The Lord's early experiences on the battlefield honed a sense of survival instinct in him.

He watched as two approached him, their weapons glinting in their hands, and his body, quicker than his sluggish mind, initiated the corresponding action.

The Lord raised his weapon, which he always carried with him, and gripped it firmly in both hands.

It was a heavy battle-axe, thick-bladed and long, definitely suitable for use as a heavy weapon.

From the Lord's less-than-swift reaction, it was easy to deduce that his skills had deteriorated;

In fact, since the Lord had used force many years ago to rule over this town until today, he had not wielded a weapon a second time.

The comfortable environment had made the Lord weak, although he still appeared robust on the outside, in reality, he was far from his younger self.

And yet, as the Lord once again felt the weight of the battle-axe, he chose his opponent: White, not far away.

In the following moments, White would inadvertently make the man in front of her understand:

The strongest assassin is the one who can defeat him head-on!

The Lord clasped his hands together and swung the heavy battle-axe in a circle around him, capable of causing a circular cutting injury.

This move had never failed the Lord in past brawls;

Every time he did this, his opponents would fall in a row.

However, the past and the present were different.

In the past, when the Lord did this, his opponents either did not react quickly enough or were unable to dodge, and thus were knocked down by the blade.

But now, as the Lord prepared to swing the battle-axe, White had already guessed his intentions.

As the Lord launched the attack, White began her series of attacks that would determine the outcome.

White thrust her left-hand dagger forward, directly aimed at the Lord's direction, but not at the Lord himself.

Clang!

As the crisp sound rang out, what White had aimed for was the battle-axe tightly held by the Lord.

Strength was not White's strong suit, but the throw of the left-hand dagger had effectively slowed down the blade's rotation.

The key to this delay lay in the subtle force application when the dagger struck, precisely between the handle and the blade;

Furthermore, the subconscious intention of the Lord to evade the impending danger also played a crucial role in slowing down his blade swing.

The Lord was vigilant against all dangers ultimately out of one fear:

Fear of death!

Oddly enough, people like him, who had licked the blade in their early years, typically possessed a reckless spirit;

Perhaps it was living a comfortable life in recent years that made the Lord lose the passion for risking his life as he did in his youth, becoming very protective of his own life.

To be fair, he had no reason not to risk his life, after all, the life he had now was something that millions could only dream of experiencing in their entire lifetime.

What he did not realize at that moment was:

This sense of entitlement to his life would hasten his defeat!

After the left-hand dagger collided with the blade, it rebounded;

White, not rushing to grasp it, instead thrust her right hand outward, aiming for the Lord's hand holding the blade.

At the sight of the sharp dagger, the Lord understood that if it pierced him, it would likely sever his hands;

To avoid being pierced was not difficult, he only needed to let go of the blade;

But once he abandoned his only weapon, how would he sustain himself afterward?

In that momentary thought that crossed his mind, the Lord failed to think of a solution;

Even so, he prioritized safety over the subsequent danger.

Drop the knife!

He did it after all, abandoning the last bit of hope for victory while ensuring his own safety for the next five seconds.

Bai thrust out the dagger in his right hand, his left hand not idle either. In the instant he caught the rebounding left-hand dagger, he sliced it horizontally in one swift motion.

This time, the Lord was locked in by the dagger, and he had run out of options.

Just when the Lord himself thought he wouldn't survive another minute, a savior appeared;

That savior-like person's name was Nan Yizheng!

Ever since Nan Yizheng entered this town, he had been warmly welcomed by the Lord. Whether it was food, drinks, or anything else, he was treated with the best hospitality;

The investment without considering the cost paid off. Nan Yizheng might have felt that since he enjoyed the sincere hospitality of the other party, it would be improper not to reciprocate, so he personally intervened to save the Lord.

Nan Yizheng was very kind. As the sharp dagger came down, he leaped forward from behind the Lord, standing between this hospitable host and the assailant.

It is worth mentioning that:

Nan Yizheng didn't carry any weapons, nor did he ever use weapons for any offensive or defensive purposes;

So, now, what Nan Yizheng used to confront the dagger was his own flesh and blood.

Click!

The dagger pierced Nan Yizheng but didn't go any deeper, no blood was drawn, and it just scraped past him to the side.

For that moment, it was as if the dagger was stuck into a smooth piece of metal.

Of course, there was some achievement.

At the instant when Bai retrieved his dagger, the expensive fabric on Nan Yizheng's upper body shattered into dozens or even hundreds of pieces, floating in the air.

After the upper garment was shredded, the physique hidden beneath the fabric was fully exposed.

