A deathly silence surrounded them, broken only by the crackling of the torches, which only emphasized the grave stillness all around.

“No wonder you look down on me; you truly have some real skill,” Old Four Feng sneered. “However, young man, success doesn’t rely solely on fists.” As he spoke, he quickly retreated. “Kill them all without mercy!”

He approached with force, startling the horses, which neighed in distress.

“Whoever can take Zhao Jiu’s head,” Old Four Feng’s voice hummed through the night sky, “will be rewarded with fifty thousand silver taels.”

Fu Tingyun’s hands and feet turned ice cold.

Fifty thousand taels of silver… her uncle, reputed to be the wealthiest man in Weinan, had an estate worth only fifty thousand taels, including his properties, shops, and fields. With such a generous reward, how many could resist the temptation?

The restless neighing of horses in the courtyard, the harsh clanging of weapons clashing, and the powerful, passionate roars of men in combat all rushed toward her simultaneously, making her feel both strange and frightened.

Fu Tingyun couldn’t help but press her palms together in prayer, murmuring: “This faithful woman, Fu Tingyun, begs the Bodhisattva to protect Master Zhao Jiu from harm…” Yet in her heart, she kept reassuring herself that Master Zhao Jiu would certainly be fine. He was so formidable; from Huayin to Weinan, from Weinan to Lintong, he had led them through so many hardships, and this time would surely be no different.

Her prayers gradually transformed from anxious and helpless to smooth and calm.

The commotion outside slowly subsided as well.

Occasionally, she could hear the pitiful neighing of horses and the painful groans of men.

Had the battle been decided?

Fu Tingyun’s heart rose in suspense.

She strained her ears to listen.

A man laughed sinisterly: “Zhao Jiu, look who I have in my hands?”

It was Old Four Feng’s voice.

There were only three of them in total, and she was here… so the other person must be Asen!

Fu Tingyun panicked and peered through the gap in the water vat, but the opening was too low for her to see through, no matter how much she bent down.

She was sick with worry.

What had Old Four Feng done to Asen?

Would Master Zhao Jiu be restrained by concern for the hostage and turn victory into defeat?

“I had originally planned to spare your life,” Master Zhao Jiu’s voice, cold yet tinged with cruelty, reached her ears, “but now, it seems unnecessary!”

Fu Tingyun had never heard Master Zhao Jiu speak in such a tone before and couldn’t help but shudder.

“Hahaha!” Old Four Feng laughed arrogantly as if he’d heard a hilarious joke. “You’ve killed all my capable subordinates, and you still talk of sparing my life?” His voice was filled with hatred. “If Old Four Feng, who roams freely across the Northwest, has no usable men left, would he still be Old Four Feng? Do you think I’m a three-year-old child?” His tone could not conceal the desolation of his desperate situation. “Zhao Jiu, today either you die or I perish!”

“Master Feng, why waste words with him!” a man shouted. “Let’s kill this little brat first, then cut a bloody path out. Third Master Feng is still in Lintong city! Once we get into the city, even if Zhao Jiu had three heads and six arms, he could only watch helplessly!”

Master Zhao Jiu, who had been silent all along, coldly sneered: “Third Master Feng? Hasn’t he always wanted to replace Old Four Feng as the head of the Feng family? Since when have Third Master Feng and Old Four Feng reconciled? Or are all the rumors on the Northwest Road false?”

All the various sounds in the courtyard suddenly ceased, leaving a deathly silence over everything. Even Fu Tingyun, hiding in the water vat, could feel the heaviness in the air.

“Your name is Tiger, right?” Master Zhao Jiu’s voice gently rose again. “Do you know why your Master Feng is talking so much with me? Because he wants to negotiate terms, to exchange this servant’s life for his own. Don’t interfere. If your Master Feng can escape, he might trade the position of the Feng family head to Third Master Feng, and Third Master Feng, considering their brotherhood, would likely not refuse, allowing him to preserve his life. But if he dies here, there will be no chance at all!”

Although Fu Tingyun didn’t know the background of the affair, she couldn’t help but secretly cheer for Master Zhao Jiu.

Since Old Four Feng and Third Master Feng had such a rift, their respective followers must be in bitter opposition. And if Old Four Feng, as the family head, couldn’t suppress Third Master Feng, clearly this Third Master Feng was no simple character. Now, at this critical moment of life and death, Old Four Feng’s men were determined to protect him and escape, naturally making them extremely fierce and brave. But Master Zhao Jiu was sowing discord between Old Four Feng and his subordinates, suggesting that if Old Four Feng escaped and returned, he would beg Third Master Feng for mercy by offering the position of family head. Due to blood ties, Third Master Feng might spare Old Four Feng’s life, but implied that his subordinates might not escape Third Master Feng’s retribution. This would certainly make them less willing to die protecting Old Four Feng’s escape, thus achieving the goal of undermining their morale.

Sure enough, she immediately heard hushed discussions.

“Zhao Jiu has always been cunning and treacherous,” Old Four Feng said loudly. “Don’t fall for his tricks!” Yet his tone lacked the resolution it had moments ago.

No one responded to his words.

“Fine, I’ll kill this little brat first…” Old Four Feng said through gritted teeth.

Fu Tingyun let out a cry of “Ah!” and instinctively tried to stand up, but her head hit the water vat with a “thud,” causing her ears to ring with pain.

