Fan Chuan was rapidly cycling through names in his mind, trying to recall who within or outside the Canal Guild might have a grudge against them, especially someone with a cultivation level at the Innate Realm, or someone who could summon an Innate Realm ally.
He hadn't come unprepared today. Though not heavily guarded, he had brought along two Qi Opening Nine-Meridian experts. That was already more than enough to intimidate someone like the Chen family's youngest daughter.
Even Chen An, had he been here, would've had to smile obsequiously and hold his tongue.
Otherwise, it would be tantamount to declaring war on the Canal Guild.
Fan Chuan's intent was to make an example of Chen Ning as a show of force upon the Enlightenment Envoy's arrival, to demonstrate who truly ran Jishao Prefecture, and to test the Chen family's attitude.
He never expected to be blindsided halfway through.
To kill two Nine-Meridian experts in an instant without giving them a chance to resist... That could only be the work of someone at the Innate Realm!
But the Canal Guild had dominated Jishao Prefecture for years. Most of their old enemies were either gone or lying low.
As for other sects, even if they disliked the Guild, they'd been well "taken care of" by now. What reason would they have to suddenly make such a deadly move?
And more importantly, there were no known factions in Jishao Prefecture skilled in sonic killing techniques...
Fan Chuan's expression twisted. Could this whole poetry gathering have been a trap set by the Chen family?
Had they foreseen the Guild's move and lured him here deliberately?
But the more he thought about it, the more implausible it seemed. What capability did the Chen family have to hire an Innate Realm expert?
From the upstairs room, the voice came again, languid and amused:
"Oh? You're unwilling to do it yourself? It seems the Young Master of the Canal Guild isn't all that impressive after all. It's no easy task to nurture you. Shouldn't you think about the Guild's interests?"
The voice continued, "You may be unwilling now, but who knows, one day you might come begging me to let you cut out your own tongue as atonement."
The voice was calm, but everyone who heard it broke into a cold sweat.
He had directly escalated the situation from a personal grudge... to a challenge against the entire Canal Guild.
Most people would avoid offending such a major power at all costs.
But this man? He was actually inviting it.
Yet, with the corpses lying all around, people found this arrogance oddly... justified.
Fan Chuan, realizing he had provoked someone who didn't fear the Canal Guild, took a deep breath and forced a smile. He bent down and slowly picked up a sword, saying:
"Oh no... I was merely considering the most efficient way to cut it."
His words gave off an air of stoic resolve, but in truth, he was stalling for time.
Because the moment his two guards had died, he'd crushed a message jade, alerting an Innate Realm bodyguard he had stationed nearby.
That man... had arrived.
Chen Ning noticed a flicker of malice in Fan Chuan's eyes. She suddenly remembered a document she had glimpsed in her father's study, a confidential report on the Canal Guild's manpower.
Fan Chuan wasn't alone. He had an Innate Realm expert with him.
Not just any Innate Realm either, but one who had already cultivated Virtual Force, a higher tier within the Innate Realm!
Chen Ning's pupils shrank.
She didn't know whether that bodyguard had arrived yet, but if he had... and the senior who'd just helped them were to be harmed, then none of them would walk out of the Envious Fish Hermitage alive.
She quickly shouted toward the upper floor:
"Senior, beware!"
Fan Chuan's expression instantly changed. The desire in his gaze toward her was replaced with something far more venomous.
He realized something.
How did Chen Ning know about the bodyguard?
Although he was the Young Master, his father Fan Hailong had always been careful to keep him low-profile. On the surface, he didn't seem to receive much protection.
This meant, this poetry gathering had been a test... and the Chen family had just passed it.
Still, he felt no fear. That was a Virtual Force Innate Realm expert!
Across the entire twelve prefectures of the former Liang Kingdom, there were fewer than thirty Innate Realm cultivators.
And those who had stepped into Virtual Force territory? They were even rarer.
There was no way the Chen family had that kind of backing!
He smiled coldly. Soon, that arrogant man upstairs would be crawling on the ground, sobbing, begging to be allowed to cut out his own tongue to avoid death.
A black-cloaked figure suddenly appeared as if conjured from the shadows.
Without a sound, he bypassed the array guarding the small building and, like a wisp of smoke, entered the upstairs room.
Seeing that his bodyguard had successfully entered the room, and that the people inside seemed unaware, Fan Chuan's smile widened.
Chen Ning's heart sank. She felt an overwhelming sense of dread for the mysterious stranger who had just saved them. She clutched the scroll to her chest, full of guilt.
This had all been directed at her. She should've been the only one to suffer.
She hadn't expected her classmates to be humiliated... and now even a stranger had been dragged into it.
Just then, a familiar voice echoed from the upstairs room.
"Huh? A sneaky little rat crawling in, huh?"
Chen Kuang's fingers rested gently on his Zither, smiling slightly at the now-visible black-cloaked man.
From the moment he entered, the Canal Guild guard had frozen completely in place, unable to move even a single muscle.
He dared not make a single move, let alone attempt to kill anyone.
Why?
Because the aura radiating from the blue-robed young man seated before him... was utterly terrifying.
Qi Sibai of the Heavenly Observatory Division, ranked thirty-fourth on the Canglang Evaluation, a cultivator of the Moon-Embracing Realm.
He was three whole major realms higher.
To a normal human... he might as well have been a god.
Qi Sibai gazed silently at the black-cloaked man, his expression unreadable. In his heart, he was frankly amazed at how arrogant and domineering the Canal Guild had become.
This wasn't stupidity, it was pride born of power. Their unchecked dominance in Jishao Prefecture had turned into an unshakable habit.
They assumed no one could touch them.
Even an Innate Realm cultivator... was nothing before the mere pressure of a Moon-Embracing Realm expert's Spiritual Energy.
Chen Kuang turned to Qi Sibai and cupped his hands politely:
"Looks like I'll be borrowing Brother Qi's reputation to intimidate someone this time."
Qi Sibai shook his head. "Think nothing of it. I can't stand this kind of behavior either. Consider this me doing a small favor for a friend."
"And besides, the owner of this Envious Fish Hermitage is an acquaintance of mine. I'm doing him a favor by keeping order here."
He glanced at the window and sighed.
"This array... it couldn't even stop an Innate Realm. Absolutely shoddy work. I'll have to scold him later."
Chen Kuang: "..."
Brother Qi, has it occurred to you that an Innate Realm is considered the peak among mortals?
Qi Sibai lifted his tea cup and casually flicked the liquid outward.
The tea instantly transformed into dozens of sharp water arrows, impaling the black-cloaked figure and flinging him out the window like a shooting star.
BOOM!
A dark figure crashed through the glass and slammed into the marble courtyard, creating a crater in the ground.
Dust flew into the air.
Fan Chuan's smile froze. His eyes widened in utter disbelief.
But it wasn't over.
Several of the water arrows were embedded in the body. But one shot straight for Fan Chuan's face.
He didn't even have time to react.
The water arrow pierced through his jaw, severing his tongue.
"AAAAAH!"
Fan Chuan howled. His mouth opened wide as his mangled tongue flopped out onto the ground.
The arrow turned back into tea, dribbling out of his mouth like drool.
He trembled violently, horrified. Glancing at the corpse, he dropped to his knees and scrambled on all fours, picking up his severed tongue, his eyes bloodshot.
He turned to Chen Ning and then pointed to himself, frantically gesturing.
"Urghhh! Uh! Uh!!"
Chen Ning stared in disbelief, her mouth slightly agape.
Upstairs, the familiar voice responded calmly:
"Oh? You're saying 'She called you senior too'? I see..."
Chen Kuang smiled and said, "She's just a child. If she happens to call out a few times, that's understandable."
"But you... do you mean to say you're unconvinced?"
Fan Chuan panted heavily, his entire body shaking.
He dared not speak.
At last, clutching his tongue, his eyes rolled back, and he passed out cold.