0006.

Five silver blurs quickly surrounded the thugs. "Huh?" Seeing someone is here other than these thugs the elderly men screamed out. "Save us!" 

"They are only five, it's two to one." one of the thugs called out. Their sword lit up with Spirit Essence and confidence to take the initiative. 

However, they were soldiers, not seasoned yet but trained hard to stand their ground even against odds. Their new short, thick, and broad sword also lit up but only a sharp edge blur, not like the bright glow of the thugs' swords, making the thugs snicker in response.

With a war cry, the thugs launched a coordinated attack, their blades flashing as they lunged towards the silver-armored figures. 

One of the young soldiers, overwhelmed by the sudden aggression, panicked. Instead of employing the defensive maneuvers and disarming techniques he'd been drilled on, he swung his thick, broadsword wildly, a desperate attempt to ward off the attack.

*SWISH* *KACHINK*

The soldier's swing continued. He braced for the impact, the clang of metal meeting metal. But it never came. His thick blade sliced through the air, meeting no resistance. Disbelief washed over him as he realized it wasn't just air he'd passed through. 

His eyes darted to the thugs, and a wave of horror crashed over him. His blade had cleaved straight through their bodies and their glowing swords as if they were ghosts. 

No screams, no resistance, just a chilling silence filled the street. He saw the faint shimmer of what could only be blood clinging to his blade, yet he felt nothing as if he'd struck at nothing at all. An impossible act, as he stared at his blood-stained sword.

*Ting* *Ting*

The soldiers watched in stunned silence as the two thugs who attacked first froze mid-motion. Their glowing swords lay in halves, clattering onto the tiled floor. Before any sound could escape their lips, their bodies followed suit, cleaving cleanly in two. It was a silent, instantaneous death, devoid of screams or struggle.

The remaining thugs faltered mid-swing, their bravado replaced by raw fear. Reality crept on them immediately as they realized that they weren't facing mere soldiers anymore; they were facing the impossible. 

Even the other soldiers on the defensive stance paused, momentarily stunned as they witnessed the horrifying display of their new weapons' power. 

The simple, unassuming broadswords, devoid of any flashy glow, had proven to be far superior to the enemy's seemingly powerful-looking weapons. 

Panic erupted. The remaining thugs, their bravado shattered by the horrifying display, abandoned any semblance of a fight. They exchanged panicked glances before scattering in all directions like frightened rats seeking escape. In the blink of an eye, the coordinated attack dissolved into a desperate scramble for survival.

"Foolish boy!" he bellowed, slamming his fist into the head of the soldier who had just effortlessly sliced down two attackers. The impact sent the soldier on the floor.

"What do you think you're doing, huh?" Commander Fang's voice carried a hint of horror at the soldier's actions, underestimating the power of the short sword in their hands. Yet, there was also a sense of relief that the small skirmish had ended swiftly.

"I apologize, Commander!" The soldier quickly took to his knees, his own horror evident in his voice.

"What do you mean, you apologize? Do you realize what you just did?" Commander Fang's voice was stern, his disappointment clear. "They were thugs, but not mortal enemies. This wasn't a life-and-death situation. We only needed to disarm or subdue them, not kill them in cold blood. We are not bandits; we are soldiers!"

He paused, taking a deep breath to temper his frustration. "But I understand. It's my fault for not fully testing the capabilities of our weapons before distributing them. Let's learn from this mistake and ensure it doesn't happen again." 

"And you," Commander Fang continued, addressing the soldier who had acted rashly, "hand over your sword. You are no longer permitted to wield lethal weapons; you will only be allowed to use a staff."

The soldier nodded solemnly, understanding the gravity of his actions and the consequences they carried. He reluctantly handed over his sword, accepting the punishment for his reckless behavior.

Commander Fang removed his helmet and approached the elders. "What are you looking at my face for?" he barked at other soldiers, frustration clear in his tone seeing the elders still in chains and the new recruit soldiers standing idly by. "Do I have to spell out everything that needs to be done here?"

Hearing his frustrated voice spurred the soldiers into action. The elders were also in shock, realizing that these were their own city's common soldiers, they didn't recognize them in their new silver armor. 

Another shock followed when they witnessed the power of the weapons in their hands. They immediately understood that these were the armor and weapons they had paid for. 

Initially, they had thought they paid an unreasonably high price for common soldiers' weapons, but now, in their eyes, these weapons looked like treasured swords that could become family heirlooms for generations.

"Commander Fang! Heaven bless you, if you hadn't intervened, who knows what could have happened to us," one of the elders expressed, his voice filled with gratitude and relief. "We owe you a debt of gratitude."

Commander Fang raised his hand in impatience, having no time for pleasantries. "What happened here? Where is the Shadow Wolf Gang?" he asked directly without giving these elders any pleasantries or formalities.

