"Shen, is this really okay?" Gelou asked in bewilderment.

"It's fine, it's fine," Shen said casually.

Mingyue Gelou looked around the inn while having breakfast. It was unusually quiet for the most popular Inn of the Yan City. The atmosphere looked rather gloomy too. There were hardly any customers in the other tables, "Is this Inn this desolate in the morning? Or there's some problem?"

It's the morning of just another day but the atmosphere of the Yan Jiang City was grim. Obviously, for a bustling city, this was out of the norm. Normally at this time, the city would look lively and merchants would go in and out of the city.

The reason for this atmosphere was not a trivial matter either. Last night someone injured Young Master Xiao severely. He was not harmed externally but his inner organs were severely injured! Whoever used this method was ruthless to the core, even the alchemists of the city were having trouble stabilizing his condition.

"It's alright, we should be having company soon," said Shen. He seemed to have some hidden meaning in his words but Mingyue Gelou didn't understand. Yan QingQing seemed to thought of something instantly and shock was written on her visibly.

Mingyue Gelou noticed the shock on QingQing's face and couldn't help but ask "QingQing, did you thought of something?"

QingQing remembered about the event last night, how Young Master Xiao suddenly fell down was still a mystery to her but thinking again, it wasn't as simple as she made it out to be. The young man in front of her was no normal person after all. Although she didn't doubt, she didn't think he could pressure a Xiantian that much. If what she thought was right then the Xiao Clan shouldn't take a long time to find them, "I think it's the Xiao Clan"—

Before she could finish her words, she was interrupted by a loud voice. "Who the h.e.l.l dared to harm my niece, come out in front of me at once!!!"

Soon a group of old and middle-aged man entered the vision of Mingyue Gelou and Yan QingQing. All of them were exceptional, even the youngest one among the group was Grade 1 Xiantian and their highest cultivation reached Grade 5 of the Martial King Realm!

Shen sighed softly, although he expected the company, they couldn't just arrive a few minutes later. He was about to finish his breakfast. The dishes in the inn could be considered great and he wanted to savor them slowly.

"As you should already know, it is indeed me, your lord father, Young Master Shen." casually replied Shen, seemingly deep in thought, which was indeed correct.

Since he promised QingQing that she will be under his wing, he was thinking about a suitable place to train her. While Yan City might be a good choice, it was not favorable to him.

"You piece of vegetable, how dare you insult our elder!" a man in his early twenties and also the youngest of the group said out loud. He just reached the Xiantian realm and was very arrogant. When he saw the person talking was a "vegetable" without any cultivation, he couldn't help but curse out.

"FOoOshhh!~"

A loud sound as if something being punctured sounded inside the whole Inn. Everyone, including Mingyue Gelou and Yan QingQing, looked for the source of the sound as well. When they found the source, most of the Xiao Clan group looked horrified because they couldn't even see how it happened. As for the rest who saw the black shadow coming couldn't react in time to block it.

As for the arrogant man who spoke fell on his knees and his face went deathly pale. "...This, what just"— he violently coughed out a mouthful of blood, he looked at his blood filled hand and shouted hysterically —"SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT THE h.e.l.l HAPPENED??!!!"

The arrogant man still couldn't find out what just happened. He suddenly felt a hole in his dantian and just after that, all the cultivation he worked hard for more than twenty years of his life left his body.

"Geez, it's still early in the morning, can you quiet down a little?" Another flash of black light pa.s.sed but the oldest man from the Xiao Clan blocked it. Just when he thought he blocked the black needle, another black light pa.s.sed by him and embedded itself exactly three inches below the man's throat.

The man opened his mouth and moved his lips but no sound came out. Not even some incoherent mumbling or noises. Every one of the group now looked horrified and amazed at the same time. Such ability and precision didn't look like some cheap trick or fluke. "Just what kind of background did this young man possess," this was everyone's current thought.

Shen was currently in a foul mood. The main reason he annoyed the Xiao Clan was to create a foothold on Yan City and let QingQing stay there with Mingyue Gelou, but even Mingyue Gelou had to return with him. And taking QingQing to Hundred Miles City would completely destroy the reason for her to get strong. At the same time, it would be breaking the request she made just a few minutes ago. He thought about keeping her inside the Absolute Jade Mortal Realm and while it might work in the short term, in the long run, her growth would be limited under such condition. It was the same for him.

"I'm busy, just get the h.e.l.l out of here," Shen said, the whole time they only saw his back. Rather than seeing some old men, Shen rather searched for any change of expression on QingQing's face.

She knew exactly how strong the Xiao Clan was, yet there was not even a hint of fear or panic on her face. He felt a little excited and at the same time, a little different feeling. He wanted to see how great of a woman she will grow up to be. Such a fine girl being a flower vase would be a great waste.

