Mundane Affairs Settled, Returning to the Sect

Qin Yi stood on a mountain peak outside Star City, gazing at the city in the distance. Behind him, Zhang Ningrong had collapsed to her knees in a pool of blood.

"Why... why did you kill me?" Zhang Ningrong's vision had already blurred, and she couldn't understand why Qin Yi wanted to kill her.

Qin Yi gazed at the enchanting scenery in the distance and spoke in a distant voice. "Because you're too stupid. You wanted to make me the sword in your hand."

"If you hadn't been so ambitious, I wouldn't have minded taking you away as a maid." Even though Zhang Ningrong had catered to his every wish, she had entertained thoughts she shouldn't have, so she had to die.

Truth be told, Qin Yi was very reluctant to part with Zhang Ningrong. After all, she had served him very well over the past three days, making him very comfortable. But the moment she suggested that Qin Yi kill Song Qingyun, her death was sealed. A servant had to know her place. When a servant dared to make demands of her master, she had to die.

"You... you won't die a good death..." Zhang Ningrong cursed Qin Yi, forcing herself to bear the pain.

"If you hadn't provoked me back then, you might have lived a few more days. Unfortunately, from the very beginning, you wanted to use me to draw Song Qingyun's anger. Even now, you still haven't repented and are trying to use me. Am I really that stupid?" Qin Yi said indifferently.

Qin Yi cared only about his own interests. What did other people's lives or deaths have to do with him? He turned and walked over to Zhang Ningrong, taking one last look at the woman who had spent three days with him. Then he shattered the crown of her skull with a palm strike.

"Anyone who stands in my way deserves to die." Qin Yi lingered no longer. He turned and left.

Star City, inside the city lord's residence.

"Someone, come quickly! The eldest young master is dead!"

"Quick, send someone to notify the city lord!"

As time passed, the poison finally took Song Yunfeng's life. The entire city lord's residence descended into chaos, filled with unease and fear.

When Song Qingyun heard the news, he hurried to Song Yunfeng's courtyard with his men. But the scene inside made his heart jolt. Not a single living thing in Song Yunfeng's courtyard had survived. The guards and maids, as well as Song Yunfeng himself, had all died with purple lips and blood flowing from their seven orifices. A foul, fishy stench rose from the corpses.

Song Qingyun's eyelids twitched. He immediately felt that he had brought a star of calamity upon himself. At that thought, he quietly told the captain of the guards beside him to notify Qin Yi to leave at once.

The captain hurried to Qin Yi's courtyard, but it had long since been deserted. There was only a letter Qin Yi had left behind. The captain brought it back and handed it to Song Qingyun.

Song Qingyun sat in his room, unable to banish the sight of Song Yunfeng's gruesome death from his mind. His heart remained uneasy. After taking the letter from the captain, Song Qingyun opened it with trembling hands. Its contents were simple, only a few brief lines.

"Brother Song, the matter is done. I have left with Zhang Ningrong and will return in one year. Do not forget your promise, and do not worry about me."

Song Qingyun let out a breath. Seeing that Qin Yi would not return for a year, his uneasy heart finally settled. Then a vicious light flashed in his eyes, and he turned to the captain. "Shouldn't all of my elder brother's trusted aides have died protecting him?"

The captain's eyes lit up with a vicious gleam. The day he would turn things around was right before him. "This subordinate understands. I'll go count the corpses at once."

With Song Yunfeng's death, the sky over Star City changed.

Half a month later.

"Buzz..."

Qin Yi sent a stream of spiritual power into the token, opening the passage into the Eight Gods Pavilion. After half a year away, he had finally returned. Just as he was about to activate the special token Song Qi had given him...

A rift appeared out of thin air before Qin Yi. "Come see me." Song Qi's voice came from the other side of the passage.

"Yes, Master." Qin Yi then stepped through the rift and arrived at Song Qi's side.

Song Qi toyed with the spirit pearl in his hand as he looked at Qin Yi's face, which had grown much more resolute after half a year of tempering. He nodded gently.

"I've completed all the tasks you gave me, Master," Qin Yi said, a little excited to see Song Qi again.

"Bring the things out," Song Qi said, rising to his feet.

Qin Yi brought out the corpses of the Golden-Horned Rhinoceros, the Nine-Eyed Demon Spider, and the Silver Moon Wolf King, along with the brocade box containing the Foundation Establishment Pills.

Song Qi nodded inwardly as he looked at the Demon Beast corpses spread across the ground before him. I only meant to temper this brat's character a little. How did he actually finish the tasks?

"Ahem. Did you kill all of these by yourself?" Song Qi asked, frowning. He wanted to make sure. If the brat had killed them all himself, wouldn't he be ready to soar into the heavens?

Qin Yi stared for a moment, thinking, Has Master taken leave of his senses? How could I possibly have killed them all by myself? If I had, I'd have soared into the heavens long ago, all right?

"Of course I didn't kill them all by myself. I met a few good people along the way, and we killed them together," Qin Yi answered "honestly." As for those good people, good people die young, after all.

"Mm." Song Qi nodded and put away the Demon Beast corpses on the ground. Then he continued, "In that case, take this Foundation Establishment Pill and prepare for Foundation Establishment. I've already prepared pills and spiritual items for you in the bamboo grove."

Delighted, Qin Yi quickly said, "Thank you, Master."

"Don't celebrate too soon. I want you to achieve Perfect Foundation Establishment. Otherwise, you are not to come out of seclusion," Song Qi said, waving a hand, his expression serious.

Qin Yi nodded to show he understood, then asked, "Master, where is Senior Sister?" Ever since Prince Qing's death, only two people in this world were worth worrying about in Qin Yi's eyes. One was Song Qi, and the other was Lan Xuan. As for whether anyone else lived or died, what did that have to do with him?

Song Qi rolled his eyes at Qin Yi and said casually, "She's not one to sit still. She went down the mountain to temper herself."

"Oh. Then I'll take my leave." Qin Yi lingered no longer after hearing that. He prepared to return to the bamboo grove and enter seclusion. He would not come out until he broke through to Foundation Establishment.