Starting as the heir of a marquis's mansion, I gained access to a summoning system.

Just then, two golden rings pierced the night sky.

A golden ring, trailing afterimages, struck Lu Chenfeng's sword tip precisely—the sword tip deflected three inches, and the sword energy, powerful enough to split stone tablets, grazed past Chai Yuguan's ear, shaving off a few strands of hair, and blasting a bowl-sized hole in the door panel of the main hall behind him.

Another golden ring aimed straight at Liu Xuantan's face, moving even faster than the first one, its piercing sound as sharp as a ghost's howl.

The sword energy collided with the golden ring, sparks flew, and the sharp whistling sound of metal rubbing against metal pierced the night sky, like someone repeatedly scraping a knife on an iron plate.

Lu Chenfeng was jolted back half a step, the blood that had just stopped flowing from his hand bursting open again, warm liquid trickling down the hilt of his sword. Liu Xuantan parried with his sword, the golden ring striking the blade and sending sparks flying—sparks that were particularly dazzling in the night, like a firework suddenly bursting into bloom. He was thrown back two steps, the bluestone slab beneath his feet shattering with a crash, sending fragments flying in all directions.

Shangguan Jin Hong landed in the courtyard and caught the golden ring that flew back.

His movements were fluid and effortless, like catching a tossed fruit in his own backyard. The golden ring emitted a low hum as it landed, as if responding to its master's killing intent. The sound wasn't harsh, but it made everyone present tremble.

"The Three Elders of the Sword Pavilion of the Green Wood Sword Sect".

His gaze swept over the bloodstained sword blades of the three men, then glanced down at the almost fatal wound on Chai Yuguan's waist, before finally settling on Lu Chenfeng. His voice wasn't loud, but every word seemed to have been forged from ice, chilling to the bone.

"Three grandmasters who have been famous for decades have joined forces to come to Guangling Prefecture to bully a hall master of my Azure Dragon Society."

He paused, the corners of his mouth slightly turned up, but there was no smile in that curve, only a sharp, sarcastic edge.

"The Green Wood Sword Sect, what a grand gesture."

Lu Chenfeng stared at the golden rings in Shangguan Jin Hong's hand. The rings had just forced him and Liu Xuan Tan back with a single strike—though there was an element of surprise, the power and accuracy were undeniable. The angle at which the rings sliced ​​through the night sky, the force of their impact against the sword tip, and the precision of their rebound—all were the result of countless hours of practice.

His cultivation level at the mid-stage of Grandmaster was enough to threaten the killing methods of a peak Grandmaster.

He quickly assessed the situation—Shangguan Jin Hong, a mid-stage Grandmaster, was already difficult to deal with, and the injured Chai Yu Guan was still standing, his eyes blazing with even more killing intent than before. Although it would be three against two in a direct fight, the three of them had already fought Chai Yu Guan, and their internal energy was considerably depleted. With Shangguan Jin Hong going all out and Chai Yu Guan's unyielding fighting spirit, the remaining two might not fare well.

The night wind blew in through the gap in the dilapidated courtyard wall, causing the robes of the three men to flutter loudly. The standoff lasted only a few breaths, but those breaths felt as long as the burning of an incense stick.

Lu Chenfeng's sword tip dipped slightly by an inch.

This was an extremely subtle signal—sheathing the sword meant admitting defeat; not sheathing it meant someone might be left here tonight. He mentally calculated all the consequences and came to only one conclusion: it wasn't worth it.

He sheathed his sword. The movement was slow, and the sound of the blade retracting into its sheath lingered in the still night, like a reluctant sigh. The click of the blade locking into its hilt was exceptionally clear in the silent courtyard.

"Walk."

Three figures in blue swept over the courtyard wall, like three fallen leaves blown away by the wind, disappearing into the night.

They came silently and left cleanly, as if they had never existed—leaving behind only shattered stone slabs, a broken old locust tree, and a large pool of blood on the ground that was still slowly congealing.

Shangguan Jin Hong did not pursue.

He turned and helped Chai Yuguan up, glancing down at the wound—the sword energy had penetrated three-tenths of an inch into his flesh, damaging his meridians. His blue robe was soaked with blood, clinging wetly to his body, making it impossible to discern its original color.

The edges of the wound faintly showed traces of bluish-black sword energy, which were traces left by Liu Xuantan's sword intent, like the fang marks of a venomous snake. If not removed in time, they would spread along the meridians.

