The Cloudriver Prefectural Capital was just as calm as usual, but some of the city’s prominent factions smelled an incoming storm in the air.

Like the Zhang Family. As one of the Cloudriver Prefectural Capital’s four peak-level factions, they naturally were among the first to learn of the massacre at the House of Prosperity.

“Is Su Yi really the same person Blueriver Sword Manor kicked out last year?” asked Family Head Zhang Zhiyan in surprise and confusion. I can’t imagine how a youth who lost his entire cultivation achieved such incredible strength in just one year.

“It is indeed him,” said an elderly retainer in a low voice. “He also slew six of the prefectural governor’s Qi Accumulation experts. Qin Wenyuan is currently investigating him in secret.”

This only made Zhang Zhiyan even more surprised. He pondered out loud, “This kid is quite something! He’s offended two of the prefectural capital’s peak-level factions at once. Either he’s young, foolish, and out of control, or he has the confidence to back his actions up!”

He wore long, bright yellow robes, and he was whiskerless and slightly plump. This made him look like a kindly rich man.

But the prominent figures of the prefectural capital all knew that Zhang Zhiyan was a smiling tiger; his smile hid his fangs. Both his temperament and his methods were ruthless as could be.

“But as of yet, no one has determined the source of Su Yi’s confidence,” said the elderly retainer.

Zhang Zhiyan nodded. “Let’s keep an eye on the situation and see how the prefectural government and Blueriver Sword Manor react. If there’s news, remember to alert me right away.”

The elderly retainer nodded.

……

Blueriver Sword Manor.

The Sword-Cleansing Spring. 

Mu Cangtu was sharpening his sword. The blade was dark as ink, and it shook and hummed as he worked, the sound echoing throughout the night sky.

He was lean, with graying temples. His gaze was serious and focused.

Whenever he found it hard to stay calm, he’d sharpen his sword beside the Sword-Cleansing Spring. In doing so, his mind became as sharp and firm as his blade.

An unknown amount of time later, Mu Cangtu slipped his sword into a pine sheath and rose to his feet.

He was a little on the short side, but as he stood, he was like a solitary, towering mountain emerging from the ground. His vast, imposing aura seemed to shake even heaven and earth.

A group of silently waiting Blueriver Sword Manor higher-ups saw this, and all of them bowed in solemn greeting.

Mu Cangtu!

The sect leader of Blueriver Sword Manor and a long-famed Martial Dao Grandmaster!

He was a man of few words, his temperament as firm as iron. His attainments in the Dao of the Sword had already reached the level of “mastery”. 

In the prefectural capital, people said “One swing of his sword could flatten half the city.”

Beneath the night sky, Mu Cangtu strapped his pine sheath to his back, and when he spoke, his indifferent voice clanged like metal. “Tell Qin Wenyuan that I’m a sword cultivator. When it comes to killing, I fear neither death nor defeat, but I will only do what I ought to do, nothing more.”

With that, he put his hands behind his back and left.

When they saw this, Zhou Huaiqiu and the other Blueriver Sword Manor higher-ups all realized that yesterday’s incident at the House of Prosperity had already awoken their sect leader’s desire to kill!

……

“This is my chance!” Within one of the prefectural capital’s taverns, Zhou Zhili clapped and laughed. “The heavens are really looking out for me. Who knows? I might very well be able to kill two birds with one stone this time.”

“Su Yi dared act as he did. He naturally has means of coping with the resulting disaster. If you think getting involved will put you in his good graces or convince him to work for you, you’re delusional.” Qing Jin slumped beside the table, taking sips of wine. Her sharp, knife-like eyes carried a hint of mockery.

“It would, of course, be best to send him coal in a blizzard. But if that’s not possible, isn’t improving on perfection pretty good too?” This time, Zhou Zhili didn’t let her barbed words shake him. He said frankly, “Besides, our original purpose in coming to the Cloudriver Prefectural Capital was to win Qin Wenyuan over to my side, but that old fox has refused to make his position clear. He clearly doesn’t want to pick sides this early in the game!”

