In the hearts of Liu Ying and the others, Zhou Huaiqiu was their reliance. Therefore, when they sensed something amiss, they immediately took cover behind Zhou Huaiqiu, continuously provoking and attempting to suppress Su Yi through Zhou Huaiqiu's hands.
But who could have expected that the mighty Qingfeng Sword Elder, whom they could only look up to, would be utterly helpless against Su Yi?
When they saw Zhou Huaiqiu being sent flying, Liu Ying and the others felt a sense of disbelief.
How was this possible?
When did Su Yi become so terrifying?
Countless doubts surged in their minds like thunder, causing them to tremble and turn pale.
Thud!
Liu Ying was the first to kneel down, her voice trembling in fear. "Junior Brother Su, I was wrong. I shouldn't have bullied Junior Sister Xiaowen back then, causing her to take her own life with resentment. I shouldn't have blamed you for her death... "
Before she could finish her words, she felt a pain in her throat. Her head flew up in the air, her eyes wide open with a look of panic and unwillingness.
Her body fell limp to the ground, blood flowing incessantly.
"Junior Sister Xiaowen was timid and kind, never having offended you in any way. Yet, simply because her cultivation progressed faster than yours, you humiliated and bullied her in every possible way. How despicable..." Su Yi murmured softly, picking up a wine cup and downing it in one gulp.
Back in the Qinghe Sword Sect, he had the closest relationship with Feng Xiaofeng and Tong Xiaowen.
After Tong Xiaowen's suicide, Liu Ying spread rumors, claiming that Su Yi had manipulated her feelings and drove her to despair, causing the timid girl to take her own life.
Ironically, many people believed it at the time!
"Fight him!"
Suddenly, Yang Qi shouted, rushing towards Su Yi as if he had gone mad.
But before he could reach halfway, his throat was sealed by a sword, and with a twist of the sword, his head was directly sent flying, blood splattering like a waterfall.
"Back then, when I was cultivating at the Blood Refining level, you held a grudge against me simply because I defeated you in the martial arts tournament. You instigated the sect's servants to poison my food, attempting to kill me. If it weren't for those servants exposing their tracks, you almost succeeded," Su Yi's gaze turned cold, his words calmly reverberating in the blood-filled hall.
"Run!"
"Escape quickly!"
Zhang Fengtu, Zheng Xiaolin, and Chu Lianheng, the remaining three, were all in a panic, fleeing towards the main gate.
They were terrified, running without a clear path.
Su Yi wouldn't let them escape. He lunged forward, his Mystic Void Sword slashing three times in a tide-like rhythm.
Each strike was faster than the previous.
Heads flew one after another, figures stumbled and fell to the ground, and blood stained the red carpet beneath them.
"Each of you is despicable in your own way, and your deaths are well-deserved," Su Yi stood still, his gaze icy.
Now, all seven of his past enemies had been killed one by one, their heads severed and their bodies sprawled on the ground.
Zhou Huaiqiu sat on the ground, his expression filled with sorrow and despair.
Ni Hao and Nan Ying were already too frightened to remain seated. They stood there trembling uncontrollably, their faces displaying undisguised terror.
Clang!
Su Yi sheathed his sword and walked back to his seat, drinking four more cups of wine in succession.
With each gulp, it felt as if a barrier in his heart had been shattered, resolving a past grudge.
As all the wine was consumed, Su Yi felt a wave of relief coursing through his entire body.
Settling a grudge, drinking a cup of wine.
A true man should be like this!
Seeing Su Yi reach for the wine jug again, Nan Ying was instantly startled, shivering all over.
She stammered, "Senior Brother Su Yi, we just happened to attend the banquet and had no intention of being your enemies."
Ni Hao also trembled, his voice filled with panic, "Su Yi, what are you doing? Isn't killing so many people enough?"
They had witnessed Su Yi pouring and drinking seven cups of wine, followed by the execution of seven people with his seven sword strikes. It was etched clearly in their minds.
Seeing Su Yi about to pour another drink, how could they not be afraid?
Even Zhou Huaiqiu's gaze hardened. He struggled to rise from the ground and spoke in a wooden tone, "If you don't kill us to silence us, how could the incident today not be known by the Qinghe Sword Sect? And how could the forces behind those seven disciples who were killed remain indifferent?"
He looked at Su Yi and said, "Before you act, may I ask some questions? I want to understand things clearly before I meet my end."
Su Yi furrowed his brow and replied, "In your eyes, Zhou Huaiqiu, am I someone who indiscriminately kills the innocent?"
Zhou Huaiqiu was taken aback by Su Yi's words and asked, "You don't intend to kill us to silence us?"
Su Yi finished his drink without further explanation.
Nan Ying and Ni Hao became excited and breathed a sigh of relief.
"It was a misunderstanding. I knew Senior Brother Su Yi is clear-minded about grudges and would never do such a thing!" Nan Ying exclaimed with joy.
Ni Hao's expression was complex as he asked, "Su Yi, aren't you afraid of retaliation?"
Su Yi remained indifferent, without explaining. He casually pointed towards the gate and said, "You may leave."
His dismissive attitude prevented Ni Hao from even getting angry.
Bitterly shaking his head, Ni Hao stood up and walked towards the gate in a dazed state.
In that moment, he deeply experienced the gap between them.
He finally realized that in Su Yi's eyes, he was nothing more than an insignificant ant to be ignored and disregarded.
Nan Ying also hurriedly got up to leave.
She had no intention of staying any longer, never wanting to set foot on the ninth floor of Fengyuan Pavilion again in her lifetime.
However, as she left, an uncontrollable sense of regret welled up in her heart. She realized how shortsighted she had been back then, kicking Su Yi aside with a single foot.
