If Su Yi had said that before the battle began, Xia Houlin and the others would almost certainly have turned up their noses at him. They would have taken it as a joke. 

But now, after bearing witness to his strength, who would dare disregard his words?

In truth, Su Yi’s meaning was quite simple. You refuse to let them go? That’s fine too, but you won’t be the only ones to die: your entire family will follow you to the grave!

This was a threat, but who dared not take it seriously?

Su Yi was strong enough to slay a Xiantian Martial Ancestor in a single attack or suppress them with a single palm strike. That meant that in the Great Zhou, he already stood near the pinnacle of martial artists!

Unless an Earthly Immortal personally intervened, the three kneeling men feared that even if other Xiantian Martial Ancestors showed up, they would struggle to stop Su Yi.

If someone like him dared make such a threat, he undoubtedly dared carry it out!

Although the three of them had emerged from the Jade Capital’s Su Family, they all had their respective friends and family. If Su Yi’s revenge extended to them….

The consequences would be unimaginable!

“Third Young Master, we can let them go, but even now, I still don’t understand. Why are you so stubbornly opposed to lowering your head? The family head is your own biological father!” said Xia Houlin, his voice weak and his expression filled with bewilderment. 

“Why is it that earlier, none of you asked how Su Hongli treated my mother?” said Su Yi flatly. “Or, for that matter, how he treated me?”

All three of them fell silent.

“I currently have the power to slay all three of you, yet you’re still asking why I won’t lower my head? Don’t you think that’s ridiculous?” Su Yi said calmly, “Of course, in your eyes, no matter what Su Hongli does, he’s in the right, while I’m just the son he rejects as an ‘unworthy descendant.’ No matter what I do, I’m surely in the wrong. Thus, there’s truly no point in discussing these matters with you.”

Xia Houlin and the others sank further into silence.

Su Yi said casually, “If you have nothing else to say, let’s get right to it. I don’t have any more time to waste with you.”

Xia Houlin sighed, then looked at Pei Wenshan. “Have them let everyone go.”  

Pei Wenshan took a bronze cylinder from his sleeves, tapped it, and activated the mechanism on the side.

Bang!

A signal flare shot into the skies, bursting a thousand feet overhead, dazzling and eye-catching. 

Pei Wenshan said in a low voice, “When they see this signal flare, my subordinates will let all the captives go.”

He paused, then said, “But Heaven’s Origin Academy is too far away. I’m afraid the representatives of Jixia and Watermoon Academies won’t be able to see the fireworks. I can send someone to inform them and have them withdraw.”

Su Yi nodded. “Do any of you have paper and a brush?”

“Young Lord Su, I’ve got both.” Jiang Tanyun said hurriedly. He wasn’t far away, so he hurried over and proffered both writing supplies. 

“Do you carry these everywhere you go?” asked Su Yi in mild surprise.

Jiang Tanyun scratched his head a bit bashfully. “I won’t lie to you; when I’m bored or restless, I like painting with ink to express my innermost feelings.”

Su Yi looked at him; he hadn’t expected that. “That’s a good habit, a way to cultivate the heart. When I’m moved, I like to wave my brush around and practice calligraphy too.”

He said this, then placed the brush and paper before Yue Qing. “Help me write Su Hongli a letter.”

When Jiang Tanyun saw this, he considerately turned and left.

Yue Qing silently picked up the brush and unfolded the paper. When he saw that there was no ink, he hesitated, then dipped the brush in his own blood.

Su Yi thought, then said, “On the fourth day of the fourth month, I, Su Yi, will proceed to the Jade Capital.

“I will give the Su Family one month to prepare. Before the fourth day of the fifth month, they’re welcome to call upon all the power at their disposal to oppose me.”

“At dawn on the fourth day of the fifth month, I’ll go visit the Su Family personally and collect offerings. Then, on the fifth day of the fifth month, I’ll go sweep my mother’s grave.”

Yue Qing’s body went rigid, and his fingers trembled. He hesitated. “Third Young Master, are you sure you want the family head to see those words?”

“Write,” said Su Yi flatly.

Yue Qing took a deep breath, then swept his brush across the page. One crimson character after another appeared on the pristine white paper, the sight shocking to behold.

Su Yi then picked up the finished letter, scanned it, rolled it up, and tossed it to Shen Jiusong. “Later on, help me find a messenger. I want this delivered to the Jade Capital.”

Shen Jiusong solemnly acknowledged his orders.

Su Yi’s gaze then returned to Yue Qing. “Yesterday, your behavior at the House of Waveswept Rocks was quite interesting. If you repeat it now, I’ll give you a chance at life. How about it?”

Yue Qing was briefly dazed. Then, his face filled with anger and humiliation. He spat through gnashed teeth, “Third Young Master, you can kill me, but don’t push me too far. What need is there to humiliate me?”

Su Yi said calmly, “Those who humiliate others will be humiliated in turn. Didn’t you like buying the deed to my residence? Didn’t you like flinging your gold into the dirt? Didn’t you like feigning terror, giggling to yourself, then clutching your stomach and laughing uproariously? Well, I’m giving you a chance to do what you like best, as well as a chance at life. What’s wrong with that?”

Yue Qing’s face was red with fury. He was so upset and indignant that he almost wanted to die.

“Boring. Truly boring.” Su Yi sighed, then gently drew his fingertip through the air. 

Splurt!

Yue Qing’s head fell to the floor. Even in death, his expression carried lingering shame and indignation…..

“Do either of you have anything else you want to say?” This time, Su Yi glanced at Xia Houlin and Pei Wenshan.

“Third Young Master, I’m looking forward to the day you meet the family head. It would be even better if I could watch as he killed you….” muttered Xia Houlin. 