While Shen was checking QingQing, she was doing the same. He never left his seat, nor did he even turn around but the whole time everything inside this Inn was under his control. As if she was inside his zone, and he is the king here. This confirmed her earlier a.s.sumptions that this young man was not all talk but rather had enough capabilities to back them up. Even when so many experts were here for his life, he was calm and his actions were smooth. While she couldn't see anything that happened, she understood that he did something to make the Xiao Clan suffer, and twice at that. Which just shows, if he wanted to get something from her, he could take it... without any retaliation at that. With this, she could trust him and promised inwardly that she will return this favor one day.

While the front oldest man was calm, the same couldn't be said for the others. They wanted to rush ahead and show him how this world "truly" worked.

"Shen, what's happening?" At this time, both Su Rou and Wenren Wushuang came and noticed the tense atmosphere. They were still unsure of the situation that's why didn't try to act rush.

"Nothing, just a small dispute. Come, have a seat."

The duo sat beside Yan QingQing while exchanging pleasantries. Right after sitting down both of them felt uncomfortable. When the men from Xiao Clan saw Su Rou and Wenren Wushuang, they all had an excited look. They couldn't wait to push down even any of them. When they noticed Yan QingQing they completely ignored her. While she was "fresh" and unforgettable beauty, their young miss, the Mistress Xiao, forbid them from touching her, but their gazes once again lit up seeing Mingyue Gelou.

The girls frowned as their nasty gaze made them want to vomit with disgust. Shen understood what was happening by the girls' obvious disgust on their face and was displeased as well. Even some bunch of old and middle-aged man didn't have that much self-control.

"Heh. Hahaha," the old man laughed out loudly, "I don't know what kind of formidable background you have but a local snake is more powerful than a neighboring dragon. Leave everything you have, including your alchemy technique and I, the third elder of the Xiao family promises to let you go freely."

"Oh, that's a generous offer, old man. Of course, my companion goes with you, right?" Shen said, sarcasm apparent on his voice.

"Haha, you are indeed intelligent, young man. If you want we can even give them back after a month—" said a middle-aged man with eager eyes. He looked as if he couldn't wait for his turn but before he could finish his words, Shen already rushed at him before burying his head to the floor with a single punch.

"Say, which one of you want my girls." a deep voice left Shen's throat. He didn't get this angry even by Zhu Lin's action. The Absolute Existence which Shen didn't use for a long time circulated itself as a strong ferocious aura occupied the whole inn. Even cultivators from outside s.h.i.+vered when they felt this strange aura. It was as if a primordial beast awakened and everything in its path will be devastated.

"You—" everyone inside the inn shook in fear. While the girls didn't feel the pressure from the aura, they could feel the tyrannical might from it. Only the old man whose cultivation was Peak of Grade 5 Martial King remained composed even in this pressure.

"I thought you are just a vegetable but it seems you have secrets. Take them all out!" The old man roared loudly as he threw a fierce punch at the face of Shen.

Shen didn't try to block or evade the attack as he countered with another punch on his gut. Both of their punch connected at the same time! Shen didn't budge from his spot, but the old man backed away ten steps.

Shen immediately rushed and kicked on the head of the old man. The old man side-stepped and almost avoided the kick but Shen's kick grazed his left ear, causing it to be detached from the body.

The intense pain caused the old man to be distracted for a moment but that moment of distraction turned fatal. Shen's second kick directly connected to the head of the old man and his brain sprayed in different places.

Mingyue Gelou, Su Rou and Wenren Wushuang had hardly any change in the expression but the face of Yan QingQing turned ghastly pale. She watched many cultivators fighting in the arena, but this was her first time seeing a b.l.o.o.d.y battle, and the brain matters churned her stomach from inside. She forcefully held in the flood that was threatening to break out at any time.

After that Shen started his slaughter. The bodies that went through Shen's anger lacked either complete limbs or they didn't have eyes on their sockets.

"Shen, stop!" Mingyue Gelou tugged Shen from behind. Of the 14 people from the Xiao Clan, only 4 remained now. One of them soiled his pant, while the rest three wetted the ground.

Shen stopped on his track as he looked back. He took a deep breath to calm himself down. When he noticed the people's l.u.s.tful gazes scanning on Wenren Wushuang, he involuntarily remembered about how Wenren Wugou got raped in the novel. As a result, he couldn't contain his anger and lashed out at once.

"Go and tell the Mistress Xiao that, Yan QingQing will come back in two years to avenge all the suffering they made her and her mother go through. Now, Scram!"

The four survivors felt relieved when they learned that their lives would be spared, they frantically bowed and ran off without minding their image.

Shen apologized to Mingyue Gelou and noticed that QingQing had a pale white face. He thought this look didn't suit her. This is something she must get used to if she wants to survive.

"Alright, let's go. We still have to reach Greencloud City."