Chapter 160: Old Grudges and New Resentments Meet in a Foreign Land

Just as everyone was chatting pleasantly with Qin Ruohen, an unusual commotion rose from downstairs. It seemed some bored and idle troublemaker was trying to test the bottom line of the Azure Jade Pavilion, wanting to see if this place was truly as ethereal and dreamlike as legend claimed, a fairyland where none dared to trespass, where even powerful families would grant her some respect. Yet this just went to show how some individuals were utterly full of themselves, utterly blind to reality. Still, this was hardly a bad thing; using him for a bit of amusement to inject some lively, unconventional atmosphere into the perpetually tranquil Azure Jade Pavilion was quite a delightful prospect!

"You base and lowly servants, do you have any idea who this young master is? With a single word, I could buy this place and turn it into my private estate. It is your supreme honor that this young master has taken a liking to this spot, yet not only are you completely lacking in tact by refusing to step aside, you continue to squat here and ignore my existence! Do you truly force me to administer a slight punishment before you realize the consequences of defying my will?" After a moment, the man continued his tireless clamor downstairs. Exchanging taciturn glances, the crowd frowned in unison, then stood up and headed downstairs to see what manner of creature this barking dog actually was.

They say that enemies are bound to cross paths, and it seemed truly fitting now. As Yushang descended to the first floor, he happened to spot a gorgeously dressed, rather decently featured prodigal son throwing his weight around, muttering threats under his breath with an aggressive air that suggested he might resort to violence at any second. Yet the moment Yushang laid eyes on this person, a deep sense of familiarity intertwined with intense aversion welled up within him. It seemed as though he had seen this face somewhere before. After racking his brains, Yushang finally remembered who this fellow was. Heavens truly were blind to let such a greasy, pomaded scoundrel remain alive in this world.

Yushang vividly recalled the days of his youth when, carrying the naive and tender Ling Huanying, he had secretly slipped away from his family to wander the mortal realm for fun. He had never anticipated that, due to a momentary lapse in concentration, he would become separated from Ling Huanying. When he finally tracked her down, the young girl was being attacked by a cultivator, with a mortal standing by as a spectator—evidently, they were in cahoots. Fortunately, his reflexes were quick; employing his family's secret technique, the Wind-Riding Trace, he flashed directly in front of Ling Huanying and intercepted that crushing blow in her place. Afterward, dragging his broken body, he brought the girl to the border and pushed her into the Netherworld, while he himself collapsed into unconsciousness due to his severe injuries.

Only after he regained consciousness did Ling Huanying recount the whole sequence of events to Yushang. It turned out that the mortal had harbored lustful desires for the young girl's beauty and attempted to take liberties with her. Unable to swallow her anger, Ling Huanying had lashed out to teach that arrogant young master a lesson. Yet from beginning to end, she had never intended to take the mortal's life. Who could have known that shortly thereafter, the mortal would return with a powerful cultivator as backup? Had Yushang not materialized in the nick of time, the young girl's fragrant soul would long since have perished. And this very troublemaker making a scene inside the Azure Jade Pavilion was none other than that mortal from back then.

Had it not been for his pointless provocation that day, he would never have suffered such grave injuries and nearly lost his life. Today, old grievances and new scores would be settled together. With this thought, Yushang stepped forward to teach the fellow a lesson, but Qin Ruohen beat him to it. She walked up to the prodigal son with a smile and said softly, "Esteemed guest, our Azure Jade Pavilion is located right in the center of the Azure Falling Ancient City. No matter which private room you look out from, the scenery is a feast for the eyes, guaranteed not to disappoint. Since that is the case, why insist on fighting others for this particular spot? It merely lowers your status and ruins your mood for leisure. Why go to such lengths?"

"So you are Qin Ruohen, the manager of the Azure Jade Pavilion rumored to possess looks that could shame the moon and close the flowers! You truly are as gorgeous as a fairy. It is only fitting that you become my concubine! How about this? As long as you follow me, you won't have to bustle about every single day for this trifling amount of money. You can live in luxury at home, playing the carefree young mistress—how wonderful would that be!" Upon laying eyes on Qin Ruohen, the prodigal son's eyes lit up, and he looked as though he wanted to swallow her whole. His expression was precisely that of a starving wolf locking onto its prey—truly terrifying!

"I am deeply flattered by your kindness, esteemed guest, but I come from a humble background and am simply unworthy of such an honor. I am certain that one day, you will find a woman far more captivating than I to join you in a hundred-year union and carry on your lineage. Therefore, I must ask you to seek elsewhere for a maiden worthy of you." Qin Ruohen maintained her smile, though her tone revealed a trace of mounting irritation. She was merely enduring this for the sake of the Azure Jade Pavilion. Indeed, once a person found something they truly cared about, they would weigh their actions carefully. No matter the decision, it would be made for its sake, even if enduring a few grievances along the way was the price to pay.

"Don't think this young master cannot understand what you dead girl are implying! Aren't you just beating around the bush to say that my humble appearance is unworthy of your flowery visage? Let me tell you, whatever this young master wants, he gets! If you refuse to marry into my estate today, do not expect to ever know a peaceful day again! No matter how vast the world is, there will be no place for you to hide. Once I decide to wipe you out, you will have nowhere to run and no path to survival!" the prodigal son declared arrogantly, clearly paying no heed to the humble Azure Jade Pavilion.

