"Thank you..." Ye Jingyu stopped five meters from Xue Hengzhi, speaking a phrase that left everyone puzzled...

"?" Xue Hengzhi said little, only a look of confusion crossing his face...

"Thank you for bringing Xiao Shixuan over..." Sensing Xue Hengzhi's bewilderment, Ye Jingyu continued speaking...

A bitter smile touched the corner of Xue Hengzhi's mouth. He had intended to use Ling Xingxuan’s strength to kill Hei Ming Shixuan alongside him, but who would have thought the target would die even earlier than intended...

"Of course, you must have had your own plans for delivering her here. It's just that you might be disappointed; your plans have completely fallen apart now..." As Ye Jingyu said this, he deliberately glanced toward the corpse of Ling Xingxuan not far away...

Xue Hengzhi managed another wry smile. He wasn't surprised that Ye Jingyu could deduce what he was thinking...

However, his remaining left hand tightened, and the True Essence power within him began to flow slowly; he was preparing for a desperate final fight...

"You don't need to be nervous. I have no intention of killing you; killing you yields me no benefit," Ye Jingyu said lightly, noticing the aura Xue Hengzhi was radiating...

"Hmm?" This was the first word Xue Hengzhi had spoken since appearing—just one word, yet it contained a multitude of meanings...

"Become my subordinate..." Ye Jingyu stated calmly, his tone suggesting no request, no coercion, only certainty—an absolute certainty that allowed for no refusal...

"Heh heh..." Unexpectedly, Xue Hengzhi laughed, a somewhat mocking sound, as if ridiculing Ye Jingyu’s ignorance—how could a grand Grandmaster ever become someone else's subordinate? Yet, beneath the mockery, there was more self-deprecation...

Self-mockery for his own powerlessness, a dignified Grandmaster reduced to this state...

"I don't know who you offended, but the fact that you are hiding here proves you don't wish to die. If you don't want to die, what's the difference between staying here and staying by my side?" Ye Jingyu naturally understood the meaning conveyed by his laughter...

Hearing Ye Jingyu's words, Xue Hengzhi fell silent. Yes, he did not want to die; in this world, no one desired death. He was a Grandmaster, possessing his own pride, but truly, he did not want to die...

Precisely because he didn't want to die, he had fled to the Valley of Hundred Burials, escaping the pursuit of that powerful family...

But now, this youth was demanding he become his subordinate—was this a veiled form of humiliation?

Ye Jingyu remained silent, watching Xue Hengzhi quietly. He believed that no one hiding in the Valley of Hundred Burials was an idiot. Though they might be vicious and somewhat tyrannical, they undoubtedly cherished their lives dearly, or they wouldn't be hiding in this desolate place...

"Can you protect me?" After a moment of silence, Xue Hengzhi finally looked up and spoke...

Since he didn't want to die, naturally he had to survive, strive to live. Was staying here any different from staying outside?

"Mm," Ye Jingyu softly affirmed, his eyes full of inquiry...

"Do you think I want to stay here? Just as you said, I don't want to die, so I fled here to evade my enemies. Now you want me to leave with you—can you guarantee my enemies won't find me, won't kill me?" Xue Hengzhi continued, staring directly at Ye Jingyu...

"Who are your enemies?" Ye Jingyu asked calmly. He knew everyone in this valley was hiding for various reasons...

"Heavenly Sword Sect..." Xue Hengzhi spat out those words with difficulty...

"Heh heh..." Hearing those three words, Ye Jingyu laughed...

In the State of Shu Yun, there weren't many forces capable of making a master of the Grandmaster realm wary. Luo Xiaofeng certainly didn't count, nor did the former White Cloud Manor or the Tang Clan; the Heavenly Sword Sect was among them... Ye Jingyu clearly remembered that when the White Cloud Manor sent them off, they were guarded by two Grandmasters, but one of them fell prey to Qin Yan's trickery and died in the Tiangang Mountain Range before he could even exert his full power...

But that was the past. The three major sects had long since been eradicated by Luo Xiaofeng. Their Great Elders and Grandmasters had been slaughtered clean by Luo Xiaofeng; how could they possibly still threaten Xue Hengzhi now...

Even if his wrist was currently broken, a Grandmaster with a broken wrist was still a Grandmaster...

"Why are you laughing?" Hearing Ye Jingyu chuckle, Xue Hengzhi's brow twitched, a flicker of anger on his face...

"I'm laughing because you've stayed here too long and are unaware of what’s happening outside. The Heavenly Sword Sect, White Cloud Manor, and the Tang Clan—these three major powers were purged by His Majesty the Sovereign a year ago. Your enemies might already be resting in the Yellow Springs," Ye Jingyu said with a light smile...

"What? The Heavenly Sword Sect was purged? How is that possible?" Upon hearing such news, Xue Hengzhi’s eyes showed extreme shock. He had been in the Valley of Hundred Burials for several years, never leaving, and in the last year, Ye Jingyu’s group was the first batch to enter. Thus, they were completely unaware of external developments...

But in his mind, the Heavenly Sword Sect was an incomparably powerful entity, a colossal force that ordinary people couldn't possibly resist. How could it be destroyed so easily?

It must be known that Xue Hengzhi himself was once one of the Elders of the Heavenly Sword Sect. However, he fell for the Sect Leader's wife and, during a drunken episode, violated her. Naturally, he faced the full pursuit of the Sect Leader...

But since it was a scandal, few outside knew about it. At that time, the Heavenly Sword Sect was one of the three major sects of Shu Yun, possessing immense strength. Though the world was vast, there was no safe haven for Xue Hengzhi, forcing him to hide here...

"What's impossible about it? His Majesty the current ruler is mighty and wise; wiping out a sect like the Heavenly Sword Sect is nothing. Elder Xue, can you now leave the valley with peace of mind?" Ye Jingyu smiled faintly...

Hearing Ye Jingyu’s absolute certainty, Xue Hengzhi slowly began to believe the truth. He glanced back at Gongsun Xiangyi before speaking again: "What benefits come with following you out?"

"Benefits? Heh heh. Regardless of anything else, it’s certainly better than eating human flesh here. Furthermore, although I call you my subordinate, you are essentially like an esteemed consultant. You only need to help me handle a few particularly tricky matters," Ye Jingyu chuckled lightly...