Be My Henchman

If we're talking about An Yi's killing move,

it has to be the Dragon-Slaying Nine Swords!

Rumored to be capable of slaughtering even dragons, this sword technique is terrifyingly powerful and exquisitely refined!

The first stance, "Parting Sorrow," combined with a 150% damage bonus from a sneak attack!

An Yi had never met anyone who could withstand it in all his years!

Well, today he finally did.

Though Han Xi's back was drenched in blood, with wounds deep enough to reveal bone, he had indeed blocked the strike!

Lin Chen released the Dragon-Binding Art!

While it didn't drain his mana, his stamina was running thin.

The old man had been struggling relentlessly, and by the end, Lin Chen's hands were trembling.

A top-100 expert on the Heavenly Rankings was no pushover.

"Brilliant, truly extraordinary talents. Given another five years, this old man would stand no chance against you," Han Xi remarked calmly, wiping the blood from his back.

"In the path of martial arts, the older you get, the more profound your energy becomes!

Right up until your twilight years, you remain at your peak!"

At sixty-nine years old, he was currently at the pinnacle of his martial prowess.

Yet these two youngsters, barely twenty, could already clash with him like this.

If they had a few more years to grow, how terrifying would they become?

Han Xi couldn't fathom how strong these two would be in the future.

But one thing was certain—they were nothing like that red-haired brat pinned under a giant broken sword, screaming for his grandpa to save him.

"Can you hold on?" An Yi asked gravely.

"I won't go down that easy."

Lin Chen spun his Cloud-Splitting Hook in hand, gripping it tightly as he said coolly, "The Iron Bone Technique of the Blood Fiend Sect. His bones and tendons are tempered harder than steel."

"That's not even human!" An Yi complained, hesitating whether to activate Berserk Mode.

Berserk would boost all his attributes by 200%!

Beating this old man wouldn't be hard, but it'd burn through his resources too fast!

For frugal An Yi, that was unacceptable.

Back when he faced the Gourd Immortal, it had cost him ten years of his lifespan in one go. The memory still haunted him.

The trauma was too deep!

What if he suddenly dropped dead mid-fight? That'd scare the hell out of people.

"Grandpa Xi, take them down!" Han Liang shouted furiously.

At the moment, he was crushed under a massive broken sword, unable to even crawl free.

An Yi, worried he might escape if left unchecked, had pulled out the greatsword and pinned him down like a turtle.

The sword's weight was staggering—even lifting it was a struggle.

In his wounded state, Han Liang wasn't going anywhere!

Han Xi's expression turned icy as he studied the two.

Internally, he sighed. The earlier sword strike had shattered his internal organs with its dispersed sword energy. Right now, he was just toughing it out.

If these two youngsters landed another sneak attack...

He might just leave his old life here today.

Then, a pistol emerged.

"Long time no see, Elder Han."

Lin Mei'er's alluring figure appeared abruptly behind Han Xi.

A sleek silver pistol in her hand, its dark muzzle aimed squarely at him!

"The Lin family's girl?" Han Xi turned slightly, glancing at Lin Mei'er before speaking indifferently.

Lin Mei'er giggled. "I'm surprised Elder Han still remembers me."

Han Xi sighed nostalgically. "Back then, you were just a little girl of seven or eight. In the blink of an eye, thirty—"

Ahem—"We're not here to reminisce!" Lin Mei'er interrupted, her finger tightening on the trigger in warning.

Looking at Lin Chen, Han Xi suddenly understood. "This must be the eldest daughter's boy. Truly exceptional."

With Lin Mei'er's appearance, Han Xi had already accepted his fate.

Today, he was done for.

Even at full strength, he might not have been a match for Lin Mei'er.

An Yi raised an eyebrow at the turn of events. This was getting strange.

Just then, a phone ringtone cut through the tension.

Shangguan Qianqian?

What did she want at this hour?

An Yi casually declined the call.

But the ringing persisted.

"What do you want?" An Yi asked flatly.

Shangguan Qianqian's cool voice replied, "Are you fighting the Blood Fiend Sect right now?"

"How'd you know?" An Yi was puzzled.

Hearing this, Shangguan Qianqian's tone grew urgent. "Good, I made it in time. Don't kill Han Liang—keep him alive. He's useful!"

"Why?"

An Yi frowned. "You couldn't have told me earlier?"

"If I had, it would've disrupted the fixed timeline!"

Shangguan Qianqian's voice was firm, deadly serious.

Only after confirming Han Liang was still alive did her icy, beautiful features relax slightly.

In her past life,

An Yi slaying Han Xi, a Heavenly Rankings expert, had been just the spark.

What followed was nothing short of a catastrophe for the world!

A chaotic war erupted on the eve of the Hongtian Secret Realm's opening, dragging in nearly half the sects.

Back then, she had been one of the casualties.

An Yi hung up, lost in thought.

"Children of Destiny are never simple. Didn't that girl say she was a reincarnator...?"

"The Netherworld has always been on good terms with the Blood Fiend Sect. Elder Han, let's consider today a misunderstanding," Lin Mei'er warned. "If there's a next time, the Netherworld will personally pay the Blood Fiend Sect a visit!"

Han Xi's face darkened.

What he'd thought was a minor skirmish had unexpectedly involved the Netherworld.

If this escalated further, it would become a clash between two colossal forces—a price neither side could afford.

With a cupped fist, Han Xi prepared to take Han Liang and leave.

Lin Chen blocked his path with the Cloud-Splitting Staff in hand and said coldly, "You were the ones who came to provoke us. Now that you’ve hit a wall, you think you can just leave? It’s not that easy."

"Yeah, not that easy at all."

An Yi grinned, sauntering up to Han Liang and whispering slyly, "You know, Redhead, you’re not half bad. How about becoming my lackey?"

"A warrior would rather die than suffer humiliation!" Han Liang growled.

Making the young master of their sect his subordinate? Impossible!

Shing!

A black dagger appeared in An Yi’s hand.

He ran his finger along the blade and mused, "Killing you… isn’t off the table either."

Han Liang:

Under the weight of An Yi’s smiling yet knife-edged gaze, Han Liang swallowed hard and stammered, "B-but… I’m the young master of the Blood Fiend Sect. Wouldn’t it be… inappropriate for me to be your lackey?"

"Just answer the question—do you want to or not? I want to hear your thoughts!" An Yi pressed.

"Well… the Asura Gate is pretty legendary. I’ve always had a bit of admiration for it," Han Liang muttered weakly.

This bastard’s insane!

Why the hell is he so set on making me his lackey?!

Ding! Han Liang requests to submit. Accept?

An Yi’s lips curled into a triumphant smirk.

Without hesitation, he tapped Accept.

He wasn’t entirely sure why Shangguan Qianqian valued this guy so much, but it couldn’t hurt. Maybe he’d find some use for the trash someday.

An Yi sheathed his heavy sword and helped Han Liang up with a cheerful grin. "Once you’re back, remember to turn over a new leaf. Safe travels."

Watching the scene unfold, Lin Chen frowned slightly in confusion.

But he didn’t interfere, letting Han Xi drag Han Liang away.

This kid always acted unpredictably, but he wasn’t stupid.

As for his motives? That remained unclear.

Lin Mei'er’s gaze turned icy as she fixed it on the Qin family villa. Her finger tightened on the trigger, and her silver gun spat fire.

"Qin Zhengwei! Get out here!"