Chapter Four: We Are Not Bad People

Su Jian'an naturally intended to strike while the iron was hot and finish him off. At this moment, Zhou Tie was utterly shattered; the words Su Jian'an had just spoken were not only a mortal blow but struck at the very heart. It was the final straw that broke him. The Five Venom Powder could no longer be suppressed, and the poison surged unstoppably toward his vital energies.

As for the other Nascent Soul cultivators, they had already met their end. Perhaps Zhou Tie's methods of suppression were more skillful, letting him linger a moment longer. Su Jian'an smiled, "Since you refuse to give up even now, I'll do you the favor and personally send you on your way."

With those words, Su Jian'an did not hesitate, raising his hand and delivering a fatal strike. Zhou Tie could no longer hold himself together; sweat poured down his face as he watched the sword gleam, growing ever larger in his pupils. He cried out, "Big brother, don't be rash! Spare me, I'll serve you like a dog..."

But his pleas had no effect on Su Jian'an's attack. Before Zhou Tie could finish, the sword light had already sealed his throat.

Su Jian'an took a deep breath and replied calmly, "With all that effort, you'd be better off pleading with the King of Hell to spare you the torments below."

"Little Jian'an is amazing!" Zhao Qianxue’s beautiful eyes sparkled as she looked at Su Jian'an, decisive and merciless, and she offered her unabashed praise.

Su Jian'an replied gruffly, "There’s even more impressive things I can do. Want to see?"

Such a waste of Nascent Soul cultivation—she hadn't even noticed when help was needed, nor thought to hand him a sword. She was nothing but a burden. Su Jian'an wondered if, once they reached Lingzhou City, he’d find an opportunity to leave her behind. Women only slow his sword.

"Pfah!" Zhao Qianxue pouted, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

Su Jian'an glanced at her; it was clear her thoughts had wandered. He only meant that his staff technique was even more formidable—but he still preferred a sword.

Surveying the scene, Su Jian'an saw devastation everywhere. Yet, before departing, there was one thing left to do. As the saying goes, killing and seizing treasure is the path to riches. Though this wasn't exactly that, the outcome was the same.

He gathered what he could, but lamented inwardly; after the bursts of spiritual energy just now, most of the storage rings on the bodies were destroyed, nearly one in ten survived.

Su Jian'an once again shared a flying sword with Zhao Qianxue, speeding toward Lingzhou City. He did not rush to examine his spoils—it would have been impolite to do so in front of her. Besides, the threat from the Alliance of the Righteous had not yet passed; he needed to reach Lingzhou City quickly and seek his senior sister’s protection.

Although he had items in his system capable of dealing with cultivators at the Transformation stage, the required spiritual energy was daunting.

...

By now, night had deepened. Riding Zhao Qianxue’s flying sword, Su Jian'an had restocked his storage ring with specially-crafted Heavenly Star Thunder, just in case. He had no way of knowing if they would face a second wave of pursuit from the Alliance before reaching Lingzhou City.

Yet, the enemy would not have enough time to request aid from the Bi You Divine Palace; with the time it took, he could make two trips to Lingzhou City.

He did not know how long they had flown. Su Jian'an lifted his head, opening weary eyes. Dawn had broken completely.

He had rested for a while atop Zhao Qianxue’s back, and now his face still held a lingering warmth and faint fragrance. Speaking of which, he had to praise her; his mistress's sword-riding skills were exceptional, steady all the way, with no sign of bumpiness.

Zhao Qianxue did not disturb him, thinking that Su Jian'an had endured much hardship, and now that he was through the crisis, she’d let him rest a bit.

Looking ahead, Su Jian'an saw, hundreds of feet away, a city rising from the earth—it was Lingzhou City!

There was nothing special about the place, just a mortal town with a population of fifty or sixty thousand. There were cultivators here, but not many. Cultivation did not demand absolute detachment, yet few cultivators lingered in the mundane world.

Upon entering the city, they went straight to the City Lord’s Mansion, as directed by the address given by his convenient master.

Su Jian'an originally wanted Zhao Qianxue to fly him straight in, but thought better of it. Since he was here to seek protection, it was better to be proper.

"Hey, Mistress, with Senior Sister’s status, what do you think she’s doing here?" Su Jian'an asked.

He had heard tales of this senior sister—but none praised her virtue. As the saying goes, unusual circumstances warrant suspicion; surely she wasn't here to retire. He hoped there wasn’t anything dangerous, lest they get dragged in and left with nothing but tears.

"You think too much," Zhao Qianxue replied, "We shouldn't make a scene now; hiding in this inconspicuous City Lord’s Mansion is quite good."

She actually had no idea why, but her explanation sounded reasonable. If she admitted ignorance, it would be humiliating.

Su Jian'an: "..."

The next moment, a slender girl of thirteen or fourteen, dressed as a servant, opened the mansion gate. She regarded them with some confusion before saying, "Who are you? My master never sees private visitors. If you seek justice, go to the magistrate; my master will uphold the law."

She had grown up in the City Lord’s Mansion, and while she didn’t know every acquaintance of her master, she could recognize most.

Su Jian'an forced a smile, speaking kindly, "Little lady, we’re here to see Su Henli. Please let her know."

His senior sister was actually family, a stroke of fate, though not a close one.

The maid replied, "There is no such person in our mansion."

Su Jian'an paused, wondering if his sister used an alias. He pressed, "Then have you heard of the Deathbringer Immortal?"

The maid looked at him in surprise, "If you’re seeking an immortal, you must be in the wrong place—this is the City Lord’s Mansion, not the Spring Courtyard."

Su Jian'an: "..."

Zhao Qianxue’s eyes sparkled as she tugged at Su Jian'an’s sleeve, signaling she would speak. He had no objections.

"Little sister, we’re not bad people..." Zhao Qianxue said, then described Su Henli’s appearance.

Though it had been several years, they’d once spent much time together.

Listening to Zhao Qianxue, Su Jian'an secretly grumbled—an old woman pretending to be youthful.

The maid’s expression changed dramatically and she exclaimed, "You’re her accomplices!"

Su Jian'an and Zhao Qianxue exchanged a glance; clearly, they had found the right place—look at what Su Henli had done to frighten this young girl so.

Su Jian'an raised his brows; Su Henli was indeed as rumored, no gentle soul—any dog passing by her would get slapped, let alone a human.

Given the situation, Su Jian'an saw no reason to explain further and simply put on a fierce expression. "Since you know who we are, why are you still standing here? Do you want me to carry you inside myself?"

The maid's face drained of all color, her voice trembling with tears, "No, please, don’t! But that—bad...good person isn’t in the mansion right now!"