You're nothing special in front of me.

The seventh day was the most oppressive day since the Fang family was founded. Although most people were dismissive of the danger of the family's destruction, everyone in the Fang family became tense when night fell.

The night was as still as water, and a cold wind was blowing. The once bustling and lively Nanqiu City fell into silence, with only the occasional bark of a dog.

Fang Wang sat on the roof, touching a precious sword in his hand. This was a sword that Li Jiu had spent three days buying. It could cut through iron like mud and was a divine weapon.

His gaze fell on a figure on the roof of a distant house; it was his cousin, Fang Hanyu.

Fang Hanyu stood tall and straight, holding his sword with both hands, his head slightly lowered as if he were dozing. The cold wind blew his long hair and the hem of his clothes, giving him the air of a chivalrous hero who would stand at the top of the martial world.

"His skill is impressive; he has indeed reached the first-rate level in the martial arts world, and he is not just a beginner. He is truly a martial arts prodigy," Fang Wang thought to himself.

In the martial arts world, practitioners categorize their skill levels from low to high as: unranked, third-rate, second-rate, first-rate, top-rate, and the legendary martial arts myth. In this era, there are no martial arts myths. Top-rate masters are the leaders of various sects and rarely travel the martial arts world. First-rate masters are enough to roam freely.

Fang Wang achieved the legendary realm of martial arts at the age of sixteen, and should have been a legend of his time. However, he encountered a dimensional attack from the cultivation world.

Facing the approaching cultivators, Fang Wang felt no fear or trepidation, but rather a surge of enthusiasm welling up within him.

Having practiced martial arts for four years, he has never killed an enemy. Even when sparring, he always challenges those masters while masked, stopping short of defeat.

His mastery of martial arts and his perfected sword control technique were his reliance, giving him the confidence to challenge the lowest level of the cultivation world. Moreover, the Fang family also had Zhou Xue, a reborn person. In his opinion, Zhou Xue, who was reborn as an immortal, must have extraordinary methods, after all, Zhou Xue knew the difference between cultivators and mortals.

As night deepened, the croaking of frogs echoed from courtyards everywhere. Squads of servants patrolled the area, especially around the Fang residence, where even government soldiers were alerted and came to keep watch.

Zhou Xue sat at the stone table in the courtyard, wiping silver darts in her hands. Her face was icy cold, and even the moonlight was not as cold as her eyes. In the reflection of the weapons, a faint black murderous aura surged in her eyes.

the other side.

On the east city wall of Nanqiu City, figures leaped up like eagles and skimmed across the blue waves, darting into the city.

The last figure landed on the city wall, overlooking the vast Nanqiu City. His blue robe billowed, he had a wasp waist and broad shoulders, and his long hair was casually tied with strips of cloth. He looked to be in his early forties, and the whisk in his hand made him look like a Taoist priest, but his eyes were as cold as a venomous snake.

"As expected of one of the most prosperous cities in the south of the Great Qi, it will surely be able to revive the Soul-Burning Banner."

The Taoist in green muttered to himself, a smirk playing on his lips, his tone laced with a hint of ruthlessness. He then leaped up and disappeared into the vast night.

……

The main hall of the Fang residence was brightly lit, and the young master and his wife were all in the hall. The head of the household, Fang Meng, sat in the seat of honor.

Nearly seventy years old, Fang Meng, with his white hair, looked like an old lion. He sat in a chair, leaning on his cane, his eyes sharp as he calmly gazed at the night sky outside the door.

"It's past midnight, and there are still no bandits attacking. It was indeed a rumor."

"I knew it! How could you believe two kids like that?"

"Isn't Fang Wang usually quite clever? How could he believe such rumors? The Fang residence is a Duke's mansion. Anyone who dares to trespass will lose their head."

"Quiet down! What do you women know? It's not even dawn yet; we can't let our guard down!"

"Father, my unease is growing stronger."

The young men were all Fang Wang's uncles, and their expressions were very solemn, while some of the ladies pretended to be relaxed, trying to make the atmosphere less heavy.

Fang Zhen's words moved the brothers, because Fang Zhen was a soldier who had crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and his perception of danger far exceeded that of others.

Fang Meng snorted, "I've spent my life on the battlefield, and now I'm retiring to my hometown, having relinquished my military power. But I'm not someone anyone can mess with. Whoever dares to come will die, and this matter won't end here!"

He was furious. Looking across the entire Great Qi Kingdom, who would dare to so recklessly target a duke's mansion?

Who has that power?

Fang Meng had a guess in his mind, but he didn't say it out loud.

suddenly!

"ah--"

A scream came from the east; it was the voice of a maid, filled with terror.

Fang Wang's uncle, Fang Shi, immediately rushed out and disappeared from everyone's sight in a few steps.

The remaining four young men of the Fang family, Fang Zhe, Fang Jin, Fang Zhen, and Fang Yin, immediately went outside the gate and looked around. Although their wives were frightened, they did not panic. They just huddled together, trembling.

Fang Meng coughed a few times and slowly stood up with the help of his wife.

Soon, screams, shouts of killing, and the sounds of clashing swords echoed from all over the Fang residence.

Fang Wang, who was on the roof, saw mysterious men in black breaking into the Fang residence from all directions. There were more enemies than he had imagined. He rushed towards the fastest man in black.

At the same time, Fang Hanyu also moved, while Zhou Xue remained seated at the stone table, patiently waiting.

despair!

