'Damn… They were pushed to a dead end. Should I help them?'
While everyone was tied in a staring battle, right above the barrier hovered a middle-aged man, observing the girls' robbery with his forehead full of sweat. His body covered a thin layer of gold hue, making him invisible to everyone and looked similar to that of all Fate Spirits, including Ling and Ming.
Although no one knew of his presence, Ming definitely knew them very well, being their Queen who secretly ordered them. All Fate Spirits came from one place called the Fate Kingdom, which was the true Ruler of all Worlds and Realms, controlling life and death as well as the whole Reincarnation Circle.
Unfortunately, one day it was closed from the inside without any warning, locking Ming and other Fate Spirits in the outside world. All they could do was follow the usual orders and keep the world running.
'What if I just help them a little? The old man is not here…' The Middle-aged man thought as he bit on his nail, not used to so much pressure.
Who would think two Guardians of the Middle Heaven where they handled all the souls would be suddenly ordered to babysit a few humans from the shadows. Moreover, he was even alone, left by his partner who stayed behind to observe Xiao Wen and Princess Shan. He had to make his own decision without any consultation, making him nervous.
He was following the girls everywhere under Ming's order to protect them but he could only act if their lives were in danger. Naturally, they already broke that rule a long time ago.
'We already gave them special Arts and skills… Father won't be upset if I just help them a little bit…' The Middle-aged man hesitated, gazing down at the scene.
When some Red Cloud Sect's Disciple moved a bit, Wuying threatened once again, "Stay back! Your Sect's Treasures are with me! One move and they will be gone!"
"You won't dare! Once you do, you both will die!" One of the Senior Brothers shouted back, aiming his bow at them. "You have no way out! Surrender and we might let you live!"
Wuying only grunted, glaring at them all without replying at all. It was obvious they were in a pretty bad situation.
'Fuck it! I can't let my Wuying get cornered like this!' the Middle-aged man cried out in his mind and finally decided.
Wuying was his favorite from Xuefeng's wives and he cheered for her the most. She had to be the best and strongest wife of his! None others should compare to her greatness!
Bang!
Right as he extended his arm, the barrier blew up, sending flying all disciples who stayed any close. No one knew what was going on, gazing at the explosion but the girls didn't think much.
There was a giant hole in the barrier. It was their chance!
Wuying's eyes immediately brightened as she grabbed Yi's arm and they both vanished from the spot, blinking out of the encirclement. They appeared right outside of the barrier with their snow-white wings already spread behind their back, flying away towards the Sect's Entrance.
"They are escaping! Get them!" Red Cloud Sect's Disciples called out in panic, following closely behind but the Middle-aged man was celebrating, keeping up with the girls. As long as they used his subtle help without any bad after-effects, it was worth it.
Screeeeee!
Just as he thought everything was going well, a loud bird cry filled the sky.
'Oh shit! A Celestial Stage Cultivator!' the Middle-aged man cursed, recognizing the pressure. Black Falcon made from Air Qi carried an old man on its back, skipping through the sky with ultimate speed. It looked so full and vibrant as if it was a real creature.
Even if the girls continued to Teleport to speed up their escape, they would still be caught any time soon.
"Sect Master came!" Red Cloud Sect's Disciples shouted happily. "They are done for!"
Some even stopped chasing after the Sect Master overtook them. They would simply disturb him in catching the thieves.
The Sect Master held a giant bow and once he closed the distance, he pulled on the string, aiming at the girls. An Air Qi arrow spawned from his hand and he released it without hesitation.
Swoosh!
The arrow pierced through the air, before its tip exploded, splitting into hundreds of small bullets that curved in an arc, chasing after the girls from all directions.
Wuying and Yi swiftly teleported away but the bullets followed right after them. Some of them bumped together, but instead of exploding, they simply bounced away, following after the target once again. They were like living objects, thinking for themselves.
No matter what the girls did, they couldn't lose them.
'Damn it…' The Middle-aged man cursed, finally moving.
Boom!
The bullets exploded, covering the girls with a cloud of smoke. The old Sect Master smiled after a successful strike, lowering his bow and the Disciples began their cheering.
"Sect Master's Splitting Arrow never misses the target! Awe Sect Master!"
Hearing the cheers, the old Sect Master turned back to his cool self and flicked with his finger. "Silence!"
All Disciples momentarily quietened down, watching the Sect Master as he approached the cloud on his Falcon. No one dared to point out that the girls had a lot of Sect's Treasures on them which could potentially get damaged by Sect Master's power.
Then, something unusual happened. The Sect Master actually frowned, gazing at the cloud. Everyone thought it is a done deal with the girls dead but the closer the Sect Master approached, the worse was his expression.
"Who are you?!" he suddenly cried out with the Falcon stopping a hundred meters away, re-aiming with his bow at the clearing cloud. "Why do you interfere and protect the thieves?!"
"Huh?" the Disciples were ultimately confused when they heard a dry laugh from the inside of the cloud.
"Huhuhu… How can I tell you when I don't know the answer myself? I just felt like it."
When the cloud fully dispersed, both the girls and the Red Cloud Sect was surprised.
It was a shiny Middle-aged man with his hand extended forward. It produced a golden shield that surrounded them all. The shield didn't even leave a mark on it, defending against a Celestial Stage Cultivator's attack as if it was nothing.
The old Sect Master frowned deepened.
"They stole our Sect's resources, killed my elders and disciple—"
"I don't give a crap. They are under my protection so you can piss off," The Middle-aged man called out with a shrug before threatening, "Unless you want me to wipe your Sect from existence."
"…"
How could the old Sect Master respond to that?
The Middle-aged man didn't care though and turned to the girls instead.
"Ladies, you are free to go. I will stop them from chasing after you."
"Thank you, Sir," Wuying acknowledged with a bow. "Can we know Sir's name so we can repay Sir in the future?"
The Middle-aged man shook his head. "There is no need to repay me. You will not see me ever again."
He knew very well his father will definitely find out after he used the power of Heavens to block the strike so he was already done for.
"Understood. Thank you again then," Wuying nodded and took Yi's hand, ready to leave when she stopped at last moment, turning her head away.
"Thank you for the Arts. I will use them well."
The Middle-aged man's eyes widened at that, causing Wuying to smile as if she found out a secret.
'Shit… Young girls these days… Too sneaky…'