"Mr. Ding!"
"Brother Ding!"
"Brother Huan!"
"Captain!"
...
For a moment, various titles echoed in Ding Huan’s ears. He had already seen Liu Yinzhu and Guan Pou.
He felt a trace of confusion as to why these two people had come here but still approached each one to pay his respects:
"I greet Elder Liu, I greet Fairy Huan. I did not expect to meet the two of you here; truly, there is no knowing where one might encounter acquaintances in life."
Liu Yinzhu was very surprised inside. The last time she saw Ding Huan, he seemed to be at the early stages of Qi Refinement.
How had he seemed so ordinary this time? Could cultivation regress?
No, it was as if something indescribable and vast was circling around Ding Huan.
How could this be? Even if Ding Huan was strong, he was still merely in the Qi Refinement Realm. She valued not Ding Huan’s cultivation, but his methods.
Liu Yinzhu struggled to bring herself back to reality, and sure enough, when she saw Ding Huan again, he was just becoming a more ordinary cultivator.
Sigh, West Wind City is still akin to a city of mortals. In this place, for Ding Huan to improve his cultivation was truly too difficult.
Ding Huan had probably gone out to seek a path to Foundation Establishment lately, no need to ask, he had failed.
"Mr. Ding, I have been waiting here for you for a long time; finally, I see you today," said Liu Yinzhu with a smile.
Guan Pou was even more excited as she stepped forward to greet, "Guan Pou greets Brother Ding."
Uh...
Ding Huan was even more astonished as he looked at Guan Pou. This woman was always so proud; how could she possibly be addressing him as Brother?
"Dan Peng and Qiu Xingyuan from the Blazing Star Lord Country greet Senior Ding."
The man and woman from the Blazing Star Lord Country, upon seeing Ding Huan’s return and even the True Pill expert polite in his greeting, understood that Ding Huan was no simple figure.
So they also did not dare to neglect and hastily came forward to greet him.
Ding Huan’s gaze fell on these two:
"I hear you’ve come to hold me accountable, saying I killed the City Lord of West Wind City?"
"Not at all, Senior, you misunderstand. It was Cui Huer from the Ten Thousand Beast Sect who forcefully demanded our presence, and the reason was also his doing," Dan Peng explained urgently.
He knew with this kind of allegation, unless Cui Huer did not die today, the two of them would be in for it, likely marching down a path to death.
He also knew that if he dared to take on this responsibility, then they might already be dead by the hands of Mr. Ding before them.
After all, if he dared kill the City Lord Xue Bo, would he balk at killing two insignificant figures from the Blazing Star Lord Country?
"Yes, several City Patrol Guards and this Demon Beast were killed or injured by Cui Huer," Qiu Xingyuan also hurriedly stated her position.
When Cui Huer saw Ding Huan’s gaze sweep over, his face changed color, and he quickly stepped forward with a clasped fist:
"I greet Mr. Ding. This matter was my misunderstanding, and I am willing to make reparations."
His speech not very clear and leaking air terribly because almost all of his teeth had been knocked out by Liu Yinzhu.
"My Beast Pet was killed by you, you say it is a misunderstanding. What if I kill you and also claim it’s a misunderstanding?"
Ding Huan said with a chuckle, looking at Cui Huer who was standing before him.
Cui Huer sneered inside. You’re going to kill me? Without this True Pill expert here, I would slap you dead, you insignificant ant.
"I am willing to accept the fault. If it would appease you, sir, I would not mind standing here and letting you hit me once."
Cui Huer’s tone was apologetic and respectful.
Everyone knew he had no choice.
On the side, Lao Liu, hearing Ding Huan mention it was beaten to death, immediately rolled its eyes back and collapsed on the ground, motionless.
If Brother Huan said it was beaten to death, and it kept looking around, then Brother Huan would surely scold it for stupidity, perhaps even call it a pig again.
The thing it despised most was a pig.
Ding Huan turned to Liu Yinzhu:
"Elder Liu, do you have a Crystal Image Ball?"
Liu Yinzhu immediately took out a crystal ball and handed it to Ding Huan; she was unsure of what Ding Huan was planning.
With a sweep of his Divine Will, Ding Huan knew how to use it.
He looked at Cui Huer with a smile:
"In that case, repeat what you just said. Include the reason and what would happen should you be killed."
Cui Huer didn’t care, for what could Ding Huan do to him with a single hit? Once he returned to the Sect, he would settle the score with that woman.
As for Ding Huan, he was already a dead man in his eyes.
You need a way down from your perch? I’ll give it to you first, then I’ll exact a double revenge later.
"I killed indiscriminately in West Wind City, causing the death of Mr. Ding’s Beast Pet.
"I am willing to bear the consequences of my mistake. If hitting me once will ease Mr. Ding’s anger, I don’t mind standing here and taking that hit.
If I cannot withstand it and am killed by Mr. Ding, that would be my own fault and it concerns no one else."
The moment Cui Huer finished speaking, Ding Huan let out a punch.
With disdain, Cui Huer thought it was merely…
But just as the thought crossed his mind, his heart skipped a beat as he felt a breath of death enveloping his entire soul.
