Chapter 33: The Return of a Fierce Enemy

A sharp “zzzt” sound

Amid flashing cold light, the yellow ribbon shattered into several pieces, while a furious wind erupted, kicking up sand and stones—all ice needles were blown away without a trace.

Then Wang Yu slowly stepped out of the gale, one hand holding a blade, the other clutching a silver folding fan—the artifact known as the ‘Xuan Feng Fan’.

Seeing this, the young woman’s face turned pale.

Wang Yu snorted, his arm snapping out in one swift motion; his long blade became a streak of cold light, shooting straight at the young woman.

The young woman cried “Ah!”—but at such close range, she had no time to react, only watching helplessly as the cold light pierced through her body, her eyes filled with despair.

“Bang”

A gleaming spearhead suddenly shot up from the ground nearby, striking the blade in midair and knocking it back.

Then came a “puff”—dirt exploded upward, and a figure wrapped in yellow light slowly rose from beneath, holding a spear in one hand.

Wang Yu twisted aside, catching his returning blade, but when he clearly saw the face within the yellow light, his expression turned strangely uneasy.

Before he could speak, the figure moved—somehow appearing right before Wang Yu.

“Puff” “Puff” “Puff” “Puff” “Puff”

The figure’s spear, like a venomous snake, unleashed five rapid thrusts in succession, each strike angled with cruel precision, impossible to block.

Under hyper-synchronization, Wang Yu’s blade slashed out like a rainstorm—“Ding! Ding!”—each cut precisely intercepting the spearhead.

But every block sent an odd vibration up the blade, and despite his enhanced muscle control, he was forced to stagger backward with each impact.

When the figure finished his thrusts and vanished back to his original spot, Wang Yu had retreated five or six steps, once again putting distance between himself and the young woman.

His arms felt numb; he stared at the spear-wielding figure, his face darkening.

The figure ignored Wang Yu entirely, turning instead to the young woman and speaking softly:

“Rou’er, I’ve come for you. Come with me.”

The figure was unmistakably the masked youth from the lawship, his gaze now filled with tenderness as he looked at the young woman.

“Brother Li, you won’t kill me?” The young woman stared at the masked youth, her expression frantic, voice trembling.

“Why would I kill you? We grew up together, inseparable since childhood, our hearts bound as one. I even gave you the Li family’s ancestral heirloom as a betrothal gift. When our family was destroyed and I vanished, you married into the Huang family—it was unavoidable. I understand.” The masked youth spoke without changing expression.

“I gave your Li family’s heirloom as dowry to the Huangs—do you not blame me?” The young woman bit her lip, still seeming unable to believe it.

“I’ve always seen you as the mistress of the Li family. Once I gave it to you, it was yours. What you did with it afterward—I bear you no resentment.” The masked youth replied without hesitation, his voice gentle.

The young woman stood frozen, stunned by his words.

Beside her, Wang Yu stood dumbfounded.

This masked youth, cool and aloof, was a total sycophant.

“Fine, Brother Li, I’ll go with you—but first, kill this little thief. If I see him dead before my eyes, I’ll follow you.” The young woman hesitated a moment after hearing his words, but when her gaze fell on Wang Yu, her hatred flared anew—she spoke without further delay.

Hearing this, Wang Yu cursed the young woman inwardly, gripping his blade tightly as he glared coldly at the masked youth.

Though he didn’t know the man’s cultivation level, his spear technique was terrifying—if not for hyper-synchronization, he might not have blocked those thrusts at all.

“You want me to kill him? He’s low in cultivation, but his strength isn’t weak. If I strike, we may both be badly wounded.” The masked youth glanced at Wang Yu, frowning slightly.

“Brother Li, I know the power of your Li family’s ‘Thunder Rush Spear.’ If you use your full strength, you can kill him easily—and I’ll assist you from the side. Help me avenge my husband’s death, and I’ll be yours forever.” The young woman, driven by hatred, pleaded desperately.

“A husband’s vengeance? You still see yourself as a Huang!” The masked youth’s gaze shifted, his voice suddenly icy.

“No, no—I only wanted to fulfill my final duty as Huang Lang’s wife. Once you kill this thief, I’ll be yours, forever….” The young woman panicked, trying to explain.

“Puff”

The gleaming spearhead shot forward with lightning speed, piercing straight through the young woman’s chest, leaving her impaled.

She looked down at the crimson stain on her chest, then raised her head to gaze at the masked youth so close—her face still filled with disbelief:

“Brother Li, you…”

“If you cling to being a Huang, and still remember your husband, then I’ll send you on your way. If I can’t have your heart, then you’ll vanish from my memory forever—lest you become a lingering attachment, blocking my path.” The masked youth spoke calmly, then flicked his wrist—the crimson spearhead erupted in flames, instantly engulfing the young woman.

The young woman screamed in agony within the flames:

“No, Brother Li, I’m sorry, spare me! I’ll love you wholly from now on! Kill me, and you’ll never get back the Li family heirloom… No… I curse you, you bastard…”

Her screams faded within the fire, then vanished entirely.

Watching the young woman turn to ash, Wang Yu felt a chill crawl through his bones, icy dread rising down his spine.

As a modern university student, he’d never witnessed anything like this—he screamed silently inside: “This guy’s a monster! I must get far away from him!”

At that moment, the masked youth flicked his spear backward, tucking it away, then pulled from his robe a golden-yellow wooden slab, about a foot long. He gently stroked it twice, then stared coldly at the young woman’s remains:

“Rou’er, don’t worry about the Li family heirloom—I already secretly infiltrated the Huangs and retrieved it. Otherwise, why would they have tried to board the ship before departure? Hmph. A family with not even a Foundation Establishment cultivator dares covet our Li family’s treasures? I’ll wipe them out someday.”

After speaking, the masked youth finally turned his gaze toward Wang Yu—his eyes cold, hollow, devoid of any emotion.

Wang Yu suddenly understood: the two Huangs who boarded the Iron Arrow had been after this man.

But as the masked youth’s gaze locked onto him, Wang Yu’s heart lurched—he shoved the silver fan into his sleeve, swiftly pulled a small iron shield from his robe, raised it before him, sheathed his blade back at his waist, and gripped the hilt with one hand, speaking coldly:

“So now, sir, are you still going to attack?”

“No need. You took Huang Qiyue’s Iron Yuan Shield and killed Huang family members—you’re an ally, not an enemy. Today, let’s pretend we never met. Go your way, I’ll go mine.” The masked youth glanced at the iron shield in Wang Yu’s hand, then smiled faintly, tucked the golden wood into his robe, and strode toward the dense forest.

Wang Yu froze for a moment—he hadn’t expected the youth to recognize the iron shield—but seeing him leave, he exhaled deeply in relief.

The man’s strength was immeasurable; Wang Yu had no desire to fight him to the death—he turned and walked away in the opposite direction.

“Swoosh”

Just as the masked youth reached the forest’s edge, his body suddenly shot backward, twisting mid-air before landing again in the center of the clearing, his face dark and grim as he stared toward the trees.

Wang Yu halted, startled—his steps frozen.

“Clap” “Clap”

“I never expected to arrive just a little late and still catch such a fine show. Boy, the Li family you mentioned—isn’t that the Yuezhou Firebird Li clan wiped out ten years ago? And that wood in your hand—isn’t that the legendary thousand-year phoenix tree?”

From the edge of the forest stepped a short figure, clapping slowly, his eyes greedy as they fixed on the masked youth—his waist hung with a severed head.

It was the dwarf Qiankunzi.

And the head—its face twisted in rage and malice, its features unmistakably those of Yu Bin.