Qin Yan watched the group as they slowly entered the village. After a moment of thought, he decided to return and regroup with the youngsters first.
When he had first laid eyes on the Imperial party, Qin Yan had already seen through their strength.
The accompanying cavalry had Power Levels of around 90. As for the Imperial princess, her Power Level was only 49 not particularly high.
Then there was the familiar hulking man they called Tie Kuangtu. He possessed the highest Power Level of the group, though it was still only 198.
To Qin Yan, they posed no threat at all. They were like ants that he could crush with a few swats of his hand.
With that thought, Qin Yan ceased paying them any mind. His figure blurred as he vanished from the tree trunk, disappearing into the depths of the forest.
Before long, Qin Yan found Little Liya, Luo Xuanyi, and the others.
At that moment, the children were busy tilling the soil. This was a task designed to train their waist, wrist, and finger strength.
"Hey, Liya, Xuanyi, Xiao Bei, Luo Fei, Er Niu—all of you, come over here for a second," Qin Yan called out, waving to them from the grass.
"Oh, Brother Qin Yan!"
"Haha, Qin Yan, you're here!"
Hearing Qin Yan's voice, the group stopped what they were doing and stood up. They waved their small arms vigorously and shouted with excitement.
"Brother Qin Yan... Brother Qin Yan..."
Little Liya was particularly overjoyed. She sprinted toward Qin Yan, shouting his name with intense excitement.
"Hahaha... Brother Qin Yan!"
Little Liya lunged at him the moment she reached him, knocking him to the ground. Her small, tender hands wrapped around his neck as she snuggled into his chest with affection. Her silver-bell-like laughter was full of innocent, childlike wonder.
Qin Yan smiled warmly and patted her back gently to help her settle her excitement.
"What is it, Qin Yan? Is your cultivation finished? Why did you call us over? Are you going to give us a new training method?" Luo Xuanyi and the others jogged over, asking curiously.
They didn't understand why he had summoned them so suddenly. The only thing they could imagine was that Qin Yan was about to impart a new cultivation technique, and their faces were filled with anticipation.
"Alright, Little Liya, get down now. Don't make people laugh at us," Qin Yan said softly as he stood up, patting the little girl still clinging to him. However, the little one didn't seem to want to let go. She pouted her small lips and said, "No, I don't care about that."
Qin Yan shook his head with a smile, helpless against her stubbornness. He let her have her way, and Little Liya remained hanging onto him like a little koala.
He turned his gaze toward the others, but instead of answering immediately, he first sized up Luo Xuanyi, Luo Fei, and the rest.
He could see that their strength had grown significantly compared to four months ago. It seemed their cultivation results over these past few months were quite remarkable.
In Qin Yan's eyes, their Power Levels were clear as day.
First was Little Liya, who had made the greatest jump. Her Power Level had reached 145—an increase of over a hundred points.
This was despite the fact that she was still very young and in a developmental stage. Being only three years old, she couldn't handle too much hardship, so Qin Yan hadn't been overly strict with her training. Otherwise, her strength would have grown even more.
Qin Yan was in a similar boat. Because his own body was still so young and in its growth phase, he didn't dare perform high intensity cultivation for fear of affecting his development. Had he pushed himself, his Power Level would likely have doubled by now.
Then there were the others. Currently, Luo Xuanyi's Power Level was 47.
Xiao Bei's Power Level was 46.
Luo Fei's Power Level was 49.
Er Niu's Power Level was 48.
In just four months, growing from ordinary humans to this level of combat power was absolutely terrifying. Their strength had increased dozens of times over.
Such a staggering speed of cultivation proved that the training methods of the Turtle School were incredibly powerful.
Qin Yan had initially tried it with a "wait and see" attitude, not expecting it to actually work, let alone produce such incredible results.
"There isn't a new training method. I just noticed we have guests in the village and wanted to bring you all back to take a look," Qin Yan said, shaking his head helplessly. These kids really seemed to expect him to teach them ultimate moves every time they met.
"Oh, I see. Who's here?" The group realized what was happening. They felt a small pang of disappointment that there was no new cultivation, but they quickly recovered and asked about the visitors.
"I'm not entirely sure, but it looks like people from the Empire have arrived," Qin Yan replied with a shake of his head.
