Rebirth of the Peak Young Master

"Xing'er, tell me, why does no one believe the truth? Why? Tell me why?"

Simba had only reached the Dan Yuan Realm, but that already made him a prominent cultivator. In everyday life, people showed him respect and avoided crossing him. Now, however, he was being humiliated by a cultivator far below his level. His heart was smoldering with frustration, and if his glare could kill, Li Qingyu would've been torn to pieces a thousand times over by now.

"Come on, let me escort you to the road first!" A gruff voice barked. Li Qingyu suddenly withdrew a long sword, stepping closer to Xin Zheng bit by bit.

The sword shimmered in the icy snow. Xin involuntarily swallowed hard. Though his eyes momentarily revealed rare fear, the pride of a Nirvana cultivator kept him silent, refusing to beg for mercy.

"Oh, tough guy, huh? My brother loved people like you with hard backbones."

Li murmured softly and suddenly leapt onto the sword's blade. The longsword quivered, whispering faintly. Its tip hovered at Xin's throat. Li said, "Don't worry, I promise you won't feel a thing."

A chillingly calm, cold voice followed, "What exactly are you trying to do?"

"Kill you!" Li Qingyu mischievously met Xin Ge's cold gaze.

"Child... do you even know who I am? How dare you attempt to kill me—"

"I dare!"

Xin's eyes widened in shock. Lowering his head, he saw the sword protruding through his chest. Blood spilled out uncontrollably, and his unfinished words were abruptly cut off. He glared bitterly at Li Qingyu before finally collapsing lifelessly to the ground.

"Well, the world is short one Nirvana cultivator today."

Suddenly, Ji Ruxue was left shaken and bewildered by the drastic turn of events. Everything seemed fine just moments ago. In a blink of an eye, how could someone as seasoned as Xin Ge just die? Shock painted her face, as if asking herself, "Did you really have the guts to do it?" Google seaʀᴄh 𝗇𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗅•𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾•𝗇𝖾𝗍

Li Qingyu, however, felt no nausea from the murder, nor was he overwhelmed by guilt. His heart remained eerily calm.

"Since you wanted to kill me, you should've had the awareness that the same might happen to you.

As you've said yourself, in this world, the strong prey upon the weak. I just happened to kill you today. Tomorrow, it might be me who dies by someone else's sword.

But I refuse to die—not out of arrogance, but because I fear something greater. I fear the tears of heartbreak my parents would shed if anything happens to me. That's why I must keep living. I'll keep growing stronger and climbing higher—even if it's cold and lonely at the peak of the world—because I still have an unfulfilled promise.

The world is, indeed, cruel, but everyone finds their reason to keep going.

I killed you not for justice or morality but simply to survive. I know if I didn't kill you, you wouldn't hesitate to kill me. So, while I regret that you died, I hold no guilt for taking your life.

Do you understand?"

Ji Ruxue gazed complicatedly at Li Qingyu. She could tell that when he spoke those words standing over Xin Ge's corpse, he was completely sincere. Every word was etched with conviction.

Particularly the last whisper. She wasn't sure whether Li Qingyu was speaking to Xin Ge's lifeless body or reminding himself why he fought.

Li Qingyu took a deep breath, his chest heaving before finally exhaling. A gentle smile emerged on his face. He slowly raised his head, staring long at the sky before murmuring words only he could hear: "Yes, I understand!"

The beast resting quietly on Li Qingyu's shoulder basked in the rare sense of tranquility. One human and one beast shared this fragile, harmonious moment together. One was full of unyielding hope for the future, while the other drifted without knowing where its future lay or who it could rely upon.

Ji Ruxue remained silent as she observed beast and man in quiet contemplation. When Li Qingyu was about to leave, Ji Ruxue suddenly called out to him, "With my Ice Palace as your backing, I think the Elder Council would gladly help you grow. It's the safest path forward!"

