“Xi, hide behind me.”
Dongfang Jiang shielded Xi behind him.
His right hand rose slightly, and three new energy swords materialized beside him—an emerald Swamp Sword, a deep blue Glacier Sword, and a golden Desert Sword.
Three swords shot forth simultaneously, streaking toward the three black-clad figures.
The attackers clearly hadn’t expected Dongfang Jiang to react so quickly and mount a second counterattack in such a short time.
In haste, they each used their own methods to block.
The first black-clad man clasped his hands together, conjuring a wall of wind before him that halted the Swamp Sword.
The second pointed his finger, and a bolt of lightning shot from his ring, striking the Glacier Sword.
The third was the fastest: he sidestepped the Desert Sword while flicking his right wrist, sending three silver needles from his sleeve toward Dongfang Jiang.
Dongfang Jiang moved his fingers slightly.
The Desert Sword curved in midair and knocked down all three needles.
“Impressive Sword Control Technique. Even the Maple Language Sword Pavilion doesn’t have anyone this strong. Gracia, the rising star of the new generation, can’t do that.”
The first black-clad man spoke, his voice hoarse, as if deliberately lowered.
He was clearly very familiar with the Maple Language Sword Pavilion.
Dongfang Jiang didn’t bother with more words.
All three swords struck simultaneously, launching a fiercer assault on the three attackers.
This time, he held nothing back.
The Swamp Sword transformed into countless vines that coiled toward the first man from all directions.
The Glacier Sword split into three in midair, stabbing at the second man from three different angles.
The Desert Sword became a cloud of golden sand, enveloping the third.
The three black-clad men had clearly underestimated Dongfang Jiang’s strength.
They were beaten down on the spot.
Dongfang Jiang rubbed his head.
“That’s it?”
He frowned.
Something felt off.
These people wore decent rings and had some combat experience, but they were far inferior to Kaxiu.
If the goal was to kill him, sending these guys was practically suicide.
“Something’s wrong…”
“Mister Dongfang, watch out!”
Xi’s voice rang out behind him.
Dongfang Jiang instinctively sidestepped as a cold flash grazed his shoulder.
It was a silver needle, thinner than the previous ones, its tip gleaming with an unnatural purple light.
The needle missed him, but then it suddenly curved in the air, looped around behind him, and shot toward the back of his neck.
This wasn’t an ordinary hidden weapon—it was a Spirit-Infused Hidden Weapon, controlled by energy.
By the time Dongfang Jiang reacted, it was too late.
He had already expended most of his energy on the three swords and hadn’t had time to Harmonize new energy.
He couldn’t muster enough defense.
The needle pierced the back of his neck.
A searing pain spread from the wound, as if countless needles were stabbing into his nerves at once.
“Damn it.”
Dongfang Jiang grunted and dropped to one knee.
He felt his consciousness blurring rapidly.
The energy inside him began to spiral out of control—the three types of energy ran rampant, crashing through his body.
“Mister Dongfang! Mister Dongfang!”
Xi rushed over to support him.
When her hand touched his skin, she felt a biting coldness.
“Don’t touch me…”
He wanted to push her away, but his arms had no strength left.
The purple toxin spread from the wound on his neck, and purple veins crawled across his skin, as if something were tearing him apart from within.
“You’ve been poisoned! I… what should I do…”
Xi’s voice trembled.
Her hands fumbled over his body, searching for the wound.
“Run… go back to the banquet hall… call for help…”
Dongfang Jiang’s voice grew weaker.
His vision blurred, and the corridor lights became fuzzy orbs.
Xi saw him collapse.
His condition deteriorated visibly.
She recalled a spell she had learned as a child.
‘Even though my teacher said my energy is different from traditional Rainstorm Energy, it should still work in a pinch.’
Xi closed her eyes.
Clear energy flowed from her fingertips and slowly seeped into Dongfang Jiang’s body.
His complexion improved slightly—but the moment she relaxed, the toxins around his wound spread dramatically.
‘I’m done for.’
She knew she could only temporarily stall his death; there was nothing else she could do.
Xi bit her lip and prayed silently in her heart.
‘Beloved Heavenly God… if you can hear my plea, let a Miracle descend once more. I will dedicate my entire life to repay this…’
Just as Xi’s energy was about to run out, a transparent ring appeared on the ring finger of her right hand.
It blazed with dazzling light.
Taking a deep breath, Xi poured all her remaining energy into Dongfang Jiang.
The blood from his wound quickly changed from black, foul-smelling liquid to clean red.
Xi Fritz had become Dongfang Jiang’s fourth Guardian.
“So that’s how it is… So that’s how it is… Looks like I’ll never have to worry about unemployment for the rest of my life, hehe.”
Having said that, Xi collapsed onto Dongfang Jiang’s body.
The corridor fell silent.
The three black-clad men, having completed their mission, had already fled in the chaos.
Only Dongfang Jiang and Xi remained, lying motionless in the dim hallway.
Moonlight streamed through the window at the end of the corridor, casting a faint silver glow over the two of them.
From the distant banquet hall came the sounds of revelry.
No one knew that, in this secluded corridor, a life-and-death battle had just taken place.
…………
When Qin Ye stepped out of the banquet hall, the night wind was cool.
She looked up at the crescent moon hanging in the sky.
“I hate this kind of occasion.”
‘Empty toasts, insincere smiles—everyone wears a fake grin and says things they don’t mean.’
Qin Ye would rather spar a hundred rounds in the Training Grounds than spend another minute in this place.
“General, the carriage is ready.”
“I know. Wait for me in the carriage. I’ll take a walk in the garden.”
“Understood.”
Qin Ye draped her cloak over her shoulders and strolled slowly along the garden path.
Moonlight spilled over the neatly trimmed shrubs, gilding each leaf with a silver edge.
The towers of the distant Royal Palace stood silent in the night, the weather vane on the tallest spire turning gently in the breeze.
When she reached the end of the garden, Qin Ye caught a faint smell of blood.
Her brow furrowed.
Her combat instincts told her something was wrong here.
Following the scent of blood, she passed through an archway into a secluded corridor.
All the lamps were out, with only a sliver of moonlight coming through the window at the far end.
By that dim light, Qin Ye saw two people lying on the floor.
She hurried over, crouched down, and checked their conditions.
Dongfang Jiang.
And the reporter, Xi Fritz.
Dongfang Jiang’s face was as pale as paper, but his breathing was steady.
A tiny needle puncture marred the back of his neck, and the skin around it still bore a faint purple stain.
Poisoned.
Qin Ye scanned the area.
She spotted silver needles scattered on the ground and the marks of a struggle on the walls.
Someone had attacked them here.
Dongfang Jiang had driven off the assailants, but he had been hit by a hidden weapon.
‘Dongfang Jiang has decent strength, but his combat experience is sorely lacking. In a situation like this, it’s easy for him to fall into a trap.’
As for the reporter…
Qin Ye turned her gaze to Xi and noticed a transparent ring on her right ring finger.
The ring’s glow had completely faded, but Qin Ye could sense that it had released a massive amount of energy not long ago.
“You saved him, didn’t you…”