Bengtie, I'm really not a villain!

At this critical moment when war is about to break out, Jingye's absence makes Raiden Mei feel inexplicably flustered, but it also stirs up the stubborn fighting spirit deep within her.

Just then, the distant booming of war drums, like rolling thunder, urged Raiden Mei forward.

She took a deep breath, temporarily setting aside her doubts about Jing Ye, and fixed her gaze firmly on the direction of the battlefield.

[In a distant high-rise building, beside Jingye, Raiden Mei's mother wore a complex expression, her gaze fixed intently on her daughter who was about to head to the battlefield.]

"Mei is enjoying immense popularity right now, riding high on the cheers of the crowd—how impressive!"

A faint, cold smile played on Jing Ye's lips. His voice was deep and icy, carrying a chilling undertone.

He turned his head slightly, glanced sideways at Raiden Mei's mother, and a hint of mockery flashed in his eyes.

[Raiden Mei's mother clearly understands what you mean—"Even Raiden Mei, whom everyone cheers for, was defeated by you before, easily defeated by your Iai Slash."]

Those cheers were nothing but empty bubbles, bursting at the slightest touch.

[Raiden Mei's mother trembled slightly, her eyes filled with anger and resentment, yet she forcefully suppressed it.]

However, beneath this anger lies a deeper sense of helplessness.

Over the past few days, she practiced Iaijutsu with Jing Ye, and those repeated sparring sessions made her deeply aware of Jing Ye's unfathomable strength.

Each time Jing Ye drew his sword, it was as fast as lightning and as powerful as a hammer. The sharp wind from his blade seemed capable of tearing the air itself apart.

Even when she gave it her all, using every trick in the book, she could never withstand his relentless, storm-like attacks. Often, before she could even react, Jing Ye's blade was already pressed against her throat or vital points.

Recalling those battles, Raiden Mei's mother felt a pang of sorrow.

She finally understood why Raiden Mei had been defeated so thoroughly before. With Jingye's terrifying strength, not to mention Raiden Mei, even she herself was as insignificant as an ant before him.

Those seemingly simple Iaijutsu techniques were executed with exquisite skill by Jingye, each movement imbued with profound artistry.

[Raiden Mei's mother understood the deeper meaning behind Jingye's mockery—the unique sword markings on Raiden Mei's body, which everyone respected, were the work of this man.]

Her cheeks flushed crimson, and feelings of shame and indignation burned within her like a raging fire.

She knew all too well what the knife marks meant to her daughter; they were testaments to countless fierce battles and intimate encounters, yet Jing Ye was now using them as a tool for mockery.

She wanted to shout and confront Jing Ye, but her legs seemed nailed to the ground, unable to move.

Recalling the absolute power he displayed during their Iaijutsu practice these past few days, Raiden Mei's mother knew she was utterly powerless against him.

This sense of powerlessness gradually eroded her anger, leaving her feeling utterly helpless.

"Who...who are you?" Raiden Mei's mother's voice trembled.

Jing Ye still wore that cold smile on his lips, not answering her question, but instead turning his gaze back to Raiden Mei, who was about to step into the battlefield in the distance, as if waiting for a good show to begin.

The cold wind, sharp as a knife, swept across Raiden Mei's mother's face, yet it could not dispel the turbulent, complex emotions churning within her.

Shame and helplessness were like two vicious venomous snakes, intertwining and tearing at her heart. Yet, deep within this painful entanglement, a sliver of relief, like a tenacious weed growing in a crack, quietly sprouted.

She was filled with emotion, secretly glad that she had resolutely stepped forward these past few days to take Mei's place as Keiya's nominal Iaijutsu master.

Looking back, she knew that Mei was no ordinary person; through countless arduous trials, she had undergone a complete transformation and honed an astonishingly powerful skill.

Among the many martial artists, Mei shines like the brightest star in the night sky.

However, whenever her thoughts drifted to Jing Ye's terrifying Iaijutsu training, a chill would run from the soles of her feet to her spine, instantly sending goosebumps up her entire body.

Jing Ye's rigorous demands on swordsmanship had reached an almost obsessive and perverse level.

Every subtle move, every sharp strike, was executed with the precision and power of a rare treasure, allowing no room for error.

During the days she practiced with Jing Ye, it felt like she was in purgatory, truly experiencing the horror of that training.

[The movements of the Iaijutsu were meticulously broken down by Jingye, and each individual movement was practiced countless times.]

[If there was even the slightest deviation, Jing Ye's cold and unquestionable voice would ring in her ears, demanding she start over without any mercy.]

Again and again, endlessly, the prolonged high-intensity training took a toll on her body, leaving her utterly exhausted.

