Shi Qing and Min Rou exchanged a glance, and Min Rou stepped forward and asked, “Yun’er, what’s wrong?”

Nie Yun shook his head and said, “Something’s not right. It’s too quiet here.”

Shi Qing was taken aback upon hearing this, and then his brows furrowed.

This road is the only way back to Xuansu Manor, and it is lined with secluded bamboo groves on both sides. Usually, the chirping of insects can be heard constantly, but today it is completely silent.

Shi Qing stepped forward and said loudly, “I wonder who this master is? Please show yourself.”

All around was still silent, except for the rustling sound of the night wind blowing through the bamboo forest.

Nie Yun drew his longsword and said to Shi Qing, “Father, I will lead the way, and you and Mother will protect our second and third brothers from behind.”

Shi Qing nodded, drew his weapon, and took Shi Zhongjian’s hand. Min Rou hadn’t brought any weapons today because she was out with her child, so she secretly gathered her strength and stood in front of Shi Zhongyu.

Suddenly, a figure flew out of the bamboo forest with a “whoosh”.

He circled in the air and landed on a green bamboo.

The bamboo swayed back and forth in the wind, yet the person standing on it felt perfectly stable.

Shi Qing couldn’t help but gasp. Just by looking at the other person’s lightness skill, he knew that this person was definitely not simple.

He composed himself and asked, “May I ask your honorable name?”

The man chuckled, “I never imagined that after a few years of seclusion, some people would forget me! Truly, the new generation replaces the old!”

Judging from the man’s tone, Shi Qing thought he was a senior martial arts master, so he cupped his hands and said, “It was a dark and windy night, and I was unable to recognize your esteemed appearance. Please forgive me.”

The man snorted coldly and descended from the sky like a large bird, landing silently on the ground.

The man was dressed in a green robe with a short beard. He appeared to be around fifty years old, with a gaunt face and a faint bluish tinge to his features. His eyes held a cold and aloof expression.

Shi Qing’s heart skipped a beat, and he tentatively asked, “May I ask if you are the ‘Skyscraper’ Xie Yanke?”

The old man in the green robe stood with his hands behind his back and said proudly, “That’s right, it is I.”

Upon hearing this, Shi Qing became even more cautious.

He clasped his hands and said, “My husband and I have long admired your esteemed name, and we are truly fortunate to have the opportunity to meet you today. May we ask what brings you here today?”

Xie Yanke’s cold gaze swept over the group, and when he saw Shi Zhongyu and Shi Zhongjian, who looked alike, he couldn’t help but show a hint of curiosity.

He pointed at the two men and asked, “Is this your son?”

Shi Qing and Min Rou were startled and stepped forward to shield the two brothers behind them.

Shi Qing nodded and said, “That’s right, it is indeed my son.”

Xie Yanke shook his head and sighed, “What a pity!” Before he finished speaking, he flashed towards the five people.

Shi Qing was caught off guard by Xie Yanke’s sudden attack. Without thinking, he quickly thrust his sword at him.

Unexpectedly, Xie Yanke flicked the sword lightly with his finger, and Shi Qing felt a numbness in his hand, almost causing him to drop the sword.

Seeing her husband make a move, Min Rou also attacked Xie Yanke. She reached out with her two slender hands and struck him in the chest with a graceful and gentle movement, without a trace of anger.

Xie Yanke’s face showed disdain. He used his palm as a blade and slashed straight at her fair wrist. It made a whistling sound as it fell, as if it had truly transformed into a sharp knife.

Min Rou was startled, knowing that her wrist would definitely break if she did this, and had no choice but to dodge backward.

Just as Xie Yanke was about to give chase, he saw Shi Qing attacking him again with his sword.

Xie Yanke frowned, turned to the side, stretched out his index and middle fingers to pinch the longsword, pulled and twisted it forward, and then slapped the sword heavily with his left hand.

Shi Qing felt a powerful force strike him, and the hilt of the sword suddenly jolted in his hand, flying upwards out of his grasp.

Xie Yanke looked surprised and let out a soft “Eh”.

He first flicked Min Rou twice with his right hand.

With two sharp hissing sounds, two small pebbles shot out, hurtling through the air, heading straight for Min Rou’s Huantiao acupoints on her legs.

Caught off guard, Min Rou managed to dodge one pellet, but the other, though it didn’t hit any pressure points, still struck her calf hard.

Min Rou felt a sharp pain in her calf and cried out “Ouch!” before squatting down on the ground.

Xie Yanke reached out and caught the fallen longsword, striking out with his left hand. Shi Qing felt an invisible force surge towards him, as if he were caught in a raging storm, his body being pulled uncontrollably by an invisible force.

