“Master, father! Go! Don’t worry about me! Kill! Ahhh…”

A house servant, struck by an arrow, spat out a mouthful of blood and, braving the incoming arrows, charged out of the group. In an instant, a storm of severed limbs and blood filled the air. He was soon riddled with arrows like a porcupine and collapsed with a crash, even calling the butler “father” in his final moments.

Even in death, he wanted to drag a few more bandits down with him.

The master had given them food and clothing, and the butler had given them rare and precious affection. At this moment, these servants were like mad tigers, casting aside all concern for their own lives.

When two tigers meet on a narrow path, the brave one wins. The fearless faced the fearless, and the group, braving the bandits’ frenzied assault, hacked out a bloody alley with sheer force.

They were only a dozen steps from breaking through the encirclement when two more servants fell, instantly hacked to pieces by the swarming bandits.

Before dying, their cries echoed those of the first fallen brother, cutting the two butlers to the heart.

“Master, father! Go…”

No one dared look back, much less stop. The servants were paving the way for the others with their lives.

If you don’t pull up the roots, the grass will grow again in the spring breeze. The bandits were all the more determined not to let this group escape.

If not for their numbers and the advantage of surprise, these people, with their scattered ambushes and raids, could have worn them down bit by bit on any other day.

With the upper hand now, if they didn’t wipe out these tough opponents, they’d surely suffer a terrible revenge in the future.

Grace Walker stayed close to her future husband, protected in the center by everyone. She bit her lip, gripping her golden hairpin so tightly that her knuckles turned white, her fingertips piercing her palm without her even noticing.

Sensing the trembling from the soft hand in his, John Thompson turned to look at his young wife.

“Don’t be afraid!”

This phrase, along with his gentle smile, was like a warm current flowing into the frightened girl’s heart, calming her for no reason. She was no longer afraid, her hands stopped shaking, and her strength seemed to return.

She nodded vigorously, as if with John Thompson by her side, there was nothing to fear, even if the sky fell.

Having already died once, John Thompson faced death calmly. The brutal slaughter unfolding before him was like a movie, unable to stir any waves in his heart.

Just as David Thompson and the two butlers were about to break through the layers of encirclement with everyone, a firebird descended from the sky.

“Big brother! Protect the young master for me!”

The second butler, Charles Thompson, reacted instantly, raising his twin blades and charging straight at the firebird swooping down at lightning speed.

“Ah!~”

Boom!~

The moment his steel blade touched the firebird, it suddenly turned into a mass of blazing flames, engulfing Charles Thompson entirely, along with more than a dozen nearby bandits who couldn’t dodge in time, burning them all to ashes in the blink of an eye.

“满仓!”

The chief butler, George Thompson, skewered several bandits in a row, crying out in grief. He hadn’t expected there to be a sorcerer hidden among the bandits.

Like a desperate wolf, he had lost his dearest brother.

“Damn it! I, David Thompson, swear to the heavens, one day I will wipe out three generations of you bastards’ bloodlines! Not even a chicken or dog will be left!”

George Thompson and Charles Thompson were, on the surface, the chief and second butlers of the Li household, but in truth, they were David Thompson’s most trusted brothers from his days before he washed his hands of the underworld.

With this oath, he seemed to regain the dominance of his former days as a criminal overlord.

If the tiger doesn’t show its might, do you really think it’s a sick cat?

“I didn’t expect there to be such heroes in Xiyan Town!”

As a hoarse voice, like rusty iron scraping together, rang out, dozens of riders blocked the road ahead once more. The leader bore a shocking knife scar from his left eye to the right corner of his mouth. Soaked in fresh and old blood, the color of his armor was no longer discernible.

“Old Knife!”

David Thompson’s pupils contracted slightly. He hadn’t expected the one blocking their way to be the bandit chief himself. That distinctive slanting scar was unmistakable.

Old Knife’s gaze swept over David Thompson, then shifted to the others behind him. With a cold chuckle, he said, “I can give you a chance to live.”

“Boss! Don’t let them go!”

“They killed so many of our brothers!”

The nearby bandits all shouted, glaring at David Thompson’s group with hatred. To stop them, at least sixty of their brothers had died—this blood feud was enormous.

Expressionless, Old Knife suddenly raised his hand, and the noise around him ceased instantly. He spoke again: “As long as this hero is willing to serve me, I, Old Knife, give you my word—not only will I guarantee your safety, but I’ll reward you handsomely.”

He had already seen that this seemingly fat squire was once a ruthless, peerless killer. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have so casually slaughtered so many of his men just now, all without batting an eye.