Liu Er was dead.
Silence blanketed the crowd as all eyes lingered on the ruthless teenager. For years, Blood Wolf Gang's second-in-command Liu Er had ruled Qingyang Town's villages with brutality, his hands stained with blood. His death was sweet vengeance.
"Justice!" A cheer erupted from the villagers. Xiao Ye's boldness electrified the crowd.
Xiao Tianxiong, his face etched with worry, murmured, "Ye'er acted recklessly. This will invite disaster."
Xiao Ye stepped forward, his eyes blazing. "Uncle, hesitation kills. If we hadn't struck first, Blood Wolf would have slaughtered us all."
Xiao Tianxiong trembled, his son's words shattering his doubts. True strength lies in resolve.
"Xiao Ye… you've become the man I once was," Xiao Tianxiong sighed, pride and sorrow mingling.
Blood Wolf's Wrath
At Ox Horn Mountain, fifty miles from Qingyang Town, Blood Wolf sat cross-legged atop his peak. His hulking frame radiated primal fury.
"My brother…" A trembling scout knelt before him, voice quaking. "Liu Er… he's dead."
Blood Wolf's eyes snapped open—twin blades of light piercing the air. The scout's body exploded into gore before he finished speaking.
"I'll turn Xiao Clan Village into a graveyard!" Blood Wolf roared, his voice shaking the peaks.
The Unyielding Village
Two days later, Qingyang Town buzzed with fear. Blood Wolf's forces encircled the village, but the people stood defiant.
"They'll kill us all!" some cried.
Xiao Ye stepped onto the palisade, his Posterior Heaven Realm aura defying the besiegers. "Let them come. I'll carve their names into my blade."
Behind him, Xiao Tianxiong and Xiao Yang readied their weapons. Even the village elders gripped farming tools, ready to die for their home.
Showdown at the Gates
Blood Wolf's mount thundered forward—a scarred brute of a man, his presence suffocating the air.
"Surrender Xiao Ye, or I'll bury this village!" Blood Wolf's gaze locked onto Xiao Ye.
Xiao Yang stepped forward, his Posterior Heaven Realm energy roaring. "Touch my son, and I'll split you in two!"
Blood Wolf laughed. "You're a broken man. What can you do?"
"Die!" Xiao Ye roared.
The Blade of Conviction
The battle erupted. Blood Wolf's Eighty Blood Wolves clashed with the villagers, but Xiao Ye's Great Splitting Palm tore through their ranks. Each strike carried the weight of his unshakable will.
Boom! Boom!
Villagers fought like furies, their cries echoing Xiao Ye's vow: "Honor my family, or die!"
Even as Blood Wolf's men closed in, two figures arrived—Shi Zhan of Shijia Village and Wu Shi of Wujia Village, their auras shaking the earth.
"Blood Wolf," Shi Zhan growled, "my granddaughter's husband is under my protection."
Wu Shi's eyes blazed. "Touch Xiao Ye, and your entire gang rots!"