Reunion

They ran through alleys, jumping over fences. They dodged attacks and jumped into side roads to evade their opponents.

The three ran on, trying their best to stay alive until the next break in the enemy forces.

But unfortunately for them, their pursuers weren't giving them any chances to catch their breath.

Every few seconds, there was another wave of attacks coming at them.

Each attack seemed more vicious and ruthless than the last.

The city of Banmian was now filled with screams, cries and the occasional banging sound of someone being knocked down to the ground.

The enemy's numbers were incredible. How could so many cultivators be gathered together? It was too much for three disciples to handle alone. Jian Li knew that they had to do something. But there was only so much the three of them could do when faced with such overwhelming odds.

"We'll never make it!", Jian Li thought to herself.

As if in response to her thoughts, a group of enemies appeared from the left alley.

But that changed as fast as it happened as a wave of snowflakes rose up in their midst.

"That's...?"

Jian Li recognised the man as the person that ambushed her in the first half of the tournament. Clearly, he was alive and well.

As the enemy cultivators were defeated with ease, another familiar face was revealed in the alley.

One that Jian Li was genuinely happy to see.

"Liu!" Jian Li cried out, surprised to find her friend. Jian Li waved toward her friend while still clutching onto Chen Zhen's neck.

Liu looked at Jian Li, her eyes wide open. Her face went pale and her lips quivered. She looked frightened.

Jian Li tried to speak again but was cut short by a shout.

"Get them!"

A group of cultivators was rushing toward Jian Li's group from the other alley.

"Please, come with me!", Liu said as she pointed further down the left alley.

A single strike from Hao Wu's spear split the head of the nearest cultivator in two. Another attacker fell to his knees before getting pummeled by Hao Wu's spear.

The rest of the group retreated in fear of the young man's unstoppable assault.

Liu looked at the three of them, resting her eyes on Chen Zhen.

"Come with me, they have given away our positions already!" Liu cried out.

"We are heading towards the True Sword Sect but feel free to join us.", Chen Zhen said.

"We'll join you. We lost our... senior on the way, so it's just us. " Liu gave a wry grin.

"Fine then. Let's hurry up and get to the sect before we die.", Hao Wu said as they continued to run.

In an isolated alley, Jian Li and her friends rested as they took the opportunity to regain their energy. They had been running nonstop since they escaped from the arena.

Jian Li used what little time they had to gather their intel.

In time, the young man that Jian Li fought earlier introduced himself as Long, Liu's senior brother. Both of them had lost their elder from the White Willow Sect in the chaos.

It was subtle, but Jian Li saw him oddly keep his distance from Liu.

"So, you had nothing to do with the death of Zhang Yan? He just coincidentally died while fighting you?", Long asked.

"Yes, and you all saw it too."

Jian Li felt guilty for lying to them but depending on how one looked at the case, she really wasn't responsible for his death.

"I think that the Zhang family did this to the city. Their faction is one of the biggest in Banmian City! Those greedy bastards!", Hao Wu growled.

In the short time Jian Li had known her, this was the most serious she had seen her.

After a moment of silence, Liu spoke.

"I do not know Banmian that well but... I have reason to believe that they aren't the only ones involved here," Liu said.

"What do you mean by that?", Hao Wu asked.

"Don't you think that they would have taken over the city differently if they had this much power in the first place? Where did all these cultivators ready that were ready to destroy their own city come from? What do they have to gain from destroying the city over someone like Zhang Yan?" Liu questioned.

"Aren't these Zhang people longtime cultivators? I do not see why they would permanently ruin their city in seconds when they could thoroughly investigate the issue first.", Long added, nodding to Liu.

"And if anyone should be targeted, it should be Li. But instead, these cultivators are indiscriminately killing in these streets.", Chen Zhen said.

"This has to be something bigger than the Zhang family at work.", Jian Li nodded.

"There are just too many questions…"

It was all just too strange. Maybe Jian Li was just a scapegoat so that no one would know the group's true motive. But who are they? Why wouldn't they focus their entire force on capturing her instead of murdering innocent women and children?

As the sun began to set upon them, the group finally reached the gates of the True Sword Sect.

The gate was closed and guarded heavily. More than ten guards were standing around the entrance and their weapons were drawn.

"Halt!", the guard yelled, raising his weapon.

"Who goes there?" The leader of the squad, a burly man with a thick beard, yelled.

Everyone narrowed their eyes at the man, wary of the situation.

"I'm Chen Zhen. We need to speak to the elders. Now.", he said, showing them his Core Disciple badge.

The guards kept an unchanging scowl on their space.

"Is there anything wrong with the city? You must be aware of the chaos we have experienced out here..."

The guard scoffed. "There's nothing wrong with the city. And there isn't going to be."

Jian Li was puzzled. Liu seemed to share her confusion.

"What do you mean there's nothing wrong with the city, are you blind?", Liu asked.

The guard looked down and remained silent.

"Are you even listening to me?", Liu demanded.