“There probably won’t be many who would continue targeting you. Won’t you be able to fend them off by yourself, Qin Yun?” Kun Chen said with a smile.
“You want me to fend them off myself?” Qin Yun came to a realization. “So are you implying that I give up half my treasures for Northern Ocean King’s conferment of a Dharma bead, and then, the remaining danger will be born by me? In that case, why wouldn’t I just buy a Dharma bead directly?”
Kun Chen said immediately in response, “No, no, no. I’m not done. Northern Ocean King will also think of means to send a Godfiend Guard to follow you! You will definitely be fine when you have no treasure halo while having a Godfiend Guard with you.”
“I believe that to request the imperial government to send a Godfiend Guard to protect me wouldn’t need me to pay half the treasures.” Qin Yun smiled at the duo. Yi Xiao was also watching by the side.
Eighth Prince immediately spoke up. “Young Master Qin, it’s not that easy for the imperial government to send a Godfiend Guard. After all, the Godfiend Guard is limited. They are needed to hold down the fort in many places. If my master, Northern Ocean King, were to protect you, you will be relieved of a lot of problems in the future. Not only that, my master will be able to aid you in obtaining an official title from the imperial government.”
“Official title? I’m a cultivator, so why would I care for an official title?” Qin Yun said with a smile. “Gentlemen, if there’s nothing else, you can leave now.”
Kun Chen and Eighth Prince were startled.
“Young Master Qin, there are numerous great fiendish demons waiting outside for you!” Kun Chen said immediately. “Are you confident about dealing with all those great fiendish demons?”
“There’s no need for you to worry about me,” replied Qin Yun.
“Why do you do this? Wouldn’t giving up a portion of the treasure to survive be better?” Eighth Prince attempted to persuade him.
“Gentlemen, it’s time to leave.” Qin Yun’s brows knitted together.
Kun Chen frowned and said with a deep voice, “Young Master Qin, it’s fine if you are risking yourself. But to let your wife and the entire Qin family take such risks…”
At that moment, Yi Xiao was somewhat infuriated. She called out, “Show yourself, Yellow-scarved Strongman!”
“Yes, my lady!”
With a clear voice, the Yellow-scarved Strongman materialized beside her out of the void. He was more than ten foot tall and he wore silver armor with a yellow scarf. He exuded a majestic might and his eyes stared right at the two guests. “Mistress, do you want me to kill these two?”
Yi Xiao did not say a word. All she did was look at Kun Chen and Eighth Prince. Qin Yun also simply watched from the side.
Kun Chen and Eighth Prince had a sudden change in expression as they immediately stood up.
“Qin Yun, those great fiendish demons would not give up that easily,” said Kun Chen. “Your Highness, let’s leave.”
Phew.
The duo immediately departed on a cloud with their tails in between their legs. Only after they flew more than fifty kilometers away did they heave a sigh of relief.
“Without any warning, she summoned the Yellow-scarved Strongman.” Kun Chen gnashed his teeth. “That Qin Yun did not intend to negotiate at all. Does he not fear those great fiendish demons?”
“From the way he looked so confident, he must have decided to hide in Grand Dominance City to be a cowardly turtle, never to come out. If not, he has the Divine Firmament Chapter backing him.” Eight Prince also said with a frown. “His wife is named Yi Xiao. Before Qin Yun said a word, she had directly summoned the Yellow-scarved Strongman. She dares to treat us with such disrespect. She is nothing but a Divine Firmament Chapter disciple at the Connate False Core realm.”
The both of them were of high standing. Eighth Prince was nearly two hundred years old. He had also reached the Connate Golden Core realm and so had Kun Chen too.
They felt disgraced that Qin Yun had chased them out.
“Wasn’t he just lucky to obtain some treasures?” Kun Chen sneered. “Even if he is talented and has potential, potential is just potential after all… Forget it, let’s return to report this matter to Northern Ocean King.”
“Let’s go.” Eighth Prince replied.
…
There were quite a number of immortals and fiendcelestials that eyed Qin Yun’s treasures. However, most of them could only convey their intentions via a third party! After all, immortals and fiendcelestials did not dare to implicate themselves with great karma. That was something that could rob them of their lives. Since they were unable to take action themselves, even if they wanted to help Qin Yun, they had to employ the help of the Golden Cores under them or their sect’s powers.
Connate Golden Cores would respectfully obey immortals and fiendcelestials in order to receive guidance on their cultivation or for treasures. However, to get them to risk their lives? It was extremely difficult.
******
In a commoner’s house situated in Jia’an County’s Tongfu Provincial City in Qian Prefecture, a thin girl was hiding inside the house. She was carefully peeking through a crack in the door. The corner of her eyes had fish scales and her pupils were yellowish.
“Swoosh.”
A figure silently appeared in the compound’s yard. The thin girl immediately opened the door happily when she saw the familiar figure.
The figure was a man dressed in a plain robe. His hair and mustache were rather messy but he retained a scholarly air. He smiled at the girl and in a few steps walked forward to hold her. “My dear daughter, quickly come in. I’ll share with you some good news.”
