Chapter 8: Noble Sacrifice

Wang Yun'er took a glance at Fang Che, then said, "So you've run into your disciple, yet you chose to lie about his identity. Is there something special about his identity that you're trying to hide?"

Sun Yuan's heart slowly sank as he found himself being backed into a corner. There was nothing wrong with what he had just said, yet they insisted on nitpicking his words, so clearly, they were intentionally instigating a conflict and were about to turn on him.

They had known all along that Sun Yuan had led them down the wrong path, but they knew that torture and interrogation wouldn't work on a sly old fox like him.

However, an opportunity had arisen.

Clearly, Sun Yuan held this disciple of his in very high regard, so they could use his disciple against him to force his hand.

Sun Yuan heaved a forlorn sigh, then conceded, "Fine, I admit that I led you the wrong way, and I sincerely apologize. It's Night Demon that you want, isn't it? I'll take you to him, but please let my disciple go. He has nothing to do with this!"

Fang Che's expression remained unchanged, but knew that Sun Yuan was giving him an indirect warning by revealing the objective of Wang Yun'er's trio.

He immediately shifted his center of gravity in a subtle fashion, preparing to flee the scene at a moment's notice.

"Let your disciple go? Why would you make such a request? Are you worried that we'll kill him?" Wang Yun'er sneered. "I've had enough of you, Sun Yuan! You've been lying to me at every turn! Do you think I'm a three-year-old child?!"

"No, I meant no disrespect! Please let me explain!" Sun Yuan pleaded.

"Get them!" Wang Yun'er ordered. "If he won't tell us where Night Demon is, then torture his disciple until he breaks!"

With a peaceful resolution clearly no longer possible, Sun Yuan erupted into action, drawing his saber while simultaneously kicking Fang Che in the chest to send him flying back through the air.

"Get out of here!" Sun Yuan yelled as he sprang up into the air, virtually becoming one with the falling snow.

The tip of his saber shimmered with a cold gleam as he pointed it at Wang Yun'er's trio and demanded, "Let my disciple go!"

After being sent flying by Sun Yuan's kick, Fang Che pushed off with both feet against the ground to achieve even greater acceleration, and at the same time, a mouthful of blood came erupting forth as he channeled his Blood Incineration Technique.

He knew that there was no time to waste, and even a split second of hesitation from him would spell certain death for both himself and Sun Yuan.

A figure stepped out of the shadows in a wraith-like fashion to throw a palm strike at Fang Che, but he was able to just barely get out of the way.

At the same time, a streak of light flashed through the snow, and despite Fang Che's best efforts at evasion, he was unable to avoid a direct blow on this occasion.

A flying dagger had pierced a hole straight through his body from his back to his abdomen, but his last-second evasive maneuver ensured that the dagger didn't pierce through his spine.

Otherwise, he would've already lost the use of his legs.

Before his assailant could reach him, he rushed into the snow with all his might, his speed significantly enhanced by the Blood Incineration Technique.

Someone had been tailing them in secret all along!

Sun Yuan was furious to see Fang Che wounded, and he also channeled the Blood Incineration Technique, springing over a hundred feet through the air to intercept Fang Che's assailant.

A loud clang rang out as the two clashed, and Sun Yuan sprang back to place himself squarely on Fang Che's path of escape, refusing to let anyone through.

"I told you to let my disciple go!" Sun Yuan roared as his long hair danced in the wind and snow.

"You think that disciple of yours can get away?" Wang Yun'er sneered. "Get him! I want him captured alive! Li Changhe, you go after his disciple. I want his disciple brought back alive as well!"

Li Changhe immediately sprang forward, only to also be intercepted by Sun Yuan.

He was facing four warriors at once, all of whom were of a superior cultivation base to his, but he displayed no fear.

He threw his head back and let loose a thunderous roar to the heavens, and his aura began to soar!

At the same time, all of the snowflakes around him began to vaporize before they could even fall upon him.

"You've resorted to the Heartrend Technique?! Do you have a death wish?!" Wang Yun'er exclaimed.

