clanAt the back gate of the Sima Clan, a fierce battle raged. Countless Sima warriors had already fallen, and Fifth Elder lay lifeless on the battlefield. Sixth Elder fought on despite being fatally wounded, his body covered in blood and his breathing shallow.
"Young Master," Sixth Elder said to my brother, Lianzhen, "we can't hold on much longer. I've just received word—the east side has fallen. Soon, the enemy will surround us from the rear. We won't be able to escape.you must escape young master"
Lianzhen clenched his fists. "I can't leave you here, Elder! We both need to get out!"
But Sixth Elder interrupted. "I've lived my whole life in the Sima Clan. I take pride in it. This old body has already reached its limit. There's nothing more I want in life than to die in the clan that raised me. You have a future. You're the last hope of this dying crane. Please... escape."
Tears welled in my brother's eyes, but finally, he nodded and turned toward the west side.
Meanwhile, my sister, Qianlan, made her way through the burning manor. Flames spread rapidly, consuming everything in their path. She reached our father's room—and what she saw shattered her world.
Our mother and father lay lifeless, side by side.
She dropped to her knees, reaching out to touch them—but stopped. Her fingers trembled. Her lips quivered, but she couldn't cry. There was no time.
She left them behind.
On her way to the main hall, a wounded Sima warrior called out, "Young Lady!"
She ran to him.
"We've lost the battle at the main hall," he gasped. "As a last resort, we've set it on fire to block the enemy's advance. I've received word… Second Young Master is in the west side library. Please… take him… and escape… through the secret passage."
His final breath left him. Qianlan closed his eyes and ran.
At the west side, the battlefield was about to ignite once more.
Xun Ziyan, eyes filled with bloodlust, approached.
"Sima Clan," she snarled, "you'll pay for the humiliation I suffered in front of the Leader. Hand over the Young Master, and I might give you an easy death."
Fourth Elder stepped forward. "Here's my answer."
She charged with ten elite warriors.
"Second Form – Destruction Axe Art: Fast Slash!"
In a blink, Xun Ziyan sliced them all in half with a wave of her axe.
She advanced toward me.
"Rin," Grandfather whispered, holding my shoulder, "listen carefully. You must escape. Go to Moon Palace."
His palm glowed, and a crescent moon tattoo formed on my left shoulder.
He stepped forward.
"Move, old stick. I'm not interested in you," Xun Ziyan sneered.
Grandfather drew his sword and throw it on ground and removed a big ring from his back. It split into two semi-circular halves.
"Tonight is crescent moon night," he muttered.
His aura erupted.
A radiant white Qi resembling moonlight flooded from his body. The rings began to spin, glowing brightly. It was as if Grandfather himself wielded the moon.
Xun Ziyan's eyes widened. "How… You were just a First-Class Warrior! How did you reach Half-Step Grandmaster Stage?!"
Grandfather smiled. "Now you're interested in this old stick, huh?"
"Third Form – Destruction Axe Art: Double Slash!"
Xun Ziyan's axe unleashed a barrage of slashing energy.
Grandfather threw down several beads. "Second Form – Crescent Moon Art: Moon Defense!"
The twin rings spun, generating two shields of light that deflected every incoming slash.
Their battle raged on.
Eventually, Xun Ziyan paused. "Even with your Half-Step Grandmaster strength, you can only sustain it temporarily. You must've once been a Grandmaster, huh?"
she then say lets see how you block this.
She pulled out a bottle, pouring liquid over her axe, then set it ablaze.
"Fifth Form – Destruction Axe Art: Fire Axe!"
The fire roared. Her axe burned like a mini sun.
She hurled it forward. A blazing fireball tore through the sky.
Grandfather had no time to dodge.
"Fifth Form – Crescent Moon Art: Moon Shield!"
A moon-shaped door appeared. The fireball collided—BOOM!
Smoke filled the air.
As it cleared, we saw Grandfather gripping the burning axe with his semi-rings, its edge inches from his face.
I gasped.
But then—
"Scorpion Fighting Style – Scorpion Pincer!"
A hand pierced through Grandfather's chest from front.
Xun Ziyan's arm burst out of his back.
