bantayden Chapter 228: Cracks Beneath the Tyson Household
Chapter 228: Cracks Beneath the Tyson Household
Cracks Beneath the Tyson Household
After seeing everyone leave with expressions of admiration, Julian D’Aurelius felt a bit numb.
The once-crowded martial arts hall had gradually fallen silent.
Only the cold night wind remained, sweeping through the shattered arena like a mournful sigh. Broken stone tiles were stained dark with blood, and damaged pillars creaked faintly whenever the wind passed through them.
The smell of medicine still lingered heavily in the air.
Far away, several injured disciples from smaller households were helping each other descend the mountain, their footsteps unsteady beneath the dim moonlight.
Tonight had begun as a gathering of Valemont’s Old Martial Arts forces.
It had ended like a battlefield.
Julian rubbed the bridge of his nose quietly.
As expected, you can’t celebrate too early.
Earlier, he had still been thinking about rewards and cultivation breakthroughs.
Now reality had smashed directly into his face again.
Steffan.
That masked monster alone was enough to suppress the entire Valemont martial world.
The Tyson Family had also suffered significant injuries this time, with two Silver Realm experts severely wounded.
One elder sat cross-legged near the edge of the arena, breathing unevenly while blood occasionally seeped from the corner of his mouth. Another had his arm wrapped tightly with cloth, yet the crimson stains continued spreading through the bandages.
The remaining Tyson Family members wore grim expressions.
Fear.
Unease.
Suppressed panic.
All of it hung over the arena like dark clouds before a storm.
They were not comforted by a few words from Julian.
As the top Old Martial Arts force in Valemont, they knew all too well what a Gold Realm expert meant.
The gap between Silver Realm and Gold Realm was like the difference between mortals and monsters.
Once someone stepped into the Gold Realm, ordinary Silver Realm experts became little more than ants before them.
After all, the current head of the household, Wren Tyson, was once a Gold Realm expert.
And because they had witnessed Wren Tyson’s peak strength in the past...
They understood even more clearly how terrifying Steffan truly was.
This person would be coming for the Tyson Family first in a few days.
The thought alone made many people’s scalps go numb.
Although the D’Aurelius Family held considerable power in Valemont, could they really stop this person?
He was a mid-stage Gold Realm expert, after all.
The entire Tyson Family couldn’t stand against him!
The night breeze blew past.
Yana Tyson stood quietly near the damaged arena stairs, her long black hair fluttering softly behind her.
Her beautiful orange eyes stared toward the distant darkness beyond the mountain path.
Her expression remained calm.
But the fingers at her side had already curled tightly into fists.
(Steffan...)
She had felt his killing intent earlier.
That man was not merely arrogant.
He genuinely believed the entire Valemont martial world was beneath him.
And the worst part—
He had the strength to back it up.
An elder from the Tyson Family slowly approached Yana and asked in a low voice,
"Miss... what do we do in a few days?"
His tone was careful.
Hesitant.
Even fearful.
The old man’s robes were torn from earlier fighting, and dried blood stained his sleeve. Though he appeared calmer than the others, unease still flickered deep inside his eyes.
He wasn’t injured much.
When he saw the masked man make a move, he knew he was no match and chose to distance himself immediately for safety.
No one mocked him for it.
Because everyone present knew the truth.
Against Steffan...
Charging forward recklessly only meant death.
"What else can we do? Fight to the death."
Yana Tyson’s response was decisive.
Her voice was not loud.
Yet it carried a sharp firmness that made several nearby Tyson Family members instinctively straighten their backs.
Even Julian glanced at her slightly.
The moonlight fell across her beautiful face, illuminating the determination in her orange eyes.
There was no hesitation there.
No fear.
Only resolve.
Even if the opponent had nothing to do with Lucas, the Tyson Family had no reason to bow down and compromise!
The elder’s expression stiffened instantly.
"Miss, please reconsider. You’ve seen that person’s strength."
His voice became heavier.
"We are talking about a mid-stage Gold Realm expert. Even if all of Valemont joins forces, victory is uncertain."
He clenched his jaw before continuing bitterly,
"The Tyson Family cannot afford destruction now."
Several nearby elders lowered their heads silently.
None of them refuted his words.
Because they knew he was right.
Power determined survival in the Old Martial Arts world.
Nothing else mattered.
Honor?
Principles?
Those things sounded noble.
But dead people could not protect a household.
The elder felt quite aggrieved.
But in the Old Martial Arts world, strength was always respected, and fists did the talking.
If Wren Tyson hadn’t fallen ill, there might have been a chance.
Back then, Wren Tyson’s name alone could suppress countless enemies across Valemont.
But now...
Now the Tyson Family couldn’t even find one Gold Realm Old Martial Arts expert; how could they fight to the death?
Yana Tyson retorted immediately.
"So what? Don’t forget this person is with Lucas."
Her voice grew colder.
The atmosphere around her seemed to freeze.
"Don’t you know how Lucas framed my father?"
At those words, the expressions of several Tyson Family members darkened.
The incident years ago had nearly destroyed the Tyson Family completely.
Wren Tyson’s fall from power.
The household’s decline.
The loss of influence.
Everything traced back to that conspiracy.
Yana’s chest rose slightly as emotions flickered through her eyes.
"If we bow to him today, and tomorrow he tells the Tyson Family to die, should we do it?"
Silence.
Heavy silence.
No one answered her.
Because nobody could.
Yana slowly swept her gaze across everyone present.
Her voice softened slightly, yet became even sharper emotionally.
"Besides... if the Tyson Family fears this person and betrays their principles just to survive..."
She paused briefly.
Moonlight reflected within her bright orange eyes.
"...then what’s the point of the Tyson Family continuing to exist?"
Her words struck everyone like a hammer.
Several younger Tyson disciples lowered their heads in shame.
Even the injured elders became silent.
Julian watched quietly from the side.
Then—
(As expected of the future heroine. Her aura really is different when she gets serious.)
Yana’s eyelashes trembled faintly hearing Julian’s inner voice.
A tiny warmth unexpectedly appeared in her chest.
Even now...
He still believed in her.
The elder looked quite embarrassed after hearing her words.
His face shifted between pale and red repeatedly.
Clearly, he wanted survival.
But Yana’s words had cornered him emotionally.
In the end, fear won.
The elder gritted his teeth and said,
"Since the young lady feels this is the right course... then we are not on the same path."
His voice carried disappointment.
But also hidden resentment.
"From today onward... I will leave the Tyson Family."
The surrounding Tyson Family members widened their eyes slightly.
No one expected him to actually say it aloud.
Leaving a household during crisis was one of the most shameful things in the Old Martial Arts world.
Yet...
No one stopped him.
Because deep down, many people understood his fear.
Steffan was simply too terrifying.
The elder turned around slowly.
His footsteps echoed softly across the broken arena floor.
Cold wind blew through his robes as he walked toward the mountain path without looking back again.
Yana remained standing silently in place.
Her expression did not change.
But Julian noticed the slight trembling of her fingers beside her sleeves.
She was not unaffected.
This was betrayal from within her own household.
And it had happened before the enemy even arrived.
The night wind howled softly across the mountain as the elder’s figure gradually disappeared into darkness.
With that, he turned and left.