Rao Zhengsheng's eyes narrowed with raw fury. He looked at his most hated enemy, and the corners of his mouth trembled slightly. He gritted his teeth, "Cao Fengge."
Cao Fengge smirked, savoring the moment. "Rao Zhengsheng, commit suicide; everyone else is forgiven. Reject, and the fate of these people on the island will be just like the fate of those in the Rao Manor."
Xue Longwei walked over from behind with Xue Luxia and their three disciples. He stepped forward, resolute. "Although this old man is old, his backbone is still strong. He won't say no to anyone who wants to fight with him."
Cao Fengge smiled cruelly. "Very well, let's test those old backbones of yours."
Xue Luxia asked, her voice steady, "Who are you? How did you get inside?"
Cao Fengge's smile widened. "Cao Fengge. I can finally see the one who saved my enemy's descendants." He rubbed the red needle on his fingertips. "On second thought," he provoked Rao Zhengsheng with his eyes, "I changed my mind."
Xue Longwei pulled Rao Zhengsheng close and ordered him sternly, "Zhengsheng, you are their Da Shixiong, you have an obligation to protect them. When we fight, take them to the back cave and leave."
Rao Zhengsheng hesitated. "Shifu, but…"
Xue Longwei's voice cut him off. "This is an order."
Cao Fengge, bored with the conversation, gave the command. "Kill every single one of them."
Xue Longwei shouted, "Everyone knows where to meet if we get separated." He pulled his butterfly swords from their sheath. His disciples also unsheathed their weapons.
Cao Wenyan, Red Mice, Blue Mice, and other Beixing disciples rushed toward the group of ten.
Rao Zhengsheng grabbed Xue Horan's hand. "Horan, take Xiurong and leave now."
Xue Horan violently pulled his hand away, the earlier heartbreak hardening into determination. "I won't leave my parents behind. You take your lover and leave now." He sprinted forward and immediately began fighting side by side with Xue Luxia.
Rao Zhengsheng shouted, "Horan!" He pushed Yuan Xiurong away, then blocked Cao Wenyan's sword. Rao Zhengsheng quickly drew his own sword and swung it at Cao Wenyan, forcing Cao Wenyan to retreat. Both Red Mice and Blue Mice immediately rushed towards Rao Zhengsheng.
Xue Longwei and Cao Fengge began their duel directly in front of the house, while the others fought behind it. Cao Fengge shot six poisonous red thread needles at Xue Longwei. Xue Longwei's left sword circled the red thread, and his right sword cut the threads. Cao Fengge then sent another three needles at Xue Longwei. Xue Longwei swung his right sword in a circular motion, successfully knocking the three needles away, but they were only a distraction from the main blow.
Flying from behind Cao Fengge was Chief of Seventy-Two Islands. Chief had already released six needles directly at Xue Longwei. Xue Longwei blocked four of the six needles with his left sword. The other two needles flew through his flesh. Chief of Seventy-Two Islands then struck Xue Longwei's chest with a heavy blow, sending him sliding toward Xue Horan and Yongzheng.
Xue Horan rushed forward. "Father…"
Chief of Seventy-Two Islands immediately turned, striking directly at Xue Horan.
Yongzheng quickly knocked two Beixing disciples away, flew at the Chief, and attacked Chief of Seventy-Two Islands with his powerful foot skill.
Xue Horan knelt. "Father…"
Xue Longwei spat a mouthful of blood, his life ebbing away. "Horan… run… take your mother and run…"
Cao Fengge rushed directly to Rao Zhengsheng, and the final descendant of the Rao family was forced into a desperate fight, immediately finding himself at a distinct disadvantage.
Dong Lanying grabbed Shi Rou's hand. She said, "Rou'er, take Xiurong to the meeting place and wait for us."
Shi Rou protested, "Shijie!"
Dong Lanying's voice was sharp. "Just go. You have the least skill out of everyone. You can't help much here. Go now!"
Shi Rou grabbed Yuan Xiurong's hand, and the two disappeared into the night, heading toward the marked cave.
Cao Fengge landed a hard blow to Rao Zhengsheng's chest, slamming him against the wall.