A cold smile rose on Zhou Zhili’s lips. “I’ll actually be rather eager to watch as he goes up against Su Yi, then falls flat on his face; Su Yi’s practically a fallen immortal! Then, I’ll step in to clean up the mess. After all that, won’t Qin Wenyuan have no choice but to lower his head?

He glanced at Qing Jin and continued, “This way, Young Lord Su will owe me a favor and I’ll win Qin Wenyuan over to my side. If that isn’t killing two birds with one stone, what is?”

Qing Jin sighed, sounding a bit dispirited. “When you make your plans, you have to consider the worst possible outcome even as you strive for ideal results. It’s too early to get excited.”

Zhou Zhili paid her words no heed. Seeing this, Qing Jin couldn’t be bothered to say anymore. The petty struggles of the mundane world? How could someone like Su Yi concern himself with such a thing?

In his eyes, both Qin Wenyuan and Mu Cangtu are no different from any other Inner Furnace Realm Grandmasters!

…..

Morning the next day. The skies were overcast; it looked like rain. 

Humble Tranquility Cottage.

As always, Su Yi rose, cultivated, bathed, and ate. All the while, he looked perfectly at ease.

But Huang Qianjun, Feng Xiaofeng, and Feng Xiaoran obviously had something weighing on their minds; none of them were as relaxed as usual.

Su Yi noticed this, but he said nothing. Instead, he looked up at the sky. He could roughly gauge that a major downpour was on its way.

The arrival of a storm was actually rather fitting.

Suddenly, the sound of urgent footsteps rang out from Bottlegourd Alley.

“Young Lord Su Yi, the prefectural governor has given orders. He requests that you proceed out of the city and meet him on the Qingding Military Drill Grounds.” A man in black knocked on the door, emanating shocking murderous energy.

Huang Qianjun and the others’ expressions shifted. Is the prefectural governor finally making his move?

“Alright.” Su Yi agreed without hesitation.

The man in black didn’t delay. He simply spurred his horse on and left.

“Brother Su.” Huang Qianjun took a deep breath. “I want to go with you!”

“It’s going to rain….” whispered Su Yi. “Bring two umbrellas. I don’t want to come back soaked. That would be pathetic.”

Huang Qianjun hurriedly went off to fetch them.

“Senior Apprentice Brother Su….” Feng Xiaofeng was about to say something when Su Yi smiled and stopped him. 

“Wait a moment first.”

Shortly after, they heard yet another set of rapid hoofbeats drawing near.

The valiant-looking Yuan Luoxi dashed in, clad in military attire. Her oval face lit up with delight. “Master Su, my father has already agreed to help out!”

Cheng Wuyong followed her in and nodded hurriedly.

Su Yi smiled, then pointed to the Feng Siblings. “If you really want to help, look after the two of them. I’m going to the Qingding Military Drill Grounds, but I’ll be right back.”

With that, he turned and walked out of the courtyard.

Only then did Feng Xiaofeng realize that Su Yi had long since anticipated Yuan Luoxi’s arrival. That’s why he suggested I wait a moment. So, he planned to use the Yuan Family’s power to look after me and Xiaoran!

Feng Xiaofeng took a deep breath, then said in a loud voice, “Senior Apprentice Brother Su, I heated a jar of wine for us last night, but we never got to drink it. I’ll heat another this time and wait for your return!”

“Great.” Su Yi waved without so much as a second look.

Outside the residence, Huang Qianjun had already prepared a carriage.

“Uncle Yong, I’ll leave this place up to you. “When she saw this, Yuan Luoxi hurried after them.

Cheng Wuyong was inwardly frantic. There was no way he wanted to miss the grand spectacle about to unfold! But when he recalled the orders Su Yi had given just now, he had no choice but to endure. 

……

The clouds were dull and grey, and the world was gloomy.

Outside the city, the Qingding Military Drill Grounds. 

This place was right up against the vast and imposing Great Azure. A camp of soldiers subordinate to the prefectural governor’s estate was stationed here year-round, roughly three thousand men in total. All of them were stalwart warriors. 

