"Hahahaha." Luo Hao roared with laughter. "I don't know what you're talking about. You had better release my brother, or you won't be leaving here alive." Luo Hao was clearly lying through his teeth, and while those present were startled and uncertain, no one dared to step forward to question him.

"Interesting. You think that since I came, I intended to leave alive?" As I surveyed my surroundings, a cold knot formed in my gut. Had Yun Xi stood me up? The situation had escalated this far, yet I hadn't seen hide nor hair of his promised backup.

"Young brother, you can't just throw baseless accusations around," Luo Hao countered. "Lu Tong is a divine craftsman whose reputation I revere; how could I possibly detain him? Furthermore, I have never even met your uncle, Lu Tong, so what's this talk of capture?" Luo Hao continued, "I suggest you release my brother and search elsewhere. Given that you are a disciple of the Artisan Sect, I won't make things difficult for you."

"Hmph, are you trying to fool a three-year-old?" I chuckled lightly. "No need for pleasantries among honest men. In short, if you want your brother's life, bring my uncle. I'm tired of hearing nonsense. If I don't see my uncle within ten minutes, you can prepare a coffin for your brother."

"That is truly a pity," Luo Hao replied. "If you kill my brother, even if you are ten thousand miles away, I will track you down to Biqi and wipe out your entire Lu Clan. Try me if you don't believe me."

"So you refuse to admit it, even now," I thought. This reminded me of the Centipede Cave incident: even capturing Chi Xiao hadn't been enough leverage against the Raging Dragon Gang. Were they pulling the same stunt here? Luo Hao showed no concern for his brother's safety. Looking at Luo Hao, I saw the same mocking expression directed at me, as if he were looking at a corpse.

***Truly a reckless soul. But if you're ruthless, I'm more so. Let's see who can endure longer.

"Quite the backbone," I laughed. "Then let me collect some interest first."

Swoosh! A flash of sword light! Luo Meng instantly looked shorter, as both of his lower legs were severed by my blade.

Ah! A torrent of blood erupted, instantly dyeing the ground crimson. Luo Meng couldn't suppress a painful scream, writhing on the ground, desperately trying to stand up—a sight that was absolutely horrifying.

The crowd erupted in an uproar, everyone stunned into silence. Perhaps no one expected me to turn so suddenly, publicly severing the legs of the White Tiger Alliance leader's brother. This was undeniably slapping the White Tiger Alliance across the face.

"It's not too late to change your mind," I sneered. "Or perhaps I'll ensure your brother never gets to be a man again. Imagine how amusing it would be for the prestigious Luo family to have a young master without anything between his legs." I pointed my sword directly at Luo Meng's groin. "You little brat, hurry up and beg your brother! It's not worth sacrificing your entire happiness for a mere Scarlet Blood Demon Sword."

"Y-You are too cruel," even the usually composed Luo Hao trembled uncontrollably with rage.

"Kill me then, if you dare," Luo Meng roared in despair.

"Killing you would be too easy," I laughed. "At most, I'll ensure you can never touch a woman again. Living like that will be more agonizing than death."

"Die!" Luo Hao shrieked. "Blast him to death!"

Suddenly, a whistling sound tore through the air, accompanied by an intense chill—an Ice Roar. Damn it, in the Marfa World, hostage tactics were completely useless; I had learned my lesson the hard way. It seemed they intended to obliterate both Luo Meng and me. Having been prepared, I shot up, sending a powerful kick directly toward Luo Meng's center.

Thud!

Ah! After a scream like a butchered pig, he was sent flying. Simultaneously, to avoid revealing my identity as Blue Lightning, I swiftly plunged into the banquet crowd.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! The spot where I had been standing moments before was instantly reduced to a blurry mess by dense barrages of Ice Roar, Lightning Spells, and Bursting Flames. The sensation was akin to the shockwave of the 'Artillery Barrage on Kinmen.' It turned out the Golden Staff Guards, having been fully charged, had launched a surprise attack.

It was a pity that under the state of the Eye of Death's Desire, ambushing me was nearly impossible.

However, several flashes of sword light immediately erupted from the crowd—warriors wearing the insignia of other factions suddenly drew their blades.

And they went for the kill right away. Seven blades formed a net, enveloping me. Judging by the force and execution, their cultivation levels had reached at least the peak of Red Moon.

"Seeking death," I roared in fury, thrusting out seven swords. Though the speed wasn't overwhelming, under the influence of the Eye of Death's Desire, the seven thrusts were like guided missiles. The seven warriors could only watch helplessly as my blades pierced their foreheads before they collapsed lifelessly.

The surrounding people quickly retreated. Although everyone now held a drawn blade, no one dared to step forward again.

All this transpired in a mere two seconds—from evading the mages' magical bombardment to dispatching the seven assassins. Only then, with a thud, did Luo Meng's body fall from the sky, crashing heavily onto a table, shattering the spread of dishes. His lower body was already a bloody pulp, and though his eyes remained wide open, they would never close again; he had been kicked to death by the sheer agony of his shattered groin.

"Ah!" Everyone was utterly horrified. Such a death was an insult to any man.

"Brother!" Luo Hao rushed toward Luo Meng's corpse like a madman, clutching him tightly.

"I will tear you into ten thousand pieces!" Luo Hao's bloodshot eyes fixed on me. The area was already surrounded by the elite experts of the White Tiger Alliance, clearly intending to surround and kill me here.

"Hahaha, now the White Tiger Alliance will be famous!" I roared. "Even dead, your brother is eunuch."

