"Yue Qi, don’t get the wrong idea about me. Since you can’t ride a horse, for now you’ll have to sit behind me," Ho Chen said.Yue Qi stared at Ho Chen intently. She was hesitant to accept this arrangement. She had never been this close to any man before, and now Ho Chen was the first one. But what choice did she have? Walking the entire journey wasn’t an option."You don’t need to worry. I’m not the pervert you always accuse me of being. I’ll teach you how to ride. Once you’ve learned, you can ride Fang Yun’s horse," Ho Chen added."Fine. But if you try anything funny, I’ll beat you up!"Ho Chen chuckled softly, then leaped onto the back of his black horse. "Do what I do!"Though Yue Qi was nearly equal in martial skill to Ho Chen, she wasn’t used to riding and nearly fell off the horse. She managed to stay on by instinctively wrapping her arms around Ho Chen’s waist.Ho Chen’s heartbeat quickened. He swallowed hard as

Ho Chen appeared uninterested in facing Sun Jia and his five companions. Understandably so—he had already fought many powerful warriors, and even recently battled the king of the demon clan, though he ultimately lost that fight.“Enough already. It’s pointless for you all to fight me! Even if your master joins in, you won’t be able to defeat me. Rather than having your bones shattered, you’d better apologize to Uncle Liao Jun and that girl.”Ho Chen’s words may have sounded arrogant, but they were not baseless. His irritation was rooted in how the leader of the Eagle Claw Sect had failed to teach his disciples honor and virtue.Although Ho Chen hadn’t yet laid a finger on them, Sun Jia’s five companions could already tell that his strength was far beyond their own. That realization alone was enough to make them consider heeding Ho Chen’s words.But before they could make a move, Sun Jia cut in with a threat.“If you dare apologize to Liao Jun and that girl, I swear our master will sev

Ho Chen’s threat didn't intimidate the members of the Eagle Claw Sect. Confident in their numbers, they saw no reason to fear the two individuals causing trouble in their sect. After all, they still had the sect leader and four elders, all of whom were skilled martial artists.Roughly a hundred members of the Eagle Claw Sect gathered before Ho Chen and Yue Qi. Each held a weapon—swords, iron staffs, and sickles.Ho Chen raised an eyebrow. It was strange, he thought. Their sect was named Eagle Claw, yet they relied on weapons. But he quickly dismissed the oddity. “Will you come at us one by one, or all at once?” he asked calmly.“You arrogant brat! So eager to die?” sneered an older member of the sect, clearly a senior by his appearance. “Attack them both!”And with that, the fight erupted. Ho Chen and Yue Qi faced off against the entire Eagle Claw Sect.Ho Chen could restrain his inner power during combat, but Yue Qi had not yet mastered

Yue Qi nodded, affirming Ho Chen’s command. Without delay, the girl walked deeper into the Black’s Rock Sect compound.But around thirty conscious members immediately blocked her path.“Do you all want to be victims of that coward’s mistake?” Yue Qi’s gaze radiated such a strong intimidation that one by one, the sect members moved aside.They didn’t take her words as an empty threat. Even one of the elders had nearly died fighting her—what chance did they have as mere disciples?“We’ve tried to speak with you peacefully, young man,” said one of the elders, pointing at Ho Chen. “But it seems you want this matter resolved through battle. Very well—I’ll grant your request!”Ho Chen responded to the challenge with a sly grin. “An ox is stubborn, but apparently, humans can be even more pigheaded. You three! All this, just to protect one coward? Prepare yourselves!”“You two stay out of this. Let me deal with him first!” said

Ho Chen walked toward the three elders, maintaining his vigilance."What exactly is stopping you three from handing over Sun Jia and his companions? Is there someone backing up that coward?"The three elders looked confused. It was evident from the expressions on their faces."Out there, your sect's name is already tainted in the eyes of the people. Why? Because of the behavior of Sun Jia and his friends who enjoy intimidating villagers. Your duty isn't just to teach martial arts, but also to shape these students into good and virtuous individuals, just like true warriors of the righteous path. If they can't be of benefit to others, at the very least, they shouldn't bring harm," Ho Chen continued.His final words struck hard, a resounding slap to the pride of the three elders and the members of the Eagle Claw Sect. His words pierced the depths of their conscience."Sun Jia is the nephew of Gao Zun, the head of the Eagle Claw Sect, young man. Before he left to meditate a year ago, he e