The scene instantly erupted into chaos. The fat woman who had led the throwing of rotten eggs collapsed to the ground, her legs giving way. Several people who had been insulting Bai Ying turned pale and jostled each other, trying to hide behind the crowd. Even the scholars hiding on the outermost edge of the crowd looked ashen-faced.
"One breath." Master Tinglan's voice was like a death knell, exploding in everyone's ears.
A gaunt man suddenly lunged out from the crowd, tumbling and crawling to his knees, his forehead slamming heavily against the flagstones with a dull thud: "Immortal, spare my life! I... I was blinded by greed..."
"Two breaths."
Seven or eight more figures emerged from the crowd, trembling. One of them, a young man in fine clothes, was shaking so badly that he could barely walk.
Even at this critical moment of life and death, a few people still clung to hope, hiding deep in the crowd, heads bowed, too afraid to move.
"Three breaths."
A cold glint flashed in Master Tinglan's eyes, and he lightly tapped his fingertip. In an instant, several bolts of purple lightning descended from the sky, striking the hiding people with pinpoint accuracy.
With a deafening roar, the men didn't even have time to scream before they were reduced to charred corpses, and the air was filled with the stench of burning flesh.
"Ugh—" A young man who had just come out vomited on the spot, his face covered with filth, tears, and snot; another woman fainted immediately.
Master Tinglan threw several knives at them, stood with his hands behind his back, and said in a voice as cold as ice: "Those who throw filth, cut off your own arm; those who speak rudely, cut out your own tongue."
The scene was deathly silent. Someone raised a knife with trembling hands, but hesitated to strike.
"One breath." Master Tinglan began counting again.
"Crack!" A burly man gritted his teeth and swung his knife, his left arm snapping off with a thud, blood gushing out; "Ah—" another man screamed, half of his bloody tongue falling to the ground.
"Two breaths."
More screams followed, some people writhing on the ground in agony, others fainting instantly. Soon, pools of horrifying blood accumulated on the bluestone slabs, severed limbs and mangled tongues scattered everywhere, resembling a scene from hell.
"Three breaths."
The last few hesitant individuals finally hardened their hearts, closed their eyes, and swung their knives. Instantly, the entire street was filled with screams of agony, and the stench of blood filled the air.
Only then did Tinglan Zhenren nod slightly: "This matter ends here." His gaze swept over everyone present, his voice soft yet chilling, "If I hear of anyone disrespecting Young Friend Xia again, I will make their fate a hundred times worse than it is now..."
Before he could finish speaking, a huge rock in the distance suddenly turned into dust without warning and scattered in the wind.
Everyone fell silent, not daring to even breathe loudly. The once most arrogant fat woman was nearly fainting from fright, but she tightly covered her mouth, afraid to make a sound. At this moment, they finally truly understood what it meant to be "different between immortals and mortals," and what it meant for "the strong to rule."
Bai Ying watched all of this quietly.
There was no pity or pleasure in her eyes, only a deep, unfathomable calm.
Perhaps this is the cruel law of the cultivation world—either become so powerful that you inspire awe, or so weak that you are at the mercy of others...
After helping Bai Ying vent her anger, Master Tinglan turned to face her, his sharp eyes completely concealed, replaced by a rare gentleness.
"Young friend Xia," he said in a deep voice, sweeping away the stench of blood with a flick of his sleeve, "this filthy place is truly unworthy of your cultivation. Why don't you come with me to the Xuan Tian Sect? I happen to have some questions about cultivation that I'd like to discuss with you."
Bai Ying's eyes flickered slightly, her black hair swaying gently in the wind. She looked around—at the trembling commoners, the ashen-faced officials, and the emperor with a complex expression.
Finally, she nodded slightly: "Since you have invited me, I will gladly accept. However, Immortal Master, I need to take someone with me."
Master Tinglan stroked his beard with satisfaction and smiled. A white jade flying boat flew out from his sleeve, growing to over three zhang in length as it faced the wind. The boat's hull shimmered with iridescent light, with faint patterns of cranes moving within it.
"Please." He gestured invitingly.
Bai Ying looked at Xiao Tao, who was still inside the house, and called her over.
Xiao Tao and Xia Qingdai had relied on each other for survival. Now that I'm leaving, I should find her a good place to go.
Xiao Tao looked at Xia Qingdai in disbelief, feeling flattered and overwhelmed. She had thought that since her mistress was so powerful, she would leave with that immortal and abandon her.
But I never expected...
Xiao Tao quickly ran towards Bai Ying.
Bai Ying, holding Xiao Tao's hand, nodded to the Third Prince beside her, then lightly touched the ground with her toes and jumped directly onto the flying boat.
The disciples of the Xuantian Sect followed closely behind, each with a respectful expression. The flying boat slowly rose, gradually disappearing into the distance as everyone looked up, eventually transforming into a streak of light on the horizon.
Only after the figures of the Xuantian Sect members completely disappeared from sight did the entire imperial city seem to regain its breath.
The people kneeling on the ground felt as if they had been granted a pardon. They collapsed to the ground, some sobbing softly, some trembling, and some even fainting.
His Majesty the Emperor's face was ashen, and his bright yellow dragon robe was already soaked with cold sweat. He stared intently in the direction Bai Ying had left, his eyes filled with complex and unfathomable emotions.
"Your Majesty..." The old eunuch beside him tremblingly offered a handkerchief, but the emperor waved it away.
"Get out! All of you, get out of my sight!" The emperor suddenly flew into a rage, kicking the eunuch beside him to the ground. His face was horribly contorted.
At that moment, no one knew better than him what he was angry about.
He was not only angered by being humiliated and disrespected by those cultivators, but also by their contempt for imperial authority.
He was even more furious that he had missed such a good opportunity.
A half-step Nascent Soul stage expert is someone who can change the fate of an entire dynasty!
If such a powerful figure could be kept in the court...
The emperor closed his eyes in anguish. He recalled how, when Xia Qingdai was persecuted by rumors and condemned by everyone, he could have easily investigated the matter thoroughly, but he neglected it.
At that time, he didn't care about Xia Qingdai at all, and even considered expelling her from the capital city because of the fierce rumors.
It was only after the Third Prince kindly persuaded him that he refrained from doing those things.
But I never expected that she had already reached such a high level, and she almost made a big mistake!
"Foolish...I am utterly foolish..." the emperor muttered to himself, his nails digging deeply into his palms.
If he had stood up immediately to clear Xia Qingdai's name back then, the court would now have one more peerless expert.
Not only would neighboring countries dare not invade, but territorial expansion would be imminent. But now...
He slumped back onto the imperial carriage, looking as if he had aged ten years in an instant. "Issue an imperial decree: from this day forth, the entire nation is forbidden from discussing the matter of Fairy Xia. Anyone who disobeys... will have their entire family executed. Furthermore, regarding the position of Crown Prince, I have already decided... I will appoint the Third Prince as Crown Prince."
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