Chapter 103: Song Jingyan Gets Betrayed
Song Jingyan’s breath hitched, and for a fleeting moment, her eyes seemed to pierce through the mask, searching his face. Then, as quickly as it appeared, the flicker of emotion vanished. She stepped back, a hint of blush coloring her cheeks.
Her voice, though firm, held a tremor that betrayed her inner turmoil. “Eagle Masked Expert,” she began, her gaze averted, “I appreciate your concern and assistance. However, I am a married woman. Such… familiarity is inappropriate.”
A flicker of disappointment crossed Wang Li’s features, swiftly masked by understanding. “Of course, Madam Song,” he conceded, his voice calm despite the churning emotions within. “Your loyalty to your husband is admirable. I apologize if my actions overstepped boundaries.”
He bowed slightly, a gesture meant to convey respect and end the conversation. Yet, a mischievous glint flickered in his eyes unseen beneath the mask.
Song Jingyan’s unexpected reaction fueled a fire within him, a desire not just for power within the Song Family, but for the woman herself.
He knew this was not the time to press his case.
The Chu sisters’ endgame was nearing, and soon, Song Jingyan’s vulnerability would be at its peak.
Until then, he would bide his time, subtly manipulating events to further isolate her and solidify his position as her comrade.
The day of reckoning, orchestrated by the Chu sisters, arrived with a chilling swiftness. The night sky was a canvas of swirling black clouds as Song Jingyan retired to her chambers, her exhaustion a heavy cloak upon her shoulders. As she drifted into a restless sleep, unaware of the venomous viper coiled within the Song Family, a commotion erupted outside her door.
The sound of shattering wood ripped through the stillness, followed by the panicked shouts of guards. Song Jingyan jolted awake, adrenaline surging through her veins. Grasping the treasured jade dagger, a relic from her late father, she sprang from bed, her heart hammering against her ribs.
The chamber door burst open, splintering into a thousand pieces. Dozens of figures materialized before her – it was Yumei and Lingxi along with all those ambitious elders who craved power, their faces contorted with a venomous mix of ambition and rage.
“Song Jingyan,” Yumei spat, her voice dripping with malice, “your reign of pathetic leadership ends now!”
Song Jingyan met their gaze, her own eyes flashing with steely resolve. “You dare betray the Song Family?” she roared, her voice surprisingly steady despite the fear gnawing at her.
Lingxi stepped forward, a cruel smile twisting her lips. “Betrayal? This is the rightful reclaiming of power. The Song Family needs a true leader, someone who prioritizes advancement and strength.”
Without another word, the sisters lunged at Song Jingyan, their movements fueled by ambition and a thirst for power. The remaining elders, eager to prove their worth to their new leaders, followed suit, unleashing a torrent of powerful attacks.
Despite being outnumbered, Song Jingyan, a formidable cultivator in the Nascent Soul Realm, met their assault with desperate ferocity. The chamber erupted in a whirlwind of clashing steel and churning spiritual energy.
Song Jingyan, a whirlwind of white robes and jade-green energy, danced through the onslaught, her jade dagger a blur as it parried and riposted with deadly precision. However, the sheer number of her opponents began to wear her down.
Through the chaos, a single thought echoed in Song Jingyan’s mind – she had to hold on until reinforcements arrived. Loyal elders and guards would rally to her defense, wouldn’t they? But where were they?
The screams of incapacitated guards outside her door offered a grim answer – the Chu sisters had planned their treachery well.
Just as despair threatened to engulf her, a thunderous crash echoed through the chamber walls. A figure, shrouded in white and adorned with the insignia of the Xia Family, burst through the shattered window. It was Wang Li, his face wearing that White Eagle Mask
“Foolish women,” he boomed, his voice echoing with power. “Do you think you can overthrow a leader with the Xia Family as an ally?”
Yumei and Lingxi faltered, their confidence momentarily shaken. Both were shocked to see this ‘Eagle Masked Expert’ here? This was because only the two of them were aware of their secret deal with him about overthrowing Song Jingyan. So they failed to understand what exactly he was doing here?
Before they could utter a word, Wang Li raised a hand. With a flick of his wrist, he unleashed a flurry of shimmering talismans.
These weren’t ordinary talismans.
