"What the hell are you doing?" Lu Baiyu hollered. "We had an agreement. You would let him go if I gave you the manuals. I've already done my part; now it's your turn."

Shu Yue looked at him, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Did we?"

Lu Baiyu went rigid. "What?"

"If I recall correctly, I did not make any agreement with you; all I said was that he might bleed to death if you keep arguing with me, but do you remember me giving you my word that I would release him or something along those lines?"

The blood drained out of Lu Baiyu's face. "Y-you tricked me. You fucking tricked me!"

Trembling with rage, Lu Baiyu drew the sword from his back. It was the same longsword, emblazoned with the Scorpio Clan's symbol. A bluish aura enveloped the blade as he strengthened it with his chi.

"Release my disciples or I will kill you!" Lu Baiyu crowed.

Shu Yue stared at him for a moment and then sighed. "All right." She took her feet off Fa Xiang and said, "Now go before I change my mind."

With a groan, Fa Xiang scrambled to his feet and ran toward his companions. As soon as he reached them, he knelt on the ground, clutching his bleeding chest. A young woman quickly approached him and tended to his wound.

Shu Yue jerked her chin toward Xiao Ran. As obedient as ever, Xiao Ran drew the sword back, freeing Ye Fan from the threat, but the disciple didn't move an inch, still staring at Shu Yue.

Lu Baiyu glared at Shu Yue. "How dare you touched my disciples!"

As Shu Yue expected, Lu Baiyu didn't hold himself back and charged forward like a raging beast.

Shu Yue gave Xiao Ran a knowing glance, then turned her gaze to Ye Fan.

Obeying his master's silent command, Xiao Ran threw Fa Xiang's longsword aside and confronted the old man head-on with nothing but his hands and legs. As Lu Baiyu's sword plunged forward, Xiao Ran ducked low, dodging the razor-sharp blade by a hair's breadth. Before Lu Baiyu could even react, Xiao Ran thrust his palm forward and hit him square in the chest.

Lu Baiyu gasped in pain, and then he was sent flying backward. He groaned as he collided with the bamboo trees.

"You...," Lu Baiyu said as he got up to his feet, his face filled with rage and disbelief. "How do you know martial arts when you're a magus?"

Xiao Ran didn't respond, his face was expressionless.

The disciples circled around Xiao Ran and aimed their longswords at him, but the fox-human paid them no heed.

Lu Baiyu tightened his jaw. "That bitch lied to me. You're clearly not a magus and not even an E-rank at that. She's been plotting against me from the start!"

Xiao Ran's features darkened. "Bitch?"

"Why would she lie about you being a magus?"

Lu Baiyu's disciples roared as they charged at Xiao Ran at once.

"But she's not lying," Xiao Ran said in a low voice, and with a wave of his hand, a huge amount of water slammed into approaching disciples like a crashing wave. The disciples cried out as they were knocked to the ground.

"Magic!" Lu Baiyu gasped with wide eyes. He gripped his longsword and adjusted his stance.

"And don't you dare call her a bitch!" Xiao Ran snarled and began making hand seals. Six fluffy white tails materialized behind him, drawing shocked expressions from the disciples and even from Lu Baiyu. Xiao Ran now possessed a total of seven fox tails. Water gathered around his hand as he pointed his palm forward. As his eyes narrowed, balls of water shot off from his palm like arrows.

Lu Baiyu wasn't able to dodge the barrage of water balls, so he used his longsword to cut through them. Water sprayed in every direction as he shattered the projectiles.

"Using both magic and martial arts is forbidden," Lu Baiyu stated. "And you've even reached SS-rank? How dare a demihuman like you defy the rule of the emperor!" His foot pushed the ground as he pounced forward, his longsword at the ready.

Xiao Ran's expression didn't even change as he watched the old man advance. Water embraced his right arm, forming the shape of a blade, which he used to block Lu Baiyu's attack.

Lu Baiyu's disciples watched in a daze, daring not to intervene in the fight between two higher levels. Lu Baiyu and Xiao Ran were of the same rank, so they were equal in terms of strength. Xiao Ran could use both magic and martial arts, but Lu Baiyu had the Claw of the Eternal Beast to his advantage. So, depending on who had better techniques and tactics, one of them could overpower the other.

"You let that demihuman get that strong?" Ye Fan asked Shu Yue, his gaze filled with disbelief. "Demihumans aren't allowed to advance past E-rank. What were you thinking? Are you defying the Emperor?" He chuckled dryly. "I never expected you to be this kind of person, Chen Hui; perhaps I thought too highly of you."

Shu Yue smiled. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, then."

Ye Fan's face turned red with anger. "Y-you're so shameless! Master just wanted to help you because he saw your potential. Is this how you repay master's kindness?"

Shu Yue's smile faded. "Kindness? Is teaching young disciples to betray their clan an act of kindness? What bullshit." She pointed the longsword at Ye Fan's face.

Hurried footsteps came up behind them as Lu Baiyu's disciples charged toward Shu Yue like predators approaching their prey. But before they could reach her, Xiao Ran appeared in front of them, knocked them back with his water magic, and then simply disappeared to continue fighting Lu Baiyu.

"No!" Ye Fan exclaimed as his companions crashed to the ground. He looked like he was just about to rush over and help them, but the sharp blade glaring at his face prevented him from doing so.

Ye Fan glared at Shu Yue. "What else do you want? I don't really understand why you are doing this. I understand you're upset over this whole thing being a trap. But what's actually there for you to lose? Look at the bigger picture. There's more profit than losses for you in leaving this clan."

"You're persuading the wrong person," Shu Yue stated in a quiet voice, earning a puzzled look from Ye Fan.

"What do you mean?"

Shu Yue pointed the tip of the sword at his left eye, making him go stiff. "I am a loyal sword of Ophiuchus Clan; therefore, traitors like you are threats in my eyes and must be eliminated."

Ye Fan paled. "You...,"

"But don't worry, I'm not that cruel. I'll be giving you all a chance to repent your sins."

"What do you want?"

"You mentioned earlier that you wanted to spar with me, right?"

Ye Fan frowned. "I did."

"If you're still interested, I'll give you the opportunity to spar with me; if you win, you and your martial brothers and sisters will be forgiven; if I win, I'm afraid bloodshed cannot be avoided."

"How would I know you're not going trick me?"

"I won't trick you because I'm giving my word this time. So ... do you agree?"

The muscles along Ye Fan's jaw clenched. "All right."

A smile crept across Shu Yue's face. Then she shouted, "Xiao Ran, don't kill them; just disarm the disciples and keep the old man busy." She lowered her longsword and took a few steps back. "Remember not to hold back, Ye Fan; your performance will determine the fate of your companions."