“What crime have we committed?”

The captain of the soldiers sneered, looking down his nose at Ye Lang.

“You demonic sect cultivators have quite the nerve. Coming to Qin Yang City, reeking of blood, and still daring to ask what crime you’ve committed? Your very existence here is a provocation.”

He waved his hand dismissively.

“I advise you to behave yourselves. If you dare resist, your fate will be… unpleasant. Take them away!”

Upon hearing this, Ye Lang and his disciples’ expressions darkened. They truly had no way to refute this!

Moreover, being in the heart of Qin Yang City, they were surrounded by formations and hidden experts. If they dared to cause trouble and provoked the Nascent Soul Stage old monsters of the Great Qin Dynasty, they likely wouldn’t live to see tomorrow’s sun. Ye Lang understood this well. Therefore, suppressing his rage, he could only allow the soldiers to restrain them with spirit-binding chains.

As Ye Lang and his companions were marched through the streets of Qin Yang City like common criminals, they attracted a crowd of curious onlookers.

At one point, sensing a gaze, Ye Lang instinctively looked up toward the second floor of a teahouse overlooking the street.

By the windowsill, bathed in the morning light, stood Han Lie and Qin Lianyi side by side. A playful, mocking smile curled at Han Lie’s lips as he raised a hand and waved cheerfully.

“Han Lie, just you wait!” Ye Lang hissed through gritted teeth, his expression twisting into a mask of pure hatred.

“I’m right here. What are you waiting for?” Han Lie called down, his tone infuriatingly nonchalant.

“What are you muttering about? Move it!”

Before Ye Lang could say more, the two soldiers escorting him gave him a rough shove. Ye Lang stumbled, nearly losing his balance. He could only shoot one last fierce glare at Han Lie before being dragged away.

Watching Ye Lang and the others disappear into the distance, Han Lie turned to his companion.

“Princess Lianyi, what will their fate be?”

Unfamiliar with the specific legal codes of the Great Qin Dynasty regarding foreign cultivators, he could only inquire with Qin Lianyi.

“They can only be deported,” Qin Lianyi replied with a hint of genuine regret. “After all, the Heavenly Void Sect is not some minor sect we can ignore. Killing their elite disciples without cause would bring unnecessary diplomatic trouble; it’s not worth the cost.”

If Ye Lang and his group had committed any tangible crimes within the Great Qin Dynasty’s borders, dealing with them would have been justified. Since they hadn’t, deportation and a permanent ban from the city were the maximum punishment.

“Very well. Deporting them will at least ensure some peace for me during my stay in Qin Yang City,” Han Lie said, rubbing his nose thoughtfully.

“But eventually, you will have to leave Qin Yang City and return to your sect,” Qin Lianyi pointed out, her brow furrowing with concern. “They are bound to ambush you on the return route. What will you do then?”

Ye Lang was at the peak of the Golden Core Stage. With Han Lie and Zhuo Hongyi only at the mid-Golden Core Stage, the gap in power was significant.

“No need to worry. If they dare to ambush me and Fairy Hongyi, they should be the ones considering how to escape,” Han Lie said calmly.

His confidence was not unfounded. With his current cultivation level and hidden trump cards, he might struggle against a peak Golden Core cultivator alone. But the variables had changed. What if Zhuo Hongyi broke through to the Nascent Soul Stage after inheriting Ancestor Zhuo’s lifetime of cultivation?

Below Nascent Soul, all are ants—this saying is not just empty arrogance. Upon reaching the Nascent Soul Stage, one gains initial control over the laws of the world, such as spatial force and temporal manipulation! Even if a new Nascent Soul cultivator’s mastery over these laws is shallow, it is still a dimension of power far beyond what a mere Golden Core Stage ant can challenge.

Even setting Zhuo Hongyi aside, facing Ye Lang alone… Han Lie didn’t believe he was necessarily destined to lose. He had survived one hundred and eighteen years in the cultivation world not by luck, but by being harder to kill than a cockroach.

“That’s good then,” Qin Lianyi said, relaxing slightly. She didn’t know the source of Han Lie’s confidence, but since he said so, she chose to trust him.

After morning tea, Han Lie bid farewell to Qin Lianyi and returned to the Zhuo residence.

