“Should I take my leave?” Sun Yu asked, her gaze lowered, unwilling to meet Qin Yun’s.

Following their latest altercations, Qin Yun had finally managed to get his point across. The couple now knew not to cross him as he could take their lives whenever he wished.

The sight of Liao Cheng crawling on the floor as his limbs were severed again and again while he was unable to defend himself was seared into Sun Yu’s memory. She couldn’t find the courage to see Qin Yun as an equal, much less the junior he was. She could barely stand to be in his presence anymore.

Each time he addressed her, she felt a jolt of electricity rush to her brain, making her body tremble with dread. After all, she saw no hope of resisting this man's mysterious means. She couldn't even find the courage to tell her father, knowing what would happen to Liao Cheng if she did so.

Qin Yun was currently in a small room adjacent to Sun Yu's bedroom. Inside was a large bath filled with hot water. Steam rose from the water's surface as runes were inscribed around the large tub indented into the ground. From what Qin Yun could see, these runes were used to regulate the water's temperature while also acting as a cleaning agent, ensuring the water would remain as pure as it could be.

How extravagant, Qin Yun thought, inspecting this large and exquisite bath. Nothing less for the daughter of the city lord.

Sun Yu waited silently as Qin Yun didn't deign to address her. Sweat pooled on her lovely face as uneasiness grew in her heart. Ever since this man fought against her lover, his attitude had significantly changed. There were no traces of his easygoing attitude nor his faint smile; all that remained was indifference.

Qin Yun ignored her and removed the bloody pieces of fabric covering his skin. Sun Yu's eyes widened as he revealed his body; she could see countless deep scars on his skin. They were bloody and raw, some still oozing blood. She couldn't understand how this man could even stand the pain of those lacerations. She knew she wouldn't be able to. She turned her head to the side, unable to bear the sight.

Once naked, Qin Yun entered the water, feeling the warm liquid assault his wounds, digging into them as if trying to sear them shut. The pain was excruciating, as if bathing in flames, yet Qin Yun's expression didn't change at all, not even offering a wince or a grunt. The pain of the flesh was irrelevant.

Once he submerged his whole body, the filth and blood that caked his body dissolved into the water, colouring the clear liquid a shade of dark brown, a mixture of red and black. The runes surrounding the bath sprung to life, shining with effervescence as they mobilized the surrounding Qi, purifying the water of this filth. Soon enough, the water was clear, and Qin Yun finally felt alive again.

This was the first time since the descent of heaven's lightning that he could finally relax, if only a little. He needed to organize his thoughts and figure out his next course of action. What did he wish to achieve?

Only then did he notice that Sun Yu remained, bashfully looking away, her cheeks slightly rosy. Qin Yun couldn’t help but frown.

“Why are you still here?” he asked, his voice was cold and imperative.

“Should I wash your back?” Sun Yu replied, trying her best to remain calm, even showing a forced smile.

Qin Yun only frowned further. This woman was more dangerous than he first thought. Being flexible and not remaining stuck in one's way was a necessary trait for survival. While Qin Yun appreciated her efforts, he was done playing their games.

“You are a smart woman,” Qin Yun said while showing a smile, which couldn’t help but spark a flame of hope in her heart, yet Qin Yun crushed it immediately. His voice grew colder than ever as he added, “I am a married man. Leave, and don’t come back until you learn to behave. I won’t tolerate this a second time.”

Sun Yu felt a shiver down her spine as she saw Qin Yun's indifferent gaze resting on her. She bowed quickly, unable to respond, before rushing out of the room at almost a run. Qin Yun could see tears in the corner of her eyes and fear in their depths.

Once she finally left, Qin Yun could only sigh. Becoming her nightmare had never been his intention, yet he had no choice. The situation had moved much too fast for him to do otherwise. If only Liao Cheng had been more reasonable, things wouldn't have come to this. Qin Yun could only blame himself for thinking people could think rationally.

Maybe he should have just left? Yet, becoming a fugitive wasn't his idea of a good time. If he only had himself to think about, Qin Yun would have already left, yet he also needed to think about Yun Jingfei. It wouldn't do to abandon her here, alone in a foreign place. Qin Yun would have to deal with this carefully.

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Still, Qin Yun had something to deal with first. He sat in a lotus position in the deepest part of the bath, letting the water rise to his neck. He could feel warmth envelope his body and steam caress his face. While the injuries on his body looked grim, they were only superficial. In time, they would all heal, same with his missing arm.

No, what concerned him were the internal ones. Ever since he had been hit with heavenly lightning, that force had lingered in his body, slowly breaking it apart as his flesh fought against it. The continuous cycle of destruction and regeneration had taken its toll on his fortitude.

In fact, no matter how resilient he was, Qin Yun was slowly reaching his limit. Being constantly in pain wasn't something anyone could overcome. Even while forging his body himself, he would always use some time to regain his strength after every round of forging. Yet, this lingering lightning gave him no such respite.