Zhou Huaiqiu hesitated to speak but ultimately let out a long sigh and turned to leave, his figure desolate and lonely.
The experiences of today had undoubtedly dealt a heavy blow to him.
There were many things he couldn't understand, but he knew he no longer had the right to seek answers from Su Yi.
After tonight, the bond between him and Su Yi had truly been severed.
Soon, only Su Yi and Huang Qianjun remained in the Mountain and River Hall.
"Su Ge, what should we do next?" Huang Qianjun couldn't help asking.
He had a premonition that the events of tonight would cause a great storm once they became known.
"We'll wait for the storm to come," Su Yi stood up, hands behind his back, and walked towards the exit of the Mountain and River Hall.
Huang Qianjun quickly followed.
As they walked out of Fengyuan Pavilion, the streets were filled with bustling lights and clamor, as if nothing had happened in the ninth floor's Mountain and River Hall.
But beneath this calm surface, a hidden undercurrent was brewing.
Mountain and River Hall.
Lady Cuiyun covered her nose, overwhelmed by the stench of blood on the ground. Her mature and graceful figure trembled slightly, and her beautiful face was filled with helplessness. She had a terrible headache.
"I thought that with Zhou Huaiqiu here, tonight's events might not have happened. Who would have thought that this star of disaster would be so ruthless..." she murmured.
"After tonight, who would dare to hold banquets in my Mountain and River Hall?" she sighed.
With a heavy heart, Lady Cuiyun turned and walked out of the Mountain and River Hall, her rosy lips letting out a faint sigh. She knew that it would be impossible to cover up what happened tonight.
"Someone, clean the Mountain and River Hall thoroughly. Replace all the decorations and items," she ordered after calming her mind.
"I wonder how this star of disaster will face the coming storm... Ah, forget it. When immortals fight, mortals suffer. I don't want to get involved. I just hope that this star of disaster never sets foot in my Fengyuan Pavilion again," Lady Cuiyun muttered, full of bitterness, as she left.
In a cozy room on the first floor of Fengyuan Pavilion:
"Uncle Yong, go and investigate what happened in the Mountain and River Hall. My brother and I will wait for your news at home," Yuan Luoxi couldn't sit still anymore and spoke with a crisp voice.
"Okay," Cheng Wuyong nodded in agreement.
In fact, when Cheng Wuyong saw only Zhou Huaiqiu, Ni Hao, and Nan Ying leaving Fengyuan Pavilion, he had already concluded that Qian Yunjiu and the other seven were likely finished.
However, tonight's events were too bloody, and Zhou Huaiqiu and the others were bound to not conceal the news. It would undoubtedly cause a huge disturbance.
"The forces behind those seven young people are easy to handle, but the Qinghe Sword Sect is unlikely to let it go," Cheng Wuyong thought to himself, "However, since Mr. Su dared to do this, perhaps he no longer regards the threat of the Qinghe Sword Sect highly."
While contemplating, he had already taken action.
...
Lord Qin's Mansion.
Study room.
Qin Wenyuan stood with one hand behind his back, holding a brush dipped in ink, practicing calligraphy on a spread-out white paper.
The strokes were as firm as iron, resembling treacherous mountains. At a glance, it brought a tremendous sense of oppression to one's mind.
Suddenly, a series of knocks on the door were heard.
"Come in."
Qin Wenyuan didn't even raise his head. With a swift stroke of his brush, he completed the final character.
On the white paper, it was written, "The divination cannot be fully calculated, fearing the unpredictability of the heavens."
Qin Wenyuan put away the brush and gazed at the phrase for a moment, whispering, "One must never go to extremes, leaving room for maneuver. In doing so, one can remain undefeated for a long time."
Then, he looked up at the old servant dressed in black who entered the study and asked, "Is there news?"
"Yes, indeed."
The black-clad old servant nodded, a hint of solemnity in his brows. "Just now, our spy reported that Su Yi killed Qian Yunjiu, Huo Long, and seven other Qinghe Sword Sect disciples in the ninth-floor Mountain and River Hall of Fengyuan Pavilion."
Qin Wenyuan's eyes narrowed slightly. "The ninth floor?"
"Correct."
The black-robed servant swiftly spoke, "Our people have also tried to investigate why Su Yi was able to arrange a banquet on the ninth floor, but the people on Lady Cuiyun's side are tight-lipped."
Qin Wen Yuan asked again, "When Su Yi killed someone in the Shanhedian, how did Fengyuan Zhai react?"
"They remained indifferent, standing by and allowing Su Yi and Huang Ganjun to leave."
The black-robed servant whispered, "In my opinion, there must be hidden motives behind this."
Qin Wen Yuan's eyes flickered as he said, "That's natural. Lady Cuiyun is astute and well-connected. Although she doesn't have any major forces backing her, she has an elder brother who ranks fifth in the Tianyuan Academy. That's why Fengyuan Zhai has been able to stand tall until now, and nobody dares to offend her... However, it is indeed unusual for someone like her to tolerate Su Yi killing someone in the Shanhedian."
Qin Wen Yuan's eyes flashed with determination as he continued, "It seems that I need to find an opportunity to personally meet Lady Cuiyun."
This incident confirmed his previous suspicions and made him realize that Su Yi's background was definitely not as simple as it seemed.
"Sir, perhaps there's no need to go through so much trouble. Among those who attended the banquet in the Shanhedian, there were also Zhou Huaiqiu, Ni Hao, and Nan Ying. I have already sent someone to contact them, using the authority of the Prefectural Governor's Office, inviting them for a meeting."
The black-robed servant said in a deep voice.
Qin Wen Yuan paused for a moment and praised, "Well done."
Just as they were discussing this, a report came from outside the study:
"Reporting to Sir, Ni Hao, Young Master Ni, has returned with us."