Retirement begins with summoning Yuan Tiangang

The light from the oil lamp flickered.

The shadows of the knives on the wall also jumped around, baring their teeth and claws, like a group of hungry ghosts writhing on the wall.

The proprietress and the waiter leaned against the stove, their faces as pale as if they had just been pulled out of the flour jar.

They stared at the Azure Dragon, their eyes wide open, their pupils shrinking to pinpoints—a reaction to extreme fear.

That push just now was perfectly controlled in terms of force.

The proprietress was still in pain from her dislocated shoulder, and the waiter felt a dull ache in the spot where he had been pushed in the chest.

But at that moment, they couldn't care less about the pain; only one thought occupied their minds.

Who is this person?

He administered the medicine himself, in a dose large enough to knock out a cow.

But this person not only didn't fall, but also appeared silently behind them; they didn't even hear his footsteps.

And that old man... when did he move a stool and sit there?

The two looked at each other and saw the same decision in each other's eyes.

No survivors should be left.

The proprietress's shoulder jerked suddenly, and with a "crack," she managed to put her dislocated joint back in place herself.

She was in so much pain that sweat beaded on her forehead, but she didn't utter a sound. She ran her right hand across her left wrist.

A dark red bracelet gleamed slightly.

Two curved swords appeared out of thin air in her hands.

The blade was jet black, but the edge gleamed with a chilling light, and there were faint blood-red patterns on the blade, making it clear that it was no ordinary item.

The waiter also moved.

He stepped to the side, reached for a pig-slaughtering knife on the prop shelf by the wall.

The blade is wide and thick, with a heavy back and a slightly upturned tip. The edge is polished to a high shine, indicating that it is frequently used.

Both of them simultaneously unleashed powerful fluctuations of elemental energy.

His aura was very strong, at least at the third or fourth level of the Innate Realm. In a place like Yuanyang County, he would be considered a great master.

The energy flowed through his body, creating a slight breeze that caused the oil lamp flame to flicker violently.

"superior!"

The proprietress gave a low shout, and with a swift movement of her twin swords, they transformed into two streaks of black light, aiming straight for the Azure Dragon's throat and chest!

The swordsmanship was ruthless and cunning, sealing off all escape routes!

The waiters acted simultaneously!

He gripped the knife with both hands, lunged forward, and the butcher's knife slicing through the air with a whooshing sound as it cut across the waist!

This strike was powerful and heavy; if it landed squarely, it could probably cut a person in half at the waist!

The two worked together seamlessly, one moving up and down, one fast and one slow, clearly indicating that this was not their first time teaming up against an enemy.

But the Azure Dragon did not retreat.

He didn't even draw his sword—the dagger at his waist was still hanging there perfectly.

He simply raised his right hand, picked up a sword from his waist, and casually blocked it with the scabbard.

"clang!"

The proprietress's twin swords struck the scabbards, producing a metallic clang.

She felt a powerful force come from her, which made her hands go numb and she almost couldn't hold the knife.

Almost simultaneously, Xiao Er's butcher knife arrived.

Qinglong extended his left hand, joined his index and middle fingers together, and lightly flicked the blade.

"Buzz—"

The butcher's knife trembled violently. Xiao Er felt a strange force coming through the blade, making his arms numb and his chest feel tight. He took three steps back before regaining his balance.

The two men, having missed their first attack, immediately changed tactics.

The proprietress wielded her twin swords with incredible speed, the blades flashing like a net, aiming to cover all of Qinglong's vital points.

After regaining his footing, Xiao Er charged forward again, changing his cleaver from a slash to a thrust, aiming straight for Qinglong's lower abdomen!

The Azure Dragon remained motionless.

He stood there, his right hand gripping the scabbard, his left hand either blocking or deflecting, his movements slow but each time perfectly intercepting the opponent's attack.

The blade flashed around him, but it didn't even touch a single hem of his clothes.

He seemed to be strolling leisurely, or perhaps... playing around.

The proprietress became increasingly frightened as she hit her.

Her swordsmanship was something she acquired from the Shadow Pavilion at a high price; it emphasized speed, accuracy, and ruthlessness.

With her innate fourth-level cultivation, she could fight against ordinary experts at the innate fifth or sixth level.

But the person in front of me...

She couldn't fathom his true nature at all.

The waiter felt the same way.

His butcher knife looks clumsy, but when combined with the martial arts he has learned, it emphasizes strength and power, using brute force to overcome skill.

But every time he made a cut, his opponent easily flicked it away with two fingers. It felt like punching cotton with all his might, so uncomfortable that he wanted to vomit blood.

After exchanging about a dozen blows, Azure Dragon suddenly spoke.

His voice was flat and emotionless: "That's it?"

Two words, light and airy.

But the proprietress and the waiter's expressions changed simultaneously—this was blatant contempt!

"You're courting death!" the proprietress shouted fiercely, her twin swords suddenly accelerating, the blades flashing in unison like a dark cloud pressing down on the Azure Dragon!

Xiao Er also became fierce, his internal energy surging wildly, and a faint red light emanated from the pig-slaughtering knife. He slashed down with a piercing shriek!

This is their trump card.

Both of them used all their strength.

The Azure Dragon finally moved.

It wasn't drawing a sword.

He simply took a step forward.

With one step, the aura emanating from him suddenly changed.

If he was a bottomless pool of water just now, he is now a volcano about to erupt.

A terrifying pressure erupted from him, instantly enveloping the entire kitchen!

