For One Man, Protecting One Sect

Yong Ye sensed Wang Chonghu's suppressed fury, fearing the latter would cast all restraint aside and begin a massacre. After some hesitation, he stepped forward and said, "I can overlook everyone else, but this brat who harmed Chang Er today must die!"

Apparently, this was already the greatest concession he could make.

Upon hearing this, Ye Fan spat coldly, "That brat surnamed Xiang deserved to die. The fact that he did not die in the Sword Ruins already means his life was tough!"

"You!" Yong Ye flew into a rage at once, about to rush forward and kill Ye Fan. Yet as he took a step, seeing that Wang Chonghu had not spoken, he did not dare act too rashly out of apprehension.

At that moment, two more figures rushed over from afar.

One was old and one was young. The instant the elder landed, he released a signal firework.

Watching the enormous lotus blossom bloom across the sky, its shape fluttering in the wind like soft silk, everyone recognized their identities. They were from Silk Washing House.

The younger one was a woman. She wore plain pale-green clothes that wrapped around her petite, delicate figure, with an embroidered pouch patterned with lotus flowers hanging at her waist. Every movement she made brimmed with innocent liveliness, making her look sweet and adorable.

"Brother Ye is right!" The woman planted her hands on her hips as she cursed, "That Xiang Chang from your sect is a hypocritical scoundrel, a wolf in sheep's clothing! In the Sword Ruins, he pretended to approach my senior sister and gained her trust, only to take advantage of her unpreparedness and violate her. He is utterly despicable!"

"Do not spout nonsense!" Yong Ye's face darkened. Though he knew the woman's words were true, for the sake of Illusory Willow Sect's reputation, he could never admit it in public.

Seeing that He Tiantian had gone straight to Ye Fan and made her intention to protect him clear, the elders of Heavenly Wolf Sect, Five Emperors Sect, and the others all frowned.

Gong Hongting said sternly, "Is Silk Washing House truly here to join this mess as well?"

An elder beside him chimed in, "Are you not afraid of offending us Blade Sect members?"

"With Silk Washing House's strength, you are still not enough to wrestle with us! Do not ruin your own future!"

He Tiantian puffed up her cheeks and shouted indignantly, "If you bully Brother Ye Fan, you are making enemies of Silk Washing House! For Brother Ye Fan, I am not afraid of anything. Let alone a few old geezers like you—even if your entire families came, I would not be afraid!"

Ye Fan smiled indulgently and gently stroked He Tiantian's head. Stepping forward, he shielded her behind him. He had clearly not expected her to risk coming so deep into this place for his sake, bringing only an elder at the Six Breaths level of the Heaven Soul Realm. That she had made it here safely through all the danger was truly due in part to luck.

Just as he was about to defend her and curse those Blade Sect people, another voice beat him to it.

"You lot had better not lay a hand on her!"

Along with the voice came flower petals filling the sky, as well as a beautifully forged treasured sword.

That person stood lightly atop the treasured sword, descending slowly in an exceedingly graceful and elegant manner. With petals drifting all around him, he was as beautiful as a landscape painting.

Unfortunately, he was a man.

From the moment that man appeared, Lu Feng's face filled with vigilance and concern.

After the Azure Mountain Sword Sect's Sect Founding Assembly, this man had intercepted them on their journey back, nearly injuring him. That scene was still vivid in Lu Feng's mind.

Lu Feng knew full well how terrifying this man was. If they truly fought, even Sky Shuttle might not necessarily be able to defeat him.

If he fought desperately, he might even be able to contend with someone like Wang Chonghu.

He was none other than Flower Sword—Gu Lebai, ranked forty-seventh on the Heaven List!

Gu Lebai's appearance instantly put Yong Ye, Gong Hongting, Sky Shuttle, and the many experts of the blade world on guard.

Yong Ye, his face still ugly from having been rebuked, replied, "What is a sword wielder like you doing here, joining in this excitement?"

Sky Shuttle and the others also watched Gu Lebai warily. Especially after considering the signal firework released by Silk Washing House's elder earlier, they could not be sure how many more people might arrive.

They feared that the other Sword Sect forces associated with Gu Lebai would all come to muddy these troubled waters.

After all, suppressing the development of Blade Sect would undoubtedly benefit Sword Sect. Presumably, they also did not wish for Blood Butcher Three Sabers to spread among Blade Sect.

Gu Lebai merely chuckled. "Who told this body of mine that it could not do without the comfortable clothes tailored by Silk Washing House?"

Then his expression turned cold as he stated, "So, you cannot touch this little girl or the young man she has been pining for!"

Yong Ye froze. "J-just for some clothes?"

After thinking for a moment, Gong Hongting said, "There are plenty of fine clothes in this world. Why insist on this one place? Come to Nine Ring Sect later, and I will give you several large chests of them."

Gu Lebai dismissed him disdainfully, letting out a long sigh. "In one's life, once certain habits are formed, they are very difficult to change."

Hearing Gu Lebai's explanation, Lu Feng could not help feeling greatly surprised. He had clearly not expected Gu Lebai to have such a connection with Silk Washing House.

For mere possessions outside the body, he was willing to offend all the major Blade Sects?

Under normal circumstances, Lu Feng would not have believed such an excuse. But from Gu Lebai's regretful, helpless words, he sensed a concealed expression of affection and vaguely felt there was another story behind it.

Perhaps the person who made the clothes was in Silk Washing House.

He was not protecting a sect for a piece of clothing, but protecting a sect for one person.

As these thoughts ran through his mind, his gaze naturally shifted toward He Tiantian beside him.

