Refining the Mountains and Rivers

Although the servants tried to maintain a normal demeanor, when their eyes swept around, they couldn’t conceal the panic in them. With things having blown up so much, who knew when they would be affected? After all, Leon was Honorable Ning’s only disciple.

Ah…perhaps now, they shouldn’t refer to him as Honorable Ning anymore…

Leon had a calm expression as he helped his wife mount the carriage. He lightly ordered, “Drive.”

The carriage left towards Noble Court Avenue. After a brief silence, Qingqing hesitated and quietly said, “Leon, what will Mister Ning do next?”

Leon shook his head. “I don’t know.” He frowned and then seriously said, “Qingqing, I know that you likely have some complaints in your heart, but I want to tell you something, and that is that I knew of teacher’s true identity from the very beginning. So, I had already made preparations for this to occur a long time ago. I need you to know that without teacher, we would have never been together, that Lyon wouldn’t have been able to undergo his manifestation, and that mother’s sickness would never have been cured. I feel nothing but wholehearted gratitude towards teacher. This was the same in the past, it is the same now, and it will be the same in the future. Qingqing, I hope you can understand this, because this was never teacher’s original intention.”

Qingqing’s face blushed red. During these past few days as she wandered around, she did have these thoughts. She thought she had hidden them deep in her heart, but they had been found out by Leon.

Seeing his wife a bit embarrassed, Leon held onto her and said in a comforting voice, “It’s only natural for you to have such thoughts. I don’t blame you, and even if teacher knew, he would only appreciate Qingqing for not abandoning me even now. To marry you is the greatest fortune of my life.”

Qingqing glanced at him and lightly humphed, “All you say are pleasant sounding things!” Still, she subconsciously held onto his arm.

And at this time, the carriage violently shook as if it had been struck. Leon moved to protect his wife even as he shouted out in confusion.

The carriage driver didn’t even have a chance to respond. He was immediately pulled to the side and ruthlessly beaten up. These people were extremely cruel and excessive in their actions, and blood flowed out as the driver weakly groaned.

The carriage door was violently torn open. Several drunken faces appeared as the all cursed out together, “Who the hell are you guys? You dare to drive over one of our people? You must be tired of living!”

These people all had an overly arrogant demeanor, each one more prideful than the last, as if nothing in the world could stop them. They had the appearance of typical rich young masters, but looking at their clothes, it wasn’t the style that was currently popular in the capital city. Rather, it seemed a bit foreign with the taste of different localities, as if these wealthy juniors had come from other lands. At this time, their eyes were shaky but burning with excitement. In particular, when the eyes of several of these people fell on Qingqing, they began to heat up.

“Look! There’s a beautiful young lady here! It’s as they say, the people of the capital city are blessed by the land; everyone here is just so beautiful!”

“Beautiful woman, you have struck us. This matter won’t end so easily!”

“It’s fine, it’s fine, as long as this young lady joins us for a round of fun, we can discuss anything!”

As several people spoke, they reached out towards Qingqing.

Leon was enraged. “Just what are you doing!? Stop!”

He pushed several people away and started to strike them. These rich young masters only had an ordinary and sloppy cultivation, and they had also been enjoying wine and women too much, so along with their drunkenness they never imagined that this boy would actually attack them. Several of them were immediately angered.

“Just what are you watching for? Grab him for me!”

“Hit him for me! I don’t care if you beat him to death!”

“Bastard! Not even my father hits me! I’ll kill you!”

There were loud shouts all over. Guards rushed over and knocked Leon down. The young masters cursed at him, telling him he had no idea of death or danger, and then they began to encircle the screaming Qingqing again.

They had grown up in their respective tribes, and from birth, they had been second generation bastards who had committed evils without any scruples. To seize and harass women in the streets wasn’t anything at all to them. Even though this was the capital city, so what? The great figures of the capital city would have to consider the great tribes that stood behind them and would only be able to smile in response.

Jing Guanjin stood within this group of people. It was only with his foreign status and with him also being the son of a powerful tribe that he was able to arrange today’s events.

This meeting had been initiated by him. He purposefully lured them into drinking too much, and then started to instigate them with words. He flattered and mocked, until all of them became fierce and aggressive, wanting to fight. What followed after was simple. Once he obtained news that Leon and his wife had come out, he arrived here ahead of time. With that, creating a conflict was far too easy.

Qingqing screamed, her cries filled with despair and panic. Leon’s eyes turned blood red. Faintly, he could hear someone say that this person was once Honorable Ning’s disciple. Then, he also heard that his teacher could barely defend himself, so what could his disciple do?

The words that followed were filthy beyond belief. Most of them judged Qingqing’s looks and there were also some people who said that playing with such a recently married bride was the best, and that it would be better if she struggled a bit more.

Leon’s head felt as if it would explode. He didn’t know where he summoned the strength from, but he threw off the guards that held him down. He saw a hilt in front of him and tore it out. He clenched his teeth and rushed towards those several young masters.

Jing Guanjin disdained doing something like harassing women in public on the streets. Even though he was the one who instigated it, no one could blame him, because he was only standing on the side smiling and he didn’t go in at all.

He could hear the sounds of a sword being drawn from its sheath, followed by rapid footsteps and heavy breaths. He rolled his eyes back and sighed, finding it hard to believe that his lord father would use such low and shameless methods to kill him. But, to his hate-filled heart, this scene was far too wonderful.

As he was thinking this, he remained completely motionless, allowing the sword to chop onto his back. As the blade cut through his flesh and blood, he frowned, thinking that it really was too painful. Then, his complexion suddenly changed as panic filled his features. He screamed out loud and ‘accidently’ fell into the several people in front of him. They couldn’t dodge the saber light and thus the sounds of miserable cries filled the air as blood splashed onto the ground.