"Blades are sharpened through grinding, and plum blossoms derive their fragrance from bitter winters. I believe I am not a flower to be nurtured in a greenhouse. I'd rather soar freely, battling the winds and storms. Even if I stumble, I am confident I'll persevere and live to one day see the rainbow! Farewell!"

Ji Ruxue silently watched his retreating figure.

By the next morning, Monster Mountain had suddenly become bustling. The thick snow was riddled with chaotic footprints. The closer one got to Monster Mountain's periphery, the more intense this strange activity became.

"Everyone, stay alert! Search carefully and don't miss any suspicious spots. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

After a brief exchange, the crunching of snow under boots echoed chaotically. In the blink of an eye, dozens of black-clad figures dispersed amidst Monster Mountain's dense woods.

At the forefront of this black-clad group, Ding Xue stood still, scanning the surroundings with a sharp gaze.

Li Qingyu was utterly puzzled. He couldn't figure out what grand event had unfolded while he'd been unconscious. Even the Tianlan Empire's military had mobilized, operating as covertly as this.

Although everyone donned black garments, Li Qingyu was certain they weren't ordinary killers. Their steely discipline and aura spoke of seasoned soldiers, mere pawns wielding lethal precision!

What Li Qingyu didn't know was that not only the Tianlan Empire but also the Guangwu Empire, Jianling Sect, Chenguang Guards, and the Zhantu Emperor had all secretly deployed soldiers to the depths of Monster Mountain.

Their goal was the same: eliminate whoever dared disturb the balance of heaven and earth!

"It seems Monster Mountain is no longer safe. We should head home as soon as possible."

Li Qingyu shook his head regretfully. Originally, he'd planned to gift Li Mubai and Li Mingtong some treasures from his recent finds. Now, it seemed that opportunity had slipped through his fingers completely.

On his journey, Li Qingyu came across two more groups of black-clad patrols, but each time he managed to evade them without much trouble.

Finally, the towering gates of the Imperial City came into view. Li Qingyu crouched in the grass along the roadside, carefully observing the situation.

At the city gates, a line of people waited for registration while countless soldiers vigilantly guarded the area. He spotted a man try to sneak out of the city, only to be discovered immediately. The soldiers wasted no time apprehending and binding him. Witnessing this raised Li Qingyu's brow in slight frustration. It seemed he underestimated the seriousness of the situation.

"Damn it!"

Due to martial law in the Imperial Capital, the Emperor was leaving no stone unturned. If caught, even Li Qingyu wouldn't be spared a detailed interrogation.

Feeling a mounting sense of urgency, Li Qingyu realized infiltration was no longer feasible. Every street checkpoint was crawling with soldiers!

Suddenly, the distant sound of hooves pounding the ground caught his attention. Not long after, a merchant caravan led by a concealing banner arrived. Judging by the crest displayed on the caravan, it seemed to belong to the coveted goods supply network, the Treasure Vault merchants.

Li Qingyu's spirits lifted instantly. He quietly snuck around and slipped to the rear of the caravan trucks.

"Stop right there! By order of His Majesty, anyone entering the Imperial Capital must have their identity recorded!"

"Is there anything inside the vehicles?"

"Officer, all containers belong to the Treasure Vault merchants. All goods are authorized by Guangwu authorities. I'm on a tight schedule for delivering these shipments; surely you understand?" The caravan leader muttered, slipping a red note discreetly into the guard's hands.

The soldier's eyes gleamed briefly. A red note was worth one thousand coins—an entire month's salary! Accepting it calmly, he nodded, "Alright, since it's from the Treasure Vault, there shouldn't be any issue. Proceed!"

"Thank you, officer!"

Once the caravan pulled into the Treasure Vault's designated courtyard and the merchants began unloading goods, a figure darted out stealthily from the final truck.

"Strange, was something there just now?"

"By the heavens, stop imagining things! Hurry and offload. I'm freezing here!"

Suddenly, another flash of white darted past.

"No, I swear I saw something just now—!"