First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 1239 - Tonight, I Must Cleanse This Place With Blood

As Meng Changyun pondered the rivers of blood sure to flow from the peak of Cold Mountain tonight, Shang Qingping walked over.

“Young Lord Shen, I’ve been thinking, and I decided that I need to thank you in person.” She looked at him solemnly. “Once the Cold Mountain Night Banquet is over, I hope you can give me an opportunity to host a banquet in your honor to express my gratitude.”

Her wounds had healed, and after refining both Extreme Yang Immortal Dew and Serene Profound Ambrosia, her cultivation base had advanced. All she needed now was the right opportunity, and she could prove her Dao and achieve Profound Unity!

Su Yi said casually, “Cultivate properly going forward. Don’t let your Nine-Yin Profound Meridians go to waste. That’s the best repayment you could possibly give me.”

Shang Qingping was stunned; his words seemed out of place, like the earnest guidance of a senior.

Off to the side, Yao Xue couldn’t help but interject. “Qingping, the discussions of the Dao are about to begin. You can’t concern yourself with this any longer or it might affect your mental state.”

“It’s fine,” said Shang Qingping. “I just heard that the Lan Family invited a distinguished guest with an extraordinary background. They plan to wait for him to arrive before starting the competition.”

Yao Xue said curiously, “How extraordinary must his origins be for the Lan Family to wait so patiently for him?”

Shang Qingping shook her head. “I don’t know.”

It was then that a cold voice resounded from afar, “So, this is where you were, Shang Qingping!”

There was a disturbance amongst the crowd as numerous eyes were drawn to the speaker.

A girl in a pale yellow skirt walked over from afar. The crowd recognized her immediately. This was none other than the young mistress of the ancient Lan Family, Lan Qing’er!

The family’s young leader, Lan Tianqi, was her older brother.

Lan Qing’er’s face was cold as ice as she glared hatefully at Shang Qingping. “You? You think... you’re worthy of becoming my brother’s Dao Partner? You must be mad!”

Uproar followed this declaration.

Some members of the younger generation revealed expressions of sadistic glee.

“We’re in for a show this time!”

“The Shang Family’s sure lost a lot of face. Their marriage alliance hasn’t even begun, but the young mistress of the Lan Family has publicly rejected them. This hasn’t just left Shang Qingping’s reputation in shambles; it’s brought shame upon her family, too.”

“She went so far as to lower herself, all to ride another’s coattails. Why go to such lengths?”

...The crowd discussed the matter amongst themselves. There was no shortage of mocking voices.

Shang Qingping’s beautiful face paled, and within her sleeves, her fists silently clenched.

Of late, her impending marriage alliance had put enormous pressure on her, and made her subject to countless cold gazes and jeers.

But she’d endured it all to help alleviate her family’s worries.

Yet now, at the Cold Mountain Night Banquet, Lan Qing’er was mocking and rejecting her in front of countless onlookers. It was as if someone had plunged a knife deep into her heart.

Lan Qing’er continued, exceedingly impolite. “Let me tell you: even if you place in the top three, you can forget about taking a single step through our doors! Have a good hard look at yourself. Is someone of your status worthy of becoming my brother’s Dao Partner? Nonsense!”

The entire venue instantly burst into uproarious laughter. Some of the scions of ancient clans even cheered Lan Qing’er on.

An indescribable sense of humiliation coursed through Shang Qingping’s heart. The blood drained from her face, and her delicate frame quivered. She was obviously enraged.

“Lan Qing’er, this marriage alliance is between both the Lan and Shang Families. How could it possibly be your place to reject it?” Yao Xue said furiously.

Lan Qing’er sneered and said coldly, “Is this any place for you to speak? One more word from you, and don’t blame me for sending you packing.”

Yao Xue’s face reddened, and she gnashed her teeth so hard they almost broke.

“Don’t be angry, lass,” Family Head Shang Wenzheng rushed over and tried to comfort his daughter. “We don’t want this marriage alliance anymore!”

Tenderness and sympathy was written all over his face, but he looked furious, too. It seemed he was ready to go all out.

“Father...” Shang Qingping’s eyes reddened, and she almost wept.

Lan Qing’er was stunned.

But Family Head Lan Haoyun, who’d been watching coldly from the sidelines, laughed and said slowly, “Brother Shang, don’t make decisions out of anger. An argument between youngsters, that’s all. Why concern yourself?”

The other higher-ups in attendance smiled and tried to persuade him too, but it was obvious they didn’t take this seriously.

“No matter what, I agreed to this, and I naturally won’t go back on my word. So long as you place in the top three, you can visit the Lan Family to make marriage arrangements,” Lan Haoyun said coldly.

He spoke as if he were offering charity to a beggar.

A higher-up couldn’t help but sigh, “Family Head Lan is a man of his word. I truly admire him.”

Countless others instantly seized the opportunity to flatter him.

This only made Shang Wenzheng and Shang Qingping’s situation seem even more awkward and unsightly.

But it was then that the distant young master of the Lan Family, Lan Tianqi, interjected, “I guarantee that I won’t give Shang Qingping any opportunity to place in the top three!”

This declaration instantly quieted all other voices. Even the birds fell silent.

The attitude Lan Tianqi’s words revealed left everyone stunned. By now, who could fail to realize that the young master of the Lan Family famed throughout the Violet Dome Star Realm was vehemently opposed to this marriage alliance?

The way many of those present looked at Shang Qingping changed.

Pity, mockery, contempt, playfulness...

