Shiliang

Green mountains loomed faintly beside the Wuxi River.

Shiliang Town.

Outside a local home, the townsfolk had gathered in an impenetrable crowd.

"It's true."

"I saw her... the Meng family's daughter."

"How could immortals behave like this..."

"Didn't you see yesterday? They even injured Constable Ling..."

The crowd was growing noisy.

At its head stood a youth and a middle-aged man, their expressions grim and solemn, as though facing a formidable enemy.

Opposite them, three young men watched the crowd with amusement, their faces full of mocking smiles and contempt.

"What brings you two here?"

Behind them, a pretty young girl gazed at the middle-aged man and the youth with tear-filled eyes, her look almost pleading.

The middle-aged man's name was Zhao Fengcheng.

He steeled himself and said, "Fellow cultivators, this is Dongyuan Sect territory. Could you perhaps do me a favor..."

"Spare me that useless talk."

One of the young men yawned, as though listening to this bored him.

He said, "I am Lu Xiaowei. My two fellow disciples and I came here on our master's orders to seek opportunities."

"We... haven't committed any crimes against heaven and reason."

"As for Constable Ling..."

"Heh, that was just a misunderstanding. We've already apologized. There's no need to press us so hard..."

Lu Xiaowei gave a lecherous smile, lightly trailing his fingers over the girl's cheek. "This daughter of the Meng family has quite good spiritual roots. I'm only being kind-I wouldn't want such promising material to go to waste. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes, yes, of course, but even so..."

Zhao Fengcheng could only nod repeatedly, but before he could continue.

The youth beside him immediately spoke up. "Little Sister Meng doesn't want to go with you."

The youth wore a constable's uniform. A small strip of bandage was just visible beneath his left sleeve; he seemed to be injured.

"If you keep making trouble here, once the immortals of the Dongyuan Sect arrive..."

"You, Sheng..."

Lu Xiaowei cut him off, his gaze icy. "I speak a little politely, and you actually start thinking you're somebody..."

His gaze swept over the crowd, undisguised disgust on his face, blood Qi flashing in his eyes.

"A swarm of vermin! If Master hadn't forbidden us to cause trouble, I really ought to slaughter every last one of you lowborn scum."

His gaze settled on Zhao Fengcheng.

"...Including you."

"..."

Zhao Fengcheng frowned slightly, thinking that this would be difficult to handle.

Sheng Nian's breathing quickened, and his hand had already reached for the saber at his waist.

Naturally, this did not escape Lu Xiaowei's notice.

"You dare raise a hand against me?"

Lu Xiaowei grinned, a thread of bloodthirsty madness rising in his eyes.

"Just what I wanted."

"This is bad. Brother Darong, should we go find Xiao He on the mountain behind town?"

In the crowd, Sheng Yun watched her elder brother with worry all over her face. Seeing him about to clash with an immortal, she could no longer hold back.

"No! Even Mr. Zhao doesn't know about Xiao He. If someone from the immortal sect comes now, Xiao He will be in danger."

"Then what do we do..." Sheng Yun was nearly crying with anxiety.

"If only Brother Ye Sheng were here..."

"A Yan..."

Xu Darong's voice suddenly sank. "Since A Yan left for the immortal mountain, there hasn't been a word from him in all this time..."

Perhaps he had already forgotten these friends from the mortal world...

He did not say it aloud.

Humm-

"Ah..."

The crowd cried out.

Unexpectedly, Sheng Nian was the first to strike.

Sheng Nian knew perfectly well that if he attacked first and died here, the other side would be in the right. Even if the Dongyuan Sect intervened later, they probably would not be able to demand any redress.

But his opponent was a cultivator. Unless he seized the initiative, he truly faced ten chances of death and not one of survival.

His master, Constable Ling, was still bedridden recovering from his injuries. To expect him to watch these so-called immortals bully the townsfolk and seize an innocent girl...

