Hidden weapons filled the sky, falling like raindrops.
Zhang Qingyuan grabbed Li Qiuran and hastily dodged the shower of hidden weapons.
The two looked back and saw dozens of white-clad figures leaping through the forest, racing toward them.
Within just a few breaths, Zhang Qingyuan and Li Qiuran were surrounded by the white-clad figures, trapped in their midst.
Zhang Qingyuan recognized their clothes.
These were none other than the people of Cloud Dust Manor.
Zhang Qingyuan edged closer to Li Qiuran, but she instinctively moved away.
That hurt a little...
"Are they all after you?"
Li Qiuran sneered. "They're all courting death, just like you."
"Don't say that. I haven't done anything to you."
Zhang Qingyuan was clearly a little guilty as he said this. He rubbed his fingers together, the warmth of her face still lingering on them.
Li Qiuran glared at him but said nothing more. This clearly wasn't the time to settle their contest.
The disciples of Cloud Dust Manor surrounded them so tightly that not even water could seep through. Every one of them held a blade or sword, glaring furiously at Li Qiuran.
Just then, a figure descended from the sky, stepping on withered leaves, his white robes like snow, and slowly landed before them.
The man was in his forties, with three long wisps of beard on his chin and a fine sword in his left hand. He did have the air of an immortal sage, but as Zhang Qingyuan looked at him, something sinister seemed to lurk between his brows.
As he appeared, the disciples of Cloud Dust Manor called out in unison, "We respectfully welcome the manor lord!"
Manor lord?
Zhang Qingyuan blinked. This manor lord really knew how to show off with an entrance.
"Hahaha..." Manor Lord Yun smiled, hiding a blade behind his smile.
"Demoness, you've certainly made this old man search hard. I've finally caught you today! Now that I'm here in person, let's see where you can run!"
Two months earlier, Li Qiuran had passed through Cloud Dust Manor's territory and been subjected to lewd remarks from its young master. In a fit of rage, she had crippled that rich second-generation heir.
Surrounded by the crowd, Li Qiuran showed no fear whatsoever, her expression as cold as ever.
"Spare me the nonsense. I'm the one who crippled your son. What are you going to do about it?"
"Good, good, good. As long as you admit it.
"My son merely said a few words to you, and you struck him so viciously. You truly have the heart of a snake and scorpion. Demoness, today is the day you die."
"Hah. Your son's crimes overflowed his ledger. He harassed women. It was mercy that I didn't kill him."
"Sharp-tongued wretch! It was your good fortune that my son took a liking to you. Instead of being grateful, you dared hurt him. You truly have no regard for Cloud Dust Manor!"
The Cloud Dust Manor Lord drew his sword. His gaze swept over Zhang Qingyuan, and his brows knitted tightly.
"I wondered why you weren't interested in my clever, gifted son. So you have this pretty boy at your side."
Zhang Qingyuan froze. How did I get dragged into this?
Li Qiuran glanced at Zhang Qingyuan and said coldly, "Him? I don't know him."
Zhang Qingyuan inwardly denied it. Nonsense. We just met today.
"Whether you know each other or not, neither of you is leaving today.
"But before you die, I advise you to hand over the Heavenly Yin Mysterious Maiden Art. Then I can leave your corpses intact."
Heavenly Yin Mysterious Maiden Art?
Zhang Qingyuan had heard a new term, and suddenly he understood a little.
It seemed there was something dubious about Li Qiuran's nickname, the Bamboo-Green Demoness.
"Cloud Dust Manor Lord, don't you think you're being too overbearing?" Zhang Qingyuan suddenly spoke. "You're going to kill me without even asking any questions?"
Li Qiuran gave Zhang Qingyuan a puzzled look. Proud as she was, she couldn't tolerate someone disrupting her rhythm in a situation like this.
"Heh. This old man is precisely that overbearing. Even if you object, you can only listen. How could anyone keeping company with the Bamboo-Green Demoness be a decent person?"
"What gives you the right to say I'm not a decent person?" Zhang Qingyuan demanded angrily. "What have I ever done to you?"
"Quiet, little Daoist. Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. Aren't you after her Heavenly Yin Mysterious Maiden Art too?"
"Don't spout nonsense. I'm not."
"Enough talk. Neither of you is leaving today. Disciples, slay the demon and vanquish evil!"
Zhang Qingyuan licked his lips. "Damn it, is everyone in the martial world this unreasonable?"
The crowd swarmed forward, and Li Qiuran charged into battle.
Zhang Qingyuan remained where he was. Even if the Cloud Dust Manor Lord hadn't dragged him into this, he would have found a way to protect Li Qiuran.
But he truly hadn't expected Cloud Dust Manor, which enjoyed some renown in the jianghu, to bully people with its power like this.
"To hell with this. I've only just entered the jianghu. Who knew it would be like this?"
