11. First-Class in the Kanto Region

On the eve of the Summer Solstice, the most discussed topic across the Guandong region was the return of the White family’s descendants and their announcement of a "Divine Blade Assembly" to be held at the ruins of the White family fortress.

When the news first broke, people were skeptical, with many dismissing it as a malicious prank. However, before anyone could verify the truth, the word had already spread through every town and city in Guandong. As the gossip intensified, tea houses and taverns buzzed with talk of the Assembly. The Seven Great Clans, finally unable to sit still, began a secret investigation to uncover who was behind the rumors.

It was during this time that the young master of the Kang family—hailed as the premier blade of the younger generation in Guandong—suddenly appeared in Hunjiang City, a territory once owned by the White family. He had been tossed at the city gates like a sack of grain. His sudden descent from the sky caused an uproar among the onlookers. When he struggled to his feet and stumbled into the city, those who had once served the Seven Great Clans recognized him immediately.

"Young Master Kang!" they cried, stunned. "How... how did you end up here? What has happened?"

The young master, covered in filth and trembling with terror, offered no explanation. He simply gritted his teeth and gasped, "Quickly... prepare a horse for me! I must return to the Kang family fortress!"

Given the prestige of the Seven Great Clans in Guandong, many were eager to oblige. Yet, to their surprise, even after a horse was readied and fresh clothes were provided, he dared not ride out of the gates. He looked as though some unspeakable horror lay in wait for him beyond the walls.

It was then that they noticed a beautiful youth standing not far outside the city. The youth was dressed in black, with a long blade strapped to his back, mounted on a white steed. He cast a glance toward them with a faint, mocking smile—at once indifferent and devastatingly charming. Those who had followed the young master out were momentarily struck, wondering when such a handsome youth had arrived in Hunjiang City.

Before they could ponder it further, the young master behind them began to tremble, shrieking, "You... you promised you would let me go today!"

The crowd was shocked. Looking toward the city gates, they saw the black-clad youth smile. "That is right. That is why I haven't stopped you, have I?"

The young master gritted his teeth, but still, he dared not leave. Sitting there, he recalled the torment he had suffered at her hands over the past half-month, his heart consumed by fear. This profound terror made him shake so violently he nearly fell from his mount.

Outside the city, Tianyu let out a light scoff and called out, "I am only here to remind you not to forget to pass the message to your father and uncles."

"On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, I will be waiting for them at the White family fortress."

With that, she tugged on her reins and turned to leave. Her departure was effortless, leaving a trail of dust in her wake. She left the young master—whose manhood she had severed—cowering within the gates, long afraid to move. Only when the dust settled and her silhouette vanished did he finally begin to draw ragged breaths.

***

Too many people had witnessed the scene, and even more had heard Tianyu’s words. The return of the White family’s descendant was now confirmed beyond doubt. As the news spread, it piqued the interest of many.

Before its downfall, the White family had dominated Guandong for centuries. Many had benefited from their benevolence, but when the Seven Great Clans launched their sudden uprising, the White fortress was destroyed before anyone could react. Now that a descendant had appeared, those who had been unable to help back then felt compelled to head to the fortress to support the upcoming Assembly.

The Seven Great Clans, naturally, did not want to see this. They scrambled to track Tianyu down before the fifth day of the fifth month to launch a preemptive strike. But before they could rally their forces, Tianyu returned to the White family fortress in broad daylight. She made no attempt to hide, settling into the fortress that had been abandoned for a decade. Using the gold and silver she had "borrowed" from the Kang young master, she hired workers to clean and repair the grounds. Once finished, she raised the White family banner and threw open the gates, signaling her readiness to receive guests.

With this move, the Seven Great Clans found it difficult to act openly.

Inside the Kang family fortress, with the young master still missing, the seven sworn-brother clan leaders gathered. The Kang leader, as the eldest, turned pale with rage. "What a bold descendant of the White family!"

Once his outburst subsided, the leader of the Yan family spoke slowly. "She is indeed decisive and deeply calculating."

"Brother, why are you praising that White girl?" the Kang leader snapped. "Don't forget, she is making all this noise specifically to seek revenge on us!"

"Exactly. Outsiders don't know the history, they only want to watch the excitement of the Assembly, but we know the truth. This is a blood feud."

The Yan leader sighed. "Yes, it is a blood feud."

"If you have any ideas, Elder Brother, speak up," the Kang leader said, noting the other’s contemplative look. "Among us brothers, you have always been the cleverest."

The Yan leader pondered for a moment. "Have you considered why the White descendant staged this entire show?"

Some of the brothers looked confused. "Isn't it for revenge?"

"What are you getting at, Second Brother?"

"Reports from Hunjiang say she looks about fifteen or sixteen," the Yan leader murmured. "We failed to root out the entire family back then, letting the White children escape. The daughter was less than five, and the son was even younger. This person must be that daughter."

"Even if she is exceptionally gifted, far beyond our own children, a fifteen-year-old girl could only have at most a decade of training. How strong could she possibly be?"

"If she truly had the ability to seek revenge, she would have continued to hide her identity, plotting in the shadows, rather than making such a grand display of her return."

"So, I suspect that by staging this, her goal is not just revenge, but to force the seven of us into a position where we cannot strike at her openly in front of everyone."

"Not only can we not strike, but we must even appear to support her—this poor, orphaned girl—in the public eye."

As the Yan leader finished, the group fell into deep thought. He smiled and continued, "She has created this spectacle to find the old subordinates of the White family and rebuild their former glory. Since that is the case, we, as her 'uncles,' should naturally help her."

"Let us give her the face she wants for now. Once the immediate storm passes, in a few years, we can find a way to deal with her then."

***

Tianyu knew nothing of this secret meeting. If she had known their thoughts, she would likely have burst into laughter. At that moment, she was in the White fortress, hosting the first group of martial arts peers to arrive. These were people who had once received kindness from the White family, so they were the swiftest to arrive and the most sincere in their intent.

The most emotional among them was a middle-aged man named Ma. He was the owner of a horse ranch at the foot of Changbai Mountain and claimed to have drunk with her father. He said that without the protection of the White family, his ranch would have folded long ago. He had guessed Tianyu’s identity and immediately called her "niece," urging her to be careful.

"The Divine Blade Assembly has caused such a stir that those beasts surely won't dare to touch you now. But once the guests disperse, they will definitely come for you!" Mr. Ma said, on the verge of tears. "Who knows what cruel methods they have in store."

Tianyu: "..."

"You worry too much," she said, suppressing a smirk to comfort him. "Since I have revealed myself, it means I have the certainty to exact my revenge. Just wait and see."

Mr. Ma was shocked. "You... you are truly certain you can get revenge?"

Those were the heads of the Seven Great Clans. Any one of them was a top-tier blade master in Guandong. And she? She was merely a fifteen-year-old girl. Could she really fight seven at once?

Tianyu sat before the long-abandoned main hall, her hand resting on the blade at her waist. She beamed. "Of course."

The best blade masters in Guandong? They simply hadn't met her yet. When they did, she would make sure they saw what a truly "top-tier" blade looked like.