"Since the young lady has made herself so abundantly clear, why must you force someone against their will? Besides, a person like you might not even live to see tomorrow. Why ruin a young girl's life? Who could bear to watch such a tender, dewy beauty widowed at such a tender age, spending her days weeping before her husband's spirit tablet? Therefore, you should cherish the days you have left in this mortal world, because you never know when you might mysteriously drop dead in the wilderness." A deeply seductive voice drifted from a private room in the corner. It seemed there was no need for the group to intervene; someone else was about to settle this matter!

"Where did some punk come from, daring to provoke this young master? It seems you've grown tired of living, and if that's the case, I don't mind sending you on your way myself!" The prodigal son sneered loudly toward the private room. Meanwhile, Yushang, who had remained silent for quite some time, detected something amiss. There was a faint aura of cultivation emanating from this mortal—could it be that he had actually become a cultivator? No wonder he remained unchanged after all these years and had grown even more brazen. Still, people of his ilk usually met a tragic end; after all, one had to pay the price for past wrongs. It seemed a marvelous show was about to unfold today!

"Little brat, it looks like there's no need for us to make a move after all. Someone else has already found this unbearable and wants to play the hero saving the beauty!" Xiaoyin laughed heartily beside Yushang, his teasing gaze making it clear he was ready to enjoy a good show. The others had also settled down. If Qin Ruohen hadn't been signaling them with her eyes not to meddle rashly, how could they have stood by and watched her being bullied? Yet if they intervened, that fellow would surely discover their connection to Qin Ruohen and return to harass the pavilion once they departed. However, if an outsider stepped in, everything would change.

Even if the arrogant young man suffered a loss, he would not vent his anger on the Azure Jade Pavilion, since the place had nothing to do with the knight-errant who had drawn his blade out of a sense of justice. That person had merely acted upon finding injustice intolerable. Reason and logic dictated that the Azure Jade Pavilion was entirely uninvolved, leaving him no grounds to cause further trouble here. At the same time, everyone grew quite curious about the occupant of that private room. Judging by the voice, it should be a handsome young master. Why refuse to show his face, choosing instead to lecture a mortal from behind a veil of sheer gauze?

"Who I am is none of your concern; you need only be clear about who *you* are. Causing a disturbance in the Azure Falling Ancient City requires knowing your own weight. Otherwise, dying without even knowing how you met your end would be far too pathetic. Though, I imagine if you died, no one would grieve; instead, they would celebrate wildly. The passing of a local tyrant will liberate countless souls from their torment. Put that way, your death seems rather mandatory!" The person inside the private room teased the prodigal son outside in a soft voice, yet the murderous intent contained within was chillingly real—as if he genuinely intended to claim the life of this ignorant mortal.

"Very well! Today I shall let you see what kind of person this young master is, and make you realize just how terrifying the consequences of offending me are!" With that, the prodigal son channeled his true qi to the utmost and viciously struck toward the private room. Although the blow was immensely forceful, strangely enough, not a single object inside the Azure Jade Pavilion was touched by the wave of true qi; everything remained completely unscathed. Filled with curiosity, Yushang took advantage of the others' distraction to flick his hand slightly behind him, releasing a stream of true qi of his own. Just as he anticipated, nothing happened; the energy swept past like a gentle breeze, causing no harm to any furnishing.

It seemed the Azure Jade Pavilion possessed more than just magnificent decor; even these seemingly ornamental furnishings possessed resilience far beyond imagination, capable of rivaling ordinary divine artifacts! What on earth was Qin Ruohen's background? Why did she possess so many treasures, along with the capability to manage this vast pavilion all by herself, commanding the respect of prominent figures who refrained from causing trouble here and offered her heavy protection—aside from this ignorant young fool, of course? Yet weaving all these threads together made the situation rather bizarre!

The stream of true qi unleashed by the prodigal son vanished the moment it entered the private room, acting as though a mere puff of wind had brushed against the occupant without inflicting the slightest injury, while instead bolstering the assailant's momentum. Right at that moment, a powerful surge of true qi erupted from the private room, striking the prodigal son squarely. The force sent him stumbling backward repeatedly until he slammed heavily against the wall, after which he stared at the private room in sheer disbelief, unable to fathom how a single blow could reduce him to such a wretched state.

"This is a minor punishment to warn you. You lack the qualifications to make waves in the Azure Jade Pavilion. If I catch you making trouble here again, you can prepare yourself for the grave. Scram!" The occupant of the private room addressed the prodigal son with absolute dominance. Seemingly sensing something, the mortal picked himself up and hurried outside, desperate to flee the place. His terrified expression piqued Yushang's curiosity—who on earth was inside that private room? With a single understated strike and without leaving a name, they had sent the fellow running for his life. It seemed his choice of destination today was correct; truly, marvelous talents abounded here!

By this time, Qin Ruohen had approached the private room and addressed the person inside with utmost sincerity, "Thank you, young master, for your righteous assistance. Otherwise, I shudder to think how this farce might have ended. Yet I feel deeply guilty for implicating you and drawing the enmity of that odious wretch upon your head." The gaze Qin Ruohen cast toward the private room was vastly different from before, carrying a hint of lingering admiration and profound gratitude. She had not expected that in such turbulent times, there would still be chivalrous souls willing to draw their swords for a stranger, filling her with genuine respect.

"The young lady is too kind. Such a treacherous scoundrel deserved severe punishment long ago. Furthermore, I acted to secure a moment of peace for myself. If he had continued his racket, I would have been the one to suffer, losing my tranquility only to be subjected to a barrage of noise. Besides, how could such a pure and quiet place be allowed to be defiled by such a creature?" The young man inside the private room replied with polite detachment, further deepening everyone's curiosity about him.