"Clang," "clang," "clang," the broadsword man's attacks were powerful, each strike against the sword embryo in Tang Jian's hand feeling like a colossal pillar crashing down, causing Tang Jian's whole body to shake violently, and his bones to creak.
Although Tang Jian held only a sword embryo, when he infused it with his magical power, it immediately lit up with a green glow, becoming incredibly sharp.
"Just a mere sword embryo, do you think you can use it as a magical sword? What a joke!" The broadsword man sneered and slashed down with force again.
Tang Jian gritted his teeth, grasped the sword embryo with both hands, and swept up diagonally from below, slashing towards the earthy yellow broadsword.
With a sharp "zing," the green sword embryo passed through, its momentum immediately halted as it carved a gap in the broadsword and lodged itself inside, but the sword embryo also snapped into two pieces with a "bang."
The broadsword man's body lost its stability, lunging forward a few steps. He looked down at the gap in his broadsword, a trace of regret flashing in his eyes, which then turned into intense anger.
Tang Jian gritted his teeth, intending to seize the opportunity and slash at the man with the broken sword embryo. Just then, he suddenly felt a chill on the back of his neck. A sword tip emitting white coldness had already rested on his shoulder, mere inches away from his neck.
The one holding the deep blue sword had appeared behind him without a trace.
It was too close, and there was no way to dodge!
At this critical moment, a piercing sound of "swoosh" suddenly rang out!
A short crossbow bolt shot by from the side, hitting the sword with a "ding" and deflecting it a few inches away.
Tang Jian promptly released his grip on the sword embryo, slapped the man's chest with his other hand, and without looking, leaped back several yards, then regained his footing.
The man was knocked back several steps by his slap, letting out a muffled groan. As he was about to chase after Tang Jian for another fight, he suddenly noticed a gray charm on his chest and was greatly alarmed.
With a "boom," the charm on his chest suddenly shone brightly, erupting into a large burst of flames, blasting him apart.
On the corridor not far away, over ten personal guards of the governor's office were rushing over, each carrying a specially made crossbow bolt in their hands.
"Young Master, catch the sword!" The tallest man among them, who was leading the group, threw an object high into the air while still ten steps away from Tang Jian and shouted loudly.
Tang Jian leaped up and caught the flying long sword with one hand.
With a "clang," he drew it out.
Suddenly, the spiritual pattern on the long sword in his hand flashed, and it was immediately enveloped in a layer of intense flames.
Seeing the unfavorable situation, the broadsword man immediately turned around, intending to flee.
Tang Jian's body suddenly glowed red, and he leaped up like a snake-catching eagle. He changed from holding the sword in one hand to gripping it with both hands and slashed down towards the broadsword man.
Flames rose from the sword, extending beyond the tip by an inch, sharp like a saw.
The broadsword man immediately crouched down, gripping his sword with one hand and bracing the blade with the other, blocking the attack horizontally.
A red flash swept past, striking precisely at the gap carved by the sword embryo earlier.
With a crisp "crack"!
The broadsword in the man's hand broke apart, and the earthy yellow glow on the blade suddenly dispersed, becoming dull and lifeless.
Tang Jian's flaming long sword, without any hesitation, continued to slash down, splitting the broadsword man into two halves. He then quickly dispatched the previously unconscious black-clothed man without further ado.
"Young Master Jian, the Master has sent us to escort you to the Linjin Ferry outside the city," said the tall man, leading his team forward and saluting with one fist clenched.
"Brother Hu Yun, what happened? Where is my father?" Tang Jian tied the magical sword around his waist and asked.
Only then did he notice that the guards before him were also covered in blood, indicating that they had undergone a fierce battle before arriving here.
"Your residence was attacked by a group of unidentified black-clothed men. The Master personally led the personal guards to resist them at the Lotus Garden. He instructed us to take you to the Linjin Ferry and wait for him there," Hu Yun said quickly.
Upon hearing this, Tang Jian took a large step forward, intending to head towards the Lotus Garden in the front yard.
"Young Master Jian, to reach the ferry, we need to take the secret passage through the Willow Garden in the back," Hu Yun hurriedly called out.
"All the attackers are cultivators. I'm worried about my father's situation," Tang Jian said without turning back.
"Young Master Jian, don't go there!" Hu Yun urgently exclaimed.
Tang Jian turned back to look at the tall man and noticed a hint of hesitation in his expression. He asked, "Hu Brother, is there something you're hiding from me?"
"Sigh... The Master originally wanted me to tell you after taking you to the Linjin Ferry, but now I have to say it ahead of time. The one who invaded the Tang residence is not someone else but your master, Li Chen," Hu Yun said, looking at the blazing flames in the front yard and sighing.
"What did you say?" Tang Jian's eyes widened as he stared intently at the tall man.
"You heard me right. It's Li Chen who led the attack on the Tang residence. The Master is currently defending the Lotus Garden to give you time to escape," Hu Yun answered frankly.
Without saying anything further, Tang Jian resolutely turned and rushed towards the front yard.
"Young Master Jian, the Master said that Li Chen's target is you. As long as you don't fall into his hands, there will still be room for negotiation in the future. Otherwise, the Tang family will be completely finished," Hu Yun flashed in front of him and said.
Upon hearing this, Tang Jian felt as if he had been struck by lightning, and he was momentarily stunned.
His master led people to attack the residence, and the target was himself?
