Lightly shuddering, Xia Ruoyun opened her eyes. All of her hatred was fixated on the man before her as she cried out, “Xiaming, you contemptible–!”

　　“Contemptible?” Xiaming laughed scornfully. “This? It’s just survival of the fittest! You see? It’s this precise ignorance of yours that had your mother murdered. That’s right; The one who killed her was you!”

　　The one who killed her was you.

　　“HAHAHAHA!” An abrupt outburst of manic laughter tore off from her throat. It pounded up the air, surrounding the hills with menacing echoes.

　　“Hey Xiaming, how about I bring you bastard down under to offer a personal apology to my poor mother? In fact, I’ll bring you with me…. Now!”

　　Immediately, her energy field intensified exponentially. It was so intense that it obscured the lights from the sky, the ashen surrounding now thick with a sense of foreboding.

　　“NO!” Xiaming’s face paled, murmuring to himself. “She’s going to blow herself up!”

　　Xia Ruoyun was the prodigy hailed from the Xia family — a savant who had already attained the title of Martial Honor at just a tender age. If not for the Yun Family’s “Devastation” he used in the prior attack, Xiaming wouldn’t have successfully and heavily injured her with his sneak attack. Yet, injuring a Martial Honor means nothing if she was going for an assault of a mutually-assured destruction!

　　Pccchh!

　　Suddenly, shredding through the still air of the hills, was an abrupt sound of a human chest being stabbed through.

　　Xia Ruoyun’s body froze, her gaze fell to the blade lodged in her chest. She turned her head slowly to a chiseled, handsome face. “Luchen… You….”

　　She knew Luchen was going to appear. But because it was Luchen, she had allowed herself to let her guard down.

　　She could not believe this. The man she trusted the most would want her killed!

　　Energy exploded out from her body, vaporizing the blade into sparks. Her hand held her chest as it bled, her eyes bleed in disbelief and deep sorrow, “Why would you…?”

　　Kill me?

　　The last two words were trapped by the lump in her throat. She just could not say them out.

　　A faint semblance of guilt and sadness flickered in Luchen’s eyes, but they were gone in a flash.

　　“My dear Yun, I’m sorry… But I am an ambitious man. You may be the love of my life, but only Chuxue is the reincarnated avatar of the Ancient Phoenix Zhixie, the true arbiter of the Ancient Divine Pagoda! With its power, she will become the strongest of this realm. Whoever marries her would then essentially own the world, and that is why I did what I had to do…”

　　Xia Ruoyun’s face was drained of any color. The man she loved or who had sworn to love and protect her forever was now pettily wagging a blade against her.

　　Suddenly, as if she remembered something, she charged towards Luchen like a possessed woman.

　　“My brother! My brother Yu, whom you promised to protect! What have you done to him, you wretch?!” Intense pain shot through her body but she ignored them, with her attention fixated on him as she clutched his shirt in hysterical fits.

　　Mother is dead. Her grandfather and his family were dead too. Her baby brother was all she had now! She had trusted Luchen and she had wanted her baby brother to stay out of this. That was why she had trusted Yu with this bastard. But now…

　　Xia Ruoyun’s body shook as suspicion rose within her. Fear began to shroud her sickly face. It was so pitiful, even Luchen felt a throb in his chest.

　　It was short-lived. His heart hardened immediately, and so did his voice as he ordered his men, “Bring me Xia Linyu!”

　　A thump was heard as a half-dead boy was thrown towards their direction. His frail body swayed and shuddered in this howling gale as if he could be blown away by the wind.