“Give the weapon back to Li Zhen.” A smear of faint azure appeared out of thin air and blocked the three’s way.
“Hoi, where did this girl come from, to stick her nose into the affairs of men?” Li Quan’s two sidekicks hooted with laughter and one of them reached out a hand, wanting to caress the girl’s face.
Lu Yun shuddered, mentally reciting a prayer for him. Indeed—
“Ahhh!!” shrieked the young man in luxurious clothing now that one of his arms was broken.
Li Quan’s pupils constricted violently; he hadn’t seen the girl move at all! This seemingly harmless little girl was an unexpected powerhouse!
“Little girl, who are you and are you sure you want to interfere in the affairs of my clan?!” he shouted.
“I said, give the weapon back to him.” Qing Ting’s expression was frosty and her tones even chillier. Though she’d spent the last part of battle supporting the Azureclad Duke against a ghost king, she’d still kept an eye on Lu Yun’s part of the battlefield.
Thus, she’d witnessed Lu Yun obtain the ghost-headed blade, gift it to Li Zhen, and Li Zhen rushing into endless hordes of ghosts with it.
She’d been stunned by his fearless actions—while he was a half step king, he’d only just reached that threshold and he wasn’t very strong. But someone like him remained steadfast in the face of insurmountable enemies and placed himself in the way of death multiple times!
Though he often took shelter in the Champion Duke’s sword formation, he only did so whenever he was on death’s doorstep.
How dare these three imbeciles—trash who didn’t even leave the city—seize the weapon from someone of great merit in war?! That Qing Ting didn’t kill them outright was already showing face to the Li Clan!
Qing Ting was the Azureclad Duke’s younger sister and the beloved princess of Coiling Dragon City. The Li Clan wasn’t part of the city proper, but resided under the Coiling Dragon banner. The city had helped them gain independence from Dragonhollow Mountain, and it was thanks to the city’s help that the old dragons of the mountain hadn’t exterminated the clan long ago.
Qing Ting had cultivated in secret for most of her life. This time, the vicious ghosts were plainly looking to Redbud Region with their occupation of Starspace, so she was one of many geniuses that various Hongmeng factions and clans sent out to defend the realm.
Li Quan was the son of the Li patriarch; it wasn’t a surprise that he didn’t recognize her.
As for Qing Ting, she was on the premises because she was executing her brother’s mission: keep an eye on the Champion Duke and don’t let him get away.
“You’ve got some brawn, little girl, to hurt someone of the Li Clan and covet our great treasure!” Li Quan chuckled coldly and suddenly struck Qing Ting with the ghost-headed blade.
“Shameless fool!” Flying into a rage, she sent a flash of green light through the air the second he moved.
“AHHH!!” shrieked Li Quan. His hand that wielded the blade was dropping to the ground!
“So fast!” Lu Yun’s eyes widened. “Her sword is refined from Earth Stone Magneticus and the flash of green light was sword light from the weapon!”
As a mighty half step king, Li Quan was many times stronger than Li Zhen. However, he’d lost his right hand the second he made a move!
Clang!
Li Quan’s right hand and the ghost-headed blade clattered to the ground. Qing Ting imitated Lu Yun of earlier and kicked the blade to Li Zhen.
“Catch,” she said faintly.
“Eh? Huh?” Li Zhen looked blankly at his returned weapon, unable to react for the moment. “…right, why didn’t I think of that?!” he exclaimed. “I didn’t need to go against his sword light when we fought, I could just hack off the Champion Duke’s arm!”
“Idiot,” Lu Yun cursed with a smile. “My Stellar Sword is a flying sword and yours is a battle sword. Flying swords can fly, can yours move after it leaves your hand?”
“You’re totally right!” Li Zhen nodded seriously.
Qing Ting: ……
“Look after your weapon, I’m not helping you if someone else takes it again,” she said shortly.
“My deepest thanks to this lady for helping me. If I might know your name…”
Lu Yun kicked his butt when Li Zhen asked for Qing Ting’s name. “What, are you trying to get a name for your kinsman to take revenge on?”
Li Quan glared at Qing Ting and Lu Yun with malice while the remaining man with narrowed eyes stood helplessly where he was. Slicing off Li Quan’s hand so cleanly meant the girl had the right to be a titled duke.
“No thanks are needed, just use your blade to kill some more ghosts.” Qing Ting waved a hand, puffed her chest out, and left with her head held high like a proud little phoenix.
“Eh? I think I’m forgetting something… Oh, brother wants me to keep an eye on the Champion Duke so he doesn’t run away.” Qing Ting smacked her forehead and melted into the void.
“Hehehe, looks like she’s here to keep you under surveillance!” Li Zhen laughed gleefully. “A man’s wealth is his own ruin because it causes greed in others!”
“Uhh, the same goes for you too? That Li Quan is still staring at your ghost-headed blade.”
Li Zhen quickly fished out a pill and swallowed it, prompting his arm to regrow. His wounds began healing over as well.
“Investigate! Find out who that brat is!” Li Quan commanded savagely when Lu Yun and Li Zhen left.
“Young master, there are only so many in the Hongmeng who have the right to be a titled duke. She obviously has the strength, but she’s not well known. She’s probably no major heavyweight,” one of his followers said.
“Then have my uncle cripple her cultivation and send her to my room! I’ll have her begging for death after cutting off my hand and taking my weapon!” His hand had already grown back; this kind of injury was minor in the realm and could be easily cured by a pill. The humiliation he’d suffered today, however, wouldn’t be so easily erased.
He was the patriarch’s only son and the young patriarch of the clan. That wench had cut off his hand in broad daylight and spat in the face of the entire Li Clan in doing so!
The patriarch of the Li Clan was a sixth step king!
……
The Immortal Pagoda officially established a branch in Cloudexit City.
City Lord Dawn King emptied one of the most prosperous neighborhoods in the city. A tower nine stories tall rose from it, the same as the one in Multitude City. The day it did so, all sorts of pills, treasures, talismans, and formations filled its shelves.
None of the prices differed from the ones posted in Multitude City. King grade flying swords, treasures, talismans, and formations were available for sale, taking the city by storm.
No one had imagined that the Immortal King would offer king grade supplemental items on top of opening a branch in Cloudexit City! These were the most desired resources in the war against the vicious ghosts.
Even more unexpected was the Haotian Tower’s appearance the next day. It was erected in front of the Immortal Pagoda and ninety-nine stories tall just like the first one. It, too, sold a variety of supplemental items, and at half price compared to the Immortal Pagoda.