He tore off a piece of his clothing to press against Chai Yuguan's wound, his movements clean and efficient, as if he had done it countless times. The pressure was even, neither too light nor too heavy, just enough to stop the bleeding without worsening the injury.

"Seal off the main headquarters. Activate all hidden sentries."

Without looking up, Shangguan Jin Hong gave orders to the Dragon Scale Guards who had already rushed to surround them. His voice was calm, but the Dragon Scale Guards could tell that this calm was more terrifying than a roar. It was like the deathly silence before a storm, suffocating and oppressive.

"From now on, keep a close watch on anyone in Guangling Prefecture who wears blue clothes."

"Yes!" The Dragon Scale Guards quickly dispersed, their footsteps echoing in the night, receding into the distance like the receding tide, leaving only scattered echoes.

Chai Yuguan leaned against the trunk of the old locust tree.

The tree trunk had been mostly sheared off by the aftershocks, and the remaining bark was covered with sword marks and palm prints, teetering on the verge of collapse.

Blood was still seeping from between his fingers, dripping onto the ground and merging with the large puddle from before. But his breathing had become steady, and although his face was pale, his voice remained calm, as if the wound on his waist wasn't his own.

"Three Grandmasters at their peak. A direct, forceful attack, and two more using subtle, stealthy tactics. Their offensive and defensive coordination is flawless; it wasn't a hastily assembled team."

He took a breath, his lips twitching slightly, whether he wanted to laugh or curse: "The Sword Pavilion elders rarely leave Qishan Prefecture, so there's only one possibility for the three of them to act at the same time."

"Master Qingxuan can't wait any longer," Shangguan Jin Hong continued.

He stood up and looked westward—towards Qishan Prefecture. The night was dark, and nothing could be seen. But his eyes seemed to pierce through the darkness, seeing the towering mountain peak a hundred miles away.

"He wants to take down Nigetsudo first."

"Because I am the node between the four halls."

"Kill me," Chai Yuguan said breathlessly, a cold smile creeping across his lips. The smile aggravated the wound on his waist, causing him to furrow his brow, but the laughter didn't stop. "Kill me, and the supply network will be in chaos, disrupting the coordination between the four branches. A well-thought-out plan."

"So you need to make sure your injury heals properly."

Shangguan Jin Hong straightened up, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

He said nothing more, turned and walked into the main hall, closing the door behind him. The moment the door closed, the light in the inner room came on, the dim yellow light shining through the paper windows and casting a blurry halo in the courtyard.

Chai Yuguan leaned against a tree trunk alone, looking up at the night sky.

The moon was mostly obscured by clouds, revealing only a pale crescent. The old locust tree's branches and leaves had been mostly stripped away by the aftershocks, with a few withered leaves swirling in the wind, their destination unknown. He suddenly chuckled softly, so softly that it was almost inaudible.

"It is impolite not to reciprocate." He muttered to himself.

The sound was carried away by the night wind and scattered in the dilapidated courtyard.

When the news reached Qingmu Peak in Qishan Prefecture, True Person Qingxuan was discussing matters with several elders of the Sword Pavilion.

Lu Chenfeng returned wounded, bringing with him the news that Chai Yuguan was still alive.

Master Qingxuan's expression finally darkened. The teacup in his hand didn't break—one had already broken last time. This time, he simply placed the teacup gently on the table. But a thin crack, as fine as a hair, had quietly appeared on the surface of the cup, extending from the rim to the bottom.

One, Shangguan Jin Hong, killed Qingmu Zhenren. And then there's Chai Yuguan—whose combat prowess, displayed when he forced Zhao Tianxiong back with a single palm strike, exceeded expectations; now, even the combined forces of the three elders of the Sword Pavilion couldn't kill him. The combat power of these four Azure Dragon Society hall masters is increasingly outrageous.

He closed his eyes for a moment and reviewed the results of the Sword Pavilion's deduction in his mind.

Ultimately, the conclusions are all the same: if this ever-growing cancer cannot be eradicated in the shortest possible time, and it gains a firm foothold, the Green Wood Sword Sect's centuries-old prestige will be completely overturned.

Silence reigned in the Sword Pavilion. The candlelight flickered in the night wind, casting the shadows of the crowd on the wall, sometimes long, sometimes short, like ghostly figures dancing.

No one dared to speak first. Lu Chenfeng stood with his head bowed, the bloodstains on the scabbard at his waist already dried and dark red. He didn't wipe them away, and no one reminded him to.