The market square fell into complete silence.
Even the wind seemed to hesitate.
Crimson lotus petals drifted lazily through the air before settling upon the stone pavement stained with dust and footprints.
Prince Wei Jian narrowed his eyes, lazily closing the jade fan in his hand with a sharp snap.
"So..."
He looked Qiao Tian up and down.
"The famous Young Master of Qingyuan Sect."
"I expected someone older."
His lips curled into a mocking smile.
"Not... a pretty-faced scholar."
Several guards behind him burst into laughter.
Qiao Tian remained unmoved.
His expression did not change in the slightest.
His amber eyes simply rested upon the elderly worker kneeling on the ground.
"Release him."
His voice was soft.
Yet every syllable carried unquestionable authority.
Wei Jian laughed louder.
"And if I refuse?"
"I dislike repeating myself."
A dangerous glint flashed across Wei Jian's eyes.
"You dare command me?"
Before anyone could react—
BOOM!
A violent surge of spiritual pressure exploded from Wei Jian's body.
The nearby stalls trembled violently.
Clay jars shattered.
Several weaker disciples instinctively staggered backward.
Princess Shin grabbed her brother's sleeve.
"So strong..."
Shinzi's gaze sharpened.
"Peak Earth Realm."
"He has improved."
Xuan Dao folded his arms leisurely, showing no intention of interfering.
His calm eyes shifted toward Qiao Tian.
A silent message.
Fight.
Qiao Tian understood immediately.
Without another word...
He stepped forward.
One step.
Only one.
Yet the overwhelming pressure sweeping through the square seemed to dissolve around him like mist beneath the morning sun.
The disciples watching widened their eyes.
"What..."
"He neutralized Wei Jian's aura?"
"Without even drawing his sword?"
Wei Jian's smile faded.
"So you do have some skill."
The prince gestured lazily.
"Break his legs."
Six armored guards rushed forward simultaneously.
Each wielded a heavy saber.
Their movements were perfectly synchronized.
Years of fighting together had made them nearly impossible to approach individually.
The marketplace erupted into chaos.
"Careful!" someone shouted.
Princess Shin instinctively hid behind Shinzi.
Xuan Dao simply sighed.
"They're too slow."
The first guard reached Qiao Tian.
His saber descended like a falling mountain.
CLANG!
A flash of silver.
No one saw when Qiao Tian had drawn his sword.
The saber split cleanly into two pieces.
The guard froze.
He looked down.
The upper half of his weapon slid to the ground.
Only then did he realize—
His sleeve had been sliced open.
A single strand of hair floated gently before his face.
Had the blade moved another inch...
His arm would have been severed.
Cold sweat covered his forehead.
The remaining five attacked together.
Qiao Tian finally moved.
His footsteps were impossibly light.
Like a crane gliding across water.
Every slash missed by the width of a single leaf.
Every thrust struck empty air.
The guards became increasingly frantic.
"Impossible!"
"Where is he?"
"Behind you!"
Too late.
Qiao Tian appeared among them like drifting mist.
His sword danced.
Not with brutality...
But elegance.
One strike.
Another.
A gentle turn.
The sound of steel echoed through the square.
Clang.
Clang.
Clang.
Within moments—
Five sabers flew high into the air before embedding themselves into nearby wooden pillars.
The guards found themselves kneeling.
Their pressure points had been struck with perfect precision.
Unable to move.
Unable even to lift their weapons.
The surrounding disciples stared in stunned silence.
One disciple whispered,
"He defeated six elite guards..."
"...without drawing blood."
Another swallowed hard.
"That wasn't swordsmanship."
"It was art."
Wei Jian's face darkened.
"You..."
He slowly drew his own sword.
Unlike the guards, his weapon radiated crimson spiritual energy.
An ominous aura spread across the square.
"This sword has tasted the blood of countless cultivators."
"I wonder..."
He pointed it toward Qiao Tian.
"How long before it drinks yours?"
Shinzi stepped forward.
