Volume Two: Weapon Directory Chapter 149: The Inscrutable Minds of Lesser Men

Gazing at the Lühuang Sword resting on Liu Xiaoyi's knees, the Matriarch's eyes flashed with greed. However, she did not rush to snatch it, but instead instructed the four men, "Burn him. Having killed so many of our Shangguan clan members, there is no need to leave him an intact corpse."

Shangguan Yun nodded in assent, lifting the bronze cauldron as he unleashed a torrent of fierce flames that surged toward Liu Xiaoyi.

The Four-Yang Heavenly Cauldron Formation was a mystical array capable of refining those in the Heavenly Sun Realm. Using it against him was akin to using a butcher's knife to slaughter a chicken. Filled with absolute confidence, Shangguan Yun continuously fueled the flames, eager to wash away his previous humiliation.

"Let's see who can protect you this time!" Shangguan Yun gritted his teeth, only to find the flames halted a foot in front of Liu Xiaoyi, refusing to draw any closer no matter how desperately he channeled his power.

A large seal floated beside Liu Xiaoyi, its surface engraved with a Qilin pattern. Seeing this seal, the Matriarch felt a momentary daze—how could this young thief possess so many treasures?

"All four of you, attack together! He has a fire seal protecting him, which is why he can block the flames!"

Hearing this, the four men exerted their full strength to drive the four-sided bronze cauldrons. The color of the flames shifted from red to purple. This was beyond what Liu Xiaoyi could withstand; although the fire seal could control ordinary fire, its wielder was simply too weak to rival the Four-Yang Heavenly Cauldron Formation.

Since he could not block it, he would simply break out by force!

The next moment, the Lühuang Sword moved, tracing the arc of a waning moon. All of his sword qi converged into a single point, striking directly at the spot where Shangguan Yun stood.

"Audacious! Trying to force your way through the formation! Let me tell you, little wretch, even if someone in the Heavenly Sun Realm came here, breaking out of this array would be impossible!"

The moment Shangguan Yun spoke those words, he instantly regretted them. Liu Xiaoyi unleashed a hundred consecutive sword strikes, every single one hitting the exact same spot on the formation. A breach was quickly torn open, and he flashed through, escaping the trap.

Instead of fleeing, Liu Xiaoyi directed his sword edge straight toward the Matriarch's face. As her dragon-headed walking stick slammed down into the ground, she sneered, "Little thief, it would have been one thing if you hadn't come, but since you're here, do you really think you can leave?"

The moment he entered her proximity, Liu Xiaoyi felt as though he had stepped into a quagmire. His entire body hung suspended mid-air, struggling forward by mere inches.

This was an aura field—a domain capable of controlling the flow of the surrounding natural energies. It was a realm one could only gradually master upon reaching profound depths in true qi cultivation. The Matriarch was actually a powerhouse of the Heavenly Sun Realm!

He realized this the moment she drew close to him, raised her hand, and delivered a heavy slap across his face that sent him crashing down violently.

Old and frail as she might have seemed, she possessed the highest cultivation among everyone present. That single slap cleared his hazy mind; bracing his trembling hands against the ground, he turned his head to glare at her.

"I only regret failing to take your life and avenge my brothers."

Hearing this, the Matriarch smoothed out her wrinkled face and burst into loud laughter. "To be able to batter the Shangguan clan like this, you are truly the first! As for wanting this old woman's life—perhaps if you cultivate for another ten or eighty years, it might be possible. The Kyushu Seal, the Master's Sword—just how many good treasures do you have on you?"

As she spoke, she bent down to pick up the Lühuang Sword from the ground, gently stroking its blade. From the gleaming surface of the sharpened edge, she caught a reflection of her own aged face. Her days were numbered; she had to wipe out this threat to the Shangguan clan once and for all!

With that thought, she gripped the Lühuang Sword tightly, pressing its edge against the back of Liu Xiaoyi's neck. "To force me to take action personally—in the jianghu hereafter, you can be considered a notable figure. How old are you this year?"

Liu Xiaoyi remained silent, racking his brain for a way to escape. Yet even when he employed the Lin-formula incantation, he could not break free from her overwhelming aura field. She was simply too formidable.

"No matter if you won't speak." The Matriarch raised the sword, swinging it downward.

