The entire tavern hall felt as though it was being crushed from all directions by an indescribable oppressive force. Even the very void seemed to be under pressure.
"Cough, cough."
It wasn't until Chen Yang moved his foot that the silence was broken. In the space of less than a minute, Qiao Ziyun had nearly suffocated to death, and now she erupted in a fit of violent coughs, the only sound in the hall. Thick gouts of blood spewed ceaselessly from her mouth.
"Trash! I am Qiao Ziyun, the treasured daughter of Windwelcome Academy! A woman of my noble standing… how dare you strike me? Are you tired of living?"
Struggling to her feet, Qiao Ziyun radiated anger and resentment from every pore. What was her status? This was an utterly intolerable, unspeakable humiliation. At Windwelcome Academy, everyone she met had to reverently call her "Miss." Yet today, someone had pinned her to the ground with their foot. How could she ever hold her head high again after this? To think the esteemed Windwelcome Academy would be so flagrantly disregarded!
Hmph…
"You're finished! If I don't kill you today, then my name isn't Qiao!"
Qiao Ziyun staggered to her feet. Leaning on a table with one hand, she pointed a trembling finger at Chen Yang with the other. "You may have some skill, but why can't you understand your place? I am the young lady of Windwelcome Academy. And you? What are you?"
"This is treason! Insubordination of the highest order!"
The middle-aged man, still lying in a pool of his own blood, looked at his imperious disciple in shock. Faced with such an extraordinary figure, not only is she not lying low, but she's still daring to provoke him?
"Ziyun, stop talking…" the middle-aged man warned. With that man's domineering style, continued provocation would surely lead to death. As the saying goes, a gentleman's revenge can wait ten years. As long as they survived this encounter, taking revenge and washing away this shame would be a simple matter later.
Unfortunately, a person consumed by extreme anger and shame is bereft of reason.
"Master, don't worry. We're from Windwelcome Academy! He's just some nameless piece of trash. How dare he challenge his superiors?" Qiao Ziyun then let out a vicious laugh. "Trash should know its place."
The middle-aged man was stupefied, his expression utterly blank. What idiotic nonsense is she spouting?
BOOM!
Chen Yang kicked out. Qiao Ziyun, who had just managed to steady herself, was sent tumbling once more. A dense cacophony of crisp, bone-shattering cracks echoed in her ears.
Chen Yang took out a cigarette, tapping it against his hand. The cold, decisive young man didn't even wait for Qiao Ziyun's reaction. He simply lit the cigarette and took a slow, leisurely drag. Thin wisps of blue smoke curled lazily upwards. His face was stern, his expressionless features exuding a chilling aura that sent shivers down the spine.
Chen Yang shook his head internally. Whether in the secular world or here on Yuning Mountain, there were always these self-righteous fools who loved to throw their weight around, bullying the kind and fearing the wicked. Like this woman before him. Her arrogant, imperious demeanor suggested she believed the entire world should kneel and worship at her feet. People like her truly disgusted him. All this over a simple meal. Was it really necessary?
HISS!
Qiao Ziyun struggled onto her knees, her body covered in blood. Her twisted face was a mask of extreme hatred and animosity. Her master and the other disciples from Windwelcome Academy stood frozen in place, not daring to move an inch.
That man… that man is a god of slaughter. What terrified them most, what drove them to despair, was the stark realization that this man did not give a single damn about Windwelcome Academy.
"Do you really think I don't dare to kill you?" Chen Yang said indifferently, stroking the Ancestral Sword in his hand without looking up.
"Heh!" Qiao Ziyun let out a cold laugh but said no more. The resentment and iciness in her eyes only intensified, now mingled with a sharp, mocking ridicule. Though she was silent, her expression was clear. Even if you had ten times the nerve, you wouldn't dare to kill me, Qiao Ziyun.
CLANG!
A flash of cold light flared into existence and vanished just as quickly. Chen Yang sheathed his sword. With one hand behind his back, he turned and walked away, his figure silhouetted against the light as he grew more and more distant.
"Cough, cough cough…"
Qiao Ziyun's hands were clamped tightly around her neck, but no amount of pressure could stop the blood from gushing out. Her gradually dimming eyes remained fixed on Chen Yang's receding back. Unwillingness, disbelief, and a dozen other emotions churned within her.
THUD!
Her body slumped to the ground, all signs of life extinguished.
Suddenly, the entire vast hall seemed to plunge into the depths of a frozen winter, the very air seeming to solidify.
He… he actually killed her?
The onlookers, still reeling, subconsciously turned their heads. Their dazed eyes were filled with an indescribable terror and dread. As far as the eye could see, the man was already gone.
"I, Chen, have always acted for one reason alone: to follow my will without restraint," a somewhat ethereal voice drifted down slowly from the heavens.
The middle-aged man: "…"
Everyone: "…"
What an incredibly domineering statement! But on reflection, hadn't Qiao Ziyun brought this upon herself? She knew she was outmatched, yet she persisted in her reckless whims. Did she truly believe everyone on Yuning Mountain would fear her Windwelcome Academy? Leaving aside the hidden experts and major powers, her Windwelcome Academy was merely a mid-tier force among the Three Valleys, Six Courts, and Nine Sects. There was an abundance of people who could kill her. To provoke and posture so needlessly… did she think the world would stop spinning if she died? A frog in a well, shamelessly believing herself to be some great figure. It was utterly ludicrous.
From the direction of the North Square came a tidal wave of shouts and cheers. Clearly, the arena tournament concocted by Mu Ling'er for her own amusement was still in full swing. Chen Yang shook his head. Perhaps in the eyes of many, the lives of others truly are as worthless as weeds. This so-called civilized world still adhered to the most primitive and barbaric of rules. It had never changed.
Chen Yang looked up at the vast blue sky and gently exhaled a puff of smoke, expelling the chaotic thoughts from his mind along with it. The corners of his mouth curled into a faint smile.
A person should learn to be content. For the rest of my days, I will seek only to have my thoughts flow unimpeded. Nothing more.
RUMBLE!
Suddenly, to Chen Yang's right, a world-shaking roar erupted, and a dazzling sword light burst forth in the void. It was the clash of Sword Qi. Even from a distance, the immense power of the combatants could be clearly felt.
"Is that… are those experts dueling?" Shen Shaotian, who had just stepped out of the tavern, exclaimed in astonishment.