With Zhuo Hongyi in deep seclusion for the legacy transfer, Han Lie decided to enter closed-door cultivation as well, aiming to consolidate his recent gains.

However!

Only a few days into his seclusion, a commotion outside his room startled Han Lie awake from his meditation.

Pushing the door open and stepping out into the courtyard, he saw several soldiers armed with spears marching straight for him. Zhuo Cheng stood in their path, arguing fiercely.

Han Lie raised an eyebrow; it seemed these soldiers were here for him. He stepped forward, his aura calm.

“Uncle Chengjun, what is going on?”

Before Zhuo Cheng could explain, the leading soldier whipped out a portrait. He compared it to Han Lie’s face for a second before nodding.

“It’s him! The demonic sect fiend! Arrest him!”

“?”

Han Lie was dumbfounded. Wasn’t this the exact same tactic he and Qin Lianyi had used against Ye Lang just days ago? Karma, it seemed, was swift.

“Who dares move!” Zhuo Cheng shouted sternly, releasing a burst of his cultivation pressure. “Daoist Han is an honored guest of our Zhuo Family! What do you think you’re doing?”

Nevertheless, the soldier captain was undeterred. He signaled his men to restrain Han Lie, then presented a golden arrest warrant to Zhuo Cheng.

“Master Zhuo, we are merely following orders. If you have any objections, take it up with our Commandant!”

Zhuo Cheng’s face immediately darkened. The golden seal on the warrant meant it came from high up—very high up.

“Uncle Chengjun, don’t act rashly,” Han Lie interjected softly, placing a hand on Zhuo Cheng’s shoulder. “It’s fine if I go with them.”

The fact that soldiers could storm the Zhuo residence to arrest him meant someone influential was pulling the strings. The Zhuo Family was already in a precarious position; Han Lie didn’t want to drag them into the abyss with him. At worst, he reasoned, he would face deportation like Ye Lang.

“Hmph! At least you know what’s good for you. Take him away!”

As two soldiers grabbed Han Lie’s arms and began to escort him toward the gate, Zhuo Cheng called out, his voice solemn.

“Daoist Han, rest assured! I will definitely find a way to get you out!”

“I appreciate your concern, Uncle Chengjun,” Han Lie replied with a slight smile, though his eyes remained cold.

At this moment, both Han Lie and Zhuo Cheng understood clearly: given Zhuo Cheng’s current influence… it was unlikely he could secure his release.

“What is going on? Release him at once!”

Just then, an authoritative and domineering feminine voice rang out from the entrance, cutting through the tension like a blade.

The soldiers looked up sharply.

The newcomer was none other than Princess Qin Lianyi of the Great Qin Dynasty, her royal robes fluttering in the wind.

Despite having an arrest warrant in hand, facing Qin Lianyi directly caused the two soldiers holding Han Lie to instinctively loosen their grip. Their knees buckled.

“Greetings, Princess Lianyi!” The soldiers knelt down one after another, pressing their foreheads to the ground.

Han Lie and Zhuo Cheng immediately brightened up—their savior had arrived.

Qin Lianyi shot Han Lie a reassuring glance before commanding imperiously, “Well? Aren’t you going to release him?”

“Reporting to Your Highness,” the leading soldier stammered, sweat beading on his forehead. “We… we are here under orders from Commandant Li to apprehend this demonic sect fiend… We are merely following orders… We beg Your Highness not to make things difficult for us… Moreover… this demonic sect fiend is also suspected of burglary… If we don’t bring him back… we cannot answer to Commandant Li…”

“Burglary? How can that be?” Zhuo Cheng couldn’t understand. A Golden Core cultivator resorting to burglary? It was absurd.

Upon hearing this accusation, however, both Han Lie and Qin Lianyi instantly realized the truth. It must be that Ye Lang and his group had reported the thefts before being deported.

And most likely… they had help.

“Princess Lianyi,” came a voice laced with amusement from the shadows of the gate.

“Why protect a demonic sect fiend accused of burglary? If this matter reaches His Majesty… even you may not escape blame.”

Following the source of the voice, they saw Mu Feng approaching leisurely. He fanned himself gently with a folding fan, a spring-like smile gracing his face as he gloated maliciously.

Qin Lianyi narrowed her beautiful eyes sharply, her voice dropping low and heavy.

“As expected—Mu Feng!”