Kill Without Blinking (Part One)

Kill Without Blinking (Part One)

The next morning, Li Qiye dragged Nan Huairen out early to stroll around the Nine Sacred Demon Gate. He wanted to see just what foundations the Nine Sacred Demon Gate still had left!

Nan Huairen was unwilling a hundred times over. Whether Li Qiye was an idiot or simply thick-nerved, his instincts told him that Li Qiye was absolutely a troublemaker. Walking alongside him would probably bring no good fruit to eat.

Yet Li Qiye did not care whether he was willing or not. He turned and left, leaving Nan Huairen no choice but to follow with a bitter face. After all, they had come for the assessment this time. If anything happened to Li Qiye before it, Nan Huairen would have a hard time explaining himself.

However, Li Qiye and Nan Huairen had barely gone any distance when someone blocked their path. The one blocking them was Du Yuanguang, an outer disciple known as a minor genius!

And Du Yuanguang was not alone. More than a dozen disciples of the Nine Sacred Demon Gate stood with him. Many disciples of the Nine Sacred Demon Gate had long found Li Qiye unpleasant to look at, but they had never had a good chance to teach him a lesson. Now that Du Yuanguang was taking the lead, quite a few were naturally happy to follow him and give trash like Li Qiye a beating.

"Brother Du, so it is you. I have long admired your name, long admired your name." Seeing that Du Yuanguang and his group had come with ill intent, Nan Huairen's expression changed. He hurried two steps forward and greeted Du Yuanguang to show goodwill.

Du Yuanguang did not even spare Nan Huairen another glance. He said coldly, "Nan Huairen, this has nothing to do with you. Go cool off somewhere else. Otherwise, I'll deal with you too."

Nan Huairen's expression changed at those words. Still, he was someone skilled at dancing with long sleeves, so he restrained himself and hurriedly bowed. "Brother Du, what exactly has happened?"

Du Yuanguang did not even look at him. He stared coldly at Li Qiye, his gaze icy and his killing intent pressing down on them.

Li Qiye merely glanced at him, then slowly stepped forward, calm and unhurried. "A good dog does not block the road. If you do not want to be a dog, then roll aside!"

The moment Li Qiye said this, Nan Huairen knew things had gone bad. Sure enough, Du Yuanguang and the others looked as though their eyes could kill Li Qiye.

"You thing that knows neither heaven nor earth! A third-rate sect like the Washing Yan Ancient Sect dares to strut about in our Nine Sacred Demon Gate? It seems you are tired of living! A pack of ants dares to spout such wild nonsense!" one disciple roared.

Li Qiye was about to speak, but Nan Huairen desperately held him back and urgently advised him in a low voice, "Senior Brother, forget it. Do not lower yourself to their level. Du Yuanguang is an outer disciple the Nine Sacred Demon Gate is heavily grooming. Protector Xu of the Nine Sacred Demon Gate has chosen him as a final disciple. Once he passes this year's assessment, he will become an inner mountain disciple of the Nine Sacred Demon Gate."

Nan Huairen was reminding Li Qiye that they could not afford to provoke someone like Du Yuanguang. Protector Xu of the Nine Sacred Demon Gate stood behind Du Yuanguang. One had to know that a Protector of the Nine Sacred Demon Gate held a higher position than even an Elder of the Washing Yan Ancient Sect!

A cold gleam flashed through Du Yuanguang's eyes, but he did not act immediately. He said coldly, "Our Nine Sacred Demon Gate holds the reins of the Ancient Niu Jiang Kingdom. Though the Washing Yan Ancient Sect is merely a minor sect, we would not neglect our guests. However, one of our brothers recently lost a treasure."

Du Yuanguang's slow words made Nan Huairen's expression change drastically. He could not help asking, "Brother Du, what do you mean by that?"

Du Yuanguang coldly glanced at Nan Huairen and said, "Nothing much. It is simply that there have been no outsiders in our Nine Sacred Demon Gate recently. These past two days, only your Washing Yan Ancient Sect has been staying here as guests!"

The meaning could not have been clearer. Du Yuanguang was directly accusing the Washing Yan Ancient Sect of being thieves. This was not a matter of personal honor or disgrace—it insulted the reputation of the entire Washing Yan Ancient Sect. Even someone as smooth and adaptable as Nan Huairen found his expression turning ugly to the extreme.

"Brother Du, please watch your words!" Nan Huairen had originally wanted to smooth things over, but with the reputation of the entire Washing Yan Ancient Sect at stake, he could not muddle through and whitewash the matter!

Du Yuanguang cast a sidelong look at Nan Huairen and Li Qiye, then said disdainfully, "Watch my words? The Washing Yan Ancient Sect has already fallen into ruin, poor as a church mouse. Who can guarantee that some chicken-stealing, dog-sniffing riffraff have not slipped into your sect? Even a mortal waste can become the Chief Disciple of your Washing Yan Ancient Sect. It would hardly be surprising if you also took in little thugs who steal chickens and sneak around like dogs as disciples!"

Nan Huairen's face flushed red with rage. This was an insult to the Washing Yan Ancient Sect. No disciple of the Washing Yan Ancient Sect with even a shred of blood in his veins could endure such a thing.

"Brother Du, we wish to see your Hall Master Fu. No matter what, this matter must be explained to our Washing Yan Ancient Sect!" This concerned the eternal reputation of the Washing Yan Ancient Sect, and Nan Huairen would absolutely not back down!

