# Chapter 35: Come With Me
"Young Pavilion Master."
The four great elders walked up to Jian Wushuang, and Elder Hong spoke. "The four of us came here specially to thank you. If you hadn't defeated Jian Meng'er in the competition, I'm afraid the Sword Pavilion would have fallen into the hands of the Blood Martial Hall by now."
"That's right. The Young Pavilion Master truly is remarkable. In just two short months, you surpassed Jian Meng'er. Simply unbelievable—worthy of being the Pavilion Master's son," Elder Yuan said as well.
"Heh heh, the moment I heard you were going to face Jian Meng'er in the competition, I knew you would definitely defeat her," Elder Qing said, feigning pride.
"Oh, and you have the nerve to say that? You were the first one to declare it impossible," Elder Li immediately shot back.
Hearing the words of these four great elders, and even watching them tease and banter among themselves, Jian Wushuang couldn't help but reveal a faint smile, his heart filled with warmth.
But at that moment, Elder Hong looked over. "Young Pavilion Master, your performance in the competition was excellent, and you preserved the Sword Pavilion for us. But now, you must leave."
"Leave?" Jian Wushuang was taken aback. "Go where?"
"Leave the Sword Marquis Manor, and go somewhere else," Elder Hong said solemnly.
"Why?" Jian Wushuang was utterly bewildered.
"Because..." Elder Hong's expression darkened, and for a moment, he didn't know how to answer.
"That's enough of your idle talk." A cold, clear voice suddenly rang out. Jian Wushuang hurriedly turned his head, only to find that a woman in green robes had appeared behind him at some point.
This green-robed woman had a graceful figure and a head of jet-black hair, her face covered by a veil that made her features impossible to see. Yet even from those exquisite eyes alone, it was clear this woman must be extraordinarily beautiful.
However, this otherwise pleasing green-robed woman faintly gave off a foul stench, instantly destroying every bit of beauty about her.
"Who are you?" Jian Wushuang frowned at the newcomer. He was certain he had never seen this green-robed woman before.
"Since you've shown yourself, that means those people should have already arrived?" Elder Hong looked at the green-robed woman without showing the slightest surprise.
"Mm." The green-robed woman nodded slightly and looked at Jian Wushuang. "There's no time to explain. You—come with me, immediately."
"Come with you?" Jian Wushuang showed wariness, and a sword intent began to gather around his body.
"Ridiculous." The green-robed woman gave a scornful laugh. Her figure moved—Jian Wushuang had no time to react before her palm struck his forehead. In an instant, a vast surge of spiritual power poured into his body, sealing his Eight Extraordinary Meridians, and then she grabbed his hand.
Jian Wushuang tried to resist, but to his horror, he discovered that at this moment he couldn't circulate even the slightest trace of spiritual power.
"Golden Core—at the very least Golden Core cultivation, and moreover a top-tier expert even among Golden Cores," Jian Wushuang thought in shock.
"Young Pavilion Master, rest assured and go with her. She won't harm you," Elder Hong's voice rang out.
Jian Wushuang was just about to say something when suddenly... BOOM!
A terrifying roar abruptly came from not far away, followed immediately by an enormous aura of spiritual power soaring into the sky.
"Who dares run wild within my Sword Marquis Manor?" An explosive bellow immediately shook the heavens and earth.
Jian Wushuang instantly recognized it—the one who had issued that bellow was Jian Xinhong, the Lord of the Sword Marquis Manor.
"They're here." The green-robed woman, who had already hoisted Jian Wushuang onto her back, spoke with a grave voice. "I'll take him away. I leave the rest to you."
"The four of us have long been ready." Elder Hong and the three great elders beside him exchanged a glance, then each took out a crimson, blood-colored pill. Without the slightest hesitation, the four of them swallowed the blood-colored pills.
"Old Blind Man."
Another person arrived in the courtyard. It was an elegant, dignified middle-aged woman—the very proprietress of the wine shop that Elder Hong had visited before.
"Wine Lord..." Seeing the newcomer, Elder Hong's expression immediately became indescribably complicated.
"Scarlet Blood Pills—do you have any more? Give me one," the middle-aged woman said with a smile.
Elder Hong's brows furrowed tightly.
"No? Is it that you can't bear to part with it, or that you're unwilling?" The middle-aged woman, Wine Lord, smiled faintly, then flipped her hand to produce a blood-colored pill of her own. "Good thing I prepared one myself."
With that, she paid no heed to Elder Hong's expression and swallowed the pill directly.
"Wine Lord, you... why must you do this?" Elder Hong sighed softly.
"Old Blind Man, do you know why I've always called you Old Blind Man? Because all these years have passed, and you still have never seen how I feel about you," Wine Lord said with a faint smile. "But it no longer matters. Though we were never truly together, at the very least we can die together now. That's not so bad either."
Elder Hong gave Wine Lord a deep, long look, then nodded heavily.
The four great elders of the Sword Pavilion, along with Wine Lord, each swallowed a Scarlet Blood Pill, and mere moments after taking the pills—BOOM~~~ the auras of all five of them erupted, instantly soaring to an unprecedented height.
Golden Core!
The five who had swallowed the Scarlet Blood Pills, in this moment, had all reached the spiritual cultivation of Innate Golden Core, with Elder Hong's aura burning the brightest of all, actually reaching the stage of Great Accomplishment Golden Core.
"This... this..." Jian Wushuang was completely dumbfounded.
"What's going on?"
"What on earth is happening?"
"Who dares to intrude upon the Sword Marquis Manor? And who is this green-robed woman with a veil and Golden Core strength? And the four elders—what pill did they swallow that could raise their strength so much in an instant? And most importantly, why did they swallow those pills? And why do they look as if they're marching off to their deaths?"
At this moment, Jian Wushuang had far too many questions in his heart. He had no idea what was happening at all.
All of this was far too sudden, without the slightest warning.
"Ji Wuyue, I leave the Young Master to you!" Elder Hong's face flushed red, a trace of madness in his eyes as he roared.
The green-robed woman, Ji Wuyue, looked at Elder Hong and the other four with a complicated gaze, and two incredibly heavy words slowly passed from her lips.
"Take care!"
With that, Ji Wuyue turned without the slightest hesitation. Carrying Jian Wushuang on her back at full speed, she burst violently toward the edge of the Sword Marquis Manor.
And not long after Ji Wuyue turned and left, several mad, furious roars rang out one after another within the Sword Marquis Manor.
"Hahaha, you vermin of Blood Feather Tower—go to hell, every last one of you!"
"Hmph, so it's you five old things. You actually dare to show your faces—kill them all!"
"Kill them!"
Roars of fury echoed in every direction, and the entire Sword Marquis Manor was instantly plunged into a brutal battle, spiritual power surging skyward as the cries of slaughter and death rose on all sides.
Yet despite all of this having happened, Jian Wushuang remained completely lost.
"What, exactly, has happened?"
...