Chapter 4 - kill

At the sect's main entrance, Lan Yue stood alone, barely holding her ground against three burly men, each wielding a heavy broadsword.

One at Early Foundation Establishment. Two at Peak Qi Refinement .

Meanwhile, Lan Yue was only at mid Qi Refinement Level.

Her robes were torn, her breathing ragged, and despite her efforts, she was slowly being pushed back.

Xie ren seeing this, his eyes darted around, searching for a weapon. His gaze landed on a dried branch sticking out of a bush nearby.

Good enough.

He yanked it free, and stepped forward

Crack!

The branch snapped in half in his grip.

The three men, mid-swing, froze and turned to look at him. Their gazes carried zero friendliness.

"…Uh, fellas, if I say I'm just here to sell firewood, would you believe me?"

The leader, a thick-necked man with a scar running down his cheek, let out a low chuckle.

"Hah! Firewood seller, huh?" He dragged his broadsword along the ground, sparks flying. "Maybe. But does that mean I won't cut you down?"

Xie Ren's mouth twitched.

This group of people were well-known thug who roamed the outskirts of Empyrean Cloud city. Their cultivation wasn't impressive compared to real powerhouses, but against an ordinary Qi Refinement cultivator like Lan Yue, They were overwhelming.

Before Xie Ren could respond, Lan Yue's voice rang out, desperate.

"Lin Lang! I'll go with you, just don't hurt my junior brother!"

Her voice trembled, but her eyes were firm.

"Hmph. Orders from Young Master Lin Bao were clear, Xie Ren must die!"

Lin Lang swung his massive broadsword down, aiming straight for Xie Ren's neck.

Without hesitation, Lan Yue threw herself in front of him, her arms spread wide.

"Don't be scared, junior brother! Even in death, I'll accompany you!"

As the blade descended, Xie Ren casually reached out.

CLANG!

He caught the sword barehanded.

The sheer force should've split any other mortal in half, yet he stood firm, gripping the steel between his fingers like it was nothing more than a brittle twig.

Lin Lang's face twisted in disbelief. "What?!"

Xie Ren's grip tightened.

CRACK!

A flicker of amusement danced in his eyes as he seized the broken blade and, with a swift motion.

SHNK!

He slashed Lin Lang's throat.

The thug staggered back, clutching his neck, eyes wide with horror. Blood sprayed into the air.

A second later, he collapsed, lifeless.

His two underlings, once brimming with arrogance, turned pale.

Fear overtook their faces as they turned to run.

Seeing that, Xie Ren scoffed. "Not on my watch."

Two flashes of cold light streaked and two heads rolled.

Their bodies crumpled to the ground before they even realized they were dead.

Xie Ren dusted his hands and with another wave of his hand.

The wind howled. Leaves swirled in a chaotic dance, and in the blink of an eye, the corpses vanished without a trace.

Lan Yue, still trembling, turned to him. Her face was pale, her hands clenched into fists.

"J-Junior brother… where did they go?"

Xie Ren hesitated. How was he supposed to explain that?

Before he could speak, the system's voice rang in his mind.

[Detected an SSS-Grade Talent nearby! The host must recruit Lan Yue as a disciple!]

Xie Ren's eyelid twitched. "But she's my senior sister!"

[As long as they meet the talent criteria, anyone is eligible for recruitment, young, old, even animals.] said the little fairy at his shoulder.

He took a deep breath, turning to Lan Yue.

"…Senior sister, can I ask you something?"

Lan Yue blinked, still shaken. "What is it?"

Xie Ren hesitated for a second, then sighed. "…Will you be my disciple?"

Lan Yue couldn't believe her ears. The words seemed to hang in the air, refusing to leave her mind. "Will you be my disciple?"

Xie Ren, her junior brother, the one she had always protected, was asking her to become his disciple?

This wasn't a joke, was it? For years, she had watched over him as his senior sister, guiding him through the hardships of life in the sect.

But now, he was asking her to be his disciple? Was this some kind of joke?

Her brows furrowed in confusion. Had he suddenly found some courage he had hidden all this time, or was it the shock from their confrontation with Lin Lang that had rattled his mind? Was he truly that scared by Lin Lang's threats that he had lost his sense of reality?