Eternal Saber

The crowd followed the sound and looked.

Not far away, a group of soldiers clad in Northern Expedition Army battle armor walked in, with sabers at their waists, each looking battle-hardened, their steps uniform, firm, and powerful.

Though only a hundred or more, their momentum seemed to surpass that of the over a thousand Imperial Guard under Shen Guobao!

At the forefront was a burly man wearing a brocade robe with dark patterns, draped with light armor. His physique was mighty, his face a deep reddish-purple, his whiskers around his chin and sideburns slightly yellow and curled, with astonishingly sharp eyes, bearing the look of an eagle observing a wolf.

If Ye Xuan’s presence appeared more restrained and understated, combining elegance and fortitude,

then this person’s aura exuded an iron-blooded ferocity, as if he came treading over mountains of corpses and seas of blood, making one fearful at a glance!

Everyone present, seeing this man appear, showed a change in expression.

Northern Expedition Army, Assistant General, Liu Daojian!

This person not only experienced the battle of Xiajiang, but managed to stand tall through the subsequent turmoil of the Northern Expedition Army, rising firmly to become the second figure in the army, proving his skills and strategies.

There had always been rumors that the backing of Sword Casting Manor in the court was this great general of the Northern Expedition Army.

Now that he appeared, it confirmed this rumor.

The three masters of Sword Casting Manor exchanged looks upon his arrival, each letting out a sigh of relief.

"Dao Jian, it’s good to see you well."

Ye Xuan looked at the man, nodded slightly, and simply greeted him, his tone neither cold nor warm.

Liu Daojian burst into laughter and said, "Marshal Xuan’s demeanor is as it ever was. Retiring to East Mountain for years, yet still disregarding dukes and ministers. Fight when you wish, I truly admire you."

Ye Xuan remained silent.

At this moment, more guards from Langya Pavilion approached, looking uneasy, and said in a low voice, "Reporting to the Pavilion Master and Madam Su, tens of thousands of Northern Expedition Army troops have surrounded Langya Peak!"

Among those present, many were experts from the Martial World and naturally heard these words clearly.

With the Imperial Guard in front and the Northern Expedition Army behind, both seemed to come with ill intentions.

Some Jianghu guests secretly clicked their tongues, starting to worry for Langya Pavilion.

Madam Su’s face darkened and she said, "General Liu, coming uninvited and bringing an army to surround the mountain, what do you intend?"

Liu Daojian didn’t beat around the bush, speaking directly, "I’ve heard there are Profound Celestial Bandits here. This is a serious matter. To prevent their escape, we had no choice but to adopt these measures."

"Madam Su, rest assured, the Northern Expedition Army harbors no ill intentions towards Langya Pavilion. However, should anyone shelter the Profound Celestial Bandits with ulterior motives, do not blame me for showing no mercy!"

Madam Su’s eyes widened with fury.

Shen Yuanlin, sweating profusely, quickly said, "General Liu, do not believe false accusations. There’s no Profound Celestial Bandit here; it’s all a misunderstanding."

"Whether it’s a misunderstanding or not, return to my camp with me, and I’ll interrogate to uncover the truth."

Liu Daojian’s tone left no room for doubt.

Anger burned within Madam Su’s heart. For a hundred years, no one had dared threaten Langya Pavilion in such a manner.

"If Langya Pavilion doesn’t hand anyone over, what then!"

Madam Su leaned on her Dragon Head Staff, stepped forward, and shouted loudly.

"What then?"

Liu Daojian spoke slowly, expressionless, "Langya Pavilion harboring the Profound Celestial Bandits, collaborating with the Profound Celestial Sect with sinister intentions, leaves me no choice but to order this place’s destruction!"

The hearts of many in Jianghu trembled upon hearing this.

No one doubted the strength of the Northern Expedition Army.

As long as Liu Daojian gave the order, the tens of thousands of Northern Expedition Army soldiers could flatten Langya Pavilion!

"This is the end. If Langya Pavilion doesn’t hand anyone over, it will be erased tonight."

"But Langya Pavilion, after all, has a hundred years of tradition and remains one of the two great pavilions of Great Xia, even if its strength is not what it used to be. Its reputation survives, and I don’t believe Liu Daojian would dare act against it."

"Heh! What kind of person is Liu Daojian? Known for keeping his word, he has surpassed everyone but Uncle Wang in the Northern Expedition Army’s esteem. Should he command, Langya Pavilion will undoubtedly be destroyed today!"

Crowds whispered among themselves.

"Haha, Chen Tang is finished!"

Even though Xiao Wuhen could not see, he listened to the surrounding clamor, guessing how the situation unfolded, feeling ecstatic and gloating over others’ misfortune.

Lin Mubai smiled faintly, as if having seen through the world, saying, "Atop the altar, one shines gloriously under the spotlight. Yet standing firm is no easy task. Falling from the altar takes just a single night."

In the midst of the standoff, Ye Xuan suddenly spoke up, "You can’t take the person."

Liu Daojian’s gaze shifted, landing on Ye Xuan. After a moment of silence, he suddenly chuckled.

"I address you as Marshal Xuan, harkening back to our comradeship in arms from years ago."

Liu Daojian spoke in a low tone, "But if you insist on shielding the Profound Celestial Bandits, you oppose the Northern Expedition Army, as well as Great Xia and its civilians! Don’t blame me for forgetting old ties!"

His words signaled the point of no return between the two parties.

No one expected Liu Daojian to be so unyielding, unwilling to even grace Ye Xuan with face value!

Ye Xuan calmly said, "Firstly, Chen Tang is not a Profound Celestial Bandit. Secondly, the Profound Celestial Bandits are indeed here, but it’s someone else."

As soon as these words fell, everyone displayed confusion, instinctively glancing around.

Is there a Profound Celestial Bandit here?

If not Chen Tang, then who?

The three Manor Masters felt somewhat guilty, their gazes flickered as they tried to appear calm.

Liu Daojian’s eyes showed a flash of cold light, "Firstly, whether Chen Tang is a Profound Celestial Bandit, I will take him back for interrogation. Secondly, for taking lives, one must pay with their own, as is the natural order! The dozen or so lives at Sword Casting Manor need an explanation!"

Ye Xuan glanced at the sky and said, "Wait for a moment, someone will give you an explanation."

Trying to buy time?

"I cannot wait."

Liu Daojian sneered, "Tens of thousands of Northern Expedition troops are at the foot of the mountain. Even if you are a Grandmaster, how many can you protect?"

"Are you threatening me?"

Ye Xuan paced towards Liu Daojian, his tone unfriendly.

The hundred or more soldiers behind Liu Daojian instantly surged forward to surround him, drawing their long blades, exuding a fierce murderous aura.

"Dao Jian, do you think that by becoming a Grandmaster, you can threaten me?"

Step by step, Ye Xuan approached Liu Daojian, his eyes sharp, an invisible pressure emanating from him, passing through the ranks of soldiers, finally standing before Liu Daojian!

The hundred-plus soldiers seemed frozen in place, unable to move, their expressions of horror staring.

"Even among Grandmasters, there are disparities of strength, and they can be significant,"

Ye Xuan said, "Your army may have me outnumbered, but killing you is still within my reach."

In the face of Ye Xuan’s words, Liu Daojian’s just-issued threats seemed like a child’s play!

Everyone could sense that if Liu Daojian dared to challenge Ye Xuan another word, he’d surely end up a corpse!

Seeing Liu Daojian remain silent, Ye Xuan relented, turning away leisurely.

The moment of confrontation with Ye Xuan left Liu Daojian’s back drenched in sweat!

Unbelievably, even after reaching the Divine Illumination Realm and achieving Grandmaster status, becoming the second figure of the Northern Expedition Army, he still felt so insignificant before this former master!

"General?"

A soldier asked quietly.

Liu Daojian’s face was pale, signaling with his eyes for him to quickly descend the mountain.

The soldier understood and turned to dash away.

In this situation, only Uncle Wang could possibly keep Ye Xuan at bay!

The scene came to a standstill, with neither party making further moves.

"General Liu, what are we waiting for?"

The Great Manor Master, feeling uneasy, approached Liu Daojian to ask in a low voice.

Liu Daojian replied gravely, "Waiting for someone!"

On the other side.

Madam Su appeared worried.

The stalemate benefited no one. As Langya Pavilion drew such a spectacle, once dawn broke, rumors would spread like wildfire, potentially causing harm.

By that point, explaining matters would become increasingly difficult, detrimental to both Langya Pavilion and Chen Tang.

Madam Su glanced to the side, noticing Ye Xuan standing with his hands behind his back, gazing up calmly without haste, which prompted her to frown and ask, "Ye Xuan, what is your plan?"

Ye Xuan answered calmly, "Waiting for someone."