Chapter Seventy-Eight: Disturbing the Quiet Joy

Above the sky, a golden shield of light, azure dragons curling around both sleeves, golden light palms, and torrents of water weaving together in dazzling brilliance.

Wang Yucai gazed at Qin Tian and the golden light palm behind him, sneering coldly.

Qin Tian, seeing this, returned the sneer and shouted, “Wang Yucai, today I’ll make you taste the pain that Brother Yongde endured!”

In the next instant, azure dragons unfurled from both his sleeves, teeth bared and claws extended, lunging toward Wang Yucai. Qin Tian’s right hand, which he had thrust forward, began to glow increasingly bright with blue radiance, finally transforming into a mighty, colossal azure dragon claw.

Wang Yucai’s expression, once mocking, twisted into horror at the sight of the ferocious dragon claw.

“Aaah!” Wang Yucai shrieked like a madman, and the golden light shield before him morphed instantly into a golden light palm, striking at Qin Tian.

Yet, in the blink of an eye, the azure dragon claw smashed through the golden light palm as if tearing through rotten wood.

“Aaah...”

Wang Yucai’s wails echoed down Chaoyang Street.

Bang!

But soon, his screams were drowned out by the resounding crash of his body hitting the ground.

“Hahaha...”

Qin Tian threw his head back in laughter, at long last venting the resentment that had festered for years.

But before his laughter faded, Wang Zhize’s palm struck his back without impediment. Qin Tian spat blood, sent flying across the street, finally crashing into the tent of the Zhang family’s tavern, which collapsed at once.

“Tian-ge...”

He Wanqing witnessed this and cried out in anguish, disregarding everything as she rushed toward the Zhang family tavern.

Wang Zhize, seeing this madwoman finally cease her reckless attacks, felt a moment of relief. But as he turned his gaze downward to the flagstone pavement, a chill crept into his heart. There, flesh and blood lay mangled, a grisly sight upon the spotless stones.

The bloodied corpse was shockingly conspicuous.

He knew Wang Yucai was not dead, yet he was equally aware...

Far off, the battered Qin Tian, having been slammed into the tavern tent, was now supported by He Wanqing. He gazed at the corpse on the flagstones, laughter echoing endlessly.

Indeed, Wang Yucai had not died; he slowly began to stand. Yet, as he looked at his own wretched state, he felt no displeasure. Instead, as he sensed the condition of his body, his eyes reddened with blood.

For now, he could feel that all the meridians in his body had been severed!

Qin Yi, witnessing this, felt a chill. To break the meridians of a powerful Golden Core cultivator in a single instant—wasn’t that terrifying?

Everyone present who understood the situation had their expressions changed.

“Aaah!”

Realizing the state of his body, Wang Yucai howled skyward, flesh already indistinct falling from him with each scream, chilling all who watched.

“I’ll kill you!”

He roared, seemingly unaware that his meridians were broken, dragging his mutilated body toward Qin Tian.

Wang Zhize followed, for today’s objective was nearly achieved.

“Damn it, who’s ruining my drinking? All my wine’s covered in dust! Who is it? Do you want to die?”

Suddenly, a coarse, ill-timed shout rang out. Everyone turned in surprise toward the source. There, at the collapsed tavern tent, a straw raincoat askew, clothes in tatters, holding a battered black oil-paper umbrella and a pot of purple rice stewed wine, Old Jiang cursed as he examined his ruined wine.

Beside him stood Jiang Fengnian, serene even after being struck by the collapsed tent, and Old Ma the coachman, still grinning cheerfully.

Wang Yucai paid no heed; his eyes saw only Qin Tian.

Wang Zhize frowned, but with the task nearly done, he ignored the commotion.

Old Jiang squinted at the scene, tossed aside his wine pot, and said coldly to Wang Yucai and Wang Zhize, “Young people these days have no manners! You ruin an old man’s pleasure and don’t even apologize. The world’s going downhill, truly downhill!”

As he finished, wind and clouds gathered around him, and sword energy appeared out of nowhere, surging like the tide at the mouth of the Western Sea.

“Retreat!” Wang Zhize shouted, years of battle experience warning him that these slender swords were deadly.

Yet even as he called for retreat and himself moved far back, it was already too late.

Wang Yucai, charging ahead, was pierced through the heart by countless swords before anyone could blink. He didn’t fall immediately, but staggered, a harrowing sight.

Bang.

At last, he collapsed face-first onto the stone, blood streaming from his body, spreading out like a spider’s web.

Wang Zhize frowned deeply. Though he disliked Wang Yucai’s ways, he was, after all, an elder of the Dongling Wang clan; as their servant, Wang Zhize had a responsibility. And now that Wang Yucai had died here, how could he face the clan upon his return? Yet this shabby, straw-clad old man was utterly inscrutable. Summoning his courage, Wang Zhize asked, “Senior, killing so recklessly—do you not care about the Dongling Wang clan at all?”

Old Jiang laughed disdainfully, fetched another pot of purple rice stewed wine from the tavern, and replied, “Never mind the Dongling Wang clan. Even if those pedantic scholars from the Dao Palace came today, I wouldn’t care.”

Wang Zhize’s lips twitched; Jiang Fengnian’s expression grew grim.

Qin Yi shook his head—this old man was boasting again.

Wang Zhize hesitated. To him, this shabby elder felt extremely dangerous, more so than anyone from Dongling Wang. After struggling for some time, he grimly gathered Wang Yucai’s corpse, left a harsh threat, and departed.

“No matter what, senior, you killed a member of the Dongling Wang clan today. If the opportunity arises, we will surely seek revenge.”

Qin Yi smiled; such things were common in the jianghu—losing face was worse than losing skill, and leaving threats was routine. Whether they’d truly settle accounts later was another matter entirely.

Wang Anlu, seeing this, wasted no time and fled as a streak of silver light.

“Little brother, it seems I won’t be able to share a bed with you tonight. Remember your big sister!”

The woman in green, still playful, cast a charming smile at Qin Yi before drifting away with the wind.

Qin Yi’s lips twitched, and sure enough, Jiang Yao’s face grew dark once again.

From the distant sky came a thunderous voice.

“Shameless woman, I wish you’d die there with that boy!”