Repelling the Enemy, Flower Cultivation and Leaf Nurturing Art

Shangguan Liuyun, eldest son of the Shangguan Family, had already reached the Ninth Level of Meridian Opening. With a little more accumulation, he would have a chance to step into the Gang Gathering Realm.

At that moment, he came treading on leaves and stood suspended in the air, his majestic aura battering Wang Dingtian without pause. Wang Dingtian gritted his teeth and pushed his cultivation to the limit, yet even his Fifth Level of Meridian Opening could not withstand Shangguan Liuyun's formidable pressure. He could only retreat again and again beneath that crushing force, until he backed into the sandy ground overgrown with weeds.

"I already know what happened. First Boss, this little brother killed your two younger brothers only to protect my little sister. By that reckoning, this matter is a grudge between the Fierce Wind Bandits and my Shangguan Family."

"You tried to abduct my sister. By rights, even if I slew you here, no one could say a word. But seeing as your second brother's corpse has yet to grow cold, I'll put this matter aside for now."

"Whatever tricks your Fierce Wind Bandits may have in the future, my Shangguan Family will take them all."

With that, he raised a hand and struck out with his palm. Surging palm force burst forth, directly flipping Wang Dingtian onto the ground. He rolled like a gourd across the earth before smashing into the forest.

Just then, Li Yan stepped forward. "Wang, if you're not dead, listen well. I killed your two brothers, so your life will be mine as well. Don't bother thinking about dealing with the Shangguan Family. Before long, I'll come find you for a deathmatch and repay today's grudge."

"Remember my name: Wan Sanhuo."

"Hmph!" A cold snort came from the woods, followed by silence.

Shangguan Liuyun gave Li Yan a deep look, then swept his wide sleeve and stepped on fallen leaves back to the top of the wall. His voice drifted through the air. "Go home."

At once, Li Yan supported Shangguan Feiyun as they entered Dongjiang City under Shangguan Xiyun's guidance. It was not much different from the costume dramas he had seen in his previous life. Hawkers shouted everywhere along the crisscrossing streets and alleys, and only here did the place finally carry a few traces of mortal life's warmth and bustle.

Before long, the three arrived at the Shangguan Family. The moment they entered, servants and maids came forward. They first took away Shangguan Feiyun, whose face looked like a pig's head, then led Li Yan to a side hall. As for Shangguan Xiyun, she headed straight for the main hall.

Shangguan Liuyun was already waiting in the main hall.

"Elder Brother!"

"Mm... it's good that you're back. What exactly happened?"

Shangguan Xiyun immediately recounted the entire matter, from beginning to end, to Shangguan Liuyun.

"Oh? You're saying that Wan Sanhuo killed over a hundred Fierce Wind Bandits these past few days to save you?"

"Even the Third Hall Master and Second Hall Master were killed by him?"

Shangguan Xiyun nodded repeatedly, but Shangguan Liuyun frowned slightly. "Interesting. Wan Sanhuo is only in the Body Tempering Realm, yet he can kill someone in the Qi Condensation Realm against the odds. He has even cultivated a Martial Art to the Peak Perfection Realm. He can indeed be considered a gifted prodigy."

"However, not a scrap of news about such an incident reached Dongjiang City... Are the Fierce Wind Bandits truly so powerful that they can keep things watertight, or is there someone within Dongjiang City who does not want my Shangguan Family to receive the news?"

At those words, Shangguan Xiyun also furrowed her brows. The next moment, her eyes widened. "The City Lord's Mansion?!"

In the side room, a lavish spread of food had already been laid out on the table. The bathing tub was filled with hot water, and fresh clothes had been prepared as well. Looking at the things before him, then thinking of the days he had spent recently, Li Yan could not help feeling as though a lifetime had passed.

A servant later came to inform him that, because quite a few things had happened recently, Shangguan Liuyun needed to learn more about the situation. They would meet again the next morning for a proper discussion. Li Yan did not take it to heart at all. He enjoyed a hearty meal, declined the maid who had come to attend him, soaked comfortably in a bath, and finally dropped into bed and fell asleep.