A man in black jumped over the courtyard wall and landed on the ground. He held a knife in his right hand and his face was covered with a black cloth, revealing only his eyes. His gaze fell on the three maids in the courtyard. As soon as the maids saw him, they screamed in fright and ran into the house.

Without saying a word, the man in black rushed towards them.

call out--

A whooshing sound pierced the night sky, and the man in black stopped abruptly. Behind him, a pebble landed on the wall, leaving a thumb-sized dent before falling to the ground. Under the moonlight, the bloodstains on the pebble appeared black.

The man in black fell backward, his head slamming heavily to the ground. His eyes were wide open, staring blankly into the air, and a bloody hole was punched through his forehead, a truly gruesome sight.

Fang Wang's figure flashed past in his eyes.

As Fang Wang moved swiftly along the courtyard wall, he would occasionally throw out a pebble. These were pebble he had prepared in advance, and each pebble could easily kill a black-clad man who was wreaking havoc in the Fang residence.

Fang Wang changed direction from time to time, charging towards wherever there were men in black, and no enemy could withstand a single blow from him.

The Fang residence was vast, like a city within a city. The men in black were scattered everywhere, and Fang Wang could not kill them all in a short time. As he walked through, Fang Wang also looked into the distance.

Zhou Xue had said that in addition to the cultivator, the invaders included six top experts from the imperial city. It should be noted that the Fang family did not have any top experts, and even with the help of thousands of servants and soldiers, it would be difficult to kill six top experts.

Fang Wang planned to deal with the six top experts first, and then deal with the cultivator, in order to minimize the number of casualties in the Fang family.

Suddenly, Fang Wang saw a powerful burst of energy coming from one direction, which even blasted down the pavilion. He immediately turned around and rushed towards it.

Clang!

As the swords clashed, Fang Hanyu was knocked back, his toes leaving two long marks on the ground. He suddenly bent over, slammed the scabbard in his hand onto the ground, and then knelt down, blood gushing uncontrollably from his mouth.

He was defeated as soon as they started fighting!

Fang Hanyu's long hair was slightly disheveled. He struggled to lift his eyes, his gaze filled with horror, and he gritted his teeth, uttering two words: "Peerless!"

Under the cover of night, a cold wind blew. The man in black standing in front of Fang Hanyu held a long iron sword. Unlike the other men in black, he wore a bronze mask that revealed his eyes, mouth, and nose.

The masked man coldly looked down at Fang Hanyu and sneered, "To reach the first-class level at such a young age, the Fang family has indeed produced a genius. It's a pity that he will die here tonight."

He raised the long sword in his right hand, and a chill emanated from the blade.

Fang Hanyu's face was full of resentment. Before tonight, he had met a top expert, who was the head of their sect and a famous grandmaster in the martial arts world of Daqi. The head of the sect had given him guidance, making him realize the difference between a first-class expert and a top expert.

His heart sank into despair. Although the Fang family was a duke's mansion with a general in the family, there was no top expert among them. No matter how strong his uncle Fang Shi was, he was only at the top level of the first tier.

"Who exactly are you? Who's behind this?"

Fang Hanyu asked in a deep voice, as he stood up with difficulty, his hand holding the sword trembling.

He had only just exchanged blows when his internal organs were already injured by the opponent's true energy. Even so, he did not want to back down, because this was his home.

The masked man stepped toward him, the blade reflecting a cold light that gleamed beside the ruins.

"Why should a dying person know the truth? Everything in this world will be irrelevant to you."

The masked man said coldly, raising his long sword at an angle. The cold aura emanating from the blade rose like a mist, blurring his figure.

Fang Hanyu tossed the scabbard aside, then wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, assumed a sword stance, and prepared for a desperate battle.

Even if we can't kill them, we should at least try to injure them to buy more time for the Fang family.

Just then.

The masked man suddenly stopped. Just as Fang Hanyu hesitated and was confused, a familiar yet unfamiliar voice came from behind him:

"That's true, but have you ever considered that you might be the one dying?"

Fang Hanyu subconsciously turned his head, and out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a figure flashing past him like a startled swan.

It was Fang Wang!

He arrived swiftly using the Shadowless Step, leaving afterimages as he stood between Fang Hanyu and the masked man.

Fang Wang, dressed in a fitted white robe, had grown up and was tall and handsome, though his face still had a slightly childish look. The spirit between his brows was something that ordinary boys did not have.

The masked man's gaze fell on Fang Wang's right hand gripping the sword sheath. He narrowed his eyes and said, "Impressive footwork. Considering your young age, you are truly a peerless genius. Compared to you, the person behind you seems insignificant."

Fang Hanyu didn't think much of what he heard; he just stared blankly at Fang Wang's back.

He naturally remembered his cousin, but after many years apart and with the imminent threat of his family's annihilation, he hadn't had a chance to catch up with Fang Wang since returning.

"That footwork just now... he's also a martial artist?"

Fang Hanyu was surprised to think that after returning, he had asked his father about Fang Wang's experience. This younger brother had always stayed in the Fang family. Where did he learn such superb footwork?

Fang Wang stared at the masked man, then suddenly drew his sword. The moment the sword was drawn, the masked man's pupils dilated sharply.

In his pupils, a sword was growing larger, and he instinctively raised his blade.

Poof——

Blood splattered as Fang Wang appeared behind the masked man, sword raised in his right hand, pointing diagonally at the crescent moon. He slightly raised his chin, not turning his head, and said softly, "You are nothing more than this in front of me."