“This….” Nie Teng’s mind went blank, and he stood there in a daze.

Wen Lingxue and her female classmates’ eyes widened in shock.

A year ago, the Sword Chief of Blueriver Sword Manor’s outer sect, Su Yi, had an accident which turned him into a waste without any cultivation. Everyone in Guangling City knew that.

Yet they’d just watched Su Yi deal Yang Sheng heavy injuries in a single attack!

“Yang Sheng, are you okay?” Huang Qianjun’s expression shifted as well. Yang Sheng was the most capable fighter among his subordinates, a vicious character at the Refining Muscle stage of the Blood Circulation Realm, but Su Yi had left him grieviously wounded in a single blow. Huang Quanjin dared not believe his eyes.

“Young Master…. I….. Argh!” Yang Sheng lay crumpled in the corner. He tried to struggle to his feet, only to hack up a mouthful of blood. His head lolled to the side, and he passed out.

Huang Qianjun’s expression instantly filled with awe-inspiring, violent malice. His fury peaked, and with a sudden sweep of his arm, he roared, “What are you just standing there for? Hurry up and kill him!”

His guards looked at each other, then stepped forward and charged.

Every one of them was a cultivator, and they were vicious characters who fought and slaughtered on the regular. They were no mere fledgling hoodlums. 

When all of them charged at once, they were like a swarm of hungry crocodiles!

Their ferocious momentum alone left Wen Lingxue, Nie Teng, and the girls watching with bated breath. Their hands and feet went cold, and their minds went blank.

Although they’d started cultivating the Martial Dao at a young age, they’d never had to worry about food, clothing, or shelter, and they’d never experienced bloodshed or life and death battles. 

When had they ever seen anything like this? Their hearts and minds shook, effectively rooting them in place.

This didn’t escape Su Yi’s notice. Later on, I’ll have to find a chance to train Lingxue. Cultivating the Martial Dao isn’t just a matter of sitting and meditating. Tempering your mind, courage, and bearing is necessary too. 

Despite his predicament, he was as calm as ever, neither anxious nor flustered. Only when his foes drew near did Su Yi take a step forward. His palm swung out.

Whap!

It looked like a casual slap, but the guard at the front of the pack felt as if he’d collided with a mountain. The blow sent him flying, destroying an elegant pearwood chair. 

He didn’t give them any chance to react. Before they knew what was happening, Su Yi advanced. With every step he took, he sent a guard flying. 

One slammed into the wall, snapping his bones.

One collided with the table, leaving him drenched in soup and covered in food.

One was slapped so hard, he fell over backward, frothing at the mouth….

By Su Yi’s seventh step, the private dining room was in ruins, and the guards all lay slumped on the ground. 

All sorts of agonized cries and groans rose into the air.

From beginning to end, Su Yi’s movements were simple, casual, understated waves of the hand.

“He…. He…..” The girls stood there, dazed and tongue-tied.

The Su Yi they’d disregarded from the start of the banquet, the “waste” they’d disdained as a mere live-in son-in-law, was strong enough to sweep an entire group of guards? 

This was so far beyond their expectations that they couldn’t have been any more shocked.

Nie Teng was struck dumb, too. His hair stood on end. When he recalled that, just minutes ago, he’d been wondering how best to deliver Su Yi a few good kicks, his heart shook. 

As the guests watched in utter disbelief, Su Yi strode up to Huang Qianjun. His eyes narrowed, and his lips rose into a faint sneer. “Did you just say you wanted me dead?”

The entire venue fell dead silent!

Huang Qianjun’s face alternated white and green. His emotions flitted back and forth, dazed on minute and astonished the next.

He was clearly stunned too. He never would have guessed that all of his guards combined would be no match for Su Yi.

Su Yi was nothing like the crippled, worthless live-in son-in-law he imagined!

Currently, Su Yi was but one step away. When Huang Qianjin looked into those profound, inscrutable eyes, he felt in irrepressible chill run down his spine. Terror washed over him, and he shook violently from head to toe.

However, he’d been a domineering, arrogant young master for years, so he steeled himself and said, “Su Yi, even if you were far stronger than this, you’d still just be a low-status, debase, live-in son-in-law, while I’m a disciple in the Huang Family’s direct line of descent!”

Saying that out loud boosted his courage, and his tone turned sharp and cold. “Attack if you dare. Go on! But if you do, just wait! The Huang Family will avenge me!”

Huang Qianjun had thrown his weight around Guangling City for years. This was fundamentally due to his family background; he was from the Huang Family, and his father was the current family head.

This was the source of his domineering pride.

As expected, when they heard Huang Qianjun’s threats, Wen Lingxue and Nie Teng’s hearts sank. They’d only just realized how serious the repercussions of this incident would be.

However, Su Yi only laughed. “Are you threatening me?”

His hand suddenly shot out, grabbing Huang Qianjun by the throat and lifting him into the air. He whispered, “If you’ve got the guts, keep talking. See for yourself if I dare kill you or not.” 

The stranglehold on Huang Qianjun’s neck was agonizing, and his face flushed red and purple. As Su Yi exerted pressure through his fingers, Huang Qianjun could clearly sense himself growing dizzy. His vision was going black. Before long, he’d be on the verge of death. 

A powerful, instinctive will to live stimulated him, and he struggled madly, but it was useless. From the onlookers’ perspective, he seemed like a captured grasshopper, his life and death up to a moment’s whim!

Is Su Yi really going to kill him? This thought suddenly occured to Wen Lingxue and the party guests, startling them. Without exception, their expressions changed dramatically. 

“Well? Why aren’t you saying anything?” Su Yi asked with a smile.

