Chapter 261: Chapter 259: Encountering Bing Mengyun Again
Crimson as fire!
Blooms of sword light appeared, like a sky full of blossoming scarlet roses!
Her opponent, the tall Martial Artist, was clearly stunned. He had never seen such a combat skill, but he had heard of it.
"The Four Seasons Combat Skill?" he exclaimed. "You’re from Four Seasons Valley?"
Shangguan Shiyu offered no reply. The sky itself seemed to be dyed red, and within those gorgeous clusters of flowers, a terrifying killing intent lay hidden!
In the instant the man hesitated, Shangguan Shiyu forced him back again and again. Just then, dozens more figures flew out from the depths of the Imperial City, a woman in palace attire being the fastest among them!
She arrived in the blink of an eye, a trace of surprise in her eyes. She then shouted, "Stop!"
The moment she arrived, Qin Li’s heart stirred. ’This woman is actually mixed up with the Cui Family!’ he thought.
Hearing this voice, Shangguan Shiyu was also slightly startled. She retracted her sword, descended from mid-air, and stared intently at the speaker. "Greetings, Sect Leader," she said faintly.
The newcomer was none other than the Sect Leader of the Four Seasons Sect, Bing Mengyun!
The tall, spear-wielding Martial Artist saw that the two sides indeed knew each other and couldn’t help but secretly wipe away a bead of sweat. If the Four Seasons Sect Master had been even a moment later, he likely would have perished under his opponent’s fierce Sword Qi. His own strength was far inferior to this young woman’s.
Bing Mengyun hummed faintly in acknowledgment, then her eyes fell upon Qin Li. A faint smile played on her lips as she said, "Little guy, we meet again!"
As soon as Bing Mengyun spoke, the face of Cui Qi, Emperor of the New Qin Empire who had just arrived, immediately darkened. The expressions of those beside him turned ugly as well.
Indeed, the Cui Family was very powerful and had dedicated a significant portion of its efforts to matters in the Mortal Realm. However, they had not yet reached the point of deploying a Martial Artist of the Venerable Realm there. Yet, this Four Seasons Sect Master, Bing Mengyun, was a bona fide Supreme Powerhouse! Everyone present, even if they combined their strength, would be no match for her!
Moreover, although she was an ally of the Cui Family, of the two people before her, the young woman was a disciple of the Four Seasons Sect, and this Qin Li also seemed to be acquainted with her.
Not just anyone was qualified to know the inside story of what had happened at Four Seasons Valley. And even if they did, what could they do about it? No one could possibly fathom what Bing Mengyun was truly thinking!
Qin Li couldn’t help but give a bitter smile. He knew his plans for the day were all but ruined. With this woman here, it was practically impossible for him to do as he pleased.
However, a question still arose in Qin Li’s mind: ’How could this woman possibly be here? Even if she’s allied with the Cui Family, with her strength at the Venerable Realm, she shouldn’t be appearing in the Mortal Realm, should she?’
"Yes, what a coincidence. I wonder why Sect Leader Bing has appeared here as well."
Seeing Qin Li’s helpless expression, a cool smile couldn’t help but grace Bing Mengyun’s face. "If you can come here, why can’t I? But, little guy, I’m afraid you’ve made this trip for nothing. You should go."
"Sect Leader Bing..."
Cui Qi’s expression was extremely ugly. ’So what if you’re a Supreme Powerhouse?’ he thought. ’This is Cui Family territory! What right do you have to make the decisions here?’
The faces of the Cui family members were also grim. They had made so many preparations to kill Qin Li; it could be said that they had been eagerly awaiting his arrival. And now that Qin Li was here, this woman wanted to let him go with just a few casual words!
’Who does she think she is?’
Bing Mengyun didn’t even turn her head. Her attitude toward Qin Li was gentle, but that wasn’t necessarily the case with others. Especially not with Cui Qi, a mortal Emperor whom she held in contempt, who secretly harbored a trace of desire for her... For a woman in the Mortal Realm, this might be a supreme honor, but for Bing Mengyun, it was an utter humiliation!
To borrow a thought from the hearts of the Cui family at that moment, she wondered, ’Who the hell does he think he is?’
"Qin Li, don’t tell me you want to spar with me again? Hehe, you should just go, little guy. You’re still too weak right now. Even if those at the Celestial Embracing Realm are like clay chickens and pottery dogs before you, you are still no match for me!"
The group of people behind them were instantly struck with expressions of horrified disbelief. They stared at Bing Mengyun and Qin Li and thought, ’How is that possible? This young man isn’t even twenty years old. How could even those at the Celestial Embracing Realm be no match for him? This woman must be spouting nonsense!’
"What is your relationship with the Cui Family?"
Qin Li shook his head helplessly, thinking to himself, ’What rotten luck. I have no confidence in fighting this woman right now, especially in this environment. That bunch from the Cui Family can’t wait for me to die. If I were to be injured by Bing Mengyun, the Cui family would definitely not let such a golden opportunity slip by.’
