The morning sun rose, casting golden light over the village.
Xiao Ye, shouldering the Flame Blade, strode down the main road of Qingyang Town toward Xiao Family Village. The familiar sight of his hometown soon came into view.
At the village entrance, wooden fences—splintered and stained with blood—surrounded the perimeter. Two burly men in animal hides stood guard, their sharp eyes scanning the horizon.
"Someone's coming!" one of them shouted, spotting a distant figure.
"Another Blood Wolf Gang raid?" the other gasped, unsheathing his weapon.
The villagers gathered at the news.
"Ye'er!" A woman sprinted forward, tears streaming down her face as she embraced Xiao Ye. "My son!"
Xiao Ye's father, Xiao Tianxiong, and the one-armed Xiao Dashan emerged, their faces etched with relief and pride.
"Son… you're back," Xiao Tianxiong said, voice trembling.
At the feast in the training ground, Xiao Ye toasted Xiao Dashan. "Uncle Dashan, thank you for saving me."
The one-armed man grinned. "You're the hope of this village. Who else would I save?" He revealed his severed arm. "Losing this was a blessing—it pushed me to break through to Posterior Heaven Realm, seventh stage!"
Xiao Ye's heart swelled. He's stronger now.
But the joy was short-lived. Xiao Tianxiong's face darkened. "After you left, Blood Wolf attacked again. They killed over three hundred villagers, including children."
Xiao Ye's fists clenched. "Why didn't you fight back?"
"We couldn't risk more lives," Xiao Tianxiong sighed. "They'd have slaughtered us all."
Blood Wolf's Wrath
A thunderous laugh echoed from the village gate.
"Look! It's the coward Xiao Ye!" Blood Wolf's men jeered, their voices amplified by true Qi.
Xiao Ye's figure moved like lightning to the wall. "I'm here to end this," he growled.
Xiao Tianxiong shouted after him. "Stop! They'll kill you!"
But Xiao Ye was already gone, his rage burning hotter than the sun. This ends today.