"What? People from the Empire!" The children were stunned. Their faces were full of disbelief and shock; they never expected people from the Empire to visit such a remote place.
"What are they here for?" Luo Xuanyi asked, puzzled. She couldn't understand why the Empire would bother with their far-flung corner of the world.
"Sugoi! People from the Empire! I wonder what they look like. They must be really strong, right, Er Niu?" Luo Fei was buzzing with excitement and anticipation. He looked ready to jump into action, unable to suppress the boiling blood in his heart. He clearly wanted to test his skills in a fight.
"Yeah, yeah!" Er Niu nodded, his face equally full of excitement.
One look at those two was enough to know they were restless, battle-hungry troublemakers.
"Haha, I don't know. Alright, let's head back and see for ourselves. We can talk on the way," Qin Yan said with a slight smile as he looked at their excited, curious, and doubtful expressions.
"Mm-hmm, okay! Let's hurry back. We've never seen anyone from the Empire before. I wonder what they're like," the children replied in unison, eager to see the visitors in the flesh.
Qin Yan understood their feelings, but since he couldn't give them any more answers, he simply led them back.
***
Meanwhile, inside the home of Old Village Chief Gude, the group of visitors had already taken their seats in the main hall and were sipping tea.
"I wonder, Sir Knight and Her Highness the Princess, what brings you to our village? Our land is remote; there shouldn't be anything here worthy of the Empire's attention."
Village Chief Gude spoke first, inquiring about the purpose of their visit.
"It is like this, Old Village Chief," Tie Kuangtu began, finally explaining their goal. "A few days ago, several dozen kilometers from here, we encountered the Demon Race and engaged them in a great battle.
To our surprise, several Demon Kings were deployed, and we suffered heavy losses. While my friends and I were trying to stall one of the Demon Kings, the disparity in strength was too great. We couldn't hold out for long. One by one, my companions fell, and with no reinforcements in sight, we were plunged into a desperate crisis.
In that moment of despair, a mysterious youth suddenly appeared. With a single strike, he killed the Demon King and saved us. Without him, the consequences of that battle would have been unthinkable. Therefore, we wish to find that mysterious youth who rescued us."
"So that's how it is," the villagers murmured, a look of realization dawning on their faces.
"What kind of mysterious youth could be so formidable? To kill a Demon King with one blow... I fear even those at the Paladin rank couldn't achieve that. Could it be that a King Knight intervened?" Gude's eyes flickered with a sharp glint as he made his guess. However, on the surface, he remained composed, his face showing only appropriate shock.
"This mysterious youth is not very tall, about three feet in height," Tie Kuangtu continued, describing the boy's appearance. "His face is as tender as a child's, he has large, bell-like eyes, and a very sharp hairstyle. His clothes were quite unique. Oh, and most notably, he has a tail behind him. I wonder if you have seen someone like that?"
"What? Isn't that just Qin Yan?" a villager blurted out the moment Tie Kuangtu finished his description.
Immediately, Tie Kuangtu and Princess Long Vivi looked toward the speaker. They hadn't expected the villagers to actually know the youth. Their hearts leaped with joy.
They quickly followed up: "Is that true? You've seen him? Do you know where he is now?"
"He's at..."
"Ahem! Dazhu!"
Just as the man was about to reveal Qin Yan's whereabouts, the Village Chief gave a symbolic cough and called out the man's name, cutting Dazhu off.
Gude shot Dazhu a reproachful look. The villager flinched, coming to his senses and realizing he had spoken out of turn. He quickly covered his mouth and fell silent.
However, it was too late to pretend they hadn't seen Qin Yan; no one would believe them now.
Not knowing whether the Empire's intentions toward Qin Yan were good or bad, the Village Chief decided to probe further. "Since that mysterious youth left after resolving your crisis, may I ask why you are searching for him now?"
"Oh, it's quite simple, Old Village Chief Gude," Tie Kuangtu explained. "We wish to thank him in person for saving our lives. That is why we have taken the liberty of disturbing you. If you know the youth's whereabouts, please inform us. The Empire will reward you all handsomely."
