Want One of My Hands?

Sensing the oppressive aura of the flight restriction radiating over Qinzhou City, Li Guanqi slowly descended. Pulling out a jade slip, he murmured softly, "Lin Jiujiu, your bro has arrived at Qinzhou City." Inside the Lin family residence, where a clan council was still underway, Lin Wujiu pulled out his jade slip as if no one else were in the room. A look of delight crossed his face, and then, right before all the clan elders, he abruptly stood up. Seated at the head of the hall, an imposing man draped in a gilded robe gave a slight frown. The man possessed slightly tan skin, sharp and straight features, and a pair of fierce tiger eyes burning with vibrant energy. A few deep furrows etched between his brows made it clear that he was someone accustomed to scowling from a position of high authority. Lin Jinting naturally radiated the overwhelming aura of a supreme ruler. Coupled with his unfathomable cultivation, it lent him an even greater air of sovereign majesty. Lin Jinting's voice was deep and resonant, delivered at a measured, unhurried pace even when reprimanding someone. "We haven't finished speaking yet. Where are you going?" Lin Wujiu shrugged and looked toward his father in the high seat, saying softly, "To pick up my friend. He's already at our doorstep." The stern-faced Lin Jinting waved his hand in slight resignation, rising to his feet as he said, "Fine then. Let us take a short break and resume shortly." Hearing this, the elders seated below relaxed slightly. Some turned to pick up their teacups for a sip, while others leaned together in groups of two or three to murmur in hushed voices. Lin Wujiu made to push the doors open and leave, but Lin Jinting called out after him. "What is the rush?" Lin Wujiu turned around in surprise. "What is it?" Smoothing his robes, Lin Jinting chuckled softly. "I am coming with you. I would also like to see what sort of fellow this friend of my son is—the one who dares to call Lin Jinting's boy 'Lin Jiujiu.'" At those words, Lin Wujiu felt an instant wave of embarrassment. He had not realized that his father had overheard the voice transmission from the jade slip. Father and son stood shoulder to shoulder. Lin Jinting stood nearly a fist taller than the slender, tall Lin Wujiu. Clasping one hand behind his back, Lin Jinting asked in a quiet tone, "Who is visiting this time? Is it the one you mentioned who possesses the King's Mark physique, or the one whose sword path you claimed surpassed even your own?" The corners of Lin Wujiu's mouth curved slightly upward, and he replied with immense pride, "It's the fellow who forced Chen Tianhua to bow his head single-handedly! Li Congxin." A gleam flashed across Lin Jinting's eyes. He had heard about the incident with the Tianhua Sword Sect as well. It was hard to imagine that a mere Mystic Immortal could trap and pick apart an entire sect all by himself for over eight months! In the end, he had forced a True Immortal to lower his head, admit fault, and lose all face!! A King-grade physique was certainly rare—in fact, there were hardly a handful of people with such a physique throughout the Ten Lands. Cultivators like that were usually chosen and taken away by the supreme sects of the Eight Desolations. Calling them peerless dragons and phoenixes among men was no exaggeration. Yet... Compared to Qisha, Lin Jinting was far more curious about this Li Congxin. Lin Jinting smiled at his son's reply. "Good, good, good. My son has finally stepped out into the wider world to make friends with heroes across the realm." Lin Wujiu paused slightly, a warm feeling welling up in his chest. It was rare for him to hear such unstinting praise from his father's lips. He could tell that Lin Jinting was genuinely pleased that he was forging such friendships. Naturally, had they been mere fair-weather companions, Lin Jinting would never have given them a second thought. But he had heard the full account of what transpired in the Tianhua Sword Sect's pocket realm. If not for Li Congxin and Qisha joining forces with him, the three of them might have faced grave peril. Lin Wujiu carried numerous dharma artifacts capable of ensuring his safety, of course. Yet in a treacherous world, weathering crises through mutual trust was far more tempering to the mind than relying on external crutches. Rubbing the antique ring on his finger, Lin Wujiu walked beside Lin Jinting with furrowed brows. "Father, has the Qingwei Immortal Sect been pushing their luck a bit too far lately? The Yuqing Mountain Range has always been Lin family territory, yet they dare send people to harass our borders again and again!" Lin Jinting narrowed his eyes, a sudden chill flashing in the depths of his gaze. "Hmph. It seems the discovery of the ancient herb garden within our family's immortal mine was leaked after all. Still... this leak was likely not intentional on the part of our own bloodline. Our people understand full well how vital this matter is." Lin Wujiu frowned in deep thought for a long while. "Then who could it be?" Seeing his son lost in