A beam zoomed through the clouds before plummeting and landing in Lu Prefecture's Yanglai County City with a flash.
Inside Yanglai County City.
"Great fiendish demon?" Qin Yun appeared on the streets but the surrounding passers-by did not notice Qin Yun at all.
Hum!
Using his Intrinsic Flying Sword, Qin Yun instantly sensed fifty kilometers around him. Ever since he condensed a purplish-gold Golden Core, it had nurtured his soul, strengthening it greatly. But it reached its limit after three plus years! Now, Qin Yun could sense fifty kilometers around him with the aid of his Intrinsic Flying Sword. If he released his flying sword, he could send it out a thousand kilometers!
It was double what even the legends spoke of: sword immortals releasing their flying swords to kill enemies five hundred kilometers away.
In fact, the so-called killing of enemies five hundred kilometers away was something only typical Connate Golden Core Paramount realm sword immortals were capable of! Qin Yun's Dharmic powers and soul were much stronger, allowing his range to extend.
Yanglai County City was slightly smaller than Grand Dominance City. Thus, his perception could naturally envelop the entire city. He could sense that the people in the County Governor Manor and Ximen Manor were hiding like frightened birds. They had their array formations perpetually activated, insulating them from psyche perception.
"I haven't discovered any great fiendish demons anywhere in the city." Qin Yun shook his head. "Even if great fiendish demons converge their aura, their powerful vital forces cannot be concealed unless they have some sort of treasure that insulates them from my psyche perception."
Powerful array formations and treasures could insulate an area from psyche perception.
"However, the Ximen family has up to a hundred clansmen dying daily. According to the reports, a Ximen clansman died under Yin Lihuo's nose the moment he arrived. That great fiendish demon might be constantly monitoring the Ximen family," thought Qin Yun. "He must have some treasure insulating him from psyche perception. If not, he would have long been discovered by the Primordial Chaos Sect. I have to use my sword intent domain to search the area carefully."
Qin Yun walked around the city as his sword intent domain spread out to cover a thousand feet of his surroundings.
He could spread it out a radius of a thousand feet! That was already a very large radius, and to probe an entire city with one's sword intent domain was perhaps something only existences at the Paramount realm were capable of.
Qin Yun probed area after area and soon heard a din ahead of him.
"Young Master Ximen, I beg you. Spare my daughter. Please, spare my daughter." A shrill voice sounded from up ahead.
"Old bitch, you really have a death wish. Beat her up." A maniacal voice rang out.
Qin Yun frowned when he heard it, and quickly took a step which allowed him to traverse more than a thousand feet.
Nearby, there was a colorful-robed youth with deranged eyes. He had a huge mole on his face, making him look even uglier. Accompanying him was a group of guards and servants. Two servants were holding onto an adolescent girl, while another servant was kicking an old woman by the side.
"Mother! Don't beat my mother!" The girl cried.
"Hmph!"
The youth scoffed. "I suggest you come with me without a fuss and your mother will be fine. If not, you know the consequences."
"Daughter, you cannot leave with him. He has defiled many maidens in the past two days. You will be finished if you go," shouted the old woman as she struggled.
"Stop!" An angry shout came from the side. Another white-robed youth grabbed the servant who was beating the old woman. The servant had a hideous expression as he shouted, "Who dares interfere with the Ximen family's matters? Are you sick of living! You—Third Young Master!"
The servant was shocked.
The white-robed youth was enraged when he appeared. He plainly gave a push while the servant immediately turned extremely respectful.
"Brother." The white-robed youth looked angrily at the colorful-robed youth. "That's enough."
"Ah, my younger brother. Haha, share a drink with me tonight," said the colorful-robed youth with a laugh.
"What drinks? Quickly release this maiden," said the white-robed youth immediately.
"Release? Why should I release her? I want her to serve me later." The colorful-robed youth scoffed. "Why? Are you trying to meddle in your elder brother's affairs?"
The white-robed youth said angrily, "You have already gone too far in the past two days."
A group of spectators a distance away were murmuring in whispers.
"This Ximen Cheng is atrocious. He has already defiled dozens of maidens these past two days."
"The city's prettiest maidens and even some beautiful married woman have been taken away by him. None of them survived a night. Rumors say that there were tortured badly. They died horrible deaths."
"I heard the rumors too. A cousin of my neighbor is a servant of the Ximen family. He was in charge of burying the corpses. It was really tragic."
"What a pity. Even the officials do not dare to interfere in this matter! After all, the county governor has to take into account the Ximen family's standing."
Everyone was discussing in whispers.
A glint flashed coldly in Qin Yun's eyes when he heard the conversations. A Purple-token Inspector Heavenly Ambassador's family clan did have a lot of influence. However, such large family clans also needed to maintain a good reputation! Even if there was scum in the family, they had to act covertly. They would not dare commit acts of evil openly.
"Brother," said the white-robed youth angrily. "The elders are busy dealing with external threats. When they are done, they will definitely not spare you for the atrocities you’ve committed."
"Spare me? Hahaha…" The colorful-robed youth scoffed. "You are talking about sparing me? So many of our clansmen are dead, with up to a hundred deaths a day. Speaking of which, there will be clansmen dying today too, isn't that so? Perhaps you and I will die today! In that case, we might as well enjoy ourselves!"
"Previously, Father reigned me in. Grandfather was reigning me in as well. Now, they no longer have the time or energy to watch me."
"Hehehe, I have taken all the girls that have caught my eye to serve me at my residence. If I die, they will all die with me. Hahaha…" The colorful-robed youth was on the brink of madness.
The white-robed youth could not help but say, "You're insane. Completely insane."
