Chapter Forty-Nine: Framing

Li Qin stared in astonishment at Yao Ye as he launched his attack. “I never expected you to be a member of the demon race! You hid yourself well!”

Transformed, Yao Ye moved nearly twice as fast and charged at Zhang Wei and Sun Kaide. When the two saw him coming, they panicked, retreating while shouting desperately to Li Qin for help.

“Senior brother! Save us!”

Xiong Chen, seeing Yao Ye’s transformed form, instantly recognized him as the young master of the Sky Demon Wolf clan who had escaped their siege. He leaned in and whispered to Chimu’s ear.

“Master, Yao Ye is a traitor to our demon race. Last time, he escaped our encirclement by sheer luck. I ask you to help me capture him, and our demon clan will owe you a great debt.”

Greed flickered in Xiong Chen’s eyes as he gazed at Yao Ye. He knew this was his chance! As the third young master of the Bear clan, Xiong Chen was well aware that Yao Ye carried the Creation Cauldron. If he could take down Yao Ye, that treasure would be his, and the demon clan would surely honor him as a guest of great distinction. The position of young clan leader would be almost guaranteed!

Chimu glanced at Xiong Chen. “Don’t rush. Right now, Yao Ye is attacking Li Qin and his companions. Let him do the dirty work and kill them for us. Besides, it will tire him out.”

Li Qin saw that the demon clan had no intention of helping and felt a pang of guilt. “Zhang Wei, help me kill this fiend!” He knew it was impossible to abandon ship now; his only option was to fight Yao Ye with everything he had.

Yao Ye bounded toward Zhang Wei. Zhang Wei and Sun Kaide fought desperately, launching attacks at Yao Ye. But Yao Ye ignored their blows, sinking his teeth into Zhang Wei’s right arm and slashing at him with the Bloodcry sword in his right hand.

Both weapons struck Yao Ye’s back simultaneously, leaving bloody gashes and forcing him to bend slightly. Fierce and ruthless, Yao Ye tore into Zhang Wei’s arm with his jaws.

Sun Kaide dodged the Bloodcry sword and leapt out of range. Zhang Wei, now armless, rolled on the ground clutching his wound, screaming in agony. Yao Ye strode forward and, with all his strength, stomped down on Zhang Wei’s head.

A sickening sound echoed as Zhang Wei’s shattered skull splattered blood all over Yao Ye. Sun Kaide, terrified, retreated to stand beside the arriving Li Qin.

“Senior brother! What now? The demon clan has abandoned us!”

Li Qin looked at Zhang Wei’s tragic death and Sun Kaide’s terrified face, his heart filled with rage and sorrow. At that moment, Chimu and his followers laughed mercilessly.

“Haha! What a fine dogfight!”

Li Qin regretted his decision. Staring at Zhang Wei’s corpse, he slowly knelt down. “Yao Ye! It was my choice. If you have anger, take it out on me. Please let my junior brother go—he has nothing to do with this.”

Yao Ye calmly regarded Li Qin, then walked up to him. Sun Kaide hurried over and knelt as well. “Yao Ye, please! Let us go. We won’t be your enemies ever again.”

Seeing their genuine repentance, Yao Ye decided to spare them. “Go! Don’t let me see you again!”

Li Qin and Sun Kaide kowtowed in thanks, then fled the way they had come.

As they passed by the demon clan, Chimu launched a sudden ambush. Being weaker and caught unaware, both were killed instantly.

Yao Ye looked at Chimu in confusion, unsure what scheme he was plotting.

“Yao Ye, I’ll give you one last chance: submit to my demon clan, or you’ll die a miserable death.”

Xiong Chen, seeing Chimu’s intention to let Yao Ye go, grew anxious. “Master, you mustn’t!”

Chimu waved him off. “Yao Ye, this is your final chance. Don’t waste my good intentions.”

“Hmph! If you want me to surrender, fine. Kill Xiong Chen first, and I’ll agree.”

Hearing Yao Ye’s reply, Xiong Chen stepped back, glaring at Chimu. “Hmph! Yao Ye, you think I’ll fall for your tricks? Fine! If you won’t submit, then Fudi, when we leave, inform the three major academies that it was Yao Ye who killed the warriors.”

The senior brother from Fire Dance Academy quickly bowed in agreement.

Xiong Chen, seeing Chimu abandon Yao Ye, was delighted. After hearing Chimu’s plan, he couldn’t resist mocking Yao Ye. “Heh heh! Even if you survive today, I’d like to see how you escape the pursuit of the two major academies!”

Right before Yao Ye’s eyes, they smeared his name, enraging him. He summoned the Sky Mark Greatsword: left hand Sky Mark, right hand Bloodcry, and attacked Chimu and his group with all his might.