The young masters were scared so badly they nearly pissed themselves. Leon rushed over. Qingqing’s clothes were a little damaged, but she hadn’t really suffered a loss. She cried and threw herself into his arms. At the same time she desperately held onto him so that he wouldn’t do anything anymore. This was because just now she had already recognized several of these people and knew that they were the princes of several great tribes that were kept in the capital city.  Perhaps they were all in miserable situations themselves, but since they were sent to the capital city, at least on the surface they were considered honored guests. Injuring these people would have serious consequences.

“Kill him! Kill him for me!” Jing Guanjin displayed a perfect performance as a young master playboy who was terrified and panicked after being attacked.

Amongst the guards, a black-armored man looked up, his eyes cold and without the slightest warmth. The guard lifted his palm and thrust forwards.

No one imagined that there would be this sort of genuine master within the guards. A terrifying aura rolled forth like a wave, leaving one’s soul frozen in horror.

Qingqing’s eyes widened. She shoved Leon away. Then, light bloomed behind her as spiritual strength condensed into two beautiful wings on her back.

Following that, the strength of this palm crashed into the wings.

The formidable defensive power of the Seasky Wings erupted and the wings grew incomparably radiant. But, the strength of a Nascent Soul realm master far surpassed their limits. There was a cracking sound as the two giant wings wrapped around Qingqing shattered.

Fresh blood spurted out as she was sent tumbling backwards. She crashed into Leon and the two of them fell to the ground. The sounds of broken bones filled the air as blood dyed the earth red.

The young masters were dazed. Before any of them could think about whose guard was so powerful, they immediately sobered upon realizing how much of a ruckus had occurred. They glanced at each other and started to walk away, cursing inwardly about their situation. Although they weren’t afraid of getting into trouble, if they were too unreasonable they would be punished. It was best to just walk away from this.

Jing Guanjin followed the crowd, each person mounting their own carriage. Just before he left, he turned and glanced at the woman who was slumped over in a pool of her own blood. A complex light flashed in his eyes. He thought that if things were like this, Qin Yu would find it hard to bear, right? The tiny hint of guilt disappeared and he faintly smiled.

Leon held onto Qingqing, gripping her blood-covered hands. He wailed, “Help…help…!”

But the person he held in his chest had already closed her eyes. She could only hold his hand one final time, no longer able to smile.

On the capital city’s streets, sadness filled the air, the sorrow and anguish so deep that it left one struggling to breathe!

Within the royal palace, in the hall where he had been placed under arrest, Qin Yu’s eyes flashed open. His heart suddenly throbbed, and he could feel an inexplicable pressure in his chest.

What happened?

Qin Yu frowned. When he tried to sense it again, that throbbing had already disappeared. But, the suffocating pressure in his chest became increasingly heavy with every passing second.

He had an ill premonition, one that was confirmed as night fell.

In the hall that no one had visited besides Turtle Origin and Sang Yueyue, a third guest finally arrived. Rather, it was more accurate to say that it was a sea anemone raised by someone. This sort of gorgeous sea life had a vague intelligence of its own. Because it possessed a beautiful appearance and was also rare, its price was correspondingly high. It was a rare spiritual pet raised by the wealthy.

Now, the sea anemone held a jade slip in its mouth. Qin Yu had seen similar things before. This jade slip could store video recordings and was a high-priced consumable object. The person who had arranged all of this seemed to know that Qin Yu’s cultivation had been sealed away, thus they had been thoughtful enough to also prepare an energy storage bead. When the jade slip was placed next to the energy storage bead, the strength within would voluntarily flow out and into the jade slip, stimulating the video stored within.

As Qin Yu watched the beautiful sea anemone leave, he picked up the jade sip and energy storage bead.

Then, the scene of what occurred today in the streets of the capital city, presented itself clearly before his eyes.

Jing Guanjin…Qingqing who was slumped in a pool of her own blood…Leon who wept blood…

The video broadcast played to its end and started to replay itself, over and over. Qin Yu gradually frowned.

Crack –

The jade slip was crushed to pieces!

Qin Yu was silent. Half of his body was hidden in the shadows thrown down by the curtains above. His face was like an icy stone, without any expression at all.

His face was cold, but his heart was even colder.

Something had happened to Leon and Qingqing. Someone had taken a video of this incident and had delivered it to him within the royal palace. It was clear that from the very beginning, they had been targeting him.

It was just that this other party couldn’t touch him at this moment, thus they made this choice.

Qin Yu took a deep breath, then he took another. He whispered to himself, “How could it be like this…”

He appreciated Leon. Leon was a boy with good character and morals. He was tenacious and hard-working; everything about him stood out. This was why he did everything he could in his limited capacity to help him.

At first, he was faintly satisfied with what he did. This was because with his help. Leon had changed his destiny and gained a brand new life.

Qin Yu was pleased with himself. He told himself that he wasn’t just using Leon to help conceal his own identity. This was because what he gave Leon was more than enough to compensate for the risks that Leon had to take.

But now…it seemed that he owed him far, far too much…

If Qin Yu hadn’t meddled in Leon’s life, then maybe he might have continued living a lowly life. But, the girl he loved wouldn’t have died. Many years later, perhaps he would be recalling her beautiful smile instead of drowning in despair as he held onto her corpse as she turned gradually colder.

“How could it be like this…” Qin Yu whispered to himself again. As he spoke, his eyes turned darker and colder.

He was silent, waiting.

Since they had taken action first and even informed him of this, then he naturally wouldn’t allow things to end like this.

However, have you really completed preparations for every possibility?

Within the shadows, a cold intent stirred.