First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 1557 - The Ancestral Totem

Amidst that stifled, oppressive silence, Su Yi took a step forward and reached the man in golden robes.

The man in golden robes was obviously terrified. He cried out, “You... What do you want to do? Try anything, and there’s no way the Black Dragon Guards will let you off!”

Su Yi just grabbed the man by the neck, tightened his grip, knocked him out, and started searching his soul.

Who is that guy? How could he be so tyrannical? The onlookers’ hearts quivered. Su Yi’s direct, domineering methods left them all stunned and intimidated.

Shortly afterward, Su Yi withdrew his divine sense and frowned.

The man in golden robes was Jin Yuanmu, an infamous slaver, but his memories didn’t contain any of the information Su Yi was after.

All he’d learned about the Bi’an Spirit Race youth was that his name was Fang Han.

But he was just one of the slaves Jin Yuanmu had bought at a black market in the White Reed Province to resell for a higher price.

Jin Yuanmu knew nothing of how or why Fang Han had become a slave.

It seems I can only ask the boy directly, thought Su Yi.

He was a descendant of the Bi’an Spirit Race, yet he’d been reduced to a mere slave!

This infuriated Su Yi, but more than that, it told him that after tens of thousands of years, the Bi’an Spirit Race’s situation had almost certainly changed dramatically.

“Brazen madman! How dare you cause trouble in the Black Dragon Market? No matter who you are, surrender and come quietly! Otherwise, we’ll execute you without mercy!”

A shout suddenly boomed through the air.

A group of Black Dragon Guards shot over from afar, all of them in dark armor and seething with murderous intent.

Their leader was a tall, stalwart man with a glinting painted halberd. He emanated the characteristic energy fluctuations of a Void Realm True Immortal.

The golden-robed slaver had already regained consciousness, and he cried out in excitement, “Lieutenant Wu, save me——!”

A nearby old man couldn’t help but say, “Sir, you’d best let this end here. If you offend the Black Dragon Guards, you’ll truly be doomed.”

“Oh,” said Su Yi. He tightened his grip.

Bang!

The golden-robed slaver, Jin Yuanmu, exploded into ash, destroyed body and soul.

The crowd’s hearts quivered, and they almost suspected they were seeing things.

This was the Black Dragon Market. Here, even Immortal Lords had to follow the rules. Yet now, someone had killed someone right in front of the Black Dragon Guards!?

The guards had already arrived, and when they saw this, their expressions darkened.

Their tall, stalwart lieutenant exploded with murderous intent, thoroughly enraged. “If you leave this place alive, I, Wu Qingtian, will be your grandson!”

Boom!

He raised his painted halberd and was just about to strike when he froze in place, unmoving, his expression shifting erratically.

He went from astonishment to bewilderment to horror...

This unusual scene left the crowd completely baffled. What’s going on?

“Lieutenant, what’s wrong?” one of the guards couldn’t help but ask.

The tall, stalwart man, Wu Qingtian, shook as he came back to his senses.

Beneath the crowd’s flabbergasted gazes, he walked up to Su Yi, clasped his fist, and said, “I’m ashamed of myself. I acted recklessly without first pausing to grasp the situation. I humbly request your forgiveness!”

“????” The crowd was baffled. This was a lieutenant of the Black Dragon Guards, a Void Realm True Immortal.

He’d rushed in seething with murderous intent. Why did he completely change his tune a moment later?

The guards who’d come here alongside Wu Qingtian were dumbstruck. What’s going on with the lieutenant?

Why is he apologizing to someone who flagrantly violated the rules of the Black Dragon Market?

Su Yi looked thoughtful. He suddenly recalled the owner of the Generalists' Tower, Feng Yeyun. He was an Immortal Lord, yet he’d come to their room to apologize in person for his subordinate’s mistake.

There was no doubt about it. Someone had warned Wu Qingtian in secret, and whatever they said, it had changed the lieutenant’s attitude completely!

When Su Yi realized this, he scanned the surrounding area, but didn’t see anyone noteworthy.

“Tell me, then. How do you propose we resolve this?” asked Su Yi.

Wu Qingtian took a deep breath and said, “These slave peddlers have committed numerous heinous crimes. All of them are infamous. They more than deserved to die. Sir, it’s fair to say you were carrying out the will of the heavens, and that everyone will celebrate their deaths!”

The crowd’s eyes filled with bewilderment. They half suspected their ears were playing tricks on them.

This was a lieutenant of the Black Dragon Guards who maintained order in the Black Dragon Market, yet even he had been intimidated to the point of disregarding the rules?

It was simply unreasonable!

“Does that mean I’m free to go?” Su Yi asked.

“But of course,” Wu Qingtian said hurriedly. Now that you mention it, if anything, I ought to apologize to you and earnestly request your forgiveness....”

Su Yi waved for silence. “No need for that.”

He walked up to the youth, Fang Han, and broke the fetters on his neck, wrists, and ankles. “Let’s go.”

Fang Han snorted coldly. “Fine! I’m not afraid to die, and I’m curious to see what kind of game you’re playing!”

“....”

Fang Han obviously assumed he harbored ill intentions, but Su Yi laughed it off and didn’t explain. He just continued on his way.

Fang Han gnashed his teeth and followed him.

It was only after the two of them disappeared from view that Wu Qingtian wiped the sweat from his brow and relaxed.

