Jia Yi was born into a small noble family in Zhongtian Prefecture. His ancestors had once held a Third-Rank official position, but when the new dynasty rose, the family declined. From a young age, he displayed exceptional talent in martial arts and was seen as the family's hope. He didn't disappoint them—at sixteen, he passed the Heaven-Guardian Division's examination and became a personal guard directly serving the emperor.
The Heaven-Guardian Division was divided into four grades—A, B, C, and D. Jia Yi had reached Grade B, which already made him a first-class expert within the martial world.
The Demon-Seizing Technique was a supreme art personally bestowed upon him by the emperor. A century ago, this technique had already made its name known across the martial world. With it, Jia Yi could even fight evenly against the weaker Grade A experts.
Ever since mastering the Demon-Seizing Technique, every battle he fought ended in his favor. He had grown addicted to the look of terror on his opponents' faces as his grip closed around their throats.
Yet today—for the very first time—the technique failed.
His attack had been stopped.
And the one who stopped him wasn't Jiang Zhaoxia, the man known as Guzhou's number two martial expert, but rather a timid-looking young man.
Why?
Jia Yi's shock quickly turned into rage and humiliation. He glared furiously at Zhang Yuchun.
Zhang Yuchun, though caught off guard by the sudden attack, didn't lose his temper. He simply frowned and said calmly, "Lord Jia, what do you mean by this?"
Feng Dai and the other constables were stunned. To them, the Heaven-Guardian Division were all unmatched elites. They could clearly sense Jia Yi's powerful inner energy, yet they hadn't expected the seemingly harmless Zhang Yuchun to also be a martial master.
Seeing Zhang Yuchun speak so casually, Jia Yi felt mocked. With a growl, he stepped forward—his body gliding like a swimming dragon. His right hand shot out like a claw, straight for Zhang Yuchun's throat.
Zhang Yuchun didn't want to make an enemy out of him, but he wasn't going to stand still and take a beating either. He quickly retreated. The Gale Technique made his movements faster than Jia Yi's.
Jia Yi refused to give up. The two darted around the courtyard, one chasing, one evading. When Zhang Yuchun finally backed up against the wall, unable to retreat any further, he had no choice but to strike back.
Their palms clashed—inner energy against vital energy. Two visible waves of force formed into translucent barriers that collided violently in midair.
Jia Yi managed to hold on for only two breaths before he was thrown backward. He staggered seven steps before regaining balance, his face pale with shock as he stared at Zhang Yuchun.
Zhang Yuchun's aura faded, his body clearly exhausted.
His vital energy was stronger than Jia Yi's inner energy, but his total reserves were limited. The exchange had drained most of his strength.
The disciples of Qingxiao Sect couldn't stand by and watch their senior be attacked. They rushed forward at once, surrounding Jia Yi. Seeing this, the constables quickly drew their blades.
"Zhang Yuchun, stop! You can't act recklessly—he's from the Heaven-Guardian Division!"
Feng Dai grit his teeth as he looked at Zhang Yuchun, silently pleading for him to restrain the disciples.
He had come here precisely to prevent a conflict. He had planned to protect Qingxiao Sect, yet somehow ended up protecting Jia Yi instead.
Zhang Yuchun brushed off his robes and said calmly, "Stand down. Do not be disrespectful to the Heaven-Guardian Division."
"What Heaven-Guardian Division? Since when do officials draw their swords over a few words?"
One disciple shouted in anger, and the others glared at Jia Yi like a pack of wolves surrounding a tiger.
Zhang Yuchun had always treated every disciple kindly and never abused his authority. Because of that, his disciples truly respected and cared for him. They were acting purely out of loyalty.
"Who dares cause trouble in Qingxiao Sect?"
A thunderous roar echoed through the courtyard.
Yang Jueding arrived with several disciples in tow.