The muscles seemed to be screaming in pain, each one feeling as heavy as if it were filled with lead, constantly protesting with soreness.

Even though Mei is exceptionally strong, her mother's heart is filled with worry whenever she thinks about such brutal Iaijutsu training being imposed on her daughter. She finds it hard to imagine whether Mei can grit her teeth and persevere.

Jing Ye's training intensity was like an insurmountable mountain, enough to make even the most tenacious martial artists in the world hesitate and feel fear.

Even if Mei is incredibly strong, facing such grueling training, it's entirely possible that her legs would go weak, her stamina would give out, or she might even completely collapse.

Her gaze unconsciously drifted to the distant battlefield, soon to be engulfed in flames of war, and a wave of fear washed over her.

She dared not imagine what kind of desperate situation Mei would find herself in on this battlefield under the spotlight if she had truly undergone such training.

A tragic image uncontrollably surfaced in her mind:

Mei, dragging her legs—sore, trembling, and almost numb from overtraining—struggled forward under the piercing gazes of the crowd.

Every step forward felt like a desperate battle with death; the body teetered on the brink of collapse, as if a mere breeze could topple it at any moment.

Finally, amidst the enemy's piercing laughter and the complex gazes of her comrades filled with worry and disappointment, her body could no longer support her, and she collapsed helplessly to the ground, raising a cloud of dust...

[Just the thought of this scene flashing through her mind was enough to strike Raiden Mei's mother's heart like a hammer blow, the pain almost stopping her heartbeat, and her breathing becoming rapid and labored.]

"Thank goodness... thank goodness it's me..." Her lips trembled slightly as she murmured, her voice as faint as a candle flickering in the wind, almost inaudible in the howling cold.

She slowly raised her head, her eyes filled with a deep, almost desperate worry for her daughter, as if her gaze could pierce through the smoke of battle and land directly on Mei.

At the same time, a flicker of relief, as if he had escaped death, also appeared in his eyes.

Raiden Mei's mother slowly let out a long sigh, trying to calm the turbulent emotions surging within her.

Just as she was about to relax her tense nerves for a moment, a thought flashed through her mind like lightning, making her heart jump again.

Her thoughts drifted involuntarily to Furibas, the girl who was like a sister to Mei.

In her eyes, Furibas was simple and kind, full of passion and love for swordsmanship.

However, at this moment, the thought of Jing Ye's unpredictable and somewhat wicked nature filled Raiden Mei's mother with a strong sense of unease.

"Jing Ye... he probably won't let Fulibas off easily," she murmured to herself, her voice so soft it seemed as if it might be swallowed by the wind at any moment.

Especially now that Mei has gone to the battlefield and left the village, it seems that no one in this small world can effectively check and balance Jingye anymore.

She knew Jingye's methods too well; the strictness of the Iaijutsu training was just the tip of the iceberg.

[Raiden Mei's mother seemed to have already seen Jingye's cold eyes, just as a hungry wolf stares at its prey, fixing its gaze on Furibas.]

Although Furibas possessed a certain level of swordsmanship, how could he possibly withstand Jing Ye's almost inhuman training demands?

[What if Jing Ye, in pursuit of the so-called ultimate swordsmanship, forcibly drags Fulibas into those high-intensity training sessions, or makes things difficult for her for some other inexplicable reason? How will Fulibas, a frail girl, cope?]

[Raiden Mei's mother subconsciously looked up at Jing Ye, trying to glean a clue from his expression about her suspicions.]

Upon seeing this, her heart sank instantly.

Jing Ye's gaze, which had been focused intently on the battlefield, had subtly shifted, meeting her eyes directly.

His eyes were deep and unfathomable, like a bottomless, icy pool, making it impossible to discern his emotions.

[But in that brief moment of eye contact, Raiden Mei's mother had a strong feeling that Jingye seemed to see right through her every thought.]

Immediately afterwards, Jing Ye's lips curled up slightly, revealing a meaningful smile.

That smile was neither a friendly greeting nor a gentle reassurance, but rather carried a hint of mockery, as if silently telling her, "You guessed right."

That smile, like a sharp dagger, pierced straight into the depths of Raiden Mei's mother's heart, sending a chill down her spine.

"What...what do you want to do?" Raiden Mei's mother mustered her courage, but her voice still trembled slightly.

In the blink of an eye, Raiden Mei's mother's eyes rolled upwards, leaving only the whites of her eyes visible, and her breathing became rapid and weak.

Under Jing Ye's torturous, almost demonic, iaido training, her body was already at its limit, and she finally reached unconsciousness.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the village, Furibas gazed worriedly in the direction Raiden Mei had gone.

