Chapter 8: Ruthless Enough

Li Ye stood in the Qin family’s courtyard, his expression dark and icy. “Don’t push your luck. Ten catties of salt and twenty catties of oil—more than enough to take her away. Who among the so-called criminals of Ice Abyss can afford such a betrothal gift? Serve me well, and when the ice lotuses are harvested, I’ll ask those important people to take her with them. This is already my third time here. My patience is limited—this is the last time. Wash and dress her up later and send her to me. Remember, do not alert anyone!”

At the end, he issued a chilling threat. “The talk of monsters in Lake Ice Abyss is no longer just a legend. You wouldn’t want to follow in the footsteps of that short-lived wretch in your family, would you?”

Qin Xin knelt on the ground, begging, “Lord Li, my little sister isn’t even of age yet. Please, I beg you, let her go. I… I am still untouched. Let me take her place…”

“I’ve already said, it’s your sister Qin Zi that I want! I have no interest in you!” Li Ye’s voice was cold as ice.

Qin Hui also fell to his knees. “Lord Li, women of Ice Abyss are inauspicious…”

“These years I’ve slept with many girls from Ice Abyss, and I haven’t seen anything inauspicious. It’s just your family that makes a fuss. I’ll say it again: Don’t fail to appreciate kindness! Remember, this is the last time. Obey, or die!”

He turned to leave as soon as he finished.

In the darkness, Qin Yue watched it all with a cold gaze.

His eyesight was excellent. He could clearly see the red handprint on his third brother Qin Hui’s face and the blood at the corner of his mouth.

He didn’t see his little sister Qin Zi, but he could sense her curled up in the corner of the house, sobbing.

He hadn’t expected such a thing to happen.

His master had always said that disciples of the Zhaoyang Sect were deeply wary of Ice Abyss women and were strictly warned before coming here never to touch them.

Yet, from Li Ye’s mouth, he learned that in the past few years, Li Ye had already ruined many young girls.

Even his own home had been visited three times.

He must have done it in secret, hiding it from his fellow disciples, or else who among the Ice Abyss people would dare resist?

If he hadn’t wanted to secretly take one last look tonight before leaving tomorrow, his little sister would likely have fallen into this beast’s hands.

Seeing his brother and sister kneeling and weeping in the courtyard, Qin Yue’s anger reached its limit.

Silently, he followed Li Ye.

He’d already tested it before: when using his Netherworld Evasion technique, he could approach within two or three steps without being noticed.

Now he was three or four yards away, and Li Ye hadn’t sensed a thing, still muttering curses to himself.

“If it weren’t for the needs of cultivation, would I touch this group of low-born women?”

“But that little Qin Zi seems to have grown prettier lately. Other than being annoyingly pale, she’s actually quite lovely—not a loss…”

Qin Yue watched his back coldly and finally understood that his own involvement had drawn Li Ye’s attention to his little sister.

Qin Zi had been malnourished and frail before, but recently, thanks to the nourishment of ice lotus essence he’d provided, her health had improved, and she’d blossomed into a little beauty—thus attracting trouble.

If he hadn’t come for a final silent farewell tonight, this beast would have succeeded.

However, what Li Ye said about “cultivation” puzzled him. His master hated the Zhaoyang Sect to the bone, but had also told him that they prided themselves on being a proper sect, with high-level and orthodox cultivation techniques.

There shouldn’t be any practices akin to demonic cultivation, so had Li Ye secretly learned some forbidden art?

No matter what, Li Ye was a dead man.

He was a transmigrant; his soul did not belong to this world, but his body was bonded by blood to his siblings.

He could never stand by and let such things happen.

…

As the leader of this group of guards, Li Ye lived quite comfortably. He had a large courtyard to himself, aglow with phosphorescent light, filled with ice lotuses.

Though they didn’t grow as well as those tended by Qin Yue, clan elders helped him look after them, and they thrived.

He could sell them later for a good price—a hidden perk for a Zhaoyang Sect guard stationed here.

After returning home, Li Ye left his door wide open and cooked several dishes himself.

Life was bitter, so one had to learn to find joy. As a result, his cooking skills were quite decent. Supplies were plentiful here, with all manner of spices, and soon a delicious aroma filled the air.

He placed the dishes on the table, opened a jar of wine—it weighed over twenty catties, yet he lifted it effortlessly with one hand and poured himself a bowl.

With such calm, leisurely movements, he seemed certain that the Qin siblings would obediently deliver the girl soon.

Before he began to eat, he drew out a palm-sized object resembling a piece of jade.

Infusing it with spiritual energy, suddenly an image was projected into the air!

Even Qin Yue, who was already prepared to act, was stunned. What kind of magic was this—a cultivator’s version of a projector?

It looked like a recording, but the angle made it feel more like… a secret filming?

The scene showed a strikingly beautiful young girl, long hair, fair-skinned, about the same age as Qin Zi—twelve or thirteen.

Dressed in training clothes, she was practicing in what looked like a martial arts arena.

Though young, her strength was impressive—one palm shattered a millstone-sized stone, her movements graceful as a startled swan or a swimming dragon.

It felt like a secret recording, because as she practiced, the girl suddenly looked straight at the “camera,” and the image cut off abruptly.

“Wanwan… Sooner or later you’ll be mine,” Li Ye muttered to the air where the image had vanished, his expression lecherous—so different from his usual demeanor.

Just as he was about to drink, Qin Yue stepped inside.

“Lord Li, can we talk?”

