First Immortal of the Sword

Earlier, Su Yi had been focused on the disheveled old fortune teller, so when he heard Qing Wei’s transmission, he couldn’t help but be stunned.

Zhong Qi.

A Void Realm True Immortal of the Yao Path who wanted to become Immortal Lady Qing Wei’s Dao Partner. That was really as ballsy and lustful as it got.

Su Yi examined him briefly, then guessed why.

Zhong Qi had an extremely dense, inscrutable air about him. If it was as Su Yi suspected, it was the result of a Qilin bloodline!

Qilin were ancient and powerful Xiantian divine beasts. However, Zhong Qi’s Qilin bloodline obviously wasn’t pure; it had a strange, mottled quality.

There was no doubt about it. He wasn’t a pureblooded Qilin, or his bloodline power couldn’t possibly have been so mottled.

Su Yi concluded This bastard’s desire to become Qing Wei’s Dao Partner isn’t as simple as mere lustfulness!

“Fortune and disaster are not preordained. We bring them upon ourselves. Don’t believe me? Fine. But why slander me?” The disheveled old fortune teller sighed, looking aggrieved.

“Slander? Would you believe me if I said I’m going to kill you here and now, you old scam artist?” Murderous intent billowed around the jade-robed Zhong Qi as he raised his hand to strike.

But it was then that one of his companions, a gaunt middle-aged man, whispered, “Holy Son, Immortal Lady Qing Wei is here.”

Zhong Qi froze, then turned to see a familiar, delicate figure standing in the distance. Even with much of her face obscured, her unrivaled beauty made Zhong Qi’s eyes light up.

“You got lucky this time, you old conman!” Zhong Qi snorted coldly, then turned and approached Qing Wei.

A smile appeared on his handsome face. “Miss Qing Wei, we meet again! What is this, if not a stroke of fate?”

His robes were the color of jade, and he was tall and quite handsome. He stood out of the crowd.

But beneath the brim of her hat, Qing Wei’s eyes flashed with loathing. She said coldly, “Based on both our relative cultivations and our positions, you ought to call me ‘senior.’ Breaking propriety only makes you seem ill-mannered and ignorant!”

Zhong Qi froze, stunned. A moment later, he couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “Soon, we’ll be a family. What do rules of etiquette matter? No need to concern ourselves with any of that!”

He glanced at Su Yi. “And who is this?”

Before Qing Wei could answer, he laughed. “Allow me to guess. Ah, I’m sure of it! He’s got to be one of your servants! Am I right?”

A servant?

Su Yi’s eyebrows rose. It was obvious that Zhong Qi was doing this on purpose! Without any regard for who Su Yi was, he labeled him a servant.

It was immediately obvious how cocky and tyrannical Zhong Qi was!

The look on Qing Wei’s beautiful face darkened. She was just about to darken when Su Yi waved dismissively. “Make him leave. Alternatively, just kill him.”

It was just one light, airy sentence, but it went off like a thunderclap!”

Zhong Qi seemed as if he dared not believe his ears. His smile faded. “What… Did you just say?”

The depths of his gaze surged with unearthly, bloodthirsty, soul-palpitating light. An oppressive silence descended upon the surrounding area, and the experts clustered around Zhong Qi looked decidedly unfriendly.

In the past, Qing Wei might well have chosen to endure and make concessions out of concern for the Church of All Spirits’ retaliation. But now that Su Yi was here, she wasn’t afraid of any of that.

“You didn’t hear him?” A terrifying aura silently emanated from Qing Wei. “Scram, or die.”

Zhong Qi held his breath. He stiffened beneath the imposing pressure of an Immortal Lady, and a chill coursed through him, as if he’d been plunged into an icy abyss.

Suddenly, one of his followers, a gaunt middle-aged man, stepped forward and frowned. “Qing Wei, don’t you think your words are over the line?”

Zhong Qi’s expression darkened, and he stared coldly at her, as if awaiting an explanation.

Qing Wei’s charming eyes flashed with murderous intent. She said flatly, “I’ll give you three breaths of time. Take that blithering idiot and get the hell out of here, or I’ll kill you along with him!”

Her words swept outward like a frigid gale. The atmosphere was instantly rife with tension!

“Qing Wei, you…” Zhong Qi was enraged. Just as he was about to say something, the thin middle-aged stopped him. He could tell that Qing Wei was determined; she really would dare kill someone in the Black Dragon Market!

“Qing Wei, our assembly begins in three days. Watch yourself!”

With this final warning, the gaunt middle-aged man led Zhong Qi and the others away. Before long, they’d disappeared from view.

This storm drew numerous onlookers from throughout the surrounding area. They were all incomparably stunned. The lofty and esteemed holy son of the Church of All Spirits had been scared off!

Su Yi and Qing Wei instantly drew their curiosity.

But no one dared approach or bother them. Qing Wei’s imposing aura had long since intimidated too many people to count.

Of those present, Su Yi, who showed no sign of a cultivation base, was the easiest to overlook.

“Are you worried?” asked Su Yi.

Qing Wei said softly, “I’m not at all worried. I’m just a bit ashamed.”

“Ashamed?”

“Because my problems have created trouble for you, Young Lord.”

Su Yi couldn’t help but laugh. What did something like this amount to?

He continued toward the fortune-teller’s stand. He’d already relegated this little confrontation to the back of his mind.

Qing Wei hurried after him.

