Three unfamiliar figures were walking toward the center of the market while talking among themselves.
All three wore black hooded outfits, making it difficult for anyone to clearly recognize them.
The one walking in front carried a long spear, holding it casually yet firmly.
The other two followed closely behind, each with a sword at their side.
They did not try to draw attention, yet their presence stood out in a strange way.
People nearby glanced at them briefly, then looked away, unable to tell who they were.
Step by step, the three figures continued toward the heart of the market.
One of them, the shortest of the three, spoke quietly,
"Did she really give us the correct location?"
The man walking beside him replied with certainty,
"Yes, she must have. Otherwise, why would she tell us at all? If we don't finish this today, he'll start looking down on us."
The man carrying the spear finally spoke, his voice calm but cold,
"I trust her more than myself. Today will be the last day he gets to enjoy himself."
The three of them continued moving slowly toward the center of the market.
Suddenly, one of them narrowed his eyes and said,
"Look over there. There's a crowd gathering. Is something happening?"
Another frowned slightly.
"It's unusual for such a large crowd to gather at the market center all of a sudden."
The man with the spear glanced ahead and said firmly,
"Let's go and see. I just hope he hasn't already died before we arrive."
"I want to kill him with my own hands. I want to tear his heart out with this spear."
With that, they picked up their pace and headed straight toward the crowd.
As they arrived, waves of noise rolled toward them from the crowd.
"Is Fang Lin actually going to kill them?"
"Those two are from the Lin family, aren't they?"
"Look—he's drawn his sword!"
The moment those words spread, the entire market fell into a suffocating silence, all eyes locking onto the lone figure standing at the stole of mu family.
Hearing the voices from the crowd, the three hooded figures froze.
One of them muttered, "Did you hear that? They're saying Fang Lin is about to kill someone."
The shortest of the three stiffened in fear when he heard the words Lin family.
"They're saying Lin family… We need to hurry," he said nervously, pushing his way into the crowd.
The man holding the spear frowned and spoke in a low voice,
"That can't be Fang Lin. You must have misheard. If someone was going to die, it should've been Fang Lin at the hands of the Lin family."
The swordsman beside him replied calmly,
"Maybe, maybe not. Until we see it with our own eyes, there's no reason to believe anything."
With that, the remaining two also stepped forward and disappeared into the crowd.
__ _ _ _ _ _ __
Chu Jingxia remained floating in her invisible form, but her breathing had already grown uneven.
Her eyes trembled as she stared at Fang Lin, her voice dropping into a soft, panicked murmur—
"Fang Lin… please don't…
I know what they did to you. I know how much you endured… how many times you were forced to bow your head.
But this isn't the way… this shouldn't be the way…"
Her fingers clenched unconsciously, her heart pounding.
"If you kill him… everything will change.
You won't just be fighting bullies anymore—you'll be standing against clans, elders, and fate itself."
Her voice cracked slightly.
"You finally broke free… so why are you about to chain yourself again?"
Jingxia's eyes suddenly shifted toward the crowd.
Three figures stood out immediately—cloaked in black hooded garments, weapons hidden yet unmistakable. Swords in two hands, a long spear in the third. They were cutting through the crowd, moving straight toward Fang Lin.
Her heart skipped a beat.
"Who are those three…?" Jingxia murmured, unease spreading through her chest.
"Why are they heading toward Fang Lin…?
Are they trying to stop him?"
A chilling thought surfaced in her mind.
In every territory of our clan, there are people assigned to watch from the shadows. No one knows who they are… or what they wear…
Her expression stiffened.
"Don't tell me… they're those people."
Her gaze dropped to the weapons in their hands, sharp and cold.
"But why bring weapons…?
They could intervene without them."
Her pupils shrank.
"No…
Are they planning to kill him?"
Panic surged through her. Jingxia instantly rushed forward, her invisible form flying straight toward Fang Lin.
She screamed with all her strength, even knowing no one could hear her—
"Fang Lin—! Get away from there!"
___ _ __ _ ___ _
The mysterious man who had been visibly nervous finally lost control when he saw Fang Lin standing there—treating the Lin family members with utter humiliation, his sword raised toward them.
He could no longer suppress the rage boiling inside him.
Drawing his sword, he charged straight toward Fang Lin.
As he ran, he shouted at the top of his lungs,
"Lin Yichen! Lin Qingyu! Don't worry—
I'm coming!"
Lin Yichen—the mature one, the one who hadn't been injured—froze for a split second when he heard that voice. His eyes widened, tears instantly forming.
"Young Lord… Liang Yun…"
Lin Qingyu—the huge man whose condition had been reduced to something pitiful after Fang Lin's beating—slowly forced his swollen eyes open. Through his blurred vision, he saw a black-hooded figure rushing toward them.
At the same time, the man carrying the long spear broke into a sprint, following closely behind Liang Yun.
He murmured with madness-filled eyes,
"Today is your last day, Fang Lin.
I told you before, didn't I? Enjoy yourself while you can.
From now on… all that happiness will belong to me."
His gaze was filled with uncontrollable bloodlust—
the kind that would only fade after someone died.
Behind them, another hooded figure also surged forward, sword in hand.
He muttered coldly,
"How can Tian Xueya walk beside trash like you…
You should have died long ago."
___ _ _ _ __ _ _ ___
The seller from the Mu Sword Pavilion had already finished counting the spiritual stones. He lifted them from the counter and quickly stored them inside his stall.
But the moment he saw Fang Lin about to strike someone down with his sword, his limit was finally reached.
He hurried toward Fang Lin and shouted anxiously,
"Didn't I warn you? If you do this, it will only bring disaster upon you!
You'll be disqualified from joining the sect—
and not just that, you could even be expelled from your family and clan!"
Clenching both fists tightly, the seller continued in a strained voice,
"If you truly insist on doing this, then why here?
Why right in front of my stall?
Because of you, my entire livelihood will be ruined!
Is there really nowhere else you could have chosen?"
Mu Chen and Vren stood frozen nearby, unable to say a word.
They could only watch Fang Lin in silence, their expressions heavy and uncertain.
Fang Lin, the focal point of everything, stood with absolute confidence—
as if he cared neither for the crowd's words nor for the dangers about to descend upon him.
His gaze fell upon the sword he had raised above Lin Qingyu's head.
He murmured softly,
"I'm not using the sword to kill him… no."
Lifting his face slightly, he spoke in a calm, rational tone,
"What kind of fool would openly kill a member of a noble family just because of an insult?
If I did that, even the Fang Family wouldn't be able to protect me.
I'd end up standing against the entire clan."
His eyes sharpened.
"I only drew the sword because I can't properly use my hands right now.
This body is weak—constantly bullied, never once fighting back.
What kind of strength could it possibly have?"
The corner of his lips curved upward.
"The sword was only meant to scare them—"
A devilish smile appeared as he looked down.
"So… are you two still unwilling to pay my com—"
Before he could finish the word compensation,
his face suddenly turned pale.
At that very moment—
From three different directions, figures clad in black hooded robes rushed toward him at full speed.
Swords and a spear flashed, their cold edges already closing in on Fang Lin's body.
It wasn't only the three figures rushing toward Fang Lin—
an invisible figure was also floating through the air, moving to save him…
unnoticed by everyone.
Not far away, within the crowd, a certain figure watched the scene.
A mysterious smile slowly appeared on her face.
"This… is exactly the moment I've been waiting for."