"You went too far," Luo Hao's voice was like a venomous snake gnawing at bone marrow, so grim it sent chills down the spine—a life-binding Asura's howl born of immense resentment and unforgettable hatred.

"You too," I replied calmly, though inside, I was silently screaming for my father and mother. What the hell was Yun Xi doing? Why hadn't he arrived yet?

"I will kill you!" Luo Hao shrieked madly, drawing his blade and preparing to charge at me.

The faces of the onlookers paled, scrambling to get out of the way.

But at that precise moment!

"Hahahaha!" A boisterous laugh echoed throughout the hall. Three figures suddenly dropped from the sky, kicking up a cloud of dust that engulfed the entire venue. It was Lu Zhao, Tong Lei, and another stout middle-aged man I didn't recognize.

"Looks like we arrived just in time," Tong Lei remarked.

"You scared me to death; I thought you weren't coming," I finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Bing He, are you alright?" Lu Zhao rushed to my side.

"I'm fine!" I exclaimed excitedly. "If you hadn't come, I couldn't have held out much longer."

"Thank you for your efforts," Lu Zhao said gratefully. "Leave the rest to Brother Qinglong and Tong Lei."

"Hah, he's the leader of the Azure Dragon Gang, Qinglong?" I was surprised.

"Hahaha, young brother, I am Qinglong." The stout man smiled at me with unconcealed admiration. "You must be Bing He. You certainly have guts."

"Brother Qinglong praises me too much," I quickly replied.

Tong Lei nodded slightly to me in greeting, then turned his gaze toward Luo Hao.

"It's you people." Luo Hao's frantic eyes instantly cleared. "The Azure Dragon Gang, the Yun Family."

"Indeed, it is us," the stout middle-aged man confirmed. "Alliance Leader Luo, you detained our friend; you should release him immediately."

"Impossible! This boy is spouting lies and murdered my brother," Luo Hao said darkly. "And don't forget, this is Sū City—this is White Tiger Alliance territory."

"Whether he's lying or not, you know in your heart," the middle-aged man smiled faintly. "Moreover, the Scarlet Blood Demon Sword is of critical importance. If it falls into your hands, do you think others will feel at ease?"

"Precisely." Someone immediately stood up from the crowd—it was the Black Tortoise Alliance, the third-largest faction on the Demon Dragon Continent. "The Scarlet Blood Demon Sword possesses astonishing power and is devilishly difficult to control. Once it reappears on the continent, it will inevitably cause bloodshed. If the Alliance Leader truly captured Lu Tong, he should release him. The world knows the Lu Clan of the Artisan Sect has exhausted generations of effort to destroy the Scarlet Blood Demon Sword; why must the Alliance Leader trouble Lu Tong?"

"Right! The Scarlet Blood Demon Sword cannot fall into anyone's hands, or the world will descend into chaos!" Several others from different factions immediately voiced their support. They seemed influential, but since I wasn't very familiar with the power structures of the Demon Dragon Continent, I didn't recognize them. The one leading the group was a middle-aged mage. "If the Alliance Leader intends to hoard the Scarlet Blood Demon Sword for himself, do the esteemed guests present agree?"

"Yes, absolutely not! The Scarlet Blood Demon Sword must be completely destroyed and must not remain in this world!" Immediately, more people concurred.

This sudden shift in sentiment left me gaping. Just moments ago, this crowd hadn't reacted at all.

"See that!" Lu Zhao whispered to me. "This is Yun Xi's strategy. There's more to come."

"Hmph, interesting," I muttered quietly.

"Based on you people?" Luo Hao said grimly. "Although the Azure Dragon Gang is the largest gang, this is White Tiger Alliance territory. It's not your turn to show off. Believe it or not, I'll kill you all right now. Be smart and shut up, or face execution without mercy." It seemed Luo Hao had completely dropped all pretense of civility.

Everyone shuddered, looking at the White Tiger Alliance members arrayed in battle formations, glaring menacingly. In the end, this was their turf, and starting a fight here wouldn't benefit anyone.

"Hahaha," Tong Lei laughed. "I think you're too blinded by rage. If we weren't fully prepared, do you think we would dare appear here?"

Thump! A sound of urgent horse hooves suddenly came from outside the perimeter. Soon, a warrior dismounted quickly and rushed to Luo Hao's front. "Alliance Leader, a large number of troops are gathering outside the city—banners of the Azure Dragon Gang and the Yun Family!"

Qinglong and Tong Lei looked at Luo Hao with proud expressions, seemingly awaiting his decision.

"Hahahaha," Luo Hao laughed. "Qinglong, I thought you had some clever trick up your sleeve. Do you think the Azure Dragon Gang and the Yun Family forces alone can conquer Sū City?"

"Of course not," Qinglong replied calmly. "But what if there is an inside assist?" Qinglong said leisurely.

"Inside assist?" Luo Hao roared with laughter. "Who are you trying to scare? Where in or around Sū City are your Azure Dragon Gang or Yun Family troops?"

"Does an inside assist necessarily have to be people from the Azure Dragon Gang or the Yun Family?" Qinglong then spoke loudly. "Esteemed guests, if Alliance Leader Luo intends to keep the Scarlet Blood Demon Sword for himself, do you agree?"

"We absolutely do not agree!" Several burly men immediately stood up. As if triggered by a chain reaction, almost everyone present stood up. Having learned that a massive force from the Azure Dragon Gang and the Yun Family was amassed outside the city, no one dared to remain seated. Luo Hao's threats earlier had made everyone deeply aware that he intended to kill them all; standing by him now would make them utter fools.

"Ah." Luo Hao's face instantly turned deathly pale.

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