"Do not look at me, I do not know either~" Feeling Lu Feng's gaze, He Tiantian stuck out her tongue mischievously. "If you are curious why he agreed to come, ask my Master's Wife later."

Hearing this, Lu Feng felt that the possibility of his guess had increased by several degrees. At the same time, he understood why He Tiantian, with such little strength, had safely arrived here. Gu Lebai had clearly been secretly protecting her all the way.

The elder's signal firework earlier had perhaps been meant to notify Gu Lebai nearby, rather than summon any other Sword Sect forces.

The slight commotion from He Tiantian's side drew a glance from Gu Lebai.

It happened to meet Lu Feng's eyes.

Gu Lebai smiled coldly with complete indifference. His slender finger lightly flicked the exquisite sword hilt in his hand, as if warning Lu Feng that their last battle was not yet over!

Nor would he change his hostility toward Lu Feng merely because of his friendship with Silk Washing House.

Recalling how he had been soundly beaten after attacking Lu Feng that day, Gu Lebai turned to look at Wang Chonghu. A concealed strand of Soul Consciousness quietly extended outward.

In an instant, Wang Chonghu's killing intent erupted completely. His eyes bulged as if they were about to explode as he glared at Gu Lebai.

"Is it true?"

"It is."

Gu Lebai answered with a faint smile.

Wang Chonghu's furious, murderous gaze immediately swung toward Lu Feng.

From afar, Sky Shuttle and the others watched their cryptic exchange like a riddle, silently waiting at the side. Not one of them broke the current stillness.

Seeing the violent killing intent Wang Chonghu had developed after Gu Lebai's concealed Soul Consciousness transmission, everyone secretly hoped that this baleful god would go berserk soon. Whether he attacked Gu Lebai or the Lu Feng at whom he was glaring furiously, they would be happy to see it.

He moved!

The instant Wang Chonghu stepped toward Lu Feng, he seemed to seize everyone's heart.

Sensing that something was wrong, Jiang Ruoyun hurriedly stepped forward to shield Lu Feng. Her slender willow-leaf brows knitted tightly as she guardedly asked, "Uncle Wang, what are you doing?"

Seeing Jiang Ruoyun block him, the fury in Wang Chonghu's heart eased somewhat. He shouted at Lu Feng behind her, "Brat, what is your relationship with Crazy Monk?"

"What Crazy Monk?" Lu Feng froze, clearly not understanding Wang Chonghu's abrupt question. His suspicious gaze could not help shifting toward Gu Lebai. "What did you tell him just now? You are supposed to be someone of standing—how can you resort to such slander and framing?"

Ye Fan and He Tiantian also turned their doubtful gazes toward Gu Lebai, equally unable to make heads or tails of it.

Everything had been fine a moment ago. They had been on the verge of escaping this predicament, yet in the blink of an eye, the situation had gone wrong again. At such a critical moment, there could not be infighting.

Gu Lebai had not wished to mention his own embarrassing experience, but Lu Feng's words irritated him enough that he still said darkly, "If Crazy Monk had not suddenly appeared that day and attacked me fiercely, how would you have lived to leave?"

Hearing that Gu Lebai had attacked Lu Feng and had even intended to kill him, Ye Fan's expression immediately darkened. Subconsciously, even the hand He Tiantian was holding loosened slightly.

Sensing the change in Ye Fan's emotions, He Tiantian quickly clung to his arm tightly. A trace of grievance and determination appeared in her round eyes.

It was as though she were expressing her stance, telling Ye Fan that Gu Lebai's actions had absolutely nothing to do with Silk Washing House. They had not in the past and would not in the future. If they ever did, she would definitely stand with Ye Fan.

"Crazy Monk?" Sky Shuttle cried out in shock. "That demon is still alive?"

Gong Hongting also realized it in astonishment. "The one from the previous Black List? Was he not dead long ago?"

Hearing their discussion, Lu Feng finally understood whom they meant by Crazy Monk, recalling everything from Eastern Origin Spirit Prison.

After being apart for so long, he had not expected to hear the name Crazy Monk again in such circumstances.

He still remembered how, in Black Ice Cliff, Crazy Monk had saved him. When Lu Feng awoke from unconsciousness, the first thing Crazy Monk had asked about was his mother.

And afterward, he had called Yu Qinghe, the Sect Leader of Clear River Sect, Little Yu. He had even endured the injuries caused by stirring the scorching energy within his body in order to retrieve and pick cold crystals for Lu Feng.

It was impossible for Lu Feng not to remember him deeply.

Though they had only met once, Lu Feng had seen more of that man's goodness. Thus, what he had instinctively remembered was the man's real name, Feng Sen, rather than the term Crazy Monk.

That was why he had not reacted when he heard it so abruptly.

Now that he connected the name to the person, he felt even more surprised.

Lu Feng had clearly not expected Feng Sen to appear near Azure Mountain Sword Sect on the day of his Sect Founding Assembly, nor to step in and drive away Flower Sword Gu Lebai when Gu Lebai had blocked him with the intent to assassinate him.

This clearly could not be explained as coincidence.

Feng Sen had most likely heard the news about him in recent days and, out of concern, deliberately come to hide in the shadows.

But what puzzled Lu Feng was this: if he had such good intentions, why was he unwilling to show himself and meet him?

Was he afraid of bringing trouble upon me?

Seeing Lu Feng hesitate, Gu Lebai, driven by the curiosity and concern in his heart, urged, "Brat, what is it? Is it inconvenient for you to speak of your relationship with that man?"