Old Village Chief Gude understood their implication. They had stated their public reason, but they were also subtly reminding him that this was the Empire's will. The deeper meaning likely went far beyond a simple thank-you. Thus, he did not answer immediately.
On one side was the entire powerful Alliance Empire, and on the other was Qin Yan. It was clear that he would never betray their savior. Not only would his conscience forbid it, but the ancestral teachings passed down through generations forbade them from being ungrateful or betraying friends to save their own skins.
The atmosphere in the room suddenly became awkward, tense, and heavy.
Everyone looked toward Old Village Chief Gude, nervous and expectant of his next words.
The Old Village Chief's gaze slowly swept across everyone in the hall, finally resting on Tie Kuangtu and Princess Vivi.
After a long silence, his eyes narrowed. He chose not to stay silent any longer.
"Sigh..."
Just as the old man was about to speak, a group of figures appeared at the doorway.
"I heard you were looking for me."
The sudden sentence, spoken in a youthful voice that carried an invisible weight, interrupted Chief Gude.
Qin Yan and the kids had arrived.
"Qin Yan!"
"Qin Yan!"
The villagers cried out, their faces breaking into joyful smiles. It was as if his presence alone brought them a profound sense of peace.
"Haha, hello everyone. We're back," Qin Yan said with a chuckle, greeting the crowd as he slowly walked into the hall.
As Qin Yan's group entered, Tie Kuangtu and Long Vivi both looked over, carefully sizing them up.
Tie Kuangtu's eyes turned solemn as he took them in.
He leaned in and whispered into Vivi's ear, "Vivi, the one in the front is the mysterious youth I told you about. As for the children behind him... I can feel a powerful aura coming from each of them. I fear their strength is not much different from yours. One of them might even be significantly stronger than you; they give me an extremely dangerous feeling."
He continued his murmur, "And that mysterious youth... I can't feel any power coming from him at all. He looks like an ordinary person. But that is exactly why he is so terrifying. His strength is likely bottomless.
The pressure he exerted just now when he spoke was suffocating, as if we were facing a Great Horror, yet it vanished instantly. He was likely giving us a deterrent. Standing there, he feels more terrifying to me than even a Holy Light Paladin. I doubt anyone in this world is stronger than him."
"What? How is that possible? Uncle Tie, are you sure you didn't misjudge him?" Vivi's face was etched with shock. Although she trusted Tie Kuangtu implicitly, she hadn't expected such a high evaluation. A Holy Light Paladin was widely considered the strongest on the continent, standing on the verge of becoming a King Knight. To think someone could be stronger was almost impossible for her to accept.
At the same time, she was stunned by the children. Their strength was actually on par with her own and one was even stronger? Uncle Tie had actually sensed danger from them? This was absurd. Her own strength was nearly that of an Intermediate Mage, but that was the result of the Empire's endless resources and the guidance of elite mentors. It wasn't something commoners should be able to match.
Vivi fell into a pit of self-doubt. Her entire worldview was collapsing. These children looked even younger than her, yet their strength was comparable? It was simply too ridiculous.
While Tie Kuangtu and Vivi were lost in their shock, Qin Yan and his group reached the center of the hall.
Old Village Chief Gude greeted them first. "Qin Yan, you've returned."
"Yes, Village Chief," Qin Yan responded.
The Chief then turned to the Imperial party and began the introductions. "Come, Qin Yan, let me introduce you. These guests have come from the capital of the Radiant Empire specifically to visit you. This is Lord Tie Kuangtu, an Earth Knight and a Grand Swordsman. Beside him is the Third Princess of the Empire, Her Highness Princess Vivi. Behind them are their personal guards."
"Mm-hmm," Qin Yan nodded as he acknowledged the Chief.
He and the children then began to size up the Imperial visitors. The youngsters stared at them with wide, curious eyes, looking them up and down without the slightest bit of bashfulness.
🔥 WANT TO READ AHEAD? STOP WAITING!
Consider to Support this story and get instant access:
✅ 400+ Advance Chapters (Binge the next arcs right now!)
✅ 2 New Chapters Updated Daily!
👉 Patreon.com/flokixy
🛍️ Want full story bundles? Access them directly on Patreon without a monthly commitment!
Thank you to everyone supporting the daily updates! ❤️