The sudden turn of events left the four remaining youths frozen where they stood, and even Ye Linghan revealed a look of disbelief.

"Attack together!" the leader shouted as he pulled the woodcutter blade from his waist before charging toward Xiao Qian alongside the other three.

These youths were ruthless individuals who had slaughtered countless innocent people over the years. The four attacked from different directions simultaneously, and sharp whistling sounds tore through the air as their blades descended.

Although Xiao Qian had thrown one of them away earlier, it had happened purely by chance. She still had no understanding of combat, and she remained rooted to the spot in complete panic, utterly unsure of how to react.

Her elder brother, the one-armed youth, had already lost the ability to fight after the dagger had pierced his lower abdomen. He could only watch helplessly as the four youths rushed straight toward Xiao Qian.

Just as Xiao Qian was about to die beneath the incoming blades, Ye Linghan finally made her move. After receiving Liu Wuxie's signal, she released her icy-attribute energy, instantly forming a violent storm that blasted all four youths away.

"Get lost if you don't want to die!" Ye Linghan shouted coldly as she released the aura of a Profound Immortal Realm expert, firmly suppressing the four youths in place.

The four youths had never witnessed such terrifying power before. Even heavenly immortals rarely appeared in their village, and the sudden appearance of someone this monstrous frightened them so badly that they immediately fled into the forest in terror.

"Mentors, please save my elder brother!" Xiao Qian pleaded anxiously as she looked toward Liu Wuxie and Ye Linghan.

"Don't worry about it. He'll be fine," Liu Wuxie replied calmly, signaling for Xiao Qian to stay calm. The earlier attack had missed the vital points, and even if the injuries had been severe, Liu Wuxie still had ways to save him.

When Liu Wuxie walked over, he saw the one-armed youth's face twisted in pain. Even so, vigilance still radiated from his eyes, resembling a lone wolf protecting its cubs. That gaze reminded Liu Wuxie of many things from the past.

"What's your name?" Liu Wuxie asked. However, he didn't immediately save the one-armed youth.

The one-armed youth remained silent, looking cautious. Despite his injuries, he struggled to his feet while blood continued to seep from his wounds. He truly was an exceptionally stubborn young man.

"Big Brother, tell him quickly! These two are my mentors, and I have already become a student of the Azure Flame Dao Hall," Xiao Qian said hurriedly while supporting her elder brother.

The one-armed youth looked visibly surprised. Although he appeared only seventeen or eighteen years old, his eyes carried none of the innocence that youths his age possessed. Only someone tempered through endless hardship and suffering could develop such a gaze.

"My name is Shi Wa," the one-armed youth replied. Despite the pain from his injuries, he didn't even frown, which made Liu Wuxie even more fond of him.

"Are you willing to become my student?" Liu Wuxie asked with a smile, looking at Shi Wa.

Shi Wa froze after hearing those words. He naturally understood what joining the Azure Flame Dao Hall represented. Countless youths throughout their village dreamed of entering that place, but unfortunately, none could afford the high tuition.

Without a proper mentor, superior cultivation techniques, or someone capable of teaching martial arts, even the most exceptional talent would remain buried forever.

Shi Wa's talent itself was only average. He possessed neither extraordinary gifts nor the Heavenly Sacred Blood. However, Liu Wuxie valued the wild ferocity hidden within him. Under proper guidance, even someone with mediocre talent could eventually grow into a powerhouse.

"Big Brother, hurry and agree to it!" Xiao Qian urged anxiously as she tugged at Shi Wa's arm.

"But I can't afford the fees," Shi Wa replied bitterly with a wry smile. Perhaps because he had lost too much blood, he staggered violently and nearly collapsed to the ground.

"You can work for me to repay the tuition fees," Liu Wuxie replied calmly. He had no obligation to teach others for free, and he had accepted Xiao Qian only because of her Sacred Innate Physique.

Waiving Shi Wa's fees might seem harmless, but it could eventually breed resentment among Xiang Rulong and the others. Therefore, Liu Wuxie had to be careful about making exceptions.

"I won't do anything bad," Shi Wa replied cautiously, still maintaining his vigilance. Clearly, he suspected Liu Wuxie intended to make him handle dirty work.

"Don't worry. I won't force you to do anything against your conscience. If you agree, I'll save your life right now," Liu Wuxie said as he revealed a medicinal pill in his palm. As long as Shi Wa consumed it, his injuries would stabilize immediately.

"Thank you, Mentors! My brother agrees to it!" Xiao Qian shouted excitedly before dropping to her knees and making the decision for Shi Wa. She quickly took the pill and fed it to her elder brother.

The moment the pill entered his mouth, it melted into a warm stream of liquid that rapidly healed his injuries.

Xiao Qian crouched beside him and carefully cleaned his wound. Fortunately, the injury wasn't deep and posed no threat to his life. After she bandaged the wound, Shi Wa's complexion improved noticeably, and he could already move on his own. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

To ordinary people like them, a medicinal pill of this level remained something they could never afford throughout their entire lives.

"What do you need me to do?" Shi Wa asked seriously. He could tell the medicinal pill was of tremendous value, meaning he would need to repay Liu Wuxie with considerable effort.

"Take us to your home," Liu Wuxie replied. He still hadn't decided what task Shi Wa would eventually handle. Even if he had something in mind, Shi Wa's current cultivation remained too weak to accomplish anything meaningful.

Guided by Shi Wa and Xiao Qian, the group descended the slope before entering a small village.

