Chapter Twenty-six: Ferocious Beasts Roam the City of Luoyang (Part One) (New Book—Please Add to Your Collection and Recommend!)

"Why haven't the three of you left yet?" Wu Yue asked with a smile, his demeanor completely indifferent to the two young men standing before him. "Are you perhaps thinking of Xue Xiaoyu? Oh right, you probably don't know his name yet. His name is Xue Xiaoyu." Wu Yue continued speaking, paying no mind to the increasingly grim expression on Li Suizhu's face.

Li Lvzhu let out a chuckle, a spark of gossip flaring in her eyes. As it turns out, curiosity is the nature of every woman, regardless of status, age, or position. Her tone softened, and she said gently, "You should deal with the trouble at hand first."

"Trouble?" Wu Yue seemed only now to notice the two people. He spoke carelessly, "You two brothers look unfamiliar. May I ask your names?" It wasn't arrogance—if Wu Yue didn't know how strong the power of the Seventeen-Year Cicada was, he was confident that the sword intent of "Swift Sword Afai," when fully unleashed, would be difficult for even those who had transcended the mundane to withstand.

"Don't be fooled by their mid-stage Core Formation cultivation," Li Suizhu replied coldly. "They've already killed at least ten Soul Formation cultivators, and as for Core Formation, their victims are countless." She turned to the quiet figure behind her and said, "You needn't act. If he dies, so be it. I’ll take it as a lapse in judgment."

"Mr. Song, it's best to intervene and save him. Sister, don't let your temper waste all those words with Father, nor miss a talent who could rival the four prodigies of the Zhao family," Li Lvzhu said with a subtle smile. Her words were clever, giving Li Suizhu a way out, possibly provoking her, and at the same time, letting Wu Yue know the reason behind this matter.

The figure called Mr. Song suddenly spoke, "The outcome is not yet decided." With that, he fell silent again. Li Suizhu finally relaxed a little. She had worked hard to help her father, and didn't want her first attempt at recruiting talent for the nation to end in failure.

Wu Yue now understood why he had been invited.

The twins stood motionless, silent and unmoved by anything said.

"So, tell me—why are you here?" Wu Yue asked. He was not afraid of trouble, but disliked being inexplicably targeted by others.

"If you come as a guest to the Yao Residence, you’ll likely die. Otherwise, you die now," one of them said.

"Do we have any other choices?"

"No."

"What about them?" Wu Yue gestured to Yu Fu and the fat man.

"Don’t know," the other answered.

"That’s good. So, have I offended the Yao Residence?" Wu Yue pressed.

Li Suizhu listened closely, curious about who wanted to cause Wu Yue trouble.

"Take money, do the job. Repay kindness, no need for questions." The twins spoke in turn, each uttering four words, a harmonious tableau.

"Assassins shouldn’t talk so much, should they?"

"True. But we only kill the wicked. You are the first exception," they replied.

"So you’re men of chivalry after all," Wu Yue mused, feeling somewhat sorrowful about his luck. "Then let’s fight outside. If we battle here and hurt innocents, I’d feel ashamed," Wu Yue suggested.

Li Suizhu scoffed inwardly. Someone who dined and dashed would worry about harming innocents? If Wu Yue could read minds, he would surely ask, "Is there any connection between these two things?"

"No need," one of the twins said.

"Very well," Wu Yue replied, and said no more. After all, standing beside him was the daughter—or something—of the city’s ruler. He was also curious how two Core Formation cultivators planned to kill him, a Soul Formation cultivator. Regardless of whether others could discern his true strength, his cultivation was undeniable. The gap between realms only widened with progress, and could not be bridged by numbers alone.

"My name is Yu Zui. My name is Yu Gu," they said.

"Living with guilt, dying with innocence. Fine names," Wu Yue commented.

"I shouldn’t have come into this world, nor should I have lived after coming here... I was born guilty, and living is a sin..." the twins continued.

Wu Yue felt odd. Weren’t they supposed to fight? Why were they telling a story instead? Yet he felt a strong urge to listen, as if a voice kept urging him: listen, listen!

From Li Suizhu and Li Lvzhu’s perspective, Wu Yue suddenly closed his eyes, seeming half-asleep, murmuring softly. The twins spoke indistinctly and slowly raised a hand, inching toward Wu Yue’s head, as if to gently pat him. Although the situation was unclear, Li Suizhu could see that Wu Yue was in grave danger.