“Alas, you’re not destined to see it.” Su Yi sighed, then slashed with his fingertips once more. Xia Houlin’s head tumbled to the ground. 

This bloody spectacle left Pei Wenshan deeply agitated. His expression changed erratically, and he said in a raspy voice, “Third Young Master, you might not fear threats, but before I die, I’d still like to say that becoming enemies with the Su Family is no different from becoming enemies with the entire Great Zhou. You’d best carefully consider the consequences.”

Su Yi laughed. “Since you’re so sincere, there’s no harm in telling you this before you die: never mind the Great Zhou, even if the entire Azure Continent opposed me, I wouldn’t so much as furrow my brow.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he slashed with his fingertips.

Whoop!

Pei Wenshan’s head fell from his shoulders.

Su Yi had now slain one non-Zhou king and two non-Zhou Marquis!

After everything they’d seen, Mu Xi and the others were silent. All of them were well aware that Xia Houlin and the two marquises’ deaths meant an irrevocable rift between Su Yi and the Su Family!

When the Su Family, that massive faction of the Jade Capital, was enraged, the consequences were severe. Just thinking about it was so terrifying that they felt the urge to panic. 

But Su Yi acted as if none of that had anything to do with him. He just rose and put away his wicker chair.

First, he walked up to the Wen Family Dowager and the others. “You’re safe now. If you’re worried about getting mixed up in this, you can proceed to Heaven’s Origin Academy and stay there for a while. Wait there until the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. After that, it’s unlikely that anyone in the Great Zhou will make trouble for you ever again.”

The Wen Family Dowager looked at him, her expression conflicted. “Third Young Master, do you truly plan to start a war against the Su Family?”

“Hasn’t the war already begun?” asked Su Yi.

The elderly dowager instantly fell silent. 

Su Yi said no more. It was only out of consideration for Wen Lingxue that he’d said anything to them at all.

He then turned and glanced at Mu Xi and his other allies. “Everyone, I’ll have to trouble you to take care of the clean-up.”

With that, he placed his hands behind his back and, beneath the onlookers’ stunned gazes, walked off into the distance. 

His blue robes gradually faded from view. Before long, he’d disappeared into the gentle sunlight.

From beginning to end, he didn’t spare Fu Shan or Nie Beihu so much as a second look.

“I…. Did I really make a mistake?” Fu Shan’s lips quivered, and he muttered bitterly to himself. He suddenly felt much older.

Chen Zheng walked over from not far away, his gaze cold. “The Su Family is indeed mighty, but you shouldn’t have tried to help them force Young Lord Su to lower his head. Although it doesn’t truly count as a betrayal, it’s not far off.

“But then, Young Lord Su chose not to pursue the matter. Naturally, I won’t either. You’d best hurry up and leave.” 

After a brief daze, Fu Shan slumped as he thought back to Su Yi’s time in Guangling City. He’d respected Su Yi immensely and thought highly of him, and they’d gotten along well.

Yet now, due to differences in position and perspective, their relationship had crumbled!

“I would never have guessed that, just a little over one month after leaving Guangling City, Master Su would possess enough power to slay a Xiantian Martial Ancestor…” Fu Shan staggered off. He felt as if he’d lost his soul.

He knew that, so long as he lived, he could never repair his former friendship with Su Yi.

Meanwhile, Chen Zheng glanced at Nie Beihu, feeling a bit impatient. “What are you just standing there for? Why haven’t you left yet?”

Nie Beihu jumped, and his expression shifted. A while passed before he whispered, “Marquis, I… Might you pass on a message to Master Su for me?”

Chen Zheng’s brow furrowed, but in the end, he resisted the impulse to refuse. “Say it.”

“Today, I let Master Su down, but that had absolutely nothing to do with my son, Nie Teng. I hope… I hope that he won’t find fault with my boy over what happened here today….” Nie Beihu lowered his head in dejection.

Chen Zheng waved. “You’d best hurry up and leave.”

Nie Beihu sighed, then turned and left. However, his silhouette was incomparably desolate and bleak.

Before long, the Wen Family members left too.

Chen Zheng’s gaze swept across the gathered soldiers of the provincial government, and his brow furrowed imperceptibly.

He walked up to Mu Xi, Shen Jiusong, Jiang Tanyun, and the others, then said, “It’s already impossible to hide what happened here today, and when word reaches the Su Family, Su Hongli will inevitably find out who was involved. Everyone…. Do you have any regrets?”

Mu Xi snorted. “Spiritmartial Marquis, you needn’t test me like this. I was naturally well aware of the consequences when I chose to come here. For that matter, do you really think I’m afraid of the Su Family?”

His voice was calm and indifferent, yet utterly contemptuous. 

“I apologize, Young King. That was rude of me.” Chen Zheng clasped his fist.

Shen Jiusong said evenly, “Spiritmartial Marquis, you need not worry. I will not imitate Fu Shan or Nie Beihu. Furthermore, after today, how could I possibly fail to recognize Young Lord Su’s character? If something happens to me, he will surely avenge me! In that case, what do I have to fear?”

“Spiritmartial Marquis, after all that has happened, do you really think we still have the opportunity to regret this?” laughed Pu Yi. 

Jiang Tanyun and Lu Zhangfeng glanced at each other. They laughed too.

Before even coming to the Imperatorial Province, Mu Xi discussed the consequences of this choice with them, yet all of them had decided to come anyway. 

How could they possibly regret it now?

When influential figures like them made a decision, it meant that they’d already considered it thoroughly, including the likely consequences. They naturally wouldn’t go back on their word.

This was what it meant to live without regret.