"Enough."
Wei Jian smirked.
"Protecting him?"
"I simply refuse to let you turn Crimson Lotus into your playground."
Princess Shin frowned.
"Brother..."
Wei Jian's gaze shifted toward her once more.
"You needn't worry."
"Once our sect conquers yours..."
"...I'll personally make you my wife."
Silence.
The smile disappeared from Shin's face.
Shinzi's hand slowly tightened around his sword.
Qiao Tian's eyes grew noticeably colder.
Even Xuan Dao's relaxed expression vanished.
The air itself seemed to freeze.
Then—
A soft chuckle echoed.
Xuan Dao.
He stepped forward lazily.
"You've spoken enough."
Wei Jian sneered.
"And who are—"
Before he could finish—
Xuan Dao disappeared.
The world seemed to blur.
A violent gust of wind swept through the square.
The next instant—
BANG!
Wei Jian's eyes widened.
A single finger rested against his forehead.
Just one finger.
Yet it carried enough force to send him skidding nearly twenty meters across the stone street.
The ground cracked beneath his feet.
His guards gasped.
Shinzi blinked.
He hadn't even seen Xuan Dao move.
Wei Jian barely managed to stop himself.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
"You..."
His voice trembled.
"What cultivation..."
Xuan Dao yawned.
"I merely flicked you."
The disciples exchanged horrified glances.
Merely... flicked him?
Wei Jian had nearly lost consciousness.
If that finger had carried killing intent...
He would already be dead.
Xuan Dao slowly walked closer.
Each step echoed across the marketplace.
"If you were my disciple..."
"I would've made you kneel outside the mountain gate for three years simply for the way you looked at that young lady."
Princess Shin blinked.
"...Me?"
Xuan Dao smiled warmly.
"Yes."
"A child should smile."
"Not fear wolves disguised as men."
Shin smiled shyly.
"Thank you, Senior."
For reasons he couldn't explain...
Xuan Dao felt unexpectedly pleased.
She reminded him of the younger sister he had never had.
Wei Jian wiped the blood from his lips.
Hatred burned within his eyes.
"You'll regret this."
Qiao Tian calmly sheathed his sword.
"The only regret today is that innocent people suffered before we arrived."
Wei Jian looked at each of them.
Qiao Tian.
Shinzi.
Xuan Dao.
Finally Princess Shin.
His gaze lingered a moment too long.
"I'll remember all of you."
With a wave of his sleeve, he barked,
"Retreat!"
Within moments, the Linjian entourage disappeared down the street.
Only after they had gone did the crowd erupt.
Cheers echoed throughout the marketplace.
The rescued workers knelt before Qiao Tian and Shinzi.
"Thank you, Young Masters!"
"You saved our lives!"
Qiao Tian immediately helped the elderly worker to his feet.
"You owe us no gratitude."
"It is the duty of martial artists to protect those who cannot protect themselves."
Shinzi looked at him with newfound respect.
Few cultivators of Qiao Tian's status would personally help a common laborer.
Yet he did so without hesitation.
He truly is worthy of Qingyuan's reputation, Shinzi thought.
As they returned toward the Lotus Palace, Princess Shin skipped happily beside them.
"You were amazing!"
She looked first at Qiao Tian.
"Your sword was beautiful."
Then at Xuan Dao.
"And Senior..."
She puffed out her cheeks and mimicked his motion.
"Boop!"
"You sent him flying with one finger!"
Even the usually stoic Qiao Tian had to suppress a smile.
Xuan Dao laughed heartily.
"It wasn't a 'boop.'"
"It was years of cultivation."
Shin giggled.
"It still looked funny."
The tension of the battle melted into laughter.
For the first time since arriving at Crimson Lotus...
Qiao Tian felt strangely at ease.
Yet deep within her heart, she sensed that Wei Jian's threat had not been an empty one.
The clash in the marketplace was only the first ripple.
Beyond the peaceful lotus lake, darker storms were already gathering.