Chapter 27: A Battle of Wits and a Fatal Misunderstanding

Hearing Wei Hongyi’s cry for help, Ye Qingchan finally realized that he had been severely wounded and was on the verge of being executed by Yoshino Kenichi. The martial arts grandmaster ninja she was engaged with was formidable, leaving her no opportunity to intervene. Unless, that is, she were willing to risk injury to force a rescue.

Wei Hongyi was both her comrade and her friend; for the sake of duty and personal loyalty, she could not stand by and watch him die. With a decisive turn, she charged toward Yoshino Kenichi, effectively exposing her back to her opponent.

"Whoosh!"

Ye Qingchan kicked a samurai sword from the ground, locking onto Yoshino Kenichi’s back as it tore through the air. As Yoshino raised his blade to decapitate Wei, the sudden, overwhelming sense of danger forced him to abandon the kill and perform a swift backflip. The sword whistled past him, embedding itself deep into the opposite wall.

"Slash!"

Seizing the opening, the grandmaster ninja struck Ye Qingchan across the back. Her clothes tore, and a long, deep gash appeared, blood instantly staining her back red. Gritting her teeth against the agony, she pressed forward at full speed, cold sweat beading on her forehead. Had she been a second slower, the ninja might have shattered her spine or cut her in two.

"Qingchan!"

Seeing that she had been wounded for his sake, Wei Hongyi roared, "Damn it! I’m going to butcher you bastards!" He used his Tang sword to haul himself up, unleashing a frenzy of blade energy in a desperate attempt to kill both Yoshino and the grandmaster ninja.

"A mantis trying to stop a chariot—overestimating yourself!" Yoshino sneered, swinging his sword to unleash a wave of counter-strikes.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The clashing energies exploded, shattering the ground and sending a shockwave of wind tearing through the area.

"Ugh..."

Wei Hongyi was blasted away, spitting blood from his fresh wounds. Yoshino was forced back as well, though he managed to shield himself with his blade, suffering only minor injuries.

Meanwhile, the wounded Ye Qingchan was losing ground. As her speed faltered, the grandmaster ninja thrust his blade toward her chest—fast, precise, and lethal. At the final, critical moment, Ye Qingchan summoned a burst of speed, twisting her body to the right so the blade passed harmlessly under her arm. She clamped her left arm down, pinning the sword against her ribs; the blade’s energy sliced through her clothes and flesh, blood drenching her side. Ignoring the pain, she channeled her inner energy into her right hand and delivered a brutal palm-strike to the ninja’s wrist.

"Crack!"

The ninja’s wrist snapped. He let out a cry of pain and dropped the sword. Ye Qingchan snatched it instantly, turning the blade against his throat.

"Everyone stop! Or I’ll kill him!"

Ye Qingchan shouted the order, pressing the blade into the grandmaster’s skin until blood began to trickle. Yoshino Kenichi paused, forced to halt his pursuit of Wei. The ninja under Ye’s blade held a higher status than his own; although he was under Yoshino’s command, he was the son of Yoshino’s superior. The dozen remaining ninja also froze. Of the Hidden Dragon squad, only three remained, bloodied and battered to the bone.

"Ye Qingchan, let him go, and I will let you leave. How about that? It’s fair, isn't it?" Yoshino negotiated.

Fair? Ye Qingchan looked at her fallen and wounded teammates, her eyes burning with a desire to annihilate them all. But she knew she couldn't; she had to get Wei Hongyi and the three survivors out alive.

"Let us leave first, or we all die together!" she demanded, forcing the grandmaster ninja to move with her.

"Fine!" Seeing blood flowing steadily from the grandmaster's neck, Yoshino gritted his teeth and agreed.

Wei Hongyi and the three survivors followed Ye Qingchan as they slowly retreated from the abandoned factory, the dozen ninja keeping a cautious distance. Yoshino remained vigilant, his right hand gripping his sword while his left hand quietly reached for a shuriken.

"Get in the car!" Ye Qingchan told Wei and the others as they reached the vehicles.

"Whoosh!"

The moment she looked toward the car, Yoshino launched the shuriken, aiming straight for her sword-wielding right hand.

"Pfft!"

At the last possible second, Ye Qingchan dodged, but the star embedded itself in her right shoulder. The impact forced her back, and as she stumbled, her sword inadvertently sliced through the grandmaster’s throat. He clutched his neck with his left hand, but the surging blood was unstoppable; he collapsed to his knees, eyes wide and staring in death.

"Baka yaro!" Yoshino roared, his pupils contracting in rage. He had intended to save his comrade, only to cause his death. "Kill them! Avenge Sato!"

The ninja charged, swords raised in a murderous frenzy.

"Retreat!" Ye Qingchan screamed, ripping the shuriken from her shoulder and turning to run.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..." Yoshino threw five more shuriken.

"Clang!"

Ye Qingchan, sensing the danger, parried the one aimed at her. But the three wounded teammates were not as fortunate; they were struck and fell dead to the ground. Wei Hongyi had already reached the car, using the door as a shield against the projectiles. Seeing her team wiped out, Ye Qingchan’s eyes turned blood-red with seething fury.

"Ah... I’ll kill you all!!!" she shrieked, tears streaming down her face as she turned and charged back into the fray.

"Qingchan, get in the car!" Wei shouted from the driver’s seat, starting the engine.

"Swish! Swish!"

Ye Qingchan ignored him, her blade cutting down two charging ninja.

"Clang, clang... Pfft, pfft..."

Their weapons were shattered, and they were cut down instantly.

"Boom!"

Yoshino leaped over the heads of his men, bringing his sword down in a vertical strike toward Ye Qingchan’s head.

"Clang... Boom!"

Ye Qingchan caught the blow with both hands, but the terrifying force of the energy blast sent her flying backward. She crashed into the car Wei was driving, the sheer power flipping the vehicle. Ye fell to the ground, her sword flying from her hand. Defenseless and weaponless, she was like a lamb for the slaughter. Inside the car, Wei Hongyi had been knocked unconscious by the impact, unable to help himself, let alone her.

"Ye Qingchan, you dared to kill my brother and Sato. I will cut off every one of your heads!" Yoshino’s face was twisted with malice. He dragged his blade along the ground, sparks flying, as he advanced to deliver the final blow.

Just as he raised his sword to decapitate her, several silver needles infused with true energy whistled through the air. Yoshino felt his skin crawl with a chilling, lethal threat and instinctively threw himself aside. The needles pierced the space where he had been standing, striking the ninja behind him and punching bloody holes through their bodies.

"Gulp!"

Yoshino’s throat tightened as he swallowed hard. Following the trajectory of the needles, he saw Jiang Chen sprinting toward them from the distance.