As for Mr. Song, who had always followed Li Suizhu, his shock could not be concealed. He had heard of the twins’ Soul Formation technique, capable of killing Soul Formation cultivators—but they had only slain early-stage Soul Formation, mostly solitary cultivators. He’d never paid much attention. Seeing it firsthand, he realized its terror: even he, a late-stage Soul Formation cultivator, could not withstand it!

Li Suizhu looked at Mr. Song, her meaning clear. Mr. Song shook his head bitterly, saying, "When fate is sealed, none can save; only self-rescue remains."

"Fetch the Senluo Guard. Tell them a mighty cultivator is attempting to assassinate the princess," Li Suizhu commanded coldly. Her face was calm, but her heart was murderous. No matter what, Wu Yue was her man, brought here from afar by her own hand. If he died so easily, the disgrace would be too great. Even a dog deserves consideration for its master. Regardless of who had hired Yu Zui and Yu Gu, Li Suizhu deemed them both doomed.

"Sister, why such anger? If these two are so formidable, why not cultivate them for the nation?" Li Lvzhu suggested.

"Is my dignity more important, or these two?" Li Suizhu replied coldly.

"Their technique is dazzling, but inherently flawed, never solidified in foundation. In this life, they will never surpass Core Formation, and their lifespan is much shorter than most at that stage," Mr. Song explained. He neither intervened nor called for the Senluo Guard.

"But I’ve heard they are quite famous among ordinary folk. If they die like this, you’ll surely be confined again, Sister," Li Lvzhu said earnestly.

"I am Yu Zui, guilty in life. I am Yu Gu, innocence revealed in death..." Their hands were nearly touching Wu Yue’s head.

"If you’re so entangled, I might as well send you to your deaths," Wu Yue, with his eyes tightly shut, suddenly opened them, brushed aside their hands, and smiled. Yet his gaze was utterly cold.

Li Suizhu was startled by this sudden change, exclaiming instinctively, "You’re alright?" Before she could react further, Wu Yue was already before her.

"What are you doing?" Li Suizhu stepped back instinctively; to her, Wu Yue now seemed a stranger.

"Of course I’m fine. I’m very well." Wu Yue smiled, then looked at Li Lvzhu. "I have a feeling you know something. Tell me, or die."

"How dare you!" Li Lvzhu shouted angrily. "I am Princess Youping, conferred by the First Emperor—"

She got only halfway through her sentence; she never had a chance to finish. Wu Yue struck her head with a single palm, killing her instantly, his smile unchanged. Li Suizhu was stunned—not because she hadn’t seen death before, but because the daughter of the First Emperor, equal to herself in status, was killed just like that? So simply, so suddenly?

"If you refuse to speak, you must die..." Wu Yue shook his head carelessly. All of this happened in the blink of an eye.

"You wretch! How dare you!" Mr. Song’s fury was nearly uncontainable. The thought that a princess had died before him drove him nearly mad. But as a late-stage Soul Formation cultivator, his mind was exceptional. His seemingly murderous attack was actually a feint.

He forced Wu Yue back and quickly shielded Li Suizhu, glaring coldly at Wu Yue. "You are doomed. If you wish to avoid suffering, I advise you to end yourself."

"Hahaha! You want me dead? Hahaha!" Wu Yue laughed madly, as if he’d heard a joke. The inn’s patrons had long since fled; courage was one thing, the laws of Qin another, but everyone knew the wisdom of not courting disaster. The young man before them was clearly a madman! Cultivators cherished their lives, so the Qin laws mattered—but when confronting a madman, all bets were off.

Mr. Song prepared to stall for time, confident that the powerful spiritual energy he’d just released would attract the Senluo Guard. When they arrived, he’d make sure Wu Yue’s soul was annihilated!

Wu Yue, having stopped laughing, glanced briefly at Li Suizhu, making Mr. Song even more uneasy.

"What is your name? Surely it isn’t just 'Mr. Song'?" Wu Yue asked suddenly.

Though he found the question out of place, Mr. Song, determined to protect Li Suizhu and buy time, suppressed his killing intent and answered, "Of course not. I am Song Qingqing."

Wu Yue nodded and smiled. "I’ll remember you, Song Qingqing, and those twins. Prepare yourselves; one day, I will kill you all. Not today, unfortunately. A pity." His tone was light, like idle chatter between neighbors.

Without another glance at Song Qingqing, Wu Yue strode out. Song Qingqing wanted to act several times, but feared it was Wu Yue’s trick, and could only watch him leave.

The inn was empty, save for Li Suizhu, her shock unhidden, the pale, motionless twins, and Song Qingqing, with Wu Yue now vanished. Song Qingqing felt as if he had released a disaster, a shadow falling over his heart.