Chapter 99: The Grand Entrance

“Misstep, misstep! The martial master is so powerful—I nearly lost my life. I’d better return to Wanluo Mountain and become a humble spirit farmer again. Spend idle hours sipping tea, absorbing qi and nurturing my body, and train a few beautiful concubines—how delightful!”

Ding Chushan sprinted toward the city gate, already planning how to become a law-abiding “farmer” in the cultivation world upon returning to Wanluo Mountain.

As for the fate of his family, Ding Chushan had long since cast it aside.

He was always a cold-hearted man; since childhood he had received a divine connection to cultivation, spent years training on Wanluo Mountain, and had virtually no familial affection for his kin.

The only reason he returned to the family was driven by profit—he sought to exploit the family’s influence in the mortal world to gather cultivation resources to aid his own cultivation.

There was also the vain desire to return home in glory and show off his power.

But he never imagined the martial master would be so formidable!

Not only did he fail to show off his might—he nearly lost his life!

Now that the family’s plot to seize Licheng has failed, given his cultivation talent and humble background in the cultivation world, he has no choice but to return and become an honest, obedient spirit farmer.

As Ding Chushan was fantasizing about returning to Wanluo Mountain, living a peaceful life of tilling fields when needed and resting at home when not, a burly man with a wild beard suddenly dashed out from a narrow alley.

“Ding Chushan, where are you running to!” the bearded man roared, charging at him with a long spear.

Ding Chushan was terrified, quickly formed a hand seal and channeled his dwindling magic power—a faint green light coalesced at his fingertip. He pointed at the bearded man and was about to cry out, “Go!”

Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind struck from behind.

Then his occiput exploded in pain—he saw darkness and collapsed to the ground.

“Pfft, this guy’s pathetic!” Jiao Yongbao, a plump merchant with a friendly smile, held a wooden club and sneered dismissively.

“Exactly! He’s supposed to be a cultivator! If I’d known, I wouldn’t have bothered with the feint—I could’ve just stabbed him through with one spear thrust.” Wei Chi Xiao grinned.

“Master Xia wants him alive, but you want to kill him? Brother, you’ve got guts!” Jiao Yongbao shot Wei Chi Xiao a glance.

“Cough, cough—I was just joking, just joking! Don’t tell Master Xia or the Master!” Wei Chi Xiao hurriedly said.

As he spoke, he efficiently bound Ding Chushan with iron wire.

Meanwhile, Jiao Yongbao took the chance to smash Ding Chushan’s limbs several more times with his club.

After all, he’s a cultivator—must be careful.

Ding Chushan, who had just fainted, was violently jolted awake by the blows, then passed out again from the pain.

The two worked in perfect sync, swift and efficient, and were about to drag him into the alley when a powerful aura surged from around the street corner.

Both men froze, grabbed Ding Chushan’s feet, and bolted into the alley.

“Thud! Thud!”

Ding Chushan’s head slammed repeatedly against the stone steps paved with blue flagstones.

“Aah! Aah!”

Ding Chushan woke again from pain, then fainted once more.

His screams abruptly ceased.

Ding Chushan’s head vanished into the alley entrance.

Xu Zhiyuan appeared at the street mouth, disheveled and drenched in blood.

“Where is he?” Xu Zhiyuan stared blankly.

As Xu Zhiyuan stood stunned, Ding Bangcheng, Gong Zhonghou, Lin Zhaonan, and Ding Banghong arrived.

“Where is he?” The four men first stared blankly, then exhaled in relief.

They had heard Ding Chushan’s screams and assumed he had been murdered by Xu Zhiyuan—ending all hope of cultivation alliance and revenge.

Now that they saw no corpse, clearly he had escaped death once again.

Xu Zhiyuan, a man of keen perception, immediately sensed the aura from the distant alley.

His eyes flared with murderous intent—he tapped his toe and prepared to charge.

But how could Ding Bangcheng and the other three let him escape again?

While Xu Zhiyuan searched for Ding Chushan’s trail, they had already surrounded him.

