Chapter 5: The Unveiling of Strength

Facing the full-force attacks of several individuals, Yun Jingping remained standing with his hands clasped behind his back, a hint of mockery even playing on his lips.

To think these mere ‘rotten fish and shrimp’ could defeat him now was utter delusion.

Those who had once scorned and humiliated him would undoubtedly pay a terrible price.

“Heh, to believe you can defeat me with such meager strength is simply wishful thinking.”

Yun Jingping transformed into a blur, his elusive footwork allowing him to deftly evade their attacks, weaving between them so swiftly that his position became impossible to discern.

Immediately following were several crisp, resounding thuds.

As the first person was sent flying, the others were seen spinning like windmills, ascending in a spiral motion to form several elegant parabolas against the sky.

This time, Yun Jingping had held nothing back.

With spiritual energy protecting his body, his force was easily enough to shatter stone.

The individuals who had moments ago charged at him in a furious rage now lay on the ground, their bodies curled, hands gently clutching their red, bun-sized cheeks, groaning in agony.

“Useless! Useless! All of you are utterly useless!

You can’t even handle a mere second-stage Qi Refinement good-for-nothing; it’s infuriating, absolutely infuriating!”

Lin Yunxi roared with intense loathing, then stepped forward and kicked the nearest subordinate, using their body to vent his inner fury.

“Get out! Get out! What use are you pathetic wastes to me?

All of you, scram!”

The subordinates could only scurry away, covering their faces in shame, hiding behind Lin Yunxi, not daring to utter a word.

“Is the esteemed eldest young master of the Lin family only capable of ganging up on others?

And only of taking out his anger on his subordinates?

How utterly disappointing~”

Yun Jingping shook his head with profound disappointment, his tone completely unmasked in its sarcasm towards Lin Yunxi.

This comment infuriated the latter, his face flushing a deep, liver-red.

Rolling up his sleeves, he strode forward with purpose, pointing at Yun Jingping.

“Yun Jingping, watch as I personally deal with you!

Don’t think you’re so formidable just because you defeated a few of my subordinates.

In my eyes, you’ll always be a good-for-nothing, fit only to be a stepping stone for this young master!”

With that, Lin Yunxi let out a furious roar, purple electrical currents beginning to manifest around him as his eighth-stage Qi Refinement aura was unleashed.

A careful observer would notice Lin Yunxi’s eyes had become as sinister as a demonic beast’s.

This was the Lin family’s ancestral technique, passed down through generations: the ‘Demonic Wolf Transformation’.

The Demonic Wolf Transformation could temporarily grant the user a small increase in cultivation.

Their senses of smell, hearing, and sight would become no less acute than those of a demonic beast.

The trade-off was that the user would remain in a physically weakened state for several days afterward, unable to cultivate.

However, from Lin Yunxi’s perspective, paying such a small price to slay Yun Jingping was an absolute bargain.

After all, the current Yun Jingping had given him an unprecedented sense of danger, and he was, moreover, a young master of the Yun family, destined to become his adversary in the future.

Therefore, he had to die today.

Although this second-generation wastrel of the Lin family typically idled his days away, it had to be said that his strength was not bad, ranking among the top disciples in Xuanfeng Prefecture.

With the immense backing of the Lin family, even a good-for-nothing could be forcibly molded into a genius.

Yun Jingping, of course, was an exception.

For reasons unknown, this young master of the Yun family had been unable to break through the second stage of Qi Refinement, no matter what spiritual elixirs or medicines he consumed—a fact known to all.

While it was unclear what methods Yun Jingping had used to repel Lin Yunxi’s subordinates, this time, he was undoubtedly in grave danger.

‘What should I do?

Lin Yunxi’s strength is not weak, but that other guy’s aura is even more dangerous.

If that blockhead were here, it would be fine…’

The woman clutched the carefully chosen gift in her hand, her willow-like brows furrowed.

Her strength was very low; rushing forward rashly would be of no help to Yun Jingping.

On the contrary, if she were to act, she would most likely become a burden to him.

Now, she could only place her hopes in Yun Jingping.

‘Strange, what’s wrong with me?’

For some inexplicable reason, looking at Yun Jingping’s not-so-broad back, she felt an intense sense of security.

This feeling was peculiar, as if it was drawing her closer and closer.

For a moment, she even wanted to press herself against him, to feel the unique scent of that man, as if she were being controlled by someone.

If Lan Wu Xi had been present, his heart would surely have sunk, for this was clearly the plot setting beginning to take effect.

‘What exactly am I thinking…’

The woman’s cheeks flushed crimson at these immodest thoughts, and she lowered her head guiltily, afraid of letting anyone discover her lapse.

