In the backyard of the Misty Rain Sword Gallery.

Qin Yun looked up at the moon in the night sky as he glanced a distance far away, seeing the three demons that had arrived in Lin City.

He did a simple calculation as he muttered, “So the Southern Nation’s Imperial Preceptor backer is an Elder from the Cloud Ink Sect? The Cloud Ink Sect is also a member of my Numinous Treasure lineage. As my Numinous Treasure lineage has humans and demons mixed in it, the rules are too relaxed. To think a Skyimmortal Elder dares act so brazenly. He even schemed to kill a disciple of his own sect? He deserves death!”

With just a sentence, he had determined Elder Qian’s fate.

There were two reasons for Elder Qian’s death sentence.

First, he was engaging in fratricidal fighting! Although the Numinous Treasure lineage had relaxed rules, it was very united. Killing one of their own was taboo.

Second, he had wreaked havoc on a nation with the help of the Imperial Preceptor. By using all sorts of means, many of the sins were shouldered by the demons, resulting in him receiving less of the sinful burden. However, Qin Yun was not the Three Realms’s Heavenly Dao; he could determine that Elder Qian was the primary instigator and deserved death!

“Haha…”

As a laughter resonated in the backyard, a figure appeared in the night sky before landing behind Qin Yun. He was a rather stocky man who stared intently at Qin Yun. The demonic aura he suffused was very powerful as well. He was none other than the second firmament Essence Soul demon who had been ordered to capture Qin Yun.

“Are you Qin Nan, Misty Rain Sword Gallery’s sword master?” The demon grinned strangely as surging demonic Dharmic powers blanketed the yard. “For a mortal, you sure are good at teaching disciples. You managed to teach a disciple that can hurt my brother. There’s no need to feel aggrieved for having such disciple even if you die. Follow me!”

The surging Dharmic powers had completely bound Qin Yun in preparation to capture him alive.

Qin Yun gave him a glance.

The demon’s laughter came to a halt as his expression froze. He looked at Qin Yun in a daze.

“Go, to the Jin residence,” Qin Yun said as he flew up.

“Yes.” The demon’s turbid eyes restored to normal, but he continued flying obediently with Qin Yun to the Jin residence.

…

When Qin Yun and the demon arrived in the Jin residence, they saw that Tian Huang, who was still heavily injured, had been thrown onto the ground in the yard. He could not bear to eat the pill Qin Yun gave him since if the sect Elder came in time, the pill could be used to save lives in the future. However, he never expected the Imperial Preceptor to come first.

The heavily injured Tian Huang was completely no match for his attackers.

“Tian Huang. Citizen of the Southern Nation’s Lin City. Disciple of the Cloud Ink Sect.” A sinister elder in a black regal gown chuckled insidiously. “I never expected the assassin would be a citizen of the Southern Nation. It’s quite a feat for the Southern Nation to produce such an expert, but unfortunately, you are doomed.”

“It should have been impossible for you to find me. I cultivate in a physical Dharmic formulation. My looks and aura can change. It’s impossible you could recognize me.” Tian Huang was reeling in despair. “I hid here, converging and concealing my aura. Even if you came to Lin City, you shouldn’t have discovered me.” He was very confident of the Cloud Ink Sect’s Dharmic formulation, but he was quite stupefied at the moment.

This was because the Imperial Preceptor’s locating of him not only meant that he was doomed; it also meant that he would implicate others. This was something he could not accept at all.

“Are you underestimating me? Do you think I can’t find you because of that?” The Imperial Preceptor laughed as he waved his hand. Surging Dharmic powers enveloped the entirety of the Jin residence and instantly, a woman was pulled over. She was none other than the soundly sleeping Jin Yu who was in her underclothes. Tian Huang hurriedly caught his junior sister when she was thrown to the ground.

Jin Yu was somewhat stunned.

She was sleeping soundly moments ago; why was she here?

“Senior Brother.” Jin Yu looked at the blood trickling down the corners of Tian Huang’s lips and saw the two demons with flaring Dharmic powers. The leader was a sinister elder in a black regal gown. Her body quivered as she asked, “They are…”

“I’m the Southern Nation’s Imperial Preceptor,” said the black regal-gowned elder with a smile.

“Imperial Preceptor?” Jin Yu’s expression turned pale.

They were doomed!

“Brother, I’ve caught Misty Rain Sword Gallery’s sword master!” A demon landed in the yard with Qin Yun as he spoke.

“Master.” Jin Yu and Tian Huang turned more anxious when they saw Qin Yun.

“His Dharmic powers have been sealed by me. You can do anything you’d like to him.” The demon was grinning as Qin Yun stood by the side silently. He was in no hurry to reveal his strength. After all, he roamed the human world to seek the Great Dao of Man. He took on various roles to experience different situations. Therefore, unless necessary, he did not reveal strength that exceeded his role. Even when he did, he would do so in silence… Others would not realize it.

For example, he was controlling the second firmament demon, but no one was aware of that.

“Tian Huang, your master is here as well.” The Imperial Preceptor felt even more pleased. “You took him as your master at six. You have cultivated for more than thirty years, with twenty years under his tutelage. It’s said your relationship is excellent; it’s as if he’s your father? Hahaha… Oh, there’s this junior sister too. It will only be more tragic for her. Her entire Jin family will be finished.”

“Master, Junior Sister.” Tian Huang was momentarily unsure how to face the situation. His master and junior sister were in a perilous situation, and his junior sister’s entire household was doomed.

“Kill me if you want to kill me. Why implicate my family?” Jin Yu said through gritted teeth. “Besides, I was the one who hid Senior Brother. My master did not know of it.”

“Imperial Preceptor, killing mortals is highly sinful. If there’s any vendetta, aim it at me.” Tian Huang stared at the Imperial Preceptor intently.

“I have means to resolve the sins. As long as it’s not something too major, I can withstand it.” The Imperial Preceptor waved his hand as he smiled, pulling a beautiful woman over. She was dressed properly and she had a needle and thread in her hand. She was astounded by everything when she was pulled through the air.

“Mom.” Jin Yu hurriedly hugged the woman.

“Yu’er.” Madam Jin was dumbfounded when she saw her daughter.

“Mom, it’s my fault. My fault,” muttered Jin Yu as tears streamed down her cheeks. She knew that a calamity had befallen them. Even her mother was implicated.

Tian Huang looked at his junior sister hug her mother while sobbing. His heart pained as he blamed himself.

“Why, why did I hide in my junior sister’s house? Was it because I did not want to be disturbed? Was I overly confident? I was taken in by the Cloud Ink Sect and had a smooth cultivation. Although my assassination of the Imperial Preceptor failed, I easily escaped. I was confident that he could not find me? I underestimated him, but I ended up harming Junior Sister and Master.” Tian Huang’s face turned pale.

“Madam Jin, you might not know me. I’m the Southern Nation’s Imperial Preceptor. This Tian Huang attempted an assassination on me and deserves to be punished with death for his crime. Your daughter even gave him refuge,” said the Imperial Preceptor. “Therefore, you and your daughter shall die; same for Tian Huang and his Master.”

“Mom, sorry. Sorry,” Jin Yu apologized profusely.

Ever since her father passed away, her mother was her only kin.

Her mother managed the Jin family and also took good care of her.

Jin Yu was not afraid of death, but she did not wish to implicate her mother.

“Yu’er, don’t continue.” Madam Jin hugged her daughter and looked at the Imperial Preceptor. “Imperial Preceptor, we are just mere mortals. Can you spare my daughter?”

“All of you have to die. If anyone is to blame, it’s Tian Huang.” The Imperial Preceptor watched as Tian Huang’s expression in glee.

Tian Huang was indeed in pain as he blamed himself.

He stared at the Imperial Preceptor and said in a deep voice, “There’s no way you can stop me if I were to commit suicide. I’m willing to surrender as long as you let my master and my junior sister’s entire family off.”

“Surrender?” The Imperial Preceptor nodded slightly. “That sounds good. You can allow me to vent my frustration as I wish. I would be able to do anything I wish, but unfortunately, you are a Cloud Ink Sect disciple. Therefore, everything has to be done cleanly tonight. You have to die, as well as them.”

“You…”

Tian Huang’s eyes seemed to crack.

No hope was given.

“I’ll give you a little more time. You can say your last words to each other before all of you die!” said the Imperial Preceptor. He felt that doing so made Tian Huang suffer more than experiencing a swift and direct death.

And it was indeed the case.

It was fine if a cultivator died alone, but to implicate his loved ones…

“Master.” Tian Huang plopped to the ground on his knees as tears streamed down his cheeks. “Master, I’m sorry for implicating you. I have always wished to repay you, but not only did I not do it, I even brought a calamity upon you.”

“It’s not your fault.” Qin Yun looked at him.

When Tian Huang heard his master’s first words to be ‘it’s not your fault’ after being captured, scenes surfaced in his mind. He could not help but feel more guilt while tears poured down.

“Yu’er.” Madam Jin hugged her daughter as well, while Jin Yu returned with a tight hug. Even if death was upon them, they were dying together.

“Master, Junior Sister, it’s all my fault. I will repay everything to you in my next life.” After Tian Huang said that while kneeling, his eyes turned red as he transformed into a stream of light that charged at the Imperial Preceptor!

He was risking it all!

Bam!

The Imperial Preceptor, who was already prepared, waved his hand, throwing out a huge seal. It slammed into Tian Huang, throwing him to the ground. It left a massive crater in his wake.

“Since you are in a hurry to die, die!” The Imperial Preceptor’s violent demonic auras surged.

Qin Yun watched this scene from the side.

At that moment, Madam Jin and Jin Yu were hugging each other, unwilling to loosen their grip despite their impending deaths.

At that moment, the guilt-ridden Tian Huang counterattacked.

The Imperial Preceptor’s expression was nasty, but his eyes had a look of excitement in them. He wanted to kill everything.

The events unfolding before them were like a picturesque scene. It was also an inconspicuous scene in the vast human word. There was the reluctance from parting, guilt and shame, hatred, and craziness…

At this moment, he recalled scenes that were buried deep in his memories, from the moment he could first remember more than ten thousand years ago.

“Save me! Save me…” His sister was shouting as she was taken away by demons.

The old servant Uncle Qian’s desperate bid to protect Jia Huairen.

The death of Water God, causing all of Grand Dominance County to rejoice.

The kiss with Yi Xiao under the bright moon.

…

All that he had experienced over the past ten thousand years seemed to play out in a long piece of painting. Countless paintings appeared before Qin Yun’s eyes.

“This is the human world,” muttered Qin Yun. “This is the Great Dao of Man I’ve been searching for.”