Andrew grew ever calmer, his moves becoming steadier as he faced the two men. After twenty exchanges, not only was he unhurt, he had gained the upper hand against their combined attacks.
Not far away, Eagle, who had been pierced by a fire arrow, began to panic. If this went on and his two companions were killed, he would meet no good end either.
Eagle was indeed a veteran of countless battles. Enduring the pain, he carefully moved behind Andrew and crept closer without a sound.
Andrew seemed not to react, but he had already noticed!
Mages naturally possessed strong spiritual power, and Andrew's was far greater than that of other mages at his level. Besides, he was no ignorant boy. How could he overlook Eagle?
Leopard and Wild Wolf were both delighted to see Eagle sneak behind Andrew. The three had known one another for a long time and worked together seamlessly. Soon, without a word, they settled on a plan of attack!
"Die, brat!"
Of Leopard and Wild Wolf, one pinned Andrew's saber while Wild Wolf brought his greatsword down with all his strength. Not only that, the gravely wounded Eagle mustered his last ounce of strength, drew a throwing knife from his clothes, and hurled it at the back of Andrew's neck! In an instant, all three attacked together, determined to kill Andrew!
Andrew felt the rush of air behind his head. His expression shifted slightly, but he remained calm inside. Using Taiji's deft force, he twisted his saber, knocking the greatsword from Leopard's hands and sending it flying toward Wild Wolf. The sword came too fast, leaving Wild Wolf no choice but to dodge. At the same time, Andrew ducked beneath Eagle's throwing knife. Unexpectedly, Leopard, who stood in front of him, failed to notice it and instead had his thigh pierced.
What a chance!
Andrew rolled along the ground and swept his saber with all his strength, cleanly severing both of Leopard's legs below the knees.
This left Eagle and Wild Wolf utterly stunned! They had meant to ambush Andrew, only to sacrifice Leopard instead. Now Wild Wolf was the only one still able to fight.
"Go! Tell the boss!"
At that crucial moment, Eagle shouted a warning to Wild Wolf. Wild Wolf did not hesitate. He immediately evaded Andrew and leaped out through the window.
"Trying to warn the others?"
Andrew snorted and pointed with his left hand, sending out a fire arrow. Outside, Wild Wolf screamed, seemingly wounded. Andrew dared not waste any time and rushed after him. Sure enough, the fire arrow had injured Wild Wolf's left arm. Under these circumstances, he soon cut Wild Wolf down.
"What a vicious brat. Why did you kill us?" Eagle asked, leaning against the wall inside.
Andrew looked at the blood on his saber. "Why ask when you already know? If I didn't kill you today, you would have killed my whole family in a few days, wouldn't you?"
Eagle gave a bitter laugh. "So you really did know. To think that after roaming far and wide for over a decade and killing countless people, I'd die at a child's hands today!"
Andrew frowned, stepped forward, and finished him off. Then he killed Leopard, who lay on the other side with both legs severed.
"I don't have time to waste talking to you!"
After killing them, Andrew beckoned with his hand. A serpent of flame slowly grew, setting the entire wooden house ablaze.
"Finally dealt with them. I hope nothing's happened at home!" Andrew breathed a sigh of relief and hurried back. Strangely, despite killing four people in one go, he felt no discomfort at all.
Once home, Andrew spotted Janice at once. She was anxiously looking out, waiting for him.
"Mom, I'm back. It's taken care of!" Andrew whispered with a hint of excitement.
Janice looked him over. "Andrew, are you all right?"
"I'm fine. By the way, how are things with Matthews and the others?"
Janice relaxed. "Howard is drinking with them."
"Drinking?" Andrew's eyes lit up. This was a good opportunity. If all three got drunk, couldn't he take them all out at once? At that thought, he immediately told Janice his plan. She looked at him with some concern. "Will that really work?"
"It'll be fine. Letting them go back would cause even more trouble. Mom, go protect Ling'er first. Leave this to me."
Andrew straightened himself up and entered the room. Inside, Howard was chatting happily with Matthews, while Bell and Taige, who had accompanied Matthews, stood calmly behind him. Taige's gaze sharpened when he saw Andrew. Exceptionally sensitive to killing, he sensed killing intent coming from Andrew!
Andrew walked calmly to the table, and Howard and Matthews noticed him too. Matthews's face was flushed, and he was clearly quite drunk.
"Howard, I watched Andrew's match with that barbarian too. His aptitude is far better than ours. Ah, if only he were my son."
