Isn't This Your Wife?

A stir rippled through the Martial Arts Alliance branch. Qi Yuan's combat strength was extraordinary even among those at the martial arts limit. More importantly, he was so young. Immediately, many martial artists from the alliance stepped forward, eager to make his acquaintance. Qi Yuan, however, had no interest in any of it. He offered a casual excuse: "The water in my hotel room has boiled. I have to hurry back and make instant noodles." With that, he turned and walked out of the Martial Arts Alliance branch. The remaining martial artists looked at one another in bewilderment. Many of those who had seen Qi Yuan outside earlier wore peculiar expressions. "This martial artist... is rather odd." "If I remember correctly, he seemed to have a psychiatric certificate." "Huh? Judging by his behavior, he really does seem sick." "Did he ruin his brain through martial arts training?" "When God opens a window for someone, He slams the door in their face." The martial artists' gazes shifted from envy to pity. Exceptional martial arts talent was indeed enviable. Yet... if he had lost his mind, what good was that talent? No matter how strong, someone without his own wits would only end up as a puppet in another's hands—a mere tool for making money. At the end of the day, having a functional brain was what truly mattered. Qi Yuan left the branch, and Han Xianyun, Northern Crane, followed him out. Yang Shan stayed behind to chat with an old friend he had run into at the branch, leaving Han Xianyun to accompany Qi Yuan as the two walked off together. At this moment, Han Xianyun's mind was flooded with questions. "Your martial talent is actually greater than mine. You wouldn't happen to be a second Luo Bufan, would you?" Han Xianyun walked shoulder to shoulder with Qi Yuan. After all, for hundreds of years, no one in the martial arts world had shattered the martial arts limit. If Qi Yuan did, it would be an earth-shattering event for the entire martial community. "My talent is actually very ordinary," Qi Yuan replied honestly. "I'm this strong today entirely because of my own hard work!" His martial talent truly was merely average. He was this formidable only because he grinded so hard in the game. "You're being modest. In ordinary circles, hard work really is useful, but the martial arts world runs on talent," Han Xianyun said. "The gap between one person and another is wider than the gap between a human and a dog." Han Xianyun hailed from an established noble family, but he had an older brother. The "throne" belonged to his elder brother, so he... could not take the initiative to enter the circle his brother occupied. Instead, he mingled in niche communities like the martial arts world. It was a form of self-preservation. His brother was thirteen years older and in his prime; if Han Xianyun entertained thoughts of competing, how could he possibly win? The Qi Yuan before him gave him a peculiar feeling, always seeming wrapped in mystery. The fortune-teller from earlier had been just as cryptic. At first, Han Xianyun thought it was a setup targeting him, but now it didn't seem like it at all. "There's still some time before the Martial Arts Tournament," Han Xianyun said warmly. "Are you staying in Longtai the whole time? How about I act as your guide and take you around the city? Longtai has many martial sacred sites, making it a wonderful place for martial artists like us. You may be very strong now, but whether you can take the championship at the tournament is another matter. Taking this time to explore the ancient relics with me might even improve your martial arts." He wanted to take advantage of this time to figure out Qi Yuan's background. "That sounds good," Qi Yuan replied. "When I get married, I definitely need to go on a honeymoon trip." His response had nothing whatsoever to do with what Han Xianyun had said. Han Xianyun froze. He couldn't help recalling the psychiatric certificate Qi Yuan had pulled out earlier, as well as the chatter back at the branch. Could Qi Yuan... really be mentally ill? Otherwise, why was communicating with him so difficult? Struck by a thought, Han Xianyun quickly asked, "What kind of person has to go to the hospital every single day?" Qi Yuan paused, looking at Han Xianyun as if staring at a simpleton. "You've been watching too many short videos. My mental illness is an act, not real." Han Xianyun breathed