His internal energy surged, and with a sudden jolt, he broke free from the invisible force, only to find himself having taken three or four steps back. Moreover, his chest was churning with blood and qi, and he couldn’t calm down for a long time.

Xie Yanke picked up Shi Qing’s sword and exclaimed in admiration, “I’ve heard that the ‘Black and White Twin Swords’ are rare and powerful weapons in the martial arts world. Seeing them today, I can see that they truly live up to their reputation. It’s just a pity that their owner is such a coward. It’s a waste of their talent.”

Shi Qing felt both angry and ashamed. He wanted to retort but didn’t know how to start. In his desperation, he felt a sweet taste in his throat and a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

Min Rou was shocked. Her pale face drained of color, and tears streamed down her face as she sobbed, “Senior brother, you’re injured?”

At this moment, Nie Yun stepped forward and said, “I wonder where my adoptive parents have offended you, senior?”

Xie Yanke glanced at him and said disdainfully, “Boy, who are you?”

“Huashan, Nie Yun!” Nie Yun drew his sword with a “whoosh,” the tip pointing directly at him.

Xie Yanke shook his head and said casually, “Nobody, never heard of him.”

Nie Yun smiled slightly, said nothing, and lightly tapped his feet, his body moving like a flying arrow, directly stabbing towards Xie Yanke. His move was incredibly swift, like a bolt of lightning cleaving through the dark clouds, instantly reaching Xie Yanke’s side.

Xie Yanke’s expression changed drastically in an instant; in that moment, he could almost feel the chill emanating from the sword.

He pushed off with his feet and lunged to the side, narrowly avoiding the sword, but his clothes were slashed open under his ribs.

Hearing the “sizzle” sound, Xie Yanke realized he had almost been stabbed. His hair stood on end, and he thought to himself, “That was close!” But before he could think further, a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

Xie Yanke hardened his heart and thrust his long sword straight at Nie Yun, intending to exchange swords for swords and perish together.

He knew he had already lost the initiative, and if he continued to evade, he feared he would find it difficult to retaliate.

The onlookers gasped softly, and Min Rou’s beautiful eyes widened in fear as she cried out, “Yun’er, be careful!”

Nie Yun ignored him completely, his forward momentum unabated. He simply flicked his wrist, slightly changing the direction of his longsword.

With a “clang,” metal clashed, and sparks flew.

The two swords clashed in mid-air, tip to tip. Then they both paused and retreated, but Nie Yun retreated five steps, three more than Xie Yanke.

Nie Yun lightly twirled his sword and smiled at Xie Yanke, “Well? Do you remember my name now?”

Xie Yanke stared intently at Nie Yun and nodded, saying, “Excellent swordsmanship!”

Nie Yun smiled slightly and nodded, saying, “It is indeed a good sword technique!”

Shi Zhongyu watched anxiously from the side, thinking to himself, “My elder brother’s swordsmanship is superb. With him here, I’m afraid Xie Yanke will have no chance of succeeding!”

He looked at Shi Zhongjian, who was standing beside him with a terrified expression, and secretly pondered what to do.

Suddenly, he remembered the scene of Nie Yun stepping back earlier, and then his eyes lit up. He shouted at Xie Yanke, “My elder brother is the head of the Huashan Sect of the Five Mountains Sword Sect, so it is only natural for him to hold a sword. You, as a senior in the martial arts world, actually used my father’s precious sword to compete with my elder brother. Aren’t you ashamed!”

Xie Yanke was taken aback by his words, gave him a deep look, and then nodded and said, “Well said!” Without turning his head, he threw the sword in his hand behind him, and it pierced straight in front of Shi Qing.

Shi Qing picked up the sword, staggered to his wife’s side, and helped her up.

Xie Yanke crossed his hands and shouted, “Come on!”

Nie Yun frowned slightly, sheathed his sword, and tossed it to Min Rou.

Shi Qing and Min Rou were taken aback. Shi Qing hurriedly said, “Yun’er, don’t be careless. His martial arts are superb, and his internal strength is profound. If you’re empty-handed, I’m afraid you won’t be able to defeat him!”

Nie Yun shook his head and said, “He is older than me and unarmed. How can I, as the head of the Huashan Sect, fight him with a sword?”

“This…” Shi Qing was speechless for a moment.

Nie Yun ignored Shi Qing and turned to Xie Yanke, saying, “Come on!” With that, he stepped forward with his left foot and swung his right hand, throwing a straight punch at Xie Yanke’s face.

Xie Yanke nodded, thinking to himself, “Upright and honest, a true man.”

He shouted, “You’ve got guts, kid!”

As he spoke, he lunged forward, delivering a fierce palm strike to Nie Yun’s chest with his right palm, while his left sleeve secretly attacked Nie Yun’s lower abdomen. The two moves were exquisite and unparalleled.