Suddenly, a small beast darted out from Liu Xiaoyi's embrace, lunging at the Matriarch. The descending blade was deflected by the creature. Startled, the Matriarch seized the little beast by the throat.

Without even executing its transformation, Xiao Jin had eagerly rushed out to protect its master. Astonished, the Matriarch remarked, "A spiritual beast capable of moving freely within my aura field is truly a rarity. It's fortunate I didn't roast you into ashes; otherwise, I would have lost quite a few treasures!"

Raising her sword once more, Xiao Jin wailed as it looked toward Liu Xiaoyi. With its neck gripped tight and unable to move, it could only watch helplessly as Liu Xiaoyi faced execution.

The spirit of the Lühuang Sword was still slumbering and remained completely oblivious to the events unfolding outside. The Matriarch hoisted the precious sword high and swung it down with all her might, yet the blade merely grazed past the top of Liu Xiaoyi's hair.

"Who is it?! Hiding in the shadows to meddle—what kind of hero do you call yourself?!" Furious, the Matriarch flung Xiao Jin far away, grabbed Liu Xiaoyi by the hair, and raised her sword for another strike.

Once again, the blow brushed harmlessly past his face without inflicting any injury. However, the others present finally pinpointed the hidden assailant's location, and Shangguan Yun immediately directed the roaring flames of his bronze cauldrons to sweep across that area.

From around the corner of a nearby storefront wall, a flash of silver light erupted. The bronze cauldron was cleaved clean in two by a single sword strike, and Shangguan Yun perished on the spot.

"I shouldn't have started such a massive slaughter, but he is my good brother, so I have no choice. Ancestors bear witness, this disciple invites the sword to leave its scabbard!"

Lu Haoran had secretly trailed them all the way here. Watching Liu Xiaoyi's frantic, berserk rampage all the way to the clan's doorstep had made his heart leap into his throat as he wondered how he should get along with him in the future.

Yet when he saw the Matriarch capture him and prepare to sever his head, how could Lu Haoran possibly stand by and watch? With a flick of his thumb, he released the spring of the Longevity Sword. A piercing blue radiance cut through the Matriarch's cheek, leaving a shallow, bleeding scratch, before the sword qi plunged deep into the Shangguan estate, neatly splitting the entire courtyard in two.

The Matriarch stood frozen with a vacant stare, unable to catch her breath for a long while. Lu Haoran strode up to them and hauled Liu Xiaoyi to his feet. "Good brother, didn't I tell you I wasn't boasting? Once I'm full, I'm truly formidable!"

Liu Xiaoyi was dumbfounded. He had previously assumed the man was just talking nonsense—how could a grandmaster possibly be as terrifying as the practitioners of the Derived Sword Dao claimed?

That single sword strike was entirely superior to the Heavenly Sun Realm. Facing someone of Lu Haoran's caliber, those of that realm were not even worthy of carrying his shoes. A myriad of thoughts raced through the Matriarch's mind; she could never wrap her head around how the mere death of Shangguan Qian could trigger such a catastrophic calamity of near-extinction for her clan.

Xiao Jin scampered over, rubbing affectionately against Liu Xiaoyi's leg. Realizing that Lu Haoran was here and the crisis had passed, the little creature's expression relaxed.

Pointing at the Matriarch, Lu Haoran said indignantly, "Bullying my brother—this sword strike settles the score. Now retract that dogwater of a bounty order you issued against him!"

If the Class-A Number One Order were rescinded, the Shangguan clan could be preserved; if not, it would push the clan straight onto the path of utter destruction.

Hesitating due to the pride and reputation of her family, the Matriarch remained undecided when four more figures materialized behind Lu Haoran. The faces of all four newcomers were concealed behind unicorn masks, hiding their true features.

Five Unicorn-tier Spirit Wardens of the Weapon Crypt had suddenly manifested four of their number today. Unaware of their background, Lu Haoran raised his sword to strike, but Liu Xiaoyi stopped him.

"People of the Shangguan clan, having suffered such a massive loss, you still won't bow your heads? We, the Unicorns of the Weapon Crypt, pay our respects to the Senior."

When had anyone ever witnessed a Unicorn bowing to another? Aside from the mysterious Master of the Weapon Crypt, the Unicorns were unbound and fearless of ghosts and gods alike.

