Chapter 583.5: Commoner Liu Cui'e

Chapter 583.5: Commoner Liu Cui'e

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The flying sword slowly descended into a patch of woods outside Pingxi Town.

Chen Huaian had not forgotten his original intention—keep a low profile to avoid trouble.

He sheathed the flying sword, smoothed his clothes a bit, and then walked into the town with Li Qingran.

Although they had suppressed their cultivations, that otherworldly aura was still hard to fully hide.

Chen Huaian looked at the ragged-clothed townspeople around him and sighed in his heart.

Before entering the mortal realm, he and Li Qingran had already changed into the plainest clothes they owned.

Still, he had underestimated things — these people were far poorer than he had imagined. The worst-off wore nothing but a few tattered strips of cloth; the relatively better-off had patched, threadbare garments. The streets were filthy and chaotic, and a group of children were splashing and rolling in a muddy puddle.

“Look at those two, so handsome!”

“My goodness, that girl looks like a fairy.”

“That young master is quite the catch. Could they be nobles from the imperial city?”

The townspeople turned to stare and whispered to one another.

Most only dared to look from a distance; when Chen Huaian and Li Qingran glanced their way, they would lower their heads and hurry off.

A few bolder children trailed behind at a distance, curious and peeking.

Chen Huaian shook his head inwardly.

It seemed that even in the mortal realm, blending in completely would not be easy.

He pinched his fingers and calculated Liu Cui'e’s location.

At his Great Ascension level, to triangulate a mortal’s position even with only a name and age, Heaven’s Calculation wasn’t necessary.

His eyes and mind were like radar, instantly locking onto Liu Cui'e’s coordinates.

The two walked deeper into the town.

“Master, there seems to be some commotion over there.” Li Qingran pointed toward a narrow lane ahead.

At the mouth of the lane a crowd had gathered; faint sounds of arguing and crying drifted out.

Chen Huaian swept his divine sense and quickly locked onto the target—a girl of about fifteen, surrounded by a few ruffians.

The girl was petite, wearing a coarse linen garment washed so often it had turned pale; the hem bore several patches.

Her hair was tied into a ponytail with a simple strip of cloth, a few strands loosened and stuck to her forehead from struggling.

Her features were delicate and proper; though her skin was a little rough, the distinct youthful softness of a teenager still shone through.

Fear filled her eyes; her small face was flushed from crying, looking pitiful yet with a streak of stubbornness.

On his mental map, Liu Cui'e glowed bright green.

No need to guess—she was clearly a poor girl with a kind heart.

But… what melodrama.

If he hadn’t calculated her himself, Chen Huaian would have suspected the Electronic Girlfriend system of staging this scene.

“Liu Cui'e, your father owed us money. Dead or alive, the debt stays! Pay up today or come with us!”

“Please, give me a few more days. I’ll find a way to pay!”

The girl’s voice trembled, tears streaming down, her face a picture of despair.

“Find a way? What can a little girl like you possibly do! Come quietly; we’ll take you to the brothel to earn money. In less than three years you’ll pay off the debt! Hahaha!”

A girl like Liu Cui'e, delicate and with no protector, was a prime target. Tossed into a kiln or brothel, she would fetch a good price—they had had their eyes on her for a long time.

The onlookers were angry but dared not act.

These ruffians had run rampant in Pingxi Town for a long time; nobody dared interfere.

Chen Huaian frowned, about to step forward, when an old voice rang out:

“Stop! Cui’e—this child I know. Her father Liu Dashan was a good man before he died. What kind of skill is it to bully a little girl? Besides… didn’t Liu Dashan already repay you?”

The speaker was the town’s old blacksmith, but the ruffians paid him no mind.

“He repaid the principal, but the interest is still due. The interest added up another two strings of cash in the last few days!”

“Old man, mind your own business! Want to test us? We’ll rough you up too!”

The ruffians’ leader shoved the blacksmith aside. The old man, frail with age, staggered and nearly fell.

At that moment, a cyan figure flashed by like lightning and firmly steadied the blacksmith.

“In broad daylight, you bully a little girl and an old man—you’re asking to die!”

Cold killing intent laced Li Qingran’s voice.

Back in Qingyun Sect she had been picked on often; what she hated most were bullies who preyed on the weak.

Seeing these ruffians’ obvious wickedness had already stirred murderous intent within her.

The ruffians turned and were knocked off-balance when they saw an absolutely beautiful young woman; lust and greed flickered in their eyes.

“Oh? Another pretty one! Little miss, if you’re smart you won’t interfere, or—”

Before he finished, a flash of killing intent lit Li Qingran’s eyes and she struck with a palm.

Bang—!

The ruffian leader, unable to react in time, took a heavy blow to the chest and was hurled into the wall. Bones cracked audibly; several ribs snapped. Blood gushed from his mouth and he was dead in an instant.

The remaining ruffians were petrified with fear.

“You... you dared kill someone!”

“Killing scum like you won’t dirty my hands!” Li Qingran sneered, her figure flashing again.

This time she used the tip of her foot to kick up stones from the ground.

Thud thud thud!

With several muffled sounds, the rest of the thugs fell to the ground—some with broken limbs, some with blinded eyes. They writhed and screamed in agony, unable to stand again.

The onlookers were stunned; this beautiful young woman possessed such terrifying power—within breaths she had incapacitated those who had tormented the town.

Unbeknownst to them, Li Qingran had held back to avoid revealing her identity.

She hadn’t used a trace of Nascent Soul aura; what was displayed was merely the strength of a martial artist.

“Th—thank you so much, sister, for saving me!” Liu Cui'e was stunned for several seconds by the whirlwind way Li Qingran had handled the ruffians. She hurried forward to bow, tears still clinging to her eyes, more shocked and grateful than anything.

Chen Huaian nodded with satisfaction.

His young disciple’s cultivation had indeed improved in recent years; her moves were clean and efficient, with no hesitation.

Most importantly, she had not shown even a trace of Nascent Soul presence.

This kind of precise control over one’s true essence was the most remarkable thing.

Li Qingran drew in her killing intent and looked at the girl with a much softer tone: “No need to thank me. It was nothing.”

“I am Liu Cui'e. Thank you, sister, for saving my life!”

The girl knelt and kowtowed repeatedly, gratitude shining in her eyes. “For you, sister, it was a small thing, but for me it saved my life. If they had dragged me to the brothel…”

She broke into uncontrollable sobs.

Li Qingran couldn’t bear the sight and quickly helped the girl to her feet.

When Chen Huaian heard the name, a hint of recognition crossed his eyes.

So it was her.

He had just pinpointed the location but hadn’t had time to confirm it.

Now, at first glance, he was nearly certain.

This girl did resemble Master Yuyao quite a bit.

Calling them sisters would not be an exaggeration!

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