The night was cool as water, and dawn broke in the blink of an eye.
When Qinghe woke up, she felt refreshed. Last night, she sensed the fluctuations of spiritual energy in her body and successfully broke through to the late stage of the Nascent Soul stage, entering the early stage of the Void Refinement stage.
Perhaps it was because of the appearance of that little phoenix that she broke through the ranks so smoothly, and the spiritual energy in her body was inexhaustible. She entered the Void Refinement stage in just one hour.
She opened the door and saw Qi Rong standing in front of it, waiting for her.
"You broke through?"
"Hmm." She usually concealed her cultivation level when she was out in public, but Qi Rong could tell at a glance.
"Want to go out for a walk?"
Qinghe glanced at the clear weather outside and could faintly hear laughter and cheerful voices from the street.
"OK."
A beautiful couple in dark blue formal attire strolled casually down the street, attracting the attention of passersby who glanced at them with a mixture of curiosity and envy. Clearly, the two had become a striking sight on the street.
Qi Rong had concealed his red eyes after returning from the God Realm. At this moment, he looked no different from an ordinary person. However, his outstanding temperament gave people the first impression that he was a noble young master from a wealthy family, an immortal descended to earth, both wicked and gentle, and with extremely high cultivation. He was a formidable character.
Qinghe possesses a unique aloofness, as cold as ice, rarely smiles, and unintentionally exudes a chilling aura that makes people afraid to approach.
These two people standing together have a compatible aura and seem to be a perfect match for each other.
The undisguised scrutiny made Qinghe frown. She hadn't gone far from the inn when she sensed the divine senses released by countless cultivators. The probing was only for a moment before disappearing without a trace. This game of hide-and-seek was truly ruining her mood.
With gentle fingertips, Qi Rong smoothed the space between her brows and said softly, "Don't let someone ruin your mood for no reason. It doesn't look good when your brow is furrowed."
Qing raised her eyebrows, "So you only like my appearance."
Qi Rong smiled and said, "I just wanted to make you happy."
"You have to take real action to make me happy; sweet words won't move me."
Qi Rong smiled indulgently, "Then how about I treat you to a big meal?"
Qinghe thought for a moment and said, "Then I'll have to order the dishes."
Qi Rong: "As you wish."
The two chatted and laughed as they looked for a restaurant, walking side by side.
"A virtuous person has a great principle, which he attains through loyalty and trustworthiness, and loses through arrogance and complacency. To like what people dislike and dislike what people like is to go against human nature, and misfortune will surely befall him."
Passing by the Sifang Inn, Qinghe saw the scholar from that day diligently studying the creased book.
The sun was shining brightly in front of the inn. He sat there, swaying his head and immersing himself in poetry and books. His long robe, which he had worn for who knows how long, was faded from washing, revealing a scholar's poverty amidst its cleanliness.
People passing by consciously avoided that area, unwilling to get close. Qinghe walked over as if he hadn't seen it.
"He was so engrossed in studying the classics that he ignored the fact that people around him avoided him."
The scholar looked up and saw that it was Qinghe. He stood up and bowed. "In books, there are beauties like jade and houses of gold. With both beauty and wealth, how can one notice anything else?"
"You're not a pedantic scholar at all; you're even a bit glib."
The scholar smiled sheepishly, "It was just a joke, please don't take it seriously."
"Are you studying so hard because you want to pass the imperial examinations and get a title?"
“That’s right. For an ordinary person like me who can’t lift a finger or carry a load, the only way to serve the country is through studying.” He sighed as he said this, “It’s shameful to say that I’ve taken the imperial examinations three times and haven’t passed even once. It’s just that things don’t go as planned.”
"Success comes from books, failure comes from books. If you step out of the books and become more worldly-wise, things might change."
The scholar replied, "Thank you for your kind words, young lady. I will consider it."
Just as he was about to leave, the scholar nodded goodbye. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw several people approaching in the distance. His expression changed drastically, and he rushed into the inn shouting, "Boss, they're here again! Hide! Hide!"
