257: Chapter 257 Third Career Assessment

Upon hearing this, Ye Yisong's eyes darkened abruptly. His right hand already rested on the sword held against his chest, and he said coldly, "Wei Yan, it is fine for you to hunt me down, but you should not harm the innocent."

His gaze swept across the masked mother and daughter and the refugee grandparents. As for the three burly men, Ye Yisong sneered in his heart: Sycophants.

The eunuch known as Wei Yan let out a shrill laugh and waved his sleeve, signaling the three burly men with fierce faces to step forward. "The young marquis is kind-hearted, but in this world, good people do not live long!"

The three burly men responded by drawing short blades from their sleeves and iron claws hidden at their chests, attacking from three directions simultaneously, aiming straight for Ye Yisong's vital points.

Ye Yisong did not dodge or evade. As his sword left its scabbard, a cold light flashed. He used his left palm to push aside the little girl beside him, while simultaneously slanting his blade upward, precisely slicing the wrist of the burly man on the left who held the claw.

Amidst a scream, he pivoted his feet. The moment he dodged the blade on his right, his sword tip had already pierced the heart of the man in the middle. His movements were crisp and efficient, without a shred of hesitation.

The burly man in the middle looked at the long sword in his chest in disbelief, spat out blood foam, and collapsed to the ground with a thud.

"Second Brother! Third Brother!"

The other two burly men's eyes were split with rage as they glared at Ye Yisong, their attacks becoming even more ferocious.

"Hahaha, to think that sycophants also value brotherly bonds," Ye Yisong scoffed, spinning to meet the two attacking men as his sword strikes grew increasingly fierce.

After a few exchanges, he heavily wounded the youngest of the three burly men, severing his right arm, and grazed the eldest, leaving a conspicuous trail of blood on his cheek.

"Useless trash."

Seeing this, Wei Yan cursed, stepped into the fray himself, and thrust the poison-tipped silver threads of his whisk directly at Ye Yisong's face. Ye Yisong dodged to the side, but caught a glimpse of the one-armed man cutting down the bodyguards and attempting to seize the masked mother and daughter hiding behind the Buddha statue to force Ye Yisong to submit.

He immediately abandoned Wei Yan, reversed his blade, and slashed across the throat, finishing off the youngest.

"You dare to be distracted?"

Wei Yan seized the opportunity to strike at his back. Ye Yisong spun around violently, using the flat of his blade to block the whisk, and gripped the opponent's wrist with his left hand, intending to use the leverage to pierce his shoulder blade with his sword.

But Wei Yan was a step faster, striking Ye Yisong's chest with a palm. Ye Yisong spat out blood and staggered backward, only stopping when his back hit a temple pillar.

"Give me your life!" the eldest roared, lunging forward and swinging his blade at Ye Yisong's neck. Ye Yisong rolled, dodging the burly man's furious strike.

The eldest had used too much force, and his heavy blade embedded itself deep into the pillar, unable to be pulled out for a moment.

Ye Yisong would not let such a prime opportunity slip by. He thrust his long sword diagonally upward, piercing the burly man's abdomen. With a few twists of the blade, the man let out a mournful cry and died.

Wei Yan took advantage of this gap to attack again. The whisk pierced straight through the burly man's body, the poison-tipped silver threads nearly striking Ye Yisong's face.

Fortunately, the old man who had been watching from the sidelines intervened, blocking Wei Yan's attack and giving Ye Yisong a moment to catch his breath.

"Uncle Shan!"

The middle-aged woman called out, revealing the old man's identity; the two groups were actually together.

Even if Ye Yisong hadn't intervened earlier, the old man would have protected the mother and daughter, making his own efforts somewhat redundant.

"Xiao Wu, protect the Mistress well!" Uncle Shan instructed before immediately joining the fray between Ye Yisong and Wei Yan. He knew that alone, he was no match for Wei Yan.