The townsfolk who had been watching quickly backed away. They had been thrilled by Zhang Yuchun's display earlier—no one had expected such a gentle-looking man to possess such martial prowess. Qingxiao Sect's reputation truly wasn't exaggerated.
Yang Jueding stormed in like a raging lion, his presence suffocating. Behind him were Qin Ye, the Seven Sons of Qingxiao, and several other skilled disciples. The courtyard instantly became crowded.
Xu Ning leapt onto the wall, her face cold as her eyes locked onto Jia Yi.
Seeing even Xu Ning arrive, Zhang Yuchun grew more nervous than Jia Yi himself. He hurriedly said, "Elder Yang, Lord Jia was just joking with me. Since an officer of the Heaven-Guardian Division has personally come, how could we not offer tea to welcome him?"
He quickly signaled a disciple to prepare tea, trying to ease the tension.
The moment Jia Yi saw Yang Jueding, he knew he wasn't his match. Yang Jueding's presence was sharp and overbearing—he'd seen that kind of master among the Grade A guards before.
Calm down.
Jia Yi took a deep breath and gave a cold snort, lowering his stance and ceasing his aggression.
Seeing this, Feng Dai immediately smiled and began chatting with Zhang Yuchun to smooth things over.
After learning of Jia Yi's identity from the disciples, Yang Jueding forced himself to calm down as well.
He had roamed the martial world for many years and earned the title Dragon-Subduing Hero. Besides his righteous deeds, he also had plenty of dealings with the government. He knew well that to the imperial court, the martial world was nothing more than a joke.
Many martial sects secretly depended on wealthy officials for survival. Without a powerful backer, even the strongest sect could be crushed by the court's armies.
Thus, Yang Jueding followed Zhang Yuchun and Feng Dai's lead, allowing the tension to subside.
"Alright, that's enough! Everyone disperse!"
Feng Dai turned and shouted at the onlookers outside the courtyard. His glare alone sent the commoners scattering in fear.
Though the Qingxiao Sect disciples were still angry, they obeyed Zhang Yuchun's order.
Just like that, the conflict ended peacefully.
However, since the encounter had been unpleasant, Jia Yi only drank a single cup of tea before insisting on leaving.
Zhang Yuchun couldn't stop him and had no choice but to escort him down the mountain.
Watching Jia Yi and his men leave, Zhang Yuchun's eyes flickered. He couldn't shake the feeling that Jia Yi would take revenge on Qingxiao Sect, yet there was nothing he could do.
The name Heaven-Guardian Division carried immense weight. Whether they killed Jia Yi or detained him, it would bring endless trouble in the future.
"If only Third Junior Brother and Sixth Junior Brother were here," he muttered with a faint smile. "That guy probably wouldn't make it off the mountain alive."
Qingxiao Sect was no longer the same as before. His junior brothers and sisters had all grown strong. If things truly spiraled beyond control, they could always abandon the sect and start anew elsewhere.
To Zhang Yuchun, wherever his brothers and sisters were—that was Qingxiao Sect.
…
Deep in the forest, far from Qingxiao Sect, Jia Yi's face had turned dark with fury. Feng Dai and the other constables followed behind, not daring to speak a word. They feared provoking him further and having his rage turn on them.
"This won't end here…"
Feng Dai's eyes flickered as he sighed inwardly. He rested one hand on his sword sheath and placed the other behind his back, subtly signaling the constables.
The constables' expressions shifted—they understood exactly what he meant. None of them hesitated. They steadied their breathing and hardened their resolve.
"This matter isn't over!" Jia Yi growled, his teeth grinding. "Within one year—no, within half a year—I'll see Qingxiao Sect reduced to ashes!"
Just as the words left his mouth—
Shing!
A blade hissed out of its sheath. Jia Yi instinctively turned, only to be struck square in the chest by Feng Dai's sword. Blood burst forth in a crimson spray.
His eyes widened in disbelief. He had never imagined that Feng Dai would dare to attack him.
