The Third Young Master, Qin Ren, had never heard of the "Shura Demon Eyes" before. In fact, the very concept was foreign to him. So when it was mentioned, his interest piqued, and it quickly became a matter of greater fascination than even the so-called "most formidable masters."
Joe Wei and Uncle Li exchanged a glance, their minds racing. After a pause, Joe Wei spoke, his voice low and steady. "Young Master, do you know why only two of the Four Great Devils remain now? Why the Demonic Sect split into factions when its power was at its peak?"
Qin Ren scoffed, "If I knew, would I be asking you? Stop playing riddles. Just get to the point—I'm not in the mood for this nonsense."
Joe Wei continued, "All of this began ten years ago, on the night of the twenty-ninth of the twelfth lunar month. It was a night of black winds and no moon, where the cold air bit through the silence... The night was so dark, you couldn't see your hand in front of you, and the wind howled relentlessly…"
His tone grew deeper, almost like telling a ghost story, as he recounted the events of that fateful night—the night when the Four Great Devils met their downfall.
It was the night before the eve of the New Year, and the Four Great Devils were celebrating in the Demonic Sect's main hall. They were already preparing for the festivities of the following day. But, just as the clock struck midnight, the old Sect Master launched his attack. With a group of elite young disciples, he slaughtered the Four Devils' personal guards and cornered the Four Devils within the hall.
In theory, with their combined strength, the Four Devils should have been able to break through even a hundred thousand soldiers. But, on that night, when they tried to escape, a mysterious master appeared out of nowhere, defeating two of the Four—Leung Hanwei, the Sky Demon, and Qi Dasheng, the Earth Demon—in three moves.
Leading the charge, Ximen Wudi, the Sect Master's favored disciple, took advantage of the chaos and killed the two demons, trapping Joe Qi Tian and Li Guding once again. The mysterious figure vanished without a trace, leaving no clues about his appearance or even his identity.
What was even stranger was the reverence that Ximen Wudi and his disciples had for the mysterious figure. Their respect was so profound that it almost surpassed their respect for the old Sect Master himself.
The defeat of the Four Devils shattered their invincible myth. With the help of Ximen Wudi and his elite disciples, the old Sect Master, now in control, forced the Four Devils into a hopeless retreat. Joe Wei and Uncle Li were severely injured, and as they fled, they vowed never to follow the Demonic Sect again, renouncing their ties with it completely.
Joe Wei's voice grew dark as he continued. "That mysterious master moved so fast, it was as if he wasn't human. At the time, we were forming a four-man joint strike formation, yet he broke through and took down Leung Hanwei and Qi Dasheng in just three moves."
Uncle Li nodded grimly. "We didn't even see how he attacked. His speed was unreal… His movements were so simple—just a punch, just a kick, no complicated tricks, just speed."
The two former legendary figures exchanged a look, both of them still haunted by the memory of that night.
"If that mysterious master had turned his attention to Joe Wei and I, not a single one of us would have survived," Joe Wei said, shaking his head. "We still can't understand why, after defeating Hanwei and Dasheng, he left without a word. Once our formation was broken, killing us would have been child's play."
"And then the old Sect Master began a ruthless purge of the Demonic Sect's inner circle," Joe Wei continued. "The chaos that followed gave the righteous sects the chance to strike, and by the night of the New Year, they had wiped out most of the Demonic Sect's power. The sect was left in tatters, and the righteous factions took control of the martial world."
The Third Young Master's eyes widened with disbelief. "Four Great Devils, invincible in the world… and they were defeated in three moves?" He couldn't help but laugh. "So what you're saying is, even if my father and my uncle teamed up, they wouldn't stand a chance against that person?"
Joe Wei nodded seriously. "With me and Uncle Li together, we could easily take down your father. Your uncle and father might be evenly matched, but together they'd still be a bit weaker than us. They definitely wouldn't be a match for that mysterious master."