The only good thing about it was that his flesh was creeping ever closer to perfection. In fact, he was extremely close to it. He wondered if this was its intended consequence or just a stroke of luck. He couldn't help but feel this was the heavens urging him to complete his transformation. After all, this lightning relentlessly forged his body without needing his input. It was even faster than what he could achieve with his Innate Qi.

Qin Yun took a moment to observe the changes within his body. He calmed his mind and let go of all external stimuli, driving his consciousness deep into his flesh. His breathing followed a strange pattern, looping back on itself after a series of breaths of varying lengths. Somehow, this felt natural, as if it was meant to be. Qin Yun even started to blend into the background, as if his body was one with nature.

His consciousness dove ever deeper, following his bloodstream to every recess of his flesh, examining the changes within. Through his inner vision, he could see arcs of electricity jump between his cells as they broke down at the DNA level before being reconstructed anew, yet slightly different.

As for what the change was, Qin Yun couldn’t tell at his current level. He would need to reach the Nascent Soul realm and gain access to his divine sense in order to probe further. For now, all he could feel was that his flesh was becoming what it was meant to be.

While the thought of losing control over his own evolution scared him somewhat, his curiosity took over. He was intrigued to know where this would all lead.

He followed the flow throughout his whole body, seeing all the changes happening. Yet, none were as wondrous as what was currently happening to his Qi Centre or, more precisely, his former artificial Qi Centre. It was in the process of forming a real one without even needing his input.

Qin Yun frowned, feeling that things were happening much too quickly. Before, he had estimated that he would be ready to reach the Qi Refining realm only five years later. But now, with this speed, Qin Yun knew he could reach the apex of the Body Strengthening realm in weeks at most.

Was this a blessing or a curse? Qin Yun couldn’t tell; he could only make the most of it.

With most of his fatigue bled off by the warm water, Qin Yun rose to find that most of his injuries had healed satisfactorily. While he wanted nothing more than to remain in this warm embrace, he knew he couldn't. There was much that needed his attention.

“Bring me my clothes,” Qin Yun said through the closed door.

The door opened, revealing a woman Qin Yun was unfamiliar with. She wore a light yellow dress, and her golden hair was tied in a bun. What struck Qin Yun was how tall she was. If anything, she seemed to be even slightly taller than Qin Yun himself, and he was taller than average.

Despite her stature, the woman's proportions were exquisite, making her look more than natural as if this was the way she was meant to be. While Qin Yun didn't think much of it at first, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to it. Besides, such a tall woman wasn't something ordinary. Qin Yun had a feeling this wasn't their first meeting. It wasn't until he heard her voice that he recalled where he had seen her.

“Young master”, she said as she bowed. “These are the clothes the young lady has personally chosen for you to wear.”

Her voice was free of resentment or condescension, as if her young lady had not told her of their relationship. Yet, Qin Yun knew better, as he knew who this woman was. This was Sun Yu's maid and her cousin, the same woman Qin Yun had encountered in the market.

Qin Yun could scarcely believe that this woman wasn’t aware of what had transpired earlier. Just the fact that she was chosen to serve him made it clear she knew. Still, her gaze said it all. She couldn’t care less who he was and would only do as Sun Yu had asked of her. While Qin Yun was slightly interested in the two’s relationship, he had other matters to deal with first.

“Where is your mistress?” Qin Yun asked as she dressed himself.

The woman's gaze was clear and unperturbed as she looked at Qin Yun as if not even noticing his state of undress. There was not even a single ripple in her voice as she replied, "She is currently waiting for you to finish in her bedroom. She wanted me to inquire what your plans would be from now on."

Qin Yun turned to face the woman, fixing his gaze on her. Yet, once again, he couldn't see any fear or anger. Was she oblivious to what he had done, or was she uninterested? Qin Yun couldn't help but be slightly interested in how she had become that way.

“What’s your name,” he asked her.

“Young master can call me Sun Ya,” she replied as she bowed once again.

Qin Yun’s eyebrow rose slightly, finding something odd, yet he let it go.

“Very well, Sun Ya," he said as he finished dressing, ensuring his clothes were presentable. "Lead the way."

“Follow me,” she replied before turning to the door. “The young lady will be overjoyed by your visit.”

Qin Yun doubted it, as he had something else in mind. He was led by Sun Ya around the winding corridors of Sun Yu's residence until he finally returned to where this all started. Sun Yu was seated on the same wooden chair she once did, awaiting Qin Yun's entrance.

Qin Yun scanned the room, seeing no traces of Liao Cheng. Still, he didn't care. Whatever Liao Cheng hoped to achieve in Jin City had nothing to do with him. Qin Yun would let him be as long as he never crossed his path again.

The room itself was in the process of repairing itself. Runes flashed as the wall shifted, recovering lost materials as if it were one giant organism healing its wounds. Qin Yun knew just how costly this type of formation was. One could count on one hand how many could afford such a thing in Jin City.

Then, his gaze turned to Sun Yu, which made her jolt slightly. She opened her mouth to speak, yet Qin Yun cut her off.

“Take me to your father,” Qin Yun said in a firm tone. “Let’s end this, once and for all.”