CHAPTER 10: CHAPTER 10: A LETHAL STRIKE

EDITOR: DRAGON BOAT TRANSLATION

Attracted by the sounds of fighting, Gu Qingqing stopped in her tracks, followed by Rong Ye and Si Lin, as the three of them looked toward the source of the noise.

They saw a middle-aged man not far away, fighting alongside a young boy against five black-clad attackers.

The black-clad attackers were not only highly cultivated but also ruthless in their moves. Their target was the young boy, and they persistently tried to break through the middle-aged man’s defense line to kill him. The middle-aged man, likely a relative or servant of the boy, had significant cultivation as well, constantly protecting the young boy.

The young boy was already terrified, and while he knew he couldn’t hinder the middle-aged man, he clung to the man, tears streaming down his face.

In a place like Feixue Building, such an incident shouldn’t be allowed to happen, as it would affect their business if customers encountered trouble there. However, at this moment, no one was stepping forward to help the middle-aged man deal with the attackers, which was quite strange.

As Gu Qingqing and the others looked over, the people there also noticed them.

The middle-aged man was initially a bit excited, but upon seeing that Si Lin and Rong Ye were quite young and accompanied by a child like Gu Qingqing, he felt disappointed and focused on handling the black-clad attackers in front of him, seeking an opportunity to escape.

The black-clad attackers exchanged glances and, seeing that Gu Qingqing and the others had no intention of helping, paid them no mind and intensified their assault on the middle-aged man.

Gu Qingqing and her companions were thus flamboyantly ignored. Rong Ye and Si Lin, not ones to meddle unnecessarily, appeared casual, while Gu Qingqing, upon seeing the young boy crying in fear, frowned but did not ask Si Lin and the others to help.

The three continued to watch as the middle-aged man, under the combined attacks of the five black-clad figures, gradually fell into a disadvantage, accumulating numerous injuries. It was evident that without intervention, the middle-aged man and the boy would be killed.

At that very moment, footsteps sounded nearby.

Gu Qingqing and her companions, along with the middle-aged man and others, turned toward the source of the footsteps.

This time, quite a few people arrived, led by a boy around ten years old.

Though the boy’s features still had a hint of youthfulness, he was undeniably handsome and destined to become strikingly handsome in the future.

The clothes he wore appeared ordinary, a brocade robe, but were actually a powerful Vestment robe of a high level.

Following behind the boy were two middle-aged men dressed in similarly colored garments, seemingly the boy’s guards. The two men were tall and projected an aura of authority without anger, emitting a threatening presence likely backed by their not insignificant cultivation levels.

Behind these two men were eight young men dressed in dark short outfits, apparently the boy’s aides.

The boy and his companions had heard the sounds of combat, and upon getting a clear view of the scene, they paused, stunned.

After a moment, the boy seemed to come to his senses and murmured a few instructions to the two middle-aged men behind him. The two glanced at the ongoing combat and gave a reluctant nod before swiftly joining the fray to help the boy and the middle-aged man against the black-clad attackers.

The boy remained where he was, casting a curious glance at Gu Qingqing and her companions without speaking.

Once the two middle-aged men joined the battle, the situation changed once more, with the black-clad attackers gradually losing ground, getting beaten into disarray, each sustaining injuries.

Just when everyone thought the black-clad attackers would retreat, one of them, driven by who knows what impulse, suddenly rushed toward Gu Qingqing and the others, seemingly aiming for Gu Qingqing.

Although Si Lin and Rong Ye weren’t constantly watching the attackers, they were aware of the situation with their peripheral vision, and upon realizing the attacker’s intention, their expressions turned exceedingly grim.

"Audacious!" Si Lin shouted coldly, disappearing from his spot in an instant.

Rong Ye had intended to act as well, but seeing Si Lin beat him to it, chose to stand beside Gu Qingqing and watch Si Lin teach the attacker a lesson, eyes cold.

Si Lin’s figure appeared before the attacker, startling him into a pause. As he was about to launch an attack on Si Lin, he felt pain on his neck. Instinctively reaching to touch it, he encountered warm liquid, and looking down in delay, he saw blood gushing from his neck.

The attacker widened his eyes in disbelief, collapsing heavily onto the ground.

Si Lin had already returned beside Gu Qingqing, using his body to block her view, preventing her from seeing the attacker.

Si Lin’s actions were so fast that, aside from Rong Ye, no one else had seen how he wielded his sword. They only saw the attacker fall to the ground, breathless.

The scene fell silent for a moment, even those engaged in combat paused, looking at Si Lin and his companions in shock.

The boy and his aides were less familiar with the attackers, not having faced them directly, but the middle-aged man initially attacked and the two who later assisted were aware that the attackers’ cultivation should be around Level 5, considered high-level on the continent.

But even such an existence didn’t last a single move against Si Lin. How high must Si Lin’s cultivation be?

Others present dared not imagine, staring at Si Lin and his companions in astonishment.

The four remaining attackers reacted quickly, realizing their mission couldn’t be completed that day and fearing Si Lin might take offense, promptly turned to leave.

The middle-aged man, Zhou Lang, holding the young boy, sighed with relief as the attackers left. He looked toward the two middle-aged men who had come to help.

"Thank you for your assistance. I am Zhou Lang," he said, extending his right hand with a card similar to the one Gu Qingqing had received earlier, "This is a token of my gratitude for you two."

"No need to be so courteous, Mr. Zhou. We were merely following the Young Master’s orders. It was a small effort, not worth such trouble," said Han Xiong, the slightly heftier of the two men, waving his hand dismissively.

Zhou Lang looked at Han Xiong and his companion, then approached the boy, offering the Crystal Card.

"Thank you, young master, for your rescue. This is my token of gratitude," Zhou Lang sincerely expressed, his posture humble.

"It’s nothing significant, no need to do this," the boy waved it off, not accepting the Crystal Card, "Besides, it wasn’t I who helped you; without that gentleman killing one of them, they wouldn’t have been so easily dealt with!"

Upon hearing this, everyone turned their gaze to Gu Qingqing and her companions.

Si Lin, being mentioned, simply kept his face cool and expressionless, as if they weren’t talking about him.

Rong Ye showed a similar demeanor to Si Lin, while Gu Qingqing was blocked by the two, hidden from others’ view.

"I am Zhou Lang, and I am grateful to the gentleman for his assistance. May I ask for your name?" Zhou Lang approached Gu Qingqing and her companions, speaking respectfully.

"My senior brother didn’t step in for your sake, you don’t need to thank us," Rong Ye said casually, glancing at Zhou Lang, before turning to pick up Gu Qingqing.

Si Lin ignored Zhou Lang entirely and, seeing Rong Ye holding up Gu Qingqing, turned to walk into the courtyard.

Rong Ye, carrying Gu Qingqing, followed Si Lin into the courtyard.

The courtyard door soon closed, leaving Zhou Lang and others standing outside, staring at the closed door in bewilderment.