“Achoo~, I really need to wear more next time.

After this is over, I’ll have to buy some cotton clothes for winter.”

Lan Wu Xi was nearing the Lin family’s market district according to the system’s prompt, and a strong sense of unease was urging him to hurry.

“Yun Jingping, today I will make you pay for your arrogance!

Today, I’d like to see who can save you!” Feeling his power rapidly surge, the supremely confident Lin Yunxi could not help but burst into maniacal laughter.

At this moment, he looked at Yun Jingping as if he were an ant.

In his view, his current strength was half a step into the Xuanlun realm.

Although he didn’t know where this good-for-nothing had acquired his power, no matter what, he couldn’t possibly defeat him after he had activated the Demonic Wolf Transformation.

“Die!”

Lin Yunxi let out a piercing wolf howl, his hand forming a claw, and charged directly at Yun Jingping.

His body exuded a ferocious killing intent, his gaze fixed on Yun Jingping like a demonic beast hunting its prey.

At this critical moment, Yun Jingping merely smiled dismissively, seemingly unconcerned.

He pushed off the ground with his right foot, grasping at the empty air, and a torrent of spiritual energy burst forth from his body, subsequently forming a tangible sword in his hand.

Combined with a profound sword technique, spiritual qi enveloped the blade, and sword energy sliced through the sky, brilliant and dazzling like streaks of meteors.

“No, the difference in cultivation between that Yun family kid and the Lin family one is too great.

Yun Jingping won’t stand a chance.

This time, someone might actually die~”

Whispers spread through the crowd of onlookers, though from their tone, most did not favor Yun Jingping.

Sword and claw met with a resounding “clang!”, and then, to everyone’s shock, something incredible occurred.

Lin Yunxi, who usually swaggered with authority, was struck directly in the chest by a burst of sword energy, then blasted backward by the sheer force.

A fountain of crimson blood erupted from his chest, revealing the ruthlessness of his attacker and the depth of the hatred held within.

“Boss!”

The subordinates were terrified and flustered, hastily helping up Lin Yunxi, who was unconscious, then frantically shoved various life-saving spiritual pills into his mouth, fearing he might kick the bucket at any moment.

Yun Jingping glanced at Lin Yunxi, who was frothing at the mouth and rolling his eyes, then silently retracted the sword in his hand.

He had held back with that last strike.

Although it had severely injured Lin Yunxi’s heart meridian, causing grievous harm, it was not enough to be fatal.

At most, it would confine him to bed for half a month.

“Yun Jingping, how dare you injure our young master!

You’re finished!

The Lin family will be irreconcilably opposed to you!”

One of the subordinates pointed at Yun Jingping, threatening him.

With the help of his subordinates, Lin Yunxi gradually regained some consciousness.

Supported by them, he weakly rose, feeling the chaotic pain of his injuries.

Lin Yunxi knew he had just lost, and a wave of humiliation surged through him.

“When did Yun Jingping become so formidable?

That last sword strike must have reached the Xuanlun level, right?”

“Indeed, it seems the Yun family might truly be rising this time.

Who would have thought such a genius as Yun Jingping would emerge?”

“Who was it just now who said Yun Jingping was sure to lose?

I think, perhaps, the Yun family merely claimed their young master was a good-for-nothing to conceal his talent.

In my opinion, that Lin Yunxi is the truly useless one, isn’t he?”

“Heh, I thought he was so amazing, yet he couldn’t even withstand a single sword strike from that Yun family kid.

If this gets out, the Lin family head will surely lose all face.”

The surrounding discussions instantly spread.

The strength Yun Jingping displayed today completely shattered his previous image as a good-for-nothing, elevating him to the title of the Yun family’s foremost genius.

Perhaps this was a blessing in disguise, or perhaps it was all part of the protagonist’s calculations.

“Yun Jingping, don’t even think about leaving here alive today!”

Seeing Yun Jingping about to turn and leave, Lin Yunxi, whose mind was clouded by rage, cast aside all pretense and roared, pushing his subordinates aside.

“All Lin family guards, appear!”

At Lin Yunxi’s command, a large group of Lin family guards, numbering over a hundred and armed with weapons, instantly appeared from all directions.

They surrounded Yun Jingping and the woman so tightly that not even a drop of water could pass through.

It seemed Lin Yunxi had secretly made quite a few preparations.

From the looks of it, Lin Yunxi was determined to kill Yun Jingping here today.

That sword strike had inflicted too great a wound on his pride.

If Yun Jingping did not die today, Lin Yunxi feared he would never escape his shadow.

“Hey, aren’t you being too despicable?

You call for backup when you can’t win!”

The woman pointed at Lin Yunxi, who wore a smug smile, a hint of disgust appearing on her pretty face.