"Between us? It’s merely a relationship of mutual exploitation! Little guy, are you satisfied with that answer? Hehe." Bing Mengyun seemed quite happy to see Qin Li again, a constant smile on her face. "Oh, right. You even killed the Grand Elder of my Four Seasons Sect. I haven’t even settled that score with you yet!"
Cui Qi and the others were once again aghast. ’What in the world is going on?’ they thought. ’They should clearly be enemies, so why does it seem like Bing Mengyun has no intention of making things difficult for Qin Li? She’s even smiling, without a shred of killing intent!’
’Could it be... that they have some kind of unspeakable secret between them? Or is Qin Li’s background so powerful that even a Supreme Powerhouse like Bing Mengyun has to be wary of him?’
It just goes to show, there is never a shortage of clever people in this world.
"Sigh, it’s boring when you put it like that, Sect Leader Bing. Did you really not want that old hag dead?"
Qin Li said coolly, "You merely used my hand to get rid of her. Now, in the Four Seasons Sect, your word is law!"
Qin Li’s words brought a sudden realization to Cui Qi and the others. ’So that’s what happened,’ they thought. Their gazes toward Bing Mengyun grew complicated. This woman was terrifying, not only because of her immense strength but also her frightening intelligence! Although they didn’t know what exactly had transpired between her and Qin Li, it was obvious that neither of them was to be trifled with!
Bing Mengyun took in everyone’s reactions, sighed softly, and said, "Qin Li, it’s not always good to be too clever. Forget it. I really don’t want to personally crush such a promising genius. You should leave. As long as I’m here, I can’t just let you kill these people. Although... it wouldn’t be a big deal if you did. Still, you have to give me some face, right?"
Cui Qi and the others flew into a rage, their faces flushing red. Like dogs who’d had their bones snatched away, they radiated immense fury. Unfortunately for them, the one who had snatched their bone was a lion.
As she spoke, Bing Mengyun looked at Shangguan Shiyu with a beaming smile. "Little girl, your practice of the Four Seasons Combat Skill is already quite good, but it still lacks a certain refinement. However... when I was your age, I was far inferior to you. Therefore... I’ve decided! The next Sect Leader of the Four Seasons Sect will be you!"
"Huh?" Shangguan Shiyu was taken aback. She never would have dreamed that Bing Mengyun would say something like this, here and now.
If this had been a few years ago, before Qin Li had set foot on Profound Island and before any mishaps had befallen the Four Seasons Sect, Bing Mengyun saying such a thing might have been understandable. But now, while Qin Li didn’t have a deep-seated hatred for the Four Seasons Sect, the grievances between him and Bing Mengyun could not be explained away in just a few words!
Although Bing Mengyun hadn’t killed him, she had once tried to use her Spiritual Power to extract Qin Li’s memories. After failing, she had hastily thrown him into the forbidden grounds of Profound Island. No matter who it was, no one could easily let such a grudge go!
"What? Surprised?"
Bing Mengyun sighed softly and shook her head slightly.
She then sent a direct voice transmission to Qin Li: "Kid, I know you still hold a grudge about that little incident. Hmph. If you want to get your revenge, be my guest. As long as you have the ability, I’ll be waiting. However, I have something very important to do here right now. If it succeeds, you’ll naturally get your share of the benefits. So don’t waste your time making things difficult for these small fries. Are they any threat to you at all? Do you think the Cui Family can’t just send more people if you kill them? And don’t doubt my words. Someone of my status can’t go back on what I’ve said. When I say Four Seasons Valley will be passed on to this little girl, it will be. But that will have to wait until after my important business is concluded. Don’t worry, I would never truly mix with the Cui Family. Whatever grudges you have with them, as long as I’m not present, you can deal with them however you please. It has nothing to do with me!"
Qin Li was slightly stunned. He hadn’t expected Bing Mengyun to speak so candidly with him. He had a feeling that the Bing Mengyun he was seeing today had changed a great deal from the last time they met, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on what was different.
But for a powerhouse of the Venerable Realm to explain herself to him like this, Qin Li couldn’t exactly insist on fighting. After all, he was still no match for Bing Mengyun!
The Suppression Technique was ineffective against a Supreme Powerhouse. All Qin Li had left was his Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, Only I am Venerable combat skill, and the Divine Weapon, Blood Drinking, in his hand. But even with all that, he was still no match for someone in the Venerable Realm. There was no doubt about that!
Qin Li himself was very clear on this point.
Glancing at Shangguan Shiyu beside him, Qin Li narrowed his eyes and shot a half-smiling glance at Cui Qi. "You dog of an Emperor, consider yourself lucky this time!"
"Qin Li, I’ll kill you!" Cui Qi flew into a towering rage. Recalling the boy’s repeated insults, his anger flared even hotter. He roared, "Sect Leader Bing, if it’s inconvenient for you to act, then just stand aside! This is a personal grudge between us!"
A cold sneer finally appeared on Bing Mengyun’s ageless face. Her voice was icy as she said, "Fine. If you want to die, I won’t stop you. Go ahead and fight!"
