Chapter 17

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Chapter 17 – The Guard’s Identity

Mu Xiaofeng stepped back, letting Qiao Zi heal himself. Meanwhile, Ximo took Mu Xiaofeng’s place at the front, working with Feng Xun to distract the treasury guards. Without Mu Xiaofeng leading the attack, the guards had less pressure, but Ximo and Feng Xun still managed to wear them down.

The guard, realizing Mu Xiaofeng was recovering thanks to Qiao Zi’s treatment, knew he had to act quickly. If Mu Xiaofeng regained his strength, the situation would get even worse. The guard decided he had to take out the healer and the kid with the heavy sword first.

Suddenly, the guard lunged forward. Ximo quickly raised his shield, and Feng Xun swung his sword to block the guard’s path. But the guard unleashed a powerful burst of energy, knocking them both aside and charging towards Mu Xiaofeng and the others.

Seeing the guard heading their way, Ximo and Feng Xun knew things were about to get bad. They rushed after him, but the guard turned back with blood-red eyes, unleashing a terrifying Tiger Regent attack. Ximo and Feng Xun couldn’t dodge in time and were paralyzed, collapsing to the ground.

The guard’s eyes lost their red glow, returning to their original brown. It seemed he couldn’t use the Tiger Strike again. The guard continued his advance, with almost no one left to stop him. Rikishi swung his staff and shouted, “Earthquake!” The ground shook, caving in beneath the guard’s feet.

The guard looked down at the collapsing ground and then leaped towards Mu Xiaofeng’s group. Just as he landed, the ground where he had been standing completely gave way.

Qin Bao Yi and Ei Ying, realizing the danger, used all their remaining energy to unleash a massive Flame Bomb and Demon Retreating Arrow. If they couldn’t stop the guard now, the consequences would be dire. The guard braced himself, concentrating his energy into his shield, and took the full force of their attacks.

Though he landed a bit unsteadily, the guard still managed to get in front of Mu Xiaofeng’s group. They were now as defenseless as paper against his sword. The guard raised his sword to strike Qiao Zi, but Mu Xiaofeng, using all his strength, blocked the blow with his heavy sword. Though weakened, he managed to hold on while Qiao Zi continued healing him.

At that moment, Zhang Wenyu rushed in with his Snake Tooth Short Knife, which glowed a dark purple in his hands. He aimed for the guard’s throat, but the guard quickly raised his shield, protecting his vital areas. Zhang Wenyu redirected his attack towards the guard’s arm, but the guard’s flesh was like steel, and the knife barely made a dent.

Seeing that he couldn’t harm the guard, Zhang Wenyu quickly dodged out of the attack range. The guard, seeing Mu Xiaofeng vulnerable, raised his sword again. But just then, Yun Jie stepped in, gathering all her energy into her shield to block the guard’s attack.

The guard was pushed back by Yun Jie’s defense, surprising Mu Xiaofeng—he hadn’t expected Yun Jie to be so strong. The guard paused, staring at Yun Jie, and then lowered his sword, saying, “So, there are still people from the Yun family here. I didn’t expect that.” The guard seemed to recognize Yun Jie and hesitated to attack her further.

But while Yun Jie was safe, the others were still in danger. The guard suddenly accelerated towards Qin Bao Yi. Zhang Wenyu, seeing this, recklessly charged at the guard, but was hit with the shield and sent flying. The guard then swept his sword at Qin Bao Yi, easily knocking her down as well. Neither of them could withstand a single hit.

An arrow from Eggy flew at the guard, but it lacked the power to harm him. However, it did catch his attention. As the guard focused on Eggy, Li Yi seized the opportunity, channeling his energy and shouting, “Suffer and die! Ground Spike Surprise Attack!” The ground around the guard erupted with spikes, piercing him multiple times.

Mu Xiaofeng, seeing the guard struck by the spikes, wondered if it had worked. But then the guard roared, shattering all the spikes around him. Mu Xiaofeng was shocked—the guard was still standing.

The guard broke free from the spikes and charged at Ei Ying, who quickly retreated to Li Yi’s side. The guard then turned towards Qiao Zi, preparing to strike. Seeing this, Mu Xiaofeng shouted, “Yun Jie, save Qiao Zi!”

Yun Jie rushed in, raising her shield to block the guard’s attack once again. The guard, seeing her in his way, changed the direction of his sword and struck Li Yi and Ei Ying, sending them flying as well.

Now, only Mu Xiaofeng, Qiao Zi, and Yun Jie were left standing, while the rest had lost their ability to fight. The guard, though injured, still approached them, saying, “Don’t think that just because there’s someone from the Yun family here, I won’t hurt you. My duty as a treasury guard comes first. If I have no other choice, I will act. You should take your people and leave quickly.”

As soon as the guard finished speaking, Yun Jie charged at him, shouting, “You’re already at your limit! Let’s see how I can defeat you!” She concentrated her energy into her sword, her moves swift and precise, aiming for the guard’s vital points. The guard, recognizing the Yun Clan’s Yun Duan Sword Technique, struggled to defend himself.

Seeing an opening, Yun Jie gathered all her strength and thrust her sword into the guard’s left shoulder. She smiled, thinking she had the upper hand. But the guard suddenly laughed, planted his sword into the ground, and pulled out the sword from his shoulder with his right hand. He then used his shield to knock Yun Jie away.

Mu Xiaofeng, realizing the guard had tricked Yun Jie into creating an opening, drew his heavy sword and charged at the guard. Qiao Zi, seeing this, called out, “Mu Xiaofeng, your injuries aren’t healed! Don’t go!”

But Mu Xiaofeng, seeing Yun Jie in danger, ignored the warning and leaped forward, slashing at the guard’s head. The guard, unable to fully dodge, took the blow to his face, blood pouring down.

There was a loud “crack” as the mask on the guard’s face shattered, revealing that underneath it was not a human face, but a tiger’s head. Mu Xiaofeng and Qiao Zi were stunned.

Mu Xiaofeng looked at Yun Jie, who had fallen to the side. She couldn’t meet his eyes and turned away. Mu Xiaofeng sighed and said, “Yun Jie, you must have already known the guard’s identity.” Yun Jie nodded silently.

The tiger-headed guard, now sitting on the ground, shook his head and said, “Child, the reason Tiger Pass City exists in the Land of White is because of our Tiger Immortal Clan. We have always protected the people of this land, whether they’re human, beast, or any other being. But Tiger Pass City is our birthplace, and every year, on the first day, all the Tiger Immortal clansmen from the Land of White gather here. That’s why it’s known as Tiger Pass City.”

Mu Xiaofeng helped Yun Jie up and then called out to the guard, “Why bother saying so much? If you still want to fight, bring it on. But I don’t think you have much strength left.”

The guard shook his head again, reaching into his armor and pulling out a key. He held it out to Mu Xiaofeng, saying, “I’ve lost this time. You are just students, not enemies I need to fight to the death. This is the key to the treasury. See if there’s anything inside that suits you.” He then waved his hand, releasing Ximo and Feng Xun from their bindings.

Mu Xiaofeng, surprised by the guard’s sudden surrender, slowly walked towards him to take the key. But just as he was about to grab it, three black shadows darted by, snatching the key before rushing to the treasury door. Mu Xiaofeng recognized them—they were the three who had been bragging when he first arrived at the Weapon Forest.

Taking advantage of the chaos, the three had seized the key. They laughed and quickly opened the treasury door. The guard, seeing this, shook his head once more and sighed, “It seems this is truly the fate of heaven.”