SSS-level catastrophe? That's my wife!

Tieqiao looked at the elderly men and women chatting in twos and threes, nodded and greeted them one by one, and his smile became more and more honest.

When he reached the old man carrying a hoe, he paused slightly and revealed his signature simple smile: "Hoe Village Chief."

The village chief looked up at him, his cloudy eyes revealing a calm understanding of everything: "Shovel, going out so late? Did you upset your wife again?"

Tieqiao's lips twitched, and he scratched the back of his head, laughing, "I'm going out to run some errands with a friend. I'll be back later. You rest."

After saying that, he left with a simple, honest smile.

As soon as he stepped out of the village, the smile on his face vanished abruptly, replaced by a cold arrogance in his eyes. His voice was deep and resonant: "The Hidden Dragon Mountains, the ravines are truly well hidden."

Then a faint smile appeared on his lips: "Bai Jue... it's been a long time since we've joined forces."

"No, Lin Mu is your real name. But never mind, names aren't important."

After walking for a while, he suddenly stopped and sighed helplessly at the air: "I'm really fed up. Why am I called Iron Shovel? It sounds so silly..."

"Oh well, my parents are gone now. I'll ask them why they named me when I'm done with this."

The shovel had barely left when the chatter of the village elders at the entrance abruptly ceased once again.

A woman in a black dress walked by, wearing black high heels with red soles.

The "tap-tap" sound of heels striking the concrete was particularly clear in the quiet village road.

She possessed a cool and aloof demeanor, radiating an aura that kept strangers at bay.

The elderly people didn't dare to speak because her eyes were too cold.

Just as she was about to leave the village, the village chief, carrying a hoe, suddenly spoke up, his voice deliberately gentle: "Um... the shovel just went out. He said he was afraid you'd worry, afraid you'd wait too late, so he'll be back in the village soon."

He paused, then added, "And... he said he's bad with words and often makes you angry. Every time you get angry, he feels terrible inside."

The woman paused slightly, her cool eyes staring directly at the village chief. Her long eyelashes trembled, but she offered no response.

The next second, she looked away and continued walking out of the village.

Only after her figure disappeared at the end of the mountain road did an old man look at the village chief in confusion: "Village chief, you're making this up out of nothing! When did Tieqiao ever say such cheesy things?"

"That's right, Tieqiao never lies. Are you teaching him to lie?" another old man chimed in.

The village chief slammed his hoe on the ground, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Pah, you know nothing!"

"If I didn't say that, would you believe that this woman would never come back after leaving?"

He sighed, his voice turning somber: "Tieqiao has worked hard for ten years and ended up with nothing. If he can't even keep his own woman, I'm really afraid this kid won't be able to handle it."

Everyone fell silent, and after a moment of contemplation, they all nodded.

The first half of Tiao's life was indeed very tough.

He lost his parents when he was young, and after struggling to make a name for himself as an adult, he finally found a girl willing to be with him, but she wants to leave him...

Beyond the mountains, at the end of the winding mountain road, a black SUV is steadily parked on the gravel beach.

Mo Yu respectfully opened the back door. After An Shuyao got in, Mo Yu quickly walked around to the driver's side and started the car, asking respectfully, "Your Majesty, are we going to Luonan City?"

An Shuyao leaned back in her chair, gazing at the mountains to the north: "Let's go to Zhenbei City."

Mo Yu was stunned for a moment, and although she had doubts, she did not dare to ask any more questions.

The roar of the off-road vehicle suddenly rang out, its wheels kicking up dust as it sped along the winding dirt road toward the outside of the mountains.

……

At the southernmost tip of Ming City, the Hidden Dragon Mountain Range lies like a giant dragon across the sky, its ridges casting shadows that weigh down the clouds.

Deep within the mountains, beneath the dragon's spine, lies an underground palace that exudes a chilling, bone-deep cold.

Water droplets condensed on the stone wall slid down the cracks, making a soft "drip-drip" sound in the dead silence.

At this moment, four powerful and imposing figures walked towards the deepest part of the underground palace, and the gray-robed guards along the way held their breath and remained silent.

They had only heard rumors about the killings committed by the four kings of the kingdom.

When these four people actually appeared before them, none of them dared to raise their eyes and look directly at the overwhelming pressure that crushed their souls.

Their heads drooped even lower the instant they passed by, their fingertips trembled uncontrollably, and they even deliberately softened their breathing, for fear of disturbing these menacing figures.

An old man dressed in black, holding a cane, calmly swept his eyes over the guards along the way, his deeply lined face showing no emotion: "How laughable that the only eighth-order awakened person in the world is hiding in this perpetually cold underground palace."

As soon as he finished speaking, the arrogant-looking man beside him sneered, a mocking smile curving his lips: "No wonder Zhan Qing is so cowardly, it turns out he has received the true teachings of this Sword Master."

Be careful what you say.

The monk on the far left, dressed in a robe, clasped his hands together, his tone calm yet carrying a hint of reminder.

"This Sword Master has the strength of an eighth-level expert, yet he hides here. He must have a deeper purpose."

Xiao Li raised an eyebrow and scoffed, his tone full of disdain: "Be cautious my ass! We're just keeping our promise to make one last move. You monk, do you really take him seriously? Monk, then tell me, what's the point of him hiding here?"

The monk slowly raised his eyes and replied calmly, "In my humble opinion, he is a cowardly good-for-nothing."

Xiao Li froze for a moment, then burst into wild laughter that shook the stone walls of the underground palace: "Hahaha! That's more like you! I almost thought you were possessed by something filthy!"

Their conversation was completely unreserved, and the cold sweat on the backs of the guards along the way soaked through their gray robes, their hearts pounding wildly in their chests.

That is the Sword Master, the only eighth-order awakener in the world!

These four kings, who have been living in seclusion for over 20 years, dare to speak so recklessly in the underground palace. Are they really not afraid of the Sword Master's wrath?

The next second, a clear, cold female voice sent chills down their spines, and they even instinctively wanted to cover their ears.

"So, who exactly is that bastard who used the Sword Master's envoy?"

The woman on the far right was dressed in a black outfit, with two long swords hanging at her waist. She wore a blood-red mask and her voice carried a chilling coldness.

The three men's lips twitched slightly, and they all glanced at her out of the corner of their eyes, a thought flashing through their minds at the same time: This woman is always so irritable.

The old man's lips curled into a sinister smile, and he tapped his cane on the ground: "We have been living in seclusion for 20 years, not concerning ourselves with worldly affairs, but I have been guessing these past few days that this Sword Master is the same National Protector who died in the Final Battle."

A glint of light flashed in the eyes of all three men at that moment, clearly indicating that they agreed with his point of view.

Xiao Li even stroked his chin and nodded thoughtfully.

"Go on."

The woman retorted coldly, the scabbard of her long sword clinking lightly at her waist, "We can guess his identity with just a few words, so what's the point of his hiding it?"

The old man chuckled and explained slowly, "This is just something we can deduce."