Wind rustled through the trees as tension crackled in the clearing.
Then, a blur.
Qing Yan descended from the tree branch casually, robes fluttering like a phantom. He landed between the bloodied young woman and the Dao heir, hands in his sleeves, eyes half-lidded with disinterest.
His youthful face held the expression of a man who had just woken from a nap — only to find a rat chewing on his boot.
Qing Yan(yawning):
"Ahh… can't even enjoy the sky for an hour without trash crawling out of somewhere."
The young woman blinked, stunned.
Young Lady:
"Y-You have to run! He's from the Great Dao Family—!"
Qing Yan tilted his head.
Qing Yan:
"Run? Girl, even if Dao Yunxie himself was standing here, I'd rip out his spine and beat him with it."
"And you want me to run from this cheap knockoff?"
"W-What…?"
"Who is this guy…?"
"That confidence… he's either a madman or a monster…"
— She thought, swallowing hard.
The Dao heir sneered, eyes blazing with pride and insult.
Dao Descendant:
"You've got a death wish, bastard. Move, or I'll bury you here."
Qing Yan ignored him entirely, glancing at the sword in the girl's trembling hand.
Qing Yan:
"Lend me that."
She hesitated, then handed him the blade. He held it between two fingers like it was a twig pulled from muddy water.
"This thing wouldn't even cut a cabbage," he thought.
One of the bodyguards growled and charged, blade raised high.
Bodyguard:
"You think this is a damn game?!"
Qing Yan didn't move until the last possible second.
Then—
SWING.
One clean motion. Too fast to see.
The bodyguard froze mid-stride. Then, without drama, his head slid off his shoulders and hit the grass with a dull thud.
Gasps erupted.
The sword in Qing Yan's hand cracked, then shattered completely — splintering into gleaming fragments.
He looked at the broken hilt with distaste.
Qing Yan:
"Tsk. What a worthless scrap of metal."
Silence fell.
The Dao heir's lips trembled. His feet shuffled backward without him realizing it.
Dao Descendant(stammering):
"D-Do you have any idea who you're messing with?! You won't get out of here unscathed!"
Qing Yan blinked, then tilted his head slightly.
Qing Yan:
"Huh? You mean your family's gonna come after me for revenge?"
Dao Descendant:
"Y-Y-Yes!"
Qing Yan tapped his chin thoughtfully.
Then, a slow smirk crawled across his lips.
Qing Yan:
"Hmm… even if they're just a bunch of weaklings, having them chase me around would be annoying."
His voice dropped, deepening.
The smile turned cold.
Qing Yan:
"Wait a second… There's a simpler solution."
He turned toward the stunned crowd.
Qing Yan(calmly):
"I'll just kill everyone here."
"No witnesses, right?"
He burst into laughter.
A loud, chilling, echoing laugh that made the birds take flight and the leaves tremble.
Qing Yan:
"Hahahahahaha!"
Above them, the sky subtly darkened — clouds shifting unnaturally.
Even the heavens seemed uneasy.
Panic spread among the Dao guards. Their feet locked in place, instincts screaming to run, but unable to disobey the presence radiating before them.
"W-What is this killing intent…?"
"He's not human…"
Qing Yan's gaze fell on each of them — one by one.
Qing Yan:
"Relax. I'll make it quick."
The girl stood frozen, torn between terror and awe.
And the boy behind her?
Too scared to even breathe.
"This man… isn't here to save us. He's here because he was bored…"
The blade may have shattered.
But the massacre had only just begun.
[TO BE CONTINUED]