“Hahaha, victory is written by the winner!

So what if he won against me?

If you two can leave here smoothly today, then I, Lin Yunxi, will write my name backward!”

“Is that so?”

Yun Jingping’s expression seemed unchanged, as if he had long anticipated this, a faint smile playing on the corners of his lips.

Just then, the tightly sealed encirclement suddenly stirred, followed by the clang of ice blades.

Immediately, a huge gap tore open in the encirclement, and countless people poured in.

The other Lin family members, seeing this, were terrified and retreated behind Lin Yunxi, while the newcomers stood behind Yun Jingping, who still wore a confident smile.

“Greetings, Young Master!

The Yun family guards are here, sworn to protect the Young Master’s safety with our lives!”

It turned out that not only had Lin Yunxi secretly called for family guards, but Yun Jingping had also anticipated this and summoned his guards early.

The situation instantly became tense.

Lin Yunxi, who had moments ago believed himself to be in control, gnashed his teeth in indignant fury, glaring at Yun Jingping.

His eyelids twitched frantically, blood vessels filling his entire pupils.

He was no fool.

In the current situation, if he stubbornly pursued this, it would be difficult to say who would win or lose.

Moreover, if a battle erupted today, it would inevitably ignite a full-blown conflict between their respective families.

He absolutely could not act impulsively.

“What’s wrong, Young Master Lin?

Your complexion doesn’t seem too good.

Are you perhaps ill?

I recall someone saying they would write their name backward just now~”

Upon hearing Yun Jingping’s teasing, Lin Yunxi, overwhelmed by anger, spat out a mouthful of clotted blood.

The tearing pain in his chest constantly reminded him of the humiliation he had just suffered, yet he was helpless to act, constrained by the guards behind Yun Jingping.

Suddenly, a voice rang out, causing a flicker of excitement to appear on Lin Yunxi’s face, while Yun Jingping’s expression, rarely so, momentarily turned grave.

“Well, well, I never thought the former good-for-nothing young master would actually turn his fortunes around.

But a salted fish is still a salted fish; no matter how much it thrashes, it’s still only fit to stay in a stinking ditch.”

It turned out Lan Wu Xi had arrived at the market district earlier, and through the chatter of the surrounding crowd, he had roughly learned the course of events.

Then, from a distance, he saw Yun Jingping defeat Lin Yunxi with a single sword strike, and his heart instantly grew restless.

‘Good heavens~, the protagonist is already this powerful?

Looking at this stance, it seems he’s reached the Xuanlun realm, hasn’t he?

Isn’t this telling me that my days, Lan Wu Xi, are numbered?’

After much deliberation, the incredibly conflicted Lan Wu Xi decided to act at this moment.

Firstly, he could intimidate the protagonist a little.

Secondly, he could elevate his own image as a villain.

To put it bluntly, he wanted the protagonist to be wary of him, so he might be able to survive a bit longer.

“Big Brother Lan~, you’ve finally arrived!

I missed you so much!

Do you know how much injustice your little brother suffered just now~?”

Before Yun Jingping could even speak, Lin Yunxi pounced on Lan Wu Xi as if he had found a major backer, tearfully recounting the ‘atrocities’ he had just endured.

He made it seem as if Yun Jingping had provoked everything, and he had only acted to save his family’s honor, only for the other party to have secretly cheated to defeat him, and now even called for reinforcements.

In short, he did his utmost to belittle Yun Jingping, while portraying himself as the victim of the incident.

If Lan Wu Xi hadn’t known Lin Yunxi’s character, and hadn’t heard the accounts from the onlookers, he truly might have fallen for his act.

Lin Yunxi was clearly trying to use him as a pawn.

After all, he was a core disciple of Xuanfeng Prefecture, with Xuanlun realm strength.

Lin Yunxi believed that no matter how suddenly Yun Jingping’s strength had surged, he definitely couldn’t withstand Lan Wu Xi, a core disciple.

“Lan Wu Xi, I never thought you’d be in league with this fellow!”

Upon seeing Lan Wu Xi, Yun Jingping, who had maintained a calm and composed demeanor all along, finally darkened in expression, gazing warily at Lan Wu Xi.

It wasn’t that he greatly feared Lan Wu Xi’s strength, but rather that the other party had bullied him for countless years.

Compared to Lin Yunxi, his hatred for the male lead was actually deeper.

Of course, none of this was Lan Wu Xi’s choice; it was all thanks to his ‘caring’ system.

After years of development, the protagonist’s ‘favorability’ towards Lan Wu Xi had reached an unscalable height.

Of course, this was not a good thing.

