother with a sword, suppressing countless voices of disobedience within the Xiao family. Then, somehow, he formed a connection with the Lu family, who helped him secure the position of the head of the Xiao family.
As for Xiao Jingzhou's death, the official explanation was that there were still doubts, so they needed to investigate together with Kunshan.
They didn't care about what others thought and closed the doors to discuss slowly among the three families.
As for the secret realm, nobody outside knows much about its strangeness. But now, it's important for Xiao Jingzhou , so they decided to send some people to investigate what's going on. They will delay dealing with the secret realm for now.
The people from the Lu family were cautious. When they first obtained the sword manual, they had their disciples learn a section of it. At first, everything seemed fine, so many talented individuals in the Lu family also learned it.
However, no one expected that after learning the sword manual, these talented individuals started coughing up blood and their internal energy went awry, causing their skills to decline.
The Lu family immediately became worried. They knew that Xiao Huan was cunning and could turn on them. They sent someone to the Xiao family to demand an explanation. It wasn't fair for them to help and then be betrayed.
But to their surprise, as soon as the envoy from the Lu family arrived, Xiao Huan also started coughing up blood and lost a few levels of his skills.
Now both the Lu family and the Xiao family were confused.
Could it be that the sword manual is fake?
"This sword manual is fake..." Xiao Huan, with a heavy breath, wiped the bloodstains from the corner of his lips and gave a bitter smile to the visitors from the Lu family.
Lu Linjia pressed his lips together, saying, "This sword manual was given by our brother Lu Pihan. Are you suggesting that he tampered with it, Lord Xiao?"
Xiao Huan shook his head slightly.
Having lost two or three realms in a row, his originally pale face now looked even paler. Clutching his fox fur cloak weakly, he smiled and said, "I never had that intention, but your sect might have."
This statement was sharp and hit the nail on the head.
Lu Linjia fell silent.
In fact, everyone in the Lu family had doubts. They wondered if Lu Pihan was intentionally seeking revenge for the old incident.
The Lu family failed to come to their aid in time, and as a result, Lu Pihan's parents, siblings, and relatives were completely annihilated by the Blue-eyed Evil Buddha. The flames burned for three days and nights, and in the end, the Lu family found a child on the verge of death among the burnt corpses. He was just one step away from journeying to the Western Heaven.
If we say that Lu Pihan was seeking revenge on the Xiao family and the Lu family in the name of the ancient incident, it can be justified. But, it can only be justified to some extent, as his motives are not strong enough.
Lu Pihan is a clever person, and it's hard to believe that he would engage in such a self-destructive act of attacking his enemies.
Although some elders in the Lu family, who have a hot temper, plan to interrogate Lu Pihan to get to the bottom of things, most of the elders are more cautious.
Compared to Xiao Huan, who is known for being crafty, it is more reliable to trust Lu Pihan, who is also a member of the same family, at this critical moment.
They truly owe this child, and this child is indeed surnamed Lu.
After the Lu family members left, Xiao Huan slowly stood up, dropping the piece of cloth in his hand without any expression on his face.
Xiao Sanlang, who was watching from behind, couldn't help but be slightly amazed.
He truly felt that his young master was really ruthless. Achieving two or three breakthroughs in a row is something that ordinary people can't do.
Xiao Sanlang noticed Xiao Huan's strange look and smiled, saying, "Do you think I am ruthless, Sanlang?"
"How else can we deal with the Lu family?"
Just with a sword manual, did the Lu family really help him wholeheartedly?
These powerful families only care about their own interests. Even if they help him, there's probably a hidden intention to take advantage of him.
Now that the Lu family is weakened, they won't act right away.
He was able to climb to his current position in just a few days, thanks to his years of undercover work, recruiting soldiers, and dividing Xiao Jingzhou's personal guards. But he still needed someone's help.
Thinking of that person, Xiao Huan lowered his eyelashes, his gaze deep and mysterious.
That person found him in Kunshan and made a deal with him.
He helped Xiao Huan step on Xiao Jingzhou's corpse to take the position in the Xiao family. And all he had to do was to stir up more trouble in the current situation.
