404: A shrewd and calculating person

“No!!!”

Zuoqiu Yi roared in grief, two streams of bloody tears gushing down, reaching out her hand in vain to stop it, but could only watch helplessly as her nephew was crushed to death, turning into a bloody mist that dissipated into the world.

“Pfft~”

Blood rushed to her heart, and a gush of fresh blood surged from her mouth. Zuoqiu Yi rolled her eyes and immediately fainted.

The Flying Sword carried her across the lake, disappearing into the dense forest on both banks. Lin Fan caught her, his heart full of tenderness as he wiped away the blood from the corner of her mouth, then glared fiercely at the two members of the Li Family.

Xu Sanyan gazed at the scene. Although he didn't recognize the two, he already had a guess in his heart.

There weren't many He Dao Realm experts in Luan Yun Mountain, and each had a name and surname. Furthermore, they appeared at this time and looked so miserable. Besides the Li Family Head, he couldn't think of anyone else.

“The Li Family Head is fighting at the front, Fellow Daoist, are you not going to assist him?”

Xu Sanyan looked at Li Hai beside him, his tone tinged with mockery.

Li Hai's expression was normal, without a hint of embarrassment. “This old man's abilities are meager, so I won't add to the trouble. The Family Head's cultivation is peerless; a mere Zuoqiu Clan cannot do anything to him. Moreover, with the Great Steward assisting him from the side, he will certainly escape danger.”

No sooner had he finished speaking, the Zuoqiu Clan members changed their Formation. A layer of faint luminescence subtly encircled the two, and various attacks rained down from all directions, leaving the two Li Family members overwhelmed.

They were already exhausted from their journey and had depleted most of their mental energy. Now, being besieged, it was like adding insult to injury.

“Family Head, hurry and leave! I'll hold them off!”

The Great Steward Li roared, mobilizing the magical power throughout his body to condense a dark green light wave in front of him. The ripples undulated like phantoms, and a profound aura swept across the battlefield, causing everyone's minds to tremble and their spirits to instantly sharpen.

Judging by his stance, he clearly looked like he was going all out.

The Li Family Head's face showed reluctance, but he also understood that if he didn't make a decisive move, neither of them would escape. So, he no longer hesitated, just waiting for the Great Steward to create an opportunity for him to escape.

“Run?!”

“Hmph, none of you will escape!”

Zuoqiu Shen's face twisted into a sinister grin. He had already paid the price of his clansmen's lives, so how could he let them escape so easily?

The Great Steward Li finished his preparations, pinpointed a weak spot in the encirclement, stretched out his arms, and thrust them forward fiercely. The ripples swept out like ocean waves.

“Whoosh~”

Everyone vaguely heard the sound of waves crashing, and layers of dark green waves rushed towards them.

The Zuoqiu Clan Elder directly facing the ripples felt a chill in his heart. Daring not to be careless, he frantically squeezed out all his magical power, along with the magical power of the others in the Formation, sending it all out. The luminescence in front of him became even more intense.

“Now!”

The Li Family Head was overjoyed; this was a good opportunity to escape!

He immediately circulated his body and rushed forward, following the ripples closely.

Zuoqiu Shen's pupils constricted, and he secretly gritted his teeth. His feet blurred, and he vanished from his original spot, rushing at extreme speed in the direction the Li Family Head was escaping.

He absolutely could not let him escape!

The situation on the field changed in an instant. With Zuoqiu Shen's movement, the Zuoqiu Clan members, who were originally evenly distributed around, now had a situation where one side had more people and the other had fewer.

The Formation set up by the Zuoqiu Clan was hastily and simply arranged, requiring precise positioning. Everyone's position was indispensable. However, when Zuoqiu Shen moved his position, his original spot lost its protection, becoming the weakest point of the Formation.

A glint flashed in the Great Steward Li's eyes. He took one last look at the Li Family Head, and his aura suddenly surged, several times stronger than before!

He had never intended to help the Li Family Head escape.

This was his plan all along: use the Li Family Head's life as bait to create an opportunity for himself to escape!

What deep brotherly affection, what Family survival—in the face of life and death, they were all just jokes.

The Great Steward felt no guilt whatsoever about calculating against the Li Family Head.

They were both He Dao Realm; why should I die to let you escape?

Just because you're the Family Head?

What a joke!

In a brief instant, the situation reversed again. Zuoqiu Shen abruptly turned his head, looking at the Great Steward who had broken through the Formation, and instantly realized he had been tricked.

The Li Family Head also understood, and endless venom surged onto his face. “Li Xiong, you tricked me!”

The Great Steward didn't look back, rushing at extreme speed into the distance.

Zuoqiu Shen gritted his teeth in hatred, then fixed his gaze on the Li Family Head. One had already escaped; this one must be kept no matter what!

“Kill him!”

...

On the bank, amidst the bushes, Zuoqiu Yi slowly opened her eyes and immediately saw the middle-aged man in front of her. She was stunned. “You are...?”

Lin Fan reacted and tore off his hood. “It's me, Lin Fan.”

“Cough cough~”

Zuoqiu Yi felt a tightness in her chest and suddenly coughed violently. She remembered what had just happened: her second sister was dead, and her nephew was also dead...

Endless pain surged in Zuoqiu Yi's heart. She didn't understand why Heaven was so cruel to her; those around her died one after another, leaving her alone to bear the suffering.

Xu Sanyan chewed on a blade of grass, his gaze fixed on the distant battlefield, taking everything in.

Suddenly, a figure broke through the Formation and rushed out of the battlefield at extreme speed. Coincidentally, that figure was flying towards them.

“Who is that?” Xu Sanyan asked Li Hai, who was beside him.

“The Great Steward Li, Li Xiong, a He Dao cultivation,” Li Hai did not hide.

Xu Sanyan slowly nodded. Just as he was about to ask again, a piercing scream suddenly came from his ear, the voice trembling with extreme emotion.

“It's him! He killed my nephew! I want revenge!!”

Zuoqiu Yi stared intently at Li Xiong, who was coming towards her, her silver teeth grinding audibly. Ignoring Lin Fan's attempts to stop her, she was determined to rush forward and throw herself into danger.

Zuoqiu Yi was completely consumed by hatred at this moment, utterly disregarding the difference in their strength, or perhaps she was actively seeking death, unwilling to live any longer.

Her nephew's death had completely stripped her of hope.

Zuoqiu Yi and Lin Fan seemed like two extremes: one favored by the Heavenly Dao, turning misfortune into blessings and overcoming difficulties.

The other was a lone star of calamity, with Family and friends dying one after another.

Just look at the fate of those close to Zuoqiu Zhen: six sisters, some dead, some gone. Her parents had passed away years ago.

Even her favorite nephew, Zuoqiu Yu, was crushed to death in front of her. She didn't know what the meaning of her life was anymore.

“Kill!”

Zuoqiu Yi's eyes were filled with hatred and determination. Her Clear Water Long Sword trembled in her hand, and she suddenly rushed towards the Great Steward Li.

“No!”

Lin Fan was shocked and rushed after her. The black sword on his back, however, was faster than him, soaring into the air as if it had a spirit, keeping pace with Zuoqiu Yi.

Xu Sanyan raised an eyebrow, quietly observing the scene before him. This matter had nothing to do with him; he had no intention of intervening, only wanting to be a quiet spectator.

The Great Steward narrowed his eyes slightly, completely disregarding the two small ants rushing towards him, only paying special attention to the black sword.

That sword had left a very deep impression on him.

“Give me back my nephew's life!”

“Hmph...”

The Great Steward snorted disdainfully and struck out with a palm.