Chapter 26: Pressing for Information and Changing a Surname

With a single swing of his sword, Qin Anyu felt his mind clear, as if everything were firmly within his grasp.

His simple sword struck out, elegant and unpredictable, like an antelope hanging by its horns, leaving no trace behind.

Hu Li, on his left, saw only a flash of light. Then, his right arm felt light, and he felt something graze his neck. In the next instant, he saw his own head spraying blood into the air, his body continuing to run forward, and his sword-wielding right arm wandering off on its own.

"Have I been killed?"

As this thought crossed his mind, darkness descended.

The mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivator on the right raised his axe to block.

With a sharp "clang," the axe blade rebounded, slammed into his face, and shattered. In his panic, he used the force of the blow to slide sideways, covering over ten yards in a single step as he plunged into the forest.

Though it takes time to recount, the entire process lasted only a fleeting moment. With this one strike, Qin Anyu had killed one mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivator and frightened another into fleeing, all while he himself had retreated only five steps.

Satisfied with the result, Qin Anyu mused, "Although I, the Immortal Emperor, have created many techniques in my time, I must admit, this one is the most formidable."

"What should I call it? I despise naming things. The sword stays hidden in its sheath, and when it emerges, the enemy falls. Let's call it the Sword Drawing Technique. Yes, that sounds good—much better than the names I’ve come up with before."

He was pleased with his sword, but it struck terror into the others.

The Qi Gathering stage cultivators subconsciously stopped their advance, though they did not flee, all watching the five early-stage Qi Refinement cultivators ahead. Those five also paused instinctively; three of them immediately continued forward, while the other two hesitated for a heartbeat before following suit.

Qin Anyu held his simple sword with both hands and moved forward in a quick, short trot. Just as he was about to make contact with the three early-stage cultivators, he assumed his stance: lunging forward with his right leg, sword tip pointed to the lower left, elbows tucked, both hands gripping the hilt.

As the three launched their attacks simultaneously, he swung.

Sword Drawing Technique!

There was no better time to refine a new move.

A black flash erupted, followed by a chorus of sounds. The first man's long sword shattered, and his upper body was severed. The second man's great blade snapped, and his head flew into the sky. The third man's hook dropped, along with his severed arm.

The third early-stage cultivator let out a shriek, leapt sideways to the edge of the forest, and vanished into the trees, escaping. Seeing him flee, the other two followed suit, leaping away. With them gone, the Qi Gathering cultivators immediately scattered like birds and beasts.

***

Another use of the "Sword Drawing Technique" drained half of Qin Anyu’s strength, leaving his face pale.

He lacked the energy to pursue the fleeing early-stage cultivator, and as for the two who followed, he didn't care. He pulled out a wine jar and took two deep gulps. If they hadn't fled and had chosen to attack instead, he would have been forced to retreat—unless he resorted to his life-saving measures, which was out of the question.

He put away the wine jar and drew his bow and arrows.

He nocked an arrow and pulled the string, shouting, "I have memorized the faces of every one of you. Remember my words and carry them back, lest you bring disaster upon your families."

As he spoke, the arrow flew. A scream echoed halfway through the air as the projectile struck a man in the head. It was Qi Zan of the Tiger Mark Escort Agency—a man marked from the very beginning, destined to be the first to pay the price.

An early-stage cultivator who had been shouting loudly earlier stepped out, moving toward the cliff. An arrow whistled through the air and pierced him. He collapsed to the ground, screaming, his eyes filled with despair.

A ninth-level Qi Gathering cultivator who had been particularly vocal hid behind a tree. After checking to ensure his surroundings were clear, he darted toward another tree. An arrow flew out, slamming into his body and pinning him to the trunk he had intended to reach.

...

A quarter of an hour later, Qin Anyu returned from the forest to the willow tree, carrying his simple sword and dragging the mid-stage cultivator.

He threw the man to the ground, took two more gulps from his jar, and slapped his face hard. "Stop sleeping. Wake up and speak."

The mid-stage cultivator opened his eyes, revealing a gaze filled with pain and confusion. Seeing Qin Anyu, he opened his mouth to roar. Qin Anyu slapped him again. "Look at your situation before you start howling!"

The man’s head swiveled, and he caught sight of his own arm still clutching a piece of a spear shaft. He fell into a daze.

Qin Anyu took his sword and flicked it, causing the storage ring on the man's index finger to fly into his hand. "Do you want to try and see if you have the ability to control this ring?"

The man tried, but the ring would not leave Qin Anyu’s palm.

"Do you finally realize the gap between you and me?"

"Don't get cocky. Someone will avenge me."

"Do you see that? Your companion is standing on the mountaintop, watching us, yet he won't come to save you."

"Your attempts to sow discord won't work on me."

"Then tell me about your organization, and tell me about my parents."

"I die if I speak, and I die if I don't. Why should I say anything?"

"Earlier, I encountered two ninth-level and two early-stage cultivators who held the same belief. Do you know what happened? I'll tell you: when it becomes difficult even to die, they spilled every bean they had."

"Are you a devil?"

"Devils target the families of others. If you wish, I can become a devil."

"Our target was not you; it was Dai Linglong."

"She is my mother."

"They are Qi Refinement stage, you are only Qi Gathering stage. You are the one who is the relative."

"They are my parents."

The man finally broke and told him everything he knew...

***

Outside the Li Fire Sect, a large carriage arrived and stopped fifty yards from the mountain gate.

Zhang Qili, her arm severed, stepped down from the carriage and walked to the gate. She spoke respectfully to the guard: "Good sir, I am the mother of Qin Huitong. Please send word that there is an urgent family matter and ask him to come out to see me."

Facing the fifth-level Qi Gathering guard, her attitude was humble and her posture low. Even though she knew Qin Huitong’s status in the sect was significant, she discreetly pressed a banknote into the guard's hand. The amount was small—only twenty taels, obtained from selling the furniture of the Qin estate.

The guard glanced at the note and said coldly, "Wait."

He turned and walked into the gate, soon returning behind a young man. Seeing him, Zhang Qili burst into tears, wailing in grief, "Huitong, you must avenge your mother!"

The youth was Qin Huitong, five years older than Qin Anyu.

He hurried to her side, grabbing her hands and asking angrily, "Mother, who did this?"

Zhang Qili sobbed, "That animal, Qin Anyu."

Qin Huitong released her hands and frowned, "That fool? Weren't Qin Ju and his wife taken away? How could he... No, wait. I remember Mother is at the eighth level. How could you be reduced to this by that fool?"

Zhang Qili pulled him toward the carriage, "It is not just me. Your uncle has been crippled, and your brother is heavily injured and has yet to recover."

He lifted the curtain to see the scene inside. A look of deep disgust flashed in his eyes before he turned back to ask, "Mother, where is Father?"

When he asked again, his expression had returned to normal, appearing filled with affection.

After Zhang Qili finished recounting the recent upheaval at the Qin estate, he asked, "So, if I continue to cultivate here, the family can no longer provide resources?"

Zhang Qili nodded. "That is why we must go to the Dali Kingdom. You and your brother must change your surname to Zhang."

Qin Huitong hesitated. "Mother, everything there is unknown. If I stay here, as soon as I reach the mid-stage, I can become a deacon in the sect and have the power to take revenge."

"Huitong, my cousin says that the cultivation resources in the Dali Kingdom are far richer than in the Qin Kingdom, and his family is very powerful."

"Mother, I will go to the Dali Kingdom. I will change my surname."