Qin Ren paused, considering the information. "So what? Why should I care? This mysterious master only showed up once ten years ago. After that, he vanished without a trace. If he were really that powerful, don't you think he'd have made a name for himself by now? He probably died of some illness or something."
Joe Wei shook his head. "That's what Uncle Li and I thought too. But why would someone so powerful only show up once and never return? It doesn't make sense."
Uncle Li added, "Maybe he really did die, like you said."
Qin Ren laughed. "A man who roams the world, no matter how powerful, will die if he doesn't know how to make money. Sure, bandits won't starve, but with skills like that, he could be the number one bandit in the world and still be unknown? Nah, if it weren't for you guys telling me about him, I wouldn't have even known such a person existed. But he's dead now, and that's the end of it."
Joe Wei sighed. "But in recent years, the new Sect Master of the Demonic Sect, Ximen Wudi, has been making a comeback. With his four great guardians, the 'Wind, Fire, Thunder, and Lightning,' and the 'Four Devils of Extreme Sin,' all of whom are legendary figures whose names we've only heard but never seen, the Demonic Sect's influence is growing stronger by the day. They might soon spark another war between good and evil."
Qin Ren rolled his eyes. "So what? Let them fight all they want. I'm just over here living my life, chasing after women. We're not on the same path, so I don't care."
"But I think, Young Master, you've been framed," Joe Wei said in a low voice. "The Demonic Sect has always wanted to dominate the world—not just in the martial realm, but to overthrow the empire itself. Ximen Wudi likely wants to become the emperor. And to do that, he needs to remove or assimilate the major powers, like the Xiaoyao Mountain Manor and the Iron Blood Howling Sky Fortress. They're his first targets."
Qin Ren's face darkened, his anger rising. "What did you say? Ximen Wudi wants to be emperor? Fine, but making me look like a criminal and dragging my family into this? That's something I can't stand! What do you mean, 'Can't tolerate'? I was willing to tolerate it, but now that I know the truth… I can't!"
Joe Wei nodded. "Exactly. You're a man of great talent and wisdom—how could you let yourself be fooled by a bunch of small-minded schemers? I think it's time we take the fight to the Demonic Sect!"
Qin Ren scratched his chin. "Take them down? That sounds a bit too boring. We either teach them a lesson or make it clear that they can do their thing, and I'll do mine. I'll keep chasing women, and they should leave me alone. But, if they're going to ruin my reputation, they'll have to pay for it. I don't need money, but they can send me some beautiful women as compensation. Then we'll call it even. Oh, and I want an apology from Ximen Wudi, and I want him to promise never to mess with the Xiaoyao Mountain Manor or the Iron Blood Howling Sky Fortress again."
Uncle Li frowned. "Young Master, this might not be so simple. As the saying goes, you can't let someone sleep next to your pillow if you plan to lie in the same bed. Ximen Wudi wants to rule the world, and Xiaoyao Mountain Manor and Iron Blood Howling Sky Fortress are like thorns in his side. He can't let them live."
Qin Ren raised an eyebrow. "Are you telling me he dares challenge my family? Does he think he can really defeat us?"
Joe Wei nodded. "Ximen Wudi won't do anything directly, but he has the power to control others. This Martial Arts Conference? It's likely that Ximen Wudi is pulling the strings behind the scenes."
Qin Ren's thoughts were a whirlwind. "So, everything we've said so far is just speculation? We don't have any proof. Are we really going to pin all of this on Ximen Wudi without a shred of evidence? That's risky business."
Uncle Li grinned ominously. "If there's no crime, we'll create one. We'll deal with him, no matter what. And, Young Master, don't you want to take Ximen Wudi's place?"
Qin Ren's eyes lit up. "What do you mean?"
Uncle Li leaned in. "To have three palaces, six courtyards, and seventy-two concubines, you need power. The Great Qin Empire has its Emperor, but secretly, the Demonic Sect rules the underground world. The Sect Master's position is like that of