Volume One: The Emperor’s Sword Chapter 27: I'm Going to Take Someone Down

The long-haired man glanced at Xuan Wenyen, nodded, and then soared away on his sword.

Although Wu Dachuan and his companions were anxious, they didn't overthink things. As long as one of the Sword Sons came to help, their predicament would be easily resolved.

Little did Wu Dachuan know that the so-called "help" from the newcomer was a world apart from what he understood by the word.

Xuan Wenyen folded his hands behind his back, ignoring the two demon beasts. Instead, he gazed down at Yun Que from above, sneering coldly.

"Isn't this the Marquis of Coldwater? If I remember correctly, didn't you once tell me that when you entered Sword Palace, you would be the first to—what was it again?"

Feigning thought, he rubbed his forehead, then said, "Oh, right! You said you'd be the first to kneel to me. Go ahead, do it now, and I'll help you."

At these words, Wu Dachuan sensed that something was wrong. His heart sank.

It's over!
This wasn't a helping hand, but an enemy!

Wu Dachuan could only hope now that Yun Que would swallow his pride and endure, not provoking the man. Even if the newcomer refused to help, at least he wouldn't make things worse.

But just as he feared, that was exactly what happened.

Yun Que chuckled softly and replied, "You remember it wrong. What I said was that when I reached Sword Palace, I would be the first to cut you down."

"Hahaha! I've been waiting for you for days, but where is this blade of yours? You, with your pitiful strength, dare to threaten me? You're not worthy!"

Xuan Wenyen rose on his sword, sneering as he flew off to the side.

Seeing him leave, Wu Dachuan let out a long sigh of relief, feeling he'd escaped disaster by a hair's breadth.

But Yun Que noticed at a glance that the direction of Xuan Wenyen's flight was not the same as his senior brother's.

That devious Xuan Wenyen must be up to something vile again.

"We need to leave here quickly," Yun Que warned Wu Dachuan and his companions. But before they could make a move, the Armored Tiger and the Two-Tailed Demon Wolf on either side pounced simultaneously, cutting off their retreat down the mountain.

The scene instantly descended into chaos.

In such a life-or-death crisis, Wu Dachuan and his three teammates couldn't coordinate at all. After a few desperate moves, their formation crumbled into disorder.

Yun Que had no choice but to shield Luo Xiaoyu, retreating with her toward a large boulder, using the terrain to turn the tide.

With their backs to solid ground, they could at least avoid being flanked by both beasts at once.

Yun Que called out to Wu Dachuan's group, his tone commanding: "Attack the Two-Tailed Demon Wolf first, then break through together. The Armored Tiger isn't that fast—we should be able to shake it off."

Despite the chaos, Yun Que had already analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of the two demon beasts.

The Armored Tiger was well-protected by its scales, giving it great defense, but the friction of its armor hindered its speed, making it less agile.

The Two-Tailed Demon Wolf, on the other hand, was sharp-toothed and nimble, excelling in speed, but its fur offered little defense, making it the easier target.

"Alright! We'll do as you say!"

Wu Dachuan and his companions, having lost all composure, nodded repeatedly in agreement.

With a quick plan in place, Yun Que raised his sword, ready to strike.

Just then, a deep, muffled roar echoed through the thick fog, followed by a tremor in the ground—a fearsome, unknown beast was rapidly approaching!

Wu Dachuan's heart grew heavier with dread.

He regretted ever venturing into Misty Mountain.

The mist tore open, and a gray giant bear, twice the height of a man, reared up on its hind legs, its massive claws covered in thick, tough hide, its eyes blood-red.

"It's a Shaking Mountain Bear!"

Wu Dachuan wailed in despair.

Compared to the threats posed by the Armored Tiger and the Two-Tailed Demon Wolf, the Shaking Mountain Bear was far deadlier. With the hard skin on its claws, it could swat aside ordinary flying swords with ease.

A single Shaking Mountain Bear could easily kill both the Armored Tiger and the Two-Tailed Demon Wolf.

The moment he saw the bear, Wu Dachuan knew they were doomed. There was no way out.

As the bear charged, Xuan Wenyen appeared again, landing atop the boulder, watching them from above with a mocking tone.

"You'd better hurry up. If you don't get out now, it'll be too late. There are a few more demon beasts heading this way."

