The strange man stared at Ye Qingyun, and Ye Qingyun stared right back.
The two stared at each other, eyes wide.
The atmosphere was slightly tense.
Ye Yun seemed as steady as an old dog.
In truth, he was panicking like hell.
He cursed inwardly.
That goddamn bastard system taught me everything except how to cultivate.
If I could fucking cultivate, would I need to use guns?
I'm afraid my chances of surviving this are one in ten!
Though he was panicking, Ye Qingyun could only force himself to remain calm to save his own skin.
He even deliberately let a trace of contempt show on his face.
Why can't I see through this man's cultivation at all?
Doubts arose in the strange man's mind.
With his strength, he could count on one hand the people within the Heavenly Martial Dynasty whose cultivation he could not see through.
Yet he could not see through this peculiar man before him at all.
He even gave him the impression of an ordinary mortal.
But the strange man would never believe that Ye Qingyun was merely a mortal without any cultivation.
If he were a mortal, how could he have silently killed these disciples of his?
This man's cultivation is unfathomable, and the objects in his hands are truly strange. My injuries haven't healed, and my vital essence and Qi are depleted. I must handle this carefully.
The strange man grew inwardly wary.
Of these two, each was more panicked than the other.
Both were deeply wary of the other.
"Just who are you?"
The strange man asked in a low voice.
Ye Qingyun drew a deep breath.
"You want to know who I am? Do you think you're qualified?"
The strange man frowned.
"Your cultivation may be profound, but I am no ordinary man either. If we truly fought, you might not be a match for me."
Those words were purely the strange man gilding his own face.
His only purpose was to sound out Ye Qingyun's true capabilities.
Ye Qingyun really was a little scared.
If they actually fought, could he rely on just these two pistols?
They certainly weren't reliable enough.
Whatever. I'll bluff this old fellow first.
"Since you're so confident in your strength, I'll tell you my name."
Ye Qingyun drew a deep breath.
"I am Dugu Qiubai."
Dugu Qiubai?
The strange man froze, carefully searching his memories.
He did not seem to have heard of such a person.
Still, the name was remarkably imposing.
Seeking defeat?
Such boundless arrogance.
"Hmph, I've never heard that name."
The strange man spoke coldly.
Ye Qingyun sneered.
"How could a frog at the bottom of a well like you have heard my name?"
"You can ask Xu Changfeng of the Mystic Sword Sect. Back then, he visited my humble cottage three times to seek my guidance in the martial Dao. I gave him just a few pointers, and they benefited him endlessly, allowing him to achieve what he has today."
Throwing caution aside, Ye Qingyun began spinning outright lies.
The strange man really was startled.
Xu Changfeng actually received guidance from this man?
What sort of figure was Xu Changfeng?
He was the sect master of the Mystic Sword Sect, one of the Heavenly Martial Dynasty's strongest experts today.
Though the strange man possessed profound strength, he knew he would have to give Xu Changfeng a wide berth if they faced each other.
If he returned to his peak strength, he could compete with Xu Changfeng.
"And there's Martial Emperor Dongfang Su. Before he ascended the throne, he overestimated himself and came to challenge me."
"With just one finger, I defeated him and made him understand that beyond every expert stands another, and beyond every heaven lies another heaven."
Ye Qingyun continued spouting nonsense.
The strange man trembled in fright.
Even Martial Emperor Dongfang Su had been defeated by him?
Although he said it had happened in Dongfang Su's youth, even the young Dongfang Su had been an incredibly formidable expert.
He had defeated him with one finger?
What terrifying strength was that?
"Right, do you know Shen Tianhua?"
Ye Qingyun spoke again.
Shen Tianhua?
This time, the strange man's expression changed drastically, and terror even surfaced in his eyes.
The Seven Absolutes Elder, Shen Tianhua!
Back then, the strange man had been defeated by Shen Tianhua. His cultivation had suffered grievously, his vital Qi had scattered completely, and he had nearly died.
Had he not deceived Shen Tianhua with a profound feigned-death technique he had cultivated in his early years, the strange man's soul would long since have departed for the Nine Springs.
Because of that crushing defeat, the strange man could not help growing terrified the moment he heard Shen Tianhua's name.
Could this fellow called Dugu Qiubai actually know Shen Tianhua?
"Judging by your reaction, you seem to know Shen Tianhua?"
Ye Qingyun keenly noticed the terror that had surfaced on the strange man's face.
Of the two people he had mentioned before, neither Xu Changfeng nor Dongfang Su had elicited much fear from the strange man.
Only when he mentioned Shen Tianhua did the strange man become afraid.
Could this strange man have suffered at Old Shen's hands back then?
Very likely!
At that thought, Ye Qingyun gained a measure of confidence.
"I might as well tell you. Just a few days ago, Shen Tianhua brought his newly accepted disciple to visit me, hoping I could give his disciple some guidance."
"Unfortunately, Shen Tianhua's aptitude was lacking back then. He only half understood what I taught him and barely managed to muddle his way to where he is today."
Ye Qingyun looked as though he resented iron for failing to become steel.
It was as if, in his eyes, even a supreme expert like Shen Tianhua amounted to little.
The strange man stared at Ye Qingyun with wide, disbelieving eyes.
"You actually gave Shen Tianhua guidance?"
"Of course. Do you think I need to lie to you?"
Ye Qingyun spoke casually.
The strange man was finally afraid.
If even Shen Tianhua had received guidance from this Dugu Qiubai, didn't that mean he was stronger than Shen Tianhua?
He had suffered a crushing defeat at Shen Tianhua's hands back then, and today he had encountered someone even more terrifying.
Does Heaven truly want me dead?
For a moment, the strange man could not help questioning his life.
Seizing the opportunity,
Ye Qingyun fired without hesitation.
Bang! Bang!!!
Two gunshots rang out.
Two bullets struck the strange man squarely over his heart.
Pfft! Pfft!
The bullets sank straight beneath the strange man's skin.
Yet, bizarrely, no blood flowed out.
It was as though the strange man's blood had long since dried up, truly leaving nothing but this skin and skeleton.
After being shot, the strange man lowered his head to look at his chest.
Then he screamed and fell to the ground.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!
Streams of gray Qi kept billowing from the two tiny bullet holes.
It was as though he had sprung a leak.
Summoning his courage, Ye Qingyun slowly walked toward the strange man.
"Spare me, great master!"
Unexpectedly, the strange man dropped to his knees and began begging Ye Qingyun for mercy.
Ye Qingyun's expression remained indifferent.
He raised his pistol again and aimed it at the strange man.
"How does a taste of my divine weapon feel?"
The strange man stared fearfully at the gun in Ye Qingyun's hand.
It was a treasure he had never seen before, but its power was truly terrifying.
Without sufficient vital Qi, he could not withstand the pistol's power at all.
"Spare me, great master! I know I was wrong! I'll never do anything so heinous again!"
The strange man kowtowed to Ye Qingyun again and again.
Yet Ye Qingyun had no intention of letting him go.
So many children had been killed by him.
For such crimes, even shooting him a hundred times would not be excessive.
Just as Ye Qingyun was about to act,
Footsteps suddenly came from outside the valley.
"Come quickly! The abducted children are all here!"
Amid the cries, dozens of figures rushed into the valley.
Leading them was an old man with the bearing of an immortal and an extraordinary presence.
Behind him followed a dozen or so young men and women.
Bai Suyi was among them.