The Sawtooth Mountains weren't what they used to be. In its heyday, several years ago, this area of the Indigo Jungle Province was full of cultivators looking for riches and glory. The land was brimming with spiritual energy. Powerful spirit beasts roamed everywhere. Rare herbs and precious resources were so bountiful, they could be found just by blindly wandering around.
Now, this place was mostly deserted. Only a handful of cultivators who were desperate enough would dare venture into this wilderness. Most came back empty-handed while a few never came back at all. The boom towns that once dotted the foothills were abandoned. Their buildings rotted or collapsed. The old roads were overgrown. Everything had returned to nature.
On this warm foggy day, something strange occurred, a traffic jam on a narrow path. A young man on horseback going up the mountain was stopped by a long procession of armed guards protecting a fancy horse carriage. It was so rare to see another person in these mountains so both sides came to a halt to figure out what to do.
The guard captain raised his spear at the lonely person blocking the road, "Who are you? Where are you from? What are you doing here? This land belongs to the Zheng Clan of Lavender Tower County.
Chen Wentian casually glanced at the people in front of him. He was in a good mood so he wasn't bothered by their rudeness. The guards were merely at the lower levels of the Mind Focusing Realm. The only one that could be considered somewhat strong was the middle-aged noble inside the carriage who was at the peak of the Mind Focusing Realm. Accompanying him was a young woman who was probably his servant or concubine. All in all, they were a bunch of ordinary mortals while he was already a Spirit King. It was pointless to pick fights when the gap in strength was like heaven and earth.
"My name?" Chen Wentian tapped his chin thoughtfully, "I suppose you can call me Young Master Chen."
"Young Master Chen?" The guard captain, "I have never heard of such a person. Which clan are you from? Don't spout any more bullshit or else my spear won't be kind."
"Young Master Chen of Lavender Tower County."
The guard's face flushed with anger, "You dare joke with this daddy? There is no clan surnamed Chen in Lavender Tower County!"
"Enough!" A gruff voice emerged from inside the carriage, "Stop wasting time. Chop him up and feed him to the crows!"
"Lord Zheng! Yes, as you command, my lord!"
The guards drew their weapons.
Chen Wentian tilted his head as he suddenly recalled something. It seemed that he and the Zheng Clan of Lavender Tower County had good fortune together. Many years ago, a young master of the Zheng Clan named Zheng Hao had tried to harm him. Now, some old fart from the same clan wanted to do the same. Fate was such an interesting thing.
Chen Wentian laughed and raised one hand. With a flick of his fingers, the air erupted with bursts of blue flames. Before any of the guards could shout or scream in terror, their bodies were reduced to white ash. He flicked a finger toward the carriage and listened with satisfaction as an ugly voice cried out in agony. He purposefully made it last as long as possible. He wasn't a vindictive person, but he wasn't kind either.
Bang!
The door of the carriage slammed open and a figure tumbled out. It was the servant girl. She collapsed on the ground, crying and sobbing.
"Please… senior… don't kill me… please…"
"Don't worry, I won't kill you." He reassured her.
After crying for a little while longer, she finally calmed down enough to reflect on the situation. Everyone else was dead. Although she wasn't dead yet, if she returned to the Zheng Clan like this, she wouldn't last long. They would probably label her as a witch who brought misfortune and beat her to death.
In front of her was an unfathomable cultivator. He seemed like her only hope for survival.
"Senior… I… I can be your servant. I can be your slave. Please, take me with you."
Chen Wentian shook his head, "I can't."
"But…"
"Here." He took out a booklet and tossed it to her, "This is a decent sword art called the Sword of the Noble Lady. That dead guy left a good sword inside the carriage. They also left behind a lot of money. You should understand, right?"
The young woman nodded, clutching the booklet to her chest.
"Good, meeting you today could be considered good karma. I wish you the best in your journey."
"Thank you, senior. Thank you…" She wiped her eyes.
When she looked up again, she saw a scene that shocked her to her core. The man who she thought was a peak expert was suddenly floating. Then, he was flying, soaring into the air like a dragon taking flight.
"Immortal… how can it be…"
It took a long time for the young woman to gather her wits again. When she did, she quickly did as the immortal instructed, collecting the money pouches scattered about the piles of ash as well as the treasure sword that old Zheng carried. With these in hand, she looked between the horse carriage and the horse that Chen Wentian left behind. Choosing the solitary horse, she got on and rode down the mountain, ready to start her new life.
Chen Wentian watched her go from high in the air. He actually knew her. She was someone from his past. She was none other than the Princess of Lavender, the daughter of the governor of Lavender Tower County. He had once participated in a marriage-seeking tournament to become her husband. It didn't go well, as expected. But it could be said that there was a certain amount of karma between them.
The person she married back then was Zheng Hao, the same young master of the Zheng Clan that Chen Wentian had burned to ash in the depths of these mountains. This time around, he burned the old master of the clan to ash.
She wouldn't lose any tears over this death, that much he was sure of. He had checked up on this province after he became an immortal, especially the Zheng Clan. Naturally, he found that they weren't good people. They didn't treat the daughter of the governor well either. After the young master died, she was forced to become the concubine of the old master. When the governor found out and tried to take her back, the Zhengs simply killed him and found a replacement.
Finally, Chen Wentian turned around and flew off with a smile. He was satisfied, having done a good deed. At least, he knew that most of his disciples would approve of his actions. That was enough for him.
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