Scarlet Demon Halberd

Scarlet Demon Halberd...

After Song Jia's departure, Song Qin and the remaining clan members lingered in place. Song Qin quivered with anger, his face oscillating between sharpness and determination as he issued a command, "They've gone too far. Transmit my orders: initiate the dissolution of the Song Clan. Within one day, all of us will vacate Luo City."

The group stood frozen, their eyes fixed on Song Qin. A voice rang out in protest, "Clan Lord..."

"I initially hoped to use our clan's resources to secure a glimmer of hope, to plead for Song Jia's pardon. But it seems like that was nothing but a foolish dream. It's better for us to disband now. In the future, my actions won't drag the rest of our clan down." Song Qin's eyes gleamed with a cold resolve; he had made up his mind.

A collective sigh swept through the assembly. In this cutthroat world, strength reigned supreme. They could only rue the fact that their Song Clan was too feeble.

As the crowd dispersed, the old servant who had guided Qin Wentian to the wine cellar earlier stood in a listless daze. He had sought solace in alcohol to chase away his melancholy, but upon entering the wine cellar, he froze, disbelief clouding his face.

The wine cellar had been completely emptied, not a single drop of wine remained, not even the smallest flask.

"That brat went too far. This is daylight robbery, exploiting our dire circumstances," the old servant muttered under his breath, shaking his head. Little did he know that, at that very moment, Qin Wentian was tailing the middle-aged, black-robed man.

The black-robed man had already taken Song Jia out of Luo City. However, judging by his behavior, Qin Wentian felt content trailing them for now, as the black-robed man did not seem inclined to harm Song Jia.

The black-robed man possessed a cultivation level at the peak of the fourth level of Heavenly Dipper and traveled by standing on a flying sword. With his speed, he covered over ten thousand miles in a single day. Unfortunately, Qin Wentian had to follow suit, maintaining a discreet distance.

At this juncture, an ancient sprawling city came into view before the black-robed man. This city exuded an aura of grandeur, surpassing even Luo City in prosperity. In fact, the magnificence of the approaching city dwarfed the main city in each of the nine continents of Grand Xia.

The black-robed man pressed on, but suddenly, a voice drifted over from the distance. "What a beautiful woman."

"Hmm?" The black-robed man frowned, halting his steps and casting a backward glance. He sensed a surge of pressure emanating from behind him.

"Leave the beauty behind and get lost," a chilling voice commanded, and the black-robed man's lips curled into a cold sneer. With a wave of his hand, a formidable sword intent erupted, aimed at rending the interloper apart.

"RUMBLE!"

However, at that moment, his mind shook violently, his complexion paling as an even more potent wave of sword intent pierced directly into his sea of consciousness.

The black-robed man let out a roar and attempted to draw his sword, but at that very moment, a figure clad in a flowing robe appeared above him. This figure's features appeared slightly blurry, making it impossible for anyone to discern his true appearance.

With a forceful stomp in mid-air, this enigmatic figure unleashed an overwhelming pressure that flooded into the black-robed man's mind. The black-robed man struggled to unsheathe his sword, but it was clear that he had lost control of his own actions. This Mandate was simply too terrifying.

"Who are you?" The black-robed man's expression turned unsightly as he questioned.

"You are not qualified to know my name. I'll give you a choice: leave now or face death," the figure in the flowing robe coldly declared. The black-robed man clenched his fists but ultimately chose to flee on his sword, as his actions were no longer his own. His sword intent, which had been aimed at Song Jia, dissipated. He didn't dare to provoke further and rapidly departed.

Song Jia tilted her head, her face bearing a mixture of awe and terror as she gazed at the figure in the air.

This person was incredibly powerful. With a single step, he forced the black-robed man to retreat; with a second step, he injured him. Such strength was likely possessed by someone at the fifth level of Heavenly Dipper or higher. However, even amidst her admiration, Song Jia couldn't shake off a growing unease. The figure's tone had carried a hint of lasciviousness.

"Senior," Song Jia's voice quivered.

"Don't worry. Although you are beautiful, I've seen countless peerless beauties. I don't have much interest in you," the figure in the flowing robe laughed before disappearing into the distance. Song Jia heaved a sigh of relief and bowed in the direction he had gone. "Thank you, senior."

