This flying sword, though it had lost most of its spiritual energy, remained incomparably sharp and as light as a feather—perfect for Mark Thompson, whose hands could no longer muster much strength. The blade cut through the bandits’ weapons like rotten wood, felling one after another with their screams echoing as they collapsed beneath the sword. More bandits were left in shock; with just one man and one sword, he was actually breaking through and moving farther and farther away.

He was convinced he was an ill-fated person, and at this moment, he had only one thought left: the farther he went, the better. He must not bring misfortune and disaster to his brothers any longer. The calamity that had befallen the The Thompson Family was already enough; it could not be allowed to grow any worse.

“Big brother! Where are you going?”

Second brother William Thompson and John Thompson shouted at Mark Thompson’s back, but received no response. They wanted to give chase, but the swarming bandits had already surrounded them tightly.

But just then, a nimble and swift figure swung two grappling hooks, leaping from building to tree along the street like a flying ape. In just a few moves, she broke into the defensive circle formed by the retainers, grabbed the unsuspecting Grace Walker by her slender waist, yanked her from John Thompson’s arms, and, using the steel wire as thick as chopsticks at the end of the grappling hook, vaulted away again.

In the blink of an eye, Grace Walker was taken hostage to the rooftop of a shop by the street, leaving the nearby retainers no time to react.

“Little Lang!”

The young lady of the Wu family, powerless to resist, cried out, wanting to return to John Thompson’s side, gazing at him with longing. But a sudden pain at the back of her neck made her lose consciousness instantly.

Before fainting, she stubbornly lifted her head to look at John Thompson one last time, but in the end, her strength failed and her head drooped.

“Xiangjun! Give her back to me!”

John Thompson stomped his feet in anxiety, but he was so weak that even standing was a struggle. If not for a retainer supporting him from behind, he might have collapsed right then and there.

He had a very bad habit: an extremely strong possessiveness over what he considered his own. He would never allow anyone else to touch it—otherwise, it would be a fight to the death.

The fighting in the street had not ceased. The long-handled Mo swords, meticulously crafted by the The Thompson Family, could cut down both men and horses. Against the bandits who had lost their mounts, they were as effective as slicing melons and chopping vegetables. Yet the bandits who obeyed the old saber-wielder pressed on regardless, charging at the surviving retainers in waves.

If they couldn’t claim these people’s heads, they wouldn’t survive either.

“Tofu Beauty, I didn’t expect it to be you!”

Mr. White and Emily White suddenly appeared on the rooftop of the same shop, each holding a paddle gleaming with metallic luster, blocking the path of the person who had kidnapped Grace Walker from left and right. Not only that, but they seemed to recognize the person’s identity.

John Thompson stared in disbelief, hardly able to trust his ears. The black-clad kidnapper was actually the Tofu Beauty?

Wasn’t she the alluring widow that David Thompson had boasted he’d kidnap, strip, and show off for fun?

Why wasn’t she selling tofu properly? Why had she suddenly appeared here and snatched the Wu family’s young lady from his arms? Was this revenge?

But what was the point of taking the girl?

If it was revenge, she should have targeted him directly—like stabbing him out of nowhere. Yet now he was completely unharmed, which meant the Tofu Beauty, Widow Jiao, wasn’t after him at all.

This sudden turn of events made John Thompson feel that some strange and unfathomable secrets were about to surface—things he could hardly imagine. Xiyan Town was just an ordinary border town, so how many hidden monsters and demons were lurking in this drama of crouching tigers and hidden dragons?

He shouted regardless: “Tofu Beauty, give me back the young lady, or I’ll make you pay!”

“White Battle General! Are you really going to obstruct the Royal Secret Intelligence Bureau?”

The Tofu Beauty, Widow Jiao, paid no attention to the furious young master of the The Thompson Family. She retracted her grappling hook and flashed a gold token. The The White Family father and daughter immediately halted, clearly wary, their slow approach coming to an abrupt stop.

Mr. White, a fisherman who lived by Lake Jumo outside Xiyan Town, narrowed his eyes. He hadn’t expected that the widow who kidnapped the Wu family’s young lady was actually from the Royal Secret Intelligence Bureau of the Great Wu Dynasty. He said, “Who are you, really? Which one of the current Beidou are you?”

Given that Grace Walker’s true identity had been deliberately concealed for so many years and she had been watched in secret for so long, even if the person was from the Royal Secret Intelligence Bureau, she was certainly no ordinary agent.

“I am this generation’s ‘Po Jun.’ I ask the Battle General to show some mercy.”

Revealing her true identity, Widow Jiao’s tone suddenly changed, her expression turning both coy and seductive, making Mr. White blush to the roots of his ears.

“Bah! Fox spirit!”

Emily White showed a look of disdain. In her eyes, any woman who spoke in such a tone was a bad woman and deserved to be drowned in a pig cage.

“Ahem!” Mr. White cleared his throat, collecting himself before saying, “He’s already ascended to that position. After all these years, he still won’t let the young mistress go? Must he really wipe her out completely?”

“This is just the will of those above. I am merely following orders. But you can rest assured—she will not be in any mortal danger.”