Li Ye jumped up in fright, staring at Qin Yue in alarm. “Who are you? Who let you in?!”

By now, Qin Yue had been “dead” for nearly three months, his appearance and demeanor changed so much that Li Ye didn’t recognize him at a glance.

The submissiveness of the Ice Abyss people meant he felt no sense of danger at all.

There was only the anger of a criminal daring to barge in. But before he could shout, his vision blurred.

In the next moment, a heavy fist struck his upper abdomen, and then a hand chopped his neck.

His body went limp and he fainted on the spot.

Qin Yue, unhurried, found a pair of unused chopsticks crafted by Ice Abyss carpenters and sat down to eat and drink. He knew that even if they gave in, his siblings wouldn’t come so soon.

After finishing, he cleaned up, then grabbed Li Ye—who weighed over a hundred catties—in one hand, and fishing gear he’d just found in the other.

Under cover of darkness, he used his Netherworld Evasion technique to speed towards the underground lake, though he discovered that he couldn’t use the technique while carrying another person.

At the lakeside, he dropped Li Ye, set up his rod, and calmly caught five or six fish.

Li Ye woke up once, but before he could utter a word, Qin Yue knocked him out again.

Only when everything was ready did he kick Li Ye awake.

“I’ll ask, you’ll answer. If you lie or refuse, I’ll kill you,” Qin Yue said in an even tone.

Li Ye stared at him in terror and anger; he looked familiar but couldn’t quite place him.

He guessed inwardly—this must be a criminal secretly practicing cultivation!

The thought drove him to despair. How could a cultivator appear among the laborers slaving under his nose all day?

“Don’t be rash. We can talk things over. There’s no deep grudge between us…”

“Don’t Zhaoyang Sect disciples refrain from touching Ice Abyss women? Why did you do it?”

Qin Yue cut straight to the point.

Li Ye froze, then, on closer scrutiny, suddenly realized who he was facing, his eyes filling with terror.

“You… you’re…”

“Answer me.”

Li Ye clamped his mouth shut, but remained silent.

Qin Yue flipped his hand, revealing the bronze dagger that had belonged to Li Ye.

“Not talking?”

Without further ado, Qin Yue covered his mouth and stabbed the razor-sharp dagger deep into Li Ye’s thigh.

Despite the Zhaoyang Sect’s wealth, even outer disciples carried blades that could slice hair in two.

The blade pierced Li Ye’s thigh with ease.

Li Ye screamed silently, passing out from the pain.

Qin Yue’s heart thundered—this was the first time in either life he’d done such a thing, but a greater fury burned inside him.

He woke Li Ye again.

This time, Li Ye had learned his lesson. Desperate to survive, he endured the pain and quickly confessed.

“I… I was practicing a dual-cultivation technique that requires taking the essence of girls who have just reached puberty…”

“Does the Zhaoyang Sect have such techniques?” Qin Yue asked.

“No. I met a demonic cultivator while traveling the world, killed him, and took it from him. I hadn’t planned on using it, but after I came to Ice Abyss, I tried it out of boredom and found it very effective. With this method, I can advance quickly. When I return to the sect, I’ll have a good chance of joining the inner sect.”

Li Ye pleaded, “I’ll give you whatever you want. I won’t say a word about your existence. Just let me go—I’ll never covet your sister again…”

“What was that thing you were looking at earlier?” Qin Yue asked, unmoved.

Only then did Li Ye realize he’d been watched all along, and that, despite being at the mid-stage of Qi Condensation, he hadn’t sensed a thing.

“That’s a Memory Stone. It can record scenes you see; just infuse it with a bit of spiritual energy to record and play them back. Mine isn’t a high-grade one—it can only be used once. My sect has better ones that can record multiple scenes, erase them, and reuse them. I’ll teach you how to use it right now, you just need to…”

To his credit, Li Ye was cunning—while babbling away, he secretly gathered his strength to make a last desperate move, hoping to catch Qin Yue off guard.

Qin Yue, hardened and ruthless, sensed this, and knew Li Ye wouldn’t be spared tonight.

Just as Li Ye was preparing to strike, Qin Yue clamped his mouth again and, with lightning speed, drove the dagger into his heart.

Li Ye’s eyes filled with terror and despair, then quickly grew lifeless.

Qin Yue forced himself to calm down, exhaling deeply.

He bent down to search Li Ye’s body, retrieving the Memory Stone, a Zhaoyang Sect waist token inscribed with his name and “Outer Disciple,” and two old books.

One was a sword manual, “Falling Leaf Sword Technique,” which his master had mentioned as a signature technique of the Zhaoyang Sect. This was only the first half; the second half, “Falling Leaf Sword Scripture,” was for inner disciples.

The other book was untitled, but flipping through the illustrations alone left little doubt—it was a dual-cultivation manual.

Aside from these, there were a few banknotes, totaling over three hundred taels—a substantial sum in this world.

He was about to find a large stone and dump the body into the lake when he suddenly looked toward the darkness, alert.

The Old Madman appeared, staggering forward. “Leave it to me. If you dump him in, who’ll dare eat fish from the lake again?”

Qin Yue grinned awkwardly. “How long have you been here?”

The Old Madman scowled. “Just arrived!” He glanced at Li Ye’s lifeless body and nodded, “You were ruthless enough. I’m relieved to see you have the resolve.”

As he spoke, his throat produced a quick, subtle sound, barely audible.

In the next instant, a streak of water appeared from the depths of the dark lake, surging swiftly toward the shore.