The words startled everyone in the inn, and they immediately dropped what they were doing and gathered in front of the counter.
The middle-aged man behind the counter was fiddling with an abacus. Upon hearing this, he threw the abacus aside, turned around, grabbed the long stick he had been keeping nearby, and said angrily, "Hide? Where can I hide? They're just a pack of wild dogs who won't give up until they get what they want. They won't let me go until they get their food. What's the point of hiding!"
"But how can we, with our limited strength, possibly defeat those cultivators who consider themselves superior?"
"Even if we can't win, we have to fight. We can't give up the inn to them, even if it means death!"
"That's right, we must not back down even if it means death!"
The resolute words stirred a spark of courage deep within everyone's hearts, a courage that had been shrouded in cowardice and helplessness. They were filled with fighting spirit, pressed forward fearlessly as if facing a battlefield, determined to bite off a piece of the enemy's flesh even if they had only their last breath.
With everyone united, they marched outwards step by step to meet the enemy. The next moment, they were blasted back several meters by a palm strike, their bodies flying through the air in a perfect arc. Instead of landing on the ground, they landed on the newly set-up tables and chairs, sending splinters of wood flying everywhere and raising a cloud of dust.
Along with the fluttering pages came the wails of the scholars. They struggled to their feet, dragging their wounded bodies, and with lightning speed, hid behind the counter, behind the pillars, and some even ran off with howls. In an instant, only the owner remained in the lobby.
He looked around, his face showing no panic, but inwardly he was trying to reassure himself—
It's nothing, it's a small matter!
Gripping the stick tightly, he stared coldly at the men who stepped in, ready for battle.
"Boss, is your injury from last time healed yet? We came with the exact dates in mind." A voice that was extremely irritating rang out.
The one who spoke was a person wearing a brown short-sleeved shirt, with a sly smile on his face, slanted eyes, thick lips, and a lewd look in his eyes. He was clearly a person with a wicked heart and ulterior motives.
The innkeeper pointed his stick at them and said coldly, "A bunch of filthy stray dogs, you've dirtied my inn, get out of here right now!"
The man raised an eyebrow and said, "You dare to insult me? I'll kill you with one blow!"
He raised his hand to gather strength, but the man in white beside him blocked his way. "We're here to negotiate, not to kill."
Upon hearing this, the man glared at the boss and slowly lowered his hand.
The man in white, however, had the air of a gentleman. He spoke gently to the innkeeper, "Mr. Jia, we have offended you greatly before. I apologize to you for that. But we absolutely need the inn. Please consider it carefully. Name your price. Don't worry, price is not a problem."
The shopkeeper also had a fiery temper and utterly despised cultivators. Even with this gentle, conciliatory tone, he wouldn't listen. "I've already said it: no sale means no sale. Can't you understand human language?!"
He pointed at the mess on the ground, "Apologize? Is this your attitude of apology? You smashed so many of my things and injured me, why didn't you pay any medical expenses? Humph! I think you're just a bunch of hypocritical scoundrels, unworthy of being righteous cultivators! What a bunch of scoundrels!"
The man in white narrowed his eyes coldly and said, "Boss Jia, making enemies with us is not a good idea. You are too straightforward. If you were more tactful and worldly-wise, it would only do you good and no harm. This is the lesson I taught you. Do you understand?"
"Pah! What kind of bullshit is this! Get out, all of you, get the hell out!"
"You!" Seeing that he was unmoved by reason, the man in white immediately raised his eyebrows and said sharply, "You old codger, you won't listen to reason, so you'll have to drink the penalty cup. It seems that the lesson last time was not enough. Today I will see your arms and tear your mouth apart, and see how you can still be so glib!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than a flash of cold light appeared in his hand, and he suddenly moved closer, his cold sword piercing towards the boss's body.
Ordinary people cannot compare to cultivators. Before the boss could even see the white-clad man's movements, he felt a chill on his neck, the stick fell to the ground, and the sword was already at his neck.
"Old man, you won't listen to reason and insist on using force. You asked for this, so don't blame me."
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