"Madam, you must not." Elder Xu tried to dissuade her. "This man has already harmed the young master and Elder Gou Yi. I fear he means to harm you next. If the two of us leave now, won't we be playing right into his hands?"
"Madam, Elder Xu is right. Please reconsider!" Xiao Qiuhe echoed.
"My mind is made up. Say no more. Leave," Jiang Wanyue said.
Elder Xu's gaze sharpened instead. He made a blade of his hand and slashed through the air.
A blazing white blade of light instantly materialized and shot downward.
The blade of light struck the cave at the bottom of the lake, sending mud and rubble flying in all directions.
With a bang, an invisible barrier burst apart.
Immediately afterward, a figure shot out of the mud at the bottom of the lake.
It was Qing Shuang.
Her face was deathly pale, but she had not suffered the slightest injury. Clearly, she had only been frightened.
The formation Song Wen had laid served only to conceal; its defensive power was practically negligible.
That was why Elder Xu had been able to break it open by force so easily.
Yet he had also held back, deliberately sparing Qing Shuang's life. Otherwise, even a trace of residual power would have been enough to tear her to dust.
Elder Xu restrained Qing Shuang from a distance and looked toward Song Wen, saying coldly,
"Gu Huang, this woman must be your accomplice, correct? Hand over Young Master Xiao's soul, and we can spare her."
Before Song Wen could speak, Qing Shuang spoke first.
"Senior, don't worry about me. Having killed that beast Xiao Yuankui with my own hands and avenged my blood feud, I am already satisfied. Even if I die, I will have no regrets."
Jiang Wanyue's