Su Wen carried the Young Broken Lord by the back of his neck, his body dangling limply like a dead dog, while Du Yue dragged the City Shattered Lord by his blood-soaked robes toward the crowd gathered near the basement entrance.
The moment they arrived, the murmurs exploded.
"The City Lord… he was really defeated…"
"Heavens… even a Peak Golden Core couldn't stand against him…"
"That young master… he crushed them completely…"
"That scar-faced brother looks fierce, but he's actually a righteous soul…"
"So there really were people from dark sects hiding here…"
"No wonder so many girls went missing…"
Shock, fear, awe, and fury mixed together in the crowd like boiling waves.
Su Wen and Young Master K walked side by side, each holding a piece of living trash in their hands. Behind them followed the sword cultivators, their chests lifted high, their eyes burning with righteous pride.
As they advanced, the crowd instinctively fell silent.
People stepped back without realizing it, parting like water before a blade, creating a clear path toward the underground chamber.
The entrance was sealed by a Mid Grade 3 formation, its runes glowing faintly, blocking everyone from entering.
Young Master K raised his hand lightly.
The sword hovering above Su Wen responded instantly, erupting in dazzling white light.
With a sharp cry, it pierced straight into the formation.
Crack.
The formation shattered like glass, fragments of glowing runes scattering through the air before quietly fading into nothing.
Young Master K gestured calmly. Only then did the crowd dare to move.
Several cultivators rushed inside, and only a few minutes later, they came back out.
They were carrying girls.
Some were unconscious. Some were shaking uncontrollably. A few clung tightly to each other, not even daring to lift their heads.
Not all of them had survived.
And those who had… were far from whole.
Their bodies were covered in wounds, their clothes torn and stained. Their eyes were hollow, and their minds carried scars deeper than any blade could ever leave.
Su Wen tossed Lu Tang onto the ground like a sack of trash, and Young Master K followed, throwing Lu Yang down beside him.
The two figures rolled across the stone floor before lying there, broken and powerless.
The moment the girls saw their faces, they shrank back in fear.
Their bodies trembled.
Some covered their faces.
Some hugged their knees tightly.
Others pressed themselves into the corners, wishing they could vanish into the shadows, anywhere out of sight.
Only a few emotions remained in their eyes now… fear, hatred, madness, and most of all, pain… the kind that would never truly fade.
Su Wen looked at them quietly, without saying a word. He walked closer to one of the girls and slowly knelt in front of her, lowering himself to her level so he wouldn't appear threatening.
He gently took her wrist in his hand.
She flinched instantly, trying to pull back in panic. Even though his grip remained light, he did not release her.
Her reddened eyes lifted to meet his, filled with fear… and hatred.
She struggled harder, even using her nails to scratch his hand. Yet Su Wen did not move, nor did he show the slightest reaction. He simply looked at her calmly, his gaze gentle and steady.
Their eyes met.
Her dark, bloodshot pupils trembled slightly.
After a few long seconds, her resistance slowly faded.
Although Su Wen's scarred face disguise looked frightening and intimidating, there was something in his eyes that made her stop… something that made her trust him.
Her grip loosened.
She finally allowed him to check her pulse.
Su Wen examined her condition in silence. Then he took out a spirit pill and carefully brought it to her lips. She hesitated for a moment, but under his quiet, reassuring gaze, she swallowed it.
Su Wen nodded faintly and stood up.
The girl stared at his eyes again, as if trying to carve them into her memory, then quickly turned her head away. Tears slid silently down her cheeks.
Su Wen did not say a word.
He simply moved on to the next girl.
One by one, he checked them all.
He examined their pulses, their breathing, and the state of their meridians. He saw bruises hidden beneath torn clothes, broken bones that had never been treated, and cultivation foundations damaged from having their Yin Qi forcefully drained.
Some girls trembled when he approached, while some stared blankly into space.
Some cried quietly, pressing their lips together to suppress their sobs.
For each of them, he took out healing pills and fed them gently. For broken bones, he used soft spiritual qi to stabilize the fractures.
For internal injuries, he provided spirit medicines to protect their organs. He even carefully guided their chaotic meridians, ensuring no further damage would spread.
He worked silently and carefully. Without the slightest trace of impatience.
To him, they were not burdens and tools but… people.
Only after treating the last girl did Su Wen finally straighten his back, his expression heavy.
'Their bodies can be repaired,' he thought quietly.
'But the wounds in their hearts… those will take far longer to heal.'
Su Wen stood up and placed several weapons in front of them… an axe, a sword, a spear, a blade and other varied types.
"Take these," he said softly.
"Take back what was stolen from you. Take your revenge…"
The girls stared at the weapons, their eyes hollow, as if the fire inside them had already burned out. None of them moved.
Su Wen's voice grew firmer, yet it remained gentle.
"These men destroyed countless lives in this city just for their own benefit. They never cared about you… your families… your loved ones… or the girls who died."
He paused briefly, then continued,
"But is that really how your story should end? Are you really going to let them decide your future?"
His gaze swept across them, calm but sharp.
"They took your life. Your future. Your peace. But there's one thing they can't take."
He tapped his chest lightly.
"What's inside you."
"They can't take your courage. They can't take your will to fight. They can't take your spirit. That belongs only to you."
He stepped closer, his voice steady and filled with conviction.
"Yes… you were hurt. You suffered. But pain can become strength too. Let it remind you why you're still standing. Every tear, every scar, every memory… they prove that you're alive. That you matter. And that you can still change your fate."
He looked at them with a faint, proud smile.
"Take these weapons not just for revenge… but for your future. For the life you deserve. For the people you care about. And for yourselves."
He paused, then added quietly but firmly,
"I believe in you. Your pain is real… but your strength is stronger. Stand up. Fight. And remember… you're not alone."
He pointed toward the sword cultivators, who were now wiping their eyes without even realizing it.
"They'll be your brothers from now on… You will never be alone."
A few tears finally rolled down the cheeks of the girl who had looked the most empty before. Her hand trembled as she slowly reached out and picked up a sword.
"I'll walk my own path…" she whispered. "With a sword."
Her eyes lifted toward Lu Yang and Lu Tang, filled with quiet determination.
Then another girl stood up.
Then another.
And another.
Their movements were hesitant at first, but each time a hand closed around a weapon, something changed. Fear slowly faded. Despair weakened. And courage began to grow.
Behind Su Wen, Young Master K stood silently. His expression was calm, but his eyes were filled with pride as he looked at his back.
The onlookers remained silent too, but the air around them felt different now. Their eyes no longer held only shock… but also a quiet, shared determination.
Su Wen and Young Master K exchanged a brief glance.
Then they turned around and walked away.
The girls were broken, yes.
But they were not defeated.
They would carry their pain… and their strength.
And from the ashes of their suffering, a new resolve was quietly born.