Qin Lu stared at the middle-aged man standing in his courtyard, his muscles coiling tight with tension.

After mixing in the Wuji Market for a year, the name “Li Qingdu” was not just familiar—it was a synonym for trouble. The man was infamous for his violent temper, his high-profile arrogance, and his brutal, simple solutions to complex problems.

More importantly, he was at the Mid-Foundation Establishment stage. He was the apex predator of the Wuji Market.

The fact that he had just smashed through the courtyard’s protective array instead of knocking suggested this was not a social call.

Qin Lu ignored the shimmering, jagged hole in his defensive formation and stepped forward quickly, bowing with cupped hands.

“Greetings, Senior Li! To what do I owe the honor of your visit today?”

Li Qingdu’s expression was indifferent. He didn’t even look at Qin Lu, instead flicking a dismissive hand at the terrified Feng Xi standing in the background.

“Scram.”

“Feng Xi, go back to your room,” Qin Lu ordered immediately.

“Yes! Yes, sir!” The girl, pale and trembling, practically tripped over herself as she fled the courtyard.

Whoosh.

Li Qingdu clenched his fist. A ripple of translucent spiritual energy expanded outward, forming a distorted dome around them—a silence ward to isolate them from the outside world.

Hands clasped behind his back, Li Qingdu paced slowly across the flagstones. “I have come to inform you of a task.”

Qin Lu glanced at the shimmering barrier, a knot of unease tightening in his stomach. What kind of business required the local tyrant to be this cautious?

He steadied his breathing. “What are your instructions, Senior?”

“You remember Yang Zhen, correct?” Li Qingdu asked flatly.

“Of course.”

The champion of the arena tournament. The man who had slapped the Wuji Sect in the face. It was hard to forget.

“That brat insulted my Sect’s Ancestor. He does not deserve to draw breath in this world,” Li Qingdu said, his voice devoid of warmth. “I am going to the Immortal Crane Sect to execute him. You are coming with me.”

“Huh?” Qin Lu’s mask slipped, his face freezing in shock.

He had expected Li Qingdu to seek revenge—the man was known for seeking retribution for the smallest grievance—but he hadn’t expected to be drafted into it.

“Senior… this…” Qin Lu stammered, his mind racing. “My strength is lowly, and I have pitifully little combat experience. A raid on the Immortal Crane Sect? I would only be dead weight in such a massive battle…”

Li Qingdu stopped pacing. He frowned, his eyes narrowing.

“Who said anything about storming their mountain gate? This is an ambush. We will wait in the wilderness for Yang Zhen to return, then strike him down together.”

He stepped closer, looming over Qin Lu. “Besides, I saw you fight in the tournament. You have some skill. You are capable of holding a position in the formation. That is why I chose you.”

Qin Lu’s heart skipped a beat. His “bad acting” in the arena hadn’t fooled this old fox completely. Li Qingdu knew he was holding back.

Qin Lu focused on the cool hum of the [Hidden Spirit Bracelet] against his chest. It was projecting a steady Qi Refining Level 8 aura. He had tested it with Gu Yue; not even a Foundation Establishment expert could see through it.

“But Senior Li,” Qin Lu said, choosing his words with agonizing care, “I am only at the Eighth Level of Qi Refining. Wouldn’t I ruin your plans? Perhaps you should find someone stronger?”

“I said,” Li Qingdu glared, his voice dropping an octave, “I acknowledge your ability. Stop making excuses. Level 8 is sufficient to assist me.”

“Furthermore, I do not expect you to work for free. Any cultivator you personally kill—their entire inventory is yours to keep. On top of that, I will personally pay you one thousand Spirit Stones. I guarantee you won’t lose out.”

Qin Lu lowered his head, feigning deep contemplation while his mind whirred.

The reward was substantial. One thousand Spirit Stones plus loot was a fortune for a Loose Cultivator. And with a Foundation Establishment powerhouse leading the team against a mere Qi Refining junior like Yang Zhen, the success rate should be absolute. It sounded like easy money.

But Qin Lu was different. He was allergic to life-threatening risks.

This mission required leaving the safety of Wuji Market and penetrating deep into Dragon Tiger Sect territory. The risk of counter-ambush or entrapment was astronomical. No amount of money was worth his life.

Qin Lu looked up, his expression apologetic. “Senior, I am a coward by nature. I really must decl—”

“Hmph!”

The sound hit Qin Lu like a physical blow.

“How can you be so spineless?” Li Qingdu roared, his fury spiking. “You disgrace the title of Cultivator! The Wuji Sect provided you with spiritual land to cultivate in peace, allowing you to reach the late stages of Qi Refining! Now I ask for one small service, and you whine like a dog?!”

Li Qingdu’s voice rose to a thunderous crescendo, shaking the air inside the barrier.

Qin Lu hastily bowed, bending almost double. “Senior misunderstands! I am willing to go through fire and water for the Wuji Sect! I only feared my weakness would botch your important plan…”

“Enough bullshit!”

Li Qingdu cut him off with a sharp bark. “I am not here to negotiate. I am here to notify you. You will do as you are told! Tomorrow at dawn, meet me three miles outside the East Gate. If you are late, I will not spare you!”

With a wave of his sleeve, the silence ward shattered. Li Qingdu shot into the sky, vanishing in a streak of light before the dust had even settled.

He came like a storm and left like a hurricane.

Qin Lu stood in the courtyard, staring at the empty patch of sky where the tyrant had disappeared. He remained silent for a long time.

Finally, he slumped onto a stone bench, his face twisting into a grimace of helplessness.

“Sigh… how did I get dragged into this unwarranted disaster?”

The rumor mill had been churning for months. Everyone knew the Immortal Crane Sect had defected to the Dragon Tiger Sect, and that Yang Zhen had been a pawn sent to humiliate the Wuji Sect. The market was on edge, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

But after three months of silence, Qin Lu had assumed the storm had passed.

He was wrong. Li Qingdu was a viper who held a grudge, and now Qin Lu had been forcibly dragged onto the pirate ship.

“Sigh…” Qin Lu exhaled a long breath.

He had no choice. Living under another man’s roof meant bowing to his rules. Unless he abandoned his home and fled the Wuji Sect’s jurisdiction immediately—becoming a fugitive—he had to obey.

The path of a Loose Cultivator was like rootless duckweed, drifting aimlessly at the mercy of the current.

“But why me?” he muttered, rubbing his chin. “There are plenty of Foundation Establishment cultivators in the market. Why ignore them and press-gang a ‘Level 8’ nobody like me?”

“Did he recruit Gu Yue?”

“No… for an ambush like this, more people means more leaks. He wants disposable assets.”

Qin Lu paced back and forth, his mind dissecting the variables.

After a moment, he stopped and shook his head.

“Useless. I can’t think about others right now. Since I can’t avoid the battle, I must prepare for the worst.”

“I need an immediate boost in combat power.”

With a thought, he summoned the [Blue Rainbow Sword]. He held the First Rank High-Grade blade in his hands, the cold steel reflecting the sunlight.

A plan formed in his mind.

“I need to find Gu Yue. If she can help me reforge this into a flying sword… I might just have another trump card to keep me alive.”