<h4>Chapter 490: Elder Weng</h4>


    “Young Master!” When he saw Sikong Bao’s iparably miserable condition,?Old?Demon ughterer was furious, and he couldn’t help but feel guilty. His entire body surged with murderous rage.


    “Hurry! Kill Su Yi! Kill him!” Sikong Bao roared at the top of his lungs.


    “Young Master, rest assured. I’ll skin the boy and pluck his tendons before the day is through. Nothing will remain of him but ash!” Old Demon ughterer’s eyes surged with light as he locked onto Su Yi. His vicious majesty came crashing down like tidal waves, bearing down on Su Yi.


    However, it was as if Su Yi didn’t even notice. His expression remained as calm as ever. He turned to face the bristling, enraged, murderous Old Demon ughterer. He then looked outside the room.


    “Does anyone else want to get involved? If so,e on over. I’ll send you on your way together.”


    Old?Demon ughterer felt the impulse to attack on multiple asions, but in the end, he held back.


    Why? Because Su Yi stood beside Sikong Bao, and he could kill him with a gesture.?Old?Demon ughterer was worried that any attempt to attack Su Yi would hurt Sikong Bao too.


    “Young friend, I might overlook you barging into my Song of the Sandy Creek, but now you’re harming our distinguished guests. How could I just stand back and watch?” said a voice with a soft sigh.


    Shortly after, a delicate, slender figure appeared in the banquet hall.


    This new arrival was a charming, gentle-looking, beautiful older woman in a simple but elegant dress. Her ck hair wasbed into ringlets, and her jade-like face was bright and dignified. Combined with curves in just the right ces, her whole body emanated a mature, gentle charm. Hers was an iparable, inimitable beauty.


    Madam Rou!


    Gu Cangning’s heart shook.


    The Song of the Sandy Creek was one of the four great towers of Nine Tripod City, while Madam Rou was its proprietor. She had eyes everywhere, and she was a Spiritual Manifestation Realm cultivator of transcendent status!


    Rumor had it that a mysterious faction stood behind her, and her umtions were utterly terrifying.


    With a beautiful, mysterious Spiritual Manifestation Realm cultivator like Madam Rou around, not even Nine Tripod City’s most illustrious and powerful experts would dare make trouble here lightly!


    When she appeared, a formless majesty no inferior to Old Demon?ughterer’s spread?out around her.


    Xia Jingyu reacted as if he’d discovered his savior, and his face filled with indignation. “Madam Rou, you’ve arrived just in time! That Su guy is brazen andwless. He almost killed me earlier!”


    Madam Rou’s beautiful eyes shifted, and she said gently, “Young marquis, don’t panic. I’ll be sure to get an exnation for what happened here tonight.”


    As she spoke, her gazended on Su Yi. “What do you think, my young friend?”


    Her gaze contained no trace of killing intent, but there was a formless air of authority. Any ordinary cultivator would have long since be terrified, intimidated, and ill at ease.


    But Su Yi was no ordinary cultivator.


    He evaluated Madam Rou, looking her up and down. He then said coldly, “What a coincidence. I just so happened to want an exnation too. My friend was almost hurt in your establishment. If you don’t give me a satisfactory exnation, I swear I’ll level the ce before the day is through.”


    Level the ce?


    Xia Jingyu almost couldn’t help but burst intoughter.?This guy really doesn’t know the meaning of life and death!


    Madam Rou was stunned, and her beautiful eyes narrowed. She whispered, “Young friend, that joke isn’t the least bit funny. How about this? You let Sikong Bao go, and then we can?have ourselves a?nice chat about how best to resolve this incident.”


    Su Yi pointed at Sikong Bao, a faint, insincere smile on his face. “It seems you think that I’m using this evil creature’s life to threaten you. You think that’s why I’m so confident. Is that right?”


    Old?Demon ughterer said coldly, “Don’t tell me that’s not the case?”


    Madam Rou sighed. “Young friend, you can see the situation with your own two eyes. Continuing to struggle won’t do you any good. Why not take the initiative to back down? Perhaps… Perhaps then, there would be room to turn this around.”


    The atmosphere was stifled and oppressive.


    Two Spiritual Manifestation Realm cultivators had locked onto Su Yi. That was enough to make any Origin Dao cultivator around give into despair!


    But it was as if Su Yi didn’t even notice. From beginning to end, his calm expression didn’t so much as waver.


    When he heard Old Demon ughterer and Madam rou’s words, heughed and shook his head. “You’re overthinking this. I disdain to use this dirty creature’s life to threaten you.”


    He couldn’t be bothered to exin any further, but just as he was about to kill SIkong Bao—


    Madam Rou suddenly said, “Young friend, aren’t you going to consider your friend? The one you left standing guard outside Cloudwater Spring?”


    Su Yi’s eyes narrowed.?Yuan Heng!


    Madam Rou smiled faintly. “Rest assured that your friend is doing just fine. I’ve always been straightforward about both kindness and enmity, and I naturally won’t make this hard on him. After all, he’s not the one who caused his disaster—you are.”


    She paused, then said slowly, “But if you use Sikong Bao’s life to threaten us… I’m afraid I might have to do something a bit over the line.”


    When he heard this, Old Demon ughterer’s spirits soared, while Sikong Bao was visibly delighted.


    Xia Jingyu inwardly apuded.?Madam Rou is famous throughout Nine Tripod City, and she sure lives up to her reputation! Her thoroughness is incredible!


    Gu Cangning’s heart shook, and he couldn’t help but sweat on Su Yi’s behalf.


    With Sikong Bao as a hostage, he might well resolve tonight’s incident.


    However, it was highly likely that, out of concern for his friend’s life, Su Yi would choose to trade hostages.


