Inside the shopping mall, Qi Yuan rode the escalator leisurely, holding Canary's small hand in his.
Today, he had brought Canary out to buy all sorts of things. Bags big and small had all been stowed away into his martial technique space.
As a newcomer, Canary was quite intrigued by everything.
"Is it good?" Qi Yuan asked, gazing at her lovely profile.
Holding the cup of milk tea in both hands, Canary said, "The flavor is a bit strange. It's rather ordinary."
To her, the milk tea truly tasted quite plain.
After all, she had once been in the Grand Sovereign realm; the earthly delicacies she had tasted were naturally countless.
Compared to Arch Star, the Liufeng Realm did seem ancient, but ancient did not mean devoid of fine food.
"If it's just ordinary, why keep drinking it? Might as well throw it out," Qi Yuan offered generously.
He had plenty of savings right now; he could certainly afford a cup of milk tea.
"My husband bought it," Ning Tao said, gripping the milk tea tightly.
Calling Qi Yuan "husband," her current demeanor leaned more toward Ning Tao.
Calling Qi Yuan "Blood Pearl," she leaned more toward Canary.
Of course, both were the same person.
"We haven't gotten our marriage certificate yet. Don't say that—you'll make me shy," Qi Yuan teased with a shrug, smiling eyes crinkling.
Ning Tao gave a light laugh. "How about I move the Civil Affairs Bureau over sometime?"
She spoke with complete sincerity.
This was not just internet banter; she was genuinely capable of doing it.
"Don't. Let's wait until I win the Martial Arts Tournament and return to Tianyue before we register. I don't know anyone here, so I can't pull any strings. We probably wouldn't be able to get a certificate anyway," Qi Yuan pondered seriously.
Here, the only person he knew was Han Xianyun.
In Tianyue it was different: he knew Carnival, and Carnival knew people at the Civil Affairs Bureau.
When the time came, he could get ID cards for Ning Tao and Xiao Jia, and then process legitimate marriage certificates.
Everything would be perfectly legal.
"Mm, all right." Ning Tao simply nodded vigorously, agreeing with Qi Yuan's words.
The two arrived at the mall's first floor. Looking at the crowds coming and going, Ning Tao smiled softly. "That... gold bracelet. I want one too."
She had noticed a newlywed couple heading inside to buy gold bracelets.
Since they were going to get married, there had to be a sense of ceremony.
"Yeah, you're right. We should buy gold bracelets." At this thought, Qi Yuan frowned deeply. "How is Xiao Jia supposed to wear a bracelet?"
Xiao Jia had neither jade feet nor jade hands—how could she wear a bracelet?
This was a difficult problem.
While he was pondering this, Ning Tao had already walked into the jewelry shop.
After a moment's thought, Qi Yuan decided to wait outside.
After all, wasn't that how shopping always went?
The woman picked things out inside, while the man waited outside.
That was how normal people did it.
And he just so happened to be very normal.
Qi Yuan casually found a seat, sat down, and started playing on his phone.
Just then, the sound of rhythmic footsteps approached.
A group of imposing middle-aged men entered the mall.
Almost all of them wore matching outfits and had crew cuts, clearly not the sort to be trifled with.
The moment they walked in, they drew the attention of many bystanders.
"Are they... filming a short video?"
"Probably a web drama, right?"
Hearing the chatter, Qi Yuan looked at the middle-aged men with interest.
However, the group seemed to be heading straight toward him.
Qi Yuan's heart suddenly jumped.
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind.
Could someone have discovered my identity as a matrilocal son-in-law?
Wait, nobody's slapped my face yet, and I haven't done the crooked-mouth smirk either?
Qi Yuan let his imagination run wild.
Would these men drop to their knees in a moment and proclaim, "Welcome back, God of War," or something?
Qi Yuan had a rich inner world, so his daydreaming was quite vigorous.
However, the kneeling he anticipated did not happen.
The leader walked straight up to him with a humble and respectful look on his face. "This humble one is Marquis Blue Sea. I come in complete sincerity. Having disturbed Mr. Qi previously, I ask that your magnanimity forgive my petty faults."
The newcomer was none other than Marquis Blue Sea.
Regardless, before open conflict erupted, he still had to play his part properly; he could not tear off the veil of civility just yet.
To tell the truth, Marquis Blue Sea still felt uneasy in his heart.
It was true that the Seven Martial Star families possessed the Eye of the Sky, which could easily pinpoint and obliterate Qi Yuan.
Yet even so, Qi Yuan could take him down before being wiped out.
Therefore, for this encounter, he was the one meeting Qi Yuan.
Young Master Mu was meeting Qi Yuan's little girlfriend.
Reluctant as Marquis Blue Sea was, he had no choice but to come; otherwise, the one to die might not just be him, but his entire family.
"Oh? You are... do we know each other?" Qi Yuan looked at Marquis Blue Sea, a bewildered expression in his eyes.
He had no idea who this... old geezer was.
Qi Yuan's words completely threw Marquis Blue Sea off balance.
He even wondered if he had approached the wrong person.
