Butler Li Fugui remained frozen in the posture of holding his guns forward, his body rigid and unable to move.
Above, a small black flag swayed in the wind, suspended in the sky.
"Hmph! You insolent fool!"
The sorcerer sneered disdainfully as he raised his hand, and a crimson fireball, the size of an egg, materialized above his palm. It swiftly enveloped the head of the red-feathered spear, rapidly spreading down the shaft toward the butler's hands.
Li Fugui's body trembled slightly, beads of sweat the size of soybeans forming on his brow, but no matter how much he struggled, it was as if his body no longer belonged to him. He remained utterly still.
The shadow beneath his feet stretched and contracted unpredictably, as if something was moving within it, though it remained unseen.
The flames crept steadily along the spear, inch by inch, threatening to consume him as they had his brother, Li Mancang. The sorcerer, like a cat toying with a mouse, intended to have both brothers suffer under his fiery magic.
"Damn sorcerer!"
Without hesitation, Li Dahu rushed forward, determined to save his butler.
His right hand slid into his sleeve, ready to act, when a flash of sword light streaked across the sky, cutting through the black flag overhead with blinding speed.
The sorcerer's face turned ashen before it darkened to a blood-red hue, like a coat of crimson paint, tinged with hints of purple.
Pff!
A spurt of black blood erupted from his mouth, his strange, reddened face rapidly fading, leaving only a pallid, golden hue.
The severed connection between him and the Soul-Devouring Flag dealt a severe blow to the sorcerer's psyche.
As the scorching flames from the spear inched closer to him, the immobilized Li Fugui, who had been unable to move a single finger, suddenly felt a release. Without hesitation, he discarded the spear, which had been burned nearly halfway, retreating several steps. He drew a bull-horned dagger from behind his waist, watching the sorcerer warily, too fearful to act rashly.
Had he been a moment slower, he would have been consumed by the flames, reduced to nothing more than a human candle.
"Fugui, are you all right?"
Li Dahu rushed to his side, scanning him with concern.
"I'm fine, Boss!"
Li Fugui shook his head. But as his thoughts turned to his tragically deceased brother, a wave of grief overcame him, a burning hatred rising. He longed to peel the sorcerer's skin, tear his bones apart, and drink his blood to cleanse the hatred gnawing at his heart.
The nearby bandits stood in confusion, unsure of what had just transpired, the sorcerer appearing to have been injured.
A voice from the sky interrupted the silence.
"Soul-devouring and resentment-collecting, I never thought I would see such an evil artifact. That vile sorcerer! Does he think we, the righteous, do not exist?"
The sword light flickered once more, aiming to shred the descending black flag into pieces, but suddenly another voice called out.
"Senior Brother, wait! Don't destroy it yet!"
"What is it, Junior Brother?"
The sword light that had nearly struck the Soul-Devouring Flag swerved sharply, narrowly missing it.
Even so, the sorcerer, attempting to re-establish his connection with the flag, was struck by the residual power of the sword light. He vomited another mouthful of black blood, collapsing from his horse, his gaze filled with malice as he looked up at the sky.
A murmur of shock spread among the bandits on the ground. They all knew that the sorcerer did not fall off his horse without cause, and their eyes turned toward the heavens.
In the next moment, a collective gasp echoed.
Two massive snow cranes, their wings unfurled and feathers pure white, descended from the sky. Seated on their backs were two figures, dressed in green robes, swords sheathed, their long tassels swaying in the wind—an image of celestial disciples.
One of them extended his hand, and the small black flag, which seemed to come alive, turned and flew into his grasp.
"Though this flag is shrouded in evil energy, it is still an artifact. It might be put to good use in the right hands, atone for its past wrongs."
"Very well. As long as it no longer brings harm to the people, we shall leave it for now. But if given the chance, it should be destroyed or consecrated in the future."
"Yes, Senior Brother!"
