Is It an Immortal

The wind swept through the remnants of sand, the grit crackling against the wooden shield like firecrackers.

Li Gongfeng noticed An Gongfeng frozen in place as if plunged into an icy abyss, his spiritual energy eerily stagnant. His expression darkened, brows furrowing into a knot.

"What are you hesitating for, An Gongfeng? Don’t tell me you’re still clinging to the young mistress’s past kindness, thinking of turning traitor?"

"N-no… it’s not… ah—"

An Gongfeng forced the words through gritted teeth, his Taoist robe already drenched in cold sweat. An invisible pressure now bore down on him like a crushing mountain, freezing the spiritual energy in his dantian. Even his fingertips refused to budge.

He could feel the sheer terror of that power—as if the very essence of heaven and earth had bared its fangs at him. The slightest movement would reduce him to dust.

"Can’t move your body? Don’t mock me." Li Gongfeng found the situation bizarre when suddenly, a faint whistling sound brushed past his ear.

It wasn’t the howl of natural wind but more like the residual echo of a blade slicing through the void—

The next instant, the world spun before Li Gongfeng’s eyes.

To the onlookers, a flash of crimson light streaked across their vision. By the time they refocused, a geyser of blood erupted from Li Gongfeng’s neck. His head tumbled to the ground like a severed kite string, rolling twice before stopping at An Gongfeng’s feet, eyes wide with disbelief.

"What?!"

Gasps were cut short as if an invisible hand clenched around their hearts. Everyone stared at the head lying in the sand.

A cultivator at the late Qi Refining stage, slaughtered without even a chance to resist?

Such power was beyond their comprehension!

"L-Li Gongfeng…" An Gongfeng trembled violently as the headless corpse beside him collapsed, blood splattering onto his robe in scalding spurts.

Straining to turn his gaze toward Chen Muling, he saw only confusion on the young mistress’s face. The wooden shield in her hand still bore the scorch marks from his earlier fire technique—clearly, she hadn’t struck.

"Which senior master intervened?" Chen Muling’s heart pounded, but there was no time to dwell. She slammed her shield into the ground with a deafening crash.

"Brothers, charge with me!"

At her rallying cry, the guards surged forward like tigers descending a mountain.

"For the young mistress, offer your hearts!"

The thugs who had relied on the two Gongfengs for support now scattered like startled birds, their morale shattered in an instant.

The dull thuds of blades cleaving flesh, the crisp snaps of breaking bones, and agonized screams filled the air. Within the time it took to burn a stick of incense, the remaining foes fled into the valley’s depths, abandoning even the coins at their feet.

Chen Muling drove her blade through An Gongfeng’s heart, her emotions churning as she stared at the two lifeless heads.

She had known An Gongfeng and Li Gongfeng since childhood—they were practically elders to her.

And yet…

Greed had poisoned their hearts.

Taking a deep breath, she ordered her guards, "Seal these heads in jade boxes. When we reach Xiluo Kingdom, I’ll present them to my uncle myself and demand answers!"

"Yes, young mistress!"

Once the aftermath was dealt with, Chen Muling gazed at the swirling sands and suddenly bowed deeply toward the valley, her voice laced with reverence.

"Esteemed senior, who granted us aid—this humble one, Chen Muling of the Great Qian Trading Company, begs to meet you and offer gratitude!"

Only the mournful wind answered.

The terrifying aura that had obliterated Li Gongfeng in an instant had already receded like the tide, leaving no trace behind. Were it not for the blood still pooling from the corpses, they might have believed the ordeal a nightmare.

"This junior understands. My apologies for the intrusion." Chen Muling bowed again. "A debt of this magnitude cannot be repaid with words. The Great Qian Trading Company and I shall never forget this kindness!"

As she spoke, her eyes involuntarily flicked toward the rear of the caravan—where an unremarkable green-canopied wagon stood, its curtains drawn tight, wheels caked in dust.

But she quickly dismissed the thought. If a senior capable of slaying a Qi Refining cultivator in an instant had been among them, why would they stoop to hiding in a merchant’s wagon?

Such beings would have soared through the skies, leaving even the wind in their wake.

Besides…

That man had been lying bare-bottomed by the roadside, sunbathing his bird.

Chen Muling stifled a laugh, shaking her head to dispel the absurd notion.

Mounting her horse, she turned toward Xiluo Kingdom.

"Move out!"

As the caravan resumed its journey, Ye Chuan let the wagon’s curtain fall shut behind him.

The enemies’ cultivation was so far beneath him that he hadn’t even needed to lift a finger—just a wisp of his aura had paralyzed that Qi Refining nobody.

"Too weak. Where’s the real challenge?" Ye Chuan mused.

Well, except for the little dragon girl.

She still had the upper hand… for now. Once he could bring Lan Xiaoke to the Aiser Continent, he’d settle that score properly.

"Hey, kid, you alright? Didn’t scare you, did it?" The wagon driver poked his head in just as Ye Chuan pondered his next move.

"I’m fine."

"Lucky us. Some passing immortal must’ve saved our hides back there, or we’d be dead meat." The driver sighed.

"Quite the coincidence. Bet that immortal was dashing," Ye Chuan said. "The most handsome in the universe."

"Who knows? Those immortals are all pretty as jade."

After some idle chatter, the caravan crossed into Xiluo Kingdom’s borders. Spotting the distant city walls, the driver warned,

"Listen, kid—when we reach Xiluo, they’ll question your identity. Just say you’re one of our company’s drivers."

Question his identity?

Ye Chuan could blink inside without anyone noticing. What questioning?

"Kid?"

"Hey—?"

When no reply came, the driver turned to find Ye Chuan gone, leaving only a spirit crystal behind.

"What’s this?" Puzzled, he picked it up. With no sign of Ye Chuan, he hurried to the lead wagon.

"Young mistress, that kid vanished. Left this behind."

"Vanished?" Chen Muling absentmindedly accepted the object—then froze. "A spirit crystal? No ordinary person could possess this!"

A single one was worth more than her entire shipment of goods.

"Could it be… he saved us?"

A realization dawned on her, though she hardly dared believe it.

That bare-bottomed man…

Was an immortal?