"Good sword."
Zhao Yunhai's eyes lit up as he saw the precious sword being unsheathed.
"My great-grandfather forged this when he was young and has used it ever since. Although the sword is old, it remains incredibly sharp."
Zhao Lesheng proudly introduced the sword's origin to Brother Yunhai.
"Give me the sword, and I'll personally deliver it to Elder Jin."
Zhao Yunhai took the sword from Zhao Lesheng's hand, drew it, and thrust it directly at the car roof.
As if it were tofu, the sword pierced straight through the roof.
"It truly is a good sword," Zhao Yunhai praised as he sheathed the blade.
Zhao Lesheng quickly glanced at the sword, his eyes filled with apprehension.
He was afraid there might be a nick in the sword; if not his brother Yunhai, his great-grandfather would surely hold him accountable.
"What are you looking at? A sword's sharpness also depends on who wields it."
Zhao Yunhai noticed Zhao Lesheng's expression and found it amusing.
...
"Old man, isn't it better to be alive?"
Seeing that the other party was relentless, Lone Wolf instantly reversed his movement and unleashed a claw strike.
Internal energy surged, and amidst the fierce wind, a faint wolf's howl could be heard. The wolf-like claw was sharp and terrifying.
"Arrogant junior."
Zhao Han Jin's expression remained unchanged. He flicked out two fingers, and his internal energy transformed into two sword energies, which shot towards Lone Wolf.
"Break!!!"
Lone Wolf sneered upon seeing the two sword energies approaching, finding this level of attack laughable.
Although the wolf claw technique had an unappealing name, it was the signature martial art of that peerless old master.
It was a testament to the peerless old master's extraordinary talent that a seemingly ordinary wolf claw could be cultivated to the level of defeating a peerless Grandmaster.
Just as in swordsmanship, flashy techniques were inferior to a single decisive strike.
Lone Wolf directly tore apart the sharp sword energies. Zhao Han Jin's next attack was already incoming.
Killing and fighting were never meant to be turn-based.
In battles between equally matched experts, the winner was usually the one who made the fewest mistakes.
Within minutes of the battle, both combatants had reached a stalemate.
As the protagonist, Lone Wolf, with his equal strength, naturally held the upper hand.
However, Zhao Han Jin was no pushover, but against the protagonist, he always fell short by a fraction at critical moments.
Zhao Han Jin's expression grew increasingly solemn. His greatest strength was swordsmanship, and without his sword, he lacked a lethal weapon.
"When you're old, you should admit that the world belongs to the young."
Lone Wolf repelled the other party with a single move. Seeing the blood trickling from the corner of his opponent's mouth, he burst into laughter.
In this world, there was no one who could injure him.
Unless that world-ending mushroom cloud was unleashed, he was an invincible existence.
Zhao Han Jin spat out a mouthful of blood. "Boy, don't boast. I will not let you leave today, no matter what."
He couldn't let Lone Wolf continue to live. If he couldn't stop Lone Wolf, the latter would discover that Xiao Hai was still alive.
With the family's reinforcements yet to arrive, Xiao Hai would be in mortal danger.
He wouldn't consider it a loss if his life could be exchanged for Lone Wolf's.
"Ah!" Ignoring his injuries, Zhao Han Jin attacked again, his speed reaching its maximum. His previously serene internal energy became turbulent and violent.
"Old man, do you intend to die with me?"
Lone Wolf was surprised that the other party was suddenly fighting desperately, abandoning all defenses and focusing solely on inflicting damage on him.
But Lone Wolf had no intention of trading blows. He wasn't foolish; given enough time, he could completely kill the other party.
"Hahaha—junior, you're still too green."
As Zhao Han Jin laughed, a branch materialized in his hand, wielded like a long sword, its strikes sharp and piercing.
"Team leader, are you sure we shouldn't go out? If something happens, we'll be in trouble."
Not far away, a team member holding binoculars spoke to Si Jinyan.
"Why the rush? It's a matter of one shot for me."
"However, Young Master Yun hasn't arrived yet. Before every kill, Young Master Yun always likes to make an appearance."
"Although Young Master Yun didn't give me specific orders this time, we still came."
"Let me test you, what do you call this behavior?"
Si Jinyan held a specially made sniper rifle, its power sufficient to kill anyone in the world, including peerless martial artists.
No matter how powerful, they were still mere mortals.
The power of technology ultimately surpassed that of martial artists.
Although the Zhao family practiced martial arts, they viewed it merely as a way to strengthen the body; true power lay in technological might.
Thus, the Zhao family had begun researching weapons specifically designed to counter martial artists from the outset.
Of course, if a peerless martial artist was on guard, even a sniper bullet would be difficult to hit them.
The team member with the binoculars dutifully replied, "This is unauthorized action. We'll face punishment when we return."
As soon as he finished speaking, Si Jinyan's dead-fish eyes fixed on him.
"I think you should receive your punishment now."
"This is called sharing worries for the leader. When Young Master Yun remembers, we must be there."
"If Young Master Yun doesn't remember, we must still appear at the appropriate time and promptly resolve any issues for Young Master Yun."
"You're too green, kid. Opportunities must be sought; they don't just fall from the sky, do they?"
Si Jinyan's words left the team member utterly ashamed and embarrassed. It was no wonder his team leader was a team leader; he was indeed far behind.
"Team leader, I was wrong. Thank you for your guidance."
Admitting mistakes was the honorable thing to do. The team member humbly bowed his head in apology.
Si Jinyan, who always enjoyed teaching his subordinates, nodded in satisfaction. "It's good that you've taken it to heart."
Young Master Yun hadn't given him any specific tasks before, but Si Jinyan was acutely aware of his position.
He wasn't a martial artist of great power; he had to leverage his strengths to make his presence known.
Only by constantly refreshing his presence in Young Master Yun's mind could he continue to be valued by him.
Si Jinyan knew that losing Young Master Yun's favor would undoubtedly lead to a grim fate.
As Zhao Yunhai's private team, Si Jinyan also possessed significant authority, including the ability to temporarily utilize satellite resources.
Si Jinyan had his team member track the direction Lone Wolf left after his attack, and then simulated the most probable route to this location.
Si Jinyan had bet correctly. They had been lying in wait here from the beginning.
Of course, their initial location was off by over a thousand meters, so they rushed to this spot to ambush once Lone Wolf had stopped.
Near Si Jinyan, drones were also prepared for immediate deployment.
There were three types of drones: the self-detonating Bird of Prey, the flash-equipped Bird of Prey, and the smoke-emitting Bird of Prey.
The self-detonating drones, indistinguishable from ordinary small birds, possessed enough power to cover the temporary retreat of a peerless clan elder.
Once Young Master Yun arrived, Si Jinyan would fire immediately; he would have only one shot.
Of course, if Young Master Yun didn't arrive and a clan elder faced mortal danger, he would intervene.
He would fire and then escape, having at least protected the safety of a peerless clan elder.
Therefore, regardless of success or failure, he would earn a great merit, though not the same great merit as killing a peerless expert.