Chapter 169 Little Fairy!
Meanwhile, in the wilderness less than a hundred miles from Tianque City.
Mu Changge slowly descended, like an ordinary Cultivator, walking unhurriedly toward the city gate.
He planned to stroll through the markets or auction houses after entering the city, to see if there was anything of interest, or to gather some information about the four great Sects and those transcendent powers.
However, he had barely taken a few steps when a flurry of rushing sounds and a woman's panicked cry suddenly came from the woods beside the official road.
"Move! All of you, move aside for this Young Miss!"
A woman dressed in a goose-yellow crane cloak dress, wearing a red precious pearl hairpin, and with a rather beautiful appearance, was seen stumbling out of the woods in a disheveled state.
Her dress was torn in several places, stained with dust and grass clippings, and her hair bun was somewhat disheveled, but the haughty expression on her face and the obviously expensive defensive jade pendant and Storage Ring she wore all indicated her extraordinary background; she must be a Young Miss from some prominent Family in Tianque City.
At this moment, she looked panicked, glancing back from time to time as if some ferocious beast were chasing her, charging headlong in Mu Changge's direction; looking at her path, she was heading straight for him.
Mu Changge's footsteps paused slightly, and his brows furrowed imperceptibly.
Seeing the person coming straight toward him, he instantly activated the System scan, while his perception quietly swept over the woman and the woods behind her.
[Name: Liu Yaoyao] [Identity: Tianque City Liu Family direct descendant (Great Family)] [Realm: Early Nascent Soul stage] [Luck Rank: Orange] [Life Script: Expandable...]
After reading the System panel, the corner of Mu Changge's mouth twitched imperceptibly.
As expected, a Child of Fortune wasn't like Chinese cabbage, how could they be found everywhere?
This kind of "Young Miss" with light orange Luck and poor Heart-Nature was no different from weeds by the roadside in his eyes; they weren't even as clean as weeds.
He instantly lost all interest and turned his steps, intending to walk around her.
He was a villain, not a chivalrous hero who would draw his sword to help when seeing injustice, and certainly not a Saint with overflowing compassion.
What did this woman's life or death have to do with him? He had no interest in being some protector of flowers.
However, when he went around to the left, the woman seemed to aim for him and followed to the left; when he dodged to the right, the woman turned right in sync, still charging straight at him, as if she had identified him as her "shield" or "straw to clutch at."
"Tsk." Mu Changge's impatience grew, and he felt increasingly irritated.
At this moment, Liu Yaoyao had rushed close. Although she was panting and appeared somewhat disheveled, seeing that the man in front of her was alone and his Cultivation seemed to be only at the Nascent Soul Middle Stage, the panic on her face was immediately replaced by a condescending arrogance. She pointed directly at Mu Changge and, in an imperious, commanding tone, shrieked:
"Hey! You there! Yes, that's you! This Young Miss orders you to immediately help me stop those damned men in black behind me! Kill them! Afterward, this Young Miss will reward you handsomely; you won't be short-changed!"
Her tone was not as if she were begging for help, but as if she were bestowing a great favor, ordering a servant to do something that was only natural.
Mu Changge had originally only been impatient, but upon hearing this, his gaze instantly turned colder.
He slowly turned his head, his gaze falling calmly on Liu Yaoyao's somewhat flushed, yet still beautiful face. Mu Changge's thin lips parted slightly, and he coldly spat out a single word: "Scram."
His voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable indifference and chill, as if he were looking at a buzzing fly.
After speaking, he didn't even look at Liu Yaoyao's instantly frozen expression and lifted his foot to continue walking, as if the woman before him and the impending pursuit were nothing more than dust on the roadside.
Liu Yaoyao seemed to be stunned by the word "Scram." She froze for a moment. Growing up, who hadn't been polite to her, the Young Miss of the Liu Family? Who dared to treat her with this attitude? Instantly, a sense of offended indignation rushed to her head, and she became so angry that her voice grew even shriller:
"You! You dare tell this Young Miss to scram? Do you know who I am? I am the Young Miss of the Liu Family in Tianque City—Liu Yaoyao! My father is the head of the Liu Family, a Soul Transformation Cultivator! If you dare to disrespect me, do you believe I can make it so you won't be able to leave Tianque City!"
Before she finished speaking, the sound of rushing air intensified behind her. Six figures dressed in black tight-fitting clothes with black masks swept out from the woods like ghosts, instantly spreading out in a semicircle, vaguely surrounding Mu Changge and Liu Yaoyao.
These six people had deep, steady auras and faint Evil Qi; their Cultivation had all remarkably reached the Nascent Soul Stage. The leader, in particular, had reached the Late Nascent Soul Stage. He stared at Liu Yaoyao with a sinister gaze, only glancing at Mu Changge beside her casually, seemingly not taking him to heart.
Mu Changge did not stop walking, nor did his speed change, but he quietly released a trace of the aura he had been deliberately concealing.
It wasn't everything, but it made the six men in black who were surrounding them jump in their hearts, their steps slowing down in unison, and their eyes looking at Mu Changge with a bit more uncertainty.
This kid... he clearly looks like only an Early... oh no, Middle Stage Nascent Soul, but this aura... how does it feel more dangerous than the Late Nascent Soul powerhouse among them? Could it be that he has concealed his Cultivation? Or is he a Body Cultivator who has practiced a special Cultivation Technique? The leader, the Late Nascent Soul Stage man in black, had flickering eyes, weighing things quickly in his heart. The target was only the Young Miss of the Liu Family; there was no need to cause extra trouble.
Mu Changge ignored their reaction, his gaze sweeping over the group of men in black with indifference. His voice remained without fluctuation, yet it clearly reached everyone's ears: "I am a stranger to this woman, and I have no intention of interfering in the grudges between you. Settle your own affairs, but do not block my path."
After saying this, he actually ignored the surrounding flashing swords and tense atmosphere and continued to take steps, intending to pass through the gaps between the men in black. His posture was composed, as if those around him were not murderous Nascent Soul killers, but a group of wooden stakes.
Seeing this scene, the men in black exchanged glances. The leader paused for a moment, then nodded slightly, seemingly happy to have one less variable, and stepped aside to clear the path.
"Stop!" Seeing that Mu Changge was really about to leave and that the men in black seemed to have tacitly agreed, Liu Yaoyao became anxious.
She had just felt that fleeting aura from Mu Changge, which had made her heart palpitate; she knew that this person was definitely not simple and that his strength might far exceed his appearance. This was her only straw to clutch at right now!
She couldn't care about her Young Miss demeanor anymore, rushing forward and reaching out to grab Mu Changge's sleeve, wanting to stop him.
However, before her hand could touch the corner of Mu Changge's clothes, it was gently flicked away by an incredibly tough burst of Qi, causing her to stumble back two steps.
Liu Yaoyao was both angry and anxious, but she was even more afraid of death. She hurriedly took off a gemstone-encrusted Storage Ring that looked expensive from her finger and held it up in front of Mu Changge. Although her tone still carried her habitual haughtiness, it had softened a bit, even carrying a hint of pleading that she herself hadn't noticed:
"Save... save me! This ring, and everything inside it, is all yours! There are many Spirit Stones, Medicinal Pills, and Magical Artifacts inside! It's enough for you to Cultivate for a long time!"
In her view (or what she believed), this person had refused earlier simply because he thought the reward wasn't enough or hadn't found a way to step down. Now that she had taken out the Storage Ring and displayed the benefits before him, he should be tempted, right?
Mu Changge finally stopped. He turned around, looking at the expression on Liu Yaoyao's face that said, "This Young Miss is bestowing a great Opportunity upon you," and then looked at the glistening, colorful Storage Ring, suddenly finding it a bit funny.
Did he not check the almanac before going out today? How did he run into such an eccentric person who felt so good about herself? Are there "Little Fairies" in this Cultivation world too?
He didn't take the ring; instead, he looked Liu Yaoyao up and down with a gaze that was slightly disgusted and amused.
Hmm, her appearance was barely above average, her figure was also just so-so, but the arrogance between her brows and the stupidity in her eyes dragged this beauty down several notches.
Just this? She wasn't even qualified to be his maid, serving tea and water, warming the bed, and folding blankets. How had she survived until now? And where did she get the confidence to think that others would risk their lives for her meager belongings?
"Not interested." Mu Changge spat out the three words calmly, his tone flat and waveless, yet it was like three loud slaps, fiercely striking Liu Yaoyao's processed face.
"You!" Liu Yaoyao's face instantly turned the color of a pig's liver, flashing between green and red.
Not interested? He actually said he wasn't interested? A brat at the Nascent Soul Middle Stage, on what grounds could he look down on the rewards from her, the Young Miss of the Liu Family? She knew that there were some things in her Storage Ring that even Soul Transformation powerhouses would be quite interested in.
