Aftermatch

With the death of the last of the real experts from their party, those small fries have nothing else to do but surrender. While I'm still not sure about Pengu's state of health, considering how I was able to singlehandedly take care of those people to his point, with their ranks halved and seniors killed, there was no way they could fight with me alone, not to speak about Eve or Pengu's brother!

"We surrender!"

The first one to act was the female cultivator, around the age of nineteen. From what I could recall from the fight, she was rather reluctant to attack me despite the numerical advantage, just as if she was disgusted by the whole situation. While I remember her trying to hit me several times, only one of those attacks connected, and to be honest - while it was a perfect hit, she didn't do me any harm with it!

Feeling her aura, I am almost sure that she achieved a spiritual attainment level. With this kind of power in her hands, if she was really keen on attacking me, I wouldn't get away with just a single itch!

"What the hell are you doing!"

Before I even managed to knock the sword that she dropped away, one of the two males that remained alive from the group lashes at her while readying his sword against me. 

"If you want to die, you can go die alone! At least I will be freed from the marriage proposal that you forced on me!'

Oho, I see there is some love drama happening here as well! I guess politics and pure profits were always a major thing to consider while looking for a marriage, but I never imagined that people would actually ship two total opposites, that didn't feel any affection towards each other!

"Do you want your family to die? Trust me, you will either pick up the sword and kill him or I will make sure…."

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

Unable to bear with this arrogant guy that strangely resembles Baxhar for me, I simply dash to him and infuse my fist deep into his abdomen. Making use of my devious sidestep, I barely manage to escape the vomit that instantly flows out of his mouth as he falls down to his knees.

"I won't ask this again. You wish to surrender or to die right away?"

With my blood still boiling from the entire fight, I wouldn't mind killing some more people. All the regrets and hesitations died off with the image of hurt Pengu! I can't let those earthy sentiments exist within me in this brutal world. Either I will adapt to the rules of my new reality, or I will just get washed away by the current of fate!

Seeing this show of strength, the rest of the people do not protest any longer. Dropping their weapons on the ground, they lightly kick it towards me. I guess when they don't want me to think that they are preparing some kind of sneak attack!

A wise choice.

"At first, I would like to know from which sect do you hail from. I won't tell you how I can do it, but if I decide that you are lying or if you refuse to answer, I won't bother to keep you alive."

"Go fuck yours…"

"We are from the Flying Crane Sect!"

Just as this one stupidly arrogant guy tried to insult me, his unruly fiancee quickly broke into his words and gave me the information I was looking for. Seeing how cooperative she is, I nodded at Eve, who instantly jumped into their group, pulled her out and brought her to the side. 

"Now then, I still have two more questions that I want to ask. Those who will answer them will get to live. Why are you guys…"

"I'm from the sword sect!"

Before I even managed to finish the sentence, the other man raised his head and shouted. Wait, do they have some sort of alliance? I remember that Stella's master joined the sword sect when she graduated, but there is no way that a higher tiered organisation would ally itself with a low-rank one? Thinking that they would send someone specifically to hunt me down is even less real!

"Tell me, what is middle-ranked sect doing in this low-rank training grounds then? What did I say about lying to me?"

While I still threaten him, I have to admit that his reaction piqued my interest. He has to know that saying something as disturbing and unnatural would force my attention to him, so there is a high chance that he is telling the truth.

"Senior, I'm really from the sword sect! But since I answered one of your questions and asked another, does that mean I can buy one life with the answer?"

Looking at how terrified this guy is from his shaking hands and tearing up eyes, I can't help but praise his determination in my head!

"You are a crafty one, but I like that! Who whose life would you like to save then?"

While we were trying to kill each other just a while ago, I can't help but think that some of those people were forced to take part in this mission. Just like the girl that Eve was tightly tying up nearby, only this arrogant one that is still puking his guts off was actually doing his best to kill me. 

Don't underestimate the power of Spirit attainment cultivators! I might be stronger by each of them, but they still had various techniques that could give me some trouble! If not for the difference in our motivations back in that fight where I was fighting for my life while they were just trying to hunt me down, I'm not sure if I could be the one judging their fate now!

"I wish to save this junior of mine!"