AZI Volume 1 Chapter 31

Having boarded her carriage that is pulled by two horses with manes of electric energy, Yao Ying and the three bodyguards rush off into the night skies, while the territory of the Ling Yuan family that is behind their backs grows smaller and smaller.

"Can't they go any faster?"

Peeking out from the yellow curtains of her carriage, Yao Ying asks with an expression of impatience.

Their speed of movement through the air is by no means slow.

"Lady Yao Ying, this is as fast as they can pull. Worry not clan chi-"

Before the bodyguard in charge of driving the carriage is able to finish his sentence, a figure dressed in black robes over a grey layer appears in the far distance.

Carried on the back of this black-haired figure is a three feet sword with a blade that seems to be equal to a hand in width.

As soon as the figure had appeared, the two lightning maned horses neigh to a halt.

"Who goes there?"

"Ling Yuan family, Qīng Míng Yáng."

Cupping his hands together, Qing Ming Yang gives the group of four a formal salutation.

"Might I ask that you move aside? We're in a bit of a rush."

"Afraid not."

Answering as such, Qing Ming Yang's blue eyes gleam with chilling radiance as he immediately reaches for his sword and draws, revealing its blade to be crafted from jade.

*Sccrrrr!* without pausing in his movements, Qing Ming Yang slashes with the sword sending out a sword Qi that heads for the carriage.

"Lady Yao Ying!"

Before the sword Qi can divide the carriage, the bodyguard to the right rips the carriage's right panel apart and drags Yao Ying out from within.

*Boom!* as the carriage splits in half, the shockwave throws the group of four back while the horses scurry in fright!

"Qing Ming Yang, you've got quite a bit of guts to do that to my carriage!"

Having been dragged out of the carriage at the last possible moment by one of her bodyguards, Yao Ying looks at Qing Ming Yang with eyes of fury.

"Hahaha, young lady, you can glare at me all you want. But it doesn't change the fact that you're not leaving here today."

"Who sent you?"

"…Does the dead really need to know that?"

Without answering the bodyguard's question, Qing Ming Yang approaches the bodyguard and begins to exchange hits with them.

"Keep Lady Yao Ying safe."

Having said this, the other bodyguard rushes off to join the exchange leaving only one guard by Yao Ying's side.

(What is going on? First that Ling Yuan family servant came to tell me my grandfather is in trouble, and now this Qing Ming Yang appears here… He's able to fight against two of my bodyguards while they are working together in union, and is even able to stand afloat in the air without a magic treasure. His cultivation base should be in the Core Formation realms. To be able to hire him—who is also a Ling Yuan family clansman all for the sake of making me vanish from this world… Who is this rich and daring?)

"Urk!"

As Yao Ying is thinking of who could be plotting against her, the bodyguard who is holding her up in the air raises a cry of anguish and without his support, she immediately begins to fall towards the ground.

(There was a second assassin…!?)

Turning her body to face upwards, Yao Ying sees a green-eyed young woman dressed in purple robes over a white layer with a light purple sash.

"Xià Rì'er, you vixen!"

Recognizing the young woman to be someone—who she had an argument with back in the estates of the Ling Yuan family, Yao Ying curses at them aloud.

"Ai, little brat, is that how a proper lady should speak? Hm?"

As soon as she says this, Xia Ri'er frowns.

"Ai… How lucky you are to live for a bit longer, Lady Yao Ying."

Seeing a rift in the fabrics of the dimensional walls opening up beneath the falling figure of Yao Ying, Xia Ri'er who has grown accustomed to this sight shakes her head.

Such rifts are a common sight near Ling Yuan family's outer perimeters. Occasionally, some of the wildlife that dwells in the forest below would be swallowed up by them.

"Ah!"

"Uh…"

Having finished off the two bodyguards, Qing Ming Yang swings his jade sword to remove his victims' blood from its blade.

"If I live through this, I'll-"

Just as the figure of Yao Ying is swallowed up by the dimensional rift, Qing Ming Yang approaches Xia Ri'er.

"She got swallowed into Ling Beng Realm?"

"That she did. Well, she shouldn't live for long in that realm, even if she survives her fall. Remember, she doesn't have a medallion on her and with how hateful those weapon spirits are of us, she'd be ripped to shreds should she encounter them."

"Heh this isn't so bad. Wouldn't need to stain our hands with her blood."

"And just like that, a prodigy vanishes from this world."

"We're accomplices in this task. Help me clean up the bodies."

"Fine. Oh, what of that servant?"

"The dead tells no tales."

"Indeed, they don't."