Chapter 217 - 216: Behind the Scenes
The official road.
On top of the carriage.
Dressed in coarse robes and holding an ordinary hardwood staff, the man stood there silently, seeming to have long since merged with the carriage and the surrounding forest.
Were it not for the terrifying killing intent emanating from him, it would have been easy to overlook his presence entirely.
"Enough with the theatrics!"
Wei Er barked, exchanging a look with Wei Yi.
They abandoned their pursuit of Linglong in unison. Their figures flashed like lightning as they drew their longswords, transforming into two fierce glints of light that shot toward Chen Li on the roof of the carriage.
Chen Li’s expression remained unchanged. He didn’t even try to dodge, simply raising his wooden staff horizontally to meet their attack.
Wood met steel with a dull thud.
Qi Strength erupted outward as Chen Li steadfastly absorbed the force of their combined blow.
"The Qi Realm?"
The instant they clashed, both Wei Yi and Wei Er clearly sensed the level of Inner Qi circulating within Chen Li’s body. Expressions of disbelief spread across their faces.
They had considered that their opponent might be a senior expert hiding his true power.
But they never imagined that the Inner Strength and Cultivation he was displaying was merely that of... the Qi Realm?
Wei Yi almost burst out laughing in exasperation.
’Since when does a measly Qi Realm Martial Artist dare to come out and pose as an expert?’
’He must have a death wish!’
However, the sneer quickly froze on his face.
What happened next completely shattered his understanding of the world.
Staff and swords clashed, and in the blink of an eye, they had exchanged dozens of blows.
The longer Wei Yi and Wei Er fought, the more terrified they became.
Both of them had reached the Profound Acupoint Pass of the Spirit Realm. And as brothers, their minds were linked; when they joined forces, their power was comparable to that of an expert at the Spirit Realm Seventh Level: Inner Mansion Pass.
Yet, facing an opponent who only possessed the Cultivation of the Qi Realm, they... couldn’t gain the slightest advantage.
Even more terrifying, their opponent’s Staff Technique grew fiercer with every blow. At first, they had him on the defensive, but he gradually turned the tables until he was the one suppressing them.
It was simply unbelievable.
It completely defied the fundamental principles of the Martial Dao!
"Miss Yu, run!"
Wei Yi made an instant decision. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead as he yelled hoarsely to Li Yuniang.
He realized they had picked a fight with someone far beyond their league.
’This man is definitely not as simple as he looks.’
But the moment the words left his mouth...
Chen Li’s aura suddenly erupted.
A terrifying pressure, as vast as the sea and as deep as an abyss, descended upon them.
A Grandmaster!
Wei Yi and Wei Er gasped, suddenly feeling like a tiny boat tossed on a stormy sea.
Chen Li’s eyes were cold and distant. With the ordinary hardwood staff in his hand, he used no fancy moves—just a simple, direct, horizontal sweep.
BAM! BAM!
Two heavy thuds rang out almost simultaneously.
Wei Yi and Wei Er didn’t even have time to block. Their chests instantly caved in, and their bodies flew backward like kites with their strings cut, crashing heavily in the distance. Every bone in their bodies was shattered, and their breathing stopped in an instant.
Two experts of the Spirit Realm’s Profound Acupoint Pass, killed in an instant by a single strike of the staff.
Chen Li slowly withdrew his staff. His aura vanished in a flash, and he once again appeared completely unremarkable.
He glanced at the staff in his hand and shook his head. ’Still not enough time...’
He had just used his Second Divine Embryo to conceal his true Cultivation, hoping to use the two brothers to hone his Staff Technique. Unfortunately, he hadn’t been able to fight to his heart’s content.
「Elsewhere.」
The moment Chen Li began to fight Wei Yi and Wei Er, Li Yuniang had sensed that something was amiss.
She had a quick mind. Seeing her two Guards fall into a disadvantage, she knew that this affair would not end peacefully.