"You brought the Shaking Mountain Bear here! Despicable! Betraying your fellow disciples—aren't you afraid of punishment from Sword Palace?" Wu Dachuan roared.

"Fellow disciples?" Xuan Wenyen cast a contemptuous glance at Wu Dachuan and replied indifferently, "You think you're worthy to call yourselves my peers? You're just a bunch of lowly sword servants—do you truly believe you're disciples of Sword Palace? How laughable."

In the eyes of a Sword Son, even sword apprentices were beneath notice, let alone sword servants.

"No wonder people say the Fifth Sword Son of East Court is treacherous and vile—it’s all true! You're nothing but a shameless villain! When we return, we’ll expose your crimes to everyone!" the female disciple in their group cursed through gritted teeth.

"Go ahead, if you can make it back alive," Xuan Wenyen sneered, kicking a stone that struck the Shaking Mountain Bear on the head, enraging the giant beast and sending it charging toward the group.

Watching the bear go berserk, Xuan Wenyen said coldly, "Blame your poor choice of friends. Remember, you'll die because of Yun Que."

Yun Que grabbed Luo Xiaoyu and dodged the beast's onslaught. Wu Dachuan and the others fought desperately, barely escaping the bear’s claws by a hair's breadth.

With a dull crack, the massive boulder behind them was smashed in half by the Shaking Mountain Bear.

"There's a cave!" Luo Xiaoyu, quick-eyed, spotted a hidden cave behind the boulder.

The entrance was covered in grass and, until now, concealed by the large stone, so no one had noticed it.

"Get inside!"

Yun Que made a snap decision after a single glance, leading Luo Xiaoyu into the cave.

Wu Dachuan and the others followed without hesitation.

Their prey vanished, the three demon beasts howled in frustration. By the time they discovered the cave, Yun Que and his group were long gone.

Enraged, the beasts turned their fury on Xuan Wenyen, snarling incessantly.

Xuan Wenyen hadn't expected a cave to be there. Seeing the beasts focus on him, he snorted coldly, spiritual energy surging around him, his cultivation at the eighth level of Qi Refining unmistakable.

Sensing the dangerous aura he exuded, the three demon beasts hesitated briefly before charging into the cave in pursuit.

These low-level demon beasts had no intelligence; they acted purely on primal hunting instincts.

The weak prey was always their true target.

Xuan Wenyen, hands behind his back and a sinister sneer on his lips, followed the beasts into the cave.

He resembled a hunter confident of his victory, herding vicious hunting dogs while savoring the thrill of toying with his prey.

Inside the cave, Yun Que and the others hurried along.

To call it a cave was misleading—it was more like a fissure in the mountainside, rising and falling, twisting deep into the mountain’s heart, its end unknown.

Here and there, cracks in the rock ceiling let in shafts of mottled light, illuminating corners of the cave.

Their footsteps echoed heavily, full of panic.

Wu Dachuan and his companions dared not look back. They ran with all their might, praying that the cave’s terrain would help them escape the pursuing beasts.

But their hopes were in vain.

There were no forks in the path, and the farther they ran, the more open the space became. In the end, the cave was wide enough for carriages to drive side by side.

Even the massive Shaking Mountain Bear could move freely here.

"It's over, it's over! This isn't a cave, it's a ready-made tomb."

"If I'd known, I'd never have come to Misty Mountain. What a pointless death—so suffocating!"

"Just our rotten luck. Sigh."

The three disciples muttered, not saying it outright, but it was clear they all blamed Yun Que in their hearts.

Xuan Wenyen’s true target was only Yun Que—they were merely collateral damage.

Wu Dachuan ran on, his feelings tangled and heavy.

He was overwhelmed with guilt. If not for his insistence on inviting Yun Que, none of them would be in this predicament.

Now, not only was his own life forfeit, but he had also doomed his three teammates.

As they ran, Wu Dachuan suddenly saw Yun Que stop and turn to face the way they had come.

"Hurry up! The beasts are right behind us!" Wu Dachuan called out anxiously.

Then he saw a gentle smile curl at Yun Que’s lips, and heard a relaxed, almost casual voice, yet brimming with murderous intent.

"You all go ahead. I’m going back to kill someone."