"Well," she said, "you weren't bad for a man. You should feel honored I had to use my trump card to kill you."
Grandfather, blood pouring from his mouth, smiled and grabbed her arm with both hands.
"First Form – Heavenly Moon Formation: Moon Chain!"
The beads he threw earlier lit up, and from each one, moonlight chains erupted, binding Xun Ziyan completely.
I froze. I saw, for a second, the face of my past-life master in my grandfather.
Then my mind went blank.
"GRANDPA!!!" I screamed and ran toward him.
"RIN! DON'T COME HERE!" he yelled.
Too late.
Xun Ziyan's fallen axe began to stir, still alive with residual Axe Qi.
She directed it toward me.
I couldn't move.
But my servant threw himself in front of me.
He took the full blow.
I came to my senses, kneeling beside him as he bled out.
"Y-Young Master… run…" he gasped.
"No! I can't leave you and Grandpa—"
Suddenly, my sister appeared.
She lifted me onto her shoulder.
Using the Sima Family's Crane Step, she dashed away.
I hit her with my fists, screaming, "PUT ME DOWN! I NEED TO HELP THEM!"
She didn't stop.
At that moment, my older brother appeared and joined her.
All three of us reached the secret passage, opened only by the Sima Family crest.
Inside, they found five caves. Four were dead ends. Qianlan led us to the correct one.
We escaped.
At the front—
Grandmother fought on.
Guan Tieqin stood calmly, some distance away.
"You know that sword is devouring your life energy," she said.
"I know," Grandmother replied.
then suddenly her aura darkened. Her eyes turned pitch black.
Guan Tieqin smiled. "A worthy end, then. To clash with one of the top ten weapons, I'll use mine too."
She unslung a massive axe from her back.
"This is my partner—Disaster Axe (Rank 9)."
Grandmother raised her sword. "Sixth Form – Supreme Crane Sword Art: Heavenly Crane Descend!"
A giant, 12-foot crane formed from her essence.
"Third Form – Dark Meteor Axe Technique: Meteor Axe Descend!"
A ten-foot axe of pure qi formed in Guan Tieqin's hands.
She leapt and hurled it.
The two techniques collided.
BOOOOOOM!
The entire front gate exploded.
Amid the smoke, a voice muttered, "It's a pity… it's a pity…"
As the smoke cleared, the Dark Empress Sword lay on the ground.
Guan Tieqin stood above Grandmother, her axe buried in her head.
"It's a pity you weren't Unrestrained Stage. That would've been entertaining."
She pulled the axe free from grandmother head. Grandmother's body collapsed.
"I know you're there," she called out. "Come out, Eclipse Witch."
From the shadows, a woman emerged, her face wrapped in black cloth only mouth is Visible.
"its been a while Axe elder and my friend," she said, mouth twisted in a smile.
"I'm not your friend," Guan growled.
Eclipse Witch laughed. "Let me do my job."
She released hundreds of talismans, covering the Dark Empress Sword.
The sword floated into her hands.
"See you later~" she sang, vanishing.
Guan Tieqin scowled. "One day, I'll kill that bitch."
A black-robed warrior approached. "Greetings, Axe Elder. I'm Vice Leader of the 25th Secret Hundred Weapon Squad. Reporting on Sima Clan."
"Where is your leader?" Guan asked.
"Dead."
"Whatever. Give me the report."
"We've captured the entire clan. 150 captives—men and children."
Guan's eyes narrowed. "Our orders were clear. The Sima Clan must not see tomorrow."
The warrior bowed. "Understood."
Xun Ziyan appeared, slightly bruised.
"Leader," she said.
"How was your battle?"
"I'm sorry. The Young Lady and two Sima clan young master escaped."
Guan shrugged. "What can a few little cranes do? The clan is finished."
She yawned. "I need some men to release this stress."
Xun Ziyan coughed. "I heard there's a famous brothel in Changsha… how about we go there"
Guan grinned. "We? Oh Ziyan, in the morning you're a tight-lipped elder, but at night you're a pants-loose woman!"
"Cough-cough," Ziyan fake-coughed.
The two laughed and left the burning Sima Clan behind.