Du Yuanguang was brimming with confidence. He gave a cold, mocking laugh and said, "See Hall Master Fu? Nan Huairen, it is not that I refuse to give you face, but you and your trash Chief Disciple are not qualified to see our Hall Master Fu. Heh, your Washing Yan Ancient Sect is merely a third-rate little sect. My Hall Master can be named among the great heroes. If your Elder requested an audience with our Hall Master, that might barely do, but you are not qualified—especially that trash!" As he spoke, he stared coldly at Li Qiye.

"That's right! What is the Washing Yan Ancient Sect worth? As for that trash Chief Disciple, he is nothing but a lump of mud. Letting him remain in our Nine Sacred Demon Gate only dirties our threshold!" The other disciples beside Du Yuanguang jeered and laughed.

For Nan Huairen and the Washing Yan Ancient Sect, this was an utter and unparalleled humiliation! He trembled with fury.

Only Li Qiye remained as steady as an old god. He looked at Du Yuanguang and said at an unhurried pace, "Whether this is your idea or that of your Hall Master or Protector does not matter. You brat surnamed Du simply fancy the successor of your Nine Sacred Demon Gate—ah, that woman named Li Yanshuang. Though I have not yet seen this so-called goddess and fairy in your hearts, that is only because your vision is too short. If Li Yanshuang, the successor of your Nine Sacred Demon Gate, wants to marry me, that is merely your Nine Sacred Demon Gate indulging in wishful thinking. With the standing of your Nine Sacred Demon Gate, I would still have to consider whether to let your goddess serve as a maid by my side..."

"...As for someone of your caliber?" Li Qiye gave Du Yuanguang a sidelong glance and said calmly, "If your goddess has even a little talent, she truly would not look twice at an idiot like you! Even if she is a woman I, Li Qiye, would not want, an idiot like you is still not qualified to compete with me for a woman. Go stay wherever it is cool!"

"You little beast, you are courting death! I will grant you your wish!" Li Qiye's words sent Du Yuanguang's rage soaring to the heavens. He shouted sharply, and divine light instantly rose behind his head as a divine sword appeared in his hand.

"Du Yuanguang, if you want a fight, I'll accompany you!" Li Qiye's audacious words made Nan Huairen, full of pent-up anger, shout in delight. But he also knew that Li Qiye had never cultivated before, so he immediately stepped in front of Li Qiye.

"Fine, Nan Huairen, I'll deal with you first, then cut down that little beast!" Fury blazed from Du Yuanguang's eyes. In his heart, Li Shuangyan was an unmatched goddess. Li Qiye's insult to the woman of his dreams drove him even madder than an insult to himself!

Li Qiye slowly pushed Nan Huairen aside and said leisurely, "Huairen, since someone wants to take my life, I will kill him with my own hands! Just watch."

"Good, good, good!" Rather than growing angry, Du Yuanguang laughed. Looking at Li Qiye, he laughed wildly and said, "This is the funniest joke I have ever heard. A piece of trash who has learned a few superficial martial skills actually dares to claim he will kill a cultivator like me, one in the Palace Opening Realm. Fine, I will give you a chance for a duel."

"Ha, ha..." The other disciples of the Nine Sacred Demon Gate beside Du Yuanguang all burst into laughter. They looked pitifully at Li Qiye, and one disciple laughed wildly. "Martial skills challenging dao arts? The people of the Washing Yan Ancient Sect do not even possess the most basic common sense. Arrogant and ignorant—how tragic!"

Li Qiye could not even be bothered to look at them again. He said placidly, "Fine. We will meet at the dueling grounds." He could not be bothered to say another word and immediately headed toward the dueling grounds.

"No—" Nan Huairen was frightened out of his wits. He hurriedly grabbed Li Qiye and whispered, "Senior Brother, absolutely not! Du Yuanguang is already at the Pillar level of the Palace Opening Realm. You are far from being his match!"

"It's nothing. He is only in the Palace Opening Realm, not a king or marquis! Even if a king or marquis of the Nine Sacred Demon Gate makes me unhappy here, I will still grind him into minced meat." Li Qiye smiled faintly and pushed Nan Huairen away.

Nan Huairen stood dumbfounded for a moment. His first thought was that Li Qiye had gone mad! Li Qiye had joined the Washing Yan Ancient Sect only a few days ago. He had not even cultivated the most basic dao arts or cultivation manuals. At most, he had learned the Mystic Blade Art!

Someone who had never cultivated dao arts, even if he had learned martial skills, could not possibly challenge a cultivator. Martial skills and dao arts were as far apart as heaven and earth, let alone Du Yuanguang, a master of the Palace Opening Realm.

While Nan Huairen stood there in a daze, Li Qiye had already gone far away. His voice drifted back from ahead. "You brat surnamed Du, see you at the dueling grounds."

"Heh, the ignorant truly are pitiful!" Du Yuanguang said sinisterly. "Since you want to die, I will fulfill you! I do not mind using a butcher's knife to kill a chicken!"

"Senior Brother Du, one sword is all it will take to finish him," the disciples beside Du Yuanguang laughed.

Whether it was Du Yuanguang or the disciples of the Nine Sacred Demon Gate around him, all of them thought the same way: a martial artist challenging a cultivator? That was simply seeking death! Before dao arts, martial skills were only side branches and trivial details, not worth mentioning! Moreover, Du Yuanguang was a minor genius of the Palace Opening Realm. Killing trash like Li Qiye with one sword would be no more than lifting a hand.

Nan Huairen finally came back to his senses and shuddered. He turned and left, immediately going to find his master, Protector Mo. No matter what, he had to protect Li Qiye. He knew that if Li Qiye fought Du Yuanguang, he would undoubtedly die!

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