a sigh of relief. A truly mentally ill person wouldn't say something like that. "Seems I misunderstood." "As for who goes to the hospital every day... probably no one," Qi Yuan answered. "Not even Pangu." Time stretched on endlessly, and hospitals hadn't always existed. How could anyone go to the hospital every day? For instance, before heaven and earth were opened, who went to a hospital? Han Xianyun was baffled once again. Didn't he just say the mental illness was an act? Why did his words make no sense at all? He was sick. Absolutely sick! Just then, Han Xianyun suddenly stiffened. "Did you hear a strange sound?" He looked toward the alley ahead. The alley was deserted and deathly silent, yet for some reason, he felt that a peculiar sound had drifted from it only a moment ago. "A sound?" Qi Yuan also looked toward the alley, curiosity in his eyes. "I didn't hear anything. But... we can go take a look." Qi Yuan indeed hadn't heard an unusual sound, but following Han Xianyun's gaze, he sensed a faint anomaly. "Alright." Han Xianyun gave it a brief thought and headed straight into the alley with Qi Yuan without hesitation. The alley was narrow and rather dirty. Beside a nearby flowerpot lay a pile of dry dog droppings; judging by the color and moisture, it had been there for some time. Han Xianyun scanned his surroundings and smiled. "Seems it was just my imagination. I'm the type who... often gets auditory hallucinations. Sometimes I frequently hear bizarre sounds, but when I run over... there's nothing there." He had suffered from auditory hallucinations since childhood. Initially, he thought he was some chosen one who could hear things ordinary people couldn't. Then he went to the hospital for a checkup, and... well, his ears just had a minor issue. "Is it possible that it's not a hallucination, but rather that your bloodline concentration... is quite dense?" Qi Yuan suggested casually. "What do you mean?" Han Xianyun was puzzled. "You opened your Third Eye!" Qi Yuan said with a grin. "You sure can talk," Han Xianyun scoffed. "If I had opened my Third Eye, where's the ghost? Where is it? It just so happens I'm not married yet and lack a wife. Hurry up and send a ghost for me to marry!" "Would one with two large horns and standing three meters tall work?" Qi Yuan gazed ahead, a strange look in his eyes. "Never mind two horns—even if it's covered in chest hair, I'm game! That's a ghost, a rare novelty. What a great thing it would be to marry a ghost as my wife!" Han Xianyun grew more animated as he spoke, seemingly in earnest. Yet as the words left his mouth, he suddenly felt a bizarre sensation, as if his body had made contact with a thick, viscous fluid, making movement sluggish and difficult. Puzzled, he suddenly felt a chill across his forehead. "What's going on?" He wiped his forehead with his hand and looked down at his palm. Terror instantly washed over his face. "Blood!" His hand was smeared with dense, fresh blood. Standing right beside Han Xianyun, Qi Yuan wore an intrigued look. "So this game really does have hidden maps. No... this probably isn't a hidden map yet..." "What are you talking about?" Han Xianyun panicked. His body was growing stiff and numb, and his forehead felt damp as blood dripped continuously. "Hurry up and look up at the ghost wife you wanted to marry. Though... it doesn't seem to be a ghost." Hearing Qi Yuan's voice, Han Xianyun instinctively looked up. The next instant, his eyes widened, and he swallowed hard. "What... what is that? If that becomes my wife, won't I end up with my ass bleeding..." Perched up high stood a terrifying beast of black and crimson. Two ox horns sprouted from its head. Its black flesh was covered in grotesque lumps filled with blood-red sprouts of flesh. In its hands, it held a massive axe dripping with blood. Qi Yuan shot Han Xianyun a glance. "You're such a buzzkill. In a situation like this, you're still using such disgusting words? Is there something wrong with your head?" "You're the one with a problem in the head! This is a normal reaction, alright?!" Han Xianyun stared at the terrifying beast, his legs trembling. "What kind of monster is this? And... where are we?" Just then, a weak voice drifted over: "How did you two end up here? I understand now... your bloodline concentration is high enough, and this place was too close to reality. You accidentally brought him in with you." Han Xianyun