Ciao Nui screamed, "Da Shixiong!" He pierced Cao Fengge's back with a sword, but Cao Fengge quickly moved his body to the left and, at the same time, wrapped the red thread around Ciao Nui's throat.
Rao Zhengsheng yelled, spitting blood from his mouth. "Demon Cao, let him go!"
Cao Fengge yanked his red thread toward the right, and the poison needle scraped violently across Ciao Nui's throat.
Ciao Nui's lips trembled. His mouth opened twice, but there was no sound—only blood gushing out. Ciao Nui died where he stood.
Rao Zhengsheng roared, consumed by grief and rage. "Demon Cao, go to hell!" He drew out the butterfly swords he'd just picked up and sprinted forward.
Cao Fengge pushed away Ciao Nui's lifeless body and smirked. "Very well, I will send you to see your parents."
Xue Luxia and Yen Nuo were fighting Cao Wenyan, Red Mice, and Blue Mice. Cao Wenyan hit Xue Luxia hard on the back and knocked her to the ground.
Both Red Mice and Blue Mice attacked Yen Nuo. Their swords swung toward her from left to right, and Yen Nuo, who was inexperienced, couldn't stop all the attacks. Blue Mice pierced Yen Nuo's abdomen with a sword. She grabbed the sword with her left hand. Blue Mice pressed hard, and the sharp sword slowly pierced her body inch by inch.
Yen Nuo realized that she would not survive the battle tonight, but if she were to die, she would take them with her. She suddenly let go of her hand. Blue Mice's sword slid directly into her abdomen. Then, she used all her internal strength to poke Blue Mice's eyes and dug out his eyes. In pain, Blue Mice hit her right shoulder. Yen Nuo staggered back and swung her sword at Blue Mice's throat.
Red Mice shouted in horror, "Er Di..." He swung his sword and cut Yen Nuo's right hand, severing her grip. He rushed to aid Blue Mice.
The cut from Red Mice's sword was too deep; Yen Nuo's arteries and nerves were instantly severed, and her hand was no longer strong. Her sword slowly fell to the ground. She saw Cao Wenyan walking quickly toward the collapsed Xue Luxia. With a final, desperate burst of strength, she quickly jumped forward and hugged Cao Wenyan's waist tightly, immobilizing him.
Xue Luxia stood up and rushed towards Cao Wenyan with a sword, seeking revenge for her disciple's sacrifice. After she got close enough, Cao Wenyan savagely tore Yen Nuo's arms away from his waist and grabbed Yen Nuo's body. He directly pushed Yen Nuo into Xue Luxia's incoming sword. Xue Luxia's sword pierced Yen Nuo's chest directly, coming out of Yen Nuo's back.
Xue Luxia screamed in grief, "Nuo'er…"
Blood poured out from Yen Nuo's chest and mouth. With her last breath, she muttered, "Shi...mu..." before falling limp.
Cao Wenyan ignored the dead body, sprinting with his sword and aiming at the crying Xue Luxia, who was holding her dead disciple in her arms. Suddenly, his attack was stopped by Dong Lanying.
Dong Lanying threw four daggers at Cao Wenyan, forcing him to flip backward and create distance.
Dong Lanying grabbed Xue Luxia's arm. "Shimu, let's go!"
Dong Lanying and Xue Luxia gave way to Rao Zhengsheng, who was losing his battle and was seriously injured by Cao Fengge.
Just when Cao Fengge was about to stab Rao Zhengsheng, Dong Lanying and Xue Luxia attacked Cao Fengge from behind. Cao Fengge merely bent down, grabbed the hands of the two women, yanked their arms forward, and hit them hard on the chest with internal force, sending both of them reeling.
Rao Zhengsheng sprinted forward, desperate to engage his enemy, but Cao Fengge used internal force to draw a sword from the ground and swung it in a massive arc toward Rao Zhengsheng.
Xue Luxia rushed to Rao Zhengsheng quickly, intercepting the blow. Cao Fengge's sword sliced viciously across her back. Xue Luxia collapsed forward, falling directly into Rao Zhengsheng's arms.
