At the captain's order to kill the old man and Brother Rou, the other cultivators looked at each other, as if trying to determine who would do the deed. The big man who had caught Fang Ruxue shrugged and said, "Alright, let me do it."

The man unsheathed his sword and walked toward the old man and Brother Rou. She saw them both grimace as the old man grabbed Brother Rou tightly.

As he pointed the sword at them, Fang Ruxue's heart beat so fast it felt like her chest would explode. When the man raised his sword higher and higher, intending to cut them both down, she knew she had to do something.

"Wait!" she shouted, prompting everyone, including the big man, to look at her. When they did, she gulped, but she couldn't stop. She never imagined asking for their help would lead to this. She couldn't just stand by and do nothing. "Wait! He's a healer!" she pointed at the old man. "He's important to the city! You can't kill him just like that!"

The big guy sneered. "You overestimate his value. He's an old man. His body is already failing. If I don't kill him now, he'll die tomorrow."

"But, but—" Fang Ruxue was at a loss for words. She was talking without thinking and had no strategy whatsoever. "Then you don't need to kill him. It… it would be a waste of your energy! Just let him live. I'm sure he'll keep his mouth shut about me."

The big man sneered and raised his blade higher until it pointed to the sky. A hum began to vibrate from the sword, and Fang Ruxue felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise. She had a feeling that the slash he was about to make would not only split the old man and Brother Rou, but the house behind them as well. Fang Ruxue racked her brain, but help came from an unexpected source.

"If I remember correctly," the slender man with dainty hands suddenly opened his mouth, "that healer helped you once. Do you remember the time you were in the first stage and your shoulder was dislocated? He's the one who set your bone straight."

"Come to think of it, I also remember he gave me cough medicine when I was little," the captain said.

"So what?" the big man asked. "We spare him? We only kill the cripple?"

"No," the old man suddenly said, hugging Brother Rou so tight that the boy grimaced. "My grandson is the reason I'm still alive today. Please spare him. If you want to kill someone, kill me."

"No!" Brother Rou shouted. "I'm just a cripple. I have nothing to offer in this life. In truth, I'm waiting for death to claim me. My grandfather, on the other hand, is not. He is a kind person who deserves to have a happy life, yet," tears began to stream from his eyes, "he spent years caring for me. I'm just a burden to him!"

"You need to spare both of them!" Fang Ruxue shouted, seizing the opportunity. "The old man has done many good deeds. Some of them even included helping you. What kind of person kills someone who once helped them? Have you no shame and pride?"

The big guy shot a glare at her. "Shut up!" As he shouted, a ripple of wind struck her face, stinging like another slap. "I can kill whoever I want. I am no mortal; I am a cultivator. I'm different from maggots like you!"

"What's your decision?" the slender man asked his captain.

He looked at the slender man, then the big man, then switched to the old man and grandson, and finally looked at her. "You seem to have a little misunderstanding. Perhaps it was a mistake to divulge that we were to bring you back alive. Knowing that has made you bold, huh?" His hollow smile widened. "You're an enemy of the Qing clan. Even if the elders said we need to bring you back alive, they wouldn't fault us if we killed you. Your words amount to nothing; they shouldn't complicate a simple situation."

The captain looked at the big guy. "I haven't retracted my order. Even if they were your mother, they colluded with the enemy. Don't let her words overcomplicate the situation. Kill them."

"No!" Fang Ruxue shouted.

The man who had slapped her earlier crouched in front of her. Once again, his face scrunched in displeasure, as if she were an embarrassment to her ancestors. Then, in a movement as fast as a snake, he raised his arm and swung it toward her right cheek. The back of his hand struck her. A sharp ring echoed in her mind as she was thrown sideways, the world spinning around her. When she landed on her back, staring up at the clouds, she was in shock. She couldn't process what had happened for several moments and blinked to clear her blurry vision. But soon, a searing pain erupted on her right cheek, jolting her back to reality. As she pushed herself up, the world seemed to slow down. She could see the humming, vibrating sword the big man swung downward glinting under the sunlight. She could see the old man and Brother Rou grimacing, not wanting to die, yet able to do nothing. Fang Ruxue extended her arms toward them, hoping a miracle would happen and she could shoot some kind of attack from her palm like a cultivator.

