In the end, Bai Qi's last instructions turned out to be not needed. The man-lizard had only started to attack the skill that had finished enveloping him when Wan Dao found himself on the ground, covered in grime and gore.

But how did that happen? Even Bai Qi found it hard to answer. After all, he was sure that Gi La had been following the escaping Shui and had moved at least two miles from their current position. But when the ominous air of the saber-like weapon in Wan Dao's hand increased, Bai Qi felt something flying from behind and instinctively sidestepped.

*Thump*

Seemingly activating the saber's effect required complete concentration, as otherwise, Wan Dao would have also avoided it. But he did not, and with a loud, slightly squishing sound, a body crashed into his side and sent him to the floor.

Bai Qi kept the commentary to himself, but the eyes that he now looked at Gi La with changed.

***

Looking at the battle from the side, it had been not a battle but a massacre. On the other hand, what else could have happened? If each Beastman surpassed or equaled all the enemies.

Bai Qi's group had not suffered a single injury, while the opposing party had lost five members. And except for the swordmaster Bai Qi had asked to keep alive, the bandits lost all their fighting force.

***

{You plan to duel the one we captured?} Bai Rui's question was tinged in disbelief and a slight amount of irritation, and Bai Qi understood the reasons. Still, he indeed planned to do so, as he felt the need to do it.

{Yes, I do. And knowing you two, you will stay here to keep me safe anyway.} Bai Qi answered via the link before sending a qi transmission to Kass Shaa'r, Gi La, and Heise Zhao.

{Take the two Sages away and keep an eye on the silent one. It seems something is going with the qi. I am unsure of how, but probably a breakthrough will happen. If it does, don't interfere, it's not like I plan to kill them if they speak.} Bai Qi had not changed his mind, but as neither Ye Su nor the other one had participated in the battle, he felt that he should try and avoid killing them just like that.

"Got it." "Mmm." "..."

The two males did answer, but Gi La remained silent. Still, she did follow Kass Shaa'r, who picked up the unresisting Sages and started walking towards the Beast nest. Well, Ye Su did try to say, scream, plead, and else at first, but Heise Zhao had said something to her, and she immediately calmed down.

Bai Qi voicelessly complained as from Heise Zhao's words, it stood that he was the one that ordered the death of everyone and that he could spare Ye Su if he wanted.

"You, the wounded one, your name is Quan Ming, right? I will give you a choice. Tell me what I want to know, and I will release you." Bai Qi walked towards the armless cultivator, who now, with Zhua recalling her racial ability, was lying still on the ground.

"Screw you and all your ancestors! I will hound you to death even after you kill me!" Quan Ming gathered his strength and spat out.

"I see. Well, let's see if your curses do work." Bai Qi shrugged and then, without any indication, stomped on Quan Ming's head.

*Splatter*

While neither Beast girl showed any reaction, they were inwardly surprised by Bai Qi's sudden action.

"Now, you, the swordmaster. I know that you will refuse to talk to buy your life, so I offer you a different deal. A duel between swords. If I win, then you talk, and if I concede defeat, you can leave." Bai Qi spoke up evenly as he turned to face the sitting man.

"I take that leaving means giving the oath to forget all that happened here today?" The swordmaster asked while standing up and patting his robe.

"All but my loss." Bai Qi knew what the man hinted to, so he answered the unasked question.

"Spoken like a true master! I like it, and while fate made us be enemies, I truly admire your decisiveness. My name is Yuan Wuhan, previously a disciple of the [Sword Half-Saint], Jian Qiang." Yuan Wuhan spoke up straightforwardly, and he had not been lying about admiring the young Sage either. After all, how many people of half his age were capable of being prepared not only to win but to lose as well? And how many of the already small number would be ready to accept their loss, even though they could hide it?

The conditions of the match, more a duel between their sword intent than between their cultivators, were quickly discussed. Bai Qi did not add or retire any from the equal stand that both parties should have, winning Yuan Wuhan's appreciation, something the swordmaster showed with a subtle bow-salute.

It was rare for Bai Qi to act like this, but he had felt something from that sword slash, and it had roused his competitiveness.

***

Both opponents stood opposite each other, with a distance close to a hundred meters in-between.

Yuan Wuhan had taken out the sword he had used previously, a Spirit-tier, curved, and single-edged blade.

As for Bai Qi, with a wave of his hand, a sword he had refined himself, appeared in his grip. Although it was not a top Spirit-tier weapon, its looks and the air of sharpness it gave did make it appear as one. It had a blue, three feet, long blade and a feet-long grip covered with leather, a straight guard, and a pommel that looked like the tip of a scroll.

As each of the two took their stances, it appeared as if even the surroundings went still. Each cultivator's aura vanished, and in place of that, slowly gathering around the extended blade, what was the essence of the sword began amassing.

Called essence, mastery, knowledge, intent, and half a dozen other names, the naming did not change what was, basically, the profoundness of the sword.

Bai Qi felt how his qi flowed, and while it wasn't quite the same as before, the improvement was apparent. And while a Sage could not even complete a circulation circle while missing the connection to a meridian, Bai Qi's secondary meridians allowed him to do so.

"Haaah." He slowly exhaled and concentrated all of his understanding of the Sword Path into his weapon. Bai Qi's senses kept solely to the blade as well, with everything else becoming insignificant.

Yuan Wuhan was doing the same, although while the air surrounding Bai Qi was still and sharp, Yuan Wuhan's one did not give such sharpness and rigidness, in place was fluent and somehow soft.