Watching the figure vanish, Song Jia sighed. She hesitated briefly before shaking her head and resolutely continued toward the sprawling city ahead. She had chosen not to return.

Behind Song Jia, Qin Wentian was baffled by her decision. He sat on the pegasus transformed by Little Rascal, trailing her from a distance. He had been waiting for the right moment, not wanting to implicate the Song Clan. His actions would ensure that the black-robed man would report back, saying that Song Jia had been rescued by an expert. But he hadn't expected Song Jia to choose not to return.

Taking a sip from his wine gourd, Qin Wentian savored the taste before shaking his head wryly. "Since I've taken the entire wine collection of your Song Clan, I suppose I'll have to help you till the end. I guess being a 'flower protector' could also be considered a form of training."

Muttering to himself as though to console himself, Qin Wentian continued following Song Jia, stepping into the ancient city.

This city was known as Xuan King City, one of the seven Grand King Cities in the Grand Shang Empire.

Grand Shang differed from Grand Xia. The royal clan in Grand Shang held vast power and authority, with only a handful of supreme powers existing beyond their control.

The Seven Grand King Cities were governed by troops from the Royal Clan and were fiefdoms lorded over by lesser branches of the Royal Shang Clan. Their purpose was to help the Grand Shang Empire manage its vast territories. These main cities served as overlords in their respective regions and were exceptionally prosperous.

Each Grand King City could be further divided into numerous smaller cities. At the very center of each King City, vast areas comprised of mountain ranges and lakes could be found.

In the Grand Shang Empire, young talents were sent to King Cities for cultivation because within the heart of these cities lay numerous major powers.

Song Jia happened to be a disciple of one such major power in Xuan King City. However, due to an altercation with someone of far superior status, her sect refused to protect her, nearly implicating her clan members. She was currently in a pitiful state.

Upon entering the city, Song Jia chose an inn to stay at. Qin Wentian continued to follow her, eventually selecting a room next to hers.

This inn was exceptionally small, and its rooms were all interconnected. This made it easy for disturbances during cultivation, and for secret transactions and discussions, privacy was utterly impossible. In such a vast city, the prices for staying at a high-quality inn were exorbitant, requiring a substantial number of Yuan Meteor Stones for just a single night. Therefore, those who chose smaller inns were often cultivators with weaker foundations, struggling to gather enough Yuan Meteor Stones for their own cultivation, let alone splurging on expensive accommodations.

While using one's perception to spy on others was considered a grave taboo among cultivators, Qin Wentian had no other choice. His perception remained locked onto Song Jia, meticulously monitoring her every move.

Worry continued to etch its presence on Song Jia's face. She remained in her room, gazing at her reflection in the mirror. With a deliberate motion, she undid her hair bun, allowing her soft, silky hair to cascade down like a waterfall. She then removed her outer clothing and began grooming herself before the mirror. However, unshed tears still shimmered in her eyes.

"There's a beautiful woman in the Song Clan named Song Jia," she whispered to her reflection. "I condensed my first Astral Soul at the age of twelve and reached Yuanfu at eighteen. Grandfather, father, your expectations for me warm my heart, yet I have let you down. In this world of cultivation, the word 'conscience' is often foreign. To please the king, the Yin Clan didn't hesitate to sacrifice countless lives for the sake of obtaining the scarlet halberd. No one dared to object, and some even offered their fellow sect members as sacrifices to the Yin Clan. I merely spoke the truth, yet calamity befell me, and not a single person came forward to defend me."

Tears streamed down Song Jia's face as she continued to speak, her hurt and despair bubbling to the surface. Uncle Li, her protector, had already died while ensuring her safe return to the Song Clan. Yet the Yin Clan refused to relent. They had even sent a message stating that they would retrieve her in three days, and if there was any resistance, the entire Song Clan would be annihilated. What choice did she have but to await capture obediently?

"Although an expert saved me," Song Jia sobbed, "if I return, the Yin Clan will undoubtedly wipe out my clan. Why should my entire family perish when I can settle this with my own death?" She continued to cry softly, lying down on the bed and staring blankly out the window.