The moment he entered the house, he closed the door.
“Godfather, what’s the good news?” The girl could not help but ask.
“You’re saved! You are saved!” The scholarly man had a gloomy look but his expression was a happy one. “Didn’t I tell you before? I have a good brother named Qin Yun. He is an Azure-token Inspector Heavenly Ambassador! But three years ago, I heard that he was trapped in a dire situation and nothing was heard of him thereafter. Just today, I heard that my brother has already come out and returned to Grand Dominance.”
He was a cultivator that had yet to enter the Connate realm after all. His ability to obtain information was definitely worse than the top factions in the world! Only today did he learn of Qin Yun’s return to Grand Dominance.
“Will he come to save us?” The girl could not help but ask. “You said he’s in Grand Dominance.”
“Yes, he will! As long as I send him a letter, he will definitely—Ugh.” The scholarly man could not help but cough out a mouthful of black blood to the side.
“Godfather! Godfather…” The girl panicked.
“Cough. That great demon was indeed powerful.” After coughing out blood, his gloomy look turned pale. He looked at the girl and stretched out his hand to caress her face with a smile. “My dear daughter. Don’t be afraid. Once my brother comes, everything will be alright.”
As he spoke, he took out a piece of paper and a brush.
He was adept at drawing talisman charms, so he naturally carried a brush and paper with him.
“Lunatic Yun, I won’t be living long. Before I die, I have a request for you. I have never liked to request anything of others in my life but for this matter, I plead you to help me once…”
The scholarly man wrote a letter.
As he wrote, he could not help but continue coughing. He immediately covered his mouth but a few drops of blood splattered onto the letter.
“…All I have is this daughter of mine. She is a young demoness. She’s very kind…”
“…After seeing this letter, please come to Jia’an County’s Tongfu Provincial City. It’s an ordinary house at the end of Biluo Alley. My daughter is hiding there. Lunatic Yun, please. You must, must help me this once…”
After he finished writing the letter, he sealed the letter into an envelope.
“Godfather, Godfather, didn’t you say your injury wasn’t a problem?” The girl could sense that her adopted father’s breathing was turning weaker.
She had suffered among the demons.
Instead, a lonely cultivator had treated her as a family member. Over the past few years of spending time together, she had treated the man before her as the most important relative in her life. He was the only person in the world that treated her well.
“My dear daughter.” The scholarly man looked at the thin girl. The light in his eyes seemed extinguished as his pale face forced a smile. “I wouldn’t dare to die without letting you escape. Today, I know my brother is coming. He will definitely save you and I can finally be assured. I, Fu Qing, can rest in peace for having a daughter like you.”
“Godfather, Godfather. I don’t want you to die. No!” The thin girl hugged Fu Qing.
He looked at his daughter.
All his life…
He had studied arduously and was a successful candidate in the imperial examinations at the provincial level. However, his wife had eloped with his good friend. His elderly mother was so exasperated that she died half a year later.
Being lonely by himself, he decided to enter the Daoist movement to distance himself from the mortal world. Although he was old, he had eaten some treasured herbs, allowing him to knock open the gate of immortality at the age of thirty.
Later, he roamed the world alone and went to the northern borders. Filled with zeal, he withstood the fiendish demon horde with his brothers-in-arms.
Those were the best days of his life. They could entrust their lives to their brothers.
But in half a year, he was severely injured and was forced to leave.
After all, it was too difficult to last long in the northern borders.
When he later returned to his hometown, alone and injured, he saved a young demoness. He did not think much of it in the beginning but as time passed, he began to treat her as a family member. His marriage with his wife was short and without offspring. The young demoness ended up giving him the feeling of being a father.
After living together for a few years, his daughter was eventually discovered by a great demon. The great demon began sending demons to capture her. He naturally did his best to protect her and they escaped to Tongfu Province.
He did not dare to die unless his daughter was out of harm! Although he had been heavily injured by the great demon, he had miraculously lasted to this day.
“I’ll send the letter. I’ll be back after sending it,” said the scholarly man. “Wait for me. You must not go out.”
“Alright.” The girl nodded immediately.
Following that, the man left in silence again.
…
An hour later.
He came back.
“Godfather.” The girl opened the door. He smiled when he saw her before collapsing straight to the ground.
“Godfather! Godfather!” The girl hugged him.
“Don’t go out. Wait. Wait for my brother to come. He will save you.” He looked at the thin girl and said his last words. “Live well. You must live on.”
“Godfather! Godfather!” The girl’s face was covered in tears.
As the scholarly man looked at his daughter’s face, he felt her sobbing turn increasingly distant.
******
A letter took less than a day to travel from Qian Prefecture to Jiang Prefecture.
That night, it reached Grand Dominance’s Qin Manor.
“Haha… Scholar sent me a letter.” Qin Yun smiled when he saw the envelope. However, he caught a whiff of blood. He frowned slightly before opening the envelope.
When he opened to read the letter, Qin Yun’s expression changed. His hand could not help but tremble as the letter in his hand fell to the ground.