But looking at Qi Yuan's face, he was identical to the photograph.
Moreover, the higher-ups wouldn't get the person wrong.
Qi Yuan didn't know who he was?
A sense of absurdity rose in Marquis Blue Sea's heart.
"Did you mistake me for someone else? I have no recollection of you at all," Qi Yuan said earnestly. If he didn't know him, he didn't know him. "Did you offend me in the past? It must be a misunderstanding. I'm very generous and never hold grudges. I don't really have any enemies in this world."
Qi Yuan didn't hold grudges—if there was a grudge, he simply killed them on the spot.
The corner of Marquis Blue Sea's mouth twitched, and he said apprehensively, "Mr. Qi... not long ago, you had someone send me a coffin..."
Qi Yuan's expression shifted slightly, turning cold and grim. "It was you?"
He was very sharp; hearing Marquis Blue Sea's words, he instantly deduced his identity.
This Marquis Blue Sea was that despicable, shameless, unscrupulous scoundrel who had secretly hired a hacker to snoop into his phone.
Back then, when Zero-One sent the intruder's information to Qi Yuan, Qi Yuan had merely glanced at it without reading further, never actually noting who it was.
He had simply told Zero-One to send them a coffin.
Once the Martial Arts Tournament ended, Qi Yuan had planned to deal with them in person.
Well then, now he had delivered himself right to his door.
"Regarding that matter, I want an explanation!" Qi Yuan said coldly.
He was very reasonable and never slaughtered the innocent.
Most importantly, Qi Yuan believed he possessed a compassionate heart that pitied heaven and earth. If he hadn't cultivated immortality and instead practiced Buddhism, he might well have become a Buddha long ago.
"When Mr. Qi wiped out the Guiran Military Camp back then, it caused a massive uproar across the country. The higher-ups were very curious about your identity and background, so... I was momentarily possessed by folly and... and...
"Now that the higher-ups know about this, they dispatched me to apologize.
"The authorities... are sincere and wish to cooperate with Mr. Qi."
Back then, Marquis Blue Sea had investigated Qi Yuan's privacy on Young Master Mu's orders, even plotting to unearth the methods of immortal cultivation and the secret behind Qi Yuan's strength to seize his immortal fortune.
Who could have guessed that hacking skills that formidable would still be exposed?
"Oh, is that all?" Qi Yuan gave Marquis Blue Sea a sweep of his eyes.
His nose lengthened slightly, then returned to normal.
This indicated that Marquis Blue Sea's words were a mixture of truth and falsehood, with plenty of lies mixed in.
"What kind of cooperation?" Qi Yuan asked.
Cold sweat broke out on Marquis Blue Sea's forehead as he continued, "As long as Mr. Qi lets bygones be bygones and accepts my apology, the higher-ups are willing to coexist peacefully with you.
"However, Mr. Qi will need to hand over one or two of your cultivation techniques.
"In return, the higher-ups will not mistreat you; they will provide a certain amount of cultivation resources to Mr. Qi."
"If I give them, would you dare take them?" Qi Yuan asked with a smile in his eyes.
Marquis Blue Sea's mind was in turmoil; in truth, he had already come with the resolve to die.
"If Mr. Qi gives them, the higher-ups naturally dare to take them!" Marquis Blue Sea forced himself to say.
At this moment, a young man behind Marquis Blue Sea stepped forward and said slowly, "I urge Mr. Qi to think twice before acting.
"Mr. Qi's combat prowess is indeed astonishing. Being able to wipe out the Guiran Military Camp with a single sword strike makes you virtually peerless in this world.
"However... our Seven Martial Stars command the Eye of the Sky. Across the land of the Qinyuan Kingdom, we hold the power of life and death over every living being!
"Whoever offends our Qinyuan shall be punished, no matter how far away they may be. Even Can Star back then failed to take a single bite out of our Qinyuan.
"If anyone dares to stir up trouble within our borders, do not blame us for being... discourteous."
The young man's tone was exceedingly stiff, the threat dripping from every word.
Hearing this, Qi Yuan remained completely cheerful, as if he hadn't detected the underlying threat at all.
"I've always been a law-abiding citizen who loves helping others. I often help old ladies cross the street.
"If you had the Young Pioneers around here, I'd definitely be the brigade leader, wearing a little red flower pinned to my chest every single day."
Qi Yuan's words once again left Marquis Blue Sea at a loss.
He exchanged a glance with the young man, full of bewilderment, neither knowing how to continue the conversation.
Before coming, they had profiled Qi Yuan based on publicly available information.
Reasonably speaking, an expert of this caliber—decisive in slaughter—would tolerate threats least of all.
Words like theirs should have been enough to enrage him.
Yet the man remained completely unbothered, even boasting about how much he loved helping others.
If... they really talked things out and turned swords into plowshares, wouldn't that mean their mission had failed?
The mission Young Master Mu had assigned them... was not this.
Their own deaths were of no consequence, but if they failed to complete the task, Young Master Mu would never spare their families.
They had to find an excuse to provoke the person before them, yet it couldn't be too obvious.
