Yuan Tianbo was already dizzied by the blow, his mind as mushy as paste. Hearing Zirong’s words, he cast a suspicious glance at Qin Li, and the more he thought about it, the more he suspected that Qin Li was using him as a human cushion.
"Forget it. There’s no point in being courteous with someone who betrays and abandons loyalty, someone who, in times of crisis, forsakes their master to save their own skin," Zirong said with contempt. At the end, he reminded Yuan Tianbo kindly, "Young Master Yuan, you should take a few steps back. With this sword move, we will decide the victor once and for all!" This was really a blatant lie, spoken with righteous indignation.
Ye Fengyun too hadn’t seen through the mystery of Zirong’s sword move, but he wasn’t a fool; he could tell something was amiss from the situation and his face fell, preparing to take action.
"Young Master Ye, it seems that outsiders are not supposed to intervene in a fair duel between swordsmen, are they?" Mu Hanyan stood in front of him and said with a teasing smile.
"Hmph, though I don’t know what they’ve done, don’t think I can’t see their true intentions," Ye Fengyun said with a cold snort.
"Young Master Ye, empty accusations are not proof. You shouldn’t speak carelessly without evidence," Mu Hanyan countered without yielding.
In truth, she also hadn’t discerned Zirong’s tactics and was filled with curiosity. However, she simply could not admit such a thing in front of Ye Fengyun.
"What if I insist on intervening?" Ye Fengyun, as Wenren Qingqiu’s leading disciple, had rarely been openly challenged in so many years, and now, provoked, he glared at Mu Hanyan with anger-filled eyes.
"If Young Master Ye insists on openly defying the code between swordsmen, then to uphold the swordsmen’s dignity, I have no choice but to stop you with all my might," Mu Hanyan said, her smile gone, her voice calm.
In her eyes, there was not a hint of fear or panic. Serene and resolute, she possessed a composure completely at odds with her age.
For some reason, a strong unease surged in Ye Fengyun’s heart. Ever since he had become a Sword Master, he had never felt such unease with his peers. Strictly speaking, Mu Hanyan was even younger than him—she didn’t even count as a peer.
Even Ye Fengyun himself couldn’t understand these feelings. Doubtful and wary, he did not rush into action.
Of course, Huayue and Zirong wouldn’t wait for him to make a decision and attacked Qin Li once again.
"Boom," this time, the two of them struck hard. Amidst the dancing sword light, Qin Li let out a muffled grunt as he was heavily hurled away. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novel{f}ire.net
"Young Master Yuan, watch out!" Zirong said with a smirk, kindly warning Yuan Tianbo.
Hearing Zirong’s words, Yuan Tianbo had become wary of Qin Li and was in the midst of hastily dodging when, instinctively turning his head, he saw Qin Li hurtling toward him like a stone hurled from a catapult.
"Stay away, stay away, don’t hit me!" Yuan Tianbo screamed, his face pale with terror, flailing his arms and legs.
Unfortunately for him, his Li Bloodline was sealed, unable to muster any Qi, and as Qin Li drew ever closer, all he could do was tightly close his eyes.
"Bang!" A muffled sound rang out as two figures flew simultaneously and slammed heavily against the artificial hill at the edge of the courtyard, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"I told you to stay away, and yet here you come again..." Yuan Tianbo’s eyes were lifeless as he stared into the dusty gray sky. His eyes rolled back, and he fainted.
"I didn’t want to either..." Qin Li’s gaze was vacant. He suddenly found that the sealed bloodline had been restored, and Qi had returned to his body. But with limbs broken and excruciating pain filling his mind, his entire body twitched uncontrollably.
"You... Your strikes are so vicious," Ye Fengyun finally regained his senses, his voice trembling.