"If I did, so what? If I didn’t, so what?"
Facing their questioning, Ian Song pulled a long face and replied coldly.
One of them couldn’t help but say, "Do you have any idea how much time and effort the six of us brothers spent trying to capture that beast alive? Now, thanks to you, all our work has gone up in smoke!"
The other nodded, took out two message jade talismans, and crushed them. Two streaks of azure light shot off in different directions.
"Oh, that really is a shame!"
Ian’s lips curled into a faint smile, a hint of amusement showing.
To the two men, his smile was unbearably irritating, as if he was gloating. Their anger flared, and they didn’t bother hiding their killing intent.
One of them said, "Junior Brother Lie (Leo Lie), send a signal to Senior Brother Yu (Victor Yu) and Senior Brother Ye (Ethan Ye). Once they arrive, we’ll decide how to deal with this brat who ruined all our hard work."
The other nodded, took out two message jade talismans, and crushed them. Two streaks of azure light shot off in different directions.
Ian didn’t try to stop them, remaining perfectly calm.
Time slowly passed.
After about a quarter of an hour, two white shadows shot over and landed on the deck, revealing two young men. When they saw the beast’s butchered bones and flesh, their faces instantly darkened.
"Young Master, I’ve never eaten such high-grade beast meat before. Tonight’s gonna be a feast! Eh, who are these guys?"
A voice sounded, and a sleazy-looking young man walked out from the cabin onto the deck—it was Wes Wei, freshly showered.
"Still thinking about eating beast meat!" The four newcomers were annoyed. "Want to eat beast meat? Hmph, we’ll let you eat your fill soon enough!"
"Young Master, where did these people come from?"
Wes Wei eyed the four curiously and asked Ian Song in a low voice.
Another youth smirked, "Heh, these rogue cultivators are getting more and more clueless. But since she wants to challenge you, Junior Brother Joe (Joe Qiao), we can’t let the Skysea Sword Sect lose face. Might as well grant her wish!"
"I bet five moves!" one of the youths said.
"Heh!" Joe Qiao sneered. "Victor Yu, you’re underestimating me! For someone like her, I don’t even need five moves. If I can’t finish her in three, I’d be ashamed to call myself a Skysea Sword Sect disciple!"
"So that’s how it is!"
Wes immediately caught on, and his gaze toward the four became unfriendly.
Another half a quarter hour passed.
Rosie Ning and Holly Hong, freshly washed, also came to the deck. They were just as puzzled by the four uninvited guests, but after Wes explained, they understood.
"Young Master, what should we do? Should we give the beast back to them?" Rosie asked.
"Even if we gave it back, they wouldn’t let it go!" Ian shook his head.
"They’re way too overbearing!" Holly snorted coldly.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Two streaks of light shot in from the left front and landed on the deck, turning into two more white-clad youths.
As soon as Rosie saw one of their faces, her expression changed dramatically and she couldn’t help but cry out, "It’s him!"
Wes and Holly’s faces also changed, their eyes flashing with hatred. "So they’re from the Skysea Sword Sect—that explains why they’re so domineering and unreasonable!"
"Rosie, you know them?" Ian asked, half guessing the truth.
Rosie pointed at one of the last two arrivals. "He’s the one who caused my husband’s death!"
Her cheeks were frosted over as she spoke, and her eyes blazed with fury.
"So it’s you guys?" The young man Rosie pointed at smiled. "Oh right, you’re from that so-called Sea Crew, aren’t you?" His face suddenly turned cold. "I spared you back then, but now you’ve ruined our plans. If I’d known, I should’ve killed you all!"
At his words, Rosie suddenly drew the long blade from her back, stepped forward, and pointed at the Sigilforge youth. "I challenge you! Do you dare?"
"What?" The youth looked incredulous, then broke into a mocking grin. "You think just because you’ve barely entered Sigilforge, you’re qualified to challenge me?"
Another youth smirked, "Heh, these rogue cultivators are getting more and more clueless. But since she wants to challenge you, Junior Brother Joe (Joe Qiao), we can’t let the Skysea Sword Sect lose face. Might as well grant her wish!"
"I bet five moves!" one of the youths said.
"Heh!" Junior Brother Joe (Joe Qiao) sneered. "Senior Brother Yu (Victor Yu), you’re underestimating me! For someone like her, I don’t even need five moves. If I can’t finish her in three, I’d be ashamed to call myself a Skysea Sword Sect disciple!"
Rosie didn’t care about the Skysea Sword Sect disciples’ mockery. All she wanted now was to kill her enemy and avenge her husband.
She raised her long blade and pointed at her opponent. "Enough talk—come and die!"
"Courting death!"
Junior Brother Joe (Joe Qiao)’s face turned cold, his eyes flashing with chill. He slowly drew his sword. "Woman, make your move first—otherwise you won’t get the chance!"
"Kill!"
With a boom, Rosie’s aura erupted. Her long blade flashed with icy light, slashing out like the horn of a leaping antelope.
"An ant trying to shake a tree!"
Junior Brother Joe (Joe Qiao) sneered, his sword suddenly turning into a cold star, thrusting straight at the blade.
"Clang!"
The lightning-fast sword light struck precisely beneath the blade’s hilt. Junior Brother Joe (Joe Qiao) intended to knock her weapon away and then slash her throat.
But when his sword hit her blade, Junior Brother Joe (Joe Qiao)'s expression changed. The force contained in her blade was so strong it numbed his hand.
"Impossible! How can this woman be so powerful?"
Junior Brother Joe (Joe Qiao) was stunned, but his hands didn’t slow down. He pulled his sword back, then unleashed a flurry of cold stars stabbing at her vital points.
"Slash!"
But to his surprise, Rosie didn’t dodge at all. Instead, she charged forward, her blade light growing even brighter, turning a sweep into a savage cleave, as if to split him in two.
"This woman... is insane!"
Even though Junior Brother Joe (Joe Qiao) was confident he could seriously wound her before her strike landed, he didn’t dare risk it.
Instinctively, he pulled his sword back and retreated.
"Kill!"
But his retreat weakened his momentum, and he was met with a storm of attacks like wind and rain.
"Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!"
Blade and sword collided again and again in midair, ringing out with deafening crashes.
Junior Brother Joe (Joe Qiao) was forced to retreat step by step, nearly driven off the deck. He finally couldn’t hold back.
He formed a sword seal with his fingers, and a powerful sword intent spread out. In the next instant, cold cruelty flashed in his eyes, and his sword shot out like a wild pegasus...
This move was called Heaven-Falling Starstrike, one of the twelve secret sword arts of the Skysea Sword Sect.
He hadn’t mastered it fully, but even so, it could instantly kill most opponents of the same realm.
Sure enough, facing this sword art, Rosie felt there was no way to dodge or escape. In a flash, the sigil in her dantian ignited, her aura erupting severalfold, boosting her strength and speed.
"Kill!"
With a furious shout, Rosie locked onto Junior Brother Joe (Joe Qiao), ignoring whether she would live or die. She poured all her power into her blade and struck with everything she had!
"Splat!"
Blood sprayed, and for a moment, the whole world fell silent.