The Glory of the Tribe

"Something's wrong! Quick, come see, Aunt Cuiyun..."
"Huh?" Jiang Xuan immediately furrowed his brows and, in an instant, appeared in front of Jiang Qianhe like a blur. He grabbed Jiang Qianhe’s shoulder and urgently asked, "What happened to Aunt Cuiyun?"
"Someone! Someone was spying on Aunt Cuiyun while she was bathing!" Jiang Qianhe said angrily.

"Uh..." Jiang Xuan paused for a moment.
What kind of big deal is this?
This kind of thing often happens in the tribe. Even though most of the men of the Jiang tribe are dead, there are still a group of boys around thirteen or fourteen years old—just the right age to cause trouble. Though this matter is certainly wrong, it shouldn't be serious enough to disturb the clan leader.

Aunt Cuiyun is the patrol leader.
She can deal with this directly—punish or beat the culprit as necessary.
Aunt Cuiyun, who is thirty-six years old, has had three husbands, all of whom died. She has a particularly tough and fierce personality, typical of a strong tribal woman. If a mischievous boy spied on her, who knows who might have been teasing who.

"And then what happened?" Jiang Xuan asked, still confused. He grabbed Jiang Qianhe’s arm and said, "Come, let's talk while we walk."
As they walked out of the back mountain, Jiang Qianhe explained the situation.
It went something like this: Aunt Cuiyun had been sweating from her training in the afternoon and went back to take a bath. While dressing, she noticed some movement near the window. She grabbed her knife and chased the person out. She saw Feng Fu from the Shen family! Feng Fu swiftly disappeared, and Aunt Cuiyun couldn't catch up. She then gathered people to ask Shen Taiping for the culprit...

The matter had escalated.
"Feng Fu? That first Innate guest of the Shen family, the one with the sharp features?" Jiang Xuan furrowed his brow. He had seen Feng Fu standing beside Shen Taiping when he first met Shen Taiping.
"This doesn't feel right."

Chen Yuanxuan, who was walking behind, quickly caught up and walked beside Jiang Xuan. "Feng Fu is greedy and lecherous, and very cunning. But everyone in Feixue City knows he favors young girls around eighteen or twenty, and he wouldn't take an interest in a woman over thirty."
"So, are you saying Aunt Cuiyun wronged him?" Jiang Xuan glared at Chen Yuanxuan.
"No!" Chen Yuanxuan hurriedly replied, "What I mean is, Feng Fu did it on purpose!"

"He's ranked fourth in the top ten Innates of Feixue City! After lying low for many years, he made a shocking comeback, defeating sixteen of the top Innates with one move, 'Three Seas Return to One.' I'm the strongest Innate in our Chen family, and I wouldn't claim to beat Feng Fu for sure. The top three on the Innate ranking are all officials, but Feng Fu is the strongest civilian Innate in Feixue City!"
"With such strength, if Feng Fu truly wanted to spy on Jiang Cuiyun while she bathed, it would be impossible to catch him! Even if someone noticed, they couldn’t possibly see his face."
"Shen Taiping is trying to provoke me." Jiang Xuan immediately understood the key point.
"Exactly!" Chen Yuanxuan nodded, looking at Jiang Xuan. "So you must not fall for it! Shen Taiping wants to defeat you in public, don’t give him the opportunity."

Jiang Xuan remained silent, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with Chen Yuanxuan’s words.
It could be said that Chen Yuanxuan didn’t understand the tribe.
She didn’t understand what responsibilities came with being the clan leader!

A person who retreats when their tribesmen are insulted is unworthy of being the clan leader!
At the entrance to the mansion, there were hundreds of people inside and outside.
When Jiang Xuan and Chen Yuanxuan arrived, they could still hear the shouting inside the courtyard.

"...I spied on you while you bathed? Stop talking nonsense! How beautiful do you think you are? I heard you killed three husbands! You think I’d look at you? I’m afraid I’d get a stye in my eye!" Feng Fu’s sarcastic voice.
"You old fool! Don’t think I’m afraid of you just because you’re at a higher realm! You’re a scoundrel! Don’t stop me! I’m going to fight you!" Jiang Cuiyun’s voice.
"Oh, oh! Look at you, like a shrew! Are you dissatisfied and frustrated? Are you hallucinating? Do you think I spied on you? You should have said something earlier! I’m always ready to help! It’s just like going to the toilet!"

"You bastard! I’ll chop you up! Let me go!"
"I’ve hit a nerve, haven’t I? You’re angry now? Let me tell you! I can’t be bothered with you! A woman like you, living without a man for so long, must have some mental issues! With so many men in the city now, are you seeing things? Every time you bathe, do you imagine someone spying on you?"
"Aunt, let me go! I’m going to fight him! I’ll risk my life today!"

