"Ah, Zhao Xiaotian, it's been a while." Li Yun's smile carried a sharp edge as he stepped further into the hall. "Let me think… yes, about half a month, wasn't it? The last time we crossed paths was at the Treasure Pavilion's small auction. Back then, Xiaotian, you really managed to steal the spotlight."
The teasing words struck like daggers. At the mention of the auction, Zhao Xiaotian's expression darkened, fury boiling in his chest. He wanted nothing more than to unsheathe his sword and separate Li Yun's head from his shoulders. Yet, this was the Treasure Pavilion, where violence was strictly forbidden. With great difficulty, he forced down his killing intent, though his eyes still blazed with venom.
Around them, murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"Isn't that Li Yun?"
"Yes, Li Yun, the grandson of Li Zhen, the Li family's Third Elder. That's him."
"Look at Zhao Xiaotian's face… it's like he wants to swallow Li Yun whole."
"How could he not hate him? Don't you know what happened at the Treasure Pavilion auction a month ago? Zhao Xiaotian suffered a huge loss thanks to Li Yun. See that sword he's carrying? That's the Dark Light Sword, a high grade mortal rank weapon he won at the auction. Guess how much he paid for it? Twenty-six thousand gold coins!"
"What? Twenty-six thousand for a mere high grade mortal rank weapon? Is he insane?"
"That's exactly why he's seething. I heard Li Yun kept bidding against him, and when the price hit twenty-six thousand, Li Yun suddenly pulled out, leaving Zhao Xiaotian to pay the full amount like a fool."
"Not just that. He also spent seventy thousand gold coins on a set of so-called excellent-quality Marrow Cleansing Elixirs, all because of Li Yun's tricks. When he returned home, his father confined him for half a month or so I heard."
"What? Seventy thousand gold coins for just five bottles? He's a pig!" someone muttered under their breath, careful not to let Zhao Xiaotian hear.
The crowd buzzed with amusement and scorn, their whispers spreading like wildfire.
"Still, Li Yun isn't ordinary either. At that same auction, he casually threw out seventy to eighty thousand gold coins to buy two full sets of purple flower fruits and even a spatial ring."
"Seventy to eighty thousand? Does he really have that much wealth?" Some voices carried disbelief, while others glanced at Li Yun with new eyes, a mixture of envy and curiosity flashing across their faces.
"Brother Li Yun… why are you here?" Li Yao lowered her head slightly, her voice soft and hesitant.
Li Yun's lips curved into a thin line. "This bastard wants to bully you. How could I possibly stand by and ignore it?"
"I can handle it myself," Li Yao replied quietly, casting a glance at Xiao Wu. "Xiao Wu accidentally stepped on his foot. I'll just compensate him with some gold coins."
"Gold coins?" Zhao Xiaotian let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "You think a few coins can settle this? Hah! This little slut stepped on my foot, and you dare suggest I walk away with pocket change? Li Yao, I'll give you two choices, either hand this girl over to me… or you spend a night with me." His words dripped with venom, and the fire in his gaze as it roamed over Li Yao was anything but concealed.
Li Yun's heart turned to ice. His eyes narrowed into razor blades as he swept his gaze over Zhao Xiaotian. "Zhao Xiaotian… do you truly have a death wish?"
"Hahahaha!" Zhao Xiaotian threw his head back in laughter, mocking and wild. "Li Yun, do you even think before you speak? You, daring to say such things to me?" His tone twisted with scorn, though the rage in his eyes betrayed how deeply Li Yun's words had cut.
He stepped forward, his voice dropping into a sinister growl. "Little brat, do you dare face me in the Martial Arts Hall?"
The Martial Arts Hall inside the Treasure Pavilion was the only place where cultivators were permitted to spar without restriction.
"You want to compete with me?" Li Yun's lips lifted into a faint, dangerous smile. In truth, he had just advanced to the late stage of the Marrow Cleansing Realm and was searching for a worthy opponent to test his strength. Zhao Xiaotian, already at the peak stage, was the perfect target.
"Hmph! I knew you wouldn't dare." Zhao Xiaotian scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain. "Get lost. And remember this, don't let me find you in a quiet, deserted place. Because if I do… I'll kill you where you stand."
Inside the Treasure Pavilion, Zhao Xiaotian couldn't touch Li Yun outside of the Martial Arts Hall. But beyond these walls, in some silent alley with no witnesses, things would be very different. Even if Li Yun died by his hand, there would be no proof. And with the Zhao family's influence surpassing that of the Li family, no one would risk igniting open conflict for the sake of one youth.
Li Yun caught the murderous gleam burning in Zhao Xiaotian's eyes. Yet instead of anger, only a faint smile lingered on his lips, calm, unbothered, as though Zhao Xiaotian's threats were nothing more than idle noise.
Just then, a sudden chime echoed in Li Yun's mind. A glowing screen appeared before his eyes.
[Ding! Host has triggered the novice quest: Kill or Be Killed. Would you like to accept the quest?]
---
[Quest Level: E]
– Objective: Kill Zhao Xiaotian in the Martial Arts Hall.
– Reward: 5000 gold coins, 700 experience points
---
"Kill him?" Li Yun's brows knit faintly. His heart wavered.
He had never taken a life before. Crippling an opponent, breaking bones, leaving them bedridden, that was one thing. But ending someone's existence entirely… that was another matter altogether. Back on Earth, killing was a crime. Here, in this world, it was survival.
For a brief moment, hesitation flickered in his eyes. But then a memory rose, one not his own, yet etched deep within his soul. The dream of the previous Li Yun. The desire to defy the heavens, to resurrect his parents. To achieve that, he would need strength strong enough to shake the world. And strength on this path was soaked in blood.
Now, he himself carried the same will. This body. This name. This life. On the martial path, killing was inevitable. For survival. For revenge. For resources. For destiny.
"Killing… is the law of this world," Li Yun thought solemnly. 'And I have to get familiar with the killing too.'
'Accept the mission,' he said firmly in his heart.
His lips curved into a faint smile as he looked at Zhao Xiaotian. "Zhao Xiaotian, how about we head to the Martial Arts Hall right now?"
"Hm?"
"What?" Zhao Xiaotian blinked, stunned. For a moment, he wondered if he had misheard. Li Yun's calm words left him completely dumbfounded. This brat actually dared to challenge him, someone at the peak stage of the Marrow Cleansing Realm?
Was he looking for death?
Not only Zhao Xiaotian, even Li Yao's expression shifted to disbelief.
She clearly remembered the coming-of-age ceremony, when Li Yun had shocked the entire clan by defeating Li Nian with a single strike. That scene had engraved itself in her mind, as well as in the minds of countless others.
Yet when she later asked her father, Li Jinyun, the head of the Li family, he told her the truth: Li Yun's cultivation was only at the early stage of the Marrow Cleansing Realm. His victory had been possible because of his extraordinary mastery over a fist technique, not because of overwhelming cultivation.
But martial mastery alone could not bridge such a vast gap. Against Zhao Xiaotian, who stood proudly at the peak stage, this challenge was nothing short of suicidal.
"Brother Li Yun, no!" Li Yao's voice trembled as she stepped forward. Her beautiful eyes glistened with nervousness.
Yet beneath her worry, there was gratitude. She knew he had stepped forward for her sake, to shield her from Zhao Xiaotian's humiliation. And along with that gratitude came guilt, heavy, suffocating guilt.
For all that had happened between them over the years. For the distance she had allowed to grow. A thousand words rose in her chest, but in this moment, not one could leave her lips.