After enough rest, Xiao Huan calmly gave his orders.
"Call the other elders, disciples, and the remaining members of the family to come and see me."
Before long, Xiao Sanlang led a group of the remaining members of the Xiao family inside.
These were Xiao Jingzhou's personal guards who were unwilling to submit to Xiao Huan . When they entered, they didn't show much respect to Xiao Huan .
On the contrary, Xiao Huan , despite his illness, took a few steps forward with a pale and disappointed smile. "I know you uncles blame me, blame me for letting Qiao Wan escape. But my father's sudden death put everyone's eyes on us, both inside and outside the family. With no leader at home and strong enemies outside, I had no choice but to shoulder this responsibility."
The leader of the Xiao family guards interrupted Xiao Huan's words directly. "Young master, just say what you need to say."
Xiao Huan smiled bitterly. "It seems that you uncles still don't trust me."
The only response he received was silence.
"Very well." Xiao Huan took a few steps back and sat back down on the soft couch, calmly saying, "I didn't originally plan on sparing Qiao Wan , but I have no choice. I know that all of you uncles respect the family head and have made a solemn vow to risk your lives for him."
"I wonder if all of you uncles are willing to return to the secret realm, to kill Qiao Wan with your swords and bring peace to our father."
More than thirty members of the Xiao family's dead soldiers present remained silent, as if in deathly silence in the camp.
She truly is a cunning and vicious little fox, thought Xiao Jingzhou's personal guards.
While Lu Pihan is entangled by the Lu family, let's make them go and kill Qiao Wan .
Let those forces that cannot be tamed, that won't let him rest, perish along with Qiao Wan .
The moment they step into the secret realm, not only Qiao Wan cannot survive, even if they manage to kill her, Xiao Huan won't let them come back alive.
Can they afford not to go?
Xiao Huan specifically called over more than a hundred senior disciples from the Xiao family, addressing them respectfully as uncles. He wanted to show them that a true gentleman would be willing to sacrifice for a friend. He was essentially forcing them into a dangerous situation.
They couldn't refuse, no matter how much they wanted to.
Xiao Jingzhou had valued and nurtured them, but now that he was dead, they knew that the path ahead was filled with certain death.
Despite this, these loyal disciples all kneeled down, one after another. The sound of their knees hitting the ground was solemn and heroic, yet there was no sound.
After a long pause, the leader of these loyal disciples spoke with a strong and resolute voice.
After bowing deeply to the ground, he said slowly and clearly, "A true friend is worth dying for. I will follow your orders, sir."
These dedicated disciples quickly organized themselves and prepared for battle. As soon as they received their orders, they entered the secret realm without delay.
Before they left, Xiao Huan told them that Qiao Wan would certainly go to the Fairy Palace, and if they guarded it, they would intercept her.
Qiao Wan had been running and hiding from the hunters all the way, as well as from the mysterious monsters and sword lights that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. She was exhausted, like a prey trying to escape in the forest.
Finally, the Fairy Palace was in sight. From a distance, Qiao Wan could see the magnificent palace, with its decorated beams and colorful tiles, being engulfed by rolling clouds, as if it were a paradise of immortals.
But as she took a step forward, she was blocked by more than thirty dead soldiers.
Each of these soldiers seemed to carry a silent darkness filled with anger and sorrow.
Qiao Wan glanced at them and knew that they meant trouble. With patience, she folded her hands and bowed, "I still have urgent matters to attend to. Please, dear sirs, could you make way? If you are here for revenge," she paused, then continued, "I promise to settle it with all of you, but only after I finish my task."
"Are you Qiao Wan?" The leader finally spoke, looking at her calmly.
"Yes," Qiao Wan knew that the thirty or so people in front of her were not to be messed with. She tried to be polite and said, "May I ask what advice this big brother has?"
"No advice," the other person calmly drew out a long sword from behind.
With this motion, the remaining thirty or so warriors behind also unsheathed their swords.
The swords came out of their scabbards, cold and heavy.