Seeing them bow to Lu Haoran today caused even the Matriarch's heart to skip a beat. She sighed despondently, "The Class-A Number One Order is revoked. Can the Senior grant my Shangguan clan a path to survival?"

Lu Haoran turned his head and asked, "Good brother, whatever you think we should do, we'll do!"

The power to decide this matter rested firmly in Liu Xiaoyi's hands. The life and death of the Shangguan clan, overlords of Xiling for centuries, hung entirely upon a single thought of his.

Shangguan Qing, Shangguan Lang, and the others stood behind the Matriarch, gazing at Liu Xiaoyi with unconcealed reluctance and resentment, yet lacking the courage to unleash their anger.

After pondering for a long time, Liu Xiaoyi picked up the Lühuang Sword, slid it back into its scabbard, and said to the Matriarch, "An eye for an eye. From now on, the Shangguan clan and I shall have nothing to do with one another. Let us live in mutual peace."

One of the Unicorns stepped forward, clapping his hands in praise. "Good! Good! Good! Truly a hero emerges from the youth. With such magnanimity, won't you accept this, Matriarch?"

Since even the people of the Weapon Crypt were speaking on Liu Xiaoyi's behalf, how could the Shangguan clan, themselves a lineage of the Weapon Crypt, dare to defy the will of the Unicorns? Even as a centenarian, the Matriarch was forced to offer three deep bows before turning around and retreating back into the estate.

Though the gates of the Shangguan estate had been shattered into splinters, clansmen soon brought out wooden boards to seal the entrance shut. For the entire coming year, not a single member of the Shangguan clan would show their face anywhere within the borders of Xiling.

Liu Xiaoyi sensed goodwill from this person, yet he could not recall where he might have ever met him. Unicorn-tier Spirit Wardens were not the sort of figures one could encounter just anywhere.

"As expected of Qiyan's child—to be able to fight your way into the Shangguan clan at such a tender age, extraordinary!" The Unicorn removed his mask, revealing a benevolent and kindly visage.

The Qi family was his mother's clan; looking at the man's features, Liu Xiaoyi noticed a distinct resemblance around the brow and eyes.

Perhaps because of this familial tie, the other Unicorns approached Liu Xiaoyi with warmth and said, "That young lady of the Shangguan clan can no longer remain in her family. The Master of the Weapon Crypt's intent is to take her as a disciple and bring her along by his side to cultivate."

Liu Xiaoyi retrieved the Zhenyuan Mountain and released Shangguan Baozi from within it. "The Master of the Weapon Crypt wants to take you as his disciple. They are here to take you away."

"The Master of the Weapon Crypt? Big Brother, your connections are so amazing! But I don't want to part ways with you..." Shangguan Baozi desperately wanted to become stronger so she could protect those around her just like Liu Xiaoyi did, but over this recent period, she had grown deeply reliant on him.

"It's not as if we'll never see each other again. Besides, if you're this weak, how can you follow by my side in the future?" Liu Xiaoyi persuaded.

Wiping away her tears, Shangguan Baozi asked with aggrieved vulnerability, "Then will Big Brother come to visit me? You must remember to write to me!"

"Alright, alright, just go along with these senior seniors. I won't be leaving the Great Wilderness anytime soon."

Parting ways with her gave Liu Xiaoyi his first taste of sorrow. As he watched Shangguan Baozi's departing figure, the burden on his own shoulders felt slightly heavier.

"The Qi family is currently locked in battle against the armies of the Qin Dynasty, and your mother is right over there. It would be best for us to set off early as well." The Unicorn from the Qi family was named Qi Chongshan; reckoning their relations, Liu Xiaoyi had to address him as an uncle.

Having spent over a decade with no family to lean upon, Liu Xiaoyi listened as Qi Chongshan spoke at length about tidbits concerning his mother, gradually lowering his guard. Meanwhile, Lu Haoran, traveling alongside them, frowned as he scrutinized Qi Chongshan.

Though he lacked cunning scheming, what kind of characters hadn't he witnessed among the tens of thousands of disciples in the Derived Sword Dao? Qi Chongshan's demeanor was that of a textbook hypocrite, winning Liu Xiaoyi's trust with merely a few words.

Lu Haoran resolved to remain constantly vigilant against the man; if Qi Chongshan dared to harbor any malicious intentions toward Liu Xiaoyi, he would personally draw his sword and execute him on the spot.