Chapter 39: Bloodstained Jasmine (Part 1)
Qinglin Town was located less than two hundred kilometers west of Liuyun City. Although the terrain was remote, it had a fair number of residents, and occasionally travelers would pass through. This place could also be considered a necessary stop on the road from Liuyun City to Xinyue City.
The scorching sun baked the ground, causing it to be covered in cracks, and also made people's emotions relatively easier to become irritable. At this moment, a group of six people walked onto the town's street. The one in the lead was a burly man, wearing silver-white light armor and carrying a bronze broadsword a full one and a half meters long on his shoulder. His face was fierce, and his gaze was malicious. The two people behind him were both dressed in animal hide clothing, holding various weapons such as knives, swords, and hammers.
Their appearance immediately made the atmosphere on the town street tense. The passersby all quickly moved to the roadside at the fastest speed, their footsteps becoming cautious, and fear showing on their faces... It was only after those six people entered the small tavern in the town that they breathed a sigh of relief and quickly walked away.
Bang!!
That broadsword, almost as large as an adult's height, was directly slammed by the silver-armored big man onto the largest table in the center of the tavern. He then roared, "This table is taken by me, old man! If you don't want to die, get lost now!"
The four people who were drinking heavily at the table were about to get angry, but as soon as they saw the big man's face, their expressions changed drastically. They didn't dare say another word and scurried away. The big man swept his thick arm across the table, and amidst the harsh sounds of shattering cups and plates, he growled, "Bring out all the best wine and food in the shop and serve it to me!"
The shopkeeper had already personally come forward. Looking at the broken cup and plate fragments all over the floor, his heart ached as if bleeding, but on his face, he obediently put on a flattering smile: "Several sirs from... Silver Dragon, please rest for a moment. The wine and food will be ready soon, very soon."
These six people belonged to the famous Silver Dragon Mercenary Group of Qingyun Town. The big man holding the huge silver sword was the group's leader, originally named Yin Long, who styled himself "Silver Dragon." He was over forty years old this year, but his profound strength had already reached the True Xuan Realm, Level 2. In Qingyun Town, where even being above the Xuan Entry Realm, Level 4 was considered an expert, this was undoubtedly an invincible existence. Thus, the Silver Dragon Mercenary Group became the strongest mercenary group in Qinglin Town, acting tyrannically without restraint, with no one daring to provoke them.
When the six sat down, the five group members immediately started flattering him one after another. The group's talking, laughing, and cursing filled the entire tavern. Such thuggish behavior had long become their norm. The surrounding people, intimidated by the Silver Dragon's notorious reputation, did not dare say a single word.
At that moment, another group of five appeared at the tavern's entrance. The leader was a young man, seeming to be just over twenty years old, of medium build and ordinary appearance, but his clothes were extremely luxurious. Anyone in the town who saw his attire would be so envious they couldn't take their eyes off for a long time.
He stood at the tavern entrance, swept his gaze over the people inside, his look extremely arrogant, as if he were looking at a group of inferior creatures not worth his attention. Then, he raised an eyebrow and let out a disdainful snort.
A handsome youth behind him, who appeared only seventeen or eighteen years old, quickly stepped forward, bowed with a flattering smile, and said, "Young Master Xiao, taverns in small places like this are all like this. Within a radius of a hundred miles, I'm afraid there isn't anything decent to be found. Just make do with it."
These five people were none other than Xiao Kuangyun, Xiao Moshan, Xiao Ba, and Xiao Jiu, who had returned from Liuyun City to the Xiao Sect, along with Xiao Chengzhi, whom they had brought from the Xiao Gate.
Xiao Chengzhi had been overjoyed throughout the entire journey. Thinking that he would soon be taken back to the Xiao Sect, he couldn't stop laughing even in his sleep. In front of Xiao Kuangyun, he was extremely deferential, fawning and flattering, not daring to show the slightest neglect... If he could properly serve this young master of the Xiao Sect and earn a few kind words from him in the Sect, he would surely be able to thrive there as well.
"Hmph!" Xiao Kuangyun snorted through his nostrils, cast another extremely disdainful glance around, and walked in.
Xiao Chengzhi quickly took the lead, rushing to the front to occupy the best seat. He crouched down and used his own sleeve to quickly wipe the wooden bench, then looked at Xiao Kuangyun with a fawning expression as he sat down. He then yelled, "Shopkeeper, bring wine and food immediately... and pick the best!"
The moment Xiao Kuangyun's group entered, the six members of the Silver Dragon Mercenary Group had their eyes fixed on them. One of them laughed disdainfully, "Heh! That kid is really arrogant. Look at the way he glanced at us earlier, tsk tsk."
"He's probably some young master from a wealthy family out sightseeing. Look at that delicate skin—I bet it would drip water if pinched. But daring to act arrogant on our turf, he really doesn't know how to spell 'death.'"
"Boss, should I go teach them whose territory this is? No matter which clan's young master he is, on the turf of our Silver Dragon Mercenary Group, he'd better learn to behave."
"Slap!"
Yin Long slammed the half-eaten chicken leg onto the table with force, then grabbed the broadsword by his foot. "I'll handle this myself. Because I've taken a fancy to the clothes that kid is wearing. I'll take them back for my son to wear—he'll be thrilled, hahahaha..."
