Beneath the Demon Sword Master’s black mask, his face was livid. He felt almost dazed. The person before him wasn’t a boy of thirteen or fourteen at all, but an incredibly cunning old fox! His strength was obviously weak—at least, compared to his own—yet he had them by the throat. This stifling helplessness made him want to vomit blood.

The plan had seemed perfect. He would engage the Demon Sword Master at Ling Xiao’s side, leaving the other four Mad Sword Masters to capture Ling Xiao. After all, no matter how much of a genius a person was, they couldn’t possibly defeat four Mad Sword Masters just six months after breaking through their Celestial Vein!

But reality was cruel and slapped them hard across the face. Not only was the boy monstrously strong, cutting down two Mad Sword Masters the moment he struck, but that First Rank Demon Sword Master—clearly weaker than himself—could unleash an aura that gave even him pause when fighting desperately, completely bogging him down.

What he found most unbelievable was that Feng Ling had also been subdued. She was the Sect Leader’s precious daughter! A Sixth Rank Mad Swordsman who had mastered ’Death God’s Call,’ a sword technique at the Lower Tier of the Saint Level! Just moments before, he had been terrified that Miss Feng Ling would lose her temper and kill the boy with a single strike, which could bring immense trouble upon them. They couldn’t care less about the Ling Family or the Lanyue Empire. But if the expert backing Ling Xiao were to find out he’d been killed and, in a fit of rage, tracked it back to them, their losses would be catastrophic. Even though the chance was slim, people like them were always exceedingly cautious.

He never imagined the boy could also perform a sword technique so similar to his junior sister’s ’Death God’s Call.’ The dazzling flash of light in that instant made his pupils contract instinctively. He couldn’t help but wonder, ’If I were his opponent and he caught me off guard with that move, what would happen?’ The conclusion was startling: even he would have been forced to shut his eyes.

When experts clash, victory and defeat are often decided in a single instant!

Moreover, when the difference in rank wasn’t too great, the outcome was difficult to predict. If a higher-ranked fighter could always defeat a lower-ranked one, there would be no such thing as upsets in the world!

But the difference in their ranks here was simply too vast.

"Ling’Er, don’t worry. I will come back for you as soon as possible. Rest assured, he’s a man of status; he won’t make things difficult for a young girl like you!" The Demon Sword Master slid his Crimson Treasure Sword into its scabbard, his gaze sharpening as he stared at Ling Xiao. "Am I right?"

Ling Xiao’s eyes, however, were fixed on his sword. This startled the Demon Sword Master, whose hand instinctively tightened on the hilt. A moment later, he felt a surge of anger. ’A great Demon Sword Master like me, afraid of a wet-behind-the-ears brat!’

"Give me your sword," Ling Xiao said indifferently, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.

"You... you brat, don’t go too far! Don’t forget your status—you’re a noble, not a bandit!" the Demon Sword Master roared. To him, this sword was hardly less precious than his charming, youthful junior sister. Of course, he’d never dare say such a thing in front of the Sect Leader or his junior sister, but in his heart, he had always treasured this sword more than his own life.

"And if I kill her?"

Ling Xiao said without expression, glancing sideways at the woman in black, who stood there trembling with rage.

"I... I..."

The Demon Sword Master pointed a trembling finger at Ling Xiao, so angry he could barely speak, but then he suddenly recalled everything he had witnessed over the past two days. Outside the city, Ling Xiao had cleanly captured the enemy general and forced them to surrender. After entering the city, he had made an unorthodox move, charging straight into the City Lord’s Mansion. During the ensuing standoff, the Demon Sword Master with him had captured the City Lord, Li Houlin, forcing him to flee in utter humiliation from the city that had been his family’s fief for generations. To top it off, most of the wealth Li Houlin had tried to secretly ship out had also been plundered...

A thought suddenly rose in the Demon Sword Master’s resigned mind: ’Losing to him isn’t so humiliating after all... I’ve underestimated this boy from the very beginning! He may be young, but his actions, while unexpected, seem perfectly logical in hindsight. He’s direct, decisive, and ruthless. In his hands, I fear even the most complex matters would be handled with the same clean efficiency.’

At this thought, the Demon Sword Master couldn’t help but shoot a resentful glance at the composed old man standing nearby, cursing inwardly, ’You old bastard, you’re obviously injured but you’re acting like nothing’s wrong! Damn you! If it weren’t for this old coot, the kid would never have escaped, no matter how skilled he is!’

Utterly defeated, the Demon Sword Master tossed his sword to Ling Xiao. Ling Xiao caught it, and a surprising weight settled into his hand. He was secretly overjoyed. ’It really is made of that stuff!’ The discovery filled him with delight. He casually stored the sword in his ring, then took out a pill and threw it to the woman in black. "Eat it!"

"I won’t—URK!" The woman in black had just gotten two words out when she felt a sharp pain in her throat. Tears of humiliation streamed down her face as she whimpered, "If you disfigure me, I’ll fight you to the death!" With that, she picked up the pill, furrowed her brow, and popped it into her mouth as if it were poison.

Unexpectedly, a delicate fragrance filled her mouth. Feng Ling swore she had never tasted anything so delicious. A languid sensation spread through her body, so pleasurable she almost moaned aloud. But a moment later, she realized something was terribly wrong—she couldn’t muster a single shred of strength! She stared at Ling Xiao in horror. "What did you give me? What did you give me!"