A girl in the prime of her youth should not have to contemplate death. However, Song Jia had no other options.

After hearing Song Jia's heartfelt confession, Qin Wentian felt deeply moved. In this world of cultivation, countless individuals were willing to employ ruthless and deceitful tactics to further their goals. Qin Wentian had experienced such situations himself. Nevertheless, his unwavering resolve dictated that as long as he lived in this world, he would safeguard the purity of his heart.

"Well, at least nothing should happen tonight," Qin Wentian mused as he left his room, accompanied by Little Rascal, who had reverted to his original form.

As night descended upon Xuan King City, the city remained as vibrant as ever. Illuminated by countless lights, the entire city seemed to come alive. Qin Wentian and Little Rascal soon found themselves in a restaurant.

Inns and restaurants often served as hotspots for acquiring gossip and news.

Seated inside the restaurant, Qin Wentian quickly identified the chatterboxes and focused his perception on them. Sitting discreetly in a corner, he observed. After a while, one of the gossipmongers left. Qin Wentian followed suit, and as they passed through a random alley, Qin Wentian's silhouette flickered, blocking the gossiper's path.

"What do you think you're doing?" The man, emanating the peak of Yuanfu-level aura, confronted Qin Wentian as he realized he was being obstructed.

"Hmph." Qin Wentian emitted a contemptuous snort, a mere sound that sent shivers down the spine of the gossiper. The icy glint in Qin Wentian's eyes gave off an aura of bone-chilling coldness, making the gossiper feel as though his very soul had frozen solid. He knew he had crossed paths with a formidable character.

"Senior, how may I assist you?" The gossiper's attitude did a complete one-eighty in an instant.

Qin Wentian's eyes narrowed as he questioned, "What is the scarlet halberd, and what has the Yin Clan done to obtain it?" The gossiper's expression stiffened at the question. He scanned the area for eavesdroppers, ensuring the coast was clear before he responded, "Senior, the scarlet halberd is also known as the scarlet demon halberd. It was forged by a fifth-ranked Grandmaster named Chi Yezi. A member of a feudal clan in Xuan King City had broken through to the fifth level of Heavenly Dipper. He publicly announced that he would handsomely reward anyone capable of crafting the most formidable halberd for him."

"After learning of this, the young master of the Yin Clan sought out Grandmaster Chi Yezi to create such a halberd. Despite forging several halberds, Grandmaster Chi failed to meet the young master's expectations. Chi Yezi explained that only a top-tier divine weapon radiating an aura of tyranny could be forged during moments of absolute obsession and madness, when one's emotions ran wild. Upon hearing this, the young master of the Yin Clan wore a cold grin and ordered the slaughter of Chi Yezi's family, intent on driving him mad. Fearing for his life, Chi Yezi succumbed to the pressure and forged more halberds to the young master's satisfaction. Shockingly, Chi Yezi took his own life immediately after perfecting the halberd, using his death as a sacrifice to refine the weapon's tyrannical aura, turning it into the scarlet demon halberd. The Yin Clan showed no remorse for Chi Yezi's death. Upon hearing the news that the halberd had been perfected, they dispatched an envoy to retrieve it. However, none of them ever returned; they all died under mysterious circumstances. The young master of the Yin Clan remained undeterred and sealed off the area where Chi Yezi had lived. He prohibited anyone from entering and forcibly conscripted talented individuals, hoping to recover the demon halberd."

As the gossiper continued to speak, his voice grew increasingly hushed, as though he feared being overheard. He finished by revealing the location of Grandmaster Chi's residence, prompting Qin Wentian to set off immediately in pursuit of the scarlet demon halberd.

A short while later, Qin Wentian arrived at the area sealed off by the Yin Clan. The night shrouded the land in a dense, eerie deathly silence. Standing atop a building, he extended his perception, and in the moonlight's silver glow, a fearsome blood-red halberd became visible, thrust into the ground some distance away. Dismal cries and vengeful roars resonated from the halberd, as if Chi Yezi's lingering soul still harbored intense resentment and an insatiable thirst for vengeance.