Otherwise, it wouldn't just be Young Master Mu refusing to let them off; the rival faction would also target their families.
How could they find a suitable pretext?
Marquis Blue Sea's thoughts were in utter disarray.
Yet right at that moment, an exceptionally fitting pretext presented itself before them.
Only, this suitable pretext was a bit too... terrifying.
With a loud bang, a figure plummeted from the second floor of the jewelry shop and crashed right in front of Marquis Blue Sea.
The gold-rimmed glasses on the figure's face were shattered, a bloody gash ran across his cheek, and blood poured out continuously.
His throat was crushed, and his internal organs appeared pulverized.
Looking at the breathless man on the ground, Marquis Blue Sea's expression changed drastically. "Young Master Mu!"
The lifeless man on the ground was none other than Young Master Mu.
The difficult Qi Yuan had been left for them to handle.
The harmless-looking little beauty had been Young Master Mu's target.
And yet... Young Master Mu was dead.
Light footsteps echoed. Coming down the stairs, a charming and coldly elegant Ning Tao wore a light smile. She was dressed in a black-and-white knit sweater, with taut black stockings revealed beneath her black skirt, perfectly proportioned and graceful.
"He was flaunting his wealth up there just now, asking if I'd ever seen a house made of gold," Ning Tao said as she stepped down delicately, naturally wrapping her arm around Qi Yuan's.
"He even said he wanted to take me to see just how splendid the most beautiful weapon in the world, the Eye of the Sky, looks."
"Oh," Qi Yuan nodded. "Knowing you, ordinarily he wouldn't even have a corpse left behind."
"If I didn't leave his corpse, how would they know... that I killed him?" Ning Tao's eyes held thick killing intent. "Husband, allow this servant's sword to sweep away the petty scoundrels of this world for you!"
In truth, over the past two days, Ning Tao had been well aware of many eyes watching the two of them from the vicinity.
However, her reunion with Qi Yuan was sweeter than a newlywed honeymoon, so neither of them had paid those people any mind.
Yet today, these people actually dared to come knocking at their door.
Especially that fellow who claimed the surname Mu—he had been utterly arrogant and overbearing.
He had even deluded himself into thinking he could win Ning Tao over with money.
He had even boasted about testing the Eye of the Sky on Qi Yuan.
Ning Tao had sent him straight to King Yan.
"You killed... Young Master Mu! It's over! It's all over! You're all finished!
"The Mu family holds complete control over the Eye of the Sky—we're all going to die!"
Marquis Blue Sea collapsed limply onto the floor, his eyes hollow.
If he died, that would still be fine; his family might remain safe.
But now, Young Master Mu was dead.
This was a catastrophe of earth-shattering proportions.
Once, in a certain city, a second-generation scion of one of the Seven Martial Star families had been killed by a local official's son.
In the end, the Seven Martial Star family issued a direct deployment order, sending in troops to execute every member of that official's family.
Even the official's father and all the subordinates within his administration could not escape doom.
The Seven Martial Stars held the true military and political power of the Qinyuan Kingdom.
A direct descendant like Young Master Mu possessed supreme, untouchable nobility.
Now he had died right here.
Longtai would experience a massive political earthquake.
Qi Yuan merely chuckled, relaxed and nonchalant.
Right then, Ning Tao spoke up: "Where is this man's family located? Give me a location."
The uniformed men present, as well as Marquis Blue Sea, froze in shock.
"Die!" Finally, one of the uniformed men couldn't take it anymore, drawing his gun and firing.
Unfortunately, against an expert like Ning Tao, their guns were entirely meaningless.
Without her making even the slightest movement, those who dared to attack her dropped dead on the spot.
Instantly, fragments of memories flooded into Ning Tao's mind.
"So... they're over there!"
She had obtained her answer and now knew where the Mu family was located.
Next, it would be...
Only, right at that moment, she suddenly narrowed her eyes. Her gaze seemed to pierce through the heavens, and a faint smile touched her lips.
"Is this the Eye of the Sky?
"Had I encountered this in the Liufeng Realm, it might have posed a bit of trouble, but now?
"Husband, allow this servant to take you to watch the fireworks!"
Meanwhile, inside a hotel.
Mu Longxian's face was filled with shock, horror, and immense agony.
The man with gold-rimmed glasses, Mu Jue, was his only son, his most beloved child.
Now, through the mall's surveillance cameras and drone feeds, he saw that his son had actually been killed.
Murdered by that woman!
How could rage not engulf his heart?
"They must die! They have to die! Men, activate the Eye of the Sky!"
At this moment, he had completely lost his sanity.
Mu Jue was not only his son, but also deeply cherished by the patriarch.
If Mu Jue took over the Mu family in the future, he could have enjoyed life as an elder statesman behind the scenes.
But now that Mu Jue was dead, everything was ruined.
How could he not be furious?
Seeing this, the high officials and dignitaries in the hall all showed slight shifts in expression.
Han Kang couldn't help but urge, "Lord Han, please quell your anger! The Eye of the Sky cannot be used lightly—everyone in that area will perish under the Eye of the Sky!"
Chapter 325