Shen Lan Ni and Ye Lan, having practiced the Bìhǎi Cháoshēng Jué, were not truly threatened by these insignificant individuals. However, the sheer number of them, coupled with the need to protect Yang Lingxue, prevented them from breaking free.
Meanwhile, Gan Lao San gritted his teeth, attempting to rise from the ground to assist. Unfortunately, the gunshot wound on his leg pressed on his nerves, allowing him only to stand precariously. The slightest movement would send him tumbling.
He roared at his brothers, "Why are you all standing around like idiots? Go help them!"
These brothers, accustomed to following his lead, immediately joined the fray upon hearing their boss's command.
The entire hall was filled with the sounds of fighting and wailing. Qiu Yang, acting as if he were merely watching a play, continuously searched through the shifting lights and shadows for the whereabouts of the three celestial beauties, all while shouting phrases like, "Don't hurt my beauties!"
Antique porcelain, ancient rattan tables and chairs, and money trees were used as props, flying through the air with clattering sounds. Anyone else would have likely been heartbroken to the point of tears, but Qiu Yang remained utterly unfazed, his eyes seemingly fixed only on the three graceful figures.
Seeing the situation becoming increasingly chaotic, Shi Jing Tian thought to himself that he had to capture the leader first and was about to make a move when a saber appeared before him.
"Doctor Shi, I advise you not to act rashly. My saber has no eyes."
The old man leveled his saber and continued to drink his baijiu.
"Indeed, I've heard that the renowned swordsman Qiu Ruhai has become the Qiu family's loyal hound. Seeing you today, it truly is so."
The blade was still five to six centimeters from Shi Jing Tian's neck, yet he already felt the cold edge cutting into his skin. This presence, within the entire village, could only be achieved by the once-disappeared swordsman, Qiu Ruhai.
"It's not easy for someone to remember my full name." The old man finished the baijiu in his bottle in one gulp.
"Of course, I remember. Your Qiu family were heroes of the village. But for your generation to be so pathetic, it's truly baffling."
Shi Jing Tian knew very well that this Qiu family swordsman was Qiu Yang's greatest asset. If he could persuade this man, retrieving Ren Yuan Hao's body would be a simple matter. Therefore, he had to provoke the swordsman with his words to gauge his intentions.
Unexpectedly, the old man suddenly let out a ferocious laugh, "Heroes? When our family was in trouble, who remembered us as heroes? You all avoided us as if we were plague gods. Heroes? Those spewing hot air from firearms have completely replaced us old fellows. We are merely relics of an old era."
"So you'd rather be Qiu family's lackey, even drawing your blade against everyone in the village without hesitation, is that right?" Shi Jing Tian said, leaning his neck forward. "If so, don't hesitate. I, Shi, am no hero, but I still know what it means to repay kindness!"
Qiu Ruhai's saber did not retreat an inch, his voice chilling to the bone.
"Yes."
The moment the word was spoken, the blade was instantly thrust forward. In a flash, Shen Lan Ni grabbed Shi Jing Tian by the collar and yanked him back forcefully, managing to evade the saber strike at the critical moment.
Shi Jing Tian's face turned ashen. He looked at the old man before him in disbelief. After a long while, he said coldly, "It seems the Qiu family swordsman of the past no longer exists. You don't carry the surname Qiu; you bear the surname Qiu."
"Names are just labels. You say you are here to repay a debt of gratitude, and am I not the same?"
The old man blocked Qiu Yang with his saber. Though his body was extremely thin, he exuded an aura as imposing as Mount Tai!
Thunder continued to rumble, and the wind did not cease. Lightning bolts, slicing through the air, cast long shadows of the people in the hall. The ground was littered with people sliding, twisting, and groaning. Shen Lan Ni, Ye Lan, and Yang Lingxue stood shoulder to shoulder with Shi Jing Tian. Most of the insignificant individuals had lost their fighting capacity. This farce had reached its final moments.
"Repay a debt? You are merely aiding and abetting evil." Shi Jing Tian's tone was full of helplessness, for in the instant of near-death, he had fully understood that the Qiu Ruhai before him was merely a sharp blade for the Qiu family, with no room for persuasion or compromise.
"Say whatever you wish. Anyone who causes trouble here will ultimately be eliminated by my blade."
As the old man was about to take a step forward, Qiu Yang grabbed his shoulder.
"Wait, Uncle Hai. I want those three women alive. You can deal with the others as you please."
Qiu Yang let out a sinister laugh, leering at the three women, his saliva uncontrollably dripping, resembling a dog in heat.
"Understood. Please step back, young master, to avoid getting hurt."
"Good, very good."
Qiu Yang retreated and slumped onto the sofa. He glanced at the two heavily made-up beauties beside him and felt a wave of nausea. With a wave of his hand, he gestured for them to leave.
"Everyone, feel free to prepare your preferred weapons, lest you say I bully you."
The old man leveled his saber, his voice deep as water.
"Damn it, old man, can't you see the situation? It's eight of us against one of you! Eight to one, alright? *We're* the ones bullying *you*!"
Gan Lao San's associate, gripping a chair leg, was actually trembling somewhat from the opponent's aura. Saying these foolish words was merely an attempt to regain some semblance of courage.
"Whatever you think. You'll all be nothing but lying dead fish and shrimp soon enough."
Qiu Ruhai dragged his saber along the ground, its movement producing a crisp, chilling 'hiss'. Qiu Yang originally wanted to remind him again not to lay a hand on the three goddesses, but looking at his gaunt, cold silhouette, a shiver ran down his spine, and the words caught in his throat. He managed to swallow them back.
The eight men were also shaken by this presence, but in front of the three beautiful women, these fellows were naturally unwilling to show any fear. They were the first to charge towards Qiu Ruhai, brandishing chair legs and horn ornaments.
Qiu Ruhai, however, suddenly stopped. He lowered his body and, without even glancing at them, his saber flashed like lightning, instantly slicing through the air with an extremely piercing sound. Everyone felt a coolness at their knees, and their bodies suddenly felt as if they were lifted off the ground. Upon closer inspection, their legs below the knees had been instantly broken by that single saber strike. They hadn't flown up suddenly; they had lost their support and were propelled upwards by inertia!
Eight legs and four groaning, weeping men lay like strange sacrifices before Qiu Ruhai.
"One, two, three, four. Next, it's your turn, the four of you."
"Uh, no, no, no, Uncle Hai, just take care of that lousy doctor."
Qiu Yang was about to add something when Qiu Ruhai suddenly turned his head, his eyes bloodshot, appearing like a god of slaughter. This caused his half-finished sentence to get stuck in his throat.
The three women exchanged glances, placing the non-martial Yang Lingxue behind them. Moving with the speed of wind, they used two wooden sticks to confront Qiu Ruhai!