Three Years Later
Time flies, and it's midsummer again. The sun rises in the sky every day on time, casting its light and blessing all things.
Sunlight filtered through layers of leaves, creating patches of light. Apart from the occasional chirping of birds, the forest seemed exceptionally peaceful and serene. But in the next moment, this peace and tranquility was ruthlessly shattered.
"They can't have gone far this way."
"Quickly, after him! We can't let that brat get away! Catch him! I want him executed by slow slicing!"
"They're just ahead, everyone watch out for traps."
A cacophony of shouts rose and fell, startling all the birds that had risen early to forage into flight. This group of people were all dressed in uniform black outfits, with a bright crescent moon emblazoned on the chest of their uniforms.
Their clothes were disheveled, their hair was messy, and they looked like they had been traveling for a long time, but their eyes were exceptionally sharp. There were dozens of them, and each of them was a master who had cultivated internal energy or even mastered secret martial arts.
The people they were chasing were a man and a woman. The man was holding the woman's hand, and they were jumping and running quickly through the mountains. Their white robes were scratched by tree branches, and their hair was extremely messy because they hadn't been tidied up for a long time.
But none of this could conceal the man's handsome face and elegant demeanor. It was evident from the way the woman he was leading looked at him that even though she had embarked on this path of escape with him, she had never regretted it.
Finally, the two were caught up, and a large group of black-clad warriors surrounded them. The man and woman stood back to back, warily watching these people, their hands already on the hilts of their swords. However, the black-clad men did not immediately attack, but waited quietly for something.
Suddenly, the sound of a strong wind came from afar, and a middle-aged man with slightly graying temples appeared in the encirclement. The black-clad warriors around him quickly lowered their heads and whispered, "Lord."
"Xin'er, come here." The man called the Lord of the Pavilion spoke to the woman in the room with a cold face. The air around him distorted slightly, and a gentle breeze appeared out of nowhere, stirring up the withered leaves on the ground.
"This was my own choice, and I don't regret it," the woman in the middle said stubbornly, her eyes red.
"I am your father." The middle-aged man could no longer contain his anger and shouted coldly. The surrounding air distorted, and a wave of intense heat swept out, scorching the withered leaves near him. He took a deep breath and spoke again, "I'll give you one more chance. Come here."
The woman simply shook her head stubbornly.
The middle-aged man nodded, closed his eyes, exhaled a long breath, and said wearily, "Arrest him. If he resists, kill him without mercy. Don't worry about Miss... or the traitor Yun Xin."
"Father, are you really so heartless?" The woman asked in disbelief.
The man holding her hand sneered and said, "Xin'er, your father is a heartless man, why bother begging him?"
The middle-aged man opened his eyes, looked at the two people opposite him, and felt only sorrow. Heartless? Am I really a heartless person? You only see my ruthlessness, but never bother to look at my difficulties.
"I'm not just your father, I'm also the master of Bright Moon Tower," the middle-aged man said coldly. "You helped an outsider, stole the sect's secret manuals, and now you've even betrayed the sect with him. I've already given you a chance."
"Father, I'm begging you, please let us go. A Xiao has her own reasons for not being able to help her. Why can't you consider your daughter's happiness?" Yun Xin looked at her father with disappointment, feeling that he was unreasonable and heartless.
"What are you all standing there for? Grab them, dead or alive." Lord Yun ignored his daughter's words with a cold face. He felt an unprecedented chill in his heart. I raised you with great care, always thinking of you and running around for you for more than ten years. In the end, you sold your own father for a man you've known for three years.
You only say he has his reasons, but you never consider whether I have mine. You only feel that I don't consider your happiness, but is what you've gained truly happiness? I've considered so much and done so much for you, yet you turn a blind eye. He just said a few sweet words and pretended to be suffering, yet you were willing to abandon your sect and your father for him. Is it that I haven't given you enough, or have I given you too much?
The surrounding disciples all rushed forward, with most of their attacks aimed at the man. Although the sect leader had said there was no need to worry about his daughter, if someone actually killed her, while there might be no outward consequences, they would be waiting to die in secret.
"You heartless and ungrateful wretch, you are unworthy to be a parent!" the man roared, drawing his long sword from his waist. The sword shimmered with a pale blue spiritual light, and the weapons of the black-clad warriors shattered upon contact with it.
"It's actually a spirit weapon, and judging by the looks of it, it's an earth spirit weapon." A cry of surprise rang out. Lord Yun looked coldly at the man and snorted, "So you really are from the Black Heaven Hall? What, has the Black Heaven Hall finally decided to take action against our Bright Moon Tower?"
The moment the words "Black Heaven Hall" were uttered, the surrounding environment fell An Jing. Even the birds that had been chirping and circling in the sky stopped singing, as if some taboo had been brought up.
Looking at the pale blue spiritual weapon in the man's hand, the Cloud Pavilion Master's inner energy flickered. As everyone knows, although some spiritual weapons have flowed out in recent years, most of them are still in the hands of the Black Heaven Hall.
Moreover, instigating others to steal sect manuals and escape is a common tactic of the Black Heaven Hall, and countless sects have suffered because of it. The Cloud Pavilion Master's inner energy flowed, and a visible flame appeared in his hand, releasing astonishing heat.
"Your so-called predicament is the Black Star on your chest, isn't it?" Lord Yun said knowingly. Over the years, the Black Heaven Hall's methods have become well known to everyone, the most infamous of which is the Black Heaven Scroll's secret technique: One Finger Plants Black Star.
"With Black Star on her chest, she is a member of the Black Heaven Hall life and in death." Lord Yun looked at his daughter and said with deep sorrow, "Such a person, driven by the Black Star on her chest, is capable of anything. She is definitely not a good match."
"No, A Xiao isn't that kind of person. He was just forced into it." Yun Xin said confidently, gripping the man's hand tightly. She met his gaze, and he looked at her with a gentle smile, making her smile as if saying, "With someone like you, what does death matter?"
"Incomprehensible and stubborn." The Cloud Pavilion Master had been widowed for more than ten years. How could he not be angry when he saw his only daughter being kidnapped? The flames in his hands suddenly flared up, and the surrounding trees and leaves all withered and curled up, looking as if they were about to burst into flames.
"Get out of my way, everyone! I'll deal with these two traitors!" Lord Yun roared, unleashing his full inner energy. Several fireballs instantly floated around him, radiating terrifying heat.
Qixi Festival, hehehehe.