Early the next morning, Shangguan Xiyun arrived outside the guest courtyard. The night before, Shangguan Liuyun had pulled her aside and questioned her about everything, learning every last detail from inside and out. After finally returning home, she had hoped to get a good night's rest, but she had slept fitfully all night and risen at dawn.

Yet as soon as she reached the entrance, she saw someone already standing outside the courtyard. After a night of recuperation, Shangguan Feiyun's injuries had improved considerably, though his pig-head face had yet to subside.

"Second Brother, what are you looking at?"

The sudden sound behind him gave Shangguan Feiyun a fright. Only when he saw that it was Shangguan Xiyun did he let out a breath. "Shh, keep your voice down!" As he spoke, he pulled Shangguan Xiyun over and pointed into the courtyard.

At that moment, Li Yan stood in the yard with a saber in hand. Though he possessed no inner force, he radiated a sharp and oppressive presence. The next instant, Li Yan opened his eyes, and the saber in his hand suddenly began to dance. Though no saber light tore through the air, it carried an incomparable aura of sharp slaughter. Beyond that, every strike was as natural as a horn hanging from an antelope, flawless and seamless. Each move seemed to follow a trace, yet upon closer inspection, every one arrived without warning, shifting endlessly.

"Without True Qi to support him, he still possesses such power. At such a young age, he has already cultivated a Martial Art to the Peak Perfection Realm. He truly is a monstrous genius." The injuries on Shangguan Feiyun's face could not conceal his shock. Beside him, Shangguan Xiyun craned her neck and kept peering inside, but she knew nothing of Martial Arts and could not see the subtleties within.

"You two, keep it down." Suddenly, a voice came from above their heads. The two looked up to find Shangguan Liuyun standing atop the wall at some unknown time.

At that very moment, Li Yan's saber reached its final stroke. As he slashed out, that terrifying killing aura made all three of them shudder, as though they were facing a bloody battlefield head-on. Li Yan slowly withdrew his saber and let out a long breath before looking toward the three of them. He had noticed their arrival earlier, and since none of them had tried to hide themselves, he had naturally seen them clearly.

"Brother Wan is truly extraordinary. To cultivate a Martial Art to the Peak Perfection Realm at such a young age, Shangguan Liuyun admires you." As he spoke, Shangguan Liuyun leaped down and landed before Li Yan.

"Elder Brother Shangguan flatters me. I should be thanking you for stepping in out of righteousness this time. Otherwise, yesterday..."

"There's no need to mention it. If not for protecting my younger sister, you would not have provoked those people. It's getting late. Let's eat first."

In the Shangguan Family's front hall, the four sat around a table. Though the meal could not compare with the variety of his previous life, it still filled nearly half the table.

"Brother Wan, just have something simple this morning. Tonight, the Shangguan Family will prepare a banquet to thank you for saving my younger sister."

As soon as they finished eating, Shangguan Liuyun began speaking of recent events.

"Elder Brother Shangguan is too courteous. Speaking of which, if you hadn't helped me yesterday, I would already be separated from my head." Li Yan was not exaggerating. Even with the Hundred Battles Saber Technique at Peak Perfection, how could someone in the Body Tempering Realm possibly challenge someone in the Meridian Opening Realm?

Shangguan Liuyun merely waved a hand, then took a booklet from his robes and placed it on the table.

"The Shangguan Family has always kept its word. The Cultivation Method my younger sister promised you will certainly be given to you. Given Shangguan Xiyun's standing, this is the best Cultivation Method she could obtain... and, naturally, it is also the best Cultivation Method currently possessed by the Shangguan Family."

Upon hearing that, Li Yan's eyes immediately lit up as he looked at the booklet on the table. Across its cover, several bold characters danced like dragons and phoenixes:

Flower Cultivation and Leaf Nurturing Art