Rage and shock hit him simultaneously, but his reaction was still fast. He raised his palm and struck out with the Demon-Seizing Technique. The violent surge of inner energy exploded outward, blasting Feng Dai through the air. The other constables were also thrown aside, tumbling down both sides of the mountain path.
Feng Dai crashed heavily onto the ground, coughing up a mouthful of blood. The world spun wildly around him. His organs felt like they were being torn apart.
'The difference… it's this vast…' he thought in despair.
He had struck because he thought Jia Yi wasn't as strong as expected—after all, Zhang Yuchun had fought him earlier and drained some of his strength. He'd misjudged completely.
In reality, a man trained only in external techniques could never match an inner energy expert.
Jia Yi gasped for breath. His earlier strike had been driven by anger, burning through most of his inner energy. The wound on his chest throbbed, and humiliation twisted his face.
Being injured by a mere county officer—it was an insult. An insult to him, and to the Heaven-Guardian Division itself.
"You worthless trash," he roared. "I'll kill every last one of you!"
He stepped forward, blood dripping from his chest and splattering the ground. The sight made him look even more terrifying.
But after taking three steps, he suddenly froze. Someone was descending the mountain ahead.
The newcomer's robe wasn't identical to Qingxiao Sect's uniform, but it shared clear similarities.
It was Li Qingqiu.
He walked down the mountain at an unhurried pace, eyes fixed on Jia Yi. The Tianhong Sword hanging at his waist shimmered faintly, drawing Jia Yi's wary attention.
"Who are you?" Jia Yi shouted angrily.
He drew his long blade in one swift motion. The cold steel gleamed under the forest light, reflecting off Feng Dai's pale face and bringing a bit of clarity back to his fading consciousness.
Feng Dai turned his head weakly and caught sight of Li Qingqiu.
"Lord Li…" he muttered in shame, bowing his head low, wishing he could crawl into the earth itself.
If Jia Yi was this powerful, then how terrifying must Wu Baoyu have been?
Back then, it wasn't that he had spared Wu Baoyu—it was Wu Baoyu and Qingxiao Sect who had spared him.
"Lord of the sect?" Jia Yi said coldly. "So you're Qingxiao Sect's master? These men attacked an officer of the Heaven-Guardian Division. I have every right to execute them on the spot. Do you have any objections?"
Inwardly, though, he grew uneasy.
In most martial sects, the sect master was usually the strongest person. Even if not, they were never weak—otherwise, how could they command such unruly martial artists? Words alone couldn't control warriors born to fight.
Li Qingqiu's expression stayed calm. "I have no objections," he said evenly. "But I want to kill you. Do you have any objections?"
Jia Yi's face turned livid. He hadn't expected such blatant arrogance. In panic, he grabbed Feng Dai and held him in front like a shield. His blade pressed against Feng Dai's throat.
"Then try it!" he hissed. "Let's see who's faster—me, or your sword!"
He looked like a cornered tiger, bloodied but still filled with killing intent.
Whoosh!
A sharp sound tore through the air. Jia Yi's pupils widened instinctively. A slender metal needle appeared before his eyes, moving faster than he could react. It pierced straight into the center of his brow.
His body went rigid. The sword fell from his hand with a clang.
Feng Dai froze in place, staring blankly at Li Qingqiu, whose hand was still raised mid-throw.
He hadn't even seen how Li Qingqiu attacked—hadn't even caught the motion of his fingers.
Turning his head, he saw the needle embedded between Jia Yi's brows and instinctively stumbled back in fear.
The other injured constables widened their eyes, trembling as they stared at Jia Yi.
Jia Yi wasn't dead. He stood there, trembling violently, as if frozen in place by some spell.
That only made the scene more terrifying.
What kind of technique was this?
A strike from afar? A pressure point sealing art?
Li Qingqiu continued walking forward until he stood right before Jia Yi.
Feng Dai clutched his chest, his face pale, staring at him, wanting to speak but unable to find the words.