Feng Fu really showed no hint of a noble expert. His words were venomous!
Jiang Cuiyun, who was normally bold and unrestrained, wouldn’t have lost composure just from being spied on, but now she seemed almost driven mad!
Clearly, she had argued but couldn’t win against Feng Fu!

Around the courtyard, under the eaves and on the roof, people had gathered to watch, including the talents from other families in Feixue City and their guards.
Chen Yuanxuan also stood on the roof, watching.
Outside the mansion’s back wall, on a tall tree branch.

Patrol official Xie Hanjie was also watching the situation in the courtyard.
He could see everything clearly and noticed Jiang Xuan and Chen Yuanxuan arriving together. This made him frown. Although he knew Chen Yuanxuan wouldn’t be involved with Jiang Xuan in any personal way, she was constantly seeking him out to help her brother. But seeing her with another man made him feel uneasy.
"When Jiang Xuan loses, Chen Yuanxuan and Chen Yuanxue will have no reason to stay in the earthen city. They’ll have to return to Feixue City. My marriage to her will be brought up soon." Xie Hanjie thought.

"Clan Leader Jiang has arrived!"
"Make way!"
When Jiang Xuan entered the courtyard, the crowd parted like a tide, allowing him to pass. The Jiang tribe members gathered together. Granny Jin Hua stood emotionless, tightly gripping Jiang Cuiyun’s wrist. Jiang Cuiyun was afraid of hurting Granny Jin Hua, so she didn’t try to break free too forcefully.

About twenty or thirty Black Armor Guards were present, all standing on the Jiang tribe's side.
But they couldn’t just attack Feng Fu, no matter what, over such a "small matter." They couldn’t let the Jiang tribe act impulsively—if a fight broke out, it would only result in deaths on the Jiang tribe’s side. So, the Black Armor Guards were only trying to intimidate Shen Taiping’s guards and stop the Jiang tribe from acting rashly.
They were just trying to break up the fight.

Jiang Xuan looked at Jiang Cuiyun’s face, stunned for a moment, and then his expression darkened.
This was the first time Jiang Xuan had seen Jiang Cuiyun’s eyes red from suffering. Her tough personality could make her overjoyed at every victory, but she had never cried due to pressure or calamity. Even facing death, she wasn’t afraid!
But now, she had truly been wronged.

She had argued but lost to Feng Fu, and had been humiliated in front of so many people. Jiang Cuiyun had never experienced such humiliation in her life.
Whoosh.
Jiang Xuan slowly drew out his long knife while walking, his pace neither too fast nor too slow.

"Jiang Xuan, don’t act impulsively." Chen Yuanxuan instinctively grabbed Jiang Xuan’s wrist in front of everyone, but Jiang Xuan shook her off in an instant.
He continued walking forward.
This scene made Xie Hanjie’s pupils constrict.

Jiang Cuiyun felt Jiang Xuan’s murderous intent and suddenly understood why he was so angry! Realizing something, her heart raced, and she quickly wiped her reddened eyes, rushing to meet Jiang Xuan.
"Xiao Xuan, Aunt is fine, it’s alright." Jiang Cuiyun hurriedly said, feeling guilty. If only she had been more composed, this wouldn't have escalated like this.
Everyone knew Shen Taiping had come to the earthen city with a purpose.

Jiang Cuiyun quickly realized that the other side wanted to force Jiang Xuan into action!
Jiang Xuan held the knife in his right hand, and with his left hand, he embraced Aunt Cuiyun. At sixteen, he was half a head taller than thirty-six-year-old Jiang Cuiyun, and he gently patted her back.
"It’s okay, Aunt, leave it to me." Jiang Xuan whispered in her ear, then bypassed her and walked ahead.

"According to the rules of the Jiang tribe, spying on a woman while she bathes is not a serious crime." Jiang Xuan spoke as he walked, his voice neither too loud nor too quiet, but everyone could hear him clearly. "Mildly, a few insults; severely, for repeat offenders, it’s only fitting to publicly beat them ten times as punishment! But Feng Fu, you’re unrepentant. You publicly humiliated one of my people, so I fear you must face even more punishment, as a warning to others."
"Tsk tsk!"
Feng Fu smiled. "It seems that Clan Leader Jiang is quite close with the women of your tribe, hugging and embracing them! I’d like to know, without any proof, what kind of punishment are you planning?"

"Jiang Xuan!"
Suddenly, Shen Taiping, who had remained silent beside Feng Fu, shouted. He took a few steps forward and declared with great righteousness, "If you want to touch one of our Shen family’s guests, you must first pass through me! We are kings facing kings. Defeat me, and then you can do as you wish with my guest!"
Shen Taiping’s heart was thrilled.

