"Ah, have you guys taken the wrong medicine?"
Meng Yu furrowed his brow. Qin Ningxue was sold to him, and there was a Golden Core in the courtyard. Didn’t these people know the rule that one must not insult a Golden Core?
"Mr. Cao."
The speaker was a refined-looking person, who spoke with a very polite attitude.
"I am a disciple of Master Jin. This matter involves some issues of the sect, and we are not here to cause trouble. We just hope that Miss Qin can come to the lord’s mansion and clarify the situation."
Well, Meng Yu glanced at Qin Ningxue, whose tears wouldn’t stop flowing, and sighed.
Her deceased husband’s family had left her nothing, and she was almost sold off. If it hadn’t been for Meng Yu’s rescue, she might have already fallen into an unknown plight. During these past days, she had been living cautiously, never expecting trouble to come knocking.
"Can you wait a few days?"
Meng Yu asked.
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"Master Jin has just inquired about this matter, so it would be best to go today."
The refined man in front of him said with a smile, yet his tone was very firm. After all, this was their home turf. It was only because there was a Golden Core here that they spoke courteously instead of forcibly taking her away.
He was about to wave his hand and tell Qin Ningxue to go, but looking at the girl’s pale face, Meng Yu suddenly remembered Chief Lei from the Great Wu Minor World, the first person who invested in him. Unfortunately, he met with bad luck and was secretly harmed by the government officials.
He never saw his return.
In this cruel world, a human life is like a dewdrop, which can perish inadvertently.
Qin Ningxue was a good girl, who would make delicious food for Meng Yu in various ways every day. Having regained hope for life, she dreamt that one day she would be able to grow step by step and take control of her own destiny.
The only flaw was that she was not discerning enough; she tried to please the Golden Core Master in her courtyard and a certain swordsman, not realizing that the entire courtyard was filled with Golden Cores.
"You guys go back first. We’ll go to the lord’s mansion after a while."
Meng Yu said calmly.
...
Qin Ningxue followed Meng Yu into the house like an obedient little wife and saw him take out several treasures.
Protective Armor, twelve Spirit Talismans, a Storage Bag, and Superior Spirit Stones.
Meng Yu was a bit troubled. Qin Ningxue was only at the third level of Qi Refinement, so the most suitable armor for her was at most Second Order, and the same for the talismans. Anything higher would just dehydrate her like a raisin.
"You don’t have to go. I can protect only one person at most."
Meng Yu told the little kitchen maid beside him, but then he noticed Qin Ningxue’s eyes filled with mist, touched and resolute.
Well, it looked like the girl had misunderstood something; for a Qi Refinement Practitioner, these equipment were incredibly costly.
"Put them on. I have a bad feeling. I always have a clash of fate with the government office, and I feel something might go wrong. Remember, if something happens later and I cannot help you, I will run first."
Meng Yu said calmly.
"Something wrong?"
The speaker was a Golden Core from the courtyard. "How many people from our sect should accompany you?"
Then, another Golden Core slapped him sharply.
"Don’t you know about the suspension bridge effect when courting a girl?"
...
A man and a woman walked on the streets of Sleepless City.
Meng Yu had refused the company of the Golden Cores, indicating that they should just follow from a distance.
With the Magic Armor on him and his fighting prowess, no one in Sleepless City could kill him in an instant; that was enough for him.
As for why he didn’t let the Golden Cores come along, who knew if the lord’s mansion had any detection artifacts?
"Don’t be nervous. It’s also nice to take a stroll outside. Don’t worry too much about that family; they won’t live long."
The best way to persuade someone is to play the role of a domineering CEO.
"Ah?"
"You don’t really think that Song Yijin, that middleman who wanted to sell Qin Ningxue and trap me, was just a coincidence, do you?"
Meng Yu said calmly. Song Yijin was the middleman who had tried to sell Qin Ningxue and cheat Meng Yu.
"Ah?"
"So don’t worry too much. The world is cruel. What you need is to improve yourself, not to cry and wail. How far have you cultivated the Bright Moon Skill?"
Previously, it was found that Qin Ningxue had excellent talent in Divine Refinement, so a Golden Core Master had, through Meng Yu’s hands, imparted her the Bright Moon Skill, which was a mental method for Divine Refinement. So even though Qin Ningxue was only at the third level of Qi Cultivation, her Divine Soul strength was already equivalent to the Middle Stage of Qi Refinement, and her future prospect was boundless if she continued her practice.
