This night was not destined for tranquility.
The House of Prosperity, a private dining room.
When Madam Cuiyun saw the message she’d only just received, her face lit up with delight.
“Your Excellency, my people have already confirmed this report. Just an hour ago, someone they suspect was Old Man Lungrot, Chu Silang, was spotted near Bottlegourd Alley….”
She then explained the report in detail.
Zhu Guqing seemed much more relaxed too. She instantly rose. “I’ll go take a look.”
With that, she turned and left straight away.
“Bottlegourd Alley… Wait, how could I forget? Isn’t that where Su Yi has taken up residence?” Madam Cuiyun suddenly facepalmed. She was just about to warn Zhu Guqing when she realized she’d already left.?“Forget it. It’s always best to avoid trouble, especially when that Su Yi kid is involved. If I don’t have to get involved, I won’t!”
The expressions on Madam Cuiyun’s beautiful face shifted erratically.?Just thinking about the two bloody incidents that occurred in the Mountain and River Palace frustrated her and soured her mood.
……
Meanwhile, in one of the local taverns, Zhang Yiren said solemnly, “Marquis, I’ve already investigated. Young Lord Su is currently dwelling in a place called Bottlegourd Alley.”
The Spiritmartial Marquis, Chen Zheng, nodded. “Good. I’ll pay him a visit tomorrow. Prepare that tier-four Blueflame Deer’s horn for me. We can’t show up empty-handed.”
Zhang Yiren laughed. “I’ve long since prepared it for you. Right, Marquis, you just returned from Blueriver Sword Manor. Did you make any gains?”
Chen Zheng said, “I did indeed discover a few good seedlings, but something unexpected has happened with Mu Cangtu.”
“Unexpected?”
“Mu Cangtu plans to abdicate his position and go into seclusion in the mountains to immerse himself in the Dao of the Sword. He shall no longer involve himself in worldly conflicts.” Chen Zheng frowned slightly. “They say he lost to an extremely powerful young man, but no one seems to know just who this young expert is.”
Zhang Yiren gasped. “They say Mu Cangtu’s Blueriver Sword can level half the city, and his foundations run deep. He’s been famous for so long, yet he actually lost?”
“The invincible are, and always will be, rare.” Chen Zheng’s expression was calm and grave. “Take Xiantian Martial Ancestors. As mighty as they are, who among them would dare proclaim themselves unbeatable? As for Earthy Immortals, all of them undoubtedly overcame countless trials and bloodshed before stepping into the Origin Dao.”
He paused, then sighed lightly. “But I really wouldn’t have guessed that Mu Cangtu would lose to a young man. I wonder, just who is that young man, and where did he come from?”
Suddenly, Zhang Yiren said, “Your Excellency, could it be…. Young Lord Su?”
Chen Zheng froze. “It’s hard to say. You told me that Su Yi has the ability to kill a Grandmaster, but that the man he slew aboard the tower ship was already at the end of his rope. Su Yi won, but he did so by taking advantage of the situation.”
He shook his head. “No need to discuss that. Tomorrow, when we visit him, we’ll ask. Then we’ll know for sure.”
……
The Sand-Scouring Waves.
An extremely reputable brothel within the prefectural capital.
Cha Jin sat in a private room, coughing violently. The blood had drained from her peerlessly beautiful face, to the point that her skin looked almost transparent. Her brow was knit with undisguised exhaustion and pain.
Although she’d been fortunate enough to escape Humble Tranquility Cottage, the forbidden technique she’d used to flee left her with internal injuries.
An effeminately handsome young man in red robes stood beside her. He said hatefully, “That Su Yi is too ruthless!”
He looked about twenty, and his long hair hung loose. He wore a jade belt, and when he looked at Cha Jin, it was with pity.
“I used him. It’s only natural he’d be angry.” Cha Jin took a deep breath, then said with lingering terror, “But I never would have guessed that I’d encounter someone so terrifying in a mere backwater like the Great Zhou’s Cloudriver Prefectural Capital.”