Both intents concentrated around their respective blades Yuan Wuhan and Bai Qi opened their previously closed eyes simultaneously.

*Clink* *Gasp*

Zhua, Bai Rui, and Bai Ze were observing the two sword users from afar, and the latter gasped as the sound of blades crossing entered her ears. Bai Rui was also surprised, although she managed to hide it better. As for Zhua, she was aware of what happened and so explained, "A weapon master's intent follows the same laws that their weapon, and so, that clash of gazes was nothing else than a clash of swords as well."

She had just finished talking as both Bai Qi's and Yuan Wuhan's postures changed. A small step, a change in how they gripped the blade, but even it was enough as to cause a few ripples in the surrounding air. These ripples weren't qi or aura caused as during combat but were tears and cuts made by their tightly gathered Sword intent.

"Now look carefully, as such duels usually end with a single movement." Zhua muttered to the two [White Tiger] sisters.

A few moments passed without any movement, and then, without any indication to the observers, the duelists suddenly rushed forward.

*Clink* *Step* *Step* *Step*

After the clash, each made three steps before lowering their blades and allowing the blade intent to start dispersing.

Three silent breaths later, and as if unrelated to the clash, a few things changed for both.

*Clank* *Tear* *Drip* *Drip*

A piece of Yuan Wuhan's curved blade fell on the ground.

Bai Qi's left sleeve exposed a cut from the forearm and up to the elbow.

A few drops of blood leaked from between the curved sword and Yuan Wuhan's hand.

The torn sleeve of the spotless white robe went crimson, and a droplet of blood fell on the sand.

"Gah!" Yuan Wuhan groaned as he used his free arm to yank the now broken sword from the wounded hand. The clash had been savage, brief, and strong. Not only his blade was cut, but some of Bai Qi's sword intent suppressed his own, entered his arm, and even damaged him.

"Grrr." Bai Qi half-growled as he felt himself stagger. His sword intent proved strong, and the feeling of surpassing someone else, even for a single moment, was infatuating for any cultivator.

Bai Qi acknowledged as he felt how a couple of recently healed pathways tore. Not a big loss, but still, enough to understand what would happen to him if he fought for a prolonged time.

At the same time, that only two insignificant pathways tore meant that Bai Qi was close to finishing the natural healing process. Thus, he could start treating himself in earnest shortly.

"A startling amount of sharpness. It is my loss." Yuan Wuhan nodded as he sat down on the sand.

"Seems that the desert winds not only help locals." Bai Qi slightly smiled as he changed his upper robe, closed the small wound, and followed suit.

"Desert winds? A long time since I had heard that term, are you from the [Ten Families] region? Ah, no, don't answer. I am the one supposed to respond and not question after all." Yuan Wuhan started with a look of interest on his face but quickly stopped himself and finished with a wry smile.

"Nowhere close to there, but well, words are just words. As for my question, it has not changed. And if you feel like it, then go ahead and share your story if you want." While Bai Qi wasn't interested in the origins of the swordsman, he was slightly in how what looked to be an orthodox cultivator with morals and righteousness ended up robbing people in the desert?

Yuan Wuhan had close to no knowledge about the desert or the [Sha Zhu Company], but he did share everything he knew. He also explained part of his story to allow Bai Qi to understand why a desert robber knew nothing about the area.

It turned out that Yuan Wuhan joined the group a few months ago, and not because he wanted to, but simply as he had no other place to go. Having been banned from the [Ten Families] region he was originally from and pursued even by his master Yuan Wuhan ended here.

He did not share much about the reasons, and Bai Qi chose not to ask for more.

"So the only location you know that I can find the Sha Zhu is the east border of the desert, near the river, huh? That's enough for me." Bai Qi nodded in the end and slowly stood up. He gazed at the bald man for a few moments and asked, "If I do spare your life, do you have something to do with it?"

"Hahaha!" Yuan Wuhan laughed before shaking his head, "Even if I had won, I would probably have attacked one of the three beast ladies over there."

"So you joined the bandits not to escape from being killed in your region but to die by yourself?" Bai Qi asked in confirmation, and after getting a nod in response, Bai Qi solemnly nodded.

"Thank you. After I die, if you feel like, there is a letter in my [Storage Ring], for my master. Judging from your sword, you will definitively cross paths with him someday."

"I see." Bai Qi accepted the task and then waved his sword.

___________________________________________________________________

"I used the method you showed me to seal the one shouting and pleading. The other one had a breakthrough indeed. As you said, we did not interfere, and as there is no resistance, we did not require seals or anything else either." Kass Shaa'r waited for Bai Qi near the entrance to the Beast nest, and he immediately informed him.

"Good, thank you. Let's go inside." Bai Qi smiled and started making his way.

"Did you win?" He was asked right away by Heise Zhao, who remained in the underground cave or dugout, guarding the two bandits.

"Yes, and also found everything that we need to." Being aware of the two pairs of extra ears, Bai Qi half-lied. Yuan Wuhan revealed only a few bits of information, and Bai Qi would like to get more, but why would he want Ye Su and the other one to know that?

*Whimper*

Hearing Bai Qi's words, Ye Su began squirming.

As for Fan Jia, who was sitting down cross-legged, it was as if nothing affected the newly ascended Warrior Lord.

"Well, unseal her. It is time to speak and decide what to do with our captives." Having reached the intended effect, although only with one of the two, Bai Qi nodded to Kass Shaa'r. He also looked at Heise Zhao and asked him to make everyone stay outside for a couple of hours.