The village itself remained quiet and peaceful. Wisps of cooking smoke drifted lazily through the air when they arrived.

After walking through several narrow paths, a simple thatched hut finally appeared before them. The place looked so run-down that even the walls couldn't keep out the wind.

Even before entering the house, Liu Wuxie and Ye Linghan could already hear constant coughing from inside. An elderly woman busied herself preparing dinner nearby.

The interior came into view as Liu Wuxie and Ye Linghan stepped through the doorway. The house contained only a single room, while someone had improvised the kitchen by opening a side entrance.

A thick medicinal odor filled the room, and a frail, withered man lay weakly atop a crude wooden bed. Years of malnutrition and illness had left him thin and skeletal. The elderly couple didn't even notice someone had entered the house.

The place appeared utterly destitute. Xiao Qian and Shi Wa could only sleep on a pile of straw in the corner.

Ye Linghan's nose stung as she entered the house. Since childhood, she had grown up amidst luxury and privilege, and had never witnessed such miserable living conditions. Born within the City Lord Mansion, she had enjoyed others serving her from the moment she had entered the world.

"Father, Mother, we have guests," Shi Wa called out.

His demeanor had completely changed compared to before. The fierce vigilance within his eyes vanished entirely, making him resemble a gentle lamb instead.

Such was human nature. Before outsiders, he could transform into a wild wolf or a savage tiger, yet before his parents, he remained nothing more than a filial son.

The elderly woman immediately stood up after hearing they had guests. She nervously rubbed her wrinkled hands against her clothes before stepping out from the kitchen. Even the old man lying in bed struggled to lift his head and examine Liu Wuxie and Ye Linghan carefully.

"Young Master, Young Lady, did Xiao Qian and Shi Wa cause any trouble? I'll apologize on their behalf," the old woman said hurriedly as she attempted to kneel. Clearly, this wasn't the first time she had done something like this.

"Madame, you've misunderstood. We're Xiao Qian and Shi Wa's mentors. We came specifically to see them," Ye Linghan explained gently as she quickly helped the old woman back to her feet before guiding her toward the only chair inside the house.

Meanwhile, Liu Wuxie and Ye Linghan themselves could only continue standing.

"Mentors?" the old woman repeated blankly, clearly unable to understand what Ye Linghan meant.

"It's like this. From today onward, the two of us will teach them cultivation," Ye Linghan explained patiently. The old woman was merely an ordinary person, so she likely did not know about the Azure Flame Dao Hall.

"Shi Wa, Xiao Qian, hurry over and kneel before your benefactors!" the old woman shouted after hearing that someone was willing to teach her children cultivation.

"Madame, there's really no need for that," Ye Linghan said quickly as she stopped the siblings.

Liu Wuxie suddenly instructed Ye Linghan. "Take them outside. I need to discuss something with their parents."

She looked at Liu Wuxie strangely, then nodded before leaving with the siblings.

Once, only Liu Wuxie and the elderly couple remained inside the room, Liu Wuxie quietly released a faint trace of his aura.

The elderly woman's face immediately turned deathly pale, while the old man on the bed began coughing even more violently. However, the aura only lasted for a brief instant. Liu Wuxie merely wanted to test whether the old couple was pretending.

The old woman looked visibly nervous, clearly unsure what Liu Wuxie intended to discuss.

"Are Xiao Qian and Shi Wa truly your biological children?" Liu Wuxie asked calmly.

The elderly woman trembled violently upon hearing the question, and panic flashed in her eyes.

"That's right," she answered hurriedly while nodding.

"Do you understand the consequences of lying to me? I can slaughter this entire village with ease," Liu Wuxie said coldly, his tone carrying visible anger. Ordinary blood flowed through the elderly couple's bodies, so how could they possibly give birth to someone possessing the Heavenly Sacred Blood? Liu Wuxie had already concluded that the old woman was lying.

Shi Wa might truly belong to the elderly couple, but Xiao Qian absolutely did not. Liu Wuxie deliberately used intimidation because he wanted to determine whether Xiao Qian had been abducted or found somewhere.

"Young Master, I don't understand what you're saying. Shi Wa and Xiao Qian are both my biological children," the old woman insisted stubbornly.

"Haven't you noticed that Xiao Qian's arm has already recovered?" Liu Wuxie asked, changing his tone.

Through the broken window, the old woman could clearly see Xiao Qian playing outside in the courtyard, her right arm fully restored. The moment she saw that scene, she trembled even more violently than before.

"I hold no ill intentions, nor will I harm any of you. Xiao Qian and Shi Wa are now my students, so naturally, I won't hurt them. I only wish to know their true origins," Liu Wuxie explained earnestly.

As the saying goes, a teacher for a day became a father for life. Liu Wuxie deliberately softened his tone to ease the old woman's doubts.

The old woman let out a long sigh. Naturally, she understood that if Liu Wuxie truly intended harm, he wouldn't waste time speaking so much. Cultivators could search souls directly with ease.

Earlier, she had already witnessed how much Xiao Qian and Shi Wa respected Liu Wuxie. Those two genuinely respected him from the depths of their hearts.

"This matter began sixteen years ago," the old woman said slowly as her thoughts drifted back to a night filled with heavy snow.

The snowstorm that night had been incredibly fierce, and thick layers of snow had completely buried the entire village. Every villager hid inside their homes, too afraid to step out.

Yet on that very night, a mysterious person had suddenly appeared.