With a soft pop, the flame of the oil lamp was reduced to a tiny, bean-sized glow.

The knives on the wall rattled and clanged, as if they might fall at any moment.

The proprietress and waiter's attacks, under this oppressive force, seemed to have hit an invisible wall, stopping abruptly in mid-air.

The fierceness on their faces turned into terror.

His eyes widened further, and his pupils contracted even more.

This oppressive aura...

This pressure is completely beyond the realm of the Innate Realm!

The proprietress wanted to back away, but her legs felt like they were made of lead and she couldn't lift them.

Xiao Er wanted to sheathe the knife, but his hand wouldn't obey him; the butcher's knife remained in a downward chopping position.

Qinglong glanced at them.

Then, he moved his right hand.

With a flick of his wrist, the scabbard was slapped out smoothly.

"Slap! Slap!"

Two soft sounds.

The proprietress and the waiter were both sent flying backward, crashing into the wall and then sliding to the ground.

"puff--"

Both of them coughed up blood at the same time, their faces turning from white to red, and then from red to green.

The oppressive aura remains.

They struggled to get up, but the oppressive force was like a mountain, making it hard for them to breathe. They could only kneel on the ground, supporting themselves with their hands, and desperately resist.

The proprietress looked up at Qinglong, her lips trembling, "S-Senior...spare...spare my life..."

The waiter struggled to speak, "We...we didn't know who you were, sir...please...please forgive us...we promise to change our ways..."

The voice was broken and intermittent, tinged with sobs.

The Azure Dragon walked up to them and looked down at them.

The light from the oil lamp shone from the side, casting a long shadow over both of them.

His face remained expressionless, but his eyes shone frighteningly bright in the dim light.

"Oh, so now you know how to beg for mercy?" Qinglong said, his tone laced with sarcasm.

"My name is Qinglong. Qing as in Qinglong, and Long as in Qinglong."

He paused, then asked, "Tell me, why did you do this? If you answer well, I might spare your lives."

The proprietress, as if grasping at a straw, hurriedly said, "S-Senior...we had no choice...at first we just wanted to live a peaceful life, but..."

"Stop, stop, stop!"

Qinglong interrupted her, "I don't want to hear that. I'm asking you, what happened with sending people upstairs?"

The proprietress was taken aback, but then she understood—this senior had already guessed what was going on.

She gritted her teeth, knowing she couldn't hide it any longer and had no choice but to tell the truth.

"I...we were originally members of the Shadow Pavilion..." Her voice trembled.

"Our boss... he... he has a peculiar fetish for eating human flesh... We wanted to quit, but he made a condition: he said he would let us go if we could find him thirty fresh pieces of meat..."

As she spoke, tears streamed down her face—it was hard to tell if she was crying genuinely or feigning it: "We had no choice...we had to do this...senpai, we were forced into it..."

Tears streamed down his face; he was utterly devastated.

Qinglong looked at her without saying a word.

The kitchen was quiet, except for the proprietress's suppressed sobs and the waiter's heavy breathing.

After a while, Qinglong spoke.

"I'll only count to three."

He said, "One."

The proprietress and the waiter were both stunned, not understanding what it meant.

"two."

Azure Dragon extended his right hand, bringing his index and middle fingers together, the tips of which emitted a faint blue light.

The proprietress finally realized what was happening, and her expression changed drastically!

She suddenly pointed at the waiter beside her and shrieked, "It was him! It was all his fault! He came up with this terrible idea! He said that not only could we make money this way, but we could also exchange resources with the Shadow Pavilion and get their protection!"

The waiter looked up and glanced at the proprietress.

His eyes were complex, showing shock, disappointment, and finally emptiness.

He didn't say anything, just lowered his head and resigned himself to his fate.

Qinglong glanced at them and shook his head.

"Nonsense."

As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his left hand, a blue light emanating from his palm, and pressed it down on the landlady's head.

"ah--"

A short, sharp scream.

The proprietress's eyes widened in shock, blood flowed from all seven orifices, her body convulsed violently a few times, and then she collapsed limply to the ground, lifeless.

Qinglong withdrew his hand and looked at Xiao Er.

The waiter glanced at the proprietress's corpse, then at Qinglong.

His eyes remained vacant, as if he had resigned himself to his fate, or perhaps... felt relieved?

Without further ado, Qinglong pressed his palm down on Qinglong's head.

The waiter fell down, his face facing the proprietress.

The kitchen returned to silence.

The flame of the oil lamp flickered, then settled down.

The knives on the wall stopped making noise.

Qinglong shook his hand, leaving it clean and spotless, without a drop of blood.

He turned around and looked at Mo Wen.

Mo Wen was still sitting on that stool, slowly stroking his beard.

Seeing Qinglong looking over, he nodded without saying a word.

Qinglong walked to the pile of firewood and looked at the five unconscious children.

His gaze lingered on Lin Feng's face for a moment, then he bent down and picked Lin Feng up.

Lin Feng is very light, at least for him.

The boy had his eyes closed, his breathing even, and he was fast asleep, completely unaware of what had just happened.

Qinglong, carrying Lin Feng, turned and walked towards the door. Reaching the door, he stopped and, without turning back, said to Mo Wen:

"You handle the rest."

After saying that, he carried Lin Feng upstairs.

Footsteps echoed on the stairs, gradually fading into the distance.

Mo Wen sat on the stool, looking in the direction where the Azure Dragon had disappeared, then at the two corpses on the ground, and finally at the four children still unconscious on the pile of firewood.

He sighed softly.

"What a tragedy."