A wide range of emotions, all in abundance.

She’d longed to climb to a higher branch, only for the branch to heartlessly refuse her. She’d sure lost face this time!

After this, it seemed there was no need to wait until tomorrow. Shang Qingping was already destined to become a laughingstock!

The higher-ups’ gazes were playful too.

Lan Haoyun smiled and glanced at his son, but he said nothing.

Meanwhile, Shang Wenzheng’s face was ashen, his anger irrepressible.

Shang Qingping was so angry that she wanted to die, and she bit down on her lower lip so hard that it bled.

Yao Xue looked aggrieved, infuriated, and completely panicked. She didn’t know what to do.

Su Yi had been watching coldly from the sidelines this entire time, but here, he rose and said to Shang Qingping, “When two parties’ strengths are unequal, a marriage alliance has always been the most ineffectual choice the weaker party can make. I hope that you’ll understand that after what happened today.”

He then swept his gaze across the crowd and said, “As for the humiliation you endured tonight? And the losses the Shang Family has faced over the years? Leave resolving them to me.”

This light, airy declaration seemed incomparably abrupt against the deathly silence.

The crowd was stunned. What’s going on?

Someone has the guts to speak up against injustice on the Shang Family’s behalf here, in the Lan Family’s territory?

Who is that young man? Is he insane?

Shang Wenzheng, Shang Qingping, and Yao Xue were dumbstruck too. None of them would have guessed that Shen Mu would stand up for them in their most humiliating moment.

And he wasn’t just voicing objections on their behalf. No, he wanted to get even for them!

This was far too surprising, to the point that they felt completely caught off guard.

The stifled, deathly silence didn’t last long before it gave way to uproarious laughter.

The elite scions of the other ancient clans reacted as if they’d heard an utterly ludicrous joke. They clutched their stomachs and laughed uncontrollably.

The higher-ups couldn’t help but shake their heads and chuckle too.

Even the attendants, serving girls, and guards snickered. They’d never seen such an outrageous youngster before.

But Su Yi wasn’t laughing. He watched as if all of this were perfectly normal, then took a sip of wine.

Meng Changyun wasn’t laughing either, but pity was already written all over his face.

“Shang Qingping, where’d you find this clown? I’m afraid he’ll have us dropping dead of laughter,” said Lan Qing’er. She was the closest to them, so she heard Su Yi the clearest. When she saw how calm and composed he was even now, she laughed so hard she almost cried.

Shang Wenzheng, Shang Qingping, and Yao Xue’s expressions were increasingly unsightly.

But it was then that Meng Changyun walked up and slapped Lan Qing’er across the face.

Whap!

The crisp, resounding slap instantly suppressed the piercing, unpleasant sound of the crowd’s laughter. It echoed clearly throughout every attendee’s ears.

Immediately afterward, Lan Qing’er shrieked like a slaughtered pig as she was sent flying. She landed several hundred feet away, her hair disheveled as half of her face reddened and swelled.

The entire area was deathly silent. The crowd was startled.

Meng Changyun gazed expressionlessly down at her, then said slowly, “You like to laugh, huh? Then I’ll give you an opportunity. Tonight, you’ll laugh yourself to death, or I’ll make your life worse than death!”

Lan Qing’er shuddered beneath his cold, indifferent gaze.

Meng Changyun, meanwhile, bowed to Su Yi and said in a low voice, “Young Lord, the look on her face was loathsome, and she insulted your dignity. This old man acted out of rage and attacked without permission. Please don’t take offense.”

“It’s understandable,” Su Yi said flatly. “But don’t attack again. I’m not happy, and I won’t feel better until I’ve washed this place in blood.”

“Got it!” Meng Changyun bowed and assented.

It was then that uproar arose on all sides.

“Who is that old-timer? How dare he slap Miss Lan Qing’er?”

“He’s surely sick of living. Otherwise, how could he possibly have done something so devoid of conscience?”

...This sudden development caught many of the higher-ups off guard, and all of them looked over.

“You’re seeking death!” A group of Lan Family guards charged over. Their leader was an Imperial Apex Realm old man.

Su Yi didn’t even look at them. He just waved his sleeves.

Over a dozen Imperial Realm Lan Family guards exploded into ash and scattered to the ground.

The area was instantly in uproar. The crowd trembled.

A gentle wave of the sleeves, and he killed over a dozen Emperors!?

Even the higher-ups could no longer remain seated. They shot to their feet, their eyes flashing like lightning as they looked at Su Yi.

Family Head Lan Haoyun’s expression darkened. Someone is actually causing trouble in our territory? How suicidal!

Shang Wenzheng, Shang Qingping, and Yao Xue looked stricken. They could never have guessed Su Yi would kill people at the drop of a hat. He didn’t hesitate in the slightest!

Lan Qing’er was still sprawled out on the ground, but this stirred her, and she let out a terrified shriek. “Hurry! Hurry up and save me——!”

“Don’t be afraid, Young Mistress. This old man is here.”

As this raspy voice rang out, a black-robed elder appeared stealthily out of nowhere, right in front of Lan Qing’er. His entire body emanated the characteristic aura of a Oneness World King.

As he appeared, the atmosphere shifted abruptly, the air suddenly rife with cold murderous intent.

“Elder Ming is here!” The members of the ancient Lan family inwardly sighed in relief, while the guests all looked eager.

Lan Qing’er’s spirits soared, and her eyes shone with resentment as she shouted, “Elder Ming! You have to skin them, pluck their tendons, and scatter their ashes to the wind!!!”