Crossing Over: The Strongest Mage

"Yan Gongzi, are you all right?" Liu De asked with concern.

Yan Huo responded, "Thank you, Liu Gongzi. I'm fine."

Liu De, still with a trace of worry, asked, "Did you catch up to that person?"

"I did," Yan Huo replied.

Liu De then asked, "Who is the person you're carrying on your back?"

Yan Huo hesitated but answered, "I don't know him. When I arrived, he was surrounded by many bad people, so I saved him."

"Saved him?" Liu De's suspicion grew, but he was more concerned about another matter. "Are the people who were chasing him still nearby?"

"They're still in the woods," Yan Huo replied.

Liu De immediately turned to his men, giving orders. "You stay here to guard Liu Gongzi and Yan Gongzi. The rest of you, follow me into the woods."

"There's no need to—" Yan Huo began, wanting to stop them, as he had already dealt with the attackers. But then he thought better of it. The more pressing issue was tending to the injured man on his back.

"Yang Da-ge, this person is gravely injured and has lost a lot of blood. If we don't help him soon, it may be too late," Yan Huo said.

"Understood! We'll head back to the city immediately." Yang Lue's voice carried a sense of relief, and with that, the group turned and began their journey back.

A month later, after being unconscious for half a month, King Mang opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Yan Huo. Although it was their first time seeing each other so clearly, the silver mask Yan Huo wore was one King Mang was already familiar with. During his feverish dreams in his coma, he had seen that mask countless times. The figure beneath it was like a ray of light, cutting through the darkness and despair, bringing him a sense of hope.

King Mang weakly asked, "Did you save me?"

Yan Huo, who was changing King Mang's bandages at the time, smiled with relief upon seeing him awake. "You're awake, that's great. Don't move; your injuries are still serious."

Yang Lue had originally been reluctant to let Yan Huo tend to King Mang, but since Yan Huo had shown an interest in learning medical skills, the doctor who treated King Mang was one of the best in Yan City. Over the past few days, Yan Huo had also learned a great deal about medicine from the doctor.

"Did you save me?" King Mang asked again, his voice weak but filled with gratitude.

Yan Huo answered, "Yes, I did. But what are you doing? I told you not to move!"

Despite Yan Huo's warning, King Mang tried to sit up, struggling to kneel on the ground. He said emotionally, "Please, allow me to bow to you. Your life-saving grace, I will never forget. Once my great revenge is avenged, I will be your servant, forever following you like a horse or a dog."

Yan Huo, taken aback by his words, was speechless for a moment.

Just then, the curtain to the room was lifted, and a voice interrupted. "You sure think highly of yourself. If you want to follow Yan Di, you need to ask me first."

Yang Lue entered the room with a smirk. King Mang, startled, quickly asked, "Where am I?"

"You're at my manor," Yang Lue answered.

"But I was near Yan City. How did I end up in Luo City?" King Mang was clearly confused.

"You're in Yan City, in my manor's courtyard," Yang Lue clarified.

"I see now," King Mang said, understanding.

"Now, tell me, what happened to you? Why was the so-called 'Soul-Seeking Swordsman' being pursued by enemies? When we learned you were alive, both Liu De and I were shocked. Liu De came here once, and then he sent hundreds of his family's experts to surround my manor." Yang Lue's tone was a mixture of concern and curiosity.

King Mang, still weak, lay back down, his mind racing as he tried to explain the situation. He couldn't fully recall all the details, but he knew that what he had gone through was far from ordinary.

"What did you say?!" Yang Lue's voice cracked in disbelief. "That can't be true!"

King Mang, with tears welling up in his eyes, locked his gaze with Yang Lue and continued, "My entire Wang family was wiped out. Two hundred seventy-two of us—only I survived."

The revelation struck Yang Lue like a thunderclap. His mind raced as he struggled to comprehend what he had just heard. "But... but who did this? How is it that no one in the martial world has heard anything about this?"

King Mang looked grave as he replied, "My family, the Wang family, was known across the Jianghu as part of the Four Young Masters. I was known as the 'Soul-Seeking Young Master,' a title earned through my family's expertise in intelligence gathering. We were a martial family, with our roots deep in Jiang Province. My ancestors founded the 'Eagle Gate,' a small but elite organization. Our disciples were fewer than a hundred, but each one was a master in espionage, disguise, and stealth. We made our living by gathering and selling information. Whether you wanted to know who someone had dinner with or which concubine the Emperor slept with, if you could pay, the Eagle Gate could find out."

King Mang paused for a moment as the weight of his words hung heavy in the air. "But despite our expertise in gathering information, we never saw this coming. We were completely blindsided. Not a single hint, no sign of what was to come. It's... it's unbelievable."

Yang Lue's disbelief turned to anger. "How could that be? Your Eagle Claws—your spies—are spread all over the country. How could they all be gathered without any sign of danger?"

King Mang's eyes filled with sorrow as he spoke, recalling the tragic events. "It started two months ago. My father suddenly received a cryptic signal—a fire beacon with an encrypted message. After reading it, he immediately recalled all our 'Eagle Claws,' even those who had been abroad for decades. I asked him why, but he wouldn't tell me. Now I understand. He must have thought the enemy was too powerful for us to face alone, so he called everyone back to fight together. But we never imagined... the enemy was so strong, they reached us even in hiding. We couldn't escape."

The sorrow in King Mang's voice was palpable, and tears rolled down his cheeks. Even a man of his reputation, a fierce and capable warrior in the Jianghu, was unable to contain his grief. The image of his slaughtered family, his home destroyed, was more than he could bear.

Yang Lue stood there, a grim understanding settling over him. He couldn't help but feel the intensity of King Mang's loss. This was a tragedy beyond words.

Meanwhile, Yan Huo clenched his fists tightly, a fierce rage bubbling up within him. **"They must die! They deserve to die!"** he thought. **"I once felt some remorse for my actions... but not anymore. These beasts... they are beyond redemption. If I had been a normal person, I too would have perished alongside King Mang. The next time I encounter these fiends, I will show no mercy."**

Yang Lue turned back to King Mang, trying to comfort him. "I'm sorry, Wang brother. We will help you avenge this. But tell me, do you know what that letter said? What did it contain?"

King Mang hesitated for a moment, his face a mixture of sorrow and regret. "I didn't know at first. My father only gave me the letter before he died. I didn't understand it fully until after..."

Yang Lue pressed on, eager to learn more. "What did the letter say?"

King Mang's expression hardened. "I... I can't say yet, Yang brother. Not until I meet with my family's patriarch, Liu Yiqing. Only he can decide what to do with that information."

Yang Lue raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued by the name. "Liu family? Very well, I'll send word to the Liu family immediately."

Not long after, the Liu family received word that King Mang had regained consciousness, and they quickly sent someone to escort him. Liu De, the same young man who had accompanied them earlier, arrived in response.

Yang Lue greeted him with a lighthearted remark. "Liu brother, it's been more than ten days. You've lost quite a bit of weight!"

Liu De, with a tired smile, responded, "Things at the Windfarer Escort Agency have been busier than usual. Thank you for your concern, Yang brother."

Yang Lue then got serious. "I assume you're not just here to pick up King Mang?"

"Indeed," Liu De nodded. "My father, Liu Yiqing, has asked both you and Yan Gongzi to come to the Liu manor tomorrow before noon for a meeting."

The air grew a little heavier as Yan Huo and Yang Lue exchanged glances. What did the Liu family want? Was it related to the letter King Mang had mentioned, or something more? The mysteries were beginning to pile up, and Yan Huo could feel the tension rising with every new development.