"It's not like any of you would let me live anyway," Sun Yuan sneered in despair.

His aura was rapidly elevating, only stopping upon reaching the seventh-rank Emperor tier!

The Heartrend Technique was a last-resort self-sacrificial technique that broke down one's internal organs into pure spirit power, granting one immense prowess for a very short time.

Clearly, Sun Yuan was ready to forfeit his own life, and none of his four assailants dared to fight fire with fire.

With his elevated cultivation base, he could easily take one of them to the afterlife with him!

Sun Yuan's entire body was on the verge of exploding as he unleashed his Soaring Saber Techniques with all his might.

As he did so, he roared, "You once asked me if I would betray you to save myself if I were faced with that choice someday. I can tell you now that I won't! Run as far away as you can, then avenge me when you're ready! Remember these faces! Live on and avenge me! That is my final order to you as your master!"

Even though Sun Yuan was fighting with all his mind, his movements were rather uncoordinated as he was unaccustomed to his newfound power, and his four assailants were able to slowly wear him down while avoiding his wild and uncoordinated attacks.

However, as soon as any of them tried to leave and go after Fang Che, they would immediately be met with Sun Yuan's full wrath, stopping them cold in their tracks.

Before long, Sun Yuan's vision was already a complete blur, and several holes had already been pierced through his chest and back by flying daggers, but he refused to fall.

I've been a coward all my life, I never thought I'd get to go out with a bang like this!

As his vision continued to deteriorate, a certain memory began to replay in his mind.

"I've heard that there are many masters in our One Heart Church who screw over their disciples for their own benefit, so why is that you're so good to me?"

"Selfish people like us do everything for ourselves and our families, but the more selfish we are, the more important it is for us to not burn all of our bridges. Otherwise, we will suffer fates more horrific than we can imagine. You are my most precious bridge."

Man, it's a real shame that such a fine disciple of mine will end up in the hands of Yin Shengong... You better treat him like a son, Yin Shengong!

More and more wounds were being inflicted onto his body, but he could no longer feel anything.

All he did was chortle like a madman as he continued to fight with all his might.

Finally, two swords and a saber pierced straight through his body, crossing over one another to nail him to the ground.

Blood gushed out of his mouth as he continued to chortle to the heavens.

The blades were pulled out of his body, and he was left swaying unsteadily on his feet, trying desperately to continue swinging his saber, but he was completely spent.

His saber slipped out of his grasp, falling into the snow with a dull thud.

His vision was nothing more than a crimson blur, and he wanted to say something, but all he could muster was a gurgling sound through the blood gushing out of his mouth.

Even so, he still refused to fall, spreading his arms wide to form a protective barrier for his fleeing disciple.

All of a sudden, his eyes glazed over, and he was reduced to a lifeless statue in a world of snow and ice.

"He's dead," Wang Yun'er remarked in an indifferent voice.

The other three remained silent as they stared at Sun Yuan's still-standing corpse.

Wang Yun'er grabbed Sun Yuan's Soaring Saber out of his hand, then examined it briefly before praising, "A fine blade!"

With a slash of the saber, Sun Yuan was decapitated, but there wasn't even much blood pouring out of the wound.

"Go to the White Cloud Prefecture and use Sun Yuan's to hang his head from the city walls!" Wang Yun'er ordered.

"Young Mistress, the White Cloud Prefecture is the territory of Yin Shengong's One Heart Church..."

"So what? What is he going to do?" Wang Yun'er sneered. "Cut his body open to see if his internal organs have actually all disintegrated. I've only heard rumors about the Heartrend Technique, this is the first time I've actually seen someone use it!"

Li Changhe sliced open Sun Yuan's chest before taking a look into his abdominal cavity.

"There really is nothing left."

"Filthy scum! He made us come all this way for nothing!" Wang Yun'er cursed as she kicked Sun Yuan's body to bits. "Go and search for that disciple of his. Maybe he was slowed down by his injuries and is still somewhere nearby."