Jiang Yun found a scenic spot in the valley and buried his father's remains there. A wooden tablet marked the grave of his father, Jiang Fan.
Jiang Yun kowtowed three times before the grave and then walked away without looking back. Unsure whether to follow Jiang Yun, Lu Yao hesitated for a moment before ultimately deciding to join him.
"Jiang Yun, where are you going?" Lu Yao caught up with Jiang Yun and asked.
"Revenge! Revenge for my father's death!" Jiang Yun's tone lacked any emotional fluctuations.
Lu Yao had never considered stopping Jiang Yun, nor did he have the authority to do so. As he watched Jiang Yun's figure about to disappear into the valley, Lu Yao suddenly remembered something and shouted at him.
"Jiang Yun, if you're still alive after avenging your father, come find me in Wuan City of the Zhao Kingdom. One month from now."
In one month, the Heavenly Sword Sect would be recruiting outer disciples in Wuan City. Lu Yao highly valued Jiang Yun's talent in swordsmanship and sincerely hoped that Jiang Yun could enter the sect and uphold its legacy.
Although Jiang Yun heard Lu Yao's words, his heart had long been clouded by hatred. At this moment, all he could think about was avenging his father.
After leaving the valley, Jiang Yun quickly found his way back. With the integration of the Sword Qi within him, his speed was several times faster than before. After a few hours, Jiang Yun stopped in the forest outside Yanjing City and began to meditate, recovering his Sword Qi.
Jiang Yun harbored a deep grudge against the Xiao family, just as the Xiao family had ill intentions toward him. Ever since Jiang Yun learned that his father had died at the hands of Xiao Wanshan, their enmity had become an unending vendetta.
Therefore, Jiang Yun had to enter the city in peak condition. Moreover, the Xiao family's wanted posters for him were still posted in Yanjing City. It was likely that they would become aware of his presence as soon as he entered. The mask was still in Lu Yao's possession, but Jiang Yun had no intention of disguising himself. With the fusion of Sword Intent, he had directly crossed from Body Martial Realm to Yuan Martial Realm. He was now brimming with confidence.
Once Jiang Yun's sword energy inside his body fully recovered, he tightly gripped the Qingping Sword in his hand and walked toward the city gate.
There were many guards at the city gate who had connections with the Xiao family. When Jiang Yun appeared at the city gate, the Xiao family had already been notified. Jiang Yun didn't pay any attention to it and entered the city as if no one was there.
Zhū Què Street was a bustling street within the Yanjing City, with a wide and well-paved surface of bluestones. At this moment, Jiang Yun was blocked on this street by a group of assassins privately kept by the Xiao family. Xiao Wanshui stood in the front, blocking the center of the road. Jiang Yun halted his steps, standing ten paces away from Xiao Wanshui.
"Hmph, I didn't expect the Xiao family to mobilize so many assassins and not find you. Yet, you actually came to us willingly. Truly, when there's a path to heaven, you won't take it, but when there's a path to hell, you'll charge right in."
Xiao Wanshui said coldly. A month ago, Jiang Yun had escaped from his clutches, and Xiao Wanshui had been brooding over it ever since. He had thought that Jiang Yun might have already fled beyond the boundaries of Yan Kingdom, and he had no idea when he would have a chance for revenge. Unexpectedly, he heard that Jiang Yun had appeared today, so he immediately brought his men to the path that Jiang Yun had to pass through.
Initially, Xiao Wanshui thought he could handle Jiang Yun's strength alone, but learning from past experience, he brought a team with him this time to prevent Jiang Yun from escaping again.
Jiang Yun, dressed in a green robe with white socks, stood proudly on the street, holding the Qingping Sword in his hand. His fearless demeanor in the face of danger impressed the people of Yanjing City who surrounded them.
"Isn't this Jiang Yun, who was expelled from the Jiang family? He seems like a completely different person."
"You're not aware of this? Are you still a resident of Yanjing City? It was rumored a month ago that Jiang Yun obtained a divine technique and killed Xiao Kuang, the son of Xiao Wanshan, with a single sword strike."
"Wasn't it said that he had already fled to a neighboring country? Why did he come back today? Does he want to court death?"
The people of Yanjing City discussed eagerly. Although many knew that Jiang Yun was no longer the useless person he used to be, facing the entire Xiao family, many thought he was seeking his own death.
"Four years ago, you were involved in my father's death, right?"
Jiang Yun's voice turned icy, and his eyes became like sharp blades, staring intensely at Xiao Wanshui.
"Oh, so you know about it. What does it matter then?"
Xiao Wanshui didn't expect Jiang Yun to suddenly bring up the events from four years ago. But at this point, there was no need to hide it from others anymore, as the Jiang family was now just a subordinate family of the Xiao family.
As soon as the words fell, Xiao Wanshui no longer exchanged words with Jiang Yun. He waved his hands, and the group of assassins behind him surged forward, instantly surrounding Jiang Yun on the spot.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The sound of weapons being unsheathed echoed continuously. The lowest among the Xiao family's assassins were Qi Martial Realm warriors, and there were over twenty Qi Martial Realm warriors surrounding Jiang Yun. It seemed impossible for Jiang Yun to withstand them in the eyes of the onlookers.
"With over twenty Qi Martial Realm warriors, even someone below the fifth level of the Elemental Martial Realm won't be able to withstand it."
Someone from the crowd couldn't help but speak beside the street, and then a group of people chimed in, all agreeing that Jiang Yun was tired of living and was completely seeking death.
Over twenty weapons shimmered with the radiance of spiritual energy as they slashed towards Jiang Yun. For a moment, the light reflected by the various weapons dazzled onlookers.
Jiang Yun stood in the center, motionless, without even lifting his head. Just as the weapons were about to strike his body, the Qingping Sword in Jiang Yun's hand unsheathed, and in the blink of an eye, he unleashed over twenty sword strikes.
"Dugu Nine Swords!"
Before comprehending the essence of the sword, Jiang Yun had never used the Dugu Nine Swords. The Dugu Nine Swords had no specific techniques, only the sword intent. With the support of the sword intent, Jiang Yun's Dugu Nine Swords had become significantly different from the set of swordsmanship on Earth. His Dugu Nine Swords were faster and more powerful.
Under Jiang Yun's Dugu Nine Swords, the weapons of the Xiao family's assassins were severed one after another, while Jiang Yun's sword qi didn't stop there. It swiftly slashed through the throats of these assassins after cutting their weapons.
In the eyes of the people of Yanjing City, they only saw the weapons in the hands of the Xiao family's over twenty assassins about to strike Jiang Yun when his Qingping Sword resounded as it unsheathed. Then, they witnessed Jiang Yun's legs leaving the ground, performing a 360-degree rotation, while the Qingping Sword created a blur in the air.
"Thump! Thump!"
The sound of bodies falling to the ground echoed endlessly.
By the time Jiang Yun landed, the weapons of the Xiao family's assassins had already broken, and they lay lifeless. The impact of this sudden turn of events was almost as shocking as the dazzling sword strike Jiang Yun had displayed during the Yanjing Martial Arts Tournament.
After all, Jiang Yun had once been the laughingstock of Yanjing City, but today, this joke had become unattainable for many. For a moment, there was complete silence at the scene.
Xiao Wanshui's astonishment in his heart was no less than that of the others present. A month ago, when he sparred with Jiang Yun, although he found Jiang Yun's swordsmanship extraordinary, he didn't consider his strength to be high. At most, Jiang Yun had the cultivation level of the sixth stage of the Elemental Martial Realm.
However, Jiang Yun's displayed power at this moment was clearly not inferior to his own, which made it difficult for Xiao Wanshui to accept.