First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 878: Losing Face

When the old butcher appeared unexpectedly, Thirteen’s hair stood on end.

His Imperial aura visibly receded, like waters at low tide. His sweeping murderous intent had, just moments prior, been focused on Su Yi, but it too disappeared.

Tu Yong keenly sensed this change, and he couldn’t help but exclaim to himself.

Earlier, he’d figured Su Yi’s power would be enough to contend with Thirteen.

Who’d have thought there’d be no need for Su Yi to do anything, and that the proprietor of Auspicious Cloud Inn would appear out of nowhere? He even disdained Thirteen as a reckless nobody!

The old butcher was just three feet away. Thirteen took a deep breath, clasped his fist, and inclined his head. “Daoist Brother, I’m here on my master’s orders, and my only goal is to retrieve our clan’s Ancestral Jade Seal. If I offended you, I humbly request your understanding.”

This Imperial realm servant had, moments prior, emanated an imposing, sinister aura. He’d been forceful to the extreme.

But now, he could only lower his head and avert his gaze before the old butcher!

“'Understanding?'” The old butcher said expressionlessly. “Very well. Leave behind one of your arms, and I can consider not killing you.”

He issued this cold, firm proclamation without the slightest ripple of emotion.

But the sound made Tu Yong’s heart shake. He would never have imagined that the proprietor of Auspicious Cloud Tower would go so far as to act against the third high elder’s servant on Su Yi’s account!

Tu Yong couldn’t help but gaze at Su Yi, only to see that the blue-robed young man of mysterious origins was standing in the inn’s gateway beneath the mottled lamplight, one hand behind his back, the other holding a jug of wine. He seemed casual and relaxed, as if all of this were perfectly ordinary.

When he heard the old butcher’s response, Thirteen’s expression was instantly unsightly.

He, too, would never have guessed that the proprietor of Auspicious Cloud Tower, a household name in Tianya City, would be so domineering at a time like this!

It seemed he had no intention of giving the Ghost Serpents any face at all!

This was unquestionably unbelievable.

After all, through history, Tianya City had always been the Ghost Serpents’ territory.

In this ancient, massive city, even Emperors didn’t dare offend the Ghost Serpents lightly!

“Daoist Brother…” Thirteen steadied his emotions and was just about to say something when the old butcher snorted coldly and suddenly stretched out his hand.

Before Thirteen could dodge or flee, the old butcher took hold of his left arm.

Then, he tightened his grip and pulled.

Just like that, he ripped a bleeding arm right from its socket. The old butcher held it as blood dripped onto the ground.

Thirteen staggered back several steps, his face translucent with blood loss. His expression was full of rage and astonishment.

When the old butcher attacked, his attack might have seemed simple, but it was full of the limitlessly terrifying power of the Grand Dao. There was no way he could dodge or avoid it!

Thirteen didn’t even need to think to realize that, had the other party really gone all out, that attack would have killed him with ease!

“So strong!!” Tu Yong’s heart shook.

Thirteen was an Emperor, yet he was like a lamb to the slaughter. The innkeeper had torn his arm clean off! This was an unquestionably astonishing sight.

Whoosh~

Bright red flames floated above the old butcher’s hand, incinerating the severed arm into ash.

Beneath the light of the flames, the old butcher’s thin, indifferent face was extraordinarily unsettling.

But it was then that Su Yi, who’d been watching coldly from the sidelines this entire time, interjected. “Go back and tell Ye Donghe that on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, I’ll pay the Ghost Serpents a visit, and I’ll bring the Ancestral Jade Seal with me.”

Thirteen ignored his words completely. Enduring the agony, he looked at the old butcher; it seemed he wanted to hear his decision.

It was obvious that even now, he didn’t take the Spiritual Revolution Realm Su Yi the least bit seriously.

The old butcher’s expression didn’t shift in the slightest. He just said softly, “Scram.”

Thirteen took a deep breath, then turned and left without a word.

“You should go back too,” Su Yi said to Tu Yong. “The Ghost Serpents will be fine.”

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With that, he turned and walked back into Auspicious Cloud Tower.

The old butcher silently followed him inside.

Tu Yong stood there in a daze for a while before he finally suppressed his astonishment, turned, and hurried away.

……

The night was increasingly dark and deep.

The home of the Ghost Serpents, an ancient, lamplit hall.

The lamplight illuminated the shifting, uncertain expressions of the main lineage’s higher-ups.

All of their hearts were heavy.

As time slipped by, Ye Zishan and the young woman in the ink-black skirt started to get nervous too.

They’d already realized that the “Su Yi” the third high elder spoke of was the young man in blue they’d met earlier.

But they dared not say with confidence that Su Yi would be able to protect the last Ancestral Jade Seal.

Throughout the grand hall, only Ye Donghe felt leisurely and relaxed.

He held his teacup, and from time to time, he took a sip. Other times, he scanned the room and took in the others’ unsightly, somber expressions.

A voice suddenly resounded from outside the hall. “Master, Thirteen requests an audience!”

This sentence went off like a sudden clap of thunder. Everyone snapped out of their silent daze and looked outside the hall.

Their hearts were on tenterhooks.

That went for Ye Zishan and the young woman in the ink-black skirt too.

Ye Donghe smiled, raised his teacup, and took a sip before saying calmly, “Come on in.”

Then, everyone watched as Thirteen’s aged figure entered the hall, on full display beneath the lamplight.

“This…”

When they saw him, everyone was visibly astonished. Uproar followed.

Ye Zishan and the young woman couldn’t help but gasp.

Ye Donghe, meanwhile, was dumbstruck.

