“Girl, calm down and tell me what my disciple has done wrong,” Lu Guan said cautiously. His words did nothing to calm Lady Jian, whose red eyes turned even madder.

“Then die with him,” she said and a stream of power burst from her. Everyone in the arena felt it. It was a terrifying power, yet inside was laced with anger and hatred beyond anything. She pulled from her space, a dark cold sword. The sword seemed to take on some of her madness and rang a blood-thirsty screech through the arena.

Lu Guan pulled seventy percent of his strength from his core and readied to tear this little brat apart. He saw her attack him with fury, swinging her deadly sword at him. For someone at this stage of anger, he would have expected that she would lose the ability to make calculated attacks, but he was wrong. He took out a whip from his space and blocked the incoming sword, holding it in place. Even though it was for a second, he saw that she used her other hand and made a slapping motion at his face. His eyes shrunk as swung out of her way, taking Jia Lin with him. Just then, he heard his whip snap.

Now far from her, he looked down at his destroyed spirit weapon. Not just him, the entire tribal chiefs and those from the academy stared at the whip. This whip was a piece of a soul weapon Ejrie; a two-string musical instrument. Though the soul weapon was lost to time, the string itself was a high-grade spirit weapon, flexible enough that he used it as a whip. His eyes trailed to the sword in Lady Jian's hand, disbelief and greed shrouded his eyes.

The Valley chief saw the look in Lu Guan's eyes and frowned.

“Old friend, have you forgotten so soon what I told you? Whatever you do, do not harm her. Your entire academy will not be able to stand the backlash of your actions.

“You wish I stand still as she kills my disciple?” Lu Guan threw the Valley chief a cold look. Yes, he had not forgotten. Even more so now that he had seen what arsenal she holds. She must be from a great power, one he could not afford to offend. But, how does he reason with someone that has lost all reason?

“Niece Jian, what happened? Where is Ed?” the Valley chief asked looking around for his adopted son. There was no way this girl would be too far from him. What did Lu Guan's disciple say about Ed that would cause her to go mad? This girl never cared to show any emotion unless it concerned his adopted son.

“That old pervert took him. It's all that idiot's fault! If he had accepted brother Ed into their stinking academy, that old pervert would not have taken him!” Lady Jian started to cry and complain. The eyes of the returning older generation who had been pursuing those who took the jade coffin turned complicated. They now understood what happened.

The tribal chiefs all sighed. They all knew that Lady Jian never left Ed's side. Someone taking him away without taking her too was enough to make her go mad. They never expected this reaction, but it was not too much of a surprise. This cold girl would turn completely adorable when she was with Ed.

“What old pervert?” the valley chief frowned. Ed was someone he trained himself. He had plans for that boy and tried everything to keep him in the valley. Even though he allowed Ed to participate in the admissions, he already knew that Lu Guan would not allow someone that started training that late in life join the academy.

“He took Brother Ed as his disciple. I said I wanted to go too, but he just left,” Lady Jian started to cry loudly. Many were not sure what to do. They did not wish to offend her, and Ed was the only one that could tell her what to do.

“Who did he say he was?” the Valley chief asked, but Lady Jian continued to cry.

Lu Guan looked to his fear-stricken disciple, Jia Lin in question.

“The man did not say. But he was at least of the soul awakening stage because he used the blink technique,” Jia Lin said and Lady Jian's attention returned to him. He shivered as her angry red eyes met his.

“He at least found himself a master. That is good enough for someone starting training at his age,” Lu Guan said and a wave of anger attacked his being. He looked at the angry Lady Jain and regretted saying a word. He cursed himself as he returned her look with a smile.

“Girl, why don't you come and stay at the Emperor Sage Academy while we look for him. The Emperor Sage Academy will take out all its resources to find him for you. How about that? Staying here, you will not be able to find him,” Lu Guan offered.

The Valley chief cursed the cunning Lu Guan in his heart. He had always known that Lady Jian was only here for a small time, but since Ed arrived a few years after her, she had stayed at his side so insistently, that he had almost forgotten that she would have to leave. Now, Lu Guan was baiting her to go with him. Without Ed here, would she even want to stay? He knew her family would not interfere with issues in the valley, but the fact that she was here, meant they would be watching one way or another. To the Valley chief, it was an assurance of some kind.

Before Lady Jian could say anything, two men appear above her.

“My Lady, we should return to the clan,” one of them said. This development caused those around to freeze. Where did they come from? Were they always here? Why did no one sense them?

Lu Guan frowned and the Valley chief sighed. It seems she would really leave this time.

“But, Brother Ed..,” Lady Jian started to cry again.

“My Lady, he is not in the valley anymore. There is no reason for you to stay,” the second man said. His words caused Lady Jian to stop crying instantly. She looked his way with narrowed eyes.

“Did you do this?” she asked and the man went silent.

“Did you invite that man to come and take Brother Ed away?” she said and the man looked at his colleague for help and who looked away from him. He had seen the man drinking nearby complaining about someone bragging about having disciples and he hinted that there would be an academy recruiting nearby and there was this very odd boy. He did hope that the old man would take an interest, as he too thought that Ed boy was strange, after all, they had been watching him for a while. This old man's cultivation level was hard to read, so they knew he would be interested. He had thought, that if the boy was gone, they could finally take the lady home.

“Dear seniors, we were just pursuing the demon race. From the looks of it, you must have seen all that transpired. Why did you not interfere?” Lu Guan asked. He could not tell the level of the strangers' martial arts. This only meant they were at least above his level. With people like this nearby, they would have caught those from the demon race easily. Even though they were stronger than him, he still felt the need to ask. It is the job of everyone to stand against the demon race, no matter what you may have at hand. Why did they do nothing?

The two men glanced at Lu Guan coldly.

“Forgive me seniors for asking, but why did you not stop them? From the look of things, that girl was marked by the demon god. This is not something to be ignored. If you were here, why did you do nothing?” Lu Guan asked again.

“Who said we were here?” one of them asked. Lu Guan frowned. Sure, no one saw them; but still, are they saying they just got here? From the look of things, this girl is an important member of their clan. There was no way they would have not been here. He laughed darkly inside. So, they were denying this? Even if he wanted to tell the world that they did nothing, he did not see them at all. These people did not care about anyone but the lady before them. Even to let a marked demon girl be taken away.

“Let's go,” Lady Jian said. Her tears had dried and her demure took on a cold calm.

“My Lady has decided to go back at last?” the two men's eyes shinned brightly.

“When we return, I will enter Aunty Iyan's mountain,” she said coldly and they both froze.

“My Lady? Why there?” they shivered at the thought,”

“I will enter seclusion and level up fast and when I’m strong enough, I will kill you myself,” she said and vanished. The other man looked at his colleague who the Lady wished to kill and sighed. The man's eyes turned grave as both men vanished, leaving the valley quiet and gloomy.