Zarthos

033 - Touring Their New Home

Qin Yun's workshop was located on a secluded hill near the Lian Clan's compound. It was once a mansion that belonged to a distant relative of the Lian Clan but was retrofitted to fit Qin Yun's needs. While the property wasn't as grand as some of the others you could find within Jin City, its location made for prime real estate.

Over the years, many had tried to buy it off the Lian Clan, yet they had refused every time. It wasn't as if they lacked money. It had been in the family for suc...

032 - The Man From the Ruins

While the group’s gazes were locked on that plume of black smoke, only Yun Jingfei turned to look at her husband, feeling that something was wrong. She knew that the core of the Qin Clan lay in that direction. In fact, it matched almost exactly with the courtyard they had left behind.

It had been less than a week since they were thrown out, yet she remembered the excuse they used to do so, some sort of new workshop. Judging by the eerie grin full of self-satisfaction plastered on Qin ...

031 - An Explosion Shaking the Earth

Qin Yun was slightly dumbfounded when he noticed the man kowtowing on the floor, then thought nothing of it as he saw the woman's foot on the man's head, pressing him down. He slowly entered, ensuring none of the other residents were near enough to hear their conversation. To be sure, he activated a small formation he had set up beforehand for such an eventuality.

While Qin Yun couldn’t use Qi to set up formations as any array masters would, specific nodes in the array could be replac...

030 - Two Tigresses' Staring Contest

In a quiet and secluded room of a mortal inn, two gorgeous women confronted one another as a heavy silence hung over them. One wore an exquisite green dress while a mask hid her visage. On her lap was a sword as white and pure as the everlasting frost of the highest peaks.

Her counterpart was a woman of great elegance and refined manners, and her gaze was astute and profound. She wore a long, pale blue dress that hugged the curves of her body. Her auburn hair was coiffed backwards, reve...

029 - The Yearning of a Broken Man

While Yun Jingfei was back at their lodging, practising her swordplay, Qin Yun walked the streets of Jin City, putting his thoughts in order. This was just another of his hobbies. To avoid being recognized while doing so, Qin Yun had a habit of altering his features, becoming indistinguishable.

To him, immersing himself in the everyday lives of the common man was something he craved dearly, as, most of the time, he felt alien to the world he resided in. Sometimes, being too experienced ...

028 - Lost in a Mirage

While Lian Huiling was still reeling from the shock she received, she knew better than to stay passive. Her only way out of this predicament was to fight her way out. However, she knew she was no match for this man as the gap between realms was much too hard to overcome.

While some Heaven-Sent Genius may be up to the task, she wasn't one of them. Granted, her talent was much better than the average rogue cultivator, but she wasn't particularly special within her clan. At best, she would...

027 - A Traitor in their Midst

Lian Huiling had many things on her mind, yet one thing came before all. She had to make sure of the situation before proceeding forward. Rushing into things would only come back to bite her. Besides, she was sure the Ma Clan wouldn’t publicize their ownership of that token. Otherwise, the Lian Clan would simply do away with it entirely. While they would lose some leverage in doing so, at least they could retain their credibility.

Lian Huiling made the rounds around her establishment,...

026 - Taste of a Sister's Love

Once out of the building, Yun Jingfei's grin took a sour note. While she gleefully relished in slapping their faces, she hoped this would be the end of it, yet she knew better. The Ma Clan wasn't known for possessing sense. If anything, they were the type to destroy a whole family for simply looking at them wrongly.

"What now?" she asked in a worried tone. "I hope you have a plan for how to deal with this."

Qin Yun, on the other hand, wasn't worried. The Ma Clan would have much mo...

025 - Breaking the Formation

When she heard those words, Qin Yun's young tour guide stepped back as a flurry of guards encircled him and his wife. The guards wore golden armours reminiscent of the one Qin Yun had seen as his stepmother confronted him. This was the official armour of those belonging to the Ma Clan.

Qin Yun couldn't help but shake his head at this blatant display of abuse of power. This establishment belonged to the Lian Clan; as such, the Ma Clan had no jurisdiction to enforce its rules even if the ...

024 - The Black Token Holder

Qin Yun stopped in front of a large building that took up most of an expansive plaza near the middle of the city. The building was a massive tower with well-defined layers overlooking most other nearby structures. A broad set of stairs led toward its entrance from the plaza, where two guards in shining armour guarded the checkpoint, armed to the teeth.

Yun Jingfei looked at the oppressive structure, unable to understand why they were even here. As a foreigner, she had no idea what this ...

