At that moment, a powerful and commanding voice rang out.
It belonged to the leader of the group-a man with sharp, piercing eyes. He caught the ghostly hint of a smile that flickered across Lucy’s face. He wasn’t foolish enough to allow his overwhelming advantage to slip away.
The burly brute at his side asked gruffly, “What’s wrong, brother?”
“This is her trick. Don’t fall for it!”
Lucy’s heart skipped a beat at his words.
The brute protested, “What do you mean? Are you saying I can’t beat her?”
The leader chuckled coldly. “Of course, you can’t. Her twin blades counter our wind blades. If it weren’t for the four of us combining forces to create the Wind Trap Formation, we’d likely have already been cut down by her.”
The words hit the mark, leaving Lucy with a pang of disappointment.
The brute, unwilling to accept this, retorted, “Impossible! You’re too cautious. She’s not that strong. Besides, I think she made a fair point earlier-it’s shameful for four men to gang up on one woman.”
Lucy seized this opportunity, subtly encouraging the brute with her expression.
“Are you questioning me?” The leader’s tone turned icy, his voice carrying a chill that cut to the bone. The brute, seeing the dark look on his leader’s face, reluctantly stepped back and lowered his head.
“Yes, I understand, brother,” he muttered sullenly.
Lucy, sensing an opening, taunted, “What’s the matter? A moment ago, you were so eager for a one-on-one fight, but now, because of one word from him, you’re afraid?”
The opposition fell silent, eerily calm. The leader raised his head and locked eyes with Lucy. “The four of us are one. Together, we are invincible. That’s our creed.”
Lucy’s heart sank. Her plan had failed.
The leader laughed heartily. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re trying to do. You want to divide us, pick us off one by one, don’t you?”
Lucy’s face darkened, and her voice trembled with defiance. “Even if you win, it won’t be honorable, will it?”
“Honor?” The leader’s laughter grew maniacal. “Ha! Do you think I care about honor? You’re about to die. Leave honor to the living-it’s none of your concern. Today, you die, and so does every last member of the John family.”
“Capture her,” the leader commanded his men.
The three men behind him clenched their fists and stomped their feet with force. The winds around them roared, transforming into a violent cyclone.
“Kill!” the leader shouted, directing the formation as he charged at Lucy with confidence.
Lucy swallowed hard, gripping her twin blades tightly. This Wind Trap Formation was formidable-nearly unbreakable by someone of her strength. She took a half-step back, steeling herself. If this was the end, so be it.
Suddenly, four powerful gusts of wind surged toward her. Lucy felt the constricting force of the formation, like a cage closing in.
She stood motionless, watching the four men hurtle toward her.
Then, just as the violent winds closed in, Lucy leapt into the air, her toes barely brushing the ground. She soared upward-but no more than three meters before an unseen force slammed into her, sending her crashing to the ground.
At the same moment, four fists struck her body-her chest, her back, and her arms.
“Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!”
A spray of blood erupted from her mouth. Lucy had lost-utterly and completely.
“Lucy!” Memphis John’s trembling voice called out to her.
But Lucy could no longer fight. She gazed weakly at Memphis John, her eyes filled with regret. “I’m sorry, my lord. I failed to protect you.”
As she finished speaking, the four men withdrew their fists in unison, as if they shared one mind.
Lucy coughed up another mouthful of blood before collapsing to her knees.
The leader stared coldly at the kneeling Lucy, a cruel smile playing on his lips. “Such loyalty. Even on the brink of death, you’re still thinking of protecting your master. Makes me wonder if the two of you are truly in love.”
“Brother, let me kill her!” The brute stepped forward, his fists clenched, ready to deliver the final blow.
“Stop!” the leader barked.
The brute froze, looking at his leader in confusion. “Why?”
“It’s not time to kill her yet. Our orders were to eliminate the John family. She isn’t one of them. Besides, keeping her alive means we can have some fun.” The leader’s wicked grin widened.
“How long has it been since you’ve had a woman this beautiful?”
The brute’s greedy eyes roamed over Lucy. “Far too long,” he replied, his laugh lecherous. “You’re a genius, brother!”
The leader turned his attention to Memphis John. “Memphis John!” he barked, his voice sharp and commanding.
Memphis John, his spirit broken, stared at the four men with lifeless eyes. “Kill me if you must. But know this-the John family’s time has not yet come. No one can destroy us.”
“No,” the leader said, his words slow and deliberate. “Your time has come.”
With a sweep of his hand, an invisible gust of wind surged forward. The John family’s guards standing before Memphis John were instantly blown to the ground.
The surviving members of the John family recoiled in fear, many retreating several steps.
“The massacre of the John family begins now!” The leader’s voice grew darker, his aura more menacing. Though he wore the uniform of a soldier-meant to protect the nation-on him, it exuded pure malice.
His words hit the John family like a thunderclap, shaking them to their core.
“What do we do? What do we do?” The women’s panicked cries echoed throughout the estate, their voices a mix of terror and despair.
“Enough!” Memphis John’s furious roar silenced the chaos. “Why are you crying? Why are you shouting? Are the people of the John family so spineless? If the heavens have decreed our end, then we will go out in a blaze of glory! Crying and wailing-does that befit the legacy of the John family?”
His impassioned words brought the sobbing to an abrupt halt. The expressions of the John family members shifted, becoming a mixture of shame, determination, and dread.