Chapter 107: Do You Believe in Miracles?

That embrace felt as if it were clutching at emptiness itself.

Like Mount Tai tilting downward, the elder’s robes billowed high, his beard and hair flying wildly. The strongest strike of a master of energy transformation—capable of splitting an armored vehicle barehanded—exploded with the force of a cannonball detonating nearby.

Struck from behind by a companion's hidden blade at the waist, blood stained her clothes. Though Chen Chuwan was a woman, she possessed an unyielding spirit.

She sneered coldly, “Against a master of energy transformation, a sneak attack from behind is but a petty act. The great Qin family of Yannan is nothing more than a hollow show.”

Her slender arm pushed forward like the layered waves of a vast ocean. To block the master’s crushing blow, Chen Chuwan unleashed seventeen consecutive palm strikes, but in the end, the elder still slammed into her shoulder.

Chen Chuwan spat a mouthful of fresh blood, her delicate shoulder likely shattered. Her frail body was flung backward, crashing into a large tree. Unable to withstand the impact, the tree was uprooted and toppled to the side.

In stark contrast, the elder landed gracefully, his voice calm yet laced with disdain: “When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. The century-long fortune of the Chen family has come to an end. Even your own people willingly betray you—information leaked from within your ranks.”

“Pathetic, laughable.”

He shook his head disdainfully.

Yan Xiaoxiao and the others were frozen with fear, sitting on the ground in disarray. Some timid souls began to weep outright. They had hoped that with Miss Chen’s presence, the journey would be much safer.

Yet, in the end, all the danger was brought upon them by Miss Chen and her companions.

“Protect the young lady!”

The Chen family members charged at the elder with reckless abandon, some even drawing pistols on the spot. Chaos erupted. No one cared for anyone else. Among martial artists, the greatest fear is involving ordinary people.

Because people like Professor Song and Yan Xiaoxiao were fragile compared to worldly martial artists. It was like two brawlers fighting near an anthill—though unintentional, a single step could crush dozens of ants beneath their feet.

To martial artists, the lives of ordinary people were scarcely worth more than those of ants.

As the fight began, two from the Chen family fell—both masters of energy transformation. Their overwhelming strength left many in despair. Even with guns, aiming was futile.

“Go ahead. You all leave first.”

Chen Chuwan struggled to stand, speaking to Professor Song and his group.

Professor Song quickly rose, shielding his students cautiously. Having lived all his life, he never expected such savagery still existed in modern society.

The elder leading the attackers did not trouble Professor Song’s group. After all, ordinary people were always under the protection of the Chinese secret sects. With Gu Changsheng stationed in this land, killing these civilians to silence them could backfire.

If word leaked out, the secret sects would be enraged. A few top experts could easily wipe out the Qin family.

No matter how powerful or wealthy, crossing the boundaries of the Chinese secret sects meant total annihilation.

The sects’ punishment for martial artists was merciless—no second chances. Better to kill a thousand than let one escape. In truth, the worldly martial artists were so strong that letting even one go risked terrible revenge that no one could bear.

Anya tugged at Jiang Yu’s sleeve. “Mr. Jiang, please leave quickly. The village chief told me to ensure your safety. If anything happens to you, he won’t grant me the land to build a house.”

Jiang Yu smiled bitterly. Even now, Anya still worried about the village’s land.

But for someone like Anya, at society’s lowest rung, poverty was perhaps a fate worse than death.

Jiang Yu shook his head and left with Anya, Professor Song, and Yan Xiaoxiao. They reached a small hill that afforded a view of the scene below. Running, they decided, “Let’s see what happens. If Miss Chen wins, we’ll wait for them. If not, we run immediately.”

Professor Song was carried by Xiao Xun. His old bones could no longer endure.

He said gravely, “If it truly goes south, we won’t continue the investigation. We’ll flee overnight and report the news. I refuse to believe no one can control these killers.”

Jiang Yu leisurely lit a cigarette. With his half-dead appearance, everyone had long since formed their impressions—always lazy, doing little work, even the firewood for the night was brought by little Anya.

