Lei Ling's expression was amiable, his words brimming with righteous conviction. Now, even Song Qianqian understood—the other party was clearly here with ill intentions. It seemed their target had been little Yao from the very beginning.
This made Song Qianqian unconsciously lower her gaze to the petite figure before her, a deep worry flashing in her eyes. She obviously couldn't believe what the other side said, but if she truly tried to stop them...
'An existence like this... I'm afraid even Acheron would be powerless against it.'
Ever since that old man appeared, the surroundings seemed to be swept by an invisible tempest. The forest felt as if gripped by a giant hand, its leaves and branches rustling and trembling, and even the earth seemed to groan. Every inch of air pressed down, making it hard to breathe, as if with a mere raise of his hand, everything within several kilometers would instantly turn to dust.
However, Song Qianqian was completely unaware that Acheron was secretly resisting this pressure—even if she knew, she would likely believe Acheron was no match. Jiang Qingning beside her felt the same, even more intensely than Song Qianqian.
She felt like an ant crawling beneath a giant boulder, where even breathing became a luxury—this old man before her was clearly a deity who held dominion over life and death, capable of grinding heaven and earth to dust with a mere gesture.
'In the face of such an existence, am I truly as insignificant as a grain of dust... without even the right to struggle?'
The next moment, both of them turned their gazes toward Acheron's back. They both knew clearly: whether they lived or died now depended entirely on Acheron's choice. This time, even if Song Qianqian's heart was unwilling, she could do nothing about it. Even if Acheron abandoned them because of this, she wouldn't blame Acheron.
Above, Lei Ling noticed the fearful expressions on the women's faces, and an involuntary sense of joy rose within him. As the Young Sect Master of the Wind Thunder Pavilion, Lei Ling had always disdained using force to intimidate others—he preferred the process of persuasion through reason, like a meticulously orchestrated drama.
In daily life, he always presented himself as an elegant young master, using gentle words to delight those "naive and sweet" fairy maidens, making them willingly bow to him. But now, for a peerless beauty like Acheron, a mere "mortal," he was willing to lower his status and personally step onto the stage to act.
He firmly believed that as long as he revealed his title as "Young Sect Master of the Wind Thunder Pavilion" and supplemented it with a grand, righteous speech, these women would surely make the "correct" choice. After that, he only needed to proceed step by step, weaving a fine net with gentleness and promises. In a few days, this exquisite beauty would obediently fall into his grasp.
The only thing that surprised Lei Ling was that this purple-haired woman's face remained utterly expressionless. And so, his gaze unconsciously drifted downward, finally settling on the cold, gleaming blade at Acheron's waist.
'So it's this treasure that gives her confidence.'
Thinking this, a barely noticeable smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
"Hmph! Bad guys, your target is me, don't... ah!!?"
little Yao stomped forward angrily, her mouth still twisted in lingering fury. But before she could finish, without even turning her head, Acheron simply used the tip of her scabbard to lightly press against little Yao's abdomen.
little Yao felt a sudden chill in her stomach and uncontrollably stumbled backward a few steps, her petite figure retreating awkwardly behind Acheron. As soon as she steadied herself, she heard the other speak softly.
"Hide behind me. Don't run around."
little Yao (＞⤙＜): 'She's just a mortal, yet she acts so arrogantly! And here I was trying to distance myself from you all.'
Though she thought this, she now quietly hid behind Acheron. Acheron paid her no further mind. After all, this little girl hadn't even considered that their target was no longer just her alone.
When Lei Ling saw the other's choice, the amiable smile on his face stiffened. So he cleared his throat lightly, preparing to speak again.
"Miss, I think I haven't made myself clear. You—"
"Mm, I know. This girl is a demon beast and a scourge upon the world."
Without letting him finish, Acheron directly cut him off, preemptively speaking his lines for him. Now it was Lei Ling and the old man's turn to be stunned. Lei Ling never expected his lines to be spoken first. How was he supposed to follow up now? (Bro, ever heard of modern novel subversion tropes?)
This move almost left Lei Ling at a loss for words. However, he suppressed his emotions and continued to persuade.
"Since the young lady understands right from wrong, that's excellent. But would you mind handing her over to us for handling? I will surely repay you handsomely afterward."
"No need."
"Does the young lady intend to shelter this vile creature? That would mean becoming the enemy of the entire righteous path!" Lei Ling was starting to lose his ability to keep up the act. As a mere mortal, this woman's personality was more domineering than even some holy maidens from major factions. His words now carried a faint hint of threat. After all, the label 'enemy of the righteous path' was no small matter.
Yet... Acheron merely slowly raised her gaze, her purple eyes calmly meeting his. She spoke in a flat tone.
"So what if I do?"
'This woman... could she have some powerful backing? No, all the powerful factions have long since declined. None would dare act so brazenly.'
As soon as Acheron uttered these words, both men's eyes widened in shock. Even the three behind Acheron trembled all over. Although Song Qianqian hadn't read novels carefully, she was familiar with some similar story tropes. Unconsciously, the three of them felt as if the mountain pressing down on them had suddenly vanished, their bodies feeling much lighter.
little Yao's watery eyes looked up at the big sister before her with even greater admiration. 'Sister's words... are just too domineering.'
"...Ahem..."
"Young Master?"
After Acheron's domineering reply, Lei Ling suddenly took a few unsteady steps backward, his complexion poor. This alarmed the old man beside him greatly; he had no idea what was wrong with the Young Master.
"I... I'm fine..." Lei Ling pushed the other away forcefully, staggered a few steps, and then slowly straightened up.
At this moment, his eyes were bloodshot, the whites veined like spiderwebs, his expression withered like a tree drained of life. But when he lifted his gaze to the purple-haired woman, those bloodshot eyes suddenly sharpened like a hawk's, filled with vigilance and a shadow of greedy malice.
"Seeking death! How dare you attack the Young Master! Watch as this old man captures you scum!"
Seeing the Young Master struck under unclear circumstances, the old man no longer had any intention of playing along. He immediately unleashed his full aura, a terrifying and dreadful pressure sweeping out in an instant. At this moment, the entire forest seemed to tremble.
"Perish!"
The old man roared, his voice thunderous. With a light touch of his finger to his ring, a flash of cyan light appeared, and a sword as sharp and cold as frost leaped out from thin air. The blade was wreathed in violent lightning, as if the God of Thunder had descended from the Ninth Heaven, its pressure distorting the very air.
Immediately after, his spiritual power surged like a raging river, pouring entirely into the sword's edge. With a flick of his wrist, he slashed out without hesitation. This sword strike was overwhelming, as if it could tear the heavens asunder, freezing even the air.
If not for Acheron's protection, the three of them would likely have been crushed to dust the moment the old man unleashed his spiritual power, even before the attack landed. This was the unbridgeable chasm between mortals and Cultivators—one could move mountains and fill seas, while the other was as fragile as an ant.
Unfortunately for him, today he had met Acheron. Seeing this scene, not a trace of fear appeared in Acheron's eyes. And this time, the old man finally saw her move.
He saw her wrist flick lightly, directly using her scabbard to meet the enemy. A purple blade light shot out like a meteor streaking across the sky, and where the blade passed, the air was torn with fine cracks.
However, before Song Qianqian and the others could see where the blade light went, the figures of the four, along with Acheron, instantly vanished from the spot, as if they had never existed.
( Fumina: This is giving me ptsd flashbacks to all those Wuxia novels I read, when I was a high schooler.)