Chapter 19: Crisis Lurking

Mu Tian City, at dusk. The Li family residence.

In the exquisite courtyard beneath the cherry blossom tree, Li Jian stood with a cold gaze, murderous intent flickering between his brows. The memory of Qin Lang forcing him to bark like a dog earlier that day set his heart ablaze with fury, as if a volcano were about to erupt.

From birth until now, he had always been the one to humiliate others—never had he been shamed himself. What happened today was a first, the most humiliating moment of his life. Worse still, his father and the head of the Zhang family had learned of it and unleashed their wrath upon him.

The thought of Qin Lang’s hateful face made Li Jian’s features contort with rage. Murderous thoughts surged through him: “If I ever find out who you are, I’ll have your legs broken, your tendons ripped out, your skin flayed, and I’ll have you carved into a human stick.”

Though Qin Lang and his companions were strangers, they had trespassed on Li family territory. It would only take a few hours to track down such outsiders in their city. Now, all he had to do was wait for the information to arrive, and then he would mete out his revenge—making Qin Lang and the others taste true terror.

The anticipation of revenge made Li Jian’s lips curl into a lecherous, wicked smile, sending chills down the spine of anyone who saw it, freezing the very blood in their veins.

Suddenly, a man clad in black appeared, dropping to one knee before him. “Second Young Master, we’ve found traces of those two, but it turns out there are five—four men and a woman.”

“There’s a woman?” Li Jian’s brows furrowed, then his lips twisted into a sinister grin. “What does she look like?”

“Exceptionally beautiful, well worth your attentions,” the man in black replied with a devilish smile, a cold aura emanating from his eyes.

“Well said,” Li Jian nodded slightly, his tone icy. “No fighting is permitted within the city, and certainly no killing. Keep them under close surveillance. The moment they leave the city, report to me at once.”

“Yes, sir!”

With his orders received, the man in black vanished without a trace.

Li Jian remained in place, his heart cold, his expression dark and unsettling. He looked up at the sky, gazing silently at the drifting white clouds, a cruel smile tugging at his lips. “Boy, not only will I torment you to death, I’ll ravish your woman before your very eyes, let her cry out for all to hear...”

…

Outside Mu Tian City, deep within the Glazed Forest.

On the edge of a cliff, high among the clouds, stood a woman of ethereal grace. She wore a pale blue gown and crystal heels, her face veiled. She gazed into the distance, where Mu Tian City seemed both as small as a sesame seed and yet close enough to touch.

An elderly woman approached, her demeanor deeply respectful. “Your Holiness, we have received confirmation: Thousand-Slayer Qin Lang is indeed in the city.”

“Does he have bodyguards?” The veiled woman smiled enchantingly, her eyes fixed on the horizon, as though preparing for what came next.

“He does,” the old woman nodded, then continued, “Those protecting him are all elite cultivators of the Azure Sky Guard—renowned for their formidable strength and combat prowess.”

The Azure Sky Guard.

The woman’s brows knitted together, puzzlement flickering in her heart. “What are their names?”

“Hu Jue Tianxia, known as the Barbarian God Liu Man; Hua Manlou, a master of swift swordplay; Wang Zimo, a peerless expert in disguise and transformation; Su Momo, half-demon with the power to control spirit beasts,” the old woman recited, her own face grave with worry.

Each of these people possessed unique abilities as cultivators. Though the demon clan was powerful, even they might struggle against such gifted adversaries—especially since these were members of the Azure Sky Guard.

After a moment’s silence, the veiled woman asked, “Were you able to discover their cultivation levels?”

The old woman gave a bitter smile, shaking her head. “The Azure Sky Guard’s cultivation is a closely guarded secret. Only their own members know such things; no outsider could ever hope to learn them.”

Not only were the Azure Sky Guard formidable, every member possessed extraordinary talent. Their personal information was classified to the utmost degree—fewer than ten people in the world knew their details, and any beyond that number had been eliminated.

The woman fell silent, her gaze fixed on Mu Tian City in the distance. “Were you able to uncover anything about Qin Lang’s background?”

“Our investigation found that all his records were erased two years ago,” the old woman replied, still shaking her head. “But according to our sources, he had a grandfather. As for his parents, their identities remain a mystery.”

Liu Qingyao, the enchanting woman, frowned and sighed inwardly. It seemed fate itself conspired to keep Qin Lang’s origins hidden. Yet what did it matter? As long as he had any living kin, she did not believe he could resist leaving the city.

Suddenly, Liu Qingyao’s lips curled into a sly smile. “Send word at once: seize Qin Lang’s grandfather.”

The old woman hesitated, troubled by the command.

Noticing this, Liu Qingyao’s brows knit and her tone grew cold. “What’s this? Have you demons suddenly developed a conscience?”

Demons were indeed capable of compassion, but only a rare few—and such souls were branded as aberrations, hunted by their own kind or by human cultivators alike.

“That’s not it,” the old woman replied, her expression pained. “Your Holiness, Qin Lang’s grandfather passed away before Qin Lang became the Executioner of the Supreme Celestial Prison. His life had already run its course.”

Liu Qingyao fell silent.

Dead.

She was left momentarily dumbfounded, unable to recover her wits. She had planned to use Qin Lang’s grandfather to lure him out, but now learned he had long since died of old age.

In other words, Qin Lang was now utterly alone in the world. Even if he had any relatives left, their whereabouts were unknown...

Liu Qingyao gazed ahead. “Is Qin Lang a lecherous man?”

“It’s hard to say,” the old woman replied, shaking her head. “Everything we’ve observed about him appears perfectly ordinary—he acts like any other mortal.”

“On another note, he has already made an enemy of Li Jian, the second young master of the Li family. Given the narrow-mindedness of that man, he’ll surely scheme to eliminate Qin Lang.”

Liu Qingyao merely shook her head. “The Li family is indeed a powerful clan, but compared to the Great Xia Immortal Dynasty, they are as fragile as ants.”

“Then, Your Holiness, do you intend to deal with Qin Lang yourself?”

…

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