Feng Fu’s insults had worked! Jiang Xuan was truly provoked!
Shen Taiping placed his hand on the sword hilt at his waist, ready to duel Jiang Xuan.
"You think you’re something?!" Jiang Xuan completely ignored him, dismissing him with a sentence. He then turned back to Feng Fu, "You deserve to die! As a warning to others!"

Whoosh!
"Don’t want to die? Get out of my way!" Jiang Xuan disappeared from his spot.
Wind rose!

"Chasing Wind Style! Nice!" Shen Taiping excitedly shouted, but immediately froze, feeling a terrifying killing intent enveloping him. "This kind of threat isn’t possible! It must be a bluff!" Shen Taiping doubted in his heart, but his hands didn’t dare to slack off. He activated the Divine Might of Heaven and Earth.
Sword light rose!
But the threat seemed to bypass him!

Shen Taiping’s other Innate guards quickly retreated, giving Shen Taiping space to "perform." Only Feng Fu remained where he was, confident that Shen Taiping could stop Jiang Xuan.
But he was wrong.
The wind swept forward smoothly, and a dense storm of sword light surrounded Feng Fu from all directions. Feng Fu also felt the terrifying sense of danger!

"How is he so strong?!" Feng Fu thought, shocked. He didn’t hesitate and drew his sword to unleash his ultimate move—Three Seas Return to One!
Shen Taiping also turned back at this moment.
Both of them activated the Divine Might of Heaven and Earth. The stagnant feeling in the air slowed their movements, even affecting the Chasing Wind Style.

This allowed them to just barely catch sight of Jiang Xuan’s real form.
"Return!" Shen Taiping decisively used his killing move, the one that forced Chen Yuanxuan into retreat!
Two beings with Divine Might of Heaven and Earth, attacking a late-stage Innate!

In that moment.
Feng Fu’s sword light was like a raging wolf, sweeping the wind and clouds. Shen Taiping’s sword light was ethereal, like flowers blooming in a dream, full of beauty but hiding endless killing intent. Both used their strongest moves, unleashing their full power, and their sword techniques were as powerful as the Ninth Style of Chasing Wind Sword, but far superior because they had reached the third stage of their skills.
"Done for!"

"The Chasing Wind Style can’t hold up; it’s going to break!"
Just as the crowd thought Jiang Xuan was finished, the Chasing Wind Style’s dense sword light seemed to be breaking apart, and suddenly, a sword light more terrifying than the Chasing Wind Style appeared and merged into it, transforming into a swift, elegant streak of light.
This sword—

The first move of the God Demon’s Astonishing Blade, "Phantom Slash"! Even a true Tribulation Realm expert couldn’t master it in just half a month, and Jiang Xuan had only grasped part of the technique, combining it with his Chasing Wind Style.
Jiang Xuan called it the Phantom Chasing Wind Style.
This attack no longer belonged to Chasing Wind Sword. It used the tricks of a Tribulation Realm sword technique and was essentially a Tribulation Realm sword move, albeit a weakened version of "Phantom Slash." Since Jiang Xuan didn’t yet have Tribulation power, he could only forcefully unleash some of its power using his vast Innate strength!

The explosive power of this move was more than a hundred times stronger than the Chasing Wind Style!
The sword light appeared and disappeared in the blink of an eye, blending into the dense Chasing Wind Style, so fast it was like an illusion.
Feng Fu, with the grin on his face, thought it was just an illusion, and didn’t react in time. When the wolf-like sword light was destroyed, he felt the chill on his neck.

"Not good!!"
From the distant tree, Xie Hanjie appeared in the courtyard in a flash, grabbing Shen Taiping by the neck and retreating over ten paces!
The sword light stopped.

Jiang Xuan turned and looked at Xie Hanjie coldly.
Everyone was stunned. They had all expected Jiang Xuan to be defeated, but to their surprise, the patrol official Xie Hanjie suddenly intervened and pulled Shen Taiping away. What was even more strange was that after Shen Taiping was pulled away, Feng Fu didn’t move at all.
Thud!

Feng Fu’s head rolled onto the ground, his eyes wide open as it tumbled several feet, and his headless body, still holding onto his sword, fell backward with a loud crash, blood quickly pooling around him.
Clang!
Shen Taiping’s sword fell to the ground.

"Gack... cough... gurgle..." Shen Taiping’s eyes widened with fear as he tried to cover his blood-soaked throat with his hands, and with a thud, he knelt to the ground.
One dead, one severely injured!