Everyone held their breath, and Xie Shuci’s expression turned fearful. He leaned slightly toward Xie An.

“Did… Did you all hear that?”

“I heard it. Besides the bronze pill cauldron, there’s also top-grade pills.”

“One alchemist, one blind man, one disabled person, plus a young cultivator with barely any spiritual energy. I can take care of them with just one finger. It’s like having pies drop from the sky!”

Xie Shuci swallowed hard and looked at the three people beside him, his face getting darker with each passing moment.

Ignoring the other two, just the cold sneer at the corner of Xie An’s mouth was enough to frighten Xie Shuci.

Then he looked at Chu Guiyi and Chu Wenfeng. Although Chu Guiyi had a mild temperament and treated people politely, his warmth faded from his face after being underestimated and insulted as a disabled person.

As for Chu Wenfeng, there was no need to say anything. He widened his eyes, pointing at himself in disbelief, and said with a sarcastic laugh, “With just one finger?”

Xie Shuci chuckled dryly. He felt that the person outside wasn’t entirely wrong. Weren’t they all practically wearing the label “old, weak, sick, and disabled” on their faces? Except for Chu Wenfeng, the only one capable of fighting back, the rest were like him—making a lot of noise but lacking power. They were like delivery boys delivering free food, weren’t they? 

“Calm down, calm down. Let’s talk things out…”

Before Xie Shuci could finish his sentence, the wooden door was kicked open with a loud “bang.” Xie Shuci was startled, hugging his small pouch tightly. He quickly stood up from the chair and, before anyone could react, he decisively threw the items to the ground. After all, he still had plenty of pills left in his inn. He doesn’t have to worry about food and drink in the future.

“Hand over… your…” Already handed them over.

The newcomer didn’t even complete his sentence before a full pouch was suddenly tossed at his feet leaving him dumbfounded for a moment.

Xie An and the others, “…”

They had never seen such a self-aware victim.

“Senior brother, he’s an idiot!”

“I’m so lucky. Even when robbing someone, I encounter a fool.”

Xie Shuci, “…”

Chu Wenfeng couldn’t help but laugh at his nonchalant actions. “Xie Shuci, you really have some talent.”

Xie Shuci blushed, “I…”

Just then, someone bent down to pick up the pouch. Xie An moved his wrist slightly, and the teacup slipped from his hand, flying towards the door.

“Ah!” A miserable scream rang out as the person’s wrist was smashed, and he rolled on the ground in pain.

Damn!

Xie Shuci was taken aback and looked back at Xie An, who remained calm and composed as if nothing had happened.

Impressive! So cool! I want to learn!

“Are you looking for death?!” 

The leading cultivator, angered by his companion’s injury, drew his sword and rushed towards them.

“We’re done, we’re done, we’re done! Run!”

Xie Shuci yelled in panic, pulling Xie An up and reaching out to push Chu Guiyi’s wheelchair.

“Chu Wenfeng, you should run too!”

Xie Shuci didn’t bother with the one who could move on his own. He grabbed one person in each hand, trying to take care of both. However, after running just a few steps, he felt a sword wind coming from behind.

“You fool! Aren’t you a cultivator? Use your spiritual power to protect yourself!” Chu Wenfeng shouted from afar.

Xie Shuci was taken aback, “Huh? Oh, right, I’m also a cultivator.” He had forgotten about that.

Xie Shuci activated the spiritual power in his body, covering himself in a protective layer. After the golden core and meridians were restored by the demon, his body was full of spiritual power. At this moment, he was enveloped in a transparent protective film, and the person’s long sword couldn’t get close to him as it encountered an invisible barrier.

“Shuci, release your spiritual power outward,” Chu Guiyi reminded him.

“Oh.” Xie Shuci nodded, still a bit clueless, and then released his spiritual power like a passing fart. The outwardly released spiritual power formed a small shockwave, directly sending two or three cultivators nearby flying.

“Whoa, am I this powerful?” Xie Shuci was stunned as he looked at the cultivators sent flying.

The commotion on their side quickly attracted the attention of other customers, and within a blink of an eye, there were many onlookers gathered outside.

“Who are they? They don’t know the immensity of heaven and earth, daring to cause trouble at the Manjiang Hall?”

“It seems like a few wandering cultivators. They came to make trouble for the alchemist and his friends, right?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Most likely, they have their eyes on the alchemist’s bronze pill cauldron and pills.”