Cao Fengge looked furiously at Dong Lanying, enraged by her interference. He stabbed his sword forward directly at her, but Xue Luxia, already gravely injured, forced herself to push Rao Zhengsheng away and stand in front of Dong Lanying. Cao Fengge's sword penetrated deeply into her abdomen.
Dong Lanying screamed in despair, "Shimu!" She looked angrily at Cao Fengge. "Why?"
Xue Luxia grabbed Dong Lanying's arm, urging her with a cough. "Run..."
Rao Zhengsheng, now supporting the mortally wounded Xue Luxia, commanded his betrothed. "Lanying, leave now!"
Dong Lanying, with tears streaming down her face, sent three daggers flying at Cao Fengge, momentarily distracting him, and the three of them—Rao Zhengsheng, Xue Luxia, and Dong Lanying—disappeared into the night.
In front of the house, Chief of Seventy-Two Islands threw a connection of punches at Yongzheng, but Yongzheng blocked every single punch. Chief of Seventy-Two Islands jumped high, aiming his right foot at Yongzheng's head, but Yongzheng blocked with his hand and threw a powerful punch into the Chief of Seventy-Two Islands's stomach. Chief of Seventy-Two Islands slid backward toward the front gate.
Yongzheng stood firm. "Let us pass through."
Cao Fengge spoke from the side. "No." He looked at his subordinates. "Kill them."
Twenty Beixing disciples rushed towards Yongzheng with swords.
Yongzheng closed his eyes and shouted, "Don't force me…" He knew that the temptation to kill would be hard to suppress once he held a sword. The most important thing was that he didn't want Xue Horan to see him when he became a "monster." He shouted loudly at the incoming men. "Scram...!"
The twenty Beixing Sect disciples refused to back down and continued charging towards Yongzheng.
Yongzheng looked at the twenty disciples, showing no sign of backing down. He lowered himself to the ground and grabbed Xue Horan's sword. He said urgently, "Horan… please close your eyes. Please… and count to a hundred."
Xue Horan looked at Yongzheng, confused and fearful. "Yongzheng…"
Yongzheng closed his eyes, his voice strained. "Please close your eyes."
Xue Horan saw the genuine desperation on Yongzheng's face; it looked like he was about to cry. Xue Horan finally closed his eyes. "One…" He felt a cold breeze across his face. "Two..." He heard the wind circling in front of him. "Three...four...five..."
As soon as Xue Horan closed his eyes and began counting, Yongzheng dashed forward with Xue Horan's sword, charging straight towards the twenty Beixing Sect disciples. With less than ten moves, the twenty disciples fell to the ground, dead.
Yongzheng was now holding Xue Horan's sword, standing victorious in front of Cao Fengge and Chief of Seventy-Two Islands, with blood dripping from the tip of the blade.
Chief of Seventy-Two Islands suddenly remembered the dirty Taoist he had met half a month ago. He looked at the clean, formidable Yongzheng. "I almost didn't recognize you."
Cao Fengge asked, intrigued, "Oh, does Chief know this young man?"
Chief of Seventy-Two Islands said, "It was he who defeated my Fifth Leader Jiang Koshing."
Cao Fengge scoffed. "Anyone can defeat Jiang Koshing."
Chief of Seventy-Two Islands corrected him. "But he is not just anyone."
Cao Fengge asked, curiosity overriding his anger. "May I ask, Chief, who is he?"
Chief of Seventy-Two Islands delivered the shocking truth. "If my guess is right. The man standing in front of us is an assassin of the Men of Thousand Faces Organization." He looked at Yongzheng. "What's your name?"
Yongzheng replied, his voice flat. "Yongzheng…"
Chief of Seventy-Two Islands challenged the name. "Number One, why did you suddenly change your name?"
Cao Fengge's face darkened, instantly recognizing the terrifying moniker. "Number One?"
Chief of Seventy-Two Islands looked at Cao Fengge and nodded grimly. He pointed his finger at Yongzheng and declared, "Number One, leader of the Men Of Thousand Faces Organization."