Nie Yun twisted his waist and leaned forward, his palms moving in a series of rapid strikes. His left palm was on top, and his right palm was on the bottom, blocking both attacks.

The two exchanged blows, their palms whistling and their punches fierce, their fight evenly matched. However, each time they clashed palms, Nie Yun would unconsciously take a step or two back than Xie Yanke.

Shi Qing and Min Rou were anxious, but one of them had a leg injury that made it difficult for him to move, and the other had internal injuries that prevented him from using his internal energy. They could only watch helplessly from the sidelines.

Shi Zhongyu’s lips curled up slightly as he whispered to Shi Zhongjian, “Third brother, both Father and Mother are injured. Let’s go up together and help our eldest brother drive this old man away!”

Upon hearing this, Shi Zhongjian quickly replied, “Yes, let’s go up and help. I’ve recently learned a lot of martial arts from my father, and I’m sure we can defeat this bad guy!”

Upon hearing this, Shi Zhongyu’s jealousy intensified, but he feigned agreement and said, “That’s right, Third Brother, you have outstanding talent and will definitely be able to help Big Brother. Let’s go!” With that, he rushed forward.

Shi Zhongjian, without suspicion, also rushed forward.

“don’t want!”

“Yu’er, Jian’er, come back quickly!”

Shi Qing and Min Rou were shocked. Min Rou stood up despite the pain and staggered toward the two of them. Shi Qing also struggled to stand up, clutching his chest, trying to suppress the churning blood in his chest.

Just then, Nie Yun and Xie Yanke exchanged another palm strike. This strike seemed to be too much for Nie Yun to withstand, and he retreated several steps backward.

Upon seeing this, Shi Qing quickly stretched out his hands to support Nie Yun’s body, but felt a sudden jolt in his palms, as if he had struck an extremely hard boulder.

Caught off guard, his wrist joint snapped with a “crack,” dislocating completely.

Nie Yun also had blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, but he still hurriedly sat up, grabbed Min Rou’s wrist and flung it back, shouting, “Your leg is injured and you can’t walk easily, so hurry up and help your father heal!”

He then rushed forward again.

“Ah!” Just then, Xie Yanke struck Shi Zhongyu away with a palm strike.

“Yu’er!” Min Rou was so anxious that she fainted.

Shi Qing’s eyes widened in horror, but because the previous attack had aggravated his injuries, he was unable to get up at this moment.

Nie Yunfei stepped forward and took Shi Zhongyu, but the instant he caught him, he immediately unleashed the Qingcheng Sect’s ultimate technique—the Heart-Shattering Palm—on his back.

This Heart-Shattering Palm technique is notorious for killing without drawing blood; Shi Zhongyu’s heart was completely shattered in an instant. His eyes were wide open in terror, but he couldn’t utter a single word before losing his life.

“Second brother! Second brother!” Nie Yun shouted loudly, making Shi Qing even more anxious.

After Xie Yanke knocked Shi Zhongyu away with a single palm strike as agreed, he then turned on Shi Zhongjian and killed him.

Shi Zhongjian had only studied martial arts with Shi Qing for a few months. Although he was exceptionally talented and hardworking, and had built a very solid foundation, he was still worlds apart from Xie Yanke. In less than two rounds, Xie Yanke struck him in the chest with a palm strike.

Thus, this peerless master, who later destroyed an island with a single palm strike in the original story, was beaten back to the brink of death before he could even reach his peak.

With his left arm around Shi Zhongyu’s body, Nie Yun took Shi Zhongjian from him with his right. Looking at his barely breathing state, Nie Yun sighed inwardly, “You’re a good person, but unfortunately, you’re blocking my way.”

He did not kill him like he did with Shi Zhongyu, but instead channeled his inner energy to protect his internal organs and help him heal.

Both the Nine Yang Divine Skill and the Divine Illumination Scripture are remarkably effective in healing injuries. After a gentle surge of internal energy, Shi Zhongjian’s face immediately regained its color.

Although he survived, he had no chance of learning martial arts in the future.

Xie Yanke was extremely confident in his martial arts skills and believed that Shi Zhongjian had no chance of surviving this palm strike. So after knocking him away with one palm, he did not continue to pursue him. Instead, he stroked his beard and said, “Don’t blame me. Who told that the person who got the Xuan Tie Token to want your son’s life? I’m just keeping my promise. If you’re not satisfied, come find me at Motian Cliff anytime!”

He turned to leave, but then heard a loud shout from behind: “Stop!”

He had just turned around when he saw Nie Yun’s eyes wide open in fury, like a mad tiger, lunging at him with a long sword in hand.

Xie Yanke struck out with a palm, but Nie Yun didn’t defend at all, instead fiercely thrusting his own palm at him.