Thus, this taciturn sluggard won no favor.

In the end, even Yan Xiaoxiao barely spoke with him.

At the hilltop, they looked down into the valley, where forests lay toppled in swaths. The shaking was palpable, accompanied by wails and agonized screams.

Yan Xiaoxiao’s face turned pale, utterly speechless. They had lived too long in peace. In an era where even casual fights could be fatal, here before their eyes, a dozen people fought with guns and knives.

“Did you see that?”

Xiao Xun’s eyes widened, lips trembling.

The elder had leapt five or six meters in height—around two stories tall—without a pole vault. Even the world’s high jump champions couldn’t achieve that.

Professor Song was speechless, stunned by the impossibility.

Below, the sounds of battle gradually faded. They saw that the dozen or so people Chen Chuwan brought had suffered near-total casualties. Chen Kun half-kneeling, guarded Chen Chuwan, one hand gripping a long sword firmly.

The core strength of the Chen family was all gathered here.

Chen Chuwan herself looked utterly desperate. She staggered to her feet, brandishing a gleaming dagger. Two masters of energy transformation—their presence was utterly disheartening.

“What now? Who will save Brother Chen?”

A girl sobbed, tears nearly falling.

Xiao Xun forced a bitter smile. “Save them? How? These are killers who don’t hesitate to kill. If we interfere, none of us will get away.”

Many boys at this moment secretly wished to transform into heroes, to swoop in and rescue Chen Chuwan in her hour of peril—a classic tale of heroism and beauty.

Alas, reality is reality. Scenes from movies never come true.

Moreover, this was a remote mountain forest, seldom trodden. It seemed even heaven sided with the villains.

“Look! What’s Miss Chen going to do?”

Xiao Xun screamed.

Everyone looked down as Chen Chuwan pressed the dagger to her own neck, eyes closed, voice resolute: “Descendants of the Earth Immortal, it is not for dogs like the Qin family to kill.”

Chen Kun exhaled deeply, struggling to raise his sword before his neck, and shouted angrily, “Heaven has forsaken the Chen family. Grandfather, forgive us—we have brought shame upon you.”

Of the dozen, only Chen Chuwan and Chen Kun remained.

“Brother Chen, no!”

Yan Xiaoxiao cried out. The mood was heavy with sorrow. Several girls choked back tears, unsure if it was fear or compassion at the sight of a potential suicide.

Xiao Xun clenched his fists. “If only I were like them... maybe I could help.”

Everyone awaited a miracle.

As despair settled deep, Jiang Yu smiled faintly at Anya. “Do you believe in miracles?”

Anya smiled bitterly. “There aren’t so many miracles.”

Jiang Yu smiled silently, standing proudly in the wind.

Suddenly, a voice thundered from the sky, as if erupting from nowhere, gathering force from all directions.

“Enough.”

Bang!

The elder across from Chen Chuwan was struck as if by lightning, staggering back seven or eight steps, face flushed red. Moments later, he spat a mouthful of blood.

The voice left no trace, rolling through the forest like a storm, centering on Chen Chuwan’s group, shaking leaves within a hundred meters radius.

Everyone’s hearts trembled.

The once seemingly invincible elder was ridden with shock and bloodied by a mere word?

“Who?”

The elder’s voice was fearful as he looked around, but not a shadow was to be seen.

The voice echoed again in the valley: “Leave now, and I will spare your lives.”

Yan Xiaoxiao and the others froze as if immobilized by a spell.

Who was speaking?

The elder’s expression shifted, then suddenly he knelt: “I do not know your identity, honored one. I mean no offense and hope you will not take offense.”

The others likewise knelt.

Even the usually stoic Chen Chuwan parted her cherry lips in astonishment. To reach this point in the world today, perhaps only a grand master of combined energy could wield such power.

“Stop here. Leave.”

The voice spoke again.

The elder gritted his teeth and dared to ask, “Are you also here to slay the Yin Jiao of the Frozen Pool, senior?”