023 - Brewing Conflict Within the Market

Near the far side of the market was a row of peculiar shops that were more luxurious than the stalls Qin Yun had perused before. Standing before one of them was two groups of people facing against each other. While most only glared, two women were deep in conflict over what seemed to be who could buy one item on display.

From what Qin Yun could piece together from their insane ravings and screaming, one of them arrived first, looking at the store's wares, yet didn't find what she was lo...

022 - A Stroll Through Downtown

Following their exile from the Qin Clan, Qin Yun and his wife walked the streets of Jin City looking for an inn to accommodate them. Unfortunately, any they tried would refuse them at the door, stating they had standards to keep and wouldn’t serve beggars. While Yun Jingfei was slightly offended, Qin Yun couldn’t help but laugh.

Indeed, it was only reasonable for them to think so as their state of dress reflected as such. Qin Yun’s clothes were in tatters and bloody, while Yun Jin...

021 - Onward to a New Future

The palm was overbearing, to say the least. It travelled through space as it compressed the world before it, adding to its destructive power. Gales were created from the vacuum of its advance toward the immobile Yun Jingfei. The ground trembled slightly, fighting the pressure the Qi contained in the palm exerted on all its surroundings.

Yun Jingfei had no means to struggle against such a fierce attack. She would have never expected that her end would come so soon after she had found som...

020 - To Live and Die by the Sword

While off-balance from losing her weapon, Yun Jingfei couldn't avoid the fierce metal halberd crashing down on her. She could only jump backwards in a desperate effort to lessen the blow. She raised both her arms and crossed them in front of her head, knowing full well it wouldn't change anything.

With slight regrets in her heart that her path would be cut short, she awaited her inevitable end. She didn't cry nor beg for mercy; she only looked at her opponent with a firm gaze, wishing s...

019 - His Stepmother's Scheme

Tension ran high in Qin Yun's courtyard as his stepmother and a regiment of guards burst through the front gate uninvited. Yun Jingfei had been practising her swordplay since early morning and wasn't too thrilled to be disturbed in the middle of it, especially since she wasn't in a habit of wearing her mask while at home.

In a motion quicker than lightning, she donned the mask before the intruders could see her features. Then, with a light wooden sword in hand, she prepared herself for ...

018 - A Taste of Heaven's Might

As Qin Yun had expected, his clan couldn't hold themselves back for long in demanding his inheritance. While he felt the urge to deny them this victory, dealing with the aftermath would be too much of a hassle. Still, this success would never come at his own expense. Why should he be the one to pay for a deal he never agreed to?

As for who was sent to deliver this notice, it was predictable. Once again, Qin Meihui was forced to deliver the news, putting her in an awkward position. While...

017 - Treading a New Path

Surprisingly, the couple had been left to their own devices for almost three full days until they were summoned for the departure of the Yun Clan's procession. As Qin Yun had expected, they had made no demands for his inheritance, relying on the Qin Family to provide it for them. Why dirty their hands when they had lackeys ready to do it for them? Indeed, forcing the issue now would only seem petty and much too forceful for their taste. All cultivation families loved their reputations, after ...

016 - Betrayal on a Mountain Top

"Why ask me when you already know the answer?" Qin Yun said calmly.

Indeed, she knew. She had had an inkling as soon as she had that epiphany as she looked at the sunset. Her previous cultivation was already gone, and the path barred from her. Nothing could be done to walk on it once again. She would have to tread another path through untold obscurity, fumbling in the dark without a guidepost to find her way. Only then could she restart again.

Indeed, she would have to restart fro...

015 - An Epiphany at Dusk

As they grew apart, Yun Jingfei struggled to catch her breath while Qin Yun fell into the lull of sleep. The prior night's events had taken a toll on his mind, and coupled with their activities during the day, he needed a good night's sleep.

Surprisingly, Yun Jingfei felt a new wave of energy flow through her body, and she felt wide awake despite the strenuous burden Qin Yun had placed on her body. She looked at the man to her side, watching him close his eyes and drift to the realm of ...

014 - Laid Bare Before the Light

Yun Jingfei awoke to find herself in the same secluded pavilion she remembered. Except, the darkness of night had given way to daybreak. She felt the harsh rays of sunlight on her closed eyelids, which prevented her from opening them. Still, the light helped fight the drowsiness.

Once she found her bearings, she tried to rise to a seated position but felt much too weak to support her own weight. She had no recollection of the last time she had felt so feeble. Not even after her accident...