The three leaders of the alliance were all powerful, wielding extraordinary weapons; Ding Banghong was no weakling either. Meanwhile, Xu Zhiyuan was exhausted, his strength so depleted he could barely project his power beyond his body to strike.

Soon, fierce combat erupted in the street.

Multiple houses collapsed under the violent clash, sending dust, splinters, and broken tiles flying everywhere.

Elsewhere, in the open square before the Xu residence, both armies were locked in a blood-soaked frenzy.

Martial masters from both sides fell one after another into pools of blood.

On the second floor of the tavern.

Xia Daoming watched the nearby and distant battles in silence, his expression calm, yet his gaze complex.

In times of chaos, life is truly as worthless as grass!

Liang Jingtang and the others, feeling the brutal carnage nearby and afar, kept glancing at Xia Daoming—filled with gratitude and relief!

Without him, the bodies littering the blood would be theirs!

How could they now sit calmly, watching the tigers fight?

Even exhausted, Xu Zhiyuan still held the upper hand.

Not long after, Gong Zhonghou, whose blade style was the most brutal, was slain.

Soon after, Ding Bangcheng, Ding Banghong, and Lin Zhaonan were all gravely wounded, collapsing into blood pools, unable to fight further.

Xu Zhiyuan, though wounded in many places, still stood firm in the center of the street, his sword dripping with blood.

Suddenly, Xu Zhiyuan’s gaze snapped toward the hiding spot of Xia Daoming and the others, coldly saying: “Have you watched enough? Come out!”

“Master, it’s your turn to make your entrance and settle accounts with the clan leaders—let them die knowing why, so you may finally release your hatred and find peace.” Xia Daoming said.

“Aren’t you going?” Ji Yuanzhen blinked in surprise.

“What, Master, do you lack confidence?” Xia Daoming smiled.

“Xu Zhiyuan is now like a tiger without claws. I’m an eighth-rank great martial master—why should I fear him? But you’re the true master here. They’re about to die—won’t it look strange if you don’t show yourself?” Ji Yuanzhen said.

Xia Daoming looked at Ji Yuanzhen with deep meaning.

Ji Yuanzhen’s expression didn’t change—he looked utterly calm.

The old man’s skin is truly thick—he’s clearly terrified, yet speaks so elegantly. Well, considering you’re Wen Yue’s grandfather, I’ll let it slide.

“That’s true. Then Master, let us accompany the old master. After all, you’ll soon be one of Licheng’s major figures—you ought to make your presence known.” Xia Daoming said to Liang Jingtang.

“Alright!” Liang Jingtang nodded solemnly, though his face flushed—he was clearly trembling with excitement and nerves.

Of course! Once a humble martial arts hall owner, now he was to make a grand entrance before a grand master and the heads of the Ding and Lin clans—how could he not be nervous?

Especially before Ding Banghong, who had always looked down on them!

Soon, Xia Daoming and Liang Jingtang flanked Ji Yuanzhen on either side and stepped out of the tavern.

“Ji Yuanzhen!”

Seeing Ji Yuanzhen stride out first from the tavern—silver hair, silver beard, slender face, elegant and ethereal—Xu Zhiyuan’s eyes bulged wide, as if he’d seen a ghost in broad daylight.

Ding Bangcheng, Lin Zhaonan, and Ding Banghong, who had been lying wounded and motionless, suddenly sat upright.

Especially Ding Banghong—when he recognized Liang Jingtang and Xia Daoming following Ji Yuanzhen, he suddenly understood everything. He couldn’t hold back his blood—he spat it out violently.

Seeing the stunned reactions of Xu Zhiyuan and the others, Ji Yuanzhen felt immense satisfaction—the psychological trauma from his clan’s massacre seemed to finally lift.

“Master, that Gong Zhonghou didn’t even fake a resurrection—he clearly didn’t respect you!”

As Ji Yuanzhen basked in his triumph, Xia Daoming’s whisper reached his ear.

Ji Yuanzhen’s legs trembled—he nearly lost his dignity.

Is that even human speech?

PS: Another chapter coming soon.