The moment Wei Yi’s warning left his lips, she didn’t hesitate. Like an arrow loosed from a bow, she shot toward the open fields beside the road.
"Sister Yuniang, why the hurry to leave?"
Seeing her attempt to flee, Linglong chuckled lightly. She flicked her left wrist, and a length of White Silk shot out, overtaking Li Yuniang and wrapping around her ankle.
Li Yuniang sensed the gust of wind behind her. Without turning her head, she swept her hand back, a foot-long Short Sword appearing in her grasp. The blade flashed as she sliced with pinpoint precision at the incoming White Silk.
SHHHRIP!
The tough White Silk was sliced apart with ease.
Li Yuniang’s momentum didn’t falter.
But in the instant just before she could escape...
"VMMMM!"
An incomparably sharp glint of sword light appeared without warning directly in her path.
It carried a resolute fury and a cold killing intent, descending like a crashing waterfall of stars. It chopped straight for her face, completely sealing off her escape route.
’There’s another expert?’
Horror filled Li Yuniang’s heart.
She never expected another expert of this caliber to be lying in wait.
At this critical juncture, she forcibly reversed her Inner Breath. Ignoring the churning of her qi and blood, she brought her charge to a grinding halt.
Her feet slammed into the ground, and she threw herself backward in a desperate, graceless leap, barely avoiding the killing blow.
She landed back on the ground, still shaken. When she looked up and saw who was blocking her way, all the color drained from her face. Shock and rage contorted her features.
"Zhou Shuwei?"
In the middle of the road stood Zhou Shuwei, Longsword in hand. Her pretty face was like frost as her cold gaze locked onto Li Yuniang.
The aura emanating from her had already reached the Spirit Realm Second Level.
"So... this whole thing today was a trap set by your Zhou Family?"
Understanding dawned on Li Yuniang in an instant, and a surge of rage at being manipulated welled up inside her.
Zhou Shuwei didn’t waste time with words. Old grudges and new hatreds surged within her.
With a sharp cry, she brandished her Longsword. A three-foot-long beam of Sword Qi erupted from the blade, shattering into a thousand points of cold starlight that rained down on Li Yuniang.
She attacked with fury, her Sword Qi exceptionally sharp. With her superior Cultivation, she instantly suppressed Li Yuniang, who found herself desperately fending off the attacks, in constant peril.
Within just a few exchanges, Li Yuniang was drenched in sweat, her clothes torn in several places by the Sword Qi. She was a wretched sight.
She knew that if this fight dragged on, she would certainly die today.
A vicious glint flashed in her eyes. Gritting her teeth, she used the force of a block to push herself back. At the same time, countless Embroidery Needles, as fine as hairs and glinting with a faint blue light, shot from her sleeve.
The Flying Needles rained down like a sudden storm, aiming for the major acupoints all over Zhou Shuwei’s body.
Zhou Shuwei dared not face them head-on. She retreated swiftly, her Longsword a blur as she wove a defense so tight it seemed impenetrable, forming a shimmering silver ring of light.
TING! TING! TING! TING!
After a flurry of crisp metallic pings, the vast majority of the Flying Needles had been deflected by the Sword Curtain.
This brief respite was exactly what Li Yuniang needed.
She burst into motion once more, intending to repeat her trick and flee in a different direction.
However, she had barely moved when her vision blurred.
A blurry black shadow seemed to coalesce from nothingness, silently appearing in her path.
The shadow’s face was indistinct. It simply raised a hand, fingers held together like a sword, and gently tapped toward the center of her forehead.
The motion seemed slow, but in reality, it was faster than Li Yuniang could react.
PFFT!
Li Yuniang felt a sharp pain between her eyebrows.
The pain exploded in an instant, engulfing her entire body.
The Inner Qi surging through her body felt as if it had been severed by a giant, invisible hand. She couldn’t summon a single shred of it. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed to the ground with a THUD.