The red-robed youth fell silent for a moment. “Do you think he’s like Qing Jin? Is he an inheritor of the Great Zhou’s number-one holy land, the Hidden Dragon Sword Sect, too?”
Cha Jin’s beautiful eyes focused. She shook her head. “Qing Jin is in the Qi Accumulation Realm too, but with her power, she can at most go toe-to-toe with Grandmasters. Su Yi is different; he can slaughter Grandmasters as easily as if they were chickens!”
Her eyes filled with remembrance as she tried to recall something. “Senior Apprentice Brother, you don’t understand. Su Yi is obviously only seventeen, but when I face him, I feel as if I’m standing before a heavenly deity.”
The youth in red robes scrunched up his brow, then said dismissively, “Junior Apprentice Sister, he just scared you. That’s the only reason you feel that way.”
But then, he changed?tacks. “But then, I have to admit that Su Yi really is a monstrous figure. Including Nan Wenxiang and Qin Wenyuan, three Grandmasters have fallen at his hands already. Even in our sect, only the Seven Sons of the Moon Wheel are so capable.”
The Seven Sons of the Moon Wheel!
These were the six most core inheritors of the Wheel of the Moon Sect. They were honored as the chosen of their generation. All of them were peerless talents who could easily aim for the Origin Dao!
“The Seven Sons of the Moon Wheel…” Cha Jin’s beautiful eyes flashed with a barely perceptible hint of envy.
The powers of the mundane world could never fully transcend the limits of mundanity. They were a far cry from true, transcendent cultivation factions.
Mundane martial artists, similarly, were doomed never to outcompete the experts of true cultivation sects.
The difference was enormous; they belonged to two different worlds.
Suddenly, Cha Jin had another violent coughing fit. Her beautiful features looked sickly.
When he saw this, the youth in red scowled with endless resentment. “Tomorrow, I’ll go?visit that Su?Yi!”
“Don’t!” Cha Jin’s expression changed dramatically. “Senior Apprentice Brother, he’s just too terrifying. Never mind you, someone who only just joined the ranks of Grandmasters; even a long-established Grandmaster is no match for him. Whatever you do, don’t be reckless!
“Rest assured. I’m not stupid enough to attack him head-on,” he said softly. “When I left the sect, I took a certain treasure with me. With it, even if I fail to kill him, I’m sure to leave him critically wounded!”
As he spoke, he flipped his hand, and a seven-inch flying sword appeared. It was covered in dense, complicated, and strange cloud markings and talismans, and the blade emanated a terrifying, pale blue luster.
“An Evil-Destroying Talisman Sword?” Cha Jin was visibly stunned.
This was a treasure personally forged by an Earthly Immortal. It contained terrifying power sufficient to slay a Grandmaster.
“That’s right. Martial Uncle Zhao gave it to me. He used the power of his Origin Dao to nourish and refine it for seven days, seven times over. Only Grandmasters can call upon its power, and even then, only just barely.
“Those beneath the Grandmaster cannot even begin to endure the sword’s power.”
“According to Martial Uncle Zhao, the sword can be activated three times. This time, I’ll use Su Yi to test it out!”
The red-robed youth’s eyes shone.
But when he remembered that a treasure of this level was to be wasted on Su Yi, he couldn’t help but feel it wasn’t quite worth it.
“Senior Apprentice Brother, I still think it would be best if we could win Su Yi over to our side,” said Cha Jin seriously.
“Junior Apprentice Sister, you don’t understand. People like him are proud and disdainful. Only true power can force someone like him to lower his head!” the youth snorted coldly.
Cha Jin sighed to herself.?I knew trying to persuade you again was a waste of time.
……
The night gradually receded as the light of dawn broke through the darkness.
Outside Bottlegourd Alley.
