Ch. 174 - I Alone Shall Walk Forward

As Chi Qianxue descended from the sky, the disciples below all noticed her.

“Enough, I’ll handle this. All of you, disperse,” she said loudly.

The disciples hesitated but eventually moved away, though many still kept their eyes on Xu Zimo.

Chi Qianxue, dressed in a white robe, stepped through the air from afar. Her figure landed gracefully in front of Xu Zimo.

She glanced at Chi Lei’s corpse, frowned, and then turned her gaze to Xu Zimo.

“You really have some nerve, causing trouble in our Sky Pond City,” she said.

“I was going to wait for you to deal with it, but I couldn’t hold back,” Xu Zimo replied with a light laugh.

“You’re the first person to kill someone from the Chi Imperial Clan inside Sky Pond City,” she said, giving him a long look. “I can’t tell if you're truly confident… or just recklessly arrogant.”

Xu Zimo smiled and changed the subject.

“You’ve found the Spring of Life, haven’t you?”

“The clan has already contacted Ice Snow Mountain. If all goes well, the deal should be finalized in the next few days,” Chi Qianxue responded.

“Then what about what you promised me?” Xu Zimo asked.

“Although I’ve officially become the Saintess, I still haven’t received the ancestral inheritance.

“Perfect. I’ll stay at your Chi Imperial Clan for a few days,” Xu Zimo said with a grin. “After all, I saved your life and told you about the Spring of Life.”

Chi Qianxue rolled her eyes.

Saved her life? More like he took her hostage.

“Aren’t you worried I’ll tell the clan elders about Elder Xueluo’s death?” she asked.

“If I were scared of that, I wouldn’t have come to Sky Pond City. I wouldn’t have let you leave back then either,” Xu Zimo replied casually.

“Fine then, follow me,” she said, walking toward the city. “Let me remind you, once inside, don’t cause trouble. If you offend the wrong person, even I can’t protect you.”

Xu Zimo smiled faintly, then suddenly reached out and grabbed her chin.

“Little lady, remember this, I don’t need anyone’s protection. Even if your entire Chi Imperial Clan came at me, I alone could take you all on. Try me.”

Chi Qianxue’s expression turned awkward, quickly stepping back.

Her cheeks flushed pink.

No boy her age had ever touched her so intimately before.

Though not panicked, there was an undeniable feeling of… something.

“You’re not the only one who can talk big,” she huffed softly.

“It’s not about boasting,” Xu Zimo said, shaking his head. “Just stating facts. You think I’m arrogant because your perspective is too small. Does an elephant care how an ant feels? To you, an Imperial Lineage may seem grand and untouchable. But to me, it’s just another stepping stone on my cultivation path.”

“Then why don’t you tell me who you really are?” she asked. “I doubt you're from the Eastern Continent’s core.”

Their first meeting had been deep inside the Grand Myriad Mountains.

“Knowing too much isn’t good for you,” Xu Zimo replied. “By the way, you’ve met the guy who follows me, his name’s Little Gui. He might come looking for me soon. Help me keep an eye out for him.”

“You really treat this place like your own home, huh?” she muttered.

“If it were my home, you’d all be lucky,” Xu Zimo replied.

…

They walked into Sky Pond City, a city so vast its end couldn’t be seen in a single glance.

The Chi Imperial Clan resided at the city’s center, occupying nearly two-thirds of its total area.

The surrounding areas were homes to the branch families.

The city was bustling. Shops lined the streets, and roadside stalls were filled with all sorts of goods,

As they walked, nearly every clan member they passed respectfully greeted Chi Qianxue.

After all, as the newly appointed Saintess of the Chi Imperial Clan, her status was far above that of the branches.

“Come to think of it, I still don’t know your name,” Chi Qianxue said.

“A name is just a label. Doesn’t matter. People only ever remember this handsome face,” Xu Zimo replied with a smirk.

“Shameless,” she muttered under her breath.

The Chi Imperial Clan’s estate was grand and imposing.

Walking through the red gates, they entered a massive courtyard that seemed to stretch forever.

Red walls, green tiles, vines crawling up the walls, and sunlight bathing the lush greenery.

In the center was a massive lotus pond, lotuses blooming with an almost ethereal aura.

Colorful koi fish leaped from the water, sending ripples and splashes into the air.

A light mist floated around the pond’s edges.

Just as Xu Zimo and Chi Qianxue entered, two young men walked up to them.

Both wore blue robes, swords at their waists, with strikingly similar appearances and strong features.

“Well, if it isn’t our brand-new Saintess,” sneered the one on the left. “What’s this? Couldn’t wait to bring a man home already?”

Chi Qianxue frowned but ignored the sarcasm. She turned to the man on the right and said, “Chi Yang, control your brother. Next time he speaks like that, I’ll kill him myself.”

The young man on the left, Chi Xing, froze and scoffed, “Don’t think you can do whatever you want just because you’re the Saintess now. If you kill a fellow clan member, even the clan leader won’t protect you.”

“Enough, Chi Xing,” said Chi Yang, shaking his head. He looked to Chi Qianxue and said, “He’s still young, immature. I apologize on his behalf.”

“Brother, what are you...?” Chi Xing turned in confusion.

But Chi Yang gave him a sharp glare, and Chi Xing immediately shrank back, not daring to argue.

“For the sake of our bloodline, I’ll let it go this time. Don’t let it happen again,” Chi Qianxue said coldly, then continued walking with Xu Zimo.

Once they were out of earshot, Xu Zimo chuckled and said, “Seems like being Saintess doesn’t make life easy in the Chi Imperial Clan either.”

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