Mu Changge couldn't be bothered to talk nonsense with her anymore; he walked around her and continued forward. As he passed by her, his protective Qi moved slightly again, pushing Liu Yaoyao, who was trying to block him again, causing her to stumble a few more steps, nearly falling, and looking even more disheveled.
At this, Liu Yaoyao completely broke down. The arrogance she had accumulated since childhood, the fear of being hunted today, and the fury from being repeatedly ignored, spurned, and "humiliated" instantly shattered her sanity. Her voice suddenly turned sharp and shrill. Pointing at Mu Changge's back, she shrieked like a shrew cursing in the street:
"You brat, stop right there for this Young Miss! You... you cold-blooded, heartless bastard! I have observed your attire; you must be a Disciple of the Wandao Sword Sect, right? As a Disciple of a prominent Righteous Path Sect, isn't it your duty to intervene when you see injustice, draw your sword to help, and aid those in danger? Here in the middle of nowhere, I, a weak woman, am begging for your help in such a miserable state, yet not only do you refuse to save me, you are so indifferent and even resort to humiliation! You... how is your behavior any different from those cruel and bloodthirsty demons of the Demonic Path? Is this how your Wandao Sword Sect teaches its Disciples? Refusing to help those in peril—you are unworthy of the Righteous Path!"
The more she spoke, the more she felt she was in the right. Her voice grew louder and louder, as if she were standing on the moral high ground, aiming to nail Mu Changge to the pillar of shame. In her view, by pointing out his identity and using the "righteous cause" to pressure him, he would surely have some reservations and be forced to act. She had even thought it through: 'Once this idiot blocks the men in black for me, I will immediately find a chance to escape. I will not care whether he lives or dies! I will not even give him any reward—this Young Miss is truly a Genius.'
Mu Changge, who was about to walk out of the encirclement, stopped once again.
He turned around slowly, bit by bit.
His face still wore that half-smiling expression, but his eyes were now as deep as two cold pools, and the curve of his lips carried undisguised mockery and coldness.
"Heh..." He let out a low chuckle. The sound was not loud, but it sent an inexplicable chill through everyone present.
"Fine, fine, fine..." Mu Changge nodded, as if praising or perhaps mocking. In a voice only he could hear, he muttered, "I must not have checked the almanac before leaving the house today; I actually ran into a legendary 'little fairy'." Pausing slightly here, he continued, emphasizing each word: "However... what a pity, I am definitely not some 'saintly bitch' who grants every request!"
His voice was low, but both Liu Yaoyao and the men in black heard him. Although they did not quite understand what "little fairy" or "saintly bitch" specifically referred to, the thick layer of sarcasm was clear to everyone.
Seeing Mu Changge turn around, Liu Yaoyao was initially overjoyed, thinking her "moral kidnapping" had worked and that he would ultimately succumb to his identity as a "Righteous Path Disciple" and the pressure of public opinion. A look of superiority even reappeared on her face, though this time mixed with the relief of surviving a disaster and disdain for Mu Changge's "sensibility." She cleared her throat and, in a condescending tone, prepared to "command" him again:
"Since you know you were wrong, hurry up and..."
"You are truly a Genius, you damn idiot."
Mu Changge suddenly spoke, interrupting Liu Yaoyao. He narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping eerily over the woman before him who did not know when to die, and then over the six men in black who had become vigilant again because he had stopped.
"To think you could see through my identity as a demon of the Demonic Path." The curve of his lips widened, his smile becoming increasingly eerie, but there was no warmth in his eyes, only cold indifference. "Since that is the case..."
"...then why do you dare to provoke me?"
The final five words fell like a thunderclap in Liu Yaoyao's ears! The smugness and commanding look on her face instantly froze, transforming into incredulous horror!
No sooner said than done!
Before anyone could react, Mu Changge's figure vanished from the spot like a phantom!
In the next moment, he appeared not far outside the encirclement, precisely on the extended line connecting Liu Yaoyao and the six men in black. A long sword with a chilling gleam was already in his hand. Mu Changge held the scabbard in one hand and the hilt in the other, assuming the starting stance for drawing his sword.
The posture was ordinary, yet it caused the pupils of the leading black-clad man at the Late Nascent Soul Stage to shrink sharply. An unprecedented sense of fatal crisis washed over his entire body, as if he had been doused with ice water!
