28: Chapter 28 Ye Lingchuan

Above the official road, the scent of blood permeated the air. Broken sabers and shattered swords were scattered everywhere, and many corpses lay haphazardly on the ground.

The slaughter, which had originally been white-hot and intense, instantly fell into a strange standstill with the appearance of a group of figures dressed in green robes and possessing extraordinary bearing.

The two sides, who had been locked in a frenzied struggle, stopped their offensives in unison and turned their heads to look at the newcomers.

The Duanfeng Five Fiends had been pressing the members of the Wang Family with a fierce attack, and it seemed they were about to completely annihilate the remaining Wang Family members. At this moment, they also withdrew one after another, quickly gathering together and staring warily at the group from the Qingxuan Sect.

On the other side, the remaining guards and servants of the Wang Family also hurriedly stumbled back to the side of the carriage. Each was covered in wounds and gasping for breath, but a glimmer of hope for survival finally ignited in their originally despairing eyes.

Among the Duanfeng Five Fiends, a man with a sinister expression quickly walked to the side of the Fiend Leader and lowered his voice, his tone carrying a hint of gravity:

“Big Brother, it's people from the Qingxuan Sect. Looking at that bearing, the young man leading them is likely the Qingxuan Sect Prodigy, Ye Lingchuan, who recently ascended the hidden dragon list.”

Hearing this, the Fiend Leader's pupils shrank slightly. His fingertips unconsciously tightened around the Ghost-Head Saber in his hand, and a trace of apprehension welled up in his heart.

The Qingxuan Sect was the absolute overlord of Yunlan County, with deep foundations. The hidden dragon list, on the other hand, gathered the top young experts of the entire Great Xia. Those who could ascend the hidden dragon list were all individuals of extraordinary talent and formidable strength.

Just then, the curtains of the luxuriously decorated carriage were gently lifted, and a slender and graceful figure stepped down slowly.

The woman was dressed in a light green dress, her posture elegant and her features gentle; she was indeed Wang Qingwan.

She recognized Ye Lingchuan at a glance, and a flash of joy immediately crossed her eyes. She hurriedly bowed, her voice soft yet clearly reaching everyone present:

“Young Master Ye, I am Wang Qingwan of the Wang Family. Wang Xiaolong is my younger brother. Today, my Wang Family encountered a lethal ambush by villains. I ask Young Master Ye to lend a hand and assist us.”

Ye Lingchuan did not know Wang Qingwan. He had spent years in bitter cultivation within the Sect, and even when he occasionally went out for experience, those he associated with were the cream of the crop among the younger generation—at least Cultivators of the third rank or higher.

Although Wang Qingwan's talent was passable, she currently only had a second-rank cultivation, so he naturally had no impression of her. Wang Xiaolong was different; at only twenty-two years old, he had already stepped into the third-rank Middle Stage. He had outstanding talent and some friendship with Ye Lingchuan.

After hearing Wang Qingwan's words, Ye Lingchuan's originally calm eyes moved slightly, and he immediately decided not to stand idly by.

He first nodded slightly toward Wang Qingwan, which served as an acceptance of the request. Then, he turned around, his gaze calmly looking at the Duanfeng Five Fiends. His voice was cold, carrying an unquestionable authority: “Everyone, I, Ye Lingchuan, am protecting these people today. You should retreat quickly.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the Fiend Leader of the Duanfeng Five Fiends instantly laughed out of extreme anger. He slammed his Ghost-Head Saber heavily onto the ground with a loud “clang” and shouted sharply:

“Ye Lingchuan, your reputation on the hidden dragon list might bluff those cowardly types who fear trouble, but it won't scare me, the Duanfeng Five Fiends! If you insist on meddling in others' business, be careful that these Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters behind you don't end up missing limbs in a moment!”

The Fiend Leader dared to speak such words naturally not out of impulse.

He had already sized up the situation of both sides. On the Wang Family's side, only Wang Hu, at the third-rank Middle Stage, still had some combat power; the rest of the second-rank guards were just a ragtag bunch, and more than half were now dead or injured.

As for the Qingxuan Sect's side, Ye Lingchuan's group had been restraining their aura just now and had not erupted with blood Qi, so he was temporarily unable to discern everyone's specific Realm. But he clearly remembered that Ye Lingchuan had only just ascended the hidden dragon list last month, and his cultivation was only at the third-rank Peak. No matter how strong he was, there was a limit. Looking at the Disciples behind him, they all had green faces and immature gazes; they were not worth worrying about at all.

Hearing the Fiend Leader's arrogant threat, Ye Lingchuan's gaze suddenly turned cold, and an angry shout exploded in the field like a clap of thunder: “Presumptuous!”

At the same time, the dormant blood Qi within his body erupted violently, like a sleeping primordial beast suddenly awakening. A vast and majestic fluctuation of blood Qi, far exceeding that of a third-rank Cultivator, swept out with him as the center.

A wild wind rose abruptly, howling as it swept the surroundings. The originally upright trees on both sides of the official road were bent heavily by this invisible force of blood Qi, their leaves rustling loudly. Dust and gravel on the ground were swirled up, forming small cyclones that splattered in all directions. The surrounding air seemed to be solidified by this blood Qi.

Feeling this irresistible power of blood Qi that far exceeded the third-rank Peak, the Fiend Leader's face instantly turned pale. The arrogance and wildness in his eyes vanished without a trace, leaving only deep fear and shock.

