Li Yuqing’s heart palpitated intensely. No one had addressed her as ‘Sis Yuqing’ in years. Back when she was young, she was independent and insisted on joining the Western Mountain Sword Garden that was comprised mostly of young men. She was one of the few girls among them. She had practiced her swordplay there and the boys addressed her as ‘Sis Yuqing,’ also because she was the youngest.
Eventually, when she grew older, her father barred her from going outside all the time.
And when her father was transferred to Southbright County, she was quickly betrothed and married into the Guihai family. From then on, she was the daughter-in-law of a wealthy family. She was left in the deep recesses of the compound all the time and seldom left the residence. After all, the Guihai family was one of the wealthiest family in Southbright County. That meant that it had many rules. She spent most of her time doing embroidery and accompanying her husband in the backyard. Occasionally, when no one else was around, she would practice her swordplay in front of her husband.
With her husband still alive, her days were quite alright.
However, after he passed away from his illnesses, days became worse as she had only given birth to a daughter.
“Sis Yuqing?” Li Yuqing turned over to where the sound came from. “Who is calling out to me?”
She looked over.
She saw a young man walking over with a smile. “Sis Yuqing, do you still remember an old friend from Western Mountain Sword Garden of yesteryear?”
Qin Yun walked over and completely ignored the guards surrounding Li Yuqing. Most people would have avoided the weapon-wielding guards out of fear.
“Oh?” The youth with the triangular-shaped eyes frowned as he looked at Qin Yun.
“Scram!” Immediately, two guards that were standing in front of Qin Yun bellowed as they brandished their blades.
“I have no grudges with you but you greet me by waving your blades? That isn’t nice,” Qin Yun said with a smile as he walked over. He even dodged the blades that came swinging at him with an alarmed expression. However, as he dodged, his fingers gently tapped the two blades, causing their trajectories to change. The two guards now cleaved at each other’s arms and although they had held back at the last moment, it still left them bleeding.
The blades in the two guards’ hands dropped to the ground as they held their injured arms.
“Your job is to be a guard. You shouldn’t be that ruthless towards ordinary people or you might harm others as well as yourselves,” said Qin Yun as he walked to Li Yuqing’s side. As for the other guards, they were astonished. Even the youth with the triangular eyes was startled.
They could tell that this busybody was extremely strong.
While barehanded, Qin Yun had simply tapped twice to injure two guards at the sixth stage of the Qi Refinement realm.
“Friend, don’t stick your nose into other people’s business,” bellowed the youth coldly.
However, Qin Yun looked at Li Yuqing. The lively girl of the past, ‘Sis Yuqing’ of Western Mountain Sword Garden, was now the wife of someone. She was dressed like a female commoner and she had even dirtied her face deliberately. The baby girl on her back was still sleeping soundly.
“You are Lunatic Yun?” Li Yuqing recognized him. Although Qin Yun had matured greatly, he still very much resembled his fifteen-year-old self.
“Sis Yuqing, it’s been so many years since we last met, and the first thing you call me is Lunatic Yun?” Qin Yun said in an amused tone.
“Brother Yun.” Li Yuqing’s heart warmed up. However, when she saw the Guihai family around her, she immediately added, “These people are from the Guihai family. Don’t bother with me. Leave quickly.”
“Sis Yuqing, I was the god of swords of our Western Mountain Sword Garden back then,” said Qin Yun with a smile. “Now that eight years have passed, I’m a lot stronger than before. Why should I be afraid of a few hooligans?”
“Hmph!”
The youth with the triangular eyes sneered and said, “He intimately calls her sis, and she calls him Brother Yun? I say, Sister-in-law, aren’t you unwavering in loyalty towards my dead brother? Why are you flirting with this pretty boy?”
“Pretty boy?” Qin Yun looked in astonishment at the youth. “It’s so rare that someone calls me a pretty boy. Do I have what it takes to make a living with my face?”
“Oh well, but compared to you, with those looks of yours…” Qin Yun revealed a look of aversion. “Any random person on the streets is probably a pretty boy when compared with you.”
“You sure have a witty mouth.” The youth’s face sunk.
“Brother Yun, he is Guihai Cheng from the Guihai family. He’s a cultivator,” said Li Yuqing immediately. “The Guihai family is powerful and not to be provoked. Don’t concern yourself with me.”
The Guihai family naturally had to be powerful to become one of the wealthiest clans in the county.
Guihai Cheng sneered, “You want him to flee now? It’s too late.” With that said, he signaled a subordinate beside him with his eyes.
“Yes.”
A one-eyed guard standing beside him immediately swung his arms, sending a flying dagger straight at Qin Yun. However, he was unwilling to directly murder someone in the city streets. The flying dagger was aimed at Qin Yun’s arm.
Phew!
However, after the flying dagger was thrown, it curved and fell to the ground.
The surroundings guards were appalled.
The flying dagger had flown weakly as though it was thrown without any strength. It eventually fell to the ground without touching Qin Yun!