"Not good! Quick..." The next word had not even left his lips.
"Clang—!" A clear, resonant sword hum rang out across the wilderness!
Mu Changge had drawn his sword. There was no earth-shattering momentum, no flashy or complex sword moves. It was just simple: draw the sword, slash horizontally.
A cross-shaped Sword Qi, condensed to the extreme and dazzling to the point of blinding, cut through the sky like lightning. With an indescribable, unstoppable force, it instantly swept across the semi-circular area centered on Liu Yaoyao! Fast! It was fast to the extreme! And sharp to the extreme!
And then. The cross-shaped sword light flashed and vanished. Time seemed to freeze in that moment, only to be shattered instantly.
"Puchi—!" "Urgh—!" "No—!" The dull thud of sword light cutting into flesh, accompanied by short, shrill screams, erupted almost simultaneously!
Blood, like gorgeous yet cruel flowers, bloomed quietly from seven different locations at the same time!
Liu Yaoyao opened her mouth wide, seemingly wanting to say something. Her eyes were filled with endless regret, fear, and disbelief, but her consciousness was rapidly fading. She looked down and saw a smooth cross-shaped incision on her chest, from which blood was gushing out, staining her goose-yellow crane cloak dress red. She tried to raise her hand to cover the wound, only to find that she had lost control of her body.
The six men in black suffered the same fate. Their protective spiritual light and defensive Magical Artifacts were torn apart as easily as paper in front of that seemingly simple, yet terrifyingly powerful Sword Intent and destructive Sword Qi. Some had their necks severed, their heads rolling away; some were slashed diagonally in half, internal organs spilling out; some were precisely struck in the Dantian by the intersection of the cross-shaped Sword Qi, their Nascent Souls and bodies pulverized together.
Just one sword strike. Seven Cultivators of the Nascent Soul Stage (including Liu Yaoyao, who was at the Early Nascent Soul stage but possessed many Magical Artifacts, and six experienced Nascent Soul killers) were completely wiped out! No one had even seen how Mu Changge drew his sword, nor had anyone seen how that sword light struck everyone.
The scene fell into a deathly silence. There was only the rustling of the wind through the forest and the thick, suffocating smell of blood in the air.
Mu Changge acted as if he had only done a trivial thing. With a flick of his wrist, his long sword returned to its scabbard and vanished. Without even glancing at the scattered corpses and the rapidly spreading pool of blood, he walked with a calm expression to the side of Liu Yaoyao's body, which had not yet fully collapsed. He bent down and skillfully removed the Storage Ring from her finger, the one she had been so proud of just moments ago, and incidentally snatched the other, more Advanced-looking storage jade pendant from her waist.
Then, he strolled as if walking in a courtyard to the other six corpses of the men in black, removing their Storage Pouches, Storage Rings, and any Magical Artifacts that looked valuable, one by one. His movements were crisp and clean, as if he had practiced them thousands of times.
After finishing all this, he casually stored all his "spoils of war" into his own storage space and brushed the non-existent dust from his hands. His gaze swept over Liu Yaoyao's pretty face, which was gradually losing its luster and still held an expression of terror and disbelief. He shook his head slightly, as if lamenting something, or perhaps just feeling bored.
"In your next life, remember to use your brain. Don't treat everyone like a sucker, and don't... randomly slap labels on people." He dropped the sentence indifferently, not knowing if Liu Yaoyao's soon-to-dissipate Soul could hear him.
Then, he turned and continued walking unhurriedly in the direction of Tianque City. His profound black robes swayed slightly in the wind, his stride composed, as if the bloody, sharp sword strike that had instantly killed seven Nascent Soul Cultivators just now was merely brushing away a fallen leaf.
However, if any Core Disciple or Elder of the Wandao Sword Sect were here and witnessed that sword strike, they would surely be shocked beyond measure, perhaps even doubting their own eyes!
Because the move Mu Changge used at the end, although he had deliberately simplified it and altered some of its external form, its core Sword Intent and the fierce Concept of instantaneous eruption and cutting through everything were strikingly similar to one of the Wandao Sword Sect's peerless sword techniques that only a Saint could comprehend—the "Heaven-Destroying Cross Slash"! One could even say it captured its true essence! One could even say it was even better!
The afterglow of the setting sun stretched his shadow long, leaving only a faint, mocking remark in the air: "As long as I have no morals, you cannot kidnap me!"