Chapter 189: 189. Chapter 186: Pan Qi Has Returned

189. Chapter 186: Pan Qi Has Returned

Xifeng City, Da Jing District.

When Ding Huan arrived here, he understood why property prices were so high.

Someone had set up a filtration array here, filtering out all impurities from the air; moreover, the heavenly qi was slightly denser than elsewhere.

A long river stretched like a silver ribbon, extending endlessly into the distance.

Ding Huan swept his spiritual sense across it—his spiritual sense could not reach the opposite bank.

Along the riverbank, rows of small courtyards had long been built, arranged with perfect order.

This was clearly a wealthy district.

"Comrade Ding, this river is the Xifeng River; its end leads to Zangjian Mountain."

"They say Zangjian Mountain has a vortex leading to another universe, one torn open by a celestial sword. Those accidentally pulled in have virtually no chance of survival," Nu Rong said, pointing at the river.

Zangjian Mountain?

Ding Huan thought of the mountain where the celestial sword was hidden, but Nu Rong had said the sword had been taken by Ji Ji Xinting.

"Is that house mine?" Ding Huan pointed to a detached courtyard not far from them.

This courtyard was indeed larger than the surrounding ones and closer to the Xifeng River.

"Yes, someone already lives inside. To reside here, they must have the Bone-Occupying Sword's tacit approval. Comrade Ding, if you don't wish to contest it, I can refund your crystal stones."

Nu Rong looked at Ding Huan with sincere tone.

Ding Huan smiled but said nothing.

He was certain Nu Rong knew he wouldn't back down.

Those who do business here are rarely ordinary.

Seeing Ding Huan head toward the courtyard, Nu Rong immediately followed, eager to see how he would persuade the occupant.

Ding Huan had already offended Pan Qi on Shengdao Street; she believed anyone with sense wouldn't dare offend the Bone-Occupying Sword again.

The courtyard gate had no array, only a simple prohibition seal—so basic it didn't even qualify as Level One.

Ding Huan tapped the seal.

"Who touched my seal?!" A thin man like a bamboo pole burst out, roaring.

"So it's you, huh? Heh, what? You dare sell my house?"

The frail man clearly knew the deed was in Nu Rong's hands.

"I bought this house. You leave now," Ding Huan said calmly.

A mere Qi Condensation Stage Six cultivator—he could kill him with a single wind blade.

"Get out! You have three breaths—if you don't leave, you won't get to leave at all—"

The moment the frail man finished saying "at," he suddenly clutched his neck.

Blood gushed from his neck like a fountain; he desperately tried to hold it, but it was useless.

"You dare kill me—"

The frail man had barely spoken a few words when he saw Ding Huan glide past his side, landing behind him, then delivering a kick to his back.

"Don't dirty my courtyard…" These were the last words the frail man heard, then he saw the surging Xifeng River.

"Plop!" The lifeless body tumbled into the Xifeng River. Silence returned, as if nothing had happened.

"You killed him?" Nu Rong stared at Ding Huan in shock.

Ding Huan said matter-of-factly:

"Should I invite him for dinner?"

Only then did Nu Rong realize: Ding Huan had just used a wind blade to kill a Qi Condensation Stage Six cultivator—meaning he was either Foundation Establishment or Qi Condensation Peak.

"Oh, no, no—I'm worried the Bone-Occupying Sword will come after you."

Ding Huan still smiled: "Thank you, Sister Rong for the warning. I'll go rest now. I'll visit you another time."

"Then I won't disturb you, Comrade," Nu Rong hastily took her leave.

As she left Ding Huan's courtyard, she wondered: Had he truly reached Foundation Establishment? Otherwise, how could he dare defy both Pan Qi and the Bone-Occupying Sword together?

What puzzled her was, if he was Foundation Establishment, why come to Xifeng City—a mundane city offering little benefit to cultivators?

After Nu Rong left, Ding Huan entered the courtyard.

The courtyard was reasonably clean; in the center stood a Yingbin Pine.

This was a tree that absorbed spiritual energy, functioning as a simple gathering array.

There were five rooms, all quite fine.

Ding Huan entered the main chamber, gathered all the deceased frail cultivator's belongings, and incinerated them with a fireball.

He needed to set up a protective array here—he couldn't forge artifacts, but he could buy some array flags in Xifeng City.

Yan Mei and Lao Liu were handling affairs on Shengdao Street, so he headed there.

…

Outside Xifeng City, four unicorn steeds galloped toward them, carrying three men and one woman.

"Lord Pan…" A fearful voice rang from the roadside.

The four unicorns halted abruptly beside a burly man with a face covered in blotches.

"Guan Si, what is it?" asked a handsome man.