After a moment, his face stiffened, and he stopped in his tracks, with a hint of redness in his eyes.
"The message has already been sent to the prefect's office. Mr. Lu will surely send people over immediately. Only when you, young master, leave safely can the Master feel at ease," Hu Yun said, his brows tightly knitted, continuing to persuade.
Tang Jian's fists clenched tightly, and he gritted his teeth. After a moment of silence, he nodded heavily.
"Hu Brother, let's go," Tang Jian said, without any hesitation.
He turned around and walked towards the Willow Garden in the backyard.
Seeing this, the tall man's expression relaxed slightly. He ordered his personal guards to pick up the three magic swords on the ground and quickly followed them.
The group hurried along, taking advantage of the darkness to silently bypass the small courtyard of the Sword Pavilion. After passing through two arched gates, they arrived at the backyard of the Tang residence.
Unlike the Lotus Garden in the front yard, the Willow Garden was home to a vast green lake, with rows of lush elm and willow trees planted along its shores.
Above the lake, there was a jade belt-like arched bridge spanning across the east and west banks.
As they had just ascended the arched bridge, they heard a commotion behind them.
When they looked back, they saw more than ten figures in the elm and willow forest, with various colors of light emanating from their bodies, quickly chasing towards them.
"Lin Hu, Zhang Qiu, you few stay behind and hold off the pursuers," Hu Yun said decisively upon seeing this.
"Yes!"
Seven or eight personal guards responded without hesitation, immediately turning back to the bridgehead, raising their crossbows, and aiming at the pursuers. The rest continued to hurry towards the other side of the bridge without stopping.
As Tang Jian and the others just descended the bridge and reached the opposite side of the lake, they heard a shout of killing behind them.
However, it only lasted for a few moments and then completely silenced.
"Let's go," Hu Yun urged. Then Tang Jian withdrew his gaze and continued to run forward.
Soon, they arrived at an ancient elm tree that required four people to hug around and stopped.
Hu Yun walked forward, bent down, and groped around on the ground. Then he pressed his palm on a protruding round stone and forcefully turned it to the right.
The ground before them suddenly shook, and a pale yellow light rose from the ground. Accompanied by the sound of mechanical twists, the grassy ground slowly split open, revealing a dark large hole.
Inside the hole, there was a stone staircase winding deep into the ground, with a faint light flickering inside.
At this moment, there was another commotion behind them, as those black-clothed men had caught up.
"Young Master Jian, let's go," Hu Yun urged anxiously.
Tang Jian remained silent and walked into the hole first, descending along the stone steps. However, Hu Yun and the others did not follow.
"When you reach the ferry, someone will meet you there. Young Master Jian... Remember, don't stop for a moment and head directly to the capital. There are close friends of the master who will protect you," Hu Yun said, looking at Tang Jian.
"You..." Tang Jian felt a lump in his throat, unable to speak.
"Take care," Hu Yun said heavily, turning the round stone back.
After a series of sounds, the ground closed again, restoring to its original state.
"Everyone, follow me to fight!" Hu Yun raised his hand, smashed the round stone to pieces, and said to the remaining personal guards.
The other seven or eight men did not respond but silently put away their bows and crossbows, drawing their swords.
"Charge!" Hu Yun picked up the broadsword and roared.
Instead of waiting with swords ready, they actively charged towards the pursuing black-clothed men.
Inside the secret passage, Tang Jian could no longer hear the sounds from outside. He descended the stone steps step by step, walking along a two-person-wide stone path towards the front.
...
About a quarter of an hour later, there was a commotion in a reed marsh outside Tanzhou City, and several wild ducks were startled, flapping their wings and flying high into the sky.
Tang Jian's figure emerged from the reeds.
His gaze was fixed on the ferry built on the distant Luofu River bank, where a blackwood boat was already anchored.
As he approached the riverbank, a tall figure standing by the boat, dressed in a straw raincoat and holding a long pole, suddenly turned around and smiled at him, saying,
"Tang, where are you heading? Can I give you a ride, brother?"
"Lu Tai..."
Tang Jian's eyebrows furrowed, and he discreetly gripped the sword hilt at his side as he spoke.
"Tang Jian, don't make a futile struggle. Come back with us," a familiar voice came from inside the boat.
Immediately after, a petite and pretty figure bent over and stepped out of the cabin, standing behind Lu Tai.
"Xiao Xiao..." Upon seeing her, Tang Jian's originally tense heartstrings trembled, and a flash of pain appeared in his eyes.
"Are you still dreaming of marrying Li, your junior sister? That's just a means for our master to appease your Tang family. You and your father, the governor, are all fools from top to bottom, ha-ha..." Lu Tai dropped the long pole in his hand and laughed outrageously.
With a "clang"!
Tang Jian's face was expressionless as he drew his sword in one motion, the tip pointing directly at Lu Tai.
"We are all at the fifth level of the Qi Refinement Stage. With just a mid-grade magic sword, how do you plan to defeat us?" Lu Tai's smile faded as he slowly drew a gleaming long sword from behind him, pointing it at Tang Jian.
As he finished speaking, he suddenly felt a cold sensation in his chest. When he looked down, he saw a narrow, snow-white sword tip emerging silently from behind, piercing through his heart.
The wound was covered with a layer of frost, even the blood was frozen, without a single drop spilling out.
"Li, you... you..."
Before Lu Tai could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by Li Xiao Xiao withdrawing the sword, and then his body lurched, falling into the river.