The middle-aged man behind the two women turned out to be a level nine swordsman!

Faced with a clearly hostile level nine swordsman, Ethan Brooks, whose mental level was greatly suppressed, wished he could immediately extricate himself from this situation...

“No need to go inside. We are here today for you to fulfill your promise.”

“Promise?” Reminded by the young woman, Logan Foster's expression changed instantly. “The wager from last time?”

“That’s right. A bet is a bet. No matter what, you lost in the end, and that is an undeniable fact. So you should honor the wager and hand over the Yunxiao Sword!”

The Yunxiao Sword.

The personal sword of the Yunxiao Sword Sect’s founding master—Swordmaster Brian Brooks, a spiritual-grade sword. Not only is it the sect leader’s token, but also the spiritual symbol of the entire Yunlai Sword Sect. Everyone in the sect holds the Yunxiao Sword in awe, with a dedicated person to worship it, treating it as a divine artifact.

Now, these people from the Xuanling Sect were actually demanding the Yunxiao Sword, the symbol of the Yunlai Sword Sect’s leadership. No wonder his expression was so grim.

Chapter Four: Hostage

“What, are you planning to break your promise?”

The woman in white stepped forward, her expression turning slightly cold.

Logan Foster's face was pale, and in that instant, he seemed to age several years, looking even more haggard. His swaying figure looked as if he might be blown over by the wind at any moment...

“Master...”

Logan Foster's aged, lifeless eyes stared at the young woman in white without blinking, a trace of undisguised hatred deep in his pupils, as if he wished to cut her into a thousand pieces: “You... you people from the Xuanling Sect really dare to come to my Yunlai Sword Sect and demand the sword!?”

The young woman in white was clearly aware of the circumstances of that wager. When Logan Foster glared at her, she frowned slightly.

But as a genius disciple of the Xuanling Sect, she possessed psychological fortitude far beyond ordinary people. She quickly calmed herself and replied without backing down, “The wager between our two sects three months ago was made very clear: as long as you could defeat the Xuanling Sect members present, you could take your disciple Grace Miller away, and we would let bygones be bygones regarding her offense. If you lost, you would have to leave the Yunxiao Sword of your Yunlai Sword Sect. Judging by your current state of serious injury, the result is obvious. You lost, defeated by my sect’s Uncle Olivia Reed. Since you lost, you should honor the wager. Why wouldn’t we dare to come for the sword?”

As for the matter of junior sister Grace Miller, Ethan Brooks did have some understanding in his memory.

She was an outstanding female disciple among the Yunlai Sword Sect’s inner disciples, with remarkable talent, having reached the strength of a level four swordsman at only fifteen. Logan Foster cared for her deeply and had adopted her as his foster daughter, treating her as his own.

This junior sister was petite and lovely, with a delicate and fragile appearance that evoked pity.

During an outing, she was secretly drugged by an outer disciple of the Xuanling Sect and nearly assaulted. In a fit of rage, she killed the Xuanling Sect disciple. Since she was on Xuanling Sect territory and outnumbered, she was forcefully captured by the Xuanling Sect, which led to Logan Foster going up the mountain to demand her return and making the wager.

However, from the perspective of Ethan Brooks, who was born in the modern era...

Nine times out of ten, this was a conspiracy targeting the Yunlai Sword Sect.

“Master.” Yvonne Brooks was not aware of the details of the wager, but knowing his master’s character, he was sure his master would never gamble the sect’s treasured Yunxiao Sword lightly. So he asked, “Master, what exactly happened? The Yunxiao Sword is of great importance. Master, you...”

Logan Foster snorted coldly, “Do you think I don’t know the gravity of the situation? If I wasn’t confident, I would never have used the Yunxiao Sword as a stake. That day, we agreed that as long as I could defeat all the Xuanling Sect members present, I could take your junior sister Grace Miller away. However, when they saw that none of them could beat me, they secretly brought in Grand Swordsman Olivia Reed and shamelessly argued that the original rule was that I had to defeat all those present, without specifying who was present at the time. Now that Grand Swordsman Olivia Reed was there, she counted as one of those present! Such shamelessness—only your Xuanling Sect could pull that off.”

The young woman in white’s expression changed slightly, a trace of anger and embarrassment flashing in her enchanting eyes. She snorted coldly, “Nonsense! You overestimated yourself, trying to make a name for yourself by challenging my Uncle Olivia Reed with the strength of a mere level eight swordsman, and ended up seriously injured. You brought this upon yourself.”

Hearing her twist the facts, Logan Foster couldn’t help but shout angrily, “Do you dare say what I just said isn’t true!? Do you dare swear to the heavens!?”

The young woman in white had anticipated this. She replied coolly, “Your duel with Uncle Olivia Reed is known throughout Wanxia County. If you want to know the truth, just go down the mountain and ask anyone.”

Logan Foster grew even more anxious and angry. “You... I kept this matter quiet for the sake of your Xuanling Sect’s reputation, so as not to tarnish your name, and yet you... you...”

In his agitation, his words became slurred. On top of that, the internal injuries the young woman in white had provoked earlier flared up again. Now, he was gasping for breath, staggering, and could barely stand.