Lan Yan and Jun Yelan walked down the mountain hand in hand, sharing a smile. However, they saw uninvited guests, their smiles freezing, staring coldly at the people before them.
They had seen these people before; they were from the Assassin's Pavilion, and there were more of them this time. Pavilion Master Bai still stood at the forefront, looking at them with ill intentions, and sneered, "It has indeed been a long time."
His eyes were full of hatred, never expecting Jun Yelan to be so lucky, to survive after suffering such severe injuries last time.
Lan Yan turned to look at Jun Yelan, their eyes filled with determination, their clasped hands held even tighter.
Jun Yelan stood in front of her and said, "Yan'er, wait for me by the side. This time, it's my turn to protect you." He brought Lan Yan to a safe place, away from the crowd, and prepared to fight.
As Jun Yelan was about to leave, Lan Yan grabbed his sleeve and said worriedly, "Yelan, be careful. I'll be watching you from behind." Her martial arts were too weak; if she fought, she feared she would be a burden.
Jun Yelan curved his lips, patted her hand, and then walked to the front. Instantly, a cold aura emanated from him, his eyes filled with ferocity, and two blades appeared in his hands. "Attack!"
Seeing this, Pavilion Master Bai waved his hand, and the people behind him surged forward. "Kill Jun Yelan by any means necessary. I want to turn this place into his grave."
He had already dispatched everyone capable from the Assassin's Pavilion and did not believe they could not defeat Jun Yelan alone.
Jun Yelan was immediately surrounded. He looked coldly at his former comrades and shouted, "You are determined to seek death!" Last time, when he was severely injured, these people had relentlessly pursued him, nearly causing Lan Yan to get hurt as well.
This time, he would settle both old and new scores, and he could no longer let Lan Yan fall into danger. He spun the blades in his hands and attacked the people before him.
Lan Yan watched from the side, her hands clenched into fists, her eyes filled with worry. Jun Yelan's injuries had barely healed, and now he was being ambushed. She felt both pained and anxious.
She looked around and saw more petty figures hiding in the shadows, likely waiting for an opportunity. She looked at the poison needles in her hand, made up her mind, and decided to eliminate the trailing threats for Jun Yelan.
Jun Yelan had just repelled the first wave of attackers. His two blades were already stained with blood, yet he stood unyielding. He had no retreat; he could only advance.
The members of the Assassin's Pavilion knew Jun Yelan's capabilities. Instead of attacking one by one like last time, they attacked in groups. Two people formed a group. After one group was defeated by Jun Yelan, another group would engage, intending to exhaust Jun Yelan's stamina.
Jun Yelan saw through their scheme and sneered, "Is this all you've got?" He only needed to stand still; two blades flew out, forcing the two approaching figures apart, rendering their method useless.
He did not delay, shooting out his hidden weapons, causing them all to fall, leaving them with only half their lives.
"All of you, get up!" Pavilion Master Bai roared. These were all pawns he had meticulously cultivated; why were they so vulnerable! "Jun Yelan, you were merely a killing weapon; how did you reach this point!"
Jun Yelan responded coldly, "Because I have someone in my heart I want to protect, someone I want to spend the rest of my life with. At any cost, I will live and go to that person's side."
Facing the struggling members of the Assassin's Pavilion, he threw out his flying knives, leaving Pavilion Master Bai alone in the end.
Pavilion Master Bai shouted in disbelief, "No, I am the Pavilion Master; I will not lose. Jun Yelan, do you think I only have these people! Perhaps you should look behind you."
Jun Yelan did not turn around. Instead, he gripped the blades in his hands, ensuring Pavilion Master Bai would not launch a sneak attack.
"Pavilion Master Bai, are you referring to these people!" Lan Yan emerged, clapping her hands, having just knocked out those individuals. "Pavilion Master Bai, I think you should look around you."
Jun Yelan immediately turned back and smiled at Lan Yan, then fixed his gaze on Pavilion Master Bai. Today's battle had to end, and knowing Pavilion Master Bai's personality, he would have a backup plan!
He needed to force it out and destroy it!
Pavilion Master Bai looked around. Everyone was down, leaving him standing alone. Only then did he realize that he was the one who had been outmaneuvered.
"I traveled a thousand miles to be here, just to see you die. But what exactly have you done to put me in such a predicament?"
"Heh!" Lan Yan couldn't stand it anymore and retorted, "Pavilion Master Bai, your words are quite amusing. Each of us has the right to live. It is your desire to control Jun Yelan's life that has led you to this outcome."
If Jun Yelan wouldn't say it, she would.
The anger in Pavilion Master Bai's eyes deepened. "What do you know! I raised Jun Yelan, taught him martial arts, and made him the top assassin of the Assassin's Pavilion. I did so much, and yet he betrayed me."
Seeing that Pavilion Master Bai was utterly incorrigible, Lan Yan angrily said, "There was no loyalty to you in the first place, so how can there be betrayal? Pavilion Master Bai, you did have kindness towards Jun Yelan, but you also deprived him of his joy and happiness."
"You made him a cold, unfeeling weapon to be used by you. But he is not a weapon; he is a living, breathing person with his own thoughts and preferences. From the very beginning, you were fundamentally wrong!"
As she spoke these words, her heart ached; this was the reality of Jun Yelan's past.
Jun Yelan heard her, and his eyes trembled. For him, having someone in this world who cared for him was enough.
He tightly gripped his two blades, determined to protect Lan Yan.
Pavilion Master Bai finally understood; the current Jun Yelan listened to Lan Yan and was no longer the person he had trained. He suddenly laughed loudly, "Jun Yelan, you want to escape the Assassin's Pavilion? No way."
"And Lan Yan, it seems you still don't understand what a killing weapon is. When Jun Yelan transforms into something else, will you still be able to stand by your words?"
He took out a bell from his怀 and began to shake it.
Jun Yelan's expression changed. Thinking of his childhood, he shouted behind him, "Yan'er, quickly move aside!"
Lan Yan had just taken a step back when she saw Jun Yelan suddenly clutch his head and stop. She turned and ran towards Jun Yelan, shouting, "Yelan, you..."
Before she could finish, Jun Yelan's pupils were filled with bloodshot lines, his hands covering his head as he yelled in pain, "No, Yan'er will be alright."
Many images flashed through his mind, the things he feared most in his heart!
"Hahaha!" Pavilion Master Bai laughed even harder. "I warned you not to try to resist. I had intended to keep you for use, but now, it seems better to destroy you directly."
When he was training Jun Yelan, he had already prepared a contingency. Jun Yelan could not defeat him. "Those of you who are still alive, attack! Jun Yelan is unable to fight back!"
The assassins on the ground immediately got up, enduring the pain throughout their bodies, raising their weapons to attack Jun Yelan.
Jun Yelan was trapped by the terrifying images in his mind and was completely unaware of the people approaching him. His face was contorted, and he muttered like a madman.
Seeing this, Lan Yan knew that Pavilion Master Bai had used another trick. She wanted to attack, but now was not the time.
Before the assassins could reach them, she stood beside Jun Yelan and softly called out, "Yelan."