the rise of the useless son-in-law of a wealthy family

mysterious group

The decision came in an instant. "I must hold out until Su Jian returns," Lengyi thought to herself. "I must give him time to return with help."

However, it wasn’t an easy decision. With her wounds worsening, Lengyi knew she had little time left. She decided to protect her husband until the very end, hoping that her courage and sacrifice would bring victory for them.

Su Jian ran as far as he could, distancing himself from the chaos of the market. His steps felt heavy, his heart raced, and his mind was filled with worry. Even though Lengyi had told him to go, there was no way he could leave his wife in the middle of danger. His feet stopped at an intersection on a quieter street. He turned back, casting his gaze toward the market now filled with chaos.

There, amidst the crowd, Lengyi and the Xia family guards were fighting a group of mysterious individuals in black cloaks. Su Jian could see how hard the guards were struggling, even though they tried their best to fend off the attacks. Lengyi’s body staggered, blood flowing from the wound in her arm. His heart was filled with pain and fear, but he knew he couldn’t just run. Lengyi and the guards were risking their lives to protect him.

Without thinking further, Su Jian made a difficult decision. He turned his body and ran back toward the market, his steps tense. The closer he got to the market, the more clearly he could hear the clash of weapons and the shouts of the people caught in the battle.

When Su Jian reached the market, he saw the mysterious group directly facing Lengyi. The Xia family guards were already being pushed back. In an instant, one of them saw Su Jian and locked eyes with him.

"Hand it over, Su Jian," the leader’s voice rang out, deep and full of threat. "We know you have it. If you don’t hand over the artifact, we won’t hesitate to end your life."

Su Jian stopped, confused and anxious. "I don’t understand what you mean! I don’t even know what Heaven’s Echo is!" he shouted, his body slightly trembling. But it seemed that those words were not enough to convince them. The leader of the group only sneered.

"You know exactly what we mean," the leader said flatly, his smile filled with hatred. "Hand over the artifact, or we will destroy you."

Su Jian felt his head spin. In his life, he had never heard of an artifact called Heaven’s Echo. What were they talking about? Why were they so sure he had it? Su Jian turned, looking toward the wounded Lengyi. His wife’s face showed concern, but also hope. If nothing interfered, the group would soon be closer to their victory.

Su Jian swallowed, slowly gathering his thoughts. "I don’t know what you want. I don’t have what you’re looking for. But if you want me, I’m willing to go, just don’t touch Lengyi!"

His words caused the group to hesitate for a moment. The leader stared at him sharply. "You have courage, but that won’t spare you from death."

Su Jian knew he couldn’t back down. Around him, the sounds of battle echoed, the Xia family guards fighting desperately, but their strength was limited. Lengyi staggered, trying to fend off the attacks, but it was clear she was exhausted and gravely injured.

"Come on, prove you can really fight!" the leader of the group shouted. With a signal from their leader, two members of the group advanced with weapons in hand, ready to strike Su Jian.

Su Jian knew the fight was unavoidable. Although he didn’t have cultivation abilities, he had grown accustomed to dueling in various situations. His body might not be as strong as the cultivators, but his agility and combat skills were enough to hold his ground. He took a deep breath, preparing himself for what was to come.

The first enemy attacked quickly, their sword swinging toward his body. With quick reflexes, Su Jian jumped back, dodging the strike. He moved his body with agility, trying to avoid the second sudden attack. Each step felt like a gamble—his body wasn’t as strong as theirs, but he had to keep fighting.

However, his physical strength was still far from enough to take on these cultivators. One of them moved faster and exploited a gap in his defense. Their sword struck his shoulder, causing Su Jian to stagger back, but he managed to keep himself from falling. Blood flowed from the wound, but Su Jian bit his lip, ignoring the pain.

"Do you want to know why I’m holding out?" Su Jian said, though his voice sounded heavy from exhaustion. "I’ll fight you until the end to protect the ones I love!"

His fighting spirit could not be extinguished. With more determination, he counterattacked, trying to exploit his opponents' weaknesses. Attacks came relentlessly, but Su Jian never backed down. Each time he managed to dodge an attack, he retaliated, though not perfectly. His sword wasn’t sharp enough, and his physical strength was far less than that of the cultivators, but his resolve couldn’t be broken.

In the distance, Lengyi watched the battle, gasping for breath. Holding back the pain from her wounds, she tried to remain standing, offering moral support to Su Jian, who was fighting with all his might. She knew that only with Su Jian’s help could they defeat this mysterious group. But would that strength come in time?

On the other side, Su Jian continued to fight. Although his physical strength wasn’t enough to defeat them, his determination to protect Lengyi and the Xia family burned within him. His decision was clear—there was no turning back. Even if it meant sacrificing his life, he would keep fighting.

But in the midst of the battle, something strange stirred within him. A strong impulse, like an uncontrollable surge of energy. Su Jian's eyes widened as he felt it. Unknowingly, the power flowed into his body.

His body seemed to move on its own, unaware of a man trying to stab him from behind, but Lengyi ran to protect Su Jian with her own body.

Su Jian stood frozen on the ground, his body trembling and his breath ragged. Lengyi, his brave wife, now lay before him, her body covered in wounds and unmoving. Blood flowed heavily from her injuries, her eyes closed. It all felt like a nightmare he couldn't escape.

Su Jian stepped closer, but his feet stopped. His eyes saw Lengyi’s unmoving body. It seemed like the end of everything. "Lengyi...!" Su Jian screamed in a hoarse voice, full of fear and sadness. "No... don’t leave me!"

Su Jian felt as though the world was collapsing. Without thinking, deep anger and rising fear overtook him. All the anxiety, fear, and helplessness turned into overwhelming hatred. His body shook violently, and his heart was filled with a single desire—to avenge her.

"Don’t... don’t touch her!" Su Jian screamed, his voice echoing with uncontrolled rage. The feeling of loss overwhelmed him, and in an instant, all the boundaries within him began to shatter. There was no fear or confusion left—only blazing anger.

The mysterious group that had previously watched with disdain was now shocked by the profound change in Su Jian. The leader of the group stepped forward, trying to calm the situation. "Do you still not understand? Look at what you’ve done! If you hand over the item, she won’t have to suffer like this! You should hand it over quickly; this isn’t the time to fight. You must hand over ‘Heaven’s Echo’ if you want to survive!"

But Su Jian didn’t listen. His usually calm eyes were now filled with a terrifying flash of rage. Without warning, he leapt forward, his body moving with incredible speed, even for a cultivator.

"No one will leave here alive!" Su Jian shouted, his voice booming.

In an instant, an extraordinary power surged within him. Su Jian, who had never known of his true strength, now felt as though a massive energy was flowing through him. The mysterious mark on his chest began to glow brightly, emanating an overwhelming aura. It was as though his body was filled with power he had never imagined before.