“Oh?” The cyclops widened his eye. How could his flying dagger technique have failed so miserably? He had clearly used his Quintessential Qi that could even penetrate a boulder. So why did it fall to the ground so lightly?
“Lone Wolf, did you not put your strength into the flying dagger?” A companion beside him could not help but whisper under his breath.
Guihai Cheng frowned as well.
He had seen the flying dagger fly out with his own eyes. No one had touched it but the flying dagger had gently fallen to the ground.
“I didn’t.” The one-eyed guard refused to have his beliefs shaken. He threw a second flying dagger immediately.
Phew.
As though a child was throwing it, the flying dagger remained lacking in strength. After flying dozens of feet, it fell to the ground as a spent force before reaching Qin Yun.
Qin Yun wore an appalled look as he looked at the flying daggers on the ground. Then, he looked at the one-eyed guard standing beside the youth in the distance and said immediately, “Hey, Cyclops, what’s wrong? Did you not eat properly today or are you unwilling to hurt me? Any child would probably throw it farther than you.”
“Have I encountered a ghost?” The one-eyed guard’s face flushed red as he threw six more flying daggers but all of them fluttered to the ground and landed at Qin Yun’s feet.
Standing beside him, Li Yuqing was in a daze.
“Stop!”
Guihai Cheng bellowed and the one-eyed guard stopped.
“It looks like you are also a cultivator.” Guihai Cheng looked at Qin Yun. “I have no idea where you learned those unorthodox Dharma spells from. Are you trying to scare us?”
“Unorthodox Dharma spells?” Qin Yun said in astonishment. “What Dharma spells are they? Why don’t I know about them?”
A cultivator hidden in the midst of the guards sent a voice transmission to Guihai Cheng. “Second Young Master, I believe the constables of Vessel Altar County will be rushing over here soon. They are about five hundred meters away already. Although we didn’t kill anyone, there will be trouble if the constables arrive. Let’s take action quickly and leave as soon as possible.”
“Alright, join forces with me and take down that punk who’s trying to act mysterious,” replied the Guihai Cheng with a voice transmission.
The two attacked nearly simultaneously.
Guihai Cheng flicked his sleeve.
Boom!
A flame flew out and engulfed Qin Yun. Standing beside him, Li Yuqing’s expression changed drastically. “Brother Yun, leave quickly!”
Meanwhile, an azure-robed guard instantly sent three emerald-green needles at Qin Yun.
Qin Yun chuckled as the speed of the flame and emerald-green needles decreased. When they came in front of Qin Yun, the flame froze in midair. Similarly, the three emerald-green needles remained motionless.
This scene left many agape with astonishment.
“The flame came to a halt? Even the needles too? They aren’t falling to the ground?” The guards were dumbfounded.
Li Yuqing was astonished as well.
Guihai Cheng and the azure-robed guard had a drastic change in expression.
“Phew.”
Qin Yun exhaled lightly and the flame that was floating in front of him was directly extinguished. He then turned to look at the floating needles. Just a look at the needles caused them to disintegrate and scatter as dust.
Guihai Cheng and the azure-robed guard could not help but gulp. They felt their throats dry as their legs went limp.
“My Dharma artifact turned to dust with a look?” The azure-robed guard felt cold sweat breaking out all over his body. Horror left him stifled.
Plomp.
Guihai Cheng immediately knelt down. “Senior, spare me! Spare me! I, Guihai Cheng, have offended you. Senior, I was ignorant. Senior, please spare me.”
The azure-robed guard knelt down as well. “Senior, I was just following orders. Senior, please spare me.”
The duo was knowledgeable. They knew that the scene they had just witnessed was exceedingly terrifying! It was absolutely only made possible by fearsome legendary cultivators.
“Brother Yun, this is…” Li Yuqing was staring at him, tongue-tied. However, she was overjoyed as well. She felt her head buzzing but she knew one thing. She was saved! Her daughter was saved! They did not need to die!
“I’m a son of the Guihai family. My name is Guihai Cheng. Senior, please spare me,” pleaded the youth with the triangular eyes.
Qin Yun said indifferently, “Southbright County’s Guihai family? It doesn’t mean much in front of me. As for how you will be punished, I will let Sis Yuqing decide that! Sis Yuqing, feel free to tell me if Guihai Cheng and these guards did anything to you. None of them will escape.”
Li Yuqing clenched her teeth and pointed to three guards. “Those three. However, Brother Yun, I only care that Lianlian and I managed to survive. There’s no need to get into a fight.”
“You feel soft-hearted for them, but they are very ruthless to you,” quipped Qin Yun.
Phew.
At that moment, the constables rushed in from afar. The one leading them was a silver-badge constable.
“What is going on here?” The silver-badge constable bellowed the moment he arrived.
Qin Yun flipped his hand and produced the Inspect Heavenly Token.
When the silver-badge constable saw the token, his expression changed drastically to one of fright. He immediately greeted respectfully, “Greetings, Inspector Heavenly Ambassador.”