C8 The Owner of the Fatebinder Hall!

This time, to avoid accidentally killing someone like before, Ho Liao focused his sword energy on the middle finger of the big guy in black. The energy shot out with incredible speed, and the man in black didn't react at all, let alone try to dodge. As soon as the sword energy touched his finger, there was a muffled boom, and all the fingers on his left hand were blown off. The sword energy wasn't about cutting; it exploded inside the body.

The destructive power of the Sword Spirit Technique was not only brutal but terrifying!

The man in black, staring at his bloody left hand, fainted from the pain and fell off his horse.

The man in white, witnessing the bizarre scene, stammered at Ho Liao, "L-little Immortal, if you had said something earlier, we would have given you not just one horse, but three, without any complaints!"

"Why aren't you trying to kill me now?" Ho Liao, still amazed by the power of the Sword Spirit Technique, teased the man in white.

"We deserve to die for offending you, Little Immortal!" The man in white, along with the man in blue, quickly dismounted and kowtowed repeatedly.

"What about your master's reputation?" Ho Liao continued to tease.

"Our family's reputation is nothing compared to yours!" the man in white quickly replied, looking so anxious that Ho Liao couldn't help but chuckle.

"Remember, don't be so arrogant in the future, or next time, it might cost you your life! Leave me the best horse, then get out of here!" Ho Liao wasn't interested in dragging this out. He wasn't a vengeful person, so he decided to take a horse and let them go.

Seeing that Ho Liao was indeed letting them go, the man in white gathered some courage and said, "Thank you for sparing us. But may I ask where you hail from? If you ever find yourself with some free time, you should visit Qeydiff. Today, the Fatebinder Hall is opening, and you might find it worth your while to check it out."

"What's the Fatebinder Hall?" Ho Liao asked, intrigued.

"Qeydiff is the largest city within a thousand miles. Whenever there's a change in leadership, the Fatebinder Hall opens to recruit protectors for the city. My master, Mr. Liu, has a relative who's an elder in the Burningbrand. Thanks to his favor, Mr. Liu has been appointed as the new city leader. He'll be taking office soon and will need to recruit guardians for Qeydiff. Why not take a look?" the man in white said with a hint of pride.

"Oh!" Ho Liao couldn't help but feel a jolt of surprise. The cultivators of the sect wielded such immense power that they could directly influence the appointment and dismissal of a city's mayor. This realization left Ho Liao with much to ponder.

"Kid, go with him. Fatebinder Hall is essentially a place that seeks out talent, specifically cultivators. Most who go there are independent cultivators, so it would be a great experience for you to see them," the Book Spirit advised in Ho Liao's mind.

Since his master had already given instructions, Ho Liao nodded in agreement to the three men in white.

From Ho Liao's perspective, he was filled with curiosity about other cultivators, especially the independents, as he was one himself. Although he appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen, he was actually not yet fourteen, and he maintained a healthy curiosity about the outside world.

The man in white was overjoyed to see Ho Liao agree. Although he hadn't caught the runaway young lady, bringing a cultivator to his master was an even greater achievement. As long as he delivered this young cultivator to Fatebinder Hall and handed him over to the head, the reward of three thousand silver dollars was as good as his!

The man in white was lost in his pleasant thoughts, completely forgetting about his injured companion.

At this moment, Ho Liao felt the energy node he had previously shattered with his sword energy reforming, and the sword energy beginning to regenerate. It would take about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea for the sword energy to be ready to release again. It seemed that the combat effectiveness of the Sword Spirit Technique depended entirely on the number of energy nodes in the dantian. Otherwise, once the sword energy was depleted and new energy hadn't formed, it would be extremely dangerous.

Throughout the journey, the three strong men treated Ho Liao with the utmost care, as if he were their own father, truly giving off the impression of a young master from a prominent family. Even the injured man, after having his wounds bandaged, served diligently without a single complaint.

Ho Liao rode the horse of the man in white, though the man in blue initially wanted to offer his horse to the man in white. However, a single stern glance from Ho Liao stopped him. The man in white followed behind like a loyal dog. Sometimes, Ho Liao would deliberately make the horse gallop, and impressively, the man in white could keep up. It was clear that among ordinary people, he was a top martial artist.

Around midnight, they reached the outskirts of Qeydiff. At the city gates, the man in white revealed his identity, allowing them to enter the city smoothly. Inside, he led Ho Liao through several wide streets to a magnificent hall that resembled a golden palace. The tall entrance was illuminated brilliantly, with a red plaque above bearing three large golden characters: Fatebinder Hall.

Standing before the hall's entrance, the man in white didn't dare to knock. Instead, he bowed deeply and respectfully announced, "White Wuxue, the grand martial artist of the Liu family, pays respects to the master of Fatebinder Hall. A celestial being has arrived!"

Ho Liao watched with curiosity. Could it be that the master of Fatebinder Hall was also a celestial being? Otherwise, why would the man in white show such respect?

As Ho Liao stood there puzzled, the doors of Fatebinder Hall creaked open. Two young attendants, dressed in traditional robes, each opened a door. A girl in a red dress, resembling a figure from a painting, appeared in the center of the entrance. She glanced coldly at the man in white and said, "The master is aware of your visit. You can leave now; don't dirty the doors of Fatebinder Hall. We will welcome the esteemed guest ourselves."

To Ho Liao, the girl in red seemed extremely rude to the man in white, but he didn't dare show any displeasure. Instead, he smiled awkwardly and respectfully helped Ho Liao dismount before retreating.

Once the man in white had left, the girl in red turned to Ho Liao with a smile and bowed, "Please come in, Uncle. The master is currently entertaining guests and cannot greet you personally. Please forgive us."

Her attitude towards Ho Liao was completely different, showing great respect. As they walked, Ho Liao asked, puzzled, "Why were you so rude to the Liu family guard just now?"

Ho Liao initially thought the master of Fatebinder Hall disapproved of the Liu family's arrogance, but the girl in red replied, "Our ancestor taught us that as cultivators, we are far superior to ordinary people. To those who are like ants, we naturally shouldn't be polite. Otherwise, how can we show the difference between us and ordinary folks?"

Hearing the girl in the red dress explain, Ho Liao almost choked on his drink. The master of Fatebinder Hall really knew how to put on a show. Unable to hold back, Ho Liao asked, “What level has your ancestor reached?”

At this moment, the girl led Ho Liao to a pavilion by a lotus pond.

Upon hearing the question, the girl wore an extremely proud expression and raised her voice, saying, “My ancestor hails from the Flying Cloud Sect and is now at the fourth level of Soulkeep.”

Hearing this, Ho Liao couldn’t help but be curious. Could Fatebinder Hall be a branch of the Flying Cloud Sect? But if the master is at the fourth level of Soulkeep, they must be quite young. Why do they call themselves an ancestor?

So Ho Liao asked further, “How old is your ancestor?”