Chapter 54: Another Twist and Turn

"Changed your temperament?"

"Not really. I'd say I've just figured things out."

"Well, in all matters, we judge by intent rather than mere actions. My journey ahead may bring even greater trouble, but I must still go, because lingering over minor troubles right now would leave my spiritual heart unstable."

"Ah? Master even has a spiritual heart?"

"Mm, I do."

At this moment, Yang Le looked extremely serious. Seeing Qu Zhe looking hesitant and standing frozen in his tracks, unwilling to take another step forward, Yang Le did not wait for him.

He walked straight toward Qu Zhe. "My spiritual heart is that of a bright and clear sword heart. Anyone who provokes me—if I can kill them, I kill them. If I cannot kill them, I find a way to kill them."

"Master, what you have there isn't a spiritual heart."

Li Qi'er shook her head. "What you have there is a reckless sword slaughter..."

"No, what I have is the sword in my hand to sever the troubles of this mortal world."

Facing Li Qi'er's sarcastic remark, Yang Le showed no hesitation whatsoever, telling her his thoughts in a deadpan, serious tone.

For Yang Le, his Dao was actually very simple.

Having come alone into the Great Qian Dynasty, he naturally intended to act as his heart desired. If he lacked the System,

Yang Le might have chosen to submit and keep silent. But since he had the System...

Would he still let others bully him?

The System wouldn't have been given to him in vain, then.

Because of this, Yang Le cared not a whit about what grand troubles might follow; resolving the immediate trouble was the only thing Yang Le wanted to do.

After all...

The sword in Yang Le's hand existed precisely to deal with trouble.

Since those people in Cizhou brought trouble to Yang Le, Yang Le would use the sword in his hand to wipe them out.

If people from other places intended to bring trouble as well, then...

The method of resolution would be precisely the same.

He would use his sword just the same.

The only difference might be that Yang Le would have to swing his sword a few more times.

"Let's go. To the Xue family."

After a long silence, Qu Zhe still refused to step forward. This time, Yang Le chose not to wait for him or waste any more time here.

With those words, he strode directly forward.

Li Qi'er quietly raised her head to glance at Qu Zhe, then immediately followed in Yang Le's footsteps.

"Yang Le, you shouldn't have come to Linqing City."

Just as Yang Le moved forward, Qu Zhe, who had remained motionless for a long time, actually moved.

"Before, I might have wasted words with you, but now I don't even have the time to deal with you."

Yang Le's eyes turned to lock onto Qu Zhe. This time, however, Yang Le didn't even bother with any superfluous words; he simply raised his sword. "Speak another word of nonsense, and I'll kill you too."

"If I came to save you, would you still want to kill me?"

As Yang Le's words fell, a trace of anger flashed in Qu Zhe's eyes. But after taking a deep breath, Qu Zhe reined in his temper and spoke again, "Do you have any idea how many people in Linqing City want you dead?"

"And do those people who want me dead not include you?"

Instead of asking what Qu Zhe meant by his words, Yang Le countered, "If I remember correctly, back in the bamboo grove, you were one of the only two people who made a move against me, and the blade in your hand was already drawn."

"I was, back then. Back then, I wanted nothing more than to kill you. Killing you meant I could get a house in Linqing City, and promotions and titles. That temptation made me want to kill you."

Facing Yang Le's question, Qu Zhe did not deny that he had truly wanted to kill Yang Le back then; his tone was even filled with complete candor. "I, Qu Zhe, have never had any grand aspirations in this life. All I've ever wanted is to live a peaceful and secure life with my wife."

"And what about now?"

Yang Le placed his hand on the body of the sword, tapping his finger against the hilt. "Do you want to kill me now?"

"Not really anymore."

Qu Zhe shook his head and smiled. "My wife said that offending you means losing all peace. A house and martial arts resources are important, but listening to my wife is even more important."

"Go back. This Linqing City truly isn't suitable for you. At the very least, if you take even one step further right now, someone will genuinely kill you."

As the Hundred Flower Festival approached its peak, the surrounding pedestrians grew increasingly dense. Qu Zhe stopped wasting breath. "You have more prospects than I do, and far more talent. You shouldn't die here in Linqing City."

"Someone who practices demon clan cultivation techniques is actually saying something like this?"

Yang Le remained completely indifferent to Qu Zhe's words, but a flicker of curiosity crossed Li Qi'er's eyes.

Li Qi'er could see at a glance that Qu Zhe was a human practicing demon clan arts purely for the sake of breaking into the fifth rank.

Precisely because of this, Li Qi'er found it baffling.

In her view—or at least among all the human martial artists who surrendered to the demon race that she had ever witnessed—they were uniformly selfish and profit-driven. Forget about having any sense of righteousness toward the human race;

simply refraining from butchering their own kind was already considered doing them a favor.

Yet the Qu Zhe before her was actually warning and trying to persuade his enemy's master at a time like this.

It really was...

quite rare.

"Trying to think of me as scum?"

Qu Zhe smiled as he looked at Li Qi'er. "Even if I'm scum now, I used to be a human, too."

"Hmph. That sentence just saved your life. Be on your way; my sword won't kill you today."

Yang Le had originally intended to draw his sword and strike without wasting another breath on Qu Zhe, but the exact moment the blade cleared the scabbard,

Qu Zhe's words made Yang Le lose the desire to fight him.

"As you wish. Today, I am no longer Cizhou Constable Qu Zhe, but merely a Cizhou commoner visiting the Hundred Flower Festival."

Hearing such a resolute declaration from Yang Le, Qu Zhe understood.

He could no longer persuade Yang Le to turn back.

In that case...

Qu Zhe would stop trying.

The festival lanterns had already drifted up into the dark night, scattering pinpricks of starlight. And Qu Zhe, who had been standing right before Yang Le just moments ago—

merged seamlessly into the surrounding crowd of pedestrians.

Ah, there was a vendor selling floral hairpins ahead. He should buy one to take back for his wife to look at.

Whatever he could do...

he had already done.

"Quite an interesting fellow."

"Does Master think he's human?"

"Mm. What he just did earns him the right to be called one."

Yang Le watched Qu Zhe's receding figure, and in the next second, his pace...

quickened once more.

That Qu Zhe would try to persuade him to leave Linqing City was something Yang Le had never expected, nor did he understand why the man had done so.

However, Yang Le...

declined his kind intentions.

As for the Xue family—

he would undoubtedly eradicate them.

...

"Who is this Yang Le?"

"No idea. To think he actually managed to take down the eldest young master of the Xue family..."

"Forget it, whoever he is. Anyway, after today, he's a dead man. I heard that Black Feather and White Phoenix have already gone out to hunt Yang Le down. No matter who he is, he's already a corpse."

The mournful dirges of the Xue family echoed throughout the entire alley. Distant relatives and acquaintances on the fringe of the Xue family gathered at the entrance, whispering among themselves about the cause of Xue Ting's death.

All around them, Xue family servants were busy receiving the arriving mourners.

"Eh? Two people coming this way?"

"Don't recognize them. Among those with ties to the Xue family, there shouldn't be this man and woman, right?"

With the funeral procession drawing near, the mourners were basically all arriving.

Yet right there on the street, two figures had suddenly appeared.

In an instant, the surrounding servants tasked with greeting guests grew suspicious.

Without delay, the Xue family steward stepped forward. Just as he opened his mouth to question them,

a flash of sword light swept past.

"Yang Le has arrived."

After cutting down the steward with a single sword stroke, Yang Le continued forward. "I am here today to exterminate this household."