Cui Huer was terrified inside. How could he dare to stand still and let Ding Huan punch him? He frantically circulated his True Yuan in an attempt to break free from the deadly restraint of the punch.
He then realized that all his efforts were in vain. He could only watch helplessly as Ding Huan’s punch approached his forehead.
From a distance, Liu Yinzhu also sighed, assuming that Ding Huan, as the controller of West Wind City, was just giving a way out with his words.
There was no helping it since Ding Huan had not yet joined Purple Mist Valley and was facing a Foundation Establishment powerhouse from the Ten Thousand Beast Sect.
When Ding Huan’s punch was thrown, she sensed something was off.
Her Divine Will failed to capture the killing intent of the punch. Facing it, she even felt an irresistible sensation. What kind of punch was this?
"Pu!" It was like a watermelon being burst, colors exploding in all directions.
With a sweep of his hand, Ding Huan brushed the blood and scattered it onto the ground.
Once Ding Huan had agreed to Cui Huer’s request, Dan Peng and Qiu Xingyuan were already waiting for death, because if Cui Huer did not die, they were certain to be next.
Only when they witnessed Cui Huer’s brain burst did they realize how ruthless Ding Huan was.
"Everyone goes back to what you were doing, there will be no change in West Wind City," Ding Huan gestured to the onlookers.
Although Ding Huan had not shown himself before, who in West Wind City did not know of his reputation? So, when he spoke, everyone quickly dispersed.
After Ding Huan collected Cui Huer’s Storage Bag, the City Patrol Guard automatically came to clean up the corpse on the ground.
"Yan Mei, take Lao Liu’s body back. Elder Liu, Fairy Huan, please come back to the city with me to talk."
Once there, Ding Huan dealt with the matter cleanly and directly invited Liu Yinzhu and Guan Pou back to the city for a chat.
Liu Yinzhu sighed inwardly, she really hadn’t misjudged him.
The way he handled things, the speed at which he did—these were things she dared not do. Seeming simple and brutal, yet he left room for maneuver.
If she were in Ding Huan’s position, would she dare to kill Cui Huer? Definitely not.
But if everything Ding Huan did was as she expected, why would she need to seek him out?
She even felt certain that if Ding Huan had not intended to reside in West Wind City, he wouldn’t have bothered to record Cui Huer’s image with a Crystal Ball.
This was the helplessness of the weak.
...
Yan Mei, carrying Lao Liu’s body, followed Ding Huan while Liu Yinzhu and Guan Pou also followed to Ding Huan’s residence in the Crystal District.
Back in the courtyard, after everyone sat down in the guest hall with host and guest duly arranged, Ding Huan asked:
"Elder Liu and Fairy Huan presumably have matters to discuss with me? Please speak them, If I, Ding Huan, can help, I definitely will not delay."
Liu Yinzhu, he didn’t mind helping her with small matters, but he wouldn’t be able to assist with major issues.
As for Guan Pou, technically they were even after crossing the Lost Swamp.
That being said, if it wasn’t for Guan Pou, he wouldn’t have had the chance to come to the Taoist Realm—he would still be in the Mortal World seeking opportunity.
So he intended to help her where he could.
"Guan Pou, you go first," Liu Yinzhu said, as the matter she had to discuss with Ding Huan was not something that could be settled briefly.
Guan Pou quickly stood up, bowing to Ding Huan:
"Brother Ding, ever since I joined the Yanyue Sect, my cultivation has been steadily improving. But recently, I’ve had this feeling as if my body isn’t my own.
The sensation is very strange. I’ve carefully checked but found nothing unusual. I vaguely fear it’s not a good sign.
In the Taoist Realm, I have no friends, and among the people I know, the most capable is only Brother Ding. So, I had to muster the courage to come and seek advice."
Hearing this, even Liu Yinzhu was surprised. Was Guan Pou experiencing a spiritual possession? But that wasn’t right; possessions usually began with devouring the soul before controlling the body, wasn’t it the other way around?
This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.
Ding Huan stared at Guan Pou until she blushed under his gaze and quickly lowered her head.
She quickly realized that although Ding Huan was looking at her, there wasn’t any impropriety—instead, he seemed deep in thought.
Ding Huan was indeed contemplating something—he was predicting Guan Pou’s future.
After this calculation, Ding Huan was overjoyed internally, as it seemed his ability to predict had become much clearer since forging his Tao Foundation and refining the Star Nebula.
Strength changes everything.
Soon, however, Ding Huan furrowed his brows.
It seemed that Guan Pou was about to leave the Taoist Realm and enter a higher Boundary. As she was about to depart, the images of Guan Pou’s future abruptly stopped.
Was she murdered? Unlikely, wasn’t Guan Pou the Young Sect Master’s wife? Even if she left the Taoist Realm for the Ascension Realm, wouldn’t she have protection?
To Ding Huan, if Guan Pou was to enter a Boundary higher than the Taoist Realm, where could it be other than the Ascension Realm?
Guan Pou watched Ding Huan anxiously; he was always like this, pondering for a while before making a decision.
"Immortal Huan, let me see your wrist," Ding Huan suddenly said, after some time had passed.