Nan Yizheng looked very slim, but in reality, beneath his slender body surface, there were muscles.

After shedding his clothes, what Nan Yizheng revealed was undoubtedly an incredibly muscular body.

Moreover, Nan Yizheng was different from general professional bodybuilders;

Their strength is mainly for show, but he could utilize the advantages of his physique in combat.

Holy power covered his whole body, bulging muscles on his torso, glistening with a flowing luster on his skin;

The holy power covering his body's surface was the sole reason Nan Yizheng was able to block the dagger's sharp edge with his flesh and blood.

Using weapons doesn't necessarily make one stronger, and not using weapons doesn't necessarily put one at a disadvantage.

Fighting with dual daggers was Bai's consistent tactic;

And against his current opponent, against the middle-aged man named "Nan Yizheng," fighting bare-handed was the most effective way to display his strength.

In his first encounter against an unarmed opponent, Bai immediately decided to launch a fast attack, not giving the other party any chance to counterattack.

In the next moment, Bai struck first, and Nan Yizheng's response was very simple, the so-called "deflecting the initial attack to launch a preemptive strike"!

Clang!

As the dagger thrust forward, Nan Yizheng crossed his arms, creating a triangular gap between them;

The oncoming dagger followed through this gap, penetrating further, but before it posed a threat to the target, it was abruptly caught between the rapidly closed arms.

Nan Yizheng's actions proceeded as planned;

When he caught one of Bai's daggers with his arms, his elbows suddenly rose and crashed against Bai's body;

How could Bai let the other side succeed? So he reflexively moved back and, at the same time, attacked with the other dagger, preparing to take an offensive stance to buy himself time to retreat.

However, Nan Yi Zheng did not give him that chance.

In the next second after striking out with a pair of elbows, Nan Yi Zheng raised his left arm horizontally to block Bai's other dagger, followed by swinging his free right arm outward.

Bang!

Bai was hit, his body along with his arms uncontrollably taking large steps backward.

From that short confrontation just now, the victor was determined.

In a one-on-one duel, Bai was not Nan Yi Zheng's match, and that was the reality.

In terms of strength, Bai was indeed formidable, but unfortunately he had encountered a stronger opponent, a remarkable businessman.

Since the first ancestor of the Nan family engaged in commerce, they deeply understood one principle:

Just amassing wealth that could rival a nation was far from enough; they also needed to possess the martial power to protect this colossal family fortune.

Although, as a general rule, hiring bodyguards was the most straightforward and hassle-free method, it also carried many risks;

In case the bodyguards were swayed by greed and conspired together, on a dark and stormy night, they could silently wipe out the employer and their family, and that would be a disaster.

Recognizing this, the first-generation patriarch enforced a regulation requiring all successive family heads of the Nan family to be formidable warriors capable of taking on thousands.

The previous four family heads were all "city-level" powerhouses, and by Nan Yi Zheng's generation, there appeared not only a business genius but also a prodigious martial talent.

Nan Yi Zheng, the fifth-generation family head, had officially reached the level of "Nation-Toppling" since he was seven!

If he wasn't solely focused on business and aspired to establish his own kingdom, a sizable nation would have emerged in the east continent long ago.

Looking across the land and seas, apart from the current Queen of Dibiles and Lestier, there was no one else who could compare.

At least, that's what Nan Yi Zheng believed.

"I never intended to bully the younger generation. The reason why I can't get along with kids like you is purely due to the circumstances," he said.

From his self-awareness perspective, Nan Yi Zheng considered himself reasonable and somewhat civilized.

What defines a civilized person?

It's someone who, before killing someone (regardless of the target), explains that it's unavoidable, and then acts without leaving any future troubles.

He faced Bai without a trace of compassion, as he did before, and even more so as he was about to strike.

Bai was not going to give up so easily and was prepared to continue the attack and defense against the opponent.

However, the extent of her resistance was uncertain.

Utilizing the time from the previous dialogue, Nan Yi Zheng took up a deadly stance, accumulating enough force within his fists.

When everything was set, he lunged forward, using both hands to ensure nothing went wrong.

Just as he was about to succeed, a sense of imminent danger warned Nan Yi Zheng:

He could ignore the beastkin girl in front of him for now, but an attack from another direction could not be ignored.

He felt extremely threatened, and one wrong move could cost him his life.

It must be admitted:

This premonition-like feeling was undeniably accurate.

There was, however, one thing that he had genuinely misunderstood: Nan Yi had always believed that in this world, his only opponent was the Empress alone, without realizing that today he had encountered another extremely formidable opponent. That person was a young man whose progress had been hindered by his work as a ranger...