Night fell quietly over Sword Heaven City, no different from countless nights before. Spirit lanterns lined the main streets, their pale light reflecting against towering stone buildings. The people slept peacefully, unaware that beneath this calm surface, something rotten was slowly gnawing away within the shadows.
Inside the City Lord's manor, everything appeared normal. Guards patrolled in orderly rotations, and the defensive formations continued to function flawlessly.
Yet deep within the private chambers of the City Lord, an entirely different scene unfolded.
A tall, broad shouldered middle aged man with black hair and stern features lay upon the bed, his breathing faint and uneven. He was Kang Hao, the current ruler of Sword Heaven City, a Saint Level 4 cultivator.
Under normal circumstances, a single wave of his hand would have been enough to suppress hundreds of cultivators. But now, his face was deathly pale. Sweat soaked his body as dark veins bulged across his neck and arms. Some unknown poison was devouring his internal organs slowly, cruelly, without mercy.
Before him stood a young man, a jet black sword trembling slightly in his grip.
He was Kang Jin, Kang Hao's only son.
For a brief moment, the entire room sank into silence. The sound of their breathing intertwined, heavy and suffocating.
Then Kang Jin clenched his sword tightly and thrust it straight into his father's heart without the slightest hesitation.
Slash!
The blade pierced through the body of the Saint. Dark red blood burst forth along with the sound of tearing flesh.
Kang Hao did not scream. There was no roar, no struggle.
His eyes merely stared at his son in silent disbelief, as though he could not accept the reality unfolding before him.
A clear tear slowly slid from the corner of his eye. Countless questions surged through his mind.
Ever since his wife passed away, this child had been everything in his life. The only reason he continued standing as City Lord, even while bearing the immense pressure from sacred lands and surrounding clans.
Kang Jin's trembling voice echoed through the chamber.
"Father… for me to be together with Junior Sister Ye, you must be sacrificed."
Kang Hao slowly closed his eyes. The image of a young woman surfaced within his memories.
Ye Xin.
A female disciple from the Jade Pool Sacred Land, possessing outstanding talent and beauty like a lotus blooming within a heavenly pond. She was the one who had ensnared Kang Jin so deeply that he could no longer pull himself free.
From the moment they met, his son had devoted everything to her. Resources, rare treasures, longevity pills, cultivation techniques. All were offered without hesitation, as if under a spell.
Yet Ye Xin, who accepted all those gifts, had never once looked at his son.
He knew. He himself was at fault for never stopping Kang Jin. But as a father, he only wished for his child's happiness.
Suddenly, a thunderous explosion erupted from outside.
Boom!
A violent sword wave slammed into the City Lord's manor without warning. The protective formations shattered into fragments as stone debris scattered in all directions.
The tremor caused cracks to spread across the chamber floor.
Kang Jin raised his head, excitement blazing within his eyes. Without hesitation, he flung open the door and rushed outside.
"Junior Sister Ye Xin… you have finally come."
At that moment, a figure descended gracefully from the sky.
A young woman with a slender, delicate figure. Even the veil covering her face could not conceal her breathtaking beauty. Her long pink hair was braided into a single flowing plait, her clear eyes shimmering like water under moonlight. Her fitted attire outlined every perfect curve of her body, and with each step she took, it was as though the world itself was drawn toward her.
Beside her stood another young man.
Handsome features, sharp brows, short black hair, and robes of pristine white. An aura of intense heat radiated from his body without the slightest attempt at concealment. The two landed calmly upon the grassy grounds of the City Lord's manor.
Kang Jin stared at the man with open hostility.
But before he could speak, Ye Xin's voice rang out first.
"I truly thank you…"
Upon hearing her words, Kang Jin's face broke into a joyful smile. Yet in that same brief instant, the man in white beside her frowned sharply, unmistakable displeasure flashing across his expression.
The next second
His body shot forward like lightning. His fist tore through the air, striking Kang Jin before he had time to react.
The impact echoed violently through Kang Jin's chest. His body was hurled backward, smashing into a stone pillar that exploded into fragments. Blood burst from his mouth as his breathing faltered violently, leaving him barely able to rise.
Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to lift his head and glare at the man in white standing not far away.
"You filthy bastard… Ye Chen!"
Kang Jin's voice trembled with rage and pain.
"I will kill you!"
Ye Chen let out a soft laugh. His expression was calm, as if everything were unfolding exactly as he had expected. He walked forward slowly, flames coiling around his fist.
"You are already useless now. It is time for you to be thrown into the trash."
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
"But I must thank you. For poisoning Kang Hao on our behalf, you made it incredibly easy for the Ye family to seize Sword Heaven City."
Those words struck like a bolt of lightning through Kang Jin's heart.
He spat out another mouthful of blood, his trembling hands unable to accept what he had just heard.
He turned toward the pink haired woman standing to the side.
"Junior Sister Ye Xin… what does this mean?"
His voice weakened, filled with confusion.
"Were you not the one who told me that as long as I temporarily paralyzed my father, the Ye family would take the opportunity to occupy the city and would not harm anyone from the City Lord's manor… was that not what you said?"
Ye Xin remained silent.
She did not utter a single word.
At that moment, a figure descended gracefully from the sky.
A young woman with a slender, delicate figure. Even the veil covering her face could not conceal her breathtaking beauty. Her long pink hair was braided into a single flowing plait, her clear eyes shimmering like water under moonlight. Her fitted attire outlined every perfect curve of her body, and with each step she took, it was as though the world itself was drawn toward her.
Beside her stood another young man.
Handsome features, sharp brows, short black hair, and robes of pristine white. An aura of intense heat radiated from his body without the slightest attempt at concealment. The two landed calmly upon the grassy grounds of the City Lord's manor.
Kang Jin stared at the man with open hostility.
But before he could speak, Ye Xin's voice rang out first.
"I truly thank you…"
Upon hearing her words, Kang Jin's face broke into a joyful smile. Yet in that same brief instant, the man in white beside her frowned sharply, unmistakable displeasure flashing across his expression.
The next second
His body shot forward like lightning. His fist tore through the air, striking Kang Jin before he had time to react.
The impact echoed violently through Kang Jin's chest. His body was hurled backward, smashing into a stone pillar that exploded into fragments. Blood burst from his mouth as his breathing faltered violently, leaving him barely able to rise.
Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to lift his head and glare at the man in white standing not far away.
"You filthy bastard… Ye Chen!"
Kang Jin's voice trembled with rage and pain.
"I will kill you!"
Ye Chen let out a soft laugh. His expression was calm, as if everything were unfolding exactly as he had expected. He walked forward slowly, flames coiling around his fist.
"You are already useless now. It is time for you to be thrown into the trash."
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
"But I must thank you. For poisoning Kang Hao on our behalf, you made it incredibly easy for the Ye family to seize Sword Heaven City."
Those words struck like a bolt of lightning through Kang Jin's heart.
He spat out another mouthful of blood, his trembling hands unable to accept what he had just heard.
He turned toward the pink haired woman standing to the side.
"Junior Sister Ye Xin… what does this mean?"
His voice weakened, filled with confusion.
"Were you not the one who told me that as long as I temporarily paralyzed my father, the Ye family would take the opportunity to occupy the city and would not harm anyone from the City Lord's manor… was that not what you said?"
Ye Xin remained silent.
She did not utter a single word.