“Should we help? Maybe we can gain some benefits…”

Outside, discussions were lively. Xie Shuci, seeing so many eyes admiring his heroics, suddenly felt elated. He let go of Xie An and Chu Guiyi, crossed his arms, and walked forward, trying to redeem himself from his previous mentally handicapped behavior.

He cleared his throat twice and said to Chu Wenfeng, “Chu Wenfeng, learn something. This is called a strategic retreat, just to divert their attention. Guys like them, I can take on ten of them single-handedly!”

Chu Wenfeng gave him a disdainful look and simply found a table to sit down. “Sure, I won’t do anything. Let’s see how you handle ten of them.”

Hearing this, those people’s faces turned red with embarrassment. In the cultivation world, there was nothing more humiliating than being looked down upon by an alchemist regarding their martial strength.

“A mere alchemist dares to boast in front of me? I see you are courting death!”

Several cultivators were infuriated and rushed toward Xie Shuci with their swords.

Xie Shuci, seeing them getting serious, was immediately frightened and subconsciously retreated, shouting, “Heroes, be careful with your swords!” while also saying, “Chu Wenfeng, can’t I make a joke?”

As he ran past Xie An, Xie An suddenly reached out and grabbed Xie Shuci. When Xie Shuci turned around, the two cultivators were already right in front of them. “Wait—Xie An, run!”

However, in the next moment, the blind boy performed a spinning kick, kicking the sword in the cultivator’s hand away, and pulled Xie Shuci back two steps. He raised his long arm and caught the falling sword with ease.

As the hilt fell into Xie An’s palm, a strange silver light quickly passed over the blade, emitting a faint sword hum, and the sword blade trembled as if it wanted to escape from his hand.

Before anyone could react, Xie An clenched the hilt and twisted it downward, completely suppressing the sword’s restless movements.

Weapons soaked in too much blood could sense their owner’s killing intent and respond accordingly.

The oppressive aura permeated the hilt and seeped into Xie An’s palm. It was likely that hundreds of lives had been claimed by this sword, which explained the dense bloodlust.

His robes fluttered without any wind, and he sensed the familiar aura—the scent of blood and death. It almost awakened the bloodthirsty factor within Xie An’s body.

“What are you doing, Xie An? Don’t show off your acting skills now. Let’s run quickly,” Xie Shuci whispered, seeing others being intimidated by Xie An’s presence. He approached Xie An’s ear, speaking in a low voice.

Xie An’s lips tightened. He had never bothered to suppress his true nature, but at this moment, he gritted his teeth, not letting Xie Shuci notice any abnormalities.

Hearing Xie Shuci’s sudden whisper, Xie An couldn’t help but smile.

Behind them, Chu Guiyi looked thoughtfully at Xie An.

Xie An showed extraordinary composure, holding a long sword and protecting Xie Shuci behind him. He exuded an air of being a man standing tall against all odds.

“Who are you?”

Seeing his sword taken by someone else, the cultivator’s face turned extremely ugly, and his eyes were a mix of surprise, anger, and a hint of trepidation.

“Don’t talk nonsense. Are you afraid of a blind man?”

“Listen up, everyone! This alchemist, who knows where he came from, not only carries a bronze pill cauldron but also has numerous top-grade pills. In the world of cultivation, such valuable pills are almost impossible to obtain. If you don’t believe me, you can pick up the small pouch on the ground and see for yourselves.”

This person, seeing that his robbery attempt failed, now wanted others to join in the plunder.

The onlookers among the cultivators immediately became serious, their gazes towards the small pouch on the ground becoming filled with desire.

The cultivator continued, “I don’t mean to offend anyone, but I just find it hard to believe that a few wandering cultivators like you could possess so many top-grade pills. Could it be that you stole them from other well-established alchemist sects?”

With these words, he directed all the blame towards Xie Shuci and the others while giving the others a righteous reason to attack the four of them.

“That’s right! How could a wandering cultivator carry a bronze pill cauldron?”

“I suspected this person was up to no good from the beginning. Perhaps he stole the cauldron and pills from other alchemists.”

“Top-grade pills? Even accomplished alchemists may not be able to refine one in their entire life. How can a young brat like him produce them? If this is true, then these pills must have been stolen from other alchemists!”

“You’re talking nonsense!” Xie Shuci’s face turned red, and he got angry. “I, Xie Shuci, behave properly and would never do such underhanded things!”

