Charles Harper took a deep breath, gripped the sword in his hand tightly, and walked off in another direction.

　　……

　　The Harper Estate was in chaos—utter chaos!

　　Thousands of retainers were searching everywhere for the mysterious men in black. Each of those men was skilled in martial arts; even the weakest could take on dozens of retainers at once, not to mention the enormous threat posed by the top experts.

　　Boom—

　　William Harper’s uncle, John Harper, clashed palms with a man in black. Both sides competed in internal energy, their robes billowing wildly as if about to burst apart at any moment. The flagstones beneath their feet shattered, flowers and grass were swept up, and even an old tree ten paces away trembled from the shock.

　　“John Harper of the Supreme Yang Palm—your reputation is well deserved. You already have one foot in the realm of the supreme masters. If you weren’t the eldest son of the The Harper Family main line, your martial arts would be even greater. What a pity!”

　　The masked man in black sneered as he exchanged palms with John Harper. He too wore a mask—a white opera mask, painted with a treacherous, sinister grin, making him look like a demon in the night.

　　John Harper, now in his prime, had palms like burning irons. As their internal energies clashed, his palms turned red-hot, making the air around them seem to ripple.

　　“A so-called supreme master, yet you hide your face—no courage at all for a martial artist. If I am to be pitied, then you are laughable!”

　　John Harper snorted coldly. With a surge of strength in his arms, powerful energy exploded outward, forcing both men to retreat.

　　John Harper retreated eight steps, while his opponent only stepped back five—the winner was clear!

　　This scene made John Harper’s heart tighten even more. As the most skilled martial artist in The Harper Estate, if he couldn’t even defeat the man before him, then The Harper Estate truly faced the threat of annihilation!

　　Earlier, he had glimpsed several figures moving with incredible speed—very likely also supreme masters.

　　To be able to mobilize so many top experts against The Harper Estate...

　　John Harper’s expression grew even darker. His palms shifted through different techniques, internal energy surging, radiating a scorching heat that stood out starkly in the night.

　　The man in black opposite him held no weapon, but instead raised his right leg, every muscle tensed, giving off a chilling sense of imminent attack.

　　The two locked eyes, then suddenly charged at each other.

　　Bang! Bang! Bang...

　　They fought at close quarters. John Harper used his palms, his techniques fierce and overwhelming, as if brute force could conquer all. The man in black was agile with his legs, his kicks like whips. Against John Harper’s moves, he countered with his legs—swift as the wind, forceful as thunder. Sand and stones flew in the courtyard, waves of energy bursting out in all directions, ravaging the grounds.

　　The retainers outside the courtyard watched in terror, wanting to help John Harper, but unable to find an opening to join the fight.

　　Hundreds surrounded the courtyard, even standing atop the walls. They drew their bows, but their eyes couldn’t keep up with the speed of the man in black.

　　Such battles were happening all over The Harper Estate—in courtyards, corridors, gardens, even on the rooftops.

　　Although The Harper Estate didn’t have many martial arts masters, there were plenty of disciples and retainers trained in combat. After all, Samuel Harper had earned his title as a duke on the battlefield, ranking among the top ten generals at the founding of the Great Qi dynasty. At the height of his power, he could command the entire army. Even though Samuel Harper had relinquished his military command, the competitive spirit was still deeply ingrained in The Harper Estate.

　　Aside from John Harper, in all other fights the men in black held the upper hand. These assassins were highly skilled; even when outnumbered, they handled the situation with ease. Every moment, someone in The Harper Estate was dying.

　　Killing intent and terror shrouded The Harper Estate!

　　William Harper possessed legendary martial prowess, but in the end, he was still just a powerful mortal. He couldn’t be everywhere at once. As he moved swiftly, the number of men in black dying by his hand grew.

　　This scene was witnessed by one person, standing atop the tallest building in The Harper Estate—a tower housing all of The Harper Estate’s collected books. He stood at the very tip, hidden in the night.

　　It was the Daoist in green.

　　“Impressive martial arts. Among warriors, he truly counts as a supreme master. If I hadn’t come, perhaps the Prime Minister’s scheme would have succeeded.”

　　The Daoist’s lips curled in a sneer, his face full of disdain.

　　Martial artists were, after all, only mortals. No matter how strong, they were no match for him!

　　He practiced the Dao of immortality!

　　The Daoist in green raised his left hand. A yellow talisman flew from his sleeve, hovering above his palm, radiating light that illuminated his face.

　　At that moment, the Daoist’s gaze shifted somewhere. Following his line of sight, one could see a young girl in red standing atop an old tree, watching him from afar.

　　Grace Bennett!

　　Staring at the Daoist, Grace Bennett’s eyes were icy cold, filled with a chilling killing intent.

　　“It’s him!”

　　For the past seven days, she had felt as if everything was unreal, afraid it was all a dream or an illusion. Only today, upon seeing that figure from the depths of her memory—the one who had brought her utter despair—did she finally feel that she had truly been reborn.

　　Hatred!

　　Killing intent!

　　And a trace of excitement!

　　The Daoist in green felt Grace Bennett’s gaze and couldn’t help but frown.

　　For some reason, Grace Bennett made him feel very dangerous. His first instinct was that she too was a cultivator, but upon closer inspection, she had neither the aura nor the artifacts of an immortal practitioner.

　　The Daoist immediately leapt into the air like a hawk, slicing through the night sky, charging toward Grace Bennett.

　　Grace Bennett instantly leapt down from the tree, vanishing into the darkness. But to the Daoist, the night was as bright as day, and he quickly closed in on Grace Bennett.