There was absolutely no justification for that!

His saber left its sheath and slashed straight at Lu Xiaowei.

"An ant trying to shake a tree. How laughable."

Lu Xiaowei stepped sideways, dodging casually. He loosely closed his hand, and golden light gathered in his right palm.

"Geng Character Sword Qi."

Sheng Nian's pupils contracted sharply as a sense of mortal danger suddenly swelled in his heart.

"Heh, be a good little pig in your next life..."

"And stop sticking your neck out for others."

He grabbed Sheng Nian's shoulder and pressed the golden light in his hand toward Sheng Nian's heart.

Whoosh-

A teacup came hurtling from somewhere and struck Sheng Nian's right shoulder.

He stumbled back, and as the teacup struck, scalding tea splashed toward Lu Xiaowei's face.

"!?"

The golden light in his hand dispersed, and a faint layer of protective spiritual Qi spread out, keeping the tea at bay.

"Who?!"

The two young cultivators behind Lu Xiaowei could no longer stand idle either. They hurried forward, warily scanning their surroundings.

"What are you standing there for? You've already attacked. Shouldn't you finish him off?"

The voice came from somewhere unseen.

Humm-

Hearing that utterly familiar, clear voice, Sheng Nian could no longer contain the anger that had long weighed on his heart. He immediately rushed forward, wishing he could shove the saber in his hand straight into these immortals' mouths.

"Die!"

Startled by his ferocity, Lu Xiaowei instinctively retreated.

Bang, bang, bang...

Six blue-green vines suddenly burst from the ground and coiled around the three men's feet.

All three were instantly immobilized.

"?!"

Alarmed, Lu Xiaowei hurriedly formed a Method Formula with his hands, but the blade was already upon him. He could only muster all his spiritual power to strengthen his protective spiritual Qi.

Sheng Nian swung his saber, only to feel as though he had cut into a deep, heavy mire, unable to move it an inch.

"Heh..."

Lu Xiaowei snorted coldly and was about to counterattack.

Rustle, rustle-

The green vines on the ground suddenly extended and wound around Sheng Nian's saber. In the blink of an eye, they had covered the entire blade.

"Hm?"

Boom!

Without any warning, the green vines suddenly burst into flames, burning to nothing in an instant. Yet the flames did not disperse, remaining over the blade!

"...!"

Sheng Nian focused his mind and drove his mortal martial artist's inner breath at full force. The blade cracked and banged within the burning flames.

Humm-

The saber hummed, its momentum heavy and powerful.

Lu Xiaowei's protective spiritual Qi shattered instantly. Before his astonished, disbelieving eyes, the blade sliced into his flesh, opening a deep gash across his chest.

Pfft.

A streak of scarlet light flashed.

"Oh? A protective spirit talisman..."

Sheng Nian was flung backward by an immense force, but a gentle surge of spiritual power slowed him, sparing him injury from the fall.

Lu Xiaowei dropped to his knees, coughing up great mouthfuls of blood.

His two junior brothers had no time to bother with Sheng Nian and hurried to staunch his bleeding.

"Who? Who is it?!"

One of them shouted harshly, "Hiding in the shadows, playing at ghosts and gods!"

"We are disciples of the Rogue Cultivator of Xin Mountain..."

Suddenly, that voice sounded again, interrupting him. "My senior brother Zhao should already have made himself quite clear."

"Why are you fellow cultivators still lingering here, refusing to leave..."

Only this time, everyone heard where the voice came from.

The crowd parted, revealing a figure in gray robes and a bamboo hat sitting leisurely at a nearby tea stall. Having finished speaking, he took a sip of fresh tea from his cup.

He stood and removed his bamboo hat, revealing a young face.

"I am Song Yan, a disciple of the Dongyuan Sect..."

The youth's tone was warm, his smile friendly.

"If you gentlemen are having any difficulties..."

"Why don't I see you fellow cultivators on your way?"