Ji Yan emerged from the wooden hut, his face cold and stern. He glanced at the scene unfolding outside, his brows furrowing slightly. With a swift movement, he appeared next to Lü Shaoqing and Xiao Yi.
Xiao Yi was overjoyed upon seeing Ji Yan. "Senior Brother, please save my cousins!"
Ji Yan turned his gaze to Lü Shaoqing.
Lü Shaoqing shrugged and said, "They're your fans, insisted on seeing you."
"I told them you were busy and that they shouldn't disturb you, but they wouldn't listen."
"They forced their way in and are now facing the consequences."
Ji Yan remained expressionless. "What are you plotting again?"
With a wave of his sleeve, the sword intent that had surrounded Xiao Qun and her companions instantly retracted into the ground, vanishing without a trace.
Xiao Qun and her group, pale-faced and trembling, clung to each other for support. Pointing at Lü Shaoqing, Xiao Qun shouted, "You—you just wait, this isn't over!"
Even if Xiao Qun were naive, she knew now that she'd fallen into Lü Shaoqing's trap. He had deceived her, playing her like a fool.
"You just wait, I'll have my grandfather kill you!" she threatened. Her companions, emboldened, also joined in cursing Lü Shaoqing.
They completely ignored Ji Yan, or rather, Ji Yan deliberately made himself unnoticed.
Ji Yan frowned and, with another wave of his sleeve, Xiao Qun and her companions collapsed into unconsciousness.
Lü Shaoqing, expressionless, looked at Ji Yan. "Ah, imitating Master's sleeve wave, huh? Very impressive."
"Do you dare to just kill them with one slap?"
"They're causing trouble right on your turf. If you don't take them out, how will you have any face left?"
Ji Yan replied calmly, "Aren't you a bit too old to be this childish?"
Lü Shaoqing retorted, "These are enemies of our junior sister. If we let them go, they'll definitely cause trouble for her in the future. It's better to eliminate them now and prevent future problems."
Ji Yan glanced at Xiao Yi.
Xiao Yi quickly interjected, "Senior Brother, yes, we have some issues, but it's not serious enough to warrant killing her."
"She's my cousin, and her grandfather is our clan's elder. Killing her would bring you trouble."
Ji Yan responded, "I'm not afraid of trouble. If you want to kill, then kill."
His tone was indifferent, showing he had no concern for Xiao Qun and her group's fate.
"Mount Tianyu fears no one and will not tolerate anyone causing trouble here."
Hearing this, Xiao Yi felt a wave of warmth and security. Both her senior brothers made her feel so safe. However, she still didn't want to bring trouble to her sect because of her own issues. Furthermore, Xiao Qun and her group were her family. Xiao Yi wasn't heartless enough to harm her own kin.
"This lesson should be enough for them," Xiao Yi said.
Ji Yan then turned his gaze to Lü Shaoqing, who stared back. "Why are you looking at me?"
"I've told you countless times—don't play the saint. If they need to die, kill them. Stop dragging things out."
Ji Yan countered, "Why don't you do it?"
Lü Shaoqing replied, "There's no benefit in killing them. Our junior sister is so broke she can't even afford to treat me to a meal."
"And I charge a hefty fee for appearances."
"By the way, speaking of that, I almost forgot—can't you clean up your own mess when you cause trouble?"
"I've already covered for you before. How are you going to settle that?"
He extended his hand, demanding, "Compensation."
"Clang!"
Ji Yan's sword slid halfway out of its sheath, its blade gleaming with a chilling light. "Care for a duel?" he asked.
"Let me show you the strength of a Nascent Soul cultivator."
Although Ji Yan's tone was calm, Xiao Yi could sense a hint of pride and boastfulness, as if he was flaunting his power in front of Lü Shaoqing.
"Get lost."
"Is it fun to throw your cultivation level around like this?" Lü Shaoqing grumbled, clearly annoyed.
Xiao Yi covered her mouth, stifling her laughter. It was rare to see her Second Senior Brother at a disadvantage. Even their master struggled to keep him in check, but in front of Ji Yan, he always seemed to lose.
As expected, only the First Senior Brother could handle him.
Watching the two senior brothers banter, Xiao Yi felt like pulling up a small stool and sitting down to enjoy the show.
Ji Yan noticed her trying to suppress her laughter. Turning to Lü Shaoqing, he reminded him, "You've only got one month left. Don't forget."
Lü Shaoqing shrugged. "So what?"
"If she doesn't make it, are you planning to kill her?"
Xiao Yi's face went pale. Why did the conversation suddenly shift to her?
The pressure was immense.
Ji Yan said, "If she doesn't make it, you can forget about your sect benefits for the year."
Lü Shaoqing scowled. "You really are sick—seriously ill."
"Just wait. When I surpass you one day, I'll make sure to give you a good beating."
For the first time, Ji Yan's cold face broke into a smile—one that was strangely charming. Xiao Yi found herself momentarily entranced.
"I'll be waiting. We'll see if you ever get that chance."
After Ji Yan returned to the wooden hut, Lü Shaoqing smacked Xiao Yi on the head.
"What are you staring at? You're drooling."
Xiao Yi instinctively wiped her mouth but quickly realized she had been tricked. Her cheeks flushed red. "Second Senior Brother, you're teasing me."
Lü Shaoqing instructed her, "Go, grab their things."
"What things?"
It took Xiao Yi a moment to process.
"Their storage rings and anything valuable. Go get them all."
Xiao Yi finally understood. "Second Senior Brother, are you planning to rob them?"
"Of course. Is there a problem?"
Lü Shaoqing responded shamelessly.
Seeing his attitude, Xiao Yi was at a loss for words.
"If word gets out, it'll be really embarrassing," she said, her voice hesitant.
Lü Shaoqing scoffed. "What's there to be embarrassed about?"
"Not taking it is the real shame. Now, hurry up. If you don't go, I'll toss them back in there."
He added with a hint of menace and a bit of persuasion, "They're your enemies. Why are you worrying about them?"
"Think about it—if you take all their stuff, they'll be so furious when they wake up."
Although Xiao Yi felt that this behavior was shameless, she had to admit that his words made sense.
She hesitated, then asked, "Are you sure I should?"
"Go on, hurry up. We've still got to visit the Sword Cave later."
"Why don't you do it yourself, Second Senior Brother?"
"They're women! If they were men, would I need you?"
"Go on, and make sure you check thoroughly. Don't miss anything."