"**Wild Sand Thousands of Miles!**" Qi, the old steward, made his move, and at the same moment, Fu Chun also moved. With a gentle push of his palm forward, it appeared slow at first glance, but in reality, it was lightning-fast and carried the force capable of sweeping away an entire army. A sword against a palm.
**Boom!**
As the dust and mist cleared, everyone could see that the man in the red robe had taken two steps back. Despite that, he remained standing with his hands casually behind his back. In contrast, Qi, the old steward, was forced to retreat ten steps. The difference in martial prowess was now abundantly clear.
The members of the escort agency stared in disbelief at the two figures facing each other, none of them able to speak. Liu Yiqing's face had turned ashen. He hadn't anticipated that the enemy would be this strong. And Fu Chun, among the three, wasn't even the most powerful one. Yet, Qi, with his decades of experience and his exceptional martial arts, had been defeated. Now, who in the Liu family could stand a chance against them?
"Looks like it's my turn in the second round," Liu Yiqing thought bitterly.
The people of the escort agency waited, assuming that the two would continue to fight. However, after Fu Chun gave a sinister smile, he stepped back and retreated outside the door.
"Why is he backing out?" the others muttered in confusion.
"Lord Liu, the first round was too easy. In the second round, please don't go easy on us. Send out your strongest fighter," Zhang He, from outside the door, mocked.
**"Won... Won?"** Liu Yiqing was stunned, his mind blank for a moment. After hearing those words, he rushed forward.
**"Ah!!"**
Qi stood there, blood pouring from his seven orifices, with a palm-sized imprint deeply etched into his chest.
"Old Qi!!!" Liu Yiqing cried out in anguish.
"Master! Old Qi is no match for them... Be careful! They're using the 'Bone Transformation Palm,'" one of the men shouted. Qi, who had been holding onto a sliver of true energy, could no longer contain himself. After speaking, his energy dispersed, and he coughed up blood. A large hole exploded through his chest, with shattered bones scattered inside. He collapsed, dead in an instant.
"You...!!!" Liu Yiqing was overcome with both rage and despair. His anger came from the ruthlessness of the enemy's attack, while his despair stemmed from their overwhelming strength.
"Lord Liu, there's no need to waste any more time. If you continue to delay, none of your people will be able to leave this place," Zhang He's mocking voice echoed.
**"Haha! Guess what I sent Zhang Wufeng to do?"** Zhang He laughed wildly.
Liu Yiqing suddenly understood. **Unless a miracle happens, no one in the Liu family will escape.**
"**Liu Yiqing! Liu Yiqing!** You were clever for a lifetime, but now you are confused for a moment. Since Zhang Wufeng is one of ours, you must have realized by now that the secret passage is compromised. They must know about it. Fine. Fine. At least the chance of survival is higher on the other side of the secret passage, as long as there are no experts like the ones in front of us there."
Liu Yiqing had no more fight left in him. The time was running out, but he would never surrender his family's honor. He turned to his brothers and relatives behind him and said, "If I fall in the second round, I ask that you take the brothers under your command and fight your way out. Save who you can."
"Master!!" Everyone cried in despair.
Qi's corpse was brought back, and Liu Yiqing composed himself. He gripped his treasured sword and stepped forward, his posture dignified. With righteous determination, he called out to the three enemies standing outside, "In the second round, I, Liu Yiqing, will personally face your challenge."
"Haha! So the Liu family has really reached the end of the line, with no one left to fight? Why else would the family head himself step up in the second round?" Chang Kuan in the purple robe sneered.
"Hmph! What's so regrettable about that? Do you think I'm unworthy of being your opponent?" Liu Yiqing's eyes burned with anger. He knew that Fu Chun was the one who would face him in the second round.
"Haha! What I meant by 'regret' is that when you die, you'll never see how we slaughter the entire Liu family," Chang Kuan laughed even more cruelly.
"You!!" Liu Yiqing's fury boiled over.
With the Liu family's century-old legacy on the brink of destruction, how could Liu Yiqing not feel desperate? Just as his heart was consumed by this despair, none of the people from the escort agency noticed a figure slowly stepping forward from behind. As the figure walked, he laughed heartily and said, "Hahaha! Who here was boasting about killing every single one of the Liu family? Have you asked me about this first?"
Upon hearing this voice, Liu Yiqing's troubled expression instantly disappeared. He immediately rushed to the front of the crowd, smiling warmly, and said to a young man who had just appeared among them, "Yan'er! You're back!"
Liu Yiqing's joyful reaction stunned Yan Huo, and he didn't know how to respond to this father, whom he had always regarded as an enemy.
An awkward look appeared on Yan Huo's face.
"I... I'm back."
"That's good! That's good!" Liu Yiqing repeated twice, his joy unmistakable. "Where are the others? Did you encounter any danger on the way?"
"It... It's fine. The others will be here soon," Yan Huo stammered, his discomfort obvious.
Liu Yiqing's enthusiastic behavior made Yan Huo feel uneasy. He couldn't believe that one day his father would be so concerned about his safety. He was more accustomed to the cold and indifferent father from before.
"Did you find the things we were looking for? How did you get in?" Liu Yiqing asked again.
"Let... let's talk about that after we handle things here," Yan Huo changed the subject.
"Alright! First, let's deal with the immediate problems," Liu Yiqing said, suddenly full of confidence. He straightened his back and followed Yan Huo, leaving the crowd, which was still confused.
Who was this person? Why had the family head become so confident the moment he appeared? It was as if the crisis facing the Liu family had disappeared. The members of the escort agency were puzzled.
"Who was it just now, saying they were going to kill every member of the Liu family?" Yan Huo called out in front, his voice clear.
Liu Yiqing, who had been standing behind him on the left, now looked as if Yan Huo were the real head of the Liu family.
"Hahaha! Liu Yiqing, I laughed at your Liu family for having no one capable, but now you've made me laugh even more. Are you really relying on this little brat to fight me? My skills are far too good to waste on someone like him. He's not worth my effort. Why don't you come yourself, and I'll test how strong I am now?" Chang Kuan, in a fit of laughter, mocked.
"Is he just a little brat? Whether he's worth my time, you'll know once you try," Yan Huo sneered coldly.
"Are you saying that you, because of your age, can't beat me, a young man? Or is it that you're not a real man?" Yan Huo's words hit the mark.
What do eunuchs fear the most? Being accused of not being a man.
"You're asking for death!" Chang Kuan's face turned red with fury.
"Master Kuan, be careful," Zhang He, who stood beside him with a cold expression, suddenly warned.
"He's just a kid. What am I afraid of? Even Liu Yiqing couldn't last two moves in my hands," Chang Kuan boasted arrogantly.
"You'd better listen to me! Think about how Hong Liu disappeared," Zhang He rebuked angrily.
Zhang He was not only the leader because of his martial prowess but also due to his cunning and intelligence.