Chapter Thirty-Nine: Setting Out, Two on the Road

"Even if you didn't ask, young friend, I would have told you anyway."

"The Liang Estate is a power belonging to the Xuantian Sect. Shanshan's aunt is the chief steward there. With her presence, it will be much easier for you to join the Xuantian Sect."

"Besides, it provides a bit of a safety net."

"As for who founded the Liang Estate, I am not entirely sure."

"However, rest assured. Once you arrive at the Liang Estate, even the Great Xia Dynasty will not easily trouble you. As for the Moon-Watching Sect, they wouldