Just as Ye Xuan drew his sword, a soft voice suddenly sounded from the side: "Brother..."
Though the voice was faint as a mosquito's hum, it made Ye Xuan tremble all over.
Ye Xuan stopped and rushed to Ye Ling's side, gently cradling her. His hands were trembling!
In this life, he could draw his sword for his sister, or sheath it for her.
Seeing that Ye Xuan didn't strike, Han Xiangmeng and the elder next to her both breathed a sigh of relief!
If Ye Xuan had made his move, there truly would have been no turning back.
Thankfully, the young girl was still alive!
Otherwise, the worst outcome today would be that Ye Xuan died, but they would face severe punishment, even risking revenge from the power behind Ye Xuan until their deaths!
No matter which outcome, it wasn't what they wanted!
Nearby, Elder Gu was ready to sneak away, but the elder beside Han Xiangmeng slapped him to the ground. Han Xiangmeng gave Elder Gu a cold glance. "Wait for judgment!"
Upon hearing this, Elder Gu's face turned ashen!
Not far away, Ye Xuan carefully held Ye Ling. Seeing her pale face, this young man who had endured countless wounds without shedding a tear was now crying as if a dam had broken.
Ye Ling looked at Ye Xuan and softly said, "Brother, don't cry, I... it doesn't hurt that much, I..."
Ye Xuan held Ye Ling tightly, sobbing like a child, "It's my fault, it's my fault..."
At this moment, the middle-aged man from before approached with the chubby boy. "Young friend, I have a physician with me. May he take a look?"
Ye Xuan hurriedly replied, "Yes, please. Thank you!"
The middle-aged man smiled and turned to a black-robed elder. The elder nodded and crouched down in front of Ye Ling. After a moment, the elder said softly, "No worries, these are just external injuries. As for her dislocated arm, I have set it back in place. She just needs some time to recover. However, there is a cold energy inside her body... I've never seen anything like it!"
He looked towards Ye Xuan.
Ye Xuan said gravely, "It's okay, as long as everything else is fine. I'll find a way to deal with the cold energy later!"
The black-robed elder nodded and stepped back.
Ye Xuan cupped his hands towards the middle-aged man. "I am Ye Xuan. May I ask for your name, sir?"
The middle-aged man smiled. "Lu Xiaoran, Lord of Qianshan City."
The city lord!
Ye Xuan was slightly taken aback but quickly cupped his hands again. "Thank you very much for helping my sister!"
Lu Xiaoran smiled. "It was a small matter."
Ye Xuan nodded, then turned and walked towards Elder Gu with his sword.
Seeing this, Lu Xiaoran was slightly stunned. Not just him, but everyone around was also stunned. Was this guy not done yet?
Han Xiangmeng and the elder beside her both had darkened expressions. Elder Gu was still a member of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, even if just a lowly elder. Regardless, they couldn't let Ye Xuan kill him! That would be a slap in the face to the Drunken Immortal Pavilion!
Ye Xuan walked up to Elder Gu, but Han Xiangmeng blocked his path. "Young Master Ye, our Drunken Immortal Pavilion will deal with this matter. Rest assured, we will punish him severely and give you an explanation—he..."
Ye Xuan coldly looked at Han Xiangmeng. "Get lost!"
Han Xiangmeng's brows instantly furrowed. She was about to speak, but Ye Xuan stepped up to her, staring straight at her. "You were the one who let us stay there, but he came to trouble my sister and me, and you did nothing to stop it. Let me guess—you wanted to see my true strength and the backing behind me. At the same time, you hoped I would clash with him so both sides would suffer, and you could reap the benefits, right?"
Han Xiangmeng's hands slowly clenched, her heart filled with shock.
Because what Ye Xuan said was exactly what she had been thinking!
Beside them, Elder Gu laughed wildly. "Isn't that exactly what she intended? She just severely underestimated how much you care for that little girl, and even more so your strength. Otherwise, she would have risked her life to protect the little girl and then tried to befriend you, selling you a favor! Unfortunately, she miscalculated, haha..."
At this moment, Ye Xuan's sword suddenly pierced through Elder Gu's forehead.
Slash!
Blood splattered!
Seeing this, everyone's face changed drastically. This was a blatant provocation against the Drunken Immortal Pavilion!
Han Xiangmeng's face turned pale at that moment!
Things weren't ending—they were just beginning!
Ye Xuan withdrew his sword and walked back to Ye Ling. "Brother won't let anyone who bullies you see the sunrise of the next day!"
Tears instantly welled up in Ye Ling's eyes.
Just then, the Cloudship suddenly stopped. Across from it, a crane flew in. The crane was enormous, its wingspan at least ten meters wide. On its back stood a refined middle-aged man holding a white jade fan.
In everyone's gaze, the crane landed on the Cloudship. A powerful gust of wind forced many people in the area to stagger back.
The middle-aged man slowly stepped off the crane. Han Xiangmeng and the elder beside her both turned pale—they hadn't expected this person to come. They quickly walked over and bowed slightly. "Greetings, Lord Han."
Hearing this, Lu Xiaoran's expression grew solemn.
The Drunken Immortal Pavilion had nine floors, each with a floor master. Every floor master wielded immense power and possessed unfathomable strength!
This Lord Han before them was responsible for managing all Drunken Immortal Pavilion affairs in Jiang Country. Even the ruler of Jiang Country had to show him respect!
Lord Han nodded slightly and glanced at Elder Gu's body in the distance. He asked, "Is he dead?"
Han Xiangmeng and the elder dared not answer, bowing slightly.
Lord Han turned his head to look at Ye Xuan not far away. He eyed Ye Xuan, a hint of surprise in his gaze. "Such a solid foundation, quite rare. Moreover, you're a Sword Cultivator, with a clear Sword Heart. Truly remarkable. I did not expect Jiang Country to have such talent!"
He glanced around. "Everyone, this is an internal matter of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion. Please return to your rooms."
No one dared to linger, and they quickly returned to their rooms.
Lu Xiaoran, after taking one last look at Ye Xuan, also led the reluctant chubby boy back to their cabin.
Only a few people remained on the Cloudship deck.
Lord Han's gaze fell on Ye Xuan again. "A person like you couldn't have come from an ordinary place. Tell me, which faction are you from? I'm curious—what gives you the courage to kill someone from my Drunken Immortal Pavilion?"
Ye Xuan shook his head and smiled. "Why? If the power behind me is strong enough, will I be spared?"
Lord Han shook his head. "No. You've killed an elder of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion so openly—this is a blatant insult to us. So, no matter who you are or who's behind you, you must die today. It's a pity, but there's no other way. The Drunken Immortal Pavilion cannot afford to lose face in this Qingzhou region."
He paused, then added, "Asking about your background is just to determine whether we need to hold them accountable, not because we fear them. In Jiang Country, there is no power we cannot afford to provoke!"
Ye Xuan remained silent.
A faction?
He had no faction—not even a ghost behind him!
But he didn't regret killing those people.
Reckless? Impulsive?
He admitted he was reckless and impulsive, but even if he could choose again, he would still do the same. If he didn't kill those people, the Drunken Immortal Pavilion might at most punish them slightly, or not at all. Even if punished, within a few years, those people would be living well again!
And his sister would suffer in vain?
No!
If they hurt him, he could endure it for his sister. But if they hurt her, he would not endure it, even if it meant his death!
Lord Han said calmly, "What, you don't want to answer?"
Ye Xuan smiled. "There's no faction. Really, I'm not lying to you!"
Lord Han narrowed his eyes. "Without any backing, you dare to kill someone from my Drunken Immortal Pavilion?"
Ye Xuan stared at the refined man in front of him. "The Drunken Immortal Pavilion bullied others. So I killed them. It's that simple."
The refined man chuckled lightly. "Bullying others? In this world, the strong dominate. If my Drunken Immortal Pavilion bullies you, endure it, and in the future, you may carve out a world of your own. Sacrificing a bright future just to vent your anger is foolish, you know?"
Ye Xuan straightened his back. "How can the spine of a Sword Cultivator bend?"
The refined man smiled faintly. "A Sword Cultivator, indeed. A Sword Cultivator with a bent back is no longer a Sword Cultivator. Fine, since you say there's no faction behind you, then you'll bear the consequences alone."
"I, I will bear it with my brother!"
At that moment, Ye Ling suddenly hugged Ye Xuan tightly. She looked at the refined man with determination. "We siblings will bear it together!"
Lord Han glanced at Ye Ling and smiled. "Very well, I'll grant your wish."
He looked at the elder not far away. "Hang their bodies at the bow of the Cloudship. Let the world see the fate of those who offend my Drunken Immortal Pavilion, and let everyone know—if you dare challenge us, you'll face the consequences."
With that, he turned to leave.
Just then, the sword at Ye Xuan's waist began to tremble violently.
Ye Xuan was stunned.
Lord Han turned sharply toward the bow of the ship, as did everyone else.
At the top of the ship's bow stood a woman, unnoticed until now.
She had long hair flowing to her waist, wore a plain dress, and stood with her back to them. Her right hand rested behind her, with a black and a white object spinning between her fingers.
She stood atop the bow, overlooking the Cloudship below, the breeze gently lifting her dress and hair.
Everyone was stunned.
Who was this?
Lord Han's face darkened, for he hadn't noticed when the woman had appeared.
Just as he was about to speak, the woman suddenly spoke. "Let me show you what real bullying looks like. Get your best fighter from the Drunken Immortal Pavilion. If I draw my sword twice, I lose!"
…