The trees desire calmness, yet the wind persists.

"Ha, ha."

"Cough, burp. That was satisfying."

"Watch me, the third strike!"

This time, it took Yue Shan nearly twenty breaths to prop himself up with the blade.

His vision was almost blurry, his body swayed, and it felt like a raging fire was burning in his internal organs. For an ordinary person, these injuries would unquestionably be fatal.

One step, two steps...

The distance, which would typically be within arm's reach, now seemed distant and out of reach.

Roar!

Yue Shan was still over a yard away from Tie Feng when he barely lifted the blade. Tie Feng's protective true dragon sent him flying, and he fell to the ground, motionless.

The third strike never landed.

Xiao Yi and Tie Feng fell silent.

"Enough, Tie Feng, check if he's dead, and if not, take him with us," Xiao Yi said after a moment, his interest waning.

Tie Feng nodded. As an opponent, although Yue Shan's strength was far inferior, his unwavering willpower deserved respect.

"Hold on, gentlemen."

It was a light shout when Tie Feng was checking Yue Shan's condition. Two young men were quickly approaching, interrupting the scene.

Xiao Yi and Tie Feng turned to look. Two young men were swiftly approaching, and it was quite coincidental that they showed up at this moment.

Tie Feng turned back to Xiao Yi, who gave a slight nod, and then stepped forward to block the path of the newcomers.

In a firm tone, he asked, "Who are you, and why are you trying to stop us?"

The leader of the newcomers was a young man in his twenties, with a somewhat refined appearance. The man who had halted the fight earlier seemed to be in his thirties, with a rugged face and a disciplined demeanor suggesting a military background.

Seeing Tie Feng's obstruction, the young man smiled and said, "I am Li Zhiyuan, and I've met you two before. We saw a battle happening here and came to observe."

Xiao Yi muttered to himself and couldn't recall having met this person before.

"But we're not sure who you two are," Xiao Yi approached with a friendly smile, though it carried a sense of pressure.

"Assassin?" The two newcomers' expressions changed, no longer as composed as before.

The man beside Li Zhiyuan, in his thirties, spoke up, "In broad daylight, where would an assassin come from? Could there be some misunderstanding?"

"And who are you?" Tie Feng faced the man, his expression becoming more serious. This man seemed to have greater strength than Yue Shan.

"I am Wang Yun, a military officer in the Weiwu Army," the man said with a hint of arrogance.

"Weiwu Army? Then you must be the son of the Weiwu Marquis, right?" Xiao Yi asked, sounding more like a statement than a question.

Li Zhiyuan respectfully bowed, "I've heard of the renowned Zhenyuan Marquis, and today I see that Brother Xiao is indeed worthy of your family's reputation."

Xiao Yi, though skeptical, didn't show it. He knew that being in the capital meant dealing with various troubles, especially considering his family background.

"Are you here to protect him?" Xiao Yi pointed towards Yue Shan, his tone confident yet imposing.

Li Zhiyuan's face changed slightly, seemingly caught off guard by Xiao Yi's straightforwardness.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Li Zhiyuan respectfully clasped his hands and said, "Let's spare the trouble. Brother Xiao, please be lenient."

"We must respect the Weiwu Marquis's face, but the Weiwu Marquis isn't here," Xiao Yi remarked confidently.

Li Zhiyuan's smile froze on his face, and he furrowed his brows, saying, "It seems Brother Xiao has no intention of letting him go?"

Wang Yun grasped the hilt of his sword tightly, his eyes fixed on Xiao Yi, seemingly ready to act at any moment.

Tie Feng didn't back down either, standing in front of Wang Yun.

Li Zhiyuan gazed steadily at Xiao Yi for several moments. Seeing that Xiao Yi remained firm in his decision, he waved his hand, indicating for Wang Yun to stand down.

Then, Li Zhiyuan gave Xiao Yi a deep look, his words neither warm nor cold, "Since Brother Xiao has made up his mind, I won't say more. Farewell."

Li Zhiyuan didn't wait for Xiao Yi's response and left with Wang Yun, heading away without looking back.

Before leaving, Wang Yun cast a lingering gaze at Xiao Yi, stopping briefly at Xiao Yi's neck.

Tie Feng was furious and ready to take action.

"Let it be. We'll have more opportunities in the future," Xiao Yi said, trying to stop him.

Wang Yun seemed to have already anticipated that Tie Feng wouldn't take action and left with Li Zhiyuan without looking back.

"Put him on the carriage," Xiao Yi instructed.

He watched as Li Zhiyuan and Wang Yun walked away, knowing that returning to the capital would inevitably lead to more troubles.

Little did he know that, at this very moment, the Jiang family was bustling with activity. Jiang Qiongyao, who had been cultivating in the Taiyin Palace for many years, had returned.

In recent years, Jiang Qiongyao had gained fame as the Ice Sword Immortal. Countless young men admired her, and her return had put Xiao Yi in the spotlight as well.

If Xiao Yi had returned to the capital at any other time, he might have gone unnoticed. However, with Jiang Qiongyao's return, it was inevitable that some people would become envious and seek trouble.