Dad, Don't Kill Him!

"Behave yourself!"

Qi Lin stood at the very center of the city guard's encirclement, dragging Ye Qing in his hand like a dead dog.

A sword lay across Ye Qing's neck!

By now, more than a thousand city guards had arrived, their swords and sabers drawn, their gazes cold and grim.

Afraid that Qi Lin would kill Ye Qing, they naturally did not dare make a rash move.

"Splendid!"

A clear, ringing voice suddenly echoed across the sky.

"A young hero, holding the pass alone."

As the voice descended, the city guards parted of their own accord, opening a path.

A group of powerful middle-aged men in luxurious robes entered. Every one of them was a figure who held sway over Mystic City's lifeblood.

At their head was a man in white robes, with a face as fine as jade, bright eyes, swordlike brows, and an extraordinary bearing.

"City Lord!"

The city guards breathed sighs of relief and hurried to pay their respects.

This handsome middle-aged man was none other than Su Fengxuan, the lord of Mystic City.

After arriving, he fixed his keen eyes on Qi Lin and praised him again. "As expected of Uncle Qi's grandson!"

Those words, "Uncle Qi's grandson," made the people around him exchange glances. They thought to themselves, So this young man also comes from a distinguished family? Anyone the city lord calls "uncle" must be extraordinary.

In an instant, the way they looked at Qi Lin changed completely!

"What are you doing?"

The very next moment, City Lord Su Fengxuan swept a cold gaze over the city guards. "Who told you to draw your weapons against the people here in Pingyang District?"

The city guards were taken aback and hurriedly sheathed their weapons.

"Reporting to the city lord, it was Commander Su Cheng," one of the guards said.

"Outrageous." Su Fengxuan's expression darkened. "Tell Su Cheng to get out here."

"City Lord, Su Cheng has already been slain by Qi Lin," the guards said.

Su Fengxuan paused briefly, then said coldly, "That man abused his power for personal gain and corrupted the city guard's discipline. He deserved to die."

After speaking, he swept another cold glance over the city guards.

At last, his gaze settled on Han Yuan. "I appoint Han Yuan as the new commander. Take the city guards to establish defenses at once and track down the evildoer who caused trouble today. Do not make things difficult for the people."

Han Yuan had already prepared himself to die a hero's death, yet now he had become commander?

He was a little dazed.

"Congratulations, Commander Han!"

The city guards who had just been trying to surround and kill Han Yuan were now all smiles, calling him brother.

Qi Lin actually had connections up his sleeve, enough to make even the city lord protect him?

At the thought, Han Yuan finally breathed a sigh of relief. Who would have thought this disaster would turn into a blessing for me!

The tense atmosphere, with swords drawn and crossbows cocked, completely eased.

"By the way."

Su Fengxuan's gaze grew solemn as he looked at Qi Lin. "Child, you are Uncle Qi's orphaned grandson. You have exceptional talent, yet you have no family to turn to. I am willing to take you as my adopted son and pave the way for your cultivation. What do you say?"

At these words, the city guards immediately looked at Qi Lin with envy and reverence.

The people were also delighted, happy for Qi Lin.

"Now that Qi Lin is the city lord's adopted son, he won't have to fear the Ye family's revenge, will he?" Xiao Tao'er's mother asked Doctor He on their way back, her face bright with joy.

"Naturally. Here in Mystic City, the city lord holds the greatest authority." Doctor He was also sincerely happy for Qi Lin. "With the city lord's favor, little Qi Lin's future is boundless."

With all eyes upon them, Su Fengxuan's expression softened, and he added, "Of course, if you are unwilling, I won't force you."

"City Lord Su." Qi Lin looked at Su Fengxuan calmly. "I'm willing!"

Su Fengxuan smiled upon hearing this.

He was just about to say more...

Suddenly!

Qi Lin drove the Azure Soul Sword in his hand toward Ye Qing's dantian!

Pfft!

It pierced straight through!

Boom!

Ye Qing's second-level Mystic Sea Realm true essence burst out along the Azure Soul Sword's blade, and his dantian shriveled at once like a ball losing its air.

"Ah..."

Ye Qing's eyes went wide, and his limbs convulsed.

He was clearly screaming, yet no sound came from his throat. All he could do was stare at Qi Lin in despair.

There had still been hope when his hand was severed, but with his dantian ruptured... he was certain to be crippled for the rest of his life.

He couldn't understand!