Thirteen was deathly pale, and he’d lost his left arm. His clothing was drenched with blood, and although his wounds no longer bled, the sight of shattered bones and severed flesh was still shocking.

Those long accustomed to battle could tell at a glance that someone had ripped Thirteen’s arm off!

“How did this happen?”

Ye Donghe’s expression darkened.

When an Emperor was angry, their wrath overturned heaven and earth.

Although Ye Donghe’s expression was still calm, throughout the hall, the firelight swayed violently, and the atmosphere was tense and oppressive. The very air itself seemed to solidify, and the crowd found it difficult to breathe.

The third high elder of the Ghost Serpents was furious!

Thirteen stepped forward and said in a low voice, “Your subordinate is inept. The proprietor of Auspicious?Cloud Tower destroyed my arm, but I still couldn’t retrieve the Ancestral Jade Seal.”

Uproar followed this declaration.

None of them dared believe it. The proprietor of Auspicious Cloud Tower had attacked Thirteen directly! He hadn’t given Ye Donghe any face at all!

Ye Zishan and the young woman looked at each other. They could finally relax completely.

It was just as they’d thought: the innkeeper wouldn’t just watch as something happened to Su Yi!

Crack!

Ye Donghe flung his teacup to the floor, shattering it. The crowd was instantly as quiet as cicadas in winter.

“Tianya City is the Ghost Serpents’ domain. That innkeeper is taking us far too lightly!” Ye Donghe’s face was ashen and murderous.

Thirteen was his most capable subordinate, and he’d worked alongside him for a long time.

Yet now, someone had ripped his arm from its socket!

“Ancestor, please, calm your fury.” Ye Zishan coughed dryly. “Auspicious Cloud Tower has always had a rule that its guests are under the proprietor’s protection. This is common knowledge in Tianya City.”

He paused, then added, “Besides, back in the day, both Ancestor Ye Yanzheng and Ancestor Ye Yu said that the proprietor was a reclusive expert, and they warned us not to be negligent.”

Before he could continue, Ye Donghe frowned and interrupted him. “Zishan, are you saying that Thirteen did something wrong?”

Ye Zishan said calmly, “I just don’t believe that the proprietor of Auspicious Cloud Tower would attack without reason.”

Ye Donghe’s frown deepened.

But then, Thirteen said in a low voice, “Your Excellency, I originally had Tu Yong call Su Yi outside. I thought that, so long as we were outside the inn, my actions wouldn’t provoke the proprietor. But against all expectations…”

Here, he couldn’t help but let out a long sigh. “Your Excellency, despite what happened, please calm your fury. Please do not view the proprietor of Auspicious Cloud Inn with enmity on my account.”

Tonight, Thirteen had witnessed the old butcher’s abilities for himself. He was naturally well aware that they’d have to pay a massive price to take care of someone like that!

Ye Donghe’s fury gradually faded, and he regained his cool. “Did the innkeeper say anything?”

“No,” said Thirteen. “But as I returned, Su Yi said he’d bring the Ancestral Jade Seal back to the Ghost Serpents on the fifteenth.”

Ye Donghe was instantly stunned. “What are his intentions?”

Thirteen shook his head; he couldn’t tell what Su Yi was up to either.

“Forget it. Let’s go.”

Ye Donghe rose, then strode outside.

He had no face to stick around; he’d come here planning to wait until Thirteen returned with the Ancestral Jade Seal. He wanted to use it to teach these main branch members a lesson.

Who’d have thought that in the end, he’d be the one to lose face?

Thirteen followed immediately behind him.

Once both of them had faded from view, the others couldn’t help but sigh in relief.

“Uncle, Su Yi is someone Elder Tianqu invited. He’s here to help us, and he said that he would help us quell the Ghost Serpents’ internal unrest. Now, it seems… he’s actually somewhat capable!” the young woman transmitted with obvious excitement.

Ye Zishan shook his head. “Every guest of Auspicious Cloud Tower enjoys the innkeeper’s protection, not just Su Yi.”

He paused, then said thoughtfully, “We cannot place all of our hopes on his shoulders. I’ll relax when Chief Elder Yue Shi of Fire Illumination Divine Palace arrives.”

The young woman nodded.

……

Tianya City, Earthly Flame Peak.

The night was already more than half over, but the shifting fires of the lanterns remained lit, illuminating the grand, ancient hall built on the mountaintop.

Jiang Yingliu was dressed in a scarlet ruqun?skirt. She sat there, her long black hair tied up and held in place with a wooden hairpin. This further emphasized her long, slender neck.

This elegant, transcendent woman was currently examining the secret jade slip she’d just received from the Ghost Serpents.

Ye Donghe had sent it to her, and it described everything that had happened that night.

“The last of the Ghost Serpents’ Ancestral Jade Seals has fallen into the hands of a young man called Su Yi…” Jiang Yingliu put away the jade slip, and her delicate eyebrows furrowed.

The jade slip just said that Su Yi was a Spiritual Revolution Realm cultivator, and that they suspected that Ye Tianqu had called him in as reinforcements.

There wasn’t so much as a single word about Su Yi’s origins.

After a while, Jiang Yingliu reached a decision. “Forget it. Tomorrow, I’ll visit Auspicious?Cloud Tower in person and see Su Yi for myself. A Spiritual Revolution small fry dares get involved in the Ghost Serpents’ affairs? He… really isn’t afraid of getting himself killed, is he…?”

With that, she flicked her fingers.

The grand hall’s lamps went out, and her beautiful, elegant figure was instantly enveloped in darkness.

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