“Daoist Elder, we’ve already asked the neighbors. The only inhabitants of that residence are a bunch of teenagers. None are worthy of concern,” said Chu Silang with a lazy yawn.
He got up early today and investigated the area. It was only after repeated questioning and confirmation that he reached his conclusion: no one in the courtyard Weng Yunqi visited was worth worrying about.
“We cannot get complacent. Weng Yunqi wouldn’t have shown up here for no reason. He’s surely planning something, which implies that the owners of that residence might not be as simple as we imagine,” said the Blood Balance Daoist. His eyes flashed.
Liu Xinglan giggled. “This will actually be quite easy to resolve. I’ll go to the courtyard first and get a read on those youths’ abilities and backgrounds. If they’re thorny opponents, we’ll retreat immediately. If not, we can just occupy the residence and wait for our prey to come to us. Weng Yunqi is sure to come back.”
The Blood Balance Daoist hesitated for a moment, then nodded his agreement. “That’ll work too.”
If an expert sufficient to threaten them really hid amongst those youths, they wouldn’t be able to touch Weng Yunqi even if he did show up.
Thus, either way, their best bet was to get a clear sense of the situation first.
The Blood Balance Daoist commanded, “Be polite. Don’t mistakenly give off the impression that we’re looking for trouble.”
With that, he strode into Bottlegourd Alley. Chu Silang and Liu Xianglan hurried after him.
When he reached the gates of Humble Tranquility cottage, the Blood Balance Daoist paused to adjust his clothes. He plastered a warm, gentle smile across his face, then stretched out his hand and knocked on the door.
“Who is it?” Huang Qianjun’s voice emanated from within the courtyard.
The Blood Balance Daoist smiled. “I live nearby, and last night, a wonton vendor was murdered just outside Bottlegourd Alley. I’m currently asking around the neighborhood to see if I can learn anything about the killer.”
He wasn’t exactly lying, either, because the one who’d killed that street vendor was none other than Weng Yunqi.
Meanwhile, within the courtyard, Huang Qianjun glanced at the gazebo where Su Yi was resting.
Su Yi’s eyes narrowed slightly.
It was just last night that he’d killed Nan Wenxiang and sent Cha Jin fleeing in terror. Weng Yunqi showed up shortly after.
This series of events told Su Yi that Humble Tranquility wouldn’t be so tranquil in the near future, but he wouldn’t have guessed that more people would come looking for him this early in the morning.
“Junior Apprentice Brother Feng, you and Xiaoran should go back to your rooms,” said Su Yi. Then, he waved to Huang Qianjun, indicating that he was to open the gates.?He actually wanted to see just who’d show up this time.
Creak!
The door swung open. 𝒃𝒆𝒐𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝙘𝙤𝒎
Huang Qianjun’s gaze swept across the three people standing outside. He was inwardly solemn, but on the outside, he smiled. “So you’re our neighbors! Might I ask your names?”
“Can we talk inside?” The Blood Balance Daoist clasped his fist and smiled warmly.
Huang Qianjun smiled back and laughed heartily. “Forgive my poor manners. Please, come inside.”
As he spoke, he led the Daoist and his companions inside.
“And this is?” The Blood Balance Daoist immediately noticed Su Yi lounging beneath the gazebo in his wicker chair.
“That’s our young lord,” said Huang Qianjun softly.
“Oh?” The Blood Balance Daoist walked up, then stopped just outside the gazebo and greeted Su Yi with a smile. “This old man greets you, Young Lord.”
Su Yi just sat there, not moving a muscle. His gaze was calm and indifferent. “Tell me, what exactly are you here for?”
The Blood Balance Daoist’s pupils constricted.
Liu Xianglan giggled. “See? This little brother won’t tolerate the slightest irritation. If we keep trying for secrecy, we’ll only embarrass ourselves.”
As she spoke, her gaze landed on the Soul-Nurturing Gourd at Su Yi’s waist, and a strange light flickered through her eyes.