The leader said, "It's just a debt that must be repaid."
There was no way to avoid it.
Qiao Wan took a step back, feeling a sinking feeling in her heart.
The battle was about to begin.
In the blink of an eye, a few warriors flew forward from the left and the right!
Clang!
Qiao Wan used her body as a shield and blocked one on the left and one on the right.
The sword swept across her head, chest, and lower body!
Not daring to relax, she twisted her hands and grabbed the weapons from the left and right, knocking down the one attacking her head. Qiao Wan reached out and grabbed the sword from the warrior's chest, then flipped in mid-air, avoiding a strike aimed at her lower body!
The warrior who had attacked her chest looked at her in surprise.
The young girl tightly gripped the sword in her fair hand, hanging upside down in mid-air.
In a flash, she was kicked in the chest. Qiao Wan took advantage of the opportunity to quickly step back and run away.
She covered her chest and got up from the ground. The assassin shouted coldly, "Chase her!"
To be honest, Qiao Wan was no stranger to being chased by people. But this was the first time she encountered such a persistent pursuer, each one determined to slow her down, with a calm and steady demeanor.
With just one glance, Qiao Wan knew that these people were prepared to die and were resolute in their actions.
She didn't want to die, she wanted to live.
Those who wanted to live were naturally not as composed as those who were ready to die.
Forced to the edge of a cliff, Qiao Wan had no choice but to shout loudly and activate her weapon, "Throw Your Thunder."
The sky was filled with bright blue lightning, spreading across the land like a rushing river. The lightning danced wildly, a shimmering display that even the cultivators feared. Despite being battered and burnt all over, with blood pouring out and their appearance unrecognizable, the thirty or so soldiers did not retreat.
Qiao Wan was fierce, but these people were even fiercer. Qiao Wan herself was not in a good state, covered in blood and with every part of her body slashed by swords.
Seemingly feeling a bit embarrassed that thirty people were ganging up on a young girl, the leader showed a hint of apology in his eyes. However, he became even more determined to strike.
At this point, Qiao Wan couldn't help but find it amusing. Was this guy really planning to give her a good fight?
Taking a deep breath, her bones swelled within her body, breaking through the skin. Spiky bone protrusions surrounded her, attempting to prevent the others from moving forward. But even with these bone spikes in front, the soldiers showed no signs of retreat.
They walked forward without blinking.
"Ha!"
The bone spikes pierced deeply into their flesh, but they kept moving forward.
Piercing through their organs, they continued moving forward.
With their disciplined formation, they charged forward fearlessly.
Qiao Wan froze, her movements pausing slightly.
But in that moment, an opening was seized, and one of the death warriors who broke through the bone spikes held her firmly.
Enduring the pain, the warrior roared angrily to their comrades, "Quick!"
The glimmer of a blade.
Qiao Wan and the warrior holding her were pierced through the waist and abdomen by the tip of the sword!
The person who drew the sword showed no hesitation on their face. With one strike, they pierced through their own comrade's body along with Qiao Wan.
Drip, drip...
A dark red drop of blood rolled down their waist.
In an instant, the lightning lost its power. The bone spikes crumbled without the support of their energy.
Qiao Wan fell backwards, looking up at the sky.
She was about to die.
Even during the encounter with Jia Yin, she had not felt the approach of death so profoundly.
It was only before dying that she realized how afraid of death she really was.
In the distance, the shining palace reflected in their eyes like a beautiful jade city in the sky.
Time seemed to stop completely.
As the dagger was pulled out, fresh blood gushed out from Qiao Wan's body like rain.
The remaining soldiers took a breath and looked at Qiao Wan.
Her once clear and dark eyes gradually became confused, filled with unwillingness.
Her pupils gradually dilated, and in an instant, she ceased to breathe.
One person limped forward and carried Qiao Wan in their arms, while the others exchanged glances.
They knew they couldn't stay at the Xia family anymore.
Another person stepped out from the crowd, calmly pointing the butcher knife at their companion, and finally rolled off the cliff, holding Qiao Wan tightly.