The next instant, he vanished.
A flash of sword light later, three Cloud Dust disciples' heads flew into the sky.
"What?"
The Cloud Dust Manor Lord, locked in combat with Li Qiuran, looked over and was instantly horrified.
He had thought the Bamboo-Green Demoness, Li Qiuran, would be the hardest to handle. He had never imagined that the little Daoist who had suddenly appeared was the strongest of all.
Whose disciple was this Daoist?
An utterly ordinary iron sword was displaying such a murderous sword art.
Seeing how difficult Zhang Qingyuan was to deal with, the other disciples hurriedly rushed toward him.
More than a dozen figures crisscrossed toward him, making it impossible to tell who was who. Wind whistled sharply, sword light clashed, and fine swords whirled into blossoms of steel as they lunged at Zhang Qingyuan.
Sword Qi stirred up fierce winds. More than a dozen swords targeted Zhang Qingyuan's forehead, throat, knees, chest... sealing him in completely.
Cloud Dust Manor was by no means weak. Its disciples worked together in perfect harmony, and their sword formation was even more terrifying.
Just as it seemed he would be sent to the Yellow Springs, before anyone could rejoice, Zhang Qingyuan twisted, his movements supple and flowing. His blue-and-white Daoist robes trailed an afterimage, and that single retreat made every attack miss.
This was his modified movement technique, the Jade Purity Lotus Step. Its wondrous footwork seemed to make lotuses bloom beneath each step, its strange movements impossible to fathom.
Their expressions changed drastically. They immediately pursued him, changing their sword formation and surrounding him again as sword light filled the sky.
Zhang Qingyuan lifted his eyelids. With some distance between them, things were much easier to handle. He turned the sword in his hand. Twelve Immortal-Slaying Forms!
His master had created this sword art specifically for killing, and Zhang Qingyuan had thoroughly mastered it. Coupled with the insights he had just gained while sparring with Li Qiuran, his understanding of this sword art could now be called uniquely blessed.
Five Cloud Dust disciples blocked his path,
Sword light flashed. After a single stroke, the five Cloud Dust disciples' heads silently rose into the air.
The others panicked at the sight. When had they ever seen such a breathtakingly lethal sword art?
Even Li Qiuran looked surprised. If he had used swordsmanship like this in their earlier duel, could she have withstood it?
The others were panicked and afraid.
Zhang Qingyuan showed no mercy.
Twelve Immortal-Slaying Forms.
First sword: Draw the Sword and Slay Immortals.
Second sword: Immortal Falls to the Mortal World!
His blade swept out, sending Sword Qi across four Cloud Dust disciples. Before they could react, the Sword Qi had already passed through their bodies.
Third sword: Ascend the Clouds and Tread upon Immortals.
Zhang Qingyuan soared into the air. With a single step, he instantly appeared above several disciples. Sword light flashed, and several streams of Sword Qi exploded against their chests.
Speed was a pleasure, and ruthlessness was a joy.
Strike fast. Be ruthless to the enemy.
Savor the ultimate speed. Savor the joy of slaying enemies.
The Twelve Immortal-Slaying Forms' ultimate aesthetic of violence unfolded in an unbroken sequence, bolstered by the Jade Purity Lotus Step.
Never mind touching him-even escaping was a luxury those Cloud Dust disciples could only dream of.
He was right before their eyes, yet a thousand miles beyond their reach.
By the time he finished all twelve sword moves, no one around him remained standing.
Zhang Qingyuan turned his gaze toward the Cloud Dust Manor Lord, who was still entangled in battle with Li Qiuran. The manor lord tried to escape even at the cost of being wounded. Only now did he realize how unwise today's choice had been.
Li Qiuran seized on his panic and slashed at his back, her blade opening a wound across it.
Just as he was about to flee, Zhang Qingyuan appeared before him.
The Cloud Dust Manor Lord stared at Zhang Qingyuan in terror and swallowed.
"Y-you, what are you going to do?"
Zhang Qingyuan smiled. "Boundless Heavenly Venerable. Layman, do you know why this humble Daoist cultivates the Dao?"
The Cloud Dust Manor Lord looked somewhat bewildered, not understanding why he had suddenly asked this.
"Why?"
"Because this humble Daoist thought that reading Daoist scriptures would let me calmly reason with idiots."
The Cloud Dust Manor Lord: "..."
"Then, layman, do you understand why this humble Daoist also practices martial arts?"
"Why?"
"Because practicing martial arts lets idiots calmly listen to reason from me."
Swish!
Behind the Cloud Dust Manor Lord, Li Qiuran slashed down with her sword. The manor lord's head slowly slid from his neck and fell to the ground.
Zhang Qingyuan looked at his severed head. "Now you can calmly listen to this humble Daoist reason with you, can't you, idiot?"