contemplation, Lin Jinting smiled. A faint grin curled the man's lips. He reached out to pat Lin Wujiu gently on the shoulder, waiting until his son looked up before speaking. "At times, do not fixate solely on what lies directly before your eyes; view the matter as a whole. Think carefully about what has happened recently in the Yuqing Mountain Range, and about the recent movements of the Qingwei Immortal Sect." Lin Wujiu pondered the clues. Moments later, his eyes lit up, and he spoke rapidly: "The demon beasts of the Yuqing Mountain Range rampaged and gathered because a rare phenomenon appeared three days ago, signaling the ripening of a dragon bile blossom fruit! That is why the Qingwei Immortal Sect only dispatched Mystic Immortal disciples to investigate—they weren't certain yet, so they haven't sent any Heavenly Immortal elders!!" Lin Jinting let out a booming laugh, stroking the stubble on his chin with a smile. "Clever boy." Lin Wujiu smiled, though a ruthless edge rose in his thoughts. *Hmph. Whoever dares stretch out their claws, I'll chop their hands off!* Lin Jinting's smile widened with deep satisfaction. *** Meanwhile, Li Guanqi was still dutifully waiting in line outside the city gates. Out of sheer boredom, he was exchanging messages with Qisha. In just a few days, Qisha would arrive at Qinzhou City as well. Qisha had asked about his plans for the future, but Li Guanqi had not yet made up his mind. *Right, can one trace someone's whereabouts through the black market? Or is there any channel in the Immortal Realm to purchase intelligence?* Qisha chuckled in reply. *Forget it. Tracking someone down in the Immortal Realm doesn't come cheap. It easily starts at hundreds of thousands of immortal crystals, and the higher the target's cultivation, the steeper the price.* Li Guanqi was taken aback, muttering under his breath, *That expensive?* Suddenly, an overbearing voice barked out, and a large hand lunged straight for Li Guanqi's collar. "Get out of the way! I'm in a hurry to enter the city!" Li Guanqi frowned. Lowering the jade slip, he turned around, his hand clamping onto the reaching wrist like an iron vise. "Aaargh! Ow, ow, ow! Let go, let go!" A young man draped in an opulent blue-and-gold robe crouched halfway down, his face contorted in agony. Seeing this, the lavishly dressed female cultivator beside him turned pale with fright and shrieked, "Ah! Let Brother Yu go this instant!! Do you have any idea who he is?" At the same time, a white-haired elder standing behind the two abruptly unleashed his aura! Someone in the crowd behind recognized the youth and spoke with a scoff: "Tsk, isn't that Zhuang Yu? That profligate wastrel is still the same pathetic sight, spending every waking hour indulging in wine and women." "Tell me about it. His taste in women isn't much to look at either, though he doesn't care—he tosses them aside after playing around for a few days anyway." Li Guanqi did not let go. Turning his gaze toward the elder behind them, he let out a scoff. Releasing his grip, he hurled the youth to the ground, knocking the female cultivator several yards away in the process. With a flick of his sleeve, the elder guided the youth back onto his feet, not sparing so much as a glance for the fallen woman. Li Guanqi sneered coldly. "If you're in a hurry to die, I wouldn't mind stepping aside. If not... crawl to the back of the line." At that moment, an old cultivator standing behind Li Guanqi could not help sending him a voice transmission: *Young man, if you aren't pressed for time, you should just yield. The Zhuang family holds no small sway in Qinzhou City. Better to avoid trouble whenever you can.* Li Guanqi smiled back at the elder, pointing a finger upward. "In Qinzhou City, I have someone above me." "Someone above you?! I, Zhuang Yu, would love to see who you could possibly have backing you in Qinzhou today!! Elder Li, cripple him for me!!" With the bones in his hand cracked and throbbing in excruciating pain, the youth bared his teeth, his face flushed scarlet as he pointed at Li Guanqi and bellowed in fury. *Buzz!* The gray-robed elder narrowed his eyes, staring at Li Guanqi as he spoke in a frigid tone, "Young man, I advise you to kneel before our young master, apologize, and leave a hand behind. Then we might consider the matter settled." The cultivators waiting in line fell silent at this. After all, the old man before them was a genuine Heavenly Immortal. Fearing that Zhuang Yu might lose his life outside, the Zhuang family had spent a fortune specifically to hire this Dao protector for him. Hearing the demand, Li Guanqi slowly turned around, facing the elder. He extended his right hand and said with a smile, "You want one of my hands?" *Whoosh!* A light breeze swept past, followed by an earth-shattering shriek. Li Guanqi had not budged an inch from where he stood, yet his hand was already gripping a severed, blood-dripping palm. Looking playfully at the elder before him, he spoke in a calm, flat voice: "How about this one?" *Thud!* The severed hand dropped right in front of the elder.