A piercing scream shattered the tense silence. One of Lady Jiao's elite guards collapsed, clutching his chest where a skeletal blade had struck true.
"You stand here, powerless." Gang Xing's voice dripped with mockery. "At my complete mercy. Tell me sister, why should I fear you now?"
A bone warrior slipped through the remaining guards' defensive formation. Their eyes darted to Lady Jiao in panic - their perfect coordination broken by their fallen comrade.
With the pipe on her left hand, Lady Jiao moved with fluid grace, ducking low as she spun. Her golden sword cleared its sheath in one smooth motion, striking upward in a precise thrust. The skeleton warrior crumbled instantly, its essence dissolving back into the supernatural void.
Gang Xing's laughter echoed through the darkness, bouncing off unseen walls. "Your little tricks won't save you, dear sister. Soon you'll join our father in death."