Chu Wenfeng jumped down, supporting himself on a table with both hands. He looked around with disdain, seemingly not sensing the hostility from the others. He walked over to the small pouch, bent down, and picked it up. In full view of everyone, he threw it towards Xie Shuci.

Xie Shuci tried to reach out and catch it, but Xie An was quicker and caught it first.

Xie An received the pouch and immediately stuffed it into Xie Shuci’s embrace. His lips moved slightly, and he said, “Step back.”

Xie Shuci felt that there was something different about Xie An at that moment. He looked confused and held the pouch while retreating back to Chu Guiyi’s side under Xie An’s arm.

“Guiyi, this—”

Xie Shuci looked puzzledly at Chu Wenfeng and Xie An. They seemed unyielding like they wouldn’t give up without a fight.

But there were about ten opponents, not to mention other cultivators who were starting to eye them greedily. Weren’t they asking for trouble?

Chu Guiyi remained calm and shook his head, indicating for Xie Shuci to stay calm.

“Xie Shuci, watch carefully now. I’ll show you what it means to take on ten opponents single-handedly,” Chu Wenfeng said arrogantly. He then turned to Xie An and said, “Xie An, you can go back now. Don’t meddle in this.”

Xie An seemed to ignore him, showing no intention of leaving.

The cultivators who were repeatedly looked down upon now had faces flushed with anger. “Today, we’ll act on behalf of the heavens to do justi…”

Chu Wenfeng sneered, “Fools!”

With that, he pulled out a long crimson whip from his waist, covered in barbs. Chu Wenfeng swung his arm, and a powerful gust of wind lifted, causing people a stinging sensation on their skin.

“You think one finger is enough to deal with me? What a joke!” Chu Wenfeng, full of youthful vigor, didn’t even wait for the opponents to react before rushing into the crowd with his whip.

Xie Shuci stared in disbelief at Chu Wenfeng’s graceful movements and the sound of the whip landing on his opponents’ bodies, which made him shudder in fear.

Seeing Chu Wenfeng skillfully maneuvering among seven or eight cultivators without falling into a disadvantage, Xie Shuci felt a chill down his spine.

From their first encounter, he had known that he and this kid were incompatible. They often bickered and mocked each other, and Xie Shuci thought the boy was just like him—a person with no remarkable abilities who liked to show off. Who would have thought he actually had skills?!

Suddenly, Xie Shuci seriously bowed to Chu Guiyi and said, “Thank you, Brother, for not letting him kill me.”

Chu Guiyi, “…”

“This is… the Avian Nine-section Whip?” 

Someone nearby recognized the weapon Chu Wenfeng wielded.

“H-How is that possible? I remember the Avian Nine-section Whip belongs to the Chief Disciple of the Chu family in Yingzhou. How can it be in the hands of this brat?”

The cultivators in the fight also heard the discussions from the crowd. Since they couldn’t gain any advantage from Chu Wenfeng, they redirected their hostility towards Xie An, who had been motionless all this time and was still blind.

“Xie An, be careful!” Xie Shuci shouted anxiously.

Xie An’s lips curled up slightly, and the longsword flowed in his hand like a flowing galaxy. Several streams of light crossed the air, aiming straight for the opponent’s neck.

Xie Shuci was stunned and then looked incredulously at Xie An, his breathing momentarily disturbed. Little Blind… was he, not just a showman?

In a rush, Xie Shuci’s flustered breathing was clearly audible.

Frowning, Xie An slightly adjusted the angle of his sword, just grazing the opponent’s shoulder as it passed by.

“This swordsmanship? If I am not mistaken?”

“It’s the Xiaoyao Sword Art?!”

The person, after being grazed by Xie An’s sword on the shoulder, turned around and immediately thrust the sword toward Xie An.

Xie Shuci couldn’t think about anything else and instinctively moved his feet.

In the corner of his eye, Chu Guiyi raised his arm, and a flying sword flew out of his sleeve, nailing the person’s hand holding the sword. After a miserable scream, the sword fell to the ground.

Xie An remained indifferent, as if there was no danger at all, and sheathed his longsword by his side.

Xie Shuci felt as if he had swallowed a fly and frozen in place, his gaze shifting between the three of them.

The expressions of the three were all calm, but their actions were more ruthless than the other.

Xie Shuci, who was sitting shocked to death, awakened from the surprise and thought ‘the clown is actually me’?

After these events, the onlookers were left stunned.

“…”

“One from the Xiaoyan Sect, one from the Chu family in Yingzhou.”

“Who the hell said they were wandering cultivators?”