“Do you even know who you've messed with?" one of the men screamed, yet his voice had a slight quiver. Unlike his companion, who managed to remain calm, this one seemed on the verge of pouncing at Qin Yun as if in desperation, yet he was restrained by the other. Still, Qin Yun didn't care.

"I don't, and it doesn't matter," he replied. "Why would it? I'm sure you think terrorizing the populace makes you feel good about yourself, but there's one thing you forgot to take into account."

Qin Yun offered a smile, pulling slightly harder on the broken limb, making the man under his feet utter a muffled whimper. This had just the intended effect, making the men hesitate, if only slightly. Unwilling to waste his chance, Qin Yun sprung forth, letting go of his current prey as he charged toward the other two.

Taken by surprise, they were slow to react. With a simple blow to the stomach, Qin Yun floored one of them, making him unable to resist. The man clutched his guts, unable to breathe as he lay on the ground. The other's eyes widened as he saw that he was next. He quickly reached beneath his clothes, pulling out a small furnace. It was red and filled with rudimentary runes carved on its surface.

The man infused his qi into it, prompting the runes to light up. They emitted a heat so intense that the mortals within the tavern had to step back to not be burned alive. Qin Yun, however, had no such trouble. He had already experienced the destructive nature of heavenly tribulation. This little furnace was nothing compared to it.

He dove into the heat, brushing it aside. However, his clothes threatened to burst into flames. To prevent this, Qin Yun used his earth element qi to form a thin film over them, protecting them from the scorch.

He clenched his fist and punched lightly, only for the man to use the furnace as a shield, receiving Qin Yun's strike with his artifact. However, this was more than it could take.

While Qin Yun's body had become an artifact, it was still at the bottom rung of what it could be. Still, it was enough to deal with the little furnace as it hadn't even reached the profound rank yet.

The furnace shattered from the impact, raining shards as it exploded, spewing intense flames. Most were headed straight for Qin Yun, while some propagated outward, threatening to burn the building down.

While crude, Qin Yun's only current way to stop it from happening was to redirect them somewhere else. He spotted an opened window on a nearby wall and aimed a strike at it. However, just as his punch was about to collide, creating a squall of air pressure that could blow the flames away, the floor lit up, spreading a dull glow around the room.

Qin Yun's strike stopped just as he was about to unleash it, looking at the symbols on the floor with some interest. It didn't resemble any familiar runes, yet it wasn't something he hadn't seen before. In fact, he had seen those markings only minutes prior, prominently displayed on Nalia's skin.

Unlike runes that relied on meaning to spur the surrounding qi into doing what it needed of it, those markings seemed to siphon some sort of energy from the world before transforming it into something it could use. As proof of it, the flames quickly dwindled before fizzling out of existence altogether. Nothing remained of them once they were done.

The man remained stunned as he watched his artifact crumble to pieces, unable to contend against a man in the Qi Refining realm. With a frown, the man sought a token hidden in his clothes, yet Qin Yun's hand was faster, reaching for the wrist before slamming him into the ground, cutting his breath short, yet not hard enough to damage the floor.

Qin Yun sat on the man's back, holding his wrist high, making him as uncomfortable as possible without breaking the bone. He bent down slightly and spoke in a calm and even tone, yet it couldn't help but chill those who heard him.

“I don't know the dynamics between the various factions in this city, and frankly, I don't care. I'd prefer if you didn't involve me in it. I already have enough problems of my own."

“You don't sound that convincing," Nalia said as she stood next to him, being the only one who didn't seem afraid of him.

After all, all the mortals were currently stacked up against the back wall, unwilling to involve themselves in the conflicts of cultivators, while the other two men in red were still trying to regain their breath.

“What do you intend to do with them?" she asked, looking at the three men in red. Her expression was complex, filled with satisfaction and a slight trace of dread.

“I assume they are part of one of the local sects," Qin Yun replied.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“The Raging Fire Sect,” she said, nodding. “They may not be the strongest of the four, but they still are a force to be reckoned with. They also don’t take being opposed lightly. If they learn of this, they won’t stop until you pay for this. I don’t think even the Moonlight Sword Palace can protect you from them.”

“I never intended for them to,” Qin Yun replied, unconcerned.

However, as the words left his mouth, the bar's main entrance suddenly opened, revealing a beautiful young woman. Qin Yun couldn't help but chuckle as he realized who it was.

“Sister Nalia!” Yao Ruolan said. “I need your help. There’s someone I need you to find.”

However, it was then that she finally laid eyes on Qin Yun sitting on one of the Raging Fire Sect's disciples while another two lay beside him, writhing in pain. She remained stunned, unable to comprehend the scene, while Nalia could only lower her head into one of her palms, shaking it slightly. Despite the current situation, she could only laugh at its absurdity.

“How’s He Zihao?” Qin Yun asked, completely unconcerned. “If you are here, I assume he’s woken up?”

“He has...” Yao Ruolan answered, slowly taking in the scene. “Master asked me to come and get you. The sect leader said she wished to see you. She intends to make the trip to the city...”