…

“Qing Wei has repeatedly refused my attempts to woo her, but she’s never dared cast aside all pretense of cordiality. Yet today, she actually dared humiliate me in public! There’s got to be a reason for this!” Zhong Qi’s eyes reddened, and his expression was terrifyingly dark.

“It’s indeed a bit strange.” The gaunt middle-aged man said gravely. “Perhaps she’s found a trump card she can rely on.”

Zhong Qi’s brow furrowed. “Didn’t Immortal Queen Liu Yun of the House of Little Joys meet with misfortune and go into seclusion? Surely Qing Wei understands the consequences of a falling out with us?”

The thin middle-aged man said gravely, “Holy Son, no need to concern yourself with such things. Three days from now, when we convene our assembly, I dare say with certainty that Qing Wei will obediently lower her head.”

Zhong Qi sighed. “I’m not worried about whether or not she’ll lower her head, but just now, that was far too embarrassing. And that small fry accompanying her deserves death by a thousand cuts!”

The middle-aged man laughed. “Death by a thousand cuts it is! But we’ll have to wait until the assembly.”

Zhong Qi took a deep breath. His eyes flashed. “I understand.”

……

A banner hung from the fortune-teller’s stall. There was a couplet written on it:

I gaze at the sun and moon in the palm of my hand to predict fortune and disaster.

I slip the world from my sleeves to sever unfortuitous portents.

Su Yi examined the banner with great interest. Meanwhile, the red-nosed, slant-eyed, disheveled old man looked Su Yi up and down.

When he took in Qing Wei’s graceful, impressive figure, he clucked his tongue and gulped.

His licentiousness made Qing Wei frown. Why didn’t Zhong Qi beat this old hooligan to death?

Fortunately, he quickly averted his gaze and looked at Su Yi. His turbid, slanted eyes widened, and he froze in place.

Even the hands hidden in his sleeves quivered uncontrollably!

“Both halves of that couplet are missing a piece,” Su Yi murmured, as if to himself. “The first should end with ‘if I feel like it.’ The second is missing an ‘if you pay me extra.’”

Qing Wei thought for a moment, then couldn’t help but giggle.

The disheveled old man shot to his feet and was just about to scurry off when Su Yi said, “Stop.”

It was just one light, airy word, with no hint of a threat.

But the disheveled old man stiffened and put down his foot without taking a step.

He turned around with great difficulty, a bitter smile on his face as he clasped his fist. “Everyone in the Black Dragon Market knows this old man is an old scam artist who makes his living selling fortunes. Sir, please be magnanimous and don’t make things difficult for me.”

Su Yi looked at him, his gaze rife with meaning. “You might be able to fool others, but you can’t fool me. Take the fortune you gave that guy just now; it wasn’t at all ambiguous.”

The old man’s expression shifted. “Sir… might I ask who are you?”

“Must you keep up this act?” asked Su Yi.

Only a select handful of people in the Immortal Realm could recognize him, but this old scoundrel was one of the few.

In truth, even Su Yi was surprised. He wouldn’t have expected to bump into this old-timer here.

The old man smiled awkwardly. “It’s not that I’m feigning muddleheadedness; I just truly dared not believe it.”

Su Yi’s gaze was hard to read. “I almost dare not believe my eyes either. You sure are hard to kill, old-timer. You’re seriously still alive? And it seems you’re doing quite well for yourself, too.”

The disheveled old man grimaced and shook his head. “Aih, my situation is far worse than it was. I survived the Age of Fallen Immortals, yes, but now, I’m only just barely clinging to life.”

“How about we find a spot to have a drink?” asked Su Yi.

The disheveled old man refused without the slightest hesitation. “This blasted mouth of mine has caused far too many disasters over the years. I vowed never to get involved in worldly….”

Before he could finish, Su Yi grabbed him by the shoulder and dragged him over. “Not even the heavens would believe your vows, you old scoundrel. Let’s go already!”

He left no room for argument. Instead, he just dragged the old man away.

Qing Wei followed hot on his heels. Inwardly, she wasn’t at all calm. By now, how could she fail to realize that this old hoodlum was almost certainly a hidden expert?

Soon, the three of them were seated in a restaurant before a table laden with delicacies, but the old man had no appetite whatsoever. On the contrary, he just sighed, his brow tightly knit.

Su Yi, meanwhile, ate and drank with relish. He laughed, “Answer a few questions, and I’ll let you go.”

“Can I refuse?” the disheveled old man probed.

“No,” said Su Yi. He raised and drained his cup. “Relax. I won’t ask you to scry heavenly mysteries or tell my fortune.”

The old man sighed in relief and grinned. “Why didn’t you say so?”

He immediately started devouring the food and drink. Soon, grease was dripping down his cheeks.

Su Yi brushed his fingertips across his cup, his gaze heavy. “When Blood Firmament and the others ambushed me, how did they discover where I’d gone into seclusion?”

When a group of top experts ambushed Wang Ye while he was in seclusion, it led to the Battle of Eternal Night that shook the Immortal Realm.

But even as he reincarnated, Wang Ye still had doubts. He couldn’t figure out how his enemies had found him.

Splurt!

The disheveled old man had only just put a piece of meat into his mouth, but when he heard Su Yi’s question, he spewed it out and broke into a hacking cough.

“Why does everyone seem to think I know the answer to that?”

Su Yi’s eyes shone with a strange light. “Other people have come looking for you to ask about that?”

Seth's Thoughts

The “Qi” in Zhong Qi’s name is the same as in Qilin.

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