At least, Lan Wu Xi, feeling the protagonist’s sharp hatred directed at him, was inwardly pleading with the male lead not to act impulsively.

“Yun Jingping, didn’t expect this, did you?

With Big Brother Lan here today, none of you will leave!

Big Brother Lan, you absolutely cannot let him go again, otherwise, it would be like releasing a tiger back into the mountains!”

Lin Yunxi added fuel to the fire, desperately hoping Lan Wu Xi would act to help him avenge his humiliation.

Lan Wu Xi, meanwhile, narrowed his eyes at Yun Jingping, seemingly having believed Lin Yunxi’s words.

Simultaneously, a formidable spiritual energy of the Xuanlun realm quietly gathered around him, and even Lan Wu Xi’s eyes now appeared incredibly sharp.

‘Brother, can you please stop talking?

How can you be so confident I can beat this guy?

He’s the protagonist, don’t you know about the protagonist’s halo?

They can be crippled, but never truly killed!

I’m not thick-headed enough to fight that; if I make a move, wouldn’t I be singing a dirge for myself…’

Lan Wu Xi tried his best not to look at Yun Jingping, but every time, by some unfortunate coincidence, his gaze met the protagonist’s.

From the protagonist’s eyes, Lan Wu Xi felt as if he could already see his future death—a death as tragic as could be.

‘Don’t misunderstand, I’m just here to watch.

You two carry on~, ignore me.’

How Lan Wu Xi wished he could say these words, then pat his backside and leave without looking back.

But would the system allow him to have his way?

[Ding! Host, please immediately mock the protagonist, severely increase the protagonist’s disgust towards you, and unlock the ‘Super Villain’ title.]

‘??? Super Villain title?

System, are you eager for me to die early?

If this continues, I might self-destruct before the protagonist even makes a move~’

Lan Wu Xi fiercely complained about this system command in his heart.

In this situation, if he were to mock the protagonist again, they might start fighting the next second.

How could a villain like him possibly defeat the protagonist?

If this went on, he wouldn’t even live to be twenty; today would be his death anniversary!

Hang on, today was supposedly his birthday too.

Celebrating one’s death anniversary and birthday together—what kind of twisted logic was that?!

“Lan Wu Xi, I never expected to meet you here.

What a coincidence~”

“Indeed, indeed, what a coincidence.

It seems true that enemies are destined to meet~”

Lan Wu Xi replied with an awkward laugh.

Looking at the situation, if he couldn’t come up with a mutually beneficial solution today, he might genuinely meet his end here.

“Do you know?

When I heard the news of your promotion to core disciple, Senior Brother, I couldn’t sleep a wink at night.”

“Is that so?

I also couldn’t sleep at night thinking of you, Junior Brother~”

“So, Senior Brother intends to side with this fellow today, does he?”

“Hmm… it seems I have no choice but to side with him, especially with you here, Junior Brother~”

“Heh, it seems Senior Brother has been observing for quite some time, hasn’t he?

You, a dignified core disciple of Xuanfeng Prefecture, secretly watching us ordinary disciples’ petty squabbles.

Senior Brother’s interests are truly unique~.”

“Isn’t it just me caring about Junior Brother’s progress in strength?

Now that I see Junior Brother’s strength has made rapid advancements, Senior Brother is very pleased~”

Listening to their back-and-forth conversation, anyone unaware of their relationship would have thought the two were very close.

“Then, Junior Brother, I shall take the liberty of offending you~, please enlighten me, Senior Brother!”

“….”

Lan Wu Xi saw Yun Jingping’s eager stance and inwardly screamed, ‘Holy crap!’, but he couldn’t let anyone see his inner hesitation or his desire to retreat.

He could only flash a ‘motherly smile’, hoping to deter Yun Jingping with it.

However, Yun Jingping merely grinned back at Lan Wu Xi in return.

Both individuals felt a critical hit of ten thousand points to their hearts simultaneously.

Lan Wu Xi, in particular, broke out in a cold sweat on his back, instinctively swallowing a mouthful of saliva to calm his nervous and uneasy emotions.

“Blockhead?!”

Just then, a voice incredibly familiar to Lan Wu Xi rang out.

The woman who had been standing behind Yun Jingping stepped forward, looking at Lan Wu Xi with a puzzled and questioning expression.

Because Lan Wu Xi’s attention had been entirely on Yun Jingping, he hadn’t noticed the woman behind him.

Now, he finally took in her appearance, and his face instantly became extremely peculiar.

With her waterfall-like black hair, elegant and slender figure, skin so delicate it seemed it could break at a touch, and an exquisite face paired with a cute, playful smile, she would cause anyone meeting her for the first time to slightly lower their guard.

And this woman was none other than Lin Yufei, whom he had thought of day and night?