Xiao Qun stepped confidently onto the barren ground, heading towards Ji Yan's wooden hut.
However, after taking a few steps, her expression changed. She felt a sharp, stabbing sensation underfoot, as if countless needles were piercing her soles and something below was trying to invade her body.
Her face turned pale. She recognized this feeling immediately—sword intent.
The ground beneath her feet was filled with a terrifyingly dense amount of sword intent. It felt like a swarm of unseen beasts, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. The sword intent was like venomous snakes, studying her as their prey, their hissing breaths chilling her to the bone.
Xiao Qun knew she had fallen for a trap. All of Lü Shaoqing's flattery, his subservient behavior, and his supposed fear of Nascent Soul masters—it was all an act. He had led her here deliberately to make her suffer and embarrass her.
The sword intent underfoot, like lurking predators, had her surrounded. If she made even the slightest move, she felt certain that she would be torn apart.
Even those at the same level as Ji Yan struggled against his sword intent, so what chance did she, a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, have?
Fear gripped Xiao Qun, and she felt an intense urge to flee.
"Big Sis, what's wrong?"
"Sister, are you okay?"
Her companions, noticing something was off, began calling out to her in concern.
Lü Shaoqing pretended to be puzzled, saying, "Could she be too excited?"
"Hey, why aren't you all rushing in to help her?"
"If she falls and embarrasses herself in front of Senior Brother, she'll blame you all."
"Hurry, give her a hand."
He continued to act like a well-meaning person, urging them on.
Xiao Qun's companions thought his words made sense—given Xiao Qun's temper, they had no choice but to rush in.
Seeing them approach, Xiao Qun frantically yelled, "No, don't come in!"
But it was too late.
As soon as they stepped onto the ground, they felt the same piercing sensation. The overwhelming sword intent locked onto them, and they sensed immediate danger.
Instinctively, they circulated their spiritual energy to defend themselves, but this only made things worse. It was like poking a hornet's nest.
A torrent of sword intent erupted from the ground, attacking them viciously.
The sword intent was relentless and fierce, like an unstoppable force that threatened to tear them apart.
"Ah!"
Xiao Qun and her companions screamed, desperately defending themselves. They used talismans and treasures in a panic, but they were no match. The sword intent shredded their defenses as if they were paper.
Watching from outside, Lü Shaoqing called out in mock concern, "Hey, don't use those treasures—those are mine! Don't go breaking them!"
"Seriously, don't use them! Those are my things. Don't destroy them!"
"What a waste. Stop using my stuff already!"
Xiao Yi stood nearby, her eyes wide with shock.
Seeing Lü Shaoqing's face filled with mock anguish, she began to understand. Relief flooded her as she realized that her Second Senior Brother wasn't as cowardly as she had feared.
"Second Senior Brother, did you lead them here on purpose?"
Was this what people meant by borrowing a knife to kill?
Lü Shaoqing smirked. "What else did you think?"
"You didn't actually believe I was scared of them, did you?"
Xiao Yi's face flushed. She had, indeed, suspected as much.
Lü Shaoqing playfully knocked her on the head. "How could you doubt your Second Senior Brother like that? You deserve a smack!"
Xiao Yi rubbed her head, grinning sheepishly. "I was wrong, Second Senior Brother."
"Next time you doubt me, I'll make sure you regret it."
Xiao Yi quickly tried to appease him. "I promise, I won't ever doubt you again."
"Second Senior Brother, you're amazing for thinking of such a clever way to teach them a lesson."
Lü Shaoqing shrugged. "They were acting too arrogant. They needed a dose of humility."
"Want to take the opportunity to kill them?" he asked suddenly, his tone filled with a cold edge.
"If you want, you can strike now."
Xiao Qun and her companions were completely surrounded by sword intent. They were struggling to defend themselves. A single move could finish them off.
Xiao Yi's eyes widened in shock, and she quickly shook her head. She didn't like Xiao Qun, but she didn't hate her enough to kill her.
"Second Senior Brother, no, please don't."
Lü Shaoqing sneered. "She has a grudge against you. The best solution is to get rid of her once and for all."
"Just kill her and make up some excuse. What's there to be afraid of?"
Xiao Yi was taken aback by her Second Senior Brother's ruthlessness. "Second Senior Brother, that's not necessary. We only have a minor disagreement."
"It's not enough to justify killing her."
"A minor disagreement is still a disagreement. After today, she'll hold a deep grudge against you. It's best to kill her."
Xiao Yi sighed. "But, Second Senior Brother, this was all your doing. You're the one who led her here."
Lü Shaoqing pouted. "Are you blaming me now?"
"That hurts, Xiao Yi. I was trying to help you, and this is how you repay me?"
He clutched his chest dramatically. "I'm so disappointed."
"Tell me, are you a saint?"
"If you are, I might as well kill you first."
Though Xiao Yi didn't know what "saint" meant, it didn't sound like a compliment.
"Hmph, you're the saint here!" she retorted.
"She's my cousin, after all. I can't bring myself to kill her."
Lü Shaoqing shook his head. "You're being too soft. She'll come after you eventually."
"When your family faces any crisis, she'll be the first to betray you."
Xiao Yi didn't believe him. "It's not that serious. We just have some sibling rivalry."
"Second Senior Brother, let her go."
Lü Shaoqing shrugged. "I can't."
"This is Senior Brother's sword intent, not mine."
"And why should I save them?"
Xiao Yi tugged at Lü Shaoqing's arm. "Second Senior Brother, please. I know you can do it."
"Please."
Her soft heart didn't want to see her cousin and other clan members get hurt. She also didn't want to cause trouble for her sect.
"If something happens to them, it could bring trouble for Master and for you too."
Lü Shaoqing sighed, "Fine."
He pressed his fingers together, forming a sword shape, and shot out a burst of sword energy.
However, instead of calming the sword intent, it was like adding water to boiling oil. The sword intent flared up even more violently, attacking Xiao Qun and her companions with greater intensity.
In just a few breaths, wounds began appearing on their bodies, and they were in grave danger.
Lü Shaoqing pretended to be shocked. "Oops, looks like I made a mistake."
Xiao Yi stared at him. "Second Senior Brother, you did that on purpose, didn't you?"
Lü Shaoqing put on an innocent face. "No, really, it was an accident."
"So, what do we do now?"
Seeing Xiao Qun and her companions struggling to hold on, Xiao Yi started to panic.
Lü Shaoqing shrugged again. "There's nothing to be done. Let them fend for themselves."
"Second Senior Brother, you're not planning to let them die here, are you?" Xiao Yi asked, eyes filled with suspicion.
Lü Shaoqing shook his head. "Of course not. Why would I do that?"
"But there's nothing I can do now. It's beyond my control."
Just as Lü Shaoqing finished speaking, the door to the wooden cabin creaked open, and Ji Yan stepped out.