They exchanged glances. "It was that villain Wu Zhi. His son has returned, and he dragged us here in chains for his revenge."

"Where is he now?" Commander Fang asked, his impatience clear. He didn't care about the reason; he just wanted to be done with this already.

"Up there. He ran inside after hearing loud cracking sounds. His son is up there too. They went up there to steal the money we paid for these armor and swords," one of them quickly replied.

Commander Fang looked up.

"YOU BASTARD!!!" Everyone heard the sudden rage-filled, loud curse of Wu Yan, sounding like the last cry of a dying man.

Commander Fang didn't hesitate. With a quick gesture, he ordered his soldiers to secure the perimeter and stand guard. Then, he charged up the stairs. A knot of unease twisted in his gut – this was no ordinary situation. 

Su Jin, the man who supplied his soldiers with unusually potent weapons, was far more than a simple merchant. His presence in this remote corner of the land was shrouded in mystery and hinted at something far more than a mere business deal.

________________________

"YOU BASTARD!!!" Wu Yan roared with all his might as he lunged forward, ignoring the emissary of death standing guard. He cast aside his fear for his life. To protect his family, and his honor—his thirst for revenge consumed him entirely. 

No urge to run and hide. The bitterness of inaction, the shame of hiding, the thirst for retribution - these emotions raged within him. 

He wanted it all, and he wanted it now. His eyes, once clouded with confusion, were now ablaze with a primal fury. His hands clenched into claws, driven by a raw, instinctive need to tear apart the individual who dared to violate and use his mother. 

Seeing his son's sudden surge of adrenaline-fueled fury, Wu Zhi's own survival instincts kicked in. This was his chance! While Wu Yan focused on the shadowed figure, Su Jin would be momentarily open and exposed. 

A desperate plan ignited in his mind: he would strike, and take down Su Jin, the vile mastermind who held his wife hostage.

With a roar, Wu Zhi lunged towards Su Jin. His eyes locked onto his target, every fiber of his being was poised to strike and end this nightmare. He knew his son would provide the distraction; now, he just had to capitalize on this split-second opportunity and take action.

Wu Yan without any weapon but his claws laced with Spirit Essence was nothing short of any weapon reached for the smirking face of Su Jin.

*PUNCH*

An Iron fist slammed into Wu Yan's gut. The air left his lungs in a whoosh, and his legs buckled. He crumpled onto the floor, gasping for air like a fish out of water. Before he could even react, a surge of anger surged through him, and he lunged forward in a desperate attempt to attack. 

But it was like his body betrayed him - one moment fueled by rage, the next a dead weight dragging him down. He lay there, sprawled on the ground, gasping like a drowning man, as he watched his father streak past him, seizing the opportunity created by Wu Yan.

Wu Zhi shot past the dark figure and lunged towards Su Jin. With a flick of his wrist, a small blade materialized from his sleeve, its glint aimed straight at Su Jin's face. It was a desperate, vicious strike, fueled by a lover's boiling rage at the sight of his woman entangled with another man.

*THWACK*

Wu Zhi's world tilted violently as a powerful kick landed under his chin. He felt himself airborne, a ragdoll shot through the air. The world became a dizzying blur as he collided with the low ceiling, the impact ringing in his ears. Then, a sickening crunch as he slammed back down to the floor.

Wu Yan saw it all, his vision swimming, as he struggled to understand the scene playing out before him. A long, seductive, white leg up high, slowly coming down to rest on the ground. It belonged to his mother, Madam Wu Mei, the woman who had just, without a shred of doubt, betrayed his father, and their family.

He watched in disbelief as his own mother thwarted his father's desperate attempt to free her from Su Jin's grasp. With that single act, a gaping hole ripped open in his world. All hope, like the breath leaving his lungs, seemed to vanish in an instant. He was left shattered, filled with confusion and despair. 

Darkness pressed in on Wu Yan, suffocating and vast. He felt utterly powerless, adrift in an endless void. It wasn't the first time. He'd felt this way when he was exiled, cast out from the life he knew. 

Now, returning home, the emptiness was the same, a crushing reminder of his inadequacy. He was weak, then and now, forever destined to be useless. The despair threatened to consume him, a familiar weight pressing down on his chest.

He must run away, a desperate instinct flared within Wu Yan when he noticed the dark figure shifted his attention to Wu Zh. His despair turned into suffocating helplessness, should he abandon his father and run away? The dark figure bent down to grab his father.

"HALT!" 

A ray of hope in silver armor entered the room. "What is going on here?" It was Commander Fang as he growled with his commanding voice. He quickly surveyed the room and noticed it was littered with blood and dead bodies. "What in the heavens is going on here?" He demanded with authority.