Qin Yun’s eyebrow rose slightly as images of the figures hidden in the mist flashed in his mind. He couldn’t help but wonder what prompted this when she could have easily used long-distance communication instead.

"What happened here?" Yao Ruolan asked hesitantly, only for Nalia to recount the events leading to all this. Yao Ruolan showed a conflicted expression. Seeing this, the man pinned under Qin Yun smiled somewhat derangedly as he began to shout.

“You won’t get away with this! Once our master finds out, you’ll rue the day you chose to oppose us!”

All those in the bar showed strained expressions, while the mortals were more terrified than anything. Only Nalia and Qin Yun remained calm, and Qin Yun couldn't help but be interested. It was a grand departure from her early hesitation.

"I know we owe you, but the sect can't afford to start a conflict with the Raging Flame Sect," Yao Ruolan said with difficulty. "The outsiders have become more active, and we need the city to stay united to repel them..."

“It’s fine,” Qin Yun replied. “They don’t need to find out about this.”

Qin Yun's smile chilled all those who gazed upon it. Even the man under him could feel the atmosphere grow colder despite being unable to see it. He could clearly feel something was wrong and couldn't help but dig a deeper hole for himself.

“Don’t you dare! The sect won’t ever let you go should anything happen to us!”

“Should have thought of that before trying to throw your weight around,” Qin Yun replied. “You should have expected things to end this way when you started it all. Besides, what makes you think your words would help your current situation?”

“What’s wrong with trampling upon mortals? It’s our right as elites to exploit those below us. What can the powerless even do about it?”

“At least, don't be a hypocrite and stand by your principles," Qin Yun sighed. "Anyway, I never intended to silence you. In fact, there's something I've been wanting to try out. Ever heard of electroshock therapy?"

“What?” the man said as dread took over his heart.

He began to struggle, trying to free himself, yet Qin Yun held the man's wrist tighter, prompting a jolt of pain to run up his arm. Then, he had his left palm upwards, fingers slightly curled, before prompting the tribulation qi within his core to flow to it.

As the qi filled his palm, lightning arced between his fingers, filling the room with a sense of oppression. Qin Yun felt tingling on his skin, and sweat pooled on his forehead. He had to strain himself to keep the current constant without being too overbearing. Otherwise, he might be affected by the backlash.

“What’s happening?!” the man said as he jerked under Qin Yun’s hold, unable to free himself.

Yao Ruolan looked upon the lightning in Qin Yun's hand, and a hint of dread rose in her heart. For Nalia, the feeling was even more intense, akin to a primordial fear rising from the deepest depths of her being, something she could never control. She stepped back until her cheeks touched the counter, her gaze fixated on the flickering light as her heart thumped in her chest.

As the lightning stabilized and he slowly could control it, Qin Yun grabbed the man's head with his hand, sending the current straight into his brain. Using his knowledge, he made the current swim between the man's neurons, slightly adjusting their connections while avoiding any lasting damage.

The procedure was much too quick for anyone to comprehend what had happened, yet it felt like hours for Qin Yun. The concentration needed for it was almost inhuman, as the tribulation qi was like a wild horse trying to run away from Qin Yun's grasp. He had to use everything in his power to keep it in check. Fortunately, his control was pristine, and the surgery was a success.

As he retracted his hand and used his sleeve to wipe away the sweat, Qin Yun rose. The man slumped to the ground unconscious, yet his eyes were still open. Yao Ruolan could see the white of his eyes.

“What did you do?” she asked.

“Once he wakes up, he won't remember anything that transpired here. In fact, he might not even care to find out the truth," Qin Yun replied with a slight smile, making Yao Ruolan take a step back. While she hadn't feared him even as he slaughtered the men in green back then, her opinion couldn't help but change slightly. After all, this was something that not even her own master could achieve, even with his boundless cultivation.

The two remaining men looked at Qin Yun with fear, trying with all their might to rise, yet Qin Yun was faster. With more experience under his belt, the procedure became smoother each time he did it, becoming even faster. Less than fifteen minutes later, the two men had collapsed again, unconscious, and Qin Yun finally let out a deep breath, feeling that his qi had decreased substantially.

He would need to rest for an entire day to regain what he had lost. However, time wasn't on his side. As he considered how to dispose of those three bodies and how to silence the rest of the audience, a bell sound echoed over the city, drowning the world in its ring.

Hearing the bell, the sight of what Qin Yun had done faded from everybody’s mind, replaced with a frantic nervousness. Without waiting for Qin Yun’s input, everyone rushed outside, looking to the west where a giant bell tower stood, towering high above the city wall. On top was a plume of black smoke, prompting the two girls to show dark expressions.

Qin Yun stood next to them, letting the mortals pass him by as they all ran toward the east. Yet, there was no panic in their steps, as if they had rehearsed it countless times. Qin Yun could feel the ground rumble under his feet and countless footsteps on stone flooring in the distance. He saw myriad dots stand shoulder to shoulder upon the fortress walls.

“Are we under attack?” he asked.

"Yes," Yao Ruolan said, her expression darker than he had seen before, even as she faced the incoming sandworms with no hope of survival. "Black smoke means everyone is to prepare to fend off the outsiders. It’s all-out war...”