Chapter 53: Chapter 53: Fen Ziyan
Yesterday
At the bandit camp outside the city, the City Lord’s men arrived late. What greeted them was not a battle, but a massacre.
The man at the front, well-built with a black beard, seemed to be the leader. He surveyed the surrounding in disbelief.
"This..." he muttered.
The camp was silent. Not a single bandit remained alive. Blood had dried on the dirt, weapons lay broken, and bodies were scattered everywhere.
One of his subordinates murmured nervously, "What in the world happened here?" He turned to the bearded man. "Captain Shang... what should we do now?"
Captain Shang was silent because their plan had been simple: his group would attack the fast-moving bandits first, while the City Lord herself with another group, hidden nearby, would cut off any escape. But now... nothing had gone as expected.
"....Go inform the City Lord and have her come here," Captain Shang finally ordered, then walked among the corpses, observing carefully.
His sharp eyes noticed that most of the bandits seemed to have died under a single, powerful strike. And he also saw many villagers’ bodies, most likely killed by wolves or blades.
Captain Shang soon arrived at one of the thin corpses, whose head had been blown off. He crouched down to inspect it, his eyes flashing as he began to grasp the situation.
".... It seems that the death of the captive here was caused by the bandits; they are likely preparing to escape."
One of the men asked cautiously, "Captain Shang... you mean..."
"Yes," Captain Shang replied, standing slowly. "This bandit group probably encountered a powerful enemy soon after and were wiped out by that person."
Just then, a shout rang from nearby.
"C-Captain Shang! You have to see this!"
Upon hearing the urgent voice, Captain Shang hurried over with his men. There, under their guidance, lay another headless body. However, he frowned deeply....not due to the gruesome sight, but because of the aura emanating from it.
"Foundation Cultivator...?" he murmured in shock.
"Yes, Captain... and apparently, this belongs to the bandit leader," one of his men reported after finishing checking the body.
Captain Shang couldn’t help but be shocked again, both at the bandit leader who managed to become a Foundation Cultivator and at the fact that this bandit is also dead.
Foundation Cultivators aren’t just random cultivators, they stood on a completely different level.
One of the reasons why only those at Foundation Establishment could form their own cultivation families wasn’t just because of strength. It was because stepping into this realm meant a complete change, one that set them apart from mortals entirely.
Their bodies, their lifespans, even the way heaven and earth treated them, everything will changed. Only Foundation Cultivators and above could faintly sense the dao itself, catching glimpses of truths that were invisible to everyone else.
That’s why this stage marked the true beginning of the immortal path.
Even in all of Cloudveil City, Captain Shang could count on one hand how many Foundation Establishment cultivators there were. And now, someone like that lay dead, right here in this ruined camp.
"This... hurry up and inform the City Lord," Captain Shang said, noticing the seriousness of the situation.
"Y-yes!" The man ran off, leaving Captain Shang staring at the corpses. "Was this the work of the four major families... or someone else?" he muttered.
But he shook his head. "It doesn’t matter. The bandits are dead; I will let the City Lord handle the rest."
Meanwhile, a distance away, a broad figure in a tattered robe, its cloth ripped and hole in many places as if cut by blades or torn by beast bite, was slowly walking along the dirt path.
In its arms, the figure carried a small girl. Yin Rou’s face was pale, her cheeks still stained with the marks of dried tears. Exhaustion had finally overtaken her, and she was curled up against the figure’s chest, fast asleep.
Each of the figure’s steps was steady, but a faint pressure lingered in the air around it, the kind of aura that made even wild beasts in the forest avoid the path it walked. The damage robe hung loosely, hiding most of its form, but nothing could conceal the lingering stench of blood and death clinging to it.
This was Goldie.
It didn’t look back at the bandit camp, nor at the corpses it had left behind.
Carrying the girl quietly, Goldie only continued forward, heading straight toward Cloudveil City.
When Goldie reached the city gates, the guards immediately noticed the figure. The tattered robe, the slow, steady steps, and the small girl in its arms drew their attention at once.
"Wait... isn’t that...?" one of the guards muttered, squinting.
"That...," another whispered, his voice low. "I’ve seen him before. Sir Alchemist comes here with him yesterday."
