Swords And Daggers Drawn

Swords And Daggers Drawn...

Swords and daggers poised, their sharp edges threatened to breach his skin, a palpable tension encircled Qin Wentian.

Among the assembly, Bailu You stood, having guided the group of Divine Inscriptionist Grandmasters here. Yet, his intentions differed from the rest. Unlike them, he wasn't truly after the ancient scroll. His objective was simpler: he aimed to test the limits of Qin Wentian's resolve under pressure. Should Qin Wentian succumb, Bailu You would seize the opportunity to pose as the savior.

Leaning against a pillar, Bailu You observed the unfolding spectacle with an enigmatic smile playing on his lips.

However, an interruption materialized—a fresh set of footsteps approached. Bailu You turned his head and registered the newcomers: the wide-eyed elder accompanied by Bailu Yi, Bailu Jing, and their father.

Bailu You's amusement at Bailu Yi's misconceptions was evident. The arrival of the Great Elder and Bailu Tong seemed insufficient to thwart the spectacle.

"Did that girl truly believe that the Great Elder could alter the course of events?" Bailu You mused. The large-eyed elder's presence stemmed from mere boredom, and Bailu Yi had promised an engaging spectacle.

"Father."

Bailu You recognized Bailu Tong's arrival, and they exchanged a nod. Bailu Tong was well aware of the large-eyed elder's motivations, a reason he had chosen to intervene.

As the moments stretched, the fourth-ranked Grandmasters displayed no signs of impatience. Stoic and unreadable, they registered the appearance of the Great Elder and Bailu Tong with minimal reaction. Qin Wentian mirrored their composed demeanor, seemingly at ease.

Among the fourth-ranked Grandmasters, a man with sunken eyes and an aquiline nose couldn't suppress his greed any longer. His serpent-like gaze, fixated on Qin Wentian, unsettled the latter.

"Qin Wentian." Accompanied by three bodyguards at the ninth level of Yuanfu, the fourth-ranked Grandmaster addressed him. The Inscriptionist himself was a septuagenarian at the seventh level of Yuanfu. "You dared to suggest we visit you? This is the first time I've witnessed a third-ranked nobody so audacious that he would demand fourth-ranked Grandmasters to personally grace him with their presence."

Qin Wentian retorted with a smile, pointing to the path behind the old man. "Senior jests. I merely indicated the pathway. If you find it inconvenient to visit, please proceed without further delay. Farewell." His grin widened, the subtext of his words abundantly clear—I didn't request your presence; you desired mine. If meeting me isn't to your liking, kindly take the indicated route and exit my company. Goodbye.

The old man's gaze grew even icier, his sunken eyes resembling abysses that were ready to devour. "You..." The intent behind Qin Wentian's words was crystal clear, and it only fueled the old man's simmering anger.

Qin Wentian's expression turned mournful, and he shook his head. "Senior, are you suffering from memory loss?"

As the echo of Qin Wentian's retort faded, the old man's face contorted with a mixture of fury and disbelief. Had Qin Wentian just implied that he was mentally challenged in front of everyone?

The old man had ascended to the rank of fourth-ranked Divine Inscriptionists, and he had never been subjected to such humiliation. His three bodyguards, radiating a formidable aura at the ninth level of Yuanfu, responded to their master's indignation by preparing to attack Qin Wentian at his command.

But before they could act, the chill in Qin Wentian's voice froze them in place. "Take one more step, and you'll meet your end."

The utterance of the word "end" seemed to shatter the air, releasing a bone-chilling killing intent that gripped the surroundings.

Even though these bodyguards held the advantage of higher cultivation, an instinctual fear gnawed at them. They sensed that Qin Wentian's threat was not an empty one; his eyes bore the resolve to follow through.

With one sentence, Qin Wentian silenced the entire scene. The once bustling slope was now hushed.

The breeze caressed the grass, creating a delicate dance of greenery.

Qin Wentian locked eyes with the fourth-ranked Grandmaster, his gaze as frigid as shards of ice. "Addressing you as 'Senior' was already a generous courtesy. But your arrogance knows no bounds, and you repeatedly overstep your bounds due to your own ignorance. Since you fail to grasp my meaning when I speak civilly, allow me to rephrase it bluntly," Qin Wentian's voice cut like a blade. "I, Qin, am cultivating here in the White Deer Institute's back mountains. If you wish to come, do so. If you desire to leave, what concern is that of mine? Spare me your platitudes of 'requesting a visit.' I neither belong to your sect, nor do I require your assistance. Why should I beg for your presence? If you have no business here, vanish from my sight."

Qin Wentian's words hung heavy in the air, triggering a spectrum of emotions among the onlookers.

Oh, the aroma of arrogance, how pungent it was in this brat's words.

Qin Wentian's words carried a logical weight, but in this world driven by cultivation, only those with power backing their words earned genuine respect. Who could dismiss the esteem attributed to fourth-ranked Grandmasters? However rational Qin Wentian's speech might be, it hit the others like a slap to their pride.

