“I’m hungry.” Su Changhe inhaled the aroma of food and licked his lips, pulling out an oil paper package from his chest containing peanuts. He popped one into his mouth, “I’ll have some peanuts to curb my hunger.” He walked while eating, reaching the village entrance and sitting down on a large stone by the path.

The mountain breeze scattered a few leaves, and everything was quiet except for the rustling of leaves and the sound of Su Changhe crunching peanuts.

“Come out, Lord San Guan. When I want to find you, you vanish without a trace, but when I don’t want to see you, you keep showing up. Tell me, isn’t that just despicable!” Su Changhe viciously bit down on a peanut.

“Why are you here?” Di Guan stepped out first.

“Taking hostages, using them as leverage – isn’t that what you people… no, what we people always do?” Su Changhe sneered.

Di Guan frowned deeply: “We guessed someone would be here, but we expected to encounter the Umbrella Ghost, not you.”

“Because I’m just like you. This haven holds the only worldly attachments of many Dark River members, but I have no attachments. I’m not afraid to fight you. You could slaughter the entire village, and it wouldn’t matter – I just need to kill you three.” Su Changhe ate his last peanut, dusted off his hands, and drew a dagger. “Enough talk, let’s fight.”

Di Guan laughed coldly: “You’re so confident you can kill all three of us alone? Even the previous Family Head wouldn’t dare make such claims.”

“Why don’t you try? Rest assured, if anything happens here, Dark River will send word to Tianqi City, and Su Muyu won’t negotiate with the so-called hand behind Dark River – he’ll draw his sword immediately.” Su Changhe pointed his dagger at Di Guan. “Dark River is now controlled by the Nameless Ones. Everything is a fresh start. We don’t need that room full of gold and silver – don’t think you have enough leverage.”

“If it’s a fresh start, then it’s not Dark River anymore. Since you want to keep the name Dark River, we do have sufficient leverage,” Di Guan replied.

“Too many words.” Su Changhe leaped forward, his dagger striking at Di Guan’s neck.

Di Guan snorted and swung his judge’s pen. They passed each other in mid-air.

Su Changhe lightly twisted the dagger in his hand and smiled: “Sitting high in your divine temple, have you forgotten what it means to kill?”

Di Guan froze as his judge’s pen fell to the ground, a line of blood appearing on his wrist. He said gravely: “Such swift movement.”

“Inch-blade sword technique, killing within an inch.” Su Changhe smiled. “Who do you think you’re dealing with?”

“Young man, you’re too arrogant.” Tian Guan appeared behind Su Changhe, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Su Changhe turned his head slightly: “Now Lord Tian Guan’s speed – that’s truly impressive.”

“One squeeze and your shoulder is ruined.” Tian Guan said coldly.

“Try it?” Su Changhe raised an eyebrow.

“Fine!” Tian Guan increased his grip without hesitation, but Su Changhe’s shoulder slipped from his grasp. He was startled by, the “Bone Melting Technique.”

“Hahaha.” Su Changhe leaped backward three steps and sheathed his dagger. “You want Dark River’s power, but we don’t know what you can offer us.”

“What do you mean?” Tian Guan asked gravely.

“Negotiate. Show your sincerity. Stop thinking about how to threaten us. I hope to never see your shadows in this haven again, or it will be mutual destruction.” Su Changhe raised his head slightly. “As you know, I’m quite familiar with mutual destruction.”

“Very well.” Tian Guan and Di Guan departed together, and Shui Guan, who hadn’t shown himself before, finally spoke: “I admire you, Su Changhe.”

Su Changhe smiled: “What right do you have to admire me?”

“We’re letting it go just like that?” Di Guan asked Tian Guan indignantly.

Tian Guan’s expression remained neutral: “Since Su Changhe anticipated our arrival, he must have made preparations. As he said, right now we need their power. If we break ties here, it will be difficult to explain things in Tianqi City.”

Shui Guan smiled slightly: “The Shadow Sect in Tianqi City has declined, while Dark River is stronger than before. Perhaps our choice could be…”

Tian Guan’s eyes narrowed: “What are you saying?”

At the village entrance, Mu Yumo studied Xiao Zhaoyan and asked curiously: “Being so beautiful, how can you be content staying in such a small village?”

“What does beauty have to do with where one lives?” Xiao Zhaoyan smiled. “This village is wonderful. If you stayed here for a while, you wouldn’t want to leave either. It’s different from the outside world – there’s less chaos here as if time has stood still.”

“I hope to have that chance.” Mu Yumo smiled. “You say Su Muyu is like your elder brother?”

“To be precise, he’s not. My father was his father’s disciple, so by proper hierarchy, I should call him Uncle Master.” Xiao Zhaoyan lowered her head with a smile. “I always thought I’d see him again soon.”

“You will, very soon. He’s doing something very important, but once it’s done, he’ll return here. I heard him mention the haven before – I thought it was just a dream of his. I never imagined such a place existed.” Mu Yumo nodded.

Su Changhe strolled over, humming a tune: “Even now, I still think that fellow Su Muyu is dreaming.”

“All settled?” Mu Yumo looked Su Changhe over, noting that he was spotlessly clean, showing no signs of having fought.

“They’ve left for now, but we can’t stay here. You and Su Muyu’s dear sister should take the villagers somewhere else.” Su Changhe said.

Xiao Zhaoyan shook her head: “We’ve lived here for many years. This is our home; we can’t leave.”

“Which is more important – your lives or the village?” Su Changhe asked.

Xiao Zhaoyan patted the long sword at her waist: “We can protect the village ourselves. This is our haven – if we could abandon it so easily, how could we call it a haven?”

“Though I still think you’re not too bright, you’ve got courage.” Su Changhe turned around. “Yumo, gather our people to guard this place. Once Su Muyu and I resolve everything, there’ll be no need to move anywhere – this will be the safest haven.”

Mu Yumo sighed softly: “I thought we had reached an end before, but it turns out this is just the beginning of a new war.”

“Indeed.” Su Changhe looked up at the sky. “But I feel that as long as I, Su Changhe, live in this world, my battle with it will never end.”