A moment later, he swept his gaze across the onlookers and shouted, “What the hell are you looking at? Scram!”

The onlookers dashed off.

One of the Black Dragon Guards couldn’t help but approach and say, “Lieutenant, just now, why did you...”

“What’s with all the jibber-jabber?” Wu Qingtian’s icy gaze swept over the guards. “Nothing happened here! Later, you’re to warn the slavers who frequent the market that they are never to return, and that if they do, we’ll kill them on sight!”

The guards were solemn as they realized the severity of the problem. All of them solemnly nodded their heads.

...

The inn.

When Qing Wei saw Su Yi return with a blood-covered youth in tattered robes, Qing Wei was unwittingly stunned.

A moment later, she seemed to realize something. She exclaimed, “Young Lord, is this little fellow perhaps a descendant of the Bi’an Spirit Race?”

“That’s right,” said Su Yi. “Do you perhaps understand the Bi’an Spirit Race’s current situation?”

Qing Wei keenly detected that he was in low spirits, and she couldn’t help but be solemn. She pondered briefly, then said, “To the best of my knowledge, the Bi’an Spirit Race took a massive blow to their vitality during the Age of Fallen Immortals, and only a small portion of their clansmen survived. I’ve heard no word of them since. If you hadn’t brought this little fellow back today, I’d have assumed they’d long since been wiped out.”

She’d only just said this when Fang Han said coldly, “So long as my big sister and I are alive, the Bi’an Spirit Race lives on!”

His thin, pallid face was full of staunch determination.

Su Yi’s heart sank. “Does that mean that you and your older sister are the only surviving members of the Bi’an Spirit Race?”

Fang Han was obviously stubborn by nature and unafraid to die. He glared at Su Yi without fear. “Why should I tell you?”

Su Yi sighed. He could tell the boy was on guard. No matter what he asked, there was no way he’d get any answers out of him now.

“Have a look at this.” Su Yi raised his fingertip and started outlining something in the air.

In the blink of an eye, wisps of light interwove, and a strange, mysterious totem appeared. It depicted a Bi’an standing atop a nebula, throwing back its head and roaring as countless stars fell like rain around it.

The youth’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You... You thief! How did you learn to condense the Bi’an Spirit Race’s ancestral totem?”

Once outlined, the ancestral totem could sense and awaken the bloodline power of all descendants of the Bi’an Spirit Race!

Long ago, only older-generation experts with lofty cultivations were permitted to learn it.

Su Yi drew his fingertip through the air, and the totem scattered into a rain of light. “My acquaintance with the Bi’an Spirit Race goes back a long time. It’s for this reason that I decided to save you, no matter the cost.”

Fang Han’s expression shifted. After a little while, he laughed coldly. “I can’t trust you! Big Sister said that our ancestors protected the borders of the Immortal Realm for generations. They killed countless demons of the Beyond and achieved incredible military merit, but in the end, it wasn’t the demons who brought about our ruin. It was the people of the Immortal Realm!”

The youth’s eyes were bloodshot, and irrepressible hatred and grief were written all over his face. He gnashed his teeth. “Big Sister said that we can’t trust a single person in the Immortal Realm!

“No matter what you say, I can’t trust you! Want to kill me? Go right ahead! See if I so much as furrow my brow!”

Having said his piece, the youth furrowed his brow in determination and clamped his jaw shut.

Qing Wei was stunned, and her beautiful eyes shone with pity. Just how much adversity has the boy endured, to be so disappointed in the entire Immortal Realm at such a young age? How many times was he hurt and deceived before deciding never to trust anyone ever again?

Su Yi fell briefly silent, then said, “Qing Wei, take him to get washed up and changed, then treat his wounds.”

“Got it!” Qing Wei nodded.

Fang Han froze in obvious surprise, but a moment later, he laughed coldly. “You people think you can move me with your so-called benevolence? You’re dreaming! I won’t fall for it!”

Qing Wei couldn’t help but smile as she led Fang Han away.

Su Yi quietly sprawled out in his wicker chair, took out a jug of wine, and had a sip. However, the immortal brew tasted bland in his mouth.

He let out a long sigh and muttered, “Wang Ye, even without your emotions and memories influencing me, I wouldn’t remain a bystander this time!”

He thought back to long ago. Generations of the Bi’an Spirit Race had protected the Seventh Gate of Heaven in fierce combat with the demons of the Beyond. Too many of them had sacrificed their lives to count.

Yet now, they hadn’t just declined. They hadn’t just been all but wiped out. Even their surviving clansmen were being sold as slaves!

It was simply absurd!

The thought of the blood-stained youth in a cage being sold like an object made Su Yi’s heart ache.

Those who’d brought ruin to the Bi’an Spirit Race deserved to die ten thousand deaths!

“I, Su Yi, will avenge this grudge!”

Before long, Qing Wei returned with Fang Han. He’d already changed into clean clothes, and his long hair had been tied back. His wounds had knit back together, with no sign of scarring.

He seemed like a completely different person.

Except that his handsome, determined face was still pale with bloodlust, and his expression was still guarded and full of hatred.

Like a stubborn, prideful lone wolf.

He held a bundle of tattered, blood-stained clothing close to his chest. These were the clothes he’d just changed out of.

The blood stains covering the fabric were emblazoned with the humiliation and mistreatment he’d once endured.