Chapter 430 - 429: The So-called Madman
Following the guidance of the Cyan Cloud Order, Qin Ya spent three days finally making his way back to Kunyun Palace. The first thing he did was return to the Seven Peaks to see everyone.
Within the Seven Peaks, at the pavilion where Qin Ya once lived.
A small figure sat at the entrance, gazing into the distance without a word.
Seeing this, Muh Qing, Wang Huang, and the others standing nearby couldn’t help but sigh. Their faces were etched with sorrow, and like the young girl, they too hoped he would return soon.
"Sigh... It’s been so long. Why isn’t the Peak Master back yet?"
Lü Xin gazed at Jing’er, who sat listlessly in the distance with a dull expression, and her eyes filled with heartache. After spending so much time together, she had long come to see the poor girl as her own little sister. Seeing Jing’er in this state, she was arguably one of the most distressed people on the Seven Peaks.
"Who knows? Maybe..."
"There is no ’maybe.’ Brother Qin will definitely come back."
Muh Qing spoke with conviction, "Didn’t Xue Qianlong and Ling Zhan say it? They never found Brother Qin’s body, which means he must still be alive."
"If he’s alive, then why hasn’t he come back after all this time?"
"Perhaps he was seriously injured and is recovering somewhere."
"I suppose that’s possible."
Just then, a graceful figure descended upon the Seven Peaks.
The newcomer was dressed in white, with a beautiful face and fair, delicate skin. Regrettably, however, her eyes were dim and lifeless—she was blind.
This person was none other than Luox Xinyu.
She walked slowly to Jing’er’s side. Sensing the girl’s helplessness, she let out a soft sigh, then gently stroked her head and said, "Jing’er, why are you sitting out here? Come on, let’s go sit inside with me."
"No, I want to wait for Brother to come back."
"They all say Brother is dead, but I don’t believe them."
"Big Sister, when do you think Brother will come back?"
Jing’er asked, her voice full of hope as she looked at Luox Xinyu.
Moved by the girl’s gaze, Luox Xinyu smiled softly and said, "If you’re a good girl, I’m sure your Brother Qin will be back very soon."
"Okay, I’ll be good."
Suddenly, a figure in white appeared before Jing’er’s eyes. A look of delighted surprise crossed her face, and she quickly scrambled to her feet. She ran over and threw herself into the young man’s arms, nuzzling against him as she choked out, "Brother..."
Qin Ya hugged Jing’er and stroked her hair, saying softly, "Be good, Jing’er, don’t cry. It’s my fault. I’m sorry for making you wait so long for me to come back."
At that moment, Luox Xinyu, Muh Qing, and the others looked on in astonishment before crowding around. Lü Xin exclaimed, "Peak Master, you’re finally back!"
"Peak Master, what took you so long?"
"Haha, Brother Qin, I knew you’d be all right!"
Looking at the concerned faces all around him, Qin Ya smiled faintly. "I apologize for making everyone worry. Something came up that delayed me."
"By the way, Brother Qin, what exactly happened?"
"Ling Zhan and the others told us you were being hunted by the Pavilion Master of Linfeng Pavilion. That’s a Martial Arts King! How did you manage to escape, Peak Master?"
Hearing this, Qin Ya gave them a brief account of the pursuit.
After listening to his story, everyone broke out in a cold sweat for him.
Hunted by a group of Blood Slaves, a Half-Step King, and a King?!
Heavens, they had never experienced anything so perilous in their entire lives.
Although Qin Ya didn’t go into detail, everyone could imagine how heart-stoppingly dangerous it must have been from just his few words. Had it been any of them, they probably would have been finished in a single encounter. How could they possibly have held out for so long?
But Qin Ya hadn’t just held out. He had turned the tables and killed them all, one by one. He had even killed Qiann Feng, a King! Such a combat record was simply sensational, utterly unbelievable!
"Brother Qin, you’re saying you killed a King?"
Muh Qing asked, his voice trembling slightly. A storm of shock crashed through the minds of the others, including Luox Xinyu. Their hearts reeled, unable to believe it.
"Yes. It was just a lucky break."
Qin Ya nodded nonchalantly, while the others were left completely dumbfounded.
’A lucky break?’
’Just how lucky would you have to be to pull that off?’
’Lucky?’
’You just happened to get lucky enough to kill a King?’
’Heavens, it hasn’t even been that long, and he’s already reached this level.’
"It seems that fortune and misfortune truly are two sides of the same coin."
Luox Xinyu smiled faintly and said, "Brother Qin, although your journey was perilous, you managed to break through to the Celestial Human Realm. Your combat strength has even reached the point where you can slay a King. It’s both admirable and a poignant reminder of how unpredictable fortune can be."
"Miss Luox, you are absolutely right."
After returning to the Seven Peaks, Qin Ya rested for two days. During that time, Ling Zhan and Xue Qianlong received news of his return and hurried over to see him.
"Haha, Brother Qin! I knew you wouldn’t die that easily!"
The bold and domineering voice belonged to none other than Ling Zhan.
Behind Ling Zhan, Xue Qianlong walked in, dressed in a white gauze skirt, her face as cold as frost. Yet, as she looked at Qin Ya, a trace of tenderness softened her expression.
"Brother Qin, welcome back."
Looking at the two people he had once fought alongside, Qin Ya also smiled faintly. "I’m delighted to see that you are both not only safe, but your cultivation has also improved."
At these words, Ling Zhan’s expression turned serious. "Back then, if you hadn’t led them away, Brother Qin, the two of us would not have survived."
"Please accept my bow."
With that, Ling Zhan gave Qin Ya a deep bow.
Xue Qianlong did the same. Seeing this, Qin Ya quickly went forward to help them up. "You two are being too formal. The situation was dangerous, and I had Qiann Feng’s Divine Thought Mark on me. What I did was the only option."
"I was actually wondering, after you two returned to the sect, did any Law Enforcement Envoys go to investigate the situation at Linfeng Pavilion?" Qin Ya asked curiously. As a stronghold for the Blood Nether Association, the Law Enforcement Envoys of Kunyun Palace shouldn’t have let it slide.
Upon hearing his question, Xue Qianlong and Ling Zhan recounted what happened after they returned to the palace: the Law Enforcement Envoys’ fury, their subsequent trip to Linfeng Pavilion, and the discovery of the underground prison.
"Hmph. The Blood Nether Association is truly despicable, to be involved in something like this."
"Indeed. However, I heard a madman appeared a few days ago who specifically targets the Blood Nether Association. He has wiped out their strongholds one after another in places like Lei Province, Qingg Country, and Shuo Province."
Ling Zhan said suddenly, his face full of excitement, "If I ever have the chance to meet a character like that, I’ll have to treat him to a long, hearty drink."
Hearing this from the side, Qin Ya’s expression couldn’t help but turn a little awkward.
’The madman who slaughters Blood Nether Association strongholds... He’s talking about me, isn’t he?’
"I’ve heard a little about this madman myself," Xue Qianlong added. "He’s elusive. Some say he’s a young man in white, others say he’s a burly, bearded man. There are even those who claim he has three heads and six arms and is monstrously ugly."
Qin Ya subconsciously touched his own face. ’I might not be classically handsome, but I’m hardly ugly,’ he thought. He shook his head with a soft chuckle, watching Ling Zhan and Xue Qianlong trade speculations. He found himself hesitating, wondering if he should tell them that he was the so-called madman.