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"The third level..."
"The third level, I see you’ve cultivated all the way to a dog’s body, the Divine Refinement cultivation technique to the third level, and today you argue with people and even cry?"
Meng Yu said somewhat dissatisfied.
"Xiao Nan is dead, he was only six."
...Meng Yu remembered, Xiao Nan was the child left by that Foundation Establishment couple, although Qin Ningxue had not consummated her marriage when she came over, she had been taking care of that child ever since. Later, the child was snatched away by his uncle’s family under the pretense of providing him a good future, but no one anticipated that those people would be so ruthlessly decisive.
Qin Ningxue had been very good to that child, truly treating him as her own for more than half a year.
No wonder she cried, no wonder she was so agitated at that time.
"This way."
Suddenly, Meng Yu spoke to Qin Ningxue and then took her onto another path.
Ever since they left home, they had been followed by someone—it was the group of people who had quarreled with Qin Ningxue earlier.
Before, Meng Yu took the main path, bustling with people. But now, Meng Yu led Qin Ningxue through small alleys.
As they walked, they arrived at a lush spot, and Meng Yu stopped.
Ahead, five people appeared, blocking the way; behind them, ten or so individuals of various appearances likewise blocked any route of escape.
"Mr. Cao, we have no grievances or hatreds, this woman is my sister-in-law. I want to take her home, may I?"
A foundation Establishment practitioner, beaming with smug satisfaction, said to Meng Yu jovially.
He had thought he would have to engage in a legal battle at the city governor’s office, or use various methods to snatch Qin Ningxue, but to his surprise, Cao Defang actually took this alley.
"My uncle-master is a Golden Core Master."
Meng Yu said calmly.
"Well, my master is also a Golden Core Master."
The speaking Foundation Establishment practitioner’s smile was extremely arrogant. "This is Sleepless City, this is Eternal Night Palace, so I am willing to talk sense with you. However much you spent in spirit stones, I will reimburse you, but this woman, I am taking."
He and his four Foundation Establishment friends were all experts of the Eternal Night Palace, and the great formation laid down by their ten or so companions was enough to block any escape routes.
Since it had come to this, he would snatch the person first and talk later; creating a fait accompli was like how he had killed his own nephew—though a bit troublesome, it would prevent greater troubles in the future.
"It doesn’t seem quite right."
Meng Yu sighed, his gaze drifting toward the sky not far away, where a Golden Core was spying.
It seemed that there might be some secret with Qin Ningxue.
Meng Yu suddenly recalled how Qin Ningxue would sometime sit and gaze at the sky—worried and sad—she had even pleaded with both Meng Yu and the Golden Core Master, asking if it’s possible to bring Xiao Nan back, praising the child’s intelligence, and so on.
Meng Yu had not ignored her request, but he obviously couldn’t leave either; he had several respected community members pass on the message that they would renounce all claims to property, as long as the child was returned safely, and they were even willing to compensate with spirit stones in exchange for the child, and so forth.
Now thinking back, it was very possible that upon hearing this, those people developed ill intentions.
"Mr. Cao, you don’t need to worry about me, this is between them and me..."
The tears fell from Qin Ningxue’s eyes, but then she saw Cao Defang step forward.
In recent days, Cao Defang, although wearing a long sword at his belt, had a saber on his back as well.
The neighbors all found this odd—Liuyun Sword Sect, weren’t they known for not using sabers?
The five Foundation Establishment practitioners in front were still smiling—Liuyun Sword Sect people using a saber?
Until a soft hum was heard.
With one swing of the saber, everyone heard the gentle hum of the blade.
Then, Cao Defang sheathed his saber.
Or rather, all anyone saw was him unsheathing and then sheathing his weapon, the saber light spread, elongating, stretching, passing over the bodies of the crowd, and then the next moment vanished into thin air.
Just like the tear that fell from Qin Ningxue.
An illusion technique?
He was several tens of meters away from everyone—why the pretense?
"Amitabha."
The Cao Defang in front of them had clear eyes and not a shred of murderous intent.
To kill is to protect life, to sever fate, not to sever people.