Chapter 2463: Chapter 2463
Ye Liuyun decided to eliminate all the envoys sent by the Divine Sword Manor, including the elder.
With that in mind, he ordered Mosha to take out the ten disciples they had dispatched. Those ten were stronger than Youming and the others—direct action against them was too risky and might expose their plans.
Ye Liuyun himself would handle the elder, while his doppelgänger would deal with Piaoyu.
Once their roles were assigned, Ye Liuyun draped himself in an invisibility cloak and returned to the courtyard, where he leisurely set up a tea set and began sipping tea as if without a care in the world.
By the time the steward arrived with the elder and two disciples, the doppelgänger had already spotted Piaoyu trailing behind them.
Piaoyu had changed into plain clothes and immediately blended into the crowd, but the sharp sword aura and murderous intent radiating from him were unmistakable to the doppelgänger.
His hatred for Ye Liuyun had momentarily caused him to leak traces of his aura, but he quickly suppressed it and began inching forward through the throng, trying to get as close to Ye Liuyun as possible.
The doppelgänger subtly maneuvered in the same direction, positioning himself ahead in the crowd, waiting for Piaoyu to brush past him.
The moment their shoulders touched, the doppelgänger transferred a trace of poison into Piaoyu’s body.
Unaware of the silent attack, Piaoyu continued pushing forward as if nothing had happened.
Seeing the deed done, the doppelgänger immediately retreated, putting as much distance between them as possible.
When the elder of the Divine Sword Manor was led in by the steward, he greeted Ye Liuyun with unexpected courtesy, requesting a private discussion.
Ye Liuyun graciously opened the courtyard gate, allowing the elder and his two disciples inside, even personally brewing tea for them.
The scene left the local martial artists watching from the sidelines utterly baffled. Never before had they seen anyone from the Divine Sword Manor act so amicably—especially toward someone who had slaughtered over two hundred of their disciples.
"Could it be... the Divine Sword Manor is backing down?"
"I suppose they must have recognized the young man’s identity and didn’t dare offend him?"
The humble attitude of Divine Sword Manor left many bewildered. Some spectators, disappointed by the lack of a fight, began dispersing from the scene.
Meanwhile, Ye Liuyun was pouring tea for the three visitors. Contrary to expectations of tension, both parties sat conversing in an unexpectedly amicable atmosphere.
The elder spoke amiably, "For one so young to possess such remarkable skills truly broadens this old man’s horizons! Though I wonder why the young master hesitates to reveal his background?" His experienced eyes recognized that Ye Liuyun’s composure wasn’t feigned—this calmness spoke of someone nurtured by a powerful faction.
"Please," Ye Liuyun gestured gracefully with his cup before adopting a wistful expression. "You flatter me, elder. I’ve always been one to chafe under restrictions, often stirring trouble. My family has disowned me to avoid my... complications. Truly, I have no notable name to offer."
The elder and two disciples raised their cups perfunctorily. The younger men hesitated, suspicious of poison, barely touching the tea to their lips before setting it down. The elder, however, cautiously sipped, testing the brew. Detecting no ill effects after several moments, he drank more freely.
Ye Liuyun observed this theater with detached amusement, refilling cups whenever they were emptied. The bored disciples, seeing their elder unharmed, eventually joined in drinking.
After exchanging pleasantries, the elder steered the conversation toward business. Ye Liuyun recounted the incident in detail—his version aligning closely with the steward’s earlier account.
"I don’t deny Divine Sword Manor’s prowess," Ye Liuyun continued, swirling his tea thoughtfully. "Yet some organizations, upon gaining fame, develop delusions of invincibility—looking down upon all others as if they alone rule the martial world."
"You allow your disciples to bully the weak and act all high and mighty—isn’t that just abusing power?"
The elder chimed in, "Young master makes a fair point. But this world has always been about survival of the fittest. The strong naturally deserve better treatment—otherwise, what motivation would anyone have to strive for greater strength? Without that drive, the entire world would stagnate. If an invasion like the one from the foreign races were to happen again, wouldn’t we all just be lambs to the slaughter?"
"So, Elder, are you saying that by oppressing the common folk, you’re actually doing them a favor?" Ye Liuyun countered.
The elder quickly clarified, "Not at all! Our Divine Sword Manor has never oppressed the people. We’ve always stayed out of worldly affairs. Even during the foreign invasion, we declined the Sacred Dynasty’s call to arms and sent no one to fight!"
"Oh? You refused to join the war against the invaders? Why?" Ye Liuyun’s curiosity was piqued.
A suspicion crept into his mind—perhaps this was the reason Black Kill had issued the mission to destroy Divine Sword Manor. It was likely the Sacred Dynasty seeking revenge by commissioning the task through Black Kill.
Seeing that Ye Liuyun seemed unaware of these events, the elder grew doubtful that the young man was truly after the Sword-master. So, he continued the conversation.
"Precisely because we know we’re not the strongest, and because we have no political ambitions or desire for dominance, we stay out of such conflicts. The Sacred Dynasty could repel the invaders without us. We only wish to guard our own territory and focus on cultivation in peace."
Ye Liuyun pressed further, "But what if the foreign races had defeated the Sacred Dynasty? Would you still have refused to act?"
"Of course! We’re merely martial cultivators. We’ve never taken any benefits from the common folk or the dynasty, so we owe them no obligation to protect anyone. Whoever rules this world makes no difference to us. With our limited strength, we’re just trying to protect ourselves—that’s already enough!" the elder affirmed.
"Oh!" Ye Liuyun nodded in sudden understanding.
For such a self-serving faction, he thought, wiping them out wouldn’t be anything to feel guilty about.
He picked up the teapot again, refilled their cups, and handed them back. The group raised their cups once more and drank.
Little did they know, Ye Liuyun had no intention of poisoning the tea—that would have been far too obvious.
Instead, he had lightly tainted the teacups themselves with the toxin. A mere touch would transfer the poison, and its effects would manifest so gradually that no one would suspect a thing.
"Though we may be weaker in strength, we still have some means to defend ourselves," the elder countered, swiftly shifting tactics as he pressed Ye Liuyun. "You slaughtered over two hundred of our men, including one of our senior brothers. Aren’t you afraid of retaliation?"
Ye Liuyun met his gaze with unflinching calm. "It makes no difference to me. I stand alone—there’s nothing I can’t afford to lose. If you want a fight, then fight. Even if it costs me my life, so be it."
He spread his hands in a gesture of empty surrender. "If you seek compensation, I have no resources to offer. The damage is done—the choice is now yours. But don’t expect me to surrender without a fight. That will never happen."