Panic seized her. She frantically tried to circulate her Cultivation Technique, attempting to gather her Inner Qi once more.
But the moment she managed to gather a mere sliver of Inner Qi, a sound like a great temple bell tolled deep within her Divine Sense, exploding in the depths of her soul.
"PFFT!"
Li Yuniang’s body convulsed as if struck by lightning, and she violently spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.
The sliver of Inner Qi she had just managed to gather was instantly shattered.
A tearing pain shot through her meridians as her qi and blood flowed in reverse. Her vision swam with black spots.
Refusing to give up, she tried twice more.
Each attempt only triggered that terrifying bell again, each peal more violent than the last. It felt as if her meridians would burst. A sweet, coppery taste filled her throat as she coughed up several more mouthfuls of blood.
Just then, Linglong gracefully walked over to her. Looking at her pathetic state, she sighed softly, a trace of pity in her voice. "Sister Yuniang, don’t waste your strength. Unless the Master lifts the seal, you’ll never be able to gather your Inner Qi. The more you try, the more you’ll damage the foundation of your meridians. Until... they are completely severed, and you die."
Hearing this, Li Yuniang’s body went rigid, her face turning ashen.
She struggled to lift her head and look at Chen Li, who stood not far away with his hands clasped behind his back, looking as if he were a mere bystander. Her eyes filled with a terror and awe she had never felt before.
She understood then that this seemingly ordinary man’s power and methods were far beyond her imagination.
’He could kill me more easily than crushing an ant.’
’No wonder Linglong is so willing to serve him.’
"Senior,"
Her voice was hoarse, but it held a sliver of hope. He hadn’t killed her, which meant she was still useful. "I am willing to submit. I wonder... what are your instructions, Senior?"
Chen Li glanced at Zhou Shuwei, who was standing beside him.
Zhou Shuwei immediately stepped forward. Suppressing her rage, she pointed her Longsword at Li Yuniang. "Who exactly are you? Who is pulling the strings? Why have you gone to such lengths to scheme against my Zhou Family?"
Li Yuniang answered honestly, "I... I am an Incense Protector of the Xiang Sect. But publicly, I am the mistress of He Zhangqiu, the young son of Governor He Mingyun."
"He Zhangqiu? The Governor is the one scheming against my Zhou Family?"
Zhou Shuwei’s expression changed drastically. Although she had long suspected the involvement of officials, she never imagined the Governor himself would be personally involved.
"Yes... and no," Li Yuniang replied softly.
Chen Li let out a cold snort, and the invisible pressure descended upon Li Yuniang once again.
Li Yuniang trembled and hurriedly added, "It isn’t just one family that wants to make a move against the Zhou Family. In truth... there are four factions involved."
"Which four?"
Zhou Shuwei pressed urgently, "Why are they scheming against my family?"
"The leader is the He Family,"
Li Yuniang said with difficulty. "It all started in the middle of last year, when Miss Zhou Qingyi sold fifty thousand stones of grain to Sun Huisou of the Liyang Commerce Association."
"What? Qingyi sold the fifty thousand stones of grain?"
Hearing this, Zhou Shuwei looked as though she’d been struck by lightning. She cried out in alarm, her face a mask of shock and disbelief. "Something this major happened, and after I came home, she... why didn’t she say a single word about it? Why did no one in the family tell me?"
At that moment, the horror she felt surpassed even her anger at being ambushed.
She had been completely in the dark.
An even more horrifying thought suddenly surfaced in her mind.
’The Zhou Family... seems to be slipping from my control!’
Li Yuniang continued, "Only after the grain was in his warehouse did Sun Huisou discover that it was the very same shipment that several families had lost at Mirror Mountain a few years prior. That is why the He Family wants revenge."
Zhou Shuwei stared blankly, staggering back a step. The world seemed to spin around her, a chill spreading through her limbs. For a moment, she had no idea what to do.