As the approaching figure came into Ye Jingyu's view, he realized it was an old acquaintance—the very assassin who had attempted to kill him in Yun Jing, only to have the attempt ruined by Zhuge Yi Shi...

Later, piecing together fragmented remarks from Zhuge Yi Shi and Luo Ruofeng, he suspected this man was the assassin operating behind Qin Yan...

Miao saw Ye Jingyu again, the youth who had once escaped his grasp. That must have been his first failure...

Since aligning himself with the Marquis, he had secretly eliminated countless individuals, yet no one had ever slipped away from him. But this youth standing before him had managed to escape...

This became an indelible stain on Miao’s heart, a disgrace he was determined to wash away...

Therefore, this time, he had resolutely left Yun Jing, traveling a thousand miles to this very spot, solely for the purpose of slaying Ye Jingyu...

Although the Marquis had warned that the Valley of Hundred Burials was fraught with peril, so much so that even a Grandmaster might not emerge alive, Miao had naturally assumed Ye Jingyu would have perished within. Yet, to his shock, he had actually survived and emerged...

It seemed his luck truly remained steadfastly good...

The Marquis’s mandate was absolute: Ye Jingyu must not be allowed to return to Yun Jing alive. To ensure the perfect termination of Ye Jingyu, the Marquis even mobilized every hidden asset he possessed around White Cloud Mountain—forces secretly established years ago...

Miao had anticipated that with four to five hundred men, supplemented by secretly procured bows and crossbows, killing Ye Jingyu as he fled the canyon should have been effortless. But not only was Ye Jingyu alive, he was still accompanied by over three hundred soldiers...

This reality was hard for Miao to accept. Fortunately, this area was one the Marquis had long prepared. Scouts had detected them the moment they exited the mountain range and accurately predicted their inevitable path. Thus, Miao had set up an ambush here, intending to capture Ye Jingyu and his entire group in one fell swoop...

Even though Miao knew the three hundred men flanking Ye Jingyu were all Martial Masters—experts—in this environment, leaving alive seemed nearly impossible for them...

What Miao hadn't anticipated was Ye Jingyu's willingness to deploy all his personal guards to cover his subordinates’ breakthrough and even launch a counterattack...

For Miao, this presented an unmissable opportunity, a perfect chance. He acted without hesitation, confident that even if Ye Jingyu's personal strength had improved, facing a Peak Grandmaster standing on the threshold of the Grandmaster realm, backed by eight Innate Martial Masters, Ye Jingyu could not possibly escape death. Even if other Innate Martial Masters accompanied him, they would be no match...

After all, a Grandmaster supported by eight Innate Martial Masters constituted a terrifying force—one that even a fellow Grandmaster would likely choose to evade...

Therefore, Miao possessed absolute certainty in his ability to kill Ye Jingyu... leaving no future troubles for the Marquis...

However, upon reaching the carriage, Miao noticed Ye Jingyu displayed no trace of panic; instead, a faint smile played on his lips, as if he had been waiting precisely for him...

Had his strength grown to a point where he could truly confront Miao?

Miao refused to believe it. He absolutely could not accept that a youth he had chased to desperation mere months ago now possessed the capacity to kill him in just a few short months. Even if he were a genius surpassing Huangfu Buyue, such a feat was impossible...

A Grandmaster was not a lackey; a Grandmaster was a true expert. Such mastery could not be achieved in just a few months...

“Heh, to narrowly escape death in the Valley of Hundred Burials only to run into such a desperate band of thugs. Qin Yan truly thinks highly of me...” Looking at the man before him, Ye Jingyu’s mouth twitched slightly as a light chuckle escaped him...

“No matter how highly the Marquis regards you, you are still fated to die today...” Miao felt no concern that Ye Jingyu had deduced his affiliation with Qin Yan. After all, what good would knowledge do a dead man?

“Fated to die? You should be saying that about yourself?” Ye Jingyu maintained his faint smile. Even now, there was no movement from within the carriage, though they had all received Ye Jingyu’s telepathic message...

“I must think you’ve gone mad...” Seeing Ye Jingyu utter such audacious words at this moment, Miao let out a cold snort...

“Heh...” Ye Jingyu offered no further words, merely smiling faintly—a smile brimming with mockery and disdain...

Noticing the look in Ye Jingyu’s eyes, Miao felt a slight jolt. He could not ascertain if Ye Jingyu was feigning composure or if he genuinely possessed some hidden strength...

Relying on his Grandmaster aura, Miao could sense several presences within the carriage. The strongest among them registered no higher than an Innate Martial Master (this was Gongsun Xiangyi’s true level; he remained unable to perceive the auras of the Grandmaster or Hei Ming Shixuan...). Could Ye Jingyu truly believe he could defeat Miao based solely on this?

At that moment, the carriage’s curtain was suddenly pulled aside, revealing a little girl with an exceptionally sweet appearance, sporting choppy purple bangs...

“Xiao Shixuan, why have you come out?” Ye Jingyu’s face showed a flicker of surprise...

Seeing the surprise in Ye Jingyu’s eyes, Miao felt reassured. It seemed Ye Jingyu was indeed putting on a front. Seizing the moment while Ye Jingyu was distracted speaking to Hei Ming Shixuan, Miao made a hand signal. The four Innate Martial Masters following closely behind him instantly lunged forward. Even though he suspected Ye Jingyu was bluffing, Miao was unwilling to risk his own life testing it...

In his estimation, four Innate Martial Masters were more than enough to handle whatever changes Ye Jingyu and the carriage might unleash. After all, including Ye Jingyu, there were at most two Innate Martial Masters connected to the carriage. Ye Jingyu might be strong, but with Miao holding the line beside them, what was there to fear?

These four Innate Martial Masters, all in their thirties, were certainly notable figures to have reached the Innate realm, even if they weren't prodigies of stunning brilliance. Seeing the youth standing by the carriage regard them with such contempt already filled them with rage...

As soon as their leader gave the command, the four figures darted out. Each produced a long sword, and four sharp streams of sword energy sliced through the air, aimed directly at Ye Jingyu...

Naturally, they sensed the presence of another Innate Master inside the carriage, so they did not commit their full strength; each held back at least thirty percent of their power, ready to adapt to any unforeseen development...

“Swish...” Just then, a small sandbag flew out of the carriage. The four mistook it for some projectile weapon and attacked without a second glance. With a flick of their swords, the sandbag was instantly shredded, and in that same instant, a cloud of white powder erupted from where the bag had been...