Huang Qianjun’s cheeks contorted. He shook and flailed, but he nevertheless clenched his teeth, too scared to speak. His eyes brimmed over with deep terror.

In all his years of life, this was the first time he’d felt death so close at hand. He felt as if were on the verge of breaking down. 

Suddenly, Su Yi’s nostrils flared and his brow furrowed.

Thud!

He tossed Huang Qianjun away. When he landed, there was a puddle of yellow liquid beneath him.

When they saw this, the onlookers were astonished, but they also felt the urge to laugh. Who would have guessed that a domineering, violent young master like Huang Qianjun would lose control of his bladder?

“My friend, please stay your hand!” Suddenly, they heard a voice from outside the private dining room. 

A man in brocade robes rushed inside, then cupped his fist in greeting. “My name is Yue Tianhe, and I’m the owner of this humble establishment. Please do me a favor and let Young Master Huang go.”

Yue Tianhe!

Wen Lingxue and Nie Teng’s pupils constricted. They’d all heard tales of the owner of the Immortal Gathering House. He was keen-eyed and profoundly capable. Moreover, his background was mysterious, and all of his guests belonged to the upper echelon of Guangling City.

But against all expectations, Su Yi gave Yue Tianhe no face at all!

They watched as Su Yi said flatly, “You were nowhere to be seen when he barged into our room and caused trouble, but now that he’s the one whose life hangs by a thread, you rush inside and ask me to stay my hand. Do you think you’re just that worthy of my respect? Or…. Do you think I’m a pushover?”

His tone were casual, but his attitude was incomparably firm.

Yue Tianhe was visibly startled. It had likely never occurred to him that the Wen Family’s live-in son-in-law would refuse to give him face.

His gaze flicked imperceptibly to Huang Qianjun and the others sprawled on the floor. He instantly grew serious. “Young Lord Su, you’re right to chastise me. I’m to blame for arriving so late. Had I come earlier, this never would have happened. I humbly request your understanding. I’ll be sure to find an opportunity to pay you a visit and apologize.”

With that, he bowed respectfully.

Wen Lingxue, Nie Teng, and the others were completely dazed.

Someone of Yue Tianhe’s status had no need to be so humble! His meek response left them a bit bewildered.

Su Yi shook his head. “There’s no need to apologize. After all, this incident had nothing to do with you. That said, if you’ll forgive me for putting such ugly words out in the open, if you really get involved, you’ll only invite disaster.”

Yue Tianhe’s pupils instantly constricted, as if seeing Su Yi for the first time. He couldn’t believe the Su Yi before him was the same person as the Wen Family’s live-in son-in-law everyone made fun of.

The rumors were wrong! Yue Tianhe had seen his fair share of wind and rain, and he made this judgment instantaneously. 

Meanwhile, Su Yi’s gaze returned to Huang Qianjun. “I, Su Yi, have always made my feelings clear, so I’ll give it to you straight. I’ll give you the chance to get revenge, but if you take it, you’ll have to bear the consequences. Think it over and decide for yourself.”

With that, he turned to the nearby Wen Lingxue, smiled, and waved her over. “Lingxue, let’s go.”

The series of shocking events she’d just witnessed left Wen Lingxue in a daze. She instinctively responded, “Okay,” then hurried to Su Yi’s side.

Su Yi then turned to Nie Teng and the girls. “Everyone, do you plan to remain here?” 

They were still immersed in shocked confusion. They looked at each other, but there was no way they’d stick around! They immediately got up and followed Su Yi out the door.

Yue Tinghe made no efforts to stop them. It was only when they disappeared from view that he let out a long sigh. “The former Sword Chief of Blueriver Sword Manor’s outer sect sure lives up to his reputation. Everyone in Guangling City is underestimating him to an enormous degree….”

“Uncle Yue, you’re my father’s old friend. Don’t you see how badly he bullied me? Why didn’t you try to stop him?” Huang Qianjun was already back on his feet. His face was terrifyingly ashen.

Fool! Yue Tianhe inwardly cursed him, but out loud, he merely grimaced. “My dear nephew, I dare not bring such trouble upon myself. If you want to resolve this, I suggest you take it up with your father.”

It was just as Su Yi said; getting involved in this was like casting oneself into the flames!

“Uncle Yue, I never realized you were such a coward. You don’t even dare offend the Wen Family’s live-in son-in-law? Forget everything I said earlier!” With one final remark, Huang Qianjun stormed through the door without so much as stopping to consider his guards. 

Yue Tianhe made no attempts to keep him. He sneered derisively. This silkpants has been spoiled rotten. Without his father’s protection, who knows how many times he’d’ve gotten himself killed by now?

Wen Lingxue has the entire Wen Family backing her, while Nie Teng’s father is the captain of the City Lord’s guards. The others are intertwined with various sects and factions too. I’d have to be a real dunderhead to get mixed up in all this!

Yue Tianhe’s gaze then swept across the heavily wounded Huang Family guards, doubt rising in his heart.

A quick note about honorifics: 

At some point I decided to translate 公子 (gongzi) and 少爺/少 (Shaoye/Shao) differently; it just seems appropriate for the genre. Both terms can be reasonably translated as "young master", and both can refer to the sons of prominent figures, but "gongzi" can also just be a polite way of addressing a young man, while "shaoye" has a much stronger sense of "the young master of a prominent family." 

Huang Qianjun is a "young master" through and through, because he's the young master of the Huang Family. Yue Tianhe addresses him accordingly, but he uses the more generically polite "gongzi" or "young lord" for Su Yi. 

I'm typing this a few months after I made this decision, so it's possible that this may be applied unevenly in earlier chapters. I'll do my best to prevent confusion, but I apologize in advance for any mistakes.