Xie Yanke was taken aback and quickly withdrew his palm to dodge, but Nie Yun slashed his left arm with his sword, leaving a deep bloody gash.

After drawing blood with his first move, Nie Yun didn’t stop at all. With a slight flick of his wrist, a burst of sword light flashed, and a dazzling silver light rushed straight towards Xie Yanke’s chest.

Xie Yanke felt a chill run down his spine when he saw the bloodshot eyes in Nie Yun’s eyes. He was certainly unwilling to risk his life to perish with Nie Yun, so he was caught off guard and made to fight haphazardly.

Just then, Min Rou woke up. As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw her husband squatting not far in front of her with a look of grief and indignation, while her two biological sons lay on the ground, their fates unknown.

Suddenly someone shouted, “You madman, are you out of your mind?!”

She looked up and saw Nie Yun attacking Xie Yanke with increasingly rapid sword strikes, each move a relentless advance with no retreat, a style of fighting that would result in mutual destruction.

Xie Yanke looked shocked and angry, roaring repeatedly as he dodged and weaved, his body covered in several bloody wounds.

Nie Yun remained silent, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth as he relentlessly attacked, his frenzied appearance resembling a demon from hell, a stark contrast to his usual self.

Min Rou’s heart sank. She knew something must have happened to her two sons, otherwise Nie Yun wouldn’t have been beating her so violently. She struggled to her husband’s side, her voice trembling, “Senior Brother…”

Shi Qing looked up at her, her lips moved a few times, but before she could speak, her eyes were already red.

Min Rou felt increasingly uneasy. She trembled as she touched Shi Zhongjian’s chest and breathed a slight sigh of relief when she felt his faint heartbeat. But she soon noticed Shi Zhongyu lying next to him. His chest was not rising and falling, and she could not even hear him breathing.

In disbelief, she reached her finger into the jade figure in the stone and found that it was already lifeless.

“Yu’er!” Min Rou cried out in anguish, then fainted again. Before she collapsed, she heard Nie Yun shout angrily, “Xie Yanke, even if I die today, I will kill you!”

********************

When she woke up, she found herself lying on her bed in the bedroom.

She struggled to sit up, only to hear Shi Qing’s voice beside her: “Junior Sister, you’re finally awake.”

Min Rou looked up and saw Shi Qing with red eyes, looking at her anxiously.

Recalling the scene before she fainted, she hurriedly grabbed Shi Qing’s hand and asked, “How are Yu’er and Jian’er, Senior Brother?”

Shi Qing held her hand and said slowly, “Junior sister, you…you just woke up…”

Before he could finish speaking, Min Rou interrupted him: “Senior brother, tell me quickly, how are Yu’er and Jian’er?”

Seeing her anxious expression, Shi Qing knew he couldn’t hide it any longer. He gritted his teeth, took a deep breath, and said, “Jian’er is out of danger, but his injuries are quite severe, and he needs to rest in bed. Yu’er… Yu’er, he…”

At this point, Shi Qing choked up and could no longer speak.

“No, no…” Min Rou shook her head desperately, her eyes filled with tears. “Yu’er just came from the flower market with us. You’re lying to me, you’re lying to me!”

“Junior Sister!”

Seeing his wife, who appeared to be insane, Shi Qing was also filled with grief. He placed his hands on Min Rou’s shoulders to hold her firmly and said softly, “Yu’er’s heart meridian was shattered by Xie Yanke’s palm. Even a Great Immortal would find it difficult to save her!”

“Thank you, smoker! Thank you, smoker!” Min Rou’s eyes revealed a deep-seated hatred as she gritted her teeth and uttered her enemy’s name word by word. She slapped the bed and was about to get up, but Shi Qing stopped her.

Shi Qing patted her shoulder and said, “Xie Yanke is already dead under Yun’er’s sword. I believe Yu’er’s spirit in heaven can rest in peace now!”

“Yun’er! By the way, how is Yun’er?” Rou then remembered the angry shout before she fainted, and the image of the figure holding a sharp sword and fighting Xie Yanke to the death appeared in her mind.

“Although Yun’er killed Xie Yanke, she was also severely injured and coughed up blood by his last palm strike before he died!”

Shi Qing’s face showed a mixture of worry and relief. “But that child is so stubborn. He insisted on reattaching my wrist, then escorted us all the way back to Xuan Su Manor. After that, he used his internal energy to heal Jian’er’s injuries. Jian’er is alive now, all thanks to Yun’er!”

“Then Yun’er…” Min Rou asked anxiously.

“He fainted after reviving Jian’er and hasn’t woken up yet!” Shi Qing said worriedly.

“Yun’er, this child…” Min Rou murmured softly, her eyes filled with emotion.