    But if that happened, he’d have to face Madam Rou and Old Demon ughterer, two Spiritual Manifestation existences. What chance would he have then?


    “What do you think, my young friend? Might you choose to take a step back?” Madam?Rou?smiled gently. This was the look of one assured of their imminent victory.


    Old Demon ughterer’s eyes shed, and a cruel smirk arose on his lips.


    It was then that Su Yi smiled.


    However, his smile didn’t contain even the slightest hint of emotion. He said casually, “I have never once chosen to concede over a threat, and I never will. Go ahead and kill my servant, but if you do, I’ll use all of your lives tofort his departed soul. Believe me or don’t, it doesn’t matter.”


    Before he’d even finished speaking, Su Yi swept his fingertips in front of him.


    Splurt!


    Sikong Bao’s eyes widened.


    A bloody gash had appeared on his throat.


    Then, beneath the onlookers'' disbelieving gazes, his bald cranium toppled from his shoulders. Sword qi rampaged on the stump of his neck, and blood gushed out like water from a geyser.


    In thest moments before his death, Sikong Bao, a prominent genius even among monsters of the ancient area, looked utterly bewildered. It seemed he dared not believe that Su Yi would decapitate him so smoothly and crisply!


    The entire room fell deathly silent.


    “This…” Xia Jingyu and Daoist Nun Feng were dumbstruck, and their minds went nk.


    Gu Cangning’s heart shook, and his eyes widened.


    Only now did he realize that Su Yi meant every word he’d just said; he wouldn’t lower himself by using Sikong Bao’s life as leverage, and he?certainly?wouldn’t choose to back down and exchange hostages!


    Otherwise, how could he just go ahead and kill a monster of the ancient era like Sikong Bao?”


    “You…”


    .


    Madam Rou’s bright, beautiful face shifted. She would never have guessed that Su Yi would be so decisive or so ruthless, and it caught herpletely off guard. By the time she realized what was happening, it was toote to stop him.


    This young man really isn’t worried that this will cost his friend his life? Or that it will cost him his life?


    In all the years since she began her cultivation, she’d never encountered someone so unrestrained and fearless.


    “Young Master!”?Old?Demon ughterer was initially stunned. Then, he cried out hoarsely. Shock and rage ovepped, his eyes reddened, and he could no longer restrain his long-suppressed murderous intent.


    “I’ll kill you, you little beast!” The old demon simply went mad. His expression was hideous and terrifying, and he attacked directly, his Spiritual Manifestation Realm aura erupting with a boom.


    This is bad!?Gu Cangning visibly lost hisposure. If Old Demon ughterer flew off the handle, how could an Origin Pce Realm cultivator like Su Yi possibly stop him?


    Gu Cangning no longer hesitated. He gnashed his teeth, and was just about to crush the golden spirit pearl he’d silently hidden in his palm.


    A look of hesitation appeared on Madam Rou’s beautiful face.


    Su Yi’s downright unusual overbearingness made her sense that something wasn’t quite right, and she wasn’t sure what her next move should be.


    Su Yi’s expression showed neither joy nor sorrow, and his face didn’t so much as ripple with surprise. However, upon closer inspection, the depths of his gaze zed with the will to fight.


    It had been a long time since hest encountered a worthy foe!


    But it was then that—


    A raspy, aged voice rang out. “My lord has taken an interest in that young man. How could I let you kill him, Old Demon ughterer?”


    As soon as this voice rang out, a gray silhouette appeared in the hall, seemingly out of nowhere, and stood protectively before Su Yi.


    Before he’d even finished speaking, the gray figure pped the air.


    Boom!


    The resulting impact shook heaven and earth.


    The terrifying power of the Spirit Dao swept outward like a current. The power of the formations covering the entire room instantly billowed and churned.


    Madam Rou’s expression shifted. She took out a formation disc and suddenly circted it.


    Bzzz!


    The dense, surging power of the formation surged from beneath Cloudwater Stream, covering all directions. Only then did it neutralize the aftermath of a sh between experts of the Spirit Dao.


    Despite this, the aftershock sent Xia Jingyu, Daoist Nun Feng, and the others flying. They crashed into the wall with a series of bangs.


    Gu Cangning had to circte his full power to neutralize the aftershock, but it was obviously strenuous for him.


    Only Su Yi just stood there. He didn’t so much as shift; only his blue robes fluttered around him.


    With a massive bang, Old Demon ughterer staggered backward. With each step he retreated, his face paled.


    When he took the ninth step, he couldn''t help but hack up blood. His sunken eyes shone with shock and terror.


    Everyone was stunned. How could the power of a single attack be so mighty?


    A cloud of dust spread out. Only then did the group see clearly: this new arrival was an elder in gray robes. His features were as ordinary as could be, and when his lean figure stood in the center of the room, he looked entirely in and unassuming.


    But when she saw who this new arrival was, the look on Madam Rou’s beautiful face shifted dramatically. She eximed, “Elder Weng! You… What are you doing here?”


    She was the proprietor of the Song of the Sandy Creek, a woman both powerful and mysterious. Her voice quavered imperceptibly in a rare loss ofposure.


    “Elder Weng….” Xia Jingyu had been flung so hard that he was covered in wounds and seeing stars. Now, he waspletely dumbstruck; he couldn’t believe his eyes.


    Daoist Nun Feng quivered from head to toe, her face filled with reverence.


    Su Yi’s eyebrows shifted upward, and he suddenly recalled someone.


    Earlier today, at the city gates, an elegant, amiable middle-aged man started a conversation with him.


    At the time, Su Yi sensed that the man had another Spirit Dao cultivator apanying him as an attendant of sorts.


    This ordinary-looking elder in gray was none other than that elegant man’s servant!