"Xiao, Master!" An Ziyuan smiled lightly in greeting, his expression calm and composed, as if entirely unimpressed by his arrival. Upon hearing this, everyone's faces instantly stiffened, and they all turned with caution toward Xiao Run, their weapons subtly shifting into position. Xiao Run glanced over at the gathering crowd, a wry smile playing at his lips, then his gaze slowly settled on Yun Rao standing beside An Ziyuan. He watched the way she tightly held onto An Ziyuan's arm, a flicker of irritation passing through his eyes. "Rao, it's been several days since I last saw you, and you've grown increasingly distant from me." Yun Rao remained silent, merely pressing her lips together. Her quiet demeanor only intensified the simmering irritation within him. With a sweeping motion of his broad palm as if to seize her, he paused, then firmly restrained himself, shifting his gaze to Su Ran. A slight curve formed at his lips. "Master An, you have Rao all to yourself. Why not send this young girl beside you to me? After all, she's not exactly a model of excellence—she's only known for causing trouble. If it weren't for her, Su Yan paled, drawing closer to An Ziyuan, clutching his arm and shouting loudly to Xiao Run, "You're dreaming! Ziyuan brother wouldn't hand me over to you, this great villain!" Xiao Run's lips curled with a sharper, more scornful smile, "Such a young girl—her little mouth simply won't stay shut!" As soon as he finished speaking, he swept his hand out, palm curving—aiming straight for Su Yan's throat. Amid Su Yan's piercing cry, An Ziyuan swiftly intercepted the palm just inches from her neck, then pushed back, spinning Xiao Run to the ground. Yet Xiao Run immediately launched a flurry of swift attacks, each one targeting Su Yan's life. An Ziyuan stepped back, pushing Su Yan behind him, and rose to meet the onslaught. Su Yan stepped forward, joining the fray. Su Yan pressed her hand to her chest, her face pale, leaning against Yun Rao, anxiously watching the three figures trembling, gasping, "Yun sister, do you think Ziyuan brother and my brother will be able to win?" Yun Rao had no time to respond, and as she stood alone, Jing Fei observed the scene. When An Zi yuan joined the fray, he immediately advanced with both swords, charging straight at Yun Rao. Others soon followed suit, raising their swords to target Yun Rao. Fortunately, Qu Xiaoman and Wu Chang reacted swiftly, stepping forward to shield Yun Rao and Su Chan, plunging the scene into a chaotic battle of sword and blade. Worried that Su Chan might again charge ahead without thinking, Yun Rao clutched her tightly, standing at the center of the small circle formed by Qu Xiaoman and Wu Chang, alert and vigilant. Whenever the long sword slipped past the formations of Wu Chang and Qu Xiaoman, she nimbly bent low to avoid it. Xiao Run's movements were both swift and masterful, leaving Yun Rao and Su Ran stunned, watching as he launched a fierce, direct palm thrust. At that moment, Xiang Jinfei and Feng Elder also seized the opening, breaking through the sword barrier created by Qu Xiaoman and Wuxiang, their sharp swords flipping over and advancing in nearly the same direction as Xiao Run. "Yun Rao, watch out!" An Ziyuan shouted urgently, rushing toward them with great speed and agility. He swept the nearest Feng Elder aside with a hand motion and quickly extended his hand toward Yun Rao. Yun Rao instantly regained her composure. As she lifted her gaze, she saw An Ziyuan had already arrived close by. Instinctively, she turned her head toward him, and as his hand reached out to her, she said, "Follow me!" The voice fell softly, yet his hand narrowly skimmed past her shoulders, landing on Su Ran's shoulder instead. As he waved his arms to push aside the crowd gathering around them, he lifted her with him. Yun Rao stood still, gazing in stunned silence at An Ziyuan. Almost at the same instant, a sharp "ssshhh!" echoed in her ears—the sound of the sword piercing her clothes and then her flesh. Xiao Run's expression changed instantly; having already altered his path to intercept Yun Rao's palm, he now reached out to withdraw it, only to find it too late. That palm had firmly pressed into Yun Rao's chest, just a hair's breadth short of where Xiang Jin's sword had struck. An Ziyuan turned and saw the scene unfold, exclaiming, "Yun Rao!" in urgent alarm, his face pale with concern. Xiao Run, too, stood motionless, as if struck dumb. Yun Rao stared at An Zi yuan, as though still caught in the moment of their near-miss. Before she could react to the passing, Xiang Jinpi had already seized the opportunity—when the long sword plunged into her body, she drew it sharply with a firm grip, and blood erupted from her chest. Yun Rao’s body went limp and fell to the ground. "Ms. Yun!" A white figure surged forward with a cry, swiftly reaching out and steadying her waist just as she collapsed. "Yun Rao shook her head, a fresh crimson trickle slowly seeping from the corner of her lips, two lines of tears sliding down her pale, paper-thin cheeks. "I... I'm fine," her voice unexpectedly calm, even still. "Yun Rao." One hand swiftly supported her waist, the other quickly pressing acupoints at her designated spots. An Ziyuan watched the steady flow of blood rising from her chest; his usual composure was gone, now filled with alarm. "How... how is this possible? With your mastery of light footwork, avoiding this blade should have been effortless." Yun Rao moved her lips slightly, offering a pale, wan smile. "My internal energy has been completely depleted. I thought you would..." With a self-deprecating chuckle, she paused, no further words coming, yet the blood now gushed steadily from her mouth. It really should have been Su Yan saved first—after all, she would have lived or died either way. But why did such expectations still arise? Her hands trembled as she pressed against her chest, where blood surged continuously. The sword from Xiang Jinfei had not even pierced her heart. An Zi yuan’s hand covered hers, and her blood stained his hands, as smooth and pure as jade. "Sorry!" Her voice was soft, slightly trembling. Yun Rao only smiled, shook her head, and remained silent—tears rolled down in large drops. Xiao Ruan had regained her composure, reaching out with trembling hands toward her, yet as if afraid of injuring her again, her fingers halted just an inch from her cheek. Her hands shook violently, her throat moved up and down, yet she said nothing, only gazing at her. Yun Rao’s lips pulled into a smile, tears still flowing freely, her gaze slowly shifting to Su Yan, whose face had grown increasingly pale. "Thank you, Mr. Su!" As the words fell, her eyelids drooped, and her body collapsed softly. "Yun Rao!" "Rao'er!" "Yun! Yun!" "Miss!" Several urgent cries, rising and falling, tinged with fear, yet Yun Rao had already lost the ability to perceive them.