In a world where strength spoke volumes, with a mere sentence, Qin Wentian had slapped that fourth-ranked Grandmaster in the face. Even if the Grandmaster walked away alive from this encounter, there were countless ways for him to make someone in the Yuanfu Realm pay for such insolence.

Even the large-eyed elder found himself mopping his brow in astonishment. Where had this brat unearthed such audacity?

Observing Bailu Yi standing by his side, the large-eyed elder blinked in shock. Confidence sparkled in her eyes, as if she held a trump card up her sleeve. Her faith in Qin Wentian matched his own self-assurance.

Grandmaster Fenrir grinned, his eyes never leaving the unfolding drama. He was eager to witness how Qin Wentian intended to extricate himself from this predicament.

As for the old man with the sunken eyes, his face darkened with each word from Qin Wentian's mouth.

'Get out of my face if you have nothing here?'

A junior at the Yuanfu Realm dared to address him like this?

'Take one more step forward, die?'

Where was this unwavering self-assurance coming from?

Could it be that after obtaining the Ascendant's ancient scroll, Qin Wentian's abilities had undergone an astronomical surge, allowing him to inscribe even more potent third-ranked formations? Was he presuming that relying on these peak-tier formations would empower him to stand up against them?

"Brother Liang, youngsters nowadays sure have fiery tempers," a black-faced, middle-aged man chuckled. The "Brother Liang" he referred to was the fourth-ranked Inscriptionist with the sunken eyes.

"If this were outside the White Deer Institute, Qin Wentian would've met his end at least ten times due to Brother Liang's temper," the black-faced man mused. The old man's sunken eyes squinted, questioning why they were indulging in conversation with Qin Wentian. Whether they were inside the institute or not, they could easily end his life and seize the ancient scroll.

However, if they had the liberty to enter the White Deer Institute, it meant they hadn't yet secured the ancient scroll. Both sides were using these fourth-ranked Grandmasters as leverage to force Qin Wentian into submission. This mutual understanding kept them at a standstill, spectating the brewing showdown. Amid the tension, the old man with sunken eyes stood as the most impatient of the bunch, chosen to initiate this confrontation and place Qin Wentian under duress.

"You're right, this brat has a disrespectful tongue. It's high time for him to learn a lesson," another individual chimed in.

A sage-like man with a cascading white beard, he exuded an aura of timelessness. Beyond 150 years of age, he had held the rank of fourth-ranked Inscriptionist for an eternity. Renowned across the Moon Continent, he had mentored countless Grandmasters of the present era.

"Eccentric Song shares my sentiments?" The black-faced middle-aged man chuckled, his eyes turning to the old man with sunken eyes as he inquired, "And how does Eccentric Song propose we deal with this young troublemaker?"

Focusing on Eccentric Song, the old man with sunken eyes queried, "Fenrir, any thoughts?"

"Don't ask me. I knew this lad from way back. Today, I'm just an observer. I won't meddle in your plans," Fenrir replied with a shrug. Believing in Qin Wentian's confidence, he was content to watch the spectacle unfold.

"In that case, the Ascendant's scroll?" Eccentric Song's narrowed eyes gleamed with a sharp intent.

"None of my business either. If you're up to the challenge, feel free to seize it," Fenrir nonchalantly gestured.

"Marvelous, marvelous," Eccentric Song chuckled, delighting in the reduced competition for the inheritance.

"For his insolence, he deserves death," a voice piped up from the rear of the gathering. As the black-faced man shifted his gaze, a smile curled on his lips. "Ghaus, you're here too."

"Indeed, it's me, Ghaus," the speaker replied, "I've known this brat for ages. He's utterly disrespectful, with the heart and ambition of a feral wolf. Entrusting the inheritance to him would be squandering it. We should eliminate him. The White Deer Institute wouldn't be foolish enough to stand against all of us." Ghaus's words were edged with ice.

"Ghaus, you're utterly shameless," Bailu Yi spat, irritated by Ghaus's blatant attempt to exploit an old grudge with Qin Wentian. He was using this pretext to justify murdering Qin Wentian now. What an audacious move.

"Miss Bailu, is your White Deer Institute prepared to oppose us?" Ghaus remained unfazed, wearing a casual smile. All eyes shifted to the large-eyed elder and Bailu Tong. The fourth-ranked Grandmasters had made their stance clear; the next step was to observe the institute's response.

With a sneer, Bailu Tong's whispered response was clearly audible, "Let's see what choice he makes."

Evidently, Bailu Tong aimed to transfer the pressure back to Qin Wentian, forcing him into a decision.

These fourth-ranked Grandmasters had come with murder in their eyes. Was Qin Wentian after the ancient scroll or was he prepared to die?

These celebrated Grandmasters, highly respected across the Moon Continent, rendered his life worthless with just a question and a few icy grins. It was as though they considered his existence inconsequential.

And Ghaus, revealing his true colors just to kick him when he was down?

However, Qin Wentian wasn't daunted in the slightest. He met their gaze calmly and spoke slowly, "Enough with the charades. Why beat around the bush when your intentions are clear? The ancient scroll isn't in my possession. Even if it were, I wouldn't hand it over to losers like you."