looked over and immediately recognized the fortune-teller from earlier. The fortune-teller was in a wretched state. Blood leaked from the corners of his mouth, and a bloody gash was torn across his abdomen, vaguely revealing his intestines. The fortune-teller, Yu Xiu, spoke weakly, "This is Executioner Axe Mors. The curse on me hasn't dissipated, so it came to execute me. It possesses terrifying divine strength, capable of cleaving a small mountain in half with a single axe strike. It is a terrifying beast of Mythological rank!" Han Xianyun blinked, staring at the wound on the fortune-teller's belly. If it was so powerful that one blow could shatter a mountain, how did it only leave a cut like that on your belly? Are you that badass too? As if reading Han Xianyun's expression, Yu Xiu felt a storm of complex emotions. Han Xianyun really seemed to have a screw loose. "I am the condemned, fated to endure thirty-seven axe strikes. Each strike deals a fixed amount of damage, and only the final one is fatal. But you two... stumbled into the execution grounds. We're finished. This will enrage Axe Mors, and it will kill us all!" During an execution, a condemned prisoner generally had a thirty percent chance of survival. However, trespassers who barged in faced certain death. Because of this, many people exploited the rule to lure their enemies into the execution space, using the executioner to eliminate them. Hearing this, Han Xianyun's face drained of color. He looked at the horned monstrosity, terror written all over his face. "We're done for! I haven't even married a wife yet; I don't want to die!" Beside him, Qi Yuan chuckled and pointed at Axe Mors, speaking softly: "Isn't that the wife you've been pining for? Back outside, you said you wanted to marry it and bring it home!" "I..." Han Xianyun gulped, completely speechless. Not far away, if Yu Xiu hadn't been injured, he would have loved to give Han Xianyun a thumbs-up and say, "Man, you're down bad!" That was Executioner Axe Mors! At that moment, Axe Mors seemed to understand their conversation as well. A sky-shattering roar erupted. *Boom!* A powerful sonic wave exploded and swept through the area, completely flooding the entire space and reverberating endlessly. Excitement flared in Qi Yuan's eyes. "This is... martial arts!" Indeed, he could tell at a glance that the creature's method shared the same origin as martial arts. This attack was unequivocally a sonic strike. An attack of this caliber was naturally useless against Qi Yuan. However, Han Xianyun beside him and Yu Xiu nearby were knocked senseless by the sound wave, collapsing into unconsciousness. Wielding its giant axe, Axe Mors strode toward Qi Yuan like a moving hill. Heavy thuds echoed unceasingly through the space. Axe Mors moved like a cold, unfeeling soldier, devoid of emotion, driven solely to destroy any enemy in sight. Looking at the three-meter-tall beast, Qi Yuan smiled. "You want a one-on-one duel with me?" Axe Mors ignored him and kept advancing. Qi Yuan raised a hand. "Hold on, let's fight in a moment!" Axe Mors turned a deaf ear and continued closing the distance. Qi Yuan glanced down at Han Xianyun and the unconscious Yu Xiu, grumbling unhappily, "This is too unfair! Why should I be fighting for my life while they get to sleep soundly? What, after I beat you to death, Sister-in-Law, are they going to wake up at their leisure? How could there be such a sweet deal in this world?! And once they wake up, they might even doubt whether I was the one who killed the monster!" Qi Yuan was deeply dissatisfied. Everyone had encountered danger together, yet the weaklings were knocked out by a sonic attack, leaving him to handle it alone. It was simply too unfair. "Wake up!" Qi Yuan suddenly roared. A clap of thunder seemed to tear through the space. Han Xianyun's eyes were still shut and his mind still groggy, but the sound jolted his body upright, making his hair stand on end. Yu Xiu suffered the exact same reaction nearby. Qi Yuan's voice battered their ears with far more force than Axe Mors's sonic roar. Finally, after about two breaths, Yu Xiu and Han Xianyun opened their eyes. "What happened? Did I faint?" Han Xianyun was bewildered. As his memories flooded back, his eyes widened and he stared at Qi Yuan. "I just had a dream—I dreamed I had an incredible wife!" Yu Xiu also felt as though he had slept for an eternity. He was thoroughly