Howard smiled. "Andrew really is a genius, and he's very sensible too."
Andrew gave an innocent smile. "You flatter me, Uncle Matthews." As he spoke, he moved closer to Matthews.
Suddenly, Taige lowered his head and whispered something in Matthews's ear. Matthews abruptly looked up, his gaze turning sharp as he stared at Andrew.
"Andrew, why didn't I see you earlier? What were you doing?" Matthews asked.
Andrew was startled and immediately realized that he had probably given something away. But now he had gone too far to turn back. Quietly gripping his saber's hilt, he replied with a smile, "Just now, I went..." Halfway through his sentence, he swung his saber straight at Matthews's head.
Clang!
At the last possible instant, Taige blocked the strike Andrew had been certain would land. He had already raised his guard and noticed Andrew's intentions in time.
Howard was stunned by this turn of events. He roared, "Andrew, what are you doing?"
After Taige blocked his first strike, Andrew flowed straight into a second, slashing diagonally toward Matthews's left shoulder. "Dad, I'll explain later! Hurry and help me take them down, or Mom and Ling'er will be in danger!"
Howard was bewildered, but he was also a seasoned warrior and soon reacted. Though he did not understand what had happened, he still trusted his son.
With Howard's help, the pressure on Andrew eased considerably. In the melee, Andrew's saber cut off Matthews's left arm. At the same time, Bell sent him flying with a kick, breaking two of his ribs.
Bell was wounded too, his left leg pierced by Andrew's unexpected fire arrow.
Meanwhile, Howard and Taige fought fiercely. Unfortunately, Howard had been drinking and had no weapon, leaving him constantly suppressed by Taige. Had Janice not arrived in time and cast the fifth-level Fire Feather Spell, Howard would have struggled to get away unscathed.
The fight at home lasted only about ten minutes, leaving both sides wounded.
"Andrew, why did you attack me?" Matthews demanded resentfully, clutching his left arm.
Andrew caught his breath and said mockingly, "Matthews, don't think I don't know what you're after. Let me tell you, I've already killed Eagle and the others. I know your plan too."
Matthews still played dumb. "Andrew, have you misunderstood something? What plan? I only wanted to ask Howard for a favor."
Andrew sneered. "Matthews, stop pretending. You came back to Maple Forest Town to take revenge on our family. Hmph, if you hadn't visited today, I wouldn't have had such a good opportunity."
Before Matthews could reply, Taige shouted, "Boss, why waste words on him? This little bastard already killed Eagle and the others!"
Howard understood somewhat now and demanded loudly, "Matthews, I've always treated you as a brother. Why would you hurt me?"
"A brother? Hurt you?" Matthews's face twisted. "If you treated me as a brother, why did you take Janice away from me back then? You dare say I hurt you? You forced me to leave Maple Forest Town for nearly ten years!"
Howard was too pained to speak. Janice shook her head and said nothing either. With someone like this, any words were wasted.
Howard glanced at the wrecked room and sighed. "Matthews, leave. Otherwise, I'll call for help."
Andrew cried, "Dad, we can't let him go, or next time he'll..."
"Enough, Andrew," Howard interrupted. "Let it go this time."
Andrew nodded helplessly. He could tell Howard was serious this time. Thinking of the twenty years of brotherhood between Howard and Matthews, Andrew understood as well.
Knowing he was at a disadvantage, Matthews left readily. Andrew, however, knew that the man had absolutely not given up. From now on, he would only conceal himself more deeply and use more covert means of revenge.
After the three left, the room remained silent for a long time. Only when Ling'er burst in was the silence broken.
Andrew picked Ling'er up and said to the dispirited Howard and Janice, "Let's leave Maple Forest Town. Once Matthews recovers, he'll definitely come back."
Howard regained some spirit. "Leave? Where could we go?"
"The Far East Prairie," Andrew said firmly. "To the Keli Tribe. I made an agreement with the grand elder. We can ensure our safety there."
"Leave Maple Forest Town..." Janice hesitated, very reluctant to go.
"Don't worry. We'll be back soon. I've already cultivated battle-qi of the fifth rank. Once I become a warrior of the seventh rank, our family can return without worry," Andrew said confidently. By his estimate, he would be able to break through in three years at most.
Howard knew this was the best option and nodded his agreement. With no other choice, Janice nodded too. The two packed a few things. Only Ling'er looked bewildered, unable to understand what was happening.
That very night, under the moonlight, the family of four quietly left Maple Forest Town.