The night wind howled like a beast, sweeping through the clearing beside Mengyao Lake. Ashes from the dying fire scattered into the air, dancing with the falling leaves. The atmosphere, tense, and suffocating.
Li Cheng stood abruptly, his body taut with instinctive fear. He stepped back slowly, eyes fixed on the man cloaked in black who had appeared out of no where. The man's aura was suffocating—a thick killing intent poured from him like a wave of ice-cold water.
The old tree beside them groaned as another gust of wind pushed through.
"Who dares knock this old man to the ground?" Wu Ming shouted in anger, staggering to his feet with his wine gourd still clutched in his hand. He swayed slightly, brushing dust off his robes. He raised his head and saw a man draped in a black cloak, a savage aura emanating from him. his pupils narrowed.
"Ehh? Young man," Wu Ming said, tapping his wine gourd thoughtfully, "I don't think we know each other. So how may we help you?"
Then his expression lit up with sudden realization. "Oh! Now I get it. You're hungry, aren't you?"
Li Cheng blinked in disbelief.
Wu Ming smacked his forehead with mock frustration. "Haiyaaa! You should've said that earlier instead of causing such a commotion.
"You're really lucky this brat here is a good cook. And guess what? I've even hired him as my new chef! Hahaha!" Wu Ming laughed heartily.
"So sit down—we still have one fish left. We can share it with you. I know people get angry when they're hungry, so come, let's enjoy ourselves," Wu Ming said with a wide smile.
For the first time in Li Cheng's life, he felt as if his ears had stopped functioning. He couldn't believe this old geezer was busy spewing nonsense at a man radiating such intense killing intent.
"Li Cheng," the man in black finally spoke. I am here to send you off to reunite with your mother...Xu Zihan said in a cold voice.
Li Cheng's heart dropped. His eyes shot wide open as he took another step back, his breath shallow.
Wu Ming turned, confused. "Boy… wait, I thought you said your mother was dead? So what's this crazy fellow talking about?" Wu Ming asked as he looked at Li Cheng, whose face was now etched with fear.
Li Cheng didn't answer...
The man in black sneered. "Though she died peacefully, but yours will be more… violent."
So it was him.
He killed my mother.
Li Cheng's fists clenched, his nails biting into his palm. His vision turned red with hatred.
Meanwhile, Wu Ming shook his head and sat back down, grabbing his fish.
"Look, young man," he said through a mouthful, "you should really eat something. This kid cooks better than most taverns. And it Might help with whatever brain damage you've got."I am serious this brat here is really a good cook.
Xu Zihan's eyes narrowed. "Get lost."
With a flick of his sleeve, spiritual energy exploded from him like a storm, sending everything nearby flying.The trees groaned and cracked, the fire snuffed out, and loose stones shot into the air. He stomped the ground and shot forward like a bolt of lightning, his hand glowing with spiritual energy as it shot toward Li Cheng.
But before he could get any closer.
A hand—calm, wrinkled, and stained with wine—caught his wrist mid-way.
The world seemed to freeze.
Wu Ming stood in front of Li Cheng, his other hand lazily lifting his wine gourd for a sip. His expression had changed—no longer playful, but calm and cold.
Xu Zihan's eyes widened in disbelief. "You—"
"You have the guts to try killing my new cook in front of me? I haven't even tasted much of his cooking yet..."
With a violent jerk, Xu Zihan ripped his hand free and leapt backward. He landed lightly.
He stared at the old man in front of him, trying to figure out who he was and why he was protecting Li Cheng. Moreover, he had tried to probe the old geezer but couldn't detect his cultivation level at all. He looked just like an ordinary street drunkard, and there was no spiritual energy coming from him, No fluctuation.
yet he'd casually intercepted an attack that could cripple an ordinary cultivator.
Xu Zihan was confident—he was just a step away from a breakthrough into the Core Formation stage. So even if the old geezer was a stage above him, which shouldn't be the case, he was still confident in his ability to escape.
He was sure that in Yuefeng, no one under the Core Formation stage could beat him.
"Old man, what are you doing? Why are you interfering in the Li family's business?" Xu Zihan said in a menacing voice, hoping to intimidate him by invoking the Li family name.
"The Li family…" Li Cheng muttered under his breath. His eyes burned with fury, and his fists trembled at his sides.
Xu Zihan narrowed his eyes.
This guy… Who the hell is he?
Wu Ming paused, raised an eyebrow, and burst into a fit of laughter.
"Li family? Ah yes... I remember now." He leaned on a nearby rock, swirling his wine. "They've got a jewelry store, a mine, and... oh yes, a brothel with terrible service. The wine tastes like donkey piss."
He sighed. "I went there once, never again.
"So if you want to drink good wine, go to the Hulan Tavern. But let me warn you—don't ever mention my name there, or the owner will kill you out of anger. I've owed them five taels of silver for over a year now. Do you hear me?" Wu Ming said, then took a long sip from his wine gourd.
Li Cheng didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He genuinely felt that this old geezer shouldn't have wasted his time cultivating—his mouth alone was sharp enough to kill anyone foolish enough to mess with him.
Xu Zihan's face twisted in fury. "You dare insult the Li patriarch and his family. I can see now—you must be tired of living," Xu Zihan said coldly. "At first, I thought you were someone with status and power, but now I see you're just a crazy old man."
He sneered and raised his hand, spiritual energy swirling above it. Three glowing swords condensed mid-air, each humming furiously....
"Don't worry. I'll make your death quick."
He pointed at Wu Ming.
"Go!"
The swords shot forward with a screech, tearing through the air like thunderbolts.
Wu Ming didn't flinch.
He raised one finger.
The swords froze inches before his face—completely still, as though time had paused.
With a flick, he tapped the tips of the blades. A sharp hum rang out.
Crack—
Cracks spread across the blades, and in the next moment, they shattered into pieces, dissolving back into pure spiritual energy.
Xu Zihan staggered backward.
"Y-You…" he gasped. "Who… Who exactly are you?"
Wu Ming took another sip and stepped forward, I will tell you in your next life," Wu Ming said with narrowed eyes.
One could tell that playtime was over.
Xu Zihan immediately panicked and hurried to activate his escape talisman. But before he could cast the spell, a terrifying pressure descended upon him.
BOOM!!!!...
His legs buckled, and he dropped to his knees, coughing up blood on the spot.
Wu Ming stretched out his hand. A giant hand of spiritual energy materialized in the air and gripped Xu Zihan by the neck, lifting him effortlessly off the ground.
Xu Zihan thrashed, gasping.
"S-Senior! Please! Spare me! I was only following orders!"
Wu Ming didn't even blink.
"It's a pity," he said, cocking his head. "You didn't get to try the kid's cooking."
His hand closed into a fist and the hand made of spiritual energy followed suit—and Xu Zihan's body disintegrated into a cloud of energy, vanishing into the night like smoke on the wind.
Silence returned.
The lake rippled softly. The moonlight glimmered.
Li Cheng stood frozen, staring at the empty space where Xu Zihan had been.
Wu Ming turned back, brushing his robes. "Boy," you really have a terrible family.....
He grabbed Li Cheng by the shoulder. "Alright. Let's go."
With a simple wave of his hand, a surge of spiritual light enveloped them both—and they vanished into the night, like mist carried away by the wind.