Finished speaking, he picked up his broadsword and swaggered over to Xiao Kuangyun's table. Stopping three steps away, he slashed his sword onto the table and said with a fierce expression, "Kid! Nice clothes you've got there, huh? But on a scumbag like you, it's a real waste. Strip them off for me now!"
"Strip! Strip now! You hear me!"
"If you don't want to, we can help you strip too."
"If our boss has to personally strip you later, it won't be so gentle, hahahaha!"
The Silver Dragon Mercenary Group's underlings started jeering behind him. The customers in the tavern also quickly moved far away, looking at Xiao Kuangyun's group with pity. The shopkeeper and waiter hid as far as possible, not daring to come forward and dissuade them.
But to everyone's surprise, facing the notoriously fearsome Silver Dragon Mercenary Group, Xiao Kuangyun's table remained unusually calm—so calm it was almost eerie. Xiao Kuangyun reached out, disgustedly brushing off the wine splashed onto his clothes, and said coldly, "Cripple them all!"
"Huh? Cripple? What did he just say?"
"He said to cripple us all! Hahahaha... Ah!!!"
The Silver Dragon Mercenary Group's mockery had just begun when it turned into deafening screams. Xiao Ba's body shot out like lightning, directly blasting the three loudest shouters flying, accompanied by the cracking sounds of bones breaking.
Yin Long's wild laughter disappeared. He stumbled back a step, a look of terror on his face: "Sp... Spirit Xuan Realm!!"
As soon as the words "Spirit Xuan Realm" were spoken, it was like a thunderclap in the small tavern, making everyone's bodies tremble violently and their eyes go wide in shock. That was the level of super experts found only in sects and big cities! In this small Qingyun Town, it was a realm they had never seen in their lives, let alone dared to hope for!
Before Yin Long could finish his words, his other two underlings had already been slapped flying more than ten meters by Xiao Ba, falling unconscious to the ground. Yin Long's whole body began to tremble, and then with a "thud," he knelt on the floor, kowtowing desperately: "I... I... I'm sorry... I have eyes but can't see Mount Tai... I... I deserve to die... I deserve to die!"
If he had known the other party was actually a Spirit Xuan Realm expert, he would never have dared to provoke them.
"Cripple him," Xiao Kuangyun said coldly.
As soon as the words fell, Xiao Ba's hand swept down, and amidst Yin Long's screams, he forcibly shattered both of his arms.
Just then, a youth's figure appeared at the tavern's entrance.
After leaving Liuyun City, Yun Che had no specific goal. Remembering the wooden token Xiao Lie had given him, he asked for directions along the way and consciously headed toward Xinyue City. He also needed to go to a bigger place, as such a place was more likely to have things that could restore his profound veins.
His body was too weak, and he was reluctant to spend the few profound coins he had left on a horse, so he had to travel on foot, making slow progress. By the time he reached Qingyun Town, he was both hungry and exhausted. When he saw the small tavern by the roadside, he counted the remaining profound coins on him, smiled bitterly, and walked over.
As soon as he stood at the entrance, he heard a pig-slaughter-like scream. Following the sound, he immediately saw Xiao Kuangyun and Xiao Moshan sitting together, and Xiao Chengzhi standing nearby... He stopped in his tracks and quickly turned to leave. But at that moment, Xiao Ba, who had just shattered Yin Long's arms, happened to look toward the entrance and his expression shifted.
"Shopkeeper! Clear these eyesores out of here!" Xiao Kuangyun shouted coldly. A bunch of trash that weren't even as good as ants had ruined his appetite for a meal.
"Ah... yes, yes, yes!" The shopkeeper, upon being addressed, shuddered and nodded frantically. He and the waiter nervously carried the Silver Dragon Mercenary Group members out of the tavern... Yin Long was at True Xuan Realm, Level 2, and no one in Qinglin Town dared to provoke him. But this extremely arrogant and ruthless young man had a subordinate who was at the Spirit Xuan Realm—how could they dare to disobey in the slightest?
"Young Master." Xiao Ba walked over to Xiao Kuangyun and whispered a few words in his ear.
"Oh? The waste who was kicked out of the Xiao Gate?" After hearing Xiao Ba's words, Xiao Kuangyun squinted his eyes and then sneered, "Good, I almost forgot there was still such a person. Since heaven has delivered him to me... Xiao Ba, go destroy his face for me."
"The Sect Master said we must not bully others outside," Xiao Moshan said expressionlessly.
"Hmph! That waste from the Xiao Gate made me look bad in public that day. Not letting him die on the streets of Liuyun City that very day was already merciful enough. Xiao Ba, after destroying his face, cut out his tongue too. He's so good with words—let's see how he spins his tales from now on!" Xiao Kuangyun said in a low voice.
That day at the Xiao Gate, Yun Che had publicly exposed his frame-up, making every word he said a slap to his own face. How could he not hold a grudge? As for wanting to destroy Yun Che's face, it was naturally out of jealousy... jealousy that this waste had married Xia Qingyue, whom he himself could not obtain!
Xiao Moshan said nothing more. Xiao Ba nodded silently, walked slowly out of the tavern, and headed straight in the direction Yun Che had gone.