Her eyes were filled with worry and unease; her hands unconsciously clutched the hem of her clothes as she silently prayed for Mei's safe return.

"Mei, you have to be alright..." she murmured softly, her voice echoing in the silent air.

Suddenly, a light footstep sound came from behind.

[Fulibas subconsciously turned her head, only to see Jing Ye had silently appeared behind her at some point.]

Jing Ye's face still wore that ambiguous smile, but his eyes held a chilling, unfathomable glint.

"Furibas."

[Furibas was startled and instinctively took a step back, watching the man before him warily.]

"What...what do you want?" she asked, mustering her courage, her voice trembling slightly with nervousness.

Chapter 114 Kiana, you didn't want to either?

Jing Ye's face still wore that ambiguous smile, but his eyes held a chilling, unfathomable glint.

"Furibas."

[Furibas was startled and instinctively took a step back, watching the man before him warily.]

"What...what do you want to do?" she asked, mustering her courage, her voice trembling slightly with nervousness.

Jing Ye didn't answer immediately, but took a step forward, his gaze slowly sweeping over Fulibas, as if he were examining a commodity waiting to be sold.

Fulibas felt extremely uncomfortable under Jing Ye's piercing gaze; his heart pounded violently in his chest, as if it would burst out.

Her thoughts drifted uncontrollably back to the day she first met Jing Ye.

She was present with Himeko and Raiden Mei's mother, and witnessed firsthand Kageyo's awe-inspiring Iaijutsu.

Who could have imagined that Jing Ye's simple act of drawing and striking his sword, executed with fluid, effortless grace, carried unparalleled power and speed?

In an instant, Raiden Mei was defeated and fell to the ground in a sorry state.

What made Furibas even more ashamed was that Jingye had used Raiden Mei's mother as a makeshift arena.

On that rather cramped "arena," he displayed his swordsmanship with unrestrained abandon, every movement seeming to mock the crowd present.

[Raiden Mei's mother's face was flushed, her eyes filled with anger and helplessness, yet she was powerless to resist.]

Those scenes played out repeatedly in Furibas's mind like a movie.

Her cheeks instantly burned, her heart filled with shame and anger.

She bit her lip tightly, her nails digging deep into her palms, trying to use the pain to dispel the fear and unease in her heart.

"What...what exactly do you want?" Furibas asked again, his voice trembling with anger.

She mustered her courage to look Jing Ye directly into his eyes. Although her legs were trembling slightly, she didn't want to appear too weak in front of this man.

Jing Ye took a step forward, his gaze sharp and fixed on Fulibas.

"Furibas, have you ever thought of going to the battlefield like Raiden Mei, and standing shoulder to shoulder with her?"

His voice was deep and seductive, as if carrying an invisible force that penetrated into Furibas's ears.

Upon hearing this, Fulibas was first taken aback, then an expression of disbelief appeared on her face. She never expected Jing Ye to suddenly throw out such a question.

The battlefield—a place fraught with danger and the unknown, a bloodbath where countless people fight to the death. Just thinking of that gruesome scene made Furibas tremble slightly.

But at the same time, the resolute figure of Raiden Mei appeared in her mind.

Mei is fighting valiantly on the battlefield right now, while I can only stay here in the rear, living in fear and trembling.

[If I could walk alongside her, fight side by side with her, perhaps I could share some of the pressure with her, and also become stronger myself.]

"I... Can I really do this?" Furibas murmured to himself, a hint of hesitation and struggle in his eyes.

She raised her head and looked at Jing Ye again, trying to find a trace of sincerity in his eyes, but what she saw was still that unfathomable coldness, impossible to fathom.

Jing Ye didn't answer immediately, but the smile on his lips grew wider, as if he was waiting for Furibas to make his own decision.

Just as Furibas was filled with inner turmoil, unsure how to respond to Jingye, a figure hurried over from afar. Furibas looked closely and saw it was Himeko.

Himeko's steps were slightly unsteady, each step seeming as if she were enduring immense pain. Her face was as pale as paper, and fine beads of sweat on her forehead glistened faintly in the setting sun.

Since being wounded in the last war, she had been recuperating peacefully in the rear, but her heart, yearning for battle, had never ceased beating.

"Furibas, Jingye, what are you doing here?" Himeko's voice was weak, but still held a hint of determination.

She walked up to the two men, her gaze sweeping over them, as if trying to glean some clue from their expressions.

[Furibas, as if grasping at a straw, said urgently, "Himeko, Keiya asked me if I wanted to go to the battlefield with Mei."]

Himeko frowned slightly upon hearing this, a complex expression flashing in her eyes.