He never imagined that the young Ye Lingchuan before him had already broken through to the fourth rank!

“Retreat, quickly!” The Fiend Leader did not dare to hesitate for a moment. He immediately let out a roar and led the other four of the Duanfeng Five Fiends. They dared not stay a second longer, turning and sprinting toward the dense forest beside the official road like stray dogs, disappearing in a few moments.

Ye Lingchuan watched their fleeing backs and did not give chase. The Duanfeng Five Fiends had roamed the Jianghu for years; they were cunning in their actions and quite agile. If the five of them fled in different directions, even with his current strength, he was not certain he could kill them all.

If even one or two escaped, with the sinister and vicious nature of these five, they would surely seek crazy revenge in the future. People he knew might be innocently implicated, so he simply let them go to resolve the matter for now.

Only when the Duanfeng Five Fiends had completely disappeared from sight did Ye Lingchuan slowly restrain his surrounding blood Qi.

Wang Qingwan hurriedly stepped forward and bowed respectfully to Ye Lingchuan, her tone filled with gratitude and awe:

“Thank you, Young Master Ye, for your help. Qingwan is infinitely grateful! Moreover, I must congratulate Young Master Ye on successfully promoting to the fourth rank, taking another step forward on the path of martial arts; your future is limitless! For the great kindness of Young Master's assistance this time, after I return to my Family and settle down, I will certainly visit in person to express my thanks!”

Ye Lingchuan waved his hand, his expression returning to indifference, and said calmly:

“It is nothing, just a simple effort, no need to keep it in mind.”

Wang Qingwan straightened up, still unable to hide her shock. Looking at Ye Lingchuan's young face, she felt more and more that this Qingxuan Sect Prodigy was unfathomable. She asked softly again:

“I just do not know why Young Master Ye would happen to appear on this official road?”

Hearing this, Ye Lingchuan looked toward the distant direction of Qingyang County, his tone softening slightly:

“Young Miss Wang might not know, but this Qingyang County is actually my hometown. Coming out this time, first, it is by order of the Sect to go to Qingyang County to recruit some Disciples; second, I also want to bring my parents from Qingyang County to settle in the county city for the convenience of taking care of them.”

Hearing this, a flash of understanding crossed Wang Qingwan's eyes, and she immediately gave a charming smile. She was already extremely beautiful, with skin as white as jade, curved eyes, a delicate nose, and lips with a faint pink tint. When she smiled, two shallow dimples appeared at the corners of her mouth, gentle and moving, like pear blossoms in full bloom in spring, pure and refined. Instantly, the bloody atmosphere around them softened a bit as she said softly:

“So that is how it is. Then I must congratulate Young Master Ye on returning home in glory and bringing honor to your Family.”

After hearing these words, Ye Lingchuan's mood also brightened a bit, and a few more smiles involuntarily appeared on his face. He then cupped his hands toward Wang Qingwan and politely expressed his thanks.

As his voice fell, he did not stay any longer. He turned and waved to the group of Qingxuan Sect Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters behind him, heading toward the direction of Qingyang County. Their figures gradually disappeared at the end of the official road.

After Ye Lingchuan's group had gone far, the Wang Family convoy hurriedly began to reorganize. The guards cleared the corpses from the ground, treated the wounded, and tallied the damaged goods, all in a bustle.

As for the group of Loose Cultivators who had scattered and hidden in the distance to watch when they saw the situation was not right, they now swarmed back again seeing the danger was resolved. Lin Qing was also mixed among this group of Loose Cultivators.

Seeing this scene, the personal maid beside Wang Qingwan immediately raised her eyebrows in anger. Full of displeasure, she took a step forward, pointed at the group of Loose Cultivators, and said huffily:

“You still have the face to come over? Just now when my Wang Family encountered a dangerous situation, every one of you ran faster than rabbits. Now that the danger is gone, you huddle up again. Your skin is too thick!”

As she spoke, the maid saw Lin Qing in the crowd and immediately pointed her finger at him:

“Forget about them, they're all old hands who fear death, but you're so young, how can you be so cowardly? Meeting danger and only knowing how to run, you've really wasted that good face of yours!”

Lin Qing rubbed his nose with a sheepish look, secretly muttering in his heart: 'This... she should be praising me, right?'

Seeing this, Wang Qingwan hurriedly pulled the maid beside her and gently shook her head, signaling her not to say more.

She knew in her heart that these Loose Cultivators followed the convoy for protection along the way. Their own strength was low; in that slaughter just now, even if they had acted, they wouldn't have been able to help at all and would only have lost their lives in vain, so they couldn't really be blamed.

It was just that having experienced this ambush, her mood was naturally poor. Looking at these Loose Cultivators, she didn't have a good expression, yet she didn't drive them away either.

After all, this was an official road, and she had no reason to stop others from walking on it. She immediately spoke indifferently:

“If you want to follow, then follow. Just behave yourselves along the way and do not cause trouble. Otherwise, do not blame my Wang Family for being impolite.”

After saying that, Wang Qingwan turned and went back to the carriage, no longer paying attention to these Loose Cultivators. Hearing this, the group of Loose Cultivators hurriedly nodded in agreement, not daring to say more.

Not long after, the Wang Family convoy finished its reorganization and, under the escort of Wang Hu, set out on the journey again, slowly moving forward.

Lin Qing mixed into the group of Loose Cultivators, unhurriedly following behind the convoy.