Recognition flickered in their eyes, but it did little to ease the tension. Something about the figure was... different. The blood-stained, torn robe carried a heavy aura of death, the kind that made even hardened soldiers uneasy.
"Do we... stop him?" one guard asked nervously, tightening his grip on his spear.
The other shook his head. "No need. It’s already clear this guy just saved the little girl from something, and we already know his identity, it seems to be that Sir Alchemist’s bodyguard."
He didn’t add that he doesn’t want to find trouble with this menacing figure.
The city guard watched as Goldie walked past the gate without hesitation. His steps were steady and calm, completely ignoring them, but they still felt the pressure when they were near.
The pressure wasn’t just from the blood and sweat, it was the lingering death qi left behind by a powerful cultivator. Strong, heavy, and suffocating, as it clung to Goldie like a shadow. Even veteran soldiers instinctively took a step back.
The guards exchanged uneasy glances, unable to act. Experienced as they were, they had never felt a presence like this. If they had known that it was the death qi of a Foundation Cultivator, they would probably be on their knees, as to them, a Foundation Cultivator was essentially a god in this City.
As Goldie moved along the main street, soon the distant Wen Alchemy Hall came into view.
Wei Meilin happened to step outside the hall. Her bright smile faltered the instant her eyes fell on the tattered figure.
She froze for a moment, then hurriedly went to check.
"This... this..." Wei Meilin said, seeing Yin Rou, and looked at Goldie, who seemed like to have just come out of a deadly battle.
"Let’s head inside first..." Wei Meilin didn’t ask what had happened, knowing Goldie couldn’t talk. She would have to get the explanation from Yin Rou.
She gently took the sleeping girl from Goldie’s arms.
"..."
Goldie, seeing that his master’s order was complete, moved to a corner and stood silently, waiting for Li Feng to return.
--
Back at the Sect Tournament
Lin Yu’s eyes widened as he watched Li Feng stand up.
"Eh, you leaving already ???" Lin Yu asked in surprise. For some reason, his heart started to race whenever he saw this junior’s nonchalant attitude toward cultivation.
He couldn’t understand how someone could treat the benefit for their cultivation so casually.
"I have some matter to attend to," Li Feng replied, completely ignoring Lin Yu’s flustered expression, while his sharp gaze flicked toward the group of female disciples who seem to be leaving too.
Just as he was about to leave, Li Feng felt a tug at his robe from below and turned to see Lin Yu holding onto his cloth.
"Look! Why not just observe the match for today? What’s more important than this? I can even help share my insight if you have trouble understanding!" Lin Yu said, tugging Li Feng cloth hard.
Li Feng blinked in disbelief, and then clutching his robe to stop it from being yanked down completely.
"S-Stop pulling! Why do you care so much about my matters? Hey!"
Even though he is a pervert, it doesn’t mean he likes to show off publicly like this.
Around them, a few disciples had already noticed, giving an odd look at this weird scene.
Lin Yu tugged harder. "Come on! Just stay a little longer! You’ll thank me later! It’s for your own good!"
Li Feng’s glare hardened as Lin Yu clung stubbornly to his robe. "I swear, Senior Brother... if you don’t let go, I-"
Before he could finish, a loud shout echoed from the tournament stage, drawing the attention of many nearby disciples. The next match had begun, and everyone’s eyes turned toward the arena, including Lin Yu.
Seizing the distraction, Li Feng gave a sudden twist and pulled sharply and escape Lin Yu.
"Hey! Come back!" Lin Yu shouted.
And Li Feng ran away immediately without looking back.
Soon Li Feng slowed down and leaned against a pillar.
He muttered to himself, shaking his head.
"Seriously... what’s wrong with Senior Brother Lin Yu? He’s so weird."
Then he turn to see that group of female disciples leaving somewhere and with a grin he decided to follow them quietly.
A little later, he saw them surrounding Fen Ziyan, who had just left the arena. Her face was still dark from losing, and she looked tense. The girls closed in on her, their expressions sharp and mean, giving her almost no space to move.
Li Feng smirked. "Well... this should be interesting."
He stayed hidden and watched what was about to happen.