A flagpole stood upright in the center of the vast and level military grounds, the flag flapping in the wind.

A group of armored elite troops stood solemnly at attention.

Qin Wenyuan sat atop the platform overlooking the drill grounds, as steady as a mountain.

A group of other influential members of the prefectural governor’s estate clustered around him, like stars clustering around the moon. His son, Qin Feng, stood at his side. From time to time, Qin Feng gazed eagerly into the distance; he could already picture Su Yi dying on the military drill grounds. 

Seats lined the sides of the platforms as well. They were already packed.

Practically everyone seated there was a prominent figure within the prefectural capital. These were people who could, with a single stop of their feet, influence an entire district.

The sky gradually darkened, and the dense clouds overhead gave the military drill grounds a grim, oppressive atmosphere.

All of them were waiting. When word of the massacre at the House of Prosperity spread, all of the city’s higher-ups responded.

All of them knew that something big would happen tonight on the Qingding Military Drill Ground!

“The head of the Zhang Family has arrived!” Suddenly, a voice emanated from the gates.

Immediately afterward, beneath countless shocked gazes, a group walked inside.

A whiskerless, slightly chubby man walked at their forefront. This was none other than the head of the Zhang Family, Zhang Zhiyan. His son, Zhang Yuanxing, trailed after him, as well as some of the other Zhang Family higher-ups.

Their appearance caused uproar throughout the venue.

“Brother Zhang, welcome! This way, please.” Qin Wenyuan rose to his feet and clasped his fist. 

“Governor Qin, I’m simply here to broaden my boy’s horizons. I absolutely won’t get involved in anything else. Please, relax,” said Zhang Zhiyan, responding to the greeting with a hearty laugh. He and his procession took their seats.

Not long after, the voice rang out once more, provoking yet another uproar. “The head of the Yuan Family has arrived!”

This time, even Qin Wenyuan was surprised. He furrowed his brow. What’s Yuan Wutong doing here, the old fox?

He and Zhang Zhiyan were on decent terms, so Zhang Zhiyan’s sudden arrival didn’t come as much of a surprise, but he hadn’t anticipated Yuan Wutong’s arrival.

The reason for this was simple: there was no bond between him and Yuan Wutong whatsoever. Rather, they walked different paths, and they rarely interacted with each other.

As he pondered, two figures strode into the military drill grounds.

The leader was a man in long, loose-sleeved robes. He had a bookish air, like a schoolteacher.

The other was a tall, stalwart youth, valiant and imposing. 

These were none other than Yuan Wutong and his second son, Yuan Luoyu.

Father and son brought no attendants, but who dared underestimate them?

Many prominent figures of the various clans went so far as to rise and bow in greeting.

Zhang Zhiyan laughed heartily, “Brother Yuan, I’m here to watch the show. What are you here for?”

“I’m here to put on a show,” laughed Yuan Wutong.

“Oh?” Zhang Zhiyan burst into laughter. “And here I thought you’d come to stick up for that Su Yi kid.”

Yuan Wutong sighed with admiration and applauded. “You’ve got keen eyes, Brother Zhang. You saw through my intentions at a glance. Truly admirable!”

“???” Zhang Zhiyan was at a loss.

The others were stunned too. This declaration caught them completely off guard.

Qin Wenyuan watched from the platform. His eyes narrowed, and his expression frosted over. “Should I interpret that as an admission that Su Yi dared brazenly commit murder within city limits, creating such a massive disaster, all because he…. Had you to back him up, Brother Yuan?”

Just one sentence, and he’d effectively pointed his spear at Yuan Wutong!

Quite a few people were bewildered and uncertain. It was obvious Qin Wenyuan’s words had influenced them.

But Yuan Wutong merely laughed and shook his head. “Someone like Su Yi has no need for the Yuan Family’s backing. Governor Qin, if you don’t believe me, wait until he gets here and ask him yourself.”

Almost immediately afterward, a single, solitary carriage drove up beneath the darkness.