"Good, good, good! To think the General of the North dares to oppose me. Once I return to the capital, I will make sure to execute all of you rebellious traitors!" Wei Yan roared in fury, exposing the old man's background.

"Hmph, the Eunuch Faction deserves to be executed by all," Uncle Shan retorted. He was not intimidated by Wei Yan's threat; instead, his attacks became even fiercer.

Ye Yisong's Breeze Sword Technique was light and agile, perfectly complementing Uncle Shan's grand and powerful Thunderbolt Palm. Together, they fought Wei Yan to a stalemate.

"If you don't act now, when will you?" Wei Yan, knowing that if the fight continued this way he would surely lose, shouted shrilly.

"Oh no! Xiao Wu, you animal!" Uncle Shan looked back to see Xiao Wu's dagger already buried in the middle-aged woman's back.

"If it weren't for the General of the North giving you food to eat, how could you have survived until today? To think you would bite the hand that feeds you, you animal! Die!"

"What future is there for a General of the North's estate that has lost its master?"

"Lord Eunuch, save me!" Xiao Wu cried out, but received no response. Only a heavy, weathered palm struck his forehead, causing his head to explode instantly, and his headless corpse flew away.

"Mother!" The little girl wailed, clutching the pale middle-aged woman and calling out incessantly.

"Can'er, be good. In the future, listen to... Uncle Shan. Stay in the estate... and wait... for Father... to return." The middle-aged woman instructed intermittently, and until her final breath, she could not bear to let go of the little girl's hand.

"Pfft."

Ye Yisong took another palm strike from Wei Yan to his chest, spat out blood, turned deathly pale, and staggered back several steps.

"I want you dead!"

Uncle Shan roared, his eyes bloodshot. Attacking without defense, his two weathered hands exhausted his own Qi and blood, erupting with astonishing power. He unleashed the Thunderbolt Palm in rapid succession, striking Wei Yan's body and leaving three clear palm prints. Finally, panting heavily, his legs gave way in unwillingness; it was clear he would not survive.

"Senior!"

Ye Yisong supported Uncle Shan, helping him barely stand.

"My Heart-Nature has dissipated; I was not going to survive anyway. To be able to trade my life for this old dog's at the very end... it was worth it." Uncle Shan gripped Ye Yisong's hand tightly, looking at him with pleading eyes. "Young Marquis, can you do me a favor?"

Before he could finish his sentence, he passed away!

"Rest assured, Senior. Junior will definitely escort the General of the North's orphan back to the capital."

Ye Yisong gently closed Uncle Shan's eyes and said firmly.

"Hahaha! You old fool, even at death's door, you wanted to drag me down with you? Dream on!" Wei Yan pulled a shattered protective armor plate from his tattered clothes and laughed loudly.

"Senior, rest in peace. Junior will definitely fulfill the promise made." Ye Yisong gently laid down Uncle Shan's body, picked up the long sword from the ground, and rushed toward Wei Yan, who was approaching the little girl.

"Hmph, overestimating your capabilities!" Wei Yan glanced at the approaching Ye Yisong with disdain, not taking him seriously at all—he was just a defeated opponent.

"I said I would protect her." Ye Yisong's voice was cold. With a flick of his wrist, the blade completely pierced Wei Yan's chest. The killing blow was clean and decisive, with only the determination in his eyes bearing witness to his commitment to his promise.

"Dugu... Nine Swords. You truly obtained that person's Legacy." Wei Yan looked at the sword in his chest with unwillingness, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth as he said, "I will wait for you in the underworld."

The vibrations caused by a hundred cavalrymen galloping outside the temple caused the snow on the roof to crash down with a rumble.

"Let's go!" Ye Yisong hoisted the still-crying little girl onto his back, vaulted over the temple's back wall, and quickly fled toward the dense forest not far away.

The hundred cavalrymen charged in unison, directly trampling the temple's outer wall. The leader scanned the area and ordered indifferently, "Pursue!"