Wang Yan stepped forward.
He did not raise his voice, nor did he show anger. His tone was steady, clear, and carried across the courtyard without effort.
"City Lord He," he said calmly, "we accepted an escort mission. We sent two Iron Guard teams to the pickup location. Neither returned."
A murmur rippled through the crowd.
Wang Yan continued, his gaze fixed on He Yunlong. "When there was still no response after several days, the four of us went ourselves. The pickup site was an abandoned forest area. There were no goods—only the bodies of our men."
The merchant's face stiffened.
"Tell me," Wang Yan said, turning his eyes briefly toward him, "if the shipment existed, where was it?"
He Yunlong's expression did not change.
Wang Yan looked back at him. "We returned immediately. And what did we find? City guards and merchants attacking our base. Our people dead. Our wounded still fighting to survive."
His voice remained controlled, but the weight behind it pressed down on the courtyard.
"You say we slaughtered innocents," Wang Yan said. "Yet those who died were armed, organized, and attacking our headquarters."
He paused.
"We did not strike first," he said evenly. "We defended ourselves. And we defended our people."
The courtyard fell silent.
He Yunlong let out a short, cold laugh.
"So," he said slowly, "you admit it. You killed city guards."
His gaze hardened, pressure rolling out from him like a tide. "Whether they were attacking or not is not for you to decide. That authority belongs to the city."
Jin Lei stepped half a pace forward, his voice sharp. "City guards were dispatched to investigate complaints, not to provoke a massacre. Yet dozens lie dead."
Fang Rui followed, tone colder still. "And merchants and guild members—unaffiliated civilians—were caught in the crossfire. This alone is enough to condemn you."
The merchant immediately seized the moment. "My lord, we begged for answers! They refused to explain, then suddenly attacked. We had no choice but to ask the city guards for protection!"
More murmurs spread. Fear, suspicion, anger—carefully nurtured—rose among the onlookers.
Wang Yan said nothing.
Zhao Qing took a slow step forward, lightning faintly crackling before he restrained it. Chen Yu's jaw tightened. Liu Ming's hand subtly signaled the surviving Iron Guards to hold their ground.
He Yunlong raised a hand.
The courtyard fell silent.
"You failed in your duty as a service force," he declared. "You caused panic in the city. You killed city guards. And now, you stand here justifying bloodshed."
His eyes locked onto Wang Yan.
"This is not a discussion."
He stepped forward, his presence bearing down like a mountain. "Lay down resistance. Disperse the Iron Guard. Surrender yourselves for judgment."
A brief pause.
"If you refuse," He Yunlong said calmly, "you will be treated as enemies of Green Pearl City."
The air tightened.
Wang Yan lifted his head, eyes steady, unwavering.
"We will not surrender," he said, voice calm but cutting through the courtyard like steel. "We know what we did—and we are right. We defended our people. We defended the Iron Guard. We did not attack first, and we will not bow to lies and corruption."
Zhao Qing stepped forward beside him, thunder crackling faintly along his body. "If this city wants blood," he said, "then we will give it—but we will not kneel."
Chen Yu's wind wolf stirred behind him, fur bristling. "We didn't choose this, but we stand together. We fight, or we die—but we do not surrender."
Liu Ming's voice was calm but firm. "All of us. Together."
The defiance struck the City Lord like a physical blow. He Yunlong's eyes darkened, fury finally breaking through his controlled exterior.
"You dare defy me?" His voice dropped, carrying across the courtyard like a command of absolute authority. "Do you think your skill, your reputation, your Iron Guard—can protect you from the law of Green Pearl City?"
He Yunlong's hands moved, and the aura of a Soul King erupted. Beneath him, his Black Iron Tyrant Ape martial soul manifested fully, the five soul rings—white, yellow, yellow, purple, purple—glinting around him. The pressure alone forced several city guards to stumble backward.
Jin Lei stepped forward, releasing the Thunder-Scaled War Lion martial soul, soul rings white, yellow, yellow, purple glowing fiercely. Beside him, Fang Rui's Stoneback Armored Rhino manifested, white, yellow, yellow, purple. The level 47 and 46 Soul Ancestors flanked the City Lord, their combined presence turning the courtyard into a storm of oppressive soul force.
Wang Yan glanced at his Iron Guards. "This fight will cost lives," he said quietly, "but none of you are wrong. If you value your lives, stay behind. If not—fight with us."
None faltered. Wounded or exhausted, they stepped forward. The bond between the Iron Guards and Wang Yan was stronger than fear.
Wang Yan took a breath, then turned to his friends.
"Chen Yu, Zhao Qing—you take Jin Lei."
Zhao Qing's thunder crackled louder, Chen Yu's wind wolf crouched low, teeth bared.
"Liu Ming—you engage Fang Rui."
Liu Ming nodded, stepping into position.
Wang Yan's eyes fixed on He Yunlong. "I will handle him. Everyone else, defend the base."
Then the courtyard erupted into battlefield.
Steel clashed, martial spirits flared, and the cries of battle filled the air. Dozens of city guards fell immediately, but the numbers of the enemy were overwhelming. The Iron Guards, once proud and strong, were quickly pressed back.
Wang Yan's team found themselves under immense pressure. Their levels, though formidable, were lower than the City Lord and his deputies. Every move required precision, every strike measured.
By the third wave, all four friends bore injuries—cuts, bruises, and the burn of soul force—but none wavered, none surrendered.
He Yunlong's laughter cut through the chaos, cold and merciless.
"So, boy, this is what happens when you go against me!" His eyes glinted as he stepped forward, Black Iron Tyrant Ape's aura pulsing around him. "See your men? They are gone. And you four… you will join them."
Wang Yan's gaze swept the courtyard. Only seven Iron Guards remained standing. His friends fought desperately, but the situation was grim. Liu Ming, in particular, was isolated, locked in combat with Fang Rui, taking hit after hit yet refusing to yield.
He Yunlong's voice rose, echoing like rolling thunder:
"Now, kid… die! Ha… ha… ha!"
A strike of his martial soul energy flared, pushing the ground beneath Wang Yan's feet to crack. The pressure threatened to crush all those who stood against him.
But then—a sudden, booming voice cut through the battlefield:
"He Yunlong! Stop!"
The force of the shout carried like a storm. Every attacker froze mid-motion, the courtyard falling into tense silence.
The City Lord's eyes widened. The four friends paused, muscles tense, sensing that something—or someone—had just shifted the balance of power.
End of chapter.