Everyone in Xifeng City knew him—he was equal in status to the city's governor: Pan Qi.

He controlled Nancheng and Dongcheng in Xifeng City.

The burly man, Guan Si, looked furious:

"Today, the Tie Li Alliance paid us sufficient crystal stones to inspect a shop on Shengdao Street. But the City Patrol, as if they had eaten a leopard's gallbladder, slaughtered every single Tie Li Alliance member."

Not only that, they killed over a hundred shop owners who had helped on Shengdao Street.

"Bold." Pan Qi's expression was calm, but his tone carried intense killing intent.

Originally, the four of them had gone out to explore a secret realm, each gaining decent rewards, so their moods had been good—but upon returning, this news enraged them.

"Where are they?" Pan Qi's heart burned with fury, yet his voice grew even calmer.

Whether it was acting or genuine rage, Guan Si's face twisted as he shouted:

"After the Patrol Guard killed so many, they didn't stop—they went down Shengdao Street checking every shop. Any shop that had supported Tie Li Alliance either paid fifty crystals in fines or was killed."

When we arrived, they had already checked more than half the shops. I immediately led my men to arrest them.

But they had a monkey demon among them—extremely powerful. Just with Water Arrow Technique, he killed seventeen of us. If I hadn't fled fast, I wouldn't be standing before you now, Alliance Master."

"Good. I'll see just how much courage Xue Bo has, daring to let the Patrol Guard stir up trouble on my Shengdao Street." Pan Qi's eyes blazed with killing intent.

After speaking, Pan Qi turned to another thin man:

"Bone Friend, the Patrol Guard belongs to the Central District. We originally agreed they could patrol the entire city—but not kill at will. Xue Bo has broken our agreement. What do you say?"

This Bone Friend was Gu Zhanjian, who controlled Xicheng and Beicheng in Xifeng City. His status equaled Pan Qi's, but his cruelty surpassed even Pan Qi's.

In Xifeng City, Pan Qi was infamous for cruelty—but this man was even more cruel. Imagine how many innocent souls lay beneath his hands.

"Hah! Even if you didn't mention it, I was going to confront this Patrol Guard. Today he kills on Shengdao Street; tomorrow he might come to my territory."

Gu Zhanjian laughed, his voice thick with icy malice.

"Could it be that you killed too many Patrol Guard soldiers, provoking Xue Bo?" asked a woman among the four.

Pan Qi sneered:

"Even if I killed ten times as many, Xue Bo wouldn't care—and he wouldn't dare care. If not for the decree from Zhuoxing Lord's domain, he'd have disbanded the Patrol Guard already. Bone Brother, let's go see for ourselves."

"Agreed." Gu Zhanjian replied. The four spurred their unicorns again, racing swiftly into Xifeng City.

…

Only Miscellaneous Shop?

Ding Huan stared at the strange name before him, thinking: This guy's good at naming things.

He swept his spiritual sense through the shop—inside were indeed many items: spirit herbs, magical tools, talismans, array flags, materials…

"Friend, if you need anything, come take a look at our miscellaneous shop," said an old man with white hair and beard, smiling.

Beside him stood a woman.

Right now, the woman was relieved: among all the shops on Shengdao Street, very few had escaped crystal fines—and theirs was one of them.

"Alright, I'll take a look." Ding Huan stepped into the shop.

The first thing he saw wasn't an array flag—but a talisman brush.

This talisman brush was slightly better than the one at Bianxing Talisman Tools Pavilion, also a Level One magical tool.

How many crystals for that talisman brush?

"Twenty crystals," the old man answered cheerfully.

"Hand it to me," Ding Huan pointed at the talisman brush.

As the old man reached for the brush, a clamor erupted outside.

The noise suggested everyone had rushed back onto the street.

"Uncle Qi, I'll go see what's happening." The woman dashed out.

Ding Huan's spiritual sense had already detected four people approaching—all riding unicorns.

What startled him was that all four were at Qi Condensation Ninth Layer.

Wasn't Xifeng City a place where low-level cultivators and mortals mixed? How could there be so many Qi Condensation Ninth Layer cultivators?

But he quickly understood: shop owners lining the street were coming forward to lodge complaints.

Pan Alliance Master? This must be the Pan Qi that Nu Rong mentioned.

Since they've come, I might as well kill them all.

After all, here might makes right—and I intend to make Xifeng City quiet.

If so, I must kill Pan Qi and Gu Zhanjian.

As for the city master, Xue Bo—whether I kill him depends on whether he's sensible.

"They didn't pay a single crystal—they must be connected to the Patrol Guard."

Someone in the crowd spotted the woman who had come out to investigate and immediately stepped forward to accuse her.