Qi Lin had already agreed to become Su Fengxuan's adopted son, so why had he suddenly struck?

"Qi Lin!" Su Fengxuan's expression abruptly turned cold. "What are you doing?"

Qi Lin scratched his head and grinned, saying naively, "Now that I have the city lord as my adoptive father, why should I be afraid of the measly Ye family? As the saying goes, to cut the grass, you have to pull out the roots. I'm helping our city lord's residence avoid trouble."

Hearing this, Su Fengxuan's face stiffened like iron, and his gaze grew darker than ink.

"Su Fengxuan!"

A furious roar suddenly rang out.

A figure landed beside Su Fengxuan. His vast true essence came down like a falling meteorite, and the ground shook and cracked with a thunderous boom.

The newcomer's strength was plain to see.

He had to be a powerful expert beyond the Mystic Sea Realm, his true essence as vast and vigorous as the earth's yang veins!

After the burly figure appeared, he merely shot Su Fengxuan a glare.

The next instant, his towering fury locked onto Qi Lin like a blazing furnace, vicious killing intent in his eyes!

"It's Ye Jianxiong, head of the Thick Earth Division!"

"I heard he's also an important figure in the Universal Salvation Chamber of Commerce... He's almost on equal footing with the city lord."

He was none other than Ye Qing's father.

"What is going on?"

Han Yuan couldn't make sense of any of it.

"Brother Han, the city lord punished Su Cheng, promoted you, and offered to take an adopted son all to trick Qi Lin into releasing Ye Qing. But Qi Lin went and crippled Ye Qing instead," one of the city guards explained.

"Fuck!" Han Yuan was stunned all over again. "Then my commander's position is gone, and I won't escape the death penalty either?"

He really wanted to curse. These people were too crafty. They were only trying to save someone, yet they had so many tricks?

But!

Han Yuan glanced at Qi Lin's fierce bearing and could only say that Su Fengxuan and Ye Jianxiong had no choice either.

A boy his age was the least likely to know when to hold back. The two powerful men simply couldn't be sure that, if they struck directly, Qi Lin wouldn't fight to the death to kill Ye Qing.

"Damn it, is this little brat smarter than me? One thrust of his sword exposed even Su Fengxuan's underwear?" Han Yuan stared in astonishment and admiration.

But now he was also frantic with worry.

Beat the young one and the old one came running. How could a thirteen-year-old child withstand him?

Sure enough!

When Ye Jianxiong saw that his precious son had been crippled, his eyes blazed and his teeth ground together.

"Ye Qing!" he called out to his son.

"Dad..." Ye Qing opened his clouded eyes. "Save me."

Ye Jianxiong squeezed his eyes shut. "Be my son again in your next life, and I'll make absolutely sure you live in glory and riches!"

Hearing this, Ye Qing convulsed all over and shook his head desperately.

Even crippled, he still wanted to live.

But in his father's eyes, a cripple wasting away his life was better off dying early and being reborn!

Only then could Ye Jianxiong ignore Qi Lin's threat.

Boom!

When the Earth Yang Realm expert's true essence swept over Qi Lin and bore down on him, even the ground beneath his feet began to collapse.

Crack, crack, crack!

The bones in both Qi Lin's and Ye Qing's bodies trembled, and cold sweat poured from them.

"Earth Yang Realm!"

The first four realms of cultivation were Yellow, Mystic, Earth, and Heaven.

This Ye Jianxiong was said to be an expert of the fourth level of the Earth Yang Realm, Burning Ruins, vastly stronger than Qi Lin.

"Dad, don't kill me!" Ye Qing was also pinned down by the Earth Yang pressure, and he immediately broke into a heart-rending wail.

Qi Lin braced one knee against the ground, resisting the pressure with all his might. His eyes were like sharp swords as he looked at Ye Jianxiong and sneered. "The esteemed head of the Thick Earth Division, who's cultivated for over forty years, really has the nerve to bully a child like me here!"

Ye Jianxiong grinned viciously, ignored Ye Qing, and slapped a palm toward Qi Lin.

"So what if I'm using my age and strength to bully you? Who told your family to leave you as a lone wandering ghost? Go complain about me to King Yama."

Boom, boom!

That Earth Yang divine might had already begun tearing apart the flesh all over Qi Lin's body.

Qi Lin was furious!

"Grandpa!"

He abruptly turned his head and shouted toward the Qitian Clan's ancestral hall, "They're calling your grandson a lone wandering ghost! How much longer are you going to sit there and watch the show?"