013 - Advent of the First Night

Qin Yun chuckled slightly as he heard her say those words. He couldn't help but appreciate the decisiveness with which she came to this conclusion once she learned that Qin Yun possessed the means to help her. Still, the process would be laborious and time-consuming. Such deep-seated injuries couldn't be healed that easily.

Still, it gave her hope, at least. Hope she was severely lacking at the moment. So much so that she didn’t think twice to propose to this man, despite her slight a...

012 - A Marriage Like No Other

“I'm sure you have many questions and doubts," Qin Yun said calmly as he sipped his tea. "I intend to shed some light on them in time, but first of all, we should set some ground rules."

Yun Jingfei frowned slightly but chose not to interrupt him. While eager to know if she could recover what she had lost, she knew she possessed no bargaining power. Everything was in this man's hands. Still, as he stated, she possessed many reservations about whether he could hold true to his words an...

011 - To Revolt Against Fate

Hearing those words, Yun Jingfei felt a small flame of hope arise in her heart. Yet, her optimism was fleeting at best. So many times since the incident, cruel reality had crushed her hopes. She had lost all faith that her situation would turn around.

Still, she was once proud and arrogant. It simply wasn’t in her nature to bend the knee and accept other’s pity and mocking condescension. While Qin Yun was genuine in his offer for redemption, Yun Jingfei was much too deep in her pit ...

010 - The Devil's Bargain

Under the oppressive darkness that only a single candlelight resisted, Qin Yun felt the cold edge of a knife on his neck, threatening to reap his life at any moment. Furthermore, he could also feel the sharpened point of another blade as it dug slightly between his shoulder blades. Despite it all, Qin Yun remained calm and composed, feeling no real threat from the individual at the end of those blades.

Without a word, Qin Yun spun on his heels, swatting the blade pressing on his back wi...

009 - Celebrating with Fireworks

Qin Yun didn't pay much attention to the meeting with the upper echelons of the clan. He was too busy trying to make sense of the overflowing information now present in his mind. While his brain was a marvel in terms of information storage, it still couldn’t cope with lifetimes of memories.

As such, Qin Yun had no choice but to relegate some of the most irrelevant memories to something akin to cold storage deep within his mind. While he could still access them if he wished to, bringin...

008 - Life as a Starship Captain

A searing pain assaulted Qin Yun’s vision cortex as his sight became a sea of white. He could feel the pressure mounting in his brain as his heart pumped ever-increasing amounts of blood through his body. Still, his lungs couldn't keep up with the increased demand for oxygen, and his mind felt slightly dizzy. The world whirled around him, and soon, all that remained was blackness. He had lost consciousness.

Despite all this, a piece of him remained aware as scenes flashed before him. ...

007 - The Wedding Feast

As soon as Qin Yun entered the Hall, he knew that this wedding was by no means the main event. No one even bothered to acknowledge his presence despite being the supposed leading actor of this day. Furthermore, he could spy his bride relegated to a corner, with an empty seat beside her, while all the important people were on an elevated platform near the back.

All those at the back were in quite a heated conversation. While Qin Yun couldn't make out their facial features as a hazy film ...

006 - The Bride's Arrival

Qin Yun sat on the branch of a massive tree, overlooking most of the clan’s grounds. From his vantage point, he could see the clan's main gate where the bride's family's procession was supposed to enter. There were no signs of them; only the various guests were seen entering one after the other, while the VIPs were greeted by some of the clan's elders.

Qin Yun could see interest and puzzlement on the guests’ faces, meaning they, too, probably didn't know the married couple's identit...

005 - Experimenting with Innate Qi

Qin Yun woke up the next day with a pounding headache. While cultivators could easily reverse the effects of alcohol, where would be the fun in that? He was sprawled out on the floor, wearing nothing but his trousers as all his clothes were thrown around the room. At least he was inside his house with a roof above his head.

He tried to rise but found another body blocking his path. Qin Meihui was lying on top of his chest, wearing nothing but her undergarments. Her eyes were still close...

004 - A Drink Under the Moonlight

Qin Yun didn’t remember much of the meeting with his father as most of it was just him rambling about face and reputation, something he couldn’t care less about. In fact, he took great pleasure in shaming them. To him, the insults and slander thrown his way were nothing more than children bickering over pointless things.

As you might recall, Qin Yun was several lifetimes older than most elders. His way of thinking was simply brought by the passage of time, and even he couldn't escap...