Outside came Old Four Feng’s roar of anger: “Zhao Jiu, you despicable scoundrel…” It was as if wind had rushed into Old Four Feng’s mouth; before he could finish speaking, his voice halted. Then Fu Tingyun heard Master Zhao Jiu’s light whistle and Asen’s piercing cry: “Master Jiu!”

Fu Tingyun felt a pang in her heart and no longer cared about anything else. She used all her strength to lift the water vat.

If Master Zhao Jiu died, she wouldn’t survive either. Better to let him kill her while he still had breath, rather than be discovered by these men later and suffer humiliation when death was denied.

“Master Jiu, spare me…” From outside came abruptly halted wails that sounded like heavenly music to Fu Tingyun’s ears.

She felt as if she had come back to life; her heart began to pound strongly, and her body regained its strength.

Since Master Zhao Jiu still had the situation under control, she shouldn’t become a burden to him.

Fu Tingyun remained quietly hidden in the water vat, listening as things gradually quieted down outside, with occasional wails that seemed to come from those without any strength to fight back.

After an unknown length of time, someone knocked on the water vat: “Miss Fu!”

It was Master Zhao Jiu’s voice!

“I’m here!” she replied joyfully.

The water vat was lifted.

Dawn was breaking.

He stood there calmly gazing at her, as steady and profound as a mountain, immediately calming her anxious heart.

“Master Jiu!” Having been crouched in the water vat for so long, she breathed deeply, rising unsteadily to her feet.

Her nose and mouth were filled with a nauseating smell of blood, and from the corner of her eye, she glimpsed a headless corpse.

Fu Tingyun couldn’t help but bend over and vomit.

Master Zhao Jiu sighed: “Asen is injured; we need to pack quickly and leave this place.”

Upon hearing this, Fu Tingyun felt that the turbid qi churning in her heart wasn’t so unbearable anymore.

She hurriedly straightened up: “Where is Asen?” She took out a handkerchief and wiped the corners of her mouth.

Master Zhao Jiu’s eyes revealed a hint of a smile as he pointed to the small cart parked at the door.

Asen lay motionless on it.

Fu Tingyun ran over.

“Asen, Asen!” She held his hand and called to him softly. “Would you like some water… I still have an egg hidden away…”

Half of Asen’s face was swollen, his eye socket was blue, his cheek purple, and his lips red and swollen. She could barely recognize him.

“Asen!” Fu Tingyun’s tears fell in streams.

Asen opened his eyes, blinking several times with a somewhat bewildered expression. After a moment, he showed a look of recognition, as if only then realizing who was before him.

He grinned, which pulled at his wounds, making him wince, but he still said indistinctly: “Miss, they beat me, but I didn’t make a sound!” His speech was somewhat unclear.

“Mmm, mmm, mmm!” Fu Tingyun nodded repeatedly, a radiant smile appearing on her tear-streaked face. “If not for Asen, Master Jiu definitely couldn’t have defeated that Old Four Feng.”

Asen shook his head: “No, I was a burden to Master Jiu…”

Remembering how she had become dizzy at the slightest movement after falling from the tree, Fu Tingyun quickly said: “Don’t move, just close your eyes and rest for a while.” Then, considering how brutal those people were, they surely didn’t just strike Asen’s face. “Where else are you hurt? I…” She hesitated.

What could she do?

They had no medicine, and Third Master Feng was still in Lintong. Master Zhao Jiu had a feud with the Feng family; they were few against many, and they couldn’t go to Lintong to see a doctor… Thinking of all this, she couldn’t help but lower her head.

“Asen only has superficial injuries,” Master Zhao Jiu’s calm voice sounded from behind her. “Didn’t you fill the water skins with light salt water? Just wash his wounds with that. We need to leave here quickly now—in the darkness, I couldn’t tell how many men they brought, nor if anyone escaped. We must avoid being trapped here by Third Master Feng’s men.”

Fu Tingyun looked at Master Zhao Jiu in surprise: “Didn’t you say that Third Master Feng and Old Four Feng were at odds?” It was then that she noticed Master Zhao Jiu’s clothes were soaked in blood, staining them beyond recognition of their original color.

The turbid qi in her chest surged again.

Fu Tingyun barely managed to hold back from vomiting.

“No matter their differences, they’re still family,” Master Zhao Jiu said. “Certain appearances must still be maintained.”

Fu Tingyun made an “Oh” sound, then said: “You should change your clothes… they’re all… all bloody.”

Master Zhao Jiu said nothing, found a black short robe from his bundle, and went into the side room.

Only then did Fu Tingyun notice that corpses were scattered throughout the courtyard… even a dream of the realm of Asuras couldn’t be this bloody. No, she had never dreamed of the realm of Asuras.

She felt a chill throughout her body, trembling, knowing in her heart that she should quickly pack their things and leave this place, but her entire body felt weak and immobile.

Master Zhao Jiu came out: “Why haven’t you packed yet?” His expression gradually grew cold as he threw his blood-soaked clothes into the courtyard and silently loaded their belongings onto the small cart.

“Get on!” His voice was flat and calm, just like when she first met him at Biyun Temple. “We need to leave quickly!”

For some reason, Fu Tingyun felt very distressed.

He was capable of smiling, so why did he always show her a cold face?

She bit her lip and looked directly into his eyes: “I know that if Master Jiu hadn’t killed them, they would have killed us. I just… I’m just not used to it…” Her eyes suddenly grew moist.