As Mo Han listened, he caught the distinct sound of a skirmish coming from the courtyard ahead. A flicker of curiosity crossed his mind, but Ma Ke quickly interjected with a knowing smile. "That must be Latin and Rock sparring again. They've been at it lately, claiming it helps hone their cultivation."

Hearing this, Mo Han recalled the images of Latin and Rock, a faint smile touching his lips. He motioned for Ma Ke to stay quiet, and the two swiftly moved toward the source of the noise.

Just as they reached the courtyard entrance, they saw a crowd gathered: several Dragon Guard soldiers in their yellow uniforms mingled with household retainers, all cheering on the two figures locked in combat in the center of the yard.

Mo Han instantly recognized Latin and Rock. They were locked in an intense, evenly matched fight. At a glance, Mo Han could see marked improvements in the fighting skills of both men. Ever since he had given them the lightning secret manuals of the Lightning Sword Saint Kazai, their progress had been phenomenal—they had clearly reached at least the Intermediate Sword Master level.

Seeing this, Mo Han felt an urge to test their current skill level, and perhaps play a small trick on Latin and the others. He signaled Ma Ke to keep silent, then stealthily pulled out a kerchief and tied it over his face.

With a sudden, sharp cry, he charged into the heart of the evenly matched duel. The onlookers gasped, momentarily thinking an assassin had appeared. But then they thought—what assassin would charge directly into a crowd? Such an assassin would have to be truly foolish.

Latin and Rock, meanwhile, were growing bored. Having sparred so frequently, and practicing the same martial arts techniques, they knew each other’s moves intimately.

With a single glance at an incoming maneuver, they could generally predict the next move, rendering the fight predictably dull.

Yet, in this Duke’s manor, genuine masters were few. Only these two had comparable cultivation levels. As for Daili, though her skill surpassed theirs, they would never dare challenge her.

So, it was always just the two of them sparring, and the monotony was wearing thin. When a powerful, unknown fighter suddenly joined the fray, both men immediately felt invigorated. They exchanged a look; in that instant, they understood each other perfectly and simultaneously attacked Mo Han.

Immediately, the scene transformed into a flurry of motion as three figures clashed, their forms blurring rapidly across the ground.

The fight remained incredibly close until, suddenly, the masked figure in the center let out a low shout.

A brilliant, intense white battle aura erupted from his body. The sheer force of his presence caused the surrounding crowd to stumble precariously. Latin and Rock were thrown backward simultaneously by the powerful surge of energy, though seemingly unharmed; they managed to take two stabilizing steps backward before regaining their footing.

The guards and retainers watching were stunned into silence.

Just as the Dragon Guards started to move forward to assist, they heard Latin and Rock cry out in unison, their voices filled with ecstatic surprise: "Boss! Is that really you? You’re finally back! We knew you wouldn’t be done for; we missed you terribly!"

The mysterious masked man slowly lowered the kerchief from his face, revealing a handsome countenance marked by a distinctly roguish smile.

Latin and Rock looked up and knew instantly—it could only be Mo Han. That signature grin was unmistakable to them at a single glance.

Overjoyed by Mo Han's appearance, Latin and Rock rushed forward, embracing him tightly. The profound bond between the brothers needed no words.

Rock slapped Mo Han enthusiastically on the back and exclaimed, "Boss, do you have any idea? The last time we waited for you in the Elven Forest, the Elven Queen mentioned you might be facing some trouble and wouldn't be out soon. I told her I knew you’d be fine! Daili and the others all believed you’d turn disaster into fortune. See, I wasn't wrong, was I?"

Embraced by the two, Mo Han couldn't help but give a wry smile. He playfully tapped each of them on the head. "Let go, you two! Are you trying to squeeze the life out of your boss? Besides," he chuckled, "I don't have any 'sleeves to be cut' affliction. Stop hugging so tightly, or people will misunderstand that your boss prefers men, and I’ll be ruined!"

Hearing Mo Han’s teasing remark, while Latin and Rock didn't fully grasp the obscure reference of the 'cut sleeve affliction,' they understood the general sentiment. They released Mo Han at once. Latin turned excitedly to Rock. "I knew it! With something this big happening, you had to show up, Boss. Big Rock, are you convinced now?"

Rock looked slightly put out. "I said the Boss would return too! It wasn't just you talking. What's there to be smug about? Besides, Daili and Feixue both said the Boss would certainly appear. Why aren't you mentioning them?"

Mo Han smiled at their familiar bickering. "Alright, you're both magnificent, enough now. Don't you ever get tired of arguing all day? Heh heh. Oh yes, where are Daili and the others?"

Upon hearing Mo Han's question, Rock immediately grinned. "Daili and Feixue are in the back garden. I bet they’re still chatting there. Boss, you miss them terribly, don't you? Heh heh."

"Ah..." Before Rock could finish, Mo Han delivered a light rap to his head. Rock had expected it and tried to dodge, but with his current skill level, evading Mo Han’s attack was impossible—otherwise, Mo Han’s title as Sword Saint would be meaningless. The moment Rock moved, before he could pull away, Mo Han’s friendly greeting landed precisely on his crown.

The surrounding guards let out soft chuckles. The guards and retainers, having heard the familiar tone Latin and Rock used, realized that Mo Han was, in fact, the true master of the manor—the Duke they had never seen. Realizing this, the soldiers and servants immediately bowed in unison to greet Mo Han.