Their conversation lacked any hint of worldly concerns, not even sparing a glance at the fallen sorcerer or the bandits on the ground. Their attention seemed solely focused on the black flag, which had absorbed countless souls and resentment.
"Righteous? Hmph! Pretentious fools!"
The fallen sorcerer, still clutching the yellow paper talisman, threw it into the air and quickly formed hand seals, spitting out a mouthful of vital blood. The blood mist quickly followed the talisman, turning it a deep red as numerous fine, thread-like veins appeared, weaving into strange symbols.
It was as if invisible hands were at work, folding the flying talisman into paper birds, which then ignited into fiery birds, charging toward the descending snow cranes. With every foot of distance, the birds grew larger.
In the blink of an eye, more than ten firebirds filled the sky, their searing heat spreading outward.
"Firebirds? How wondrous!"
Li Xiaobai's eyes widened in awe as he watched the spell form for the first time so clearly. Had the circumstances been different, he might have rushed forward for a closer look.
Suddenly, a strange sound caught his attention. Looking ahead, he saw his elder brother, Li Mo, pale with clenched teeth, his body trembling as if struggling to suppress some overwhelming emotion.
"Foolish!"
The other figure seated on the snow crane raised his hand, and a short sword hovering three feet around him suddenly sped up, piercing one of the firebirds with the force of an arrow.
The firebird exploded in a shower of sparks, the short sword tearing through the magical structure of the bird and slicing through another one with relentless force. More sparks scattered into the air.
Not a single spark managed to reach the snow cranes, as if some invisible force gently pushed them away.
The clear sound of a sword's hum echoed, and Li Xiaobai, protected by his household guards, trembled in awe, his heart stirred.
The short sword darted like a hunting fish, weaving left and right, destroying each firebird in the blink of an eye.
The evil sorcerer on the ground turned pale, shocked that his firebird technique was no match for a flying sword.
Had the Soul-Devouring Flag still been in place, he might have had a chance to turn the tide, but now, with all his cards played, he was left with no options.
Without hesitation, the sorcerer stomped his foot, releasing a thick cloud of black smoke that quickly enveloped his figure.
The righteous swordsman controlling the flying sword swiftly sliced through the smoke, shouting, "Break!"
The flying sword, having destroyed all the firebirds, circled once before plummeting toward the ground with the precision of a predator.
Pff!
"Aah!"
A scream echoed from a previously empty spot, louder than the sound of the sword striking its target.
The black smoke lingered, but a figure slowly emerged a dozen paces away, staggering. Blood poured from his chest and back, soaking his clothes.
At that moment, Butler Li Fugui sprang into action, brandishing his bull-horned dagger. He grabbed the sorcerer by the head and sliced with brutal force.
The scream abruptly ceased as the sorcerer's head was severed, his face frozen in disbelief.
The bandits stared in horror, their once-revered sorcerer now decapitated before their eyes.
"Second Brother! I've avenged you!"
Butler Li Fugui held the sorcerer's head aloft, tears streaming down his face as he howled to the sky.
Seeing that the second brother, Li Mancang, had been avenged, Li Dahu finally breathed a sigh of relief. He turned to the two snow cranes hovering in the air, offering a respectful bow.
"Li Dahu of Xiyan Town thanks the two immortals for their aid."
Though controlling snow cranes and flying swords was still the work of sorcery, had they truly been immortals, they would have ascended by now. His use of the term "immortals" was both a sign of respect and gratitude.
However, no one anticipated that the two righteous sorcerers would not so much as glance at Li Dahu or Butler Li Fugui. Their eyes were fixed on another figure—Li Mo.
The so-called Junior Brother sneered coldly.
"We've searched high and low for you, Li Mo. At last, we've found you!"
"Elder Brother!"
Li Xiaobai finally understood that his elder brother's strange behavior earlier had not been without cause. A sense of unease stirred within him, as if something ominous was about to unfold.
"What was bound to happen has finally come to pass!"
Li Mo turned, giving him a bitter