"I am insane. Come on, bring her away." The colorful-robed youth turned to leave.
"Daughter! Daughter…" The old woman yelled with a face full of tears.
"I heard that the Ximen family has quite a number of clansmen dying every day. This Ximen Cheng doesn't know when he will die. So before his death, he has decided to defile so many maidens." People whispered as they shook their heads and sighed. Although they pitied the victims and were outraged, they did not dare meddle in the Ximen family's affairs. They did not even dare speak against them aloud.
"Brother."
The white-robed youth tried to stop his elder brother.
"Hold him back," said the colorful-robed youth with a sneer.
At that moment, even a brother's urging was useless!
Just as the colorful-robed youth was about to board his carriage, he turned his head to give instructions. "Put the beauty on the carriage. I want to—"
Suddenly, his eyes widened as a trickle of blood appeared at his glabella. He turned limp and fell from the carriage. Blood constantly flowed out of his forehead, dyeing the ground red.
"Young Master!" The guards and servants jumped in fright as they checked for any signs of breathing.
"He's dead."
"He died."
Everyone was astounded. The white-robed youth went forward to investigate while still reeling in shock. His elder brother was indeed dead.
"Who killed him. Who was it?" The surrounding guards and servants checked the vicinity. There was a cultivator at the eleventh level of Qi Refinement among the guards.
Qin Yun walked out of the crowd.
"I was the one who killed him," said Qin Yun nonchalantly.
"You?" The Ximen family's guards and servants, including the white-robed youth, looked at the blue-clothed man in shock.
"You dare to kill our Ximen family's young master?" bellowed a guard.
Qin Yun flipped his hand, produced his Purple-colored Inspect Heavenly Token, and showed it to them.
Most of the guards did not recognize it, but the white-robed youth and the leader cultivator of the guards recognized it. They jumped in fright.
"A Purple-colored Inspect Heavenly Token?"
Likewise, their patriarch had a Purple-colored Inspect Heavenly Token. Such an existence had the authority to persecute any official under the fifth grade without waiting for approval, much less a young master who was not an official.
"Senior." The leader of the guards bowed respectfully. The white-robed youth bowed immediately too.
The person in front of them was an existence at the same level as their patriarch.
"Hmph, to think the Ximen family is in such a state. To defile dozens of innocent girls in just two or three days?" Qin Yun said coldly. "I will discuss this matter with your Ximen family."
"Yes." The leader of the guards and the white-robed youth responded.
They left such a matter to those above them! They did not dare intervene.
Qin Yun looked at the horrified duo who was huddled in the corner. He gave a gentle sigh.
"Lord, thank you for saving us." The old woman and the beautiful girl kowtowed and thanked him. However, they were still feeling uneasy, afraid that the Ximen family would seek revenge later! After all, the Ximen family had just lost a young master.
"Alright, go home, the both of you," said Qin Yun. "Don't worry. I, Qin Yun, guarantee you that the Ximen family will absolutely not dare to even touch the both of you."
With that said, he left a sliver of his Dharmic powers on the mother-and-daughter duo.
"The Ximen family won’t dare touch us?" The duo was a little flustered. To them, the Ximen family was like the heavens.
"He said his name is Qin Yun? Is what he said of any worth?" Although the duo was feeling very uneasy, they were filled with gratitude.
Qin Yun turned to shoot a glance at the white-robed youth and company. He instructed, "All of you return. Tell your family head that I'll be visiting your Ximen family in an hour."
"Yes, Senior. We will take our leave." The white-robed youth and company did not dare utter a word. They quietly left with Ximen Cheng's corpse. After all, what could they say when a Purple-token Inspector Heavenly Ambassador was the one who killed a person? In addition, Ximen Cheng had conducted himself terribly. Even his brother did not feel any pity in regards to his death. "With him dead, many ladies will probably escape this calamity. I guess it can be considered a good thing." The white-robed youth heaved a sigh of relief.
Qin Yun left after that.
He continued walking through the city in search of signs of the mysterious fiendish demon.
In a tea restaurant.
A middle-aged man was listening to a lady sing a tune. He was watching the people walking up and down the streets with a smile.
"Yin Lihuo is no match for me. Primordial Chaos Sect, what else can you do? Send the only Paramount realm existence in the sect to risk his life?" The middle-aged man scoffed inwardly. "Such a large sect would not dare to take such a risk."
"No good." The jade bottle under his clothes immediately sent a voice transmission. "Leave quickly. Head southeast. Quick!"
"What's the matter?" asked the middle-aged man puzzledly.
"Qin Yun is here!" Jade Bottle said urgently with a voice transmission. "He is using his sword intent domain to probe every part of this city. He is approaching us. We have to leave quickly."
"Qin Yun?" The middle-aged man also felt flustered.
Grand Dominance County's Qin Yun, the number one sword immortal in the world. His reputation preceded him, so the middle-aged man was naturally afraid.
"You have no means of matching him?" asked the middle-aged man with a voice transmission. "You can't even ensure my safety?"
Over the past few years, the jade bottle had been helping him, making him think it was omnipotent.
He left a road of corpses in his wake, and rarely was there anything he couldn't kill! Even the Physical Establishing Sage lineage's Yin Lihuo had been severely injured by him. He even had a feeling that, with the jade bottle's help, he was in no way inferior to the Paramount realm. Perhaps he had a chance of matching Qin Yun in combat?
"That is Qin Yun! If I had another ten years, I might be able to help you fight him! Now, it's best we hide as far away from him as possible! Don't go courting death!" urged Jade Bottle. "Quick, cut the crap and leave immediately!"