stunned. Axe Mors's sonic attack was enough to knock a person out cold for a day and a night; even high-grade props couldn't awaken them. How had he woken up? "Your incredible wife is still right there," Qi Yuan said, pointing ahead. Han Xianyun looked over, his groggy head clearing in an instant. His eyes went wide. "The dream was real!" Turning back to Axe Mors, Qi Yuan added, "Alright, we can keep fighting now. I've already woken up my helpers." Qi Yuan clapped his hands. A three-on-one was much more entertaining. Dueling alone while his teammates slept was unacceptable. "Han Xianyun, hurry up and hit your incredible wife," Qi Yuan urged from the side. Han Xianyun's legs trembled as he remembered how the terrifying monster had knocked him out with a single roar. How was he supposed to fight that? Yu Xiu had also lost all combat capability, feeling that everything happening today was utterly bizarre. "You two are far too useless," Qi Yuan sighed. "Seeing you both get roared unconscious left me to duel this guy all by myself. It felt completely unfair—why should I fight to the death while you two sleep? So I woke you both up, and this is all you've got?" Han Xianyun: "???" Yu Xiu was equally dumbfounded. None of this made any sense. "Sigh, seems you don't want to be a wife-beater and don't like hitting your wife. How about this: I'll beat your wife for you, and you cheer me on from the sidelines? Today, I'll lower myself a bit and use you as my cheerleading squad." As Qi Yuan spoke, he looked at Axe Mors and took a step forward. A sharp glint flashed through Yu Xiu's eyes. He recalled the shattering of the Blood Compass replica. Could it be...? Beside them, Han Xianyun shivered, his mind short-circuiting. He could only force himself to say, "I'm no good at fighting, but I'm great at cheering!" He didn't dare face that terrifying beast. Too many absurd things had happened today, pushing his brain past its limit, leaving him to reply purely on instinct. He was also baffled: Qi Yuan was only at the martial arts limit, so how could he possibly fight this dreadful monster? "With my sword, slay!" Qi Yuan suddenly shouted. Crimson light instantly flooded the entire space. A blood-red longsword seemed to descend from the depths of the starry sky, landing firmly in Qi Yuan's hand. With the bloody blade in his grasp, Qi Yuan looked like a peerless sword immortal. "Th-this... this..." Han Xianyun's eyes widened in sheer shock and delight. "The video was real?! You were the one who wiped out the three-thousand-man military camp?!" That familiar sword, that familiar sword light—weren't they identical to the video? It was actually true! And the person wielding it was the very Qi Yuan he had gotten to know. *Bro... why did you secretly become an immortal cultivator? An immortal cultivator... coming to participate in a martial arts tournament? What is this...* Before he could think further, another flash of crimson light tore through the space. A gigantic blade slashed diagonally toward Axe Mors. The terrifying Axe Mors leaped over a hundred meters into the air, bringing its massive axe crashing down. That mighty blow was enough to shatter a small mountain. Sheer terror filled Yu Xiu's eyes. Who could possibly block such a strike? Yet in the very next instant, he was struck dumb. Crimson radiance erupted as Qi Yuan's sword clashed against Axe Mors's axe. Yu Xiu had expected Axe Mors to hold the upper hand, but events unfolded nothing like he imagined. Up in the air, Axe Mors's body was abruptly severed into two halves, then four, then eight... multiplying, shrinking, shattering into finer and finer pieces... A fine mist of blood rained down from the sky. All from Qi Yuan's single strike. Against his sword, Axe Mors possessed not the slightest ability to resist. Yu Xiu was shaken to his core. "This is... a god!" Who else could kill an executioner with a single strike if not a god? Only a god possessed such majestic power. He understood now. No wonder the Blood Compass had shattered. He had been attempting to divine the fate of a god. Yet he was also confused—why would a god... be stranded in reality? His mind was a tangled mess, filled with profound awe. Qi Yuan sheathed his sword, his robes fluttering like a banished immortal. Looking at the young man not far away, he spoke in an ethereal, melodious voice: "Han Xianyun, it's raining your wife's blood." Han Xianyun: "..."