The Shadow of the Shura Eye

The third young master had no idea he possessed the "Shura Demon Eye." In fact, he had never even heard of such a thing.

Thus, his curiosity about the Shura Demon Eye surpassed even that of the so-called most fearsome martial masters.

Master Qiao Wei and Uncle Li exchanged a look, pondering for a moment, before Qiao Wei finally spoke up, "Third Young Master, do you know why only Old Li and I remain of the Four Great Demons? And why the Demon Sect suddenly fractured when its power was at its peak?"

The third young master replied, "If I knew that, would I be asking you? Stop with the riddles. Just tell me directly—I'm not one for games."

Qiao Wei nodded gravely. "It all started ten years ago, on a dark, wind-swept night... a night so silent you couldn't even hear your own breath, the wind howling through the streets, the moon hidden behind thick clouds... A night where the world seemed to hold its breath."

His voice dropped to a conspiratorial tone, almost as though recounting a ghost story, as he began telling of the events that took place on the twenty-ninth night of the twelfth lunar month—one night before New Year's Eve.

That night, the Four Great Demons met their downfall in the heart of the Demon Sect's headquarters.

The Four Great Demons had grown too powerful, overshadowing the sect's leader at the time. The Demon Sect's leader, unwilling to lose control, secretly nurtured a group of loyal disciples. The current sect leader, Ximen Wudi, had once been the old leader's favorite disciple.

On that fateful night, the Four Demons were celebrating, preparing for the New Year's feast. But just as the clock struck midnight, the old sect leader launched a surprise attack, using a group of elite young disciples to kill the Four Demons' personal guards and trap the Four Demons inside the headquarters.

Had it been any other time, the Four Demons, with their immense strength, could have broken free easily—even if faced with an army of a hundred thousand. But this time, it was just under two hundred of the old sect leader's most loyal elite.

As the Four Demons broke through their encirclement, a mysterious figure suddenly appeared, striking down the Heavenly Demon, Liang Hanwei, and the Earth Demon, Qidasheng, within three moves, reducing them to crippled wrecks.

Seizing the opportunity, Ximen Wudi, leading the charge, killed the Heavenly and Earth Demons, then re-sealed the remaining two—Qiao Qitian and Li Guding.

The mysterious figure, after taking down the two demons, simply turned and walked away, leaving without a trace. No one had even seen his face clearly. Not even his figure had been fully discerned.

But the way Ximen Wudi and his disciples treated this figure—so reverently, almost with a greater respect than they showed to the old sect leader—was enough to send a chill down their spines.

The Four Great Demons were shattered. The once invincible legend of their united force was broken. With the old sect leader and Ximen Wudi working together, they could match Qiao Qitian and Li Guding in strength. And with the help of the elite disciples, Qiao and Li were defeated, seriously injured, and forced to flee.

As they escaped, they swore an oath: they would no longer follow the Demon God, nor have any further dealings with the Demon Sect. After recovering, they split ways and disappeared from the world.

Qiao Wei paused, his voice dark with lingering fear. "That mysterious expert moved so fast, it was like he wasn't human. At the time, Li, Liang, Qiao, and I had formed a four-person formation, yet he broke through and defeated Liang and Qiao in three moves."

Uncle Li continued, his voice low, "We didn't even see how he struck, it was too fast... His moves were so simple, no tricks at all. A punch was just a punch, a kick was just a kick. There were no follow-up moves, just sheer speed!"

The two men exchanged a glance, both once feared figures in the martial world, and now both felt a chill of fear in each other's eyes.

"If that mysterious figure had turned on me and Li, I don't think there would have been any hope left for the Four Demons," Qiao Wei muttered, his hand shaking as he took another drink. "We still can't understand why, after defeating Liang and Qiao, he left. After breaking our formation, it would have been easy for him to kill us."

"Later, the old sect leader purged the Demon Sect's remaining loyalists, causing chaos within. The righteous factions, seeing an opportunity, launched an attack on the Demon Sect, obliterating most of its power. This led to the collapse of the Demon Sect and the rise of the righteous martial clans."

The third young master laughed, disbelief written all over his face. "The Four Great Demons, invincible in their prime, beaten by three moves? Are you kidding me? So what you're telling me is that even my father and uncle together would have no chance against that guy?"

Qiao Wei nodded solemnly, "If Li and I joined forces, we could probably deal with your father. Your uncle and father are nearly equals, but together, they would be weaker than us, definitely no match for that mysterious expert."

The third young master paused, then shrugged, "So what? Why should I care? That mysterious expert was a one-hit wonder, disappearing after a single appearance. If he were as good as you say, wouldn't he have made a name for himself by now? Maybe he just died of a heart attack or something."

Qiao Wei shook his head. "It's strange, isn't it? If that mysterious expert really wanted to make a name for himself, no one could have stopped him. But he never appeared again. Why?"

Uncle Li added, "Maybe as you said, he just died unexpectedly."

The third young master burst into laughter. "You're right. People in the martial world, no matter how skilled, still have to eat. If you don't know how to make money, you could starve to death. But this mysterious expert? If he were a robber, he'd be the best in the world. There's no way he would have disappeared without a trace. He's dead, that's the only explanation."

"But recently, the new Demon Sect leader, Ximen Wudi, has made a comeback. With his four great protectors—Feng, Huo, Lei, and Dian—and his four great demon envoys, he's consolidating power. The Demon Sect's influence is on the rise, and they may soon cause another conflict between good and evil..."

"So what does that have to do with me?" The third young master sneered, leaning back. "Let them fight their own battles. I'm busy with my women. We're not on the same path, so there's no conflict."

Qiao Wei's voice turned serious. "I think you may be mistaken, Third Young Master. The scheme against you could very well be the work of the Demon Sect. They've always wanted to dominate the world—not just the martial world, but to overthrow the empire itself and become the supreme ruler. Ximen Wudi likely wants to be emperor, and the biggest obstacle to that is the righteous martial factions, such as the Xiaoyao Mountain Villa and the Iron Blood Howling Fortress. They are the first targets Ximen Wudi will eliminate or absorb."

"Say what?" The third young master frowned, his temper flaring. "Ximen Wudi wants to be emperor? Fine, that's his business. But dragging my name through the mud and pulling Xiaoyao Mountain Villa and the Iron Blood Howling Fortress into this? I can't let that go! What's this about 'tolerable, but not tolerable beyond this'? Well, I tolerated it. But now, knowing the truth, I can't!"

Qiao Wei smiled slyly. "Exactly. You're a man of great talent, Third Young Master. You're too smart to be fooled by those petty people. In my opinion, we should turn the tables and crush the Demon Sect once and for all!"

The third young master pondered, then asked, "Crush the Demon Sect? Well, that sounds a little boring. We could teach them a lesson, or maybe let them know where we stand. But if they ruin my reputation, they need to compensate. I don't want money, but they should send me some beauties. Then I'll just forget about it. How about you talk to Ximen Wudi, tell him to apologize, pay for my mental anguish, and promise not to bother Xiaoyao Mountain Villa and Iron Blood Howling Fortress again?"

Uncle Li interjected, "Third Young Master, this may not be as simple as you think. As the saying goes, 'A guest cannot sleep where the master sleeps.' Ximen Wudi wants to dominate the world, and the Xiaoyao Mountain Villa and Iron Blood Howling Fortress are thorns in his side. They must be eliminated."

"Is it really that serious?" The third young master was skeptical. "Would he really risk it all to fight against Xiaoyao Mountain Villa and Iron Blood Howling Fortress?"

Qiao Wei nodded. "Ximen Wudi isn't one to take losses, but he can manipulate others. This martial arts tournament? It could very well be his scheme in the background."

The third young master thought for a moment. "But, wait, you two... this is all speculation, right? We don't have any evidence. We're just throwing blame at Ximen Wudi with no proof