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"No!" she shouted, but the world fell silent, as if it too held its breath, waiting for the death of the people who had helped her.

"Sorry for being so late."

It was a mere whisper in her ears, like the sound of a soft wind, one she thought was an illusion born from her distressed mind. However, when a blur moved in her peripheral vision, heading so fast toward the swinging sword, her heartbeat quickened.

A mere instant later, the vibrating, humming sword that was meant to cleave the old man and Brother Rou hit something, but it was not its target. It was a hand. Crouching in front of the old man and Brother Rou was Liu Xing. He had pinched the blade between his thumb and index finger.

Liu Xing rose to his feet and casually deflected the sword to the side. "You're from the Qing clan too?" he asked.

Fang Ruxue scrambled to her feet and rushed toward the old man and Brother Rou. "Are you alright?"

The old man nodded, but Brother Rou's gaze was nailed to Liu Xing's back. His eyes were open so wide it was as if he had just witnessed a flying dragon. Fang Ruxue looked at Liu Xing's back too, and she couldn't help but sigh in relief. It was fortunate he had arrived in the nick of time. If he had been late by even a second, the old man and Brother Rou would be dead.

"Who are you?!" the big guy shouted, his eyes wide in disbelief as he pointed his sword toward Liu Xing.

The others also pointed their swords, their faces scrunched in wary confusion.

"Is it teleportation?" the slender man said, his eyes narrowed. "I didn't see him arrive. It was as if he materialized from thin air."

"It wasn't that," the captain said. His hollow smile remained, but she could see beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "It was either an illusion technique, or he was so fast that we didn't see him coming."

"What do we do?"

"We can't let our target go," the captain answered. "This guy is something, but he is surrounded five to one—"

The air shifted suddenly, growing colder by the second. While she only felt cold, the big man began to tremble and his teeth started to chatter. The captain's sweat increased, flowing from his chin like a waterfall. Terror settled on the faces of the Qing Clan cultivators, and they moved closer to each other instinctively, as if suddenly in the presence of a tiger. The man who had slapped her twice was the calmest one, but even his body was trembling.

Liu Xing turned and flashed a small, guilty smile. Then, he focused his attention on her, lingering on her face for a moment before grimacing. "I'm truly sorry for being late. The Qing clan decided to spread their forces, and a large number of them came right for me. I needed a while to handle them and get here."

Fang Ruxue nodded slightly, then felt her cheeks become wet. She touched her face and realized they were tears. She had been crying without even noticing. "It's alright. The important thing is that you've come."

"Not as fast as I'd hoped, though," he said, then pointed to his own face, though she knew he meant the slap marks on her cheek. "I'll make sure to pay them back a hundredfold for this. Especially the one who left that awful mark on your face."

Fang Ruxue touched her cheek with both hands, realizing how hot and painful it was, though she felt the pain she experienced now was only a fraction of what it should be. Perhaps the shock still numbed her.

Liu Xing rose and turned toward the enemies. "Who slapped her?"

At the same time, Fang Ruxue, the old man, and Brother Rou were suddenly floating in the air. Fang Ruxue's eyes widened for a moment, but she quickly calmed herself. She knew it was Liu Xing; he had done this many times before. Soon, the three of them floated toward the house, passed through the doorway, and were gently laid on the floor. As soon as the qi holding them released them, Fang Ruxue instantly crouched and peeked out the window.

She could see Liu Xing look back at her and whisper, "Wait there for a moment," to which she replied with a nod.

"Who… who is that?" Brother Rou asked.

"His name is Liu Xing," Fang Ruxue said as she glanced toward him. "He's the one who gave me the mission."

"We need to go," the old man suddenly said. "While it's good that reinforcement has arrived, it's one man against five."

"No need for that, Grandpa," said Brother Rou. "I am not a cultivator anymore, but I can still sense qi. That guy, Liu Xing, is unfathomably strong. He feels like an ancient mountain."

"He is indeed strong. He won't lose to those five," Fang Ruxue said, puffing her chest out slightly.

Outside, she saw Liu Xing and the Qing clan cultivators arguing. Then, her gaze focused on the man who had slapped her twice. He appeared calm, but she knew he was terrified of Liu Xing. At that moment, their eyes met, and Fang Ruxue couldn't help but smirk. She hoped that Liu Xing would slap him a hundred times.

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