They were the Xia Family’s prized ‘Sky Piercing Sonic Talismans’. Each one, imbued with potent soundwave energy, exploded upon contact. The chamber resonated with a deafening sonic boom that sent Yumei, Lingxi, and the ambitious elders flying backwards, crashing through the opposite wall and out of Song Jingyan’s quarters.
Song Jingyan watched, her breath catching in her throat, as the traitors disappeared through the breach. Relief washed over her, quickly followed by a wave of dizziness. Her spiritual reserves were depleted after the fierce battle.
“Rest, Madam Song,” Wang Li said, his voice softer now, as he materialized beside her. He placed a reassuring hand on her face, his touch surprisingly gentle. “The Xia Family will handle these traitors. You focus on recovering your strength.”
Just as he spoke, a team of Xia Family experts materialized outside the gaping hole in the wall. They were elite cultivators, each one adept at close-quarter combat.
Each one, a powerhouse in their own right, radiated an aura of battle-hardened experience.
They moved with practiced precision, their weapons glinting under the moonlight as they descended upon the stunned traitors.
The courtyard erupted in a cacophony of clashing steel and churning spiritual energy. The loyal Song Family guards, roused from their stupor by the commotion, joined the fray with renewed vigor. The Xia Family experts, true to their reputation, were a whirlwind of focused fury.
They wielded rare artifacts that crackled with potent energies, each strike precise and devastating. One unleashed a torrent of golden flames from a shimmering gauntlet, engulfing a group of elders in a searing inferno.
Another wielded a pair of ethereal blades that danced with spectral light, slicing through flesh and bone with chilling ease. Each talisman they unleashed a miniature storm, scattering the ranks of the rebellion.
Meanwhile, Wang Li himself emerged from the mansion, his white robes billowing behind him. He, however, did not join the general melee.
His gaze fell upon Yumei and Lingxi, both of them panting heavily, their faces pale with shock and dawning realization. Their carefully orchestrated plan had backfired spectacularly.
With a controlled flick of his wrist, Wang Li unleashed a flurry of attacks, his movements blurring as he unleashed a series of devastating sword techniques.
The air crackled with Yin and Yang energy as the Yin Crescent Slash, a dark arc of pure Yin energy, sliced through the night, narrowly missing Yumei as she threw herself backwards in a desperate dodge.
A searing heat followed as Wang Li unleashed the Scorching Flame Slash. A blazing inferno erupted from his blade, engulfing the area where Yumei had just stood.
The elder sister of the Chu sisters shrieked in pain as the flames licked at the edges of her robes, forcing her to activate a defensive talisman that shimmered around her like a heat shield.
Lingxi seized the moment. With a venomous glint in her eyes, she lunged at Song Jingyan, who had cautiously emerged from her chambers, her face pale but her eyes burning with determination. However, before Lingxi could reach her target, Wang Li was already there.
A blinding flash of light erupted as he unleashed the Pure Yang Sun Slash. A beam of concentrated Yang energy lanced out from his blade, striking Lingxi with an earth-shattering impact. The force of the blow sent her flying through the air, her body twisting in an unnatural arc before crashing to the ground with a sickening thud.
Yumei, witnessing her sister’s demise, let out a cry of anguish.
Fear, raw and primal, flooded her eyes as she realized the full weight of her folly. She turned to flee, but it was too late.
Wang Li reappeared before her, the White Eagle Mask becoming a symbol of her impending doom.
With a controlled movement, he delivered the final blow. The Yin Crescent Slash arced through the air once more, severing Yumei’s body in two parts, killing her instantly. Her body crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
Meanwhile, as for the others, the Xia Family warriors, utilizing their superior skills and powerful artifacts, systematically disarmed and subdued the remaining elders.
Each clang of steel was punctuated by a groan of pain along with a cry of surrender.
Within moments, the once-proud elders lay on the ground, weapons broken, their arrogance replaced by a deep sense of despair.
Song Jingyan watched the aftermath unfold, a sense of awe and trepidation warring within her.
The speed and efficiency with which the Xia Family had subdued these powerful and ambitious elders of the Song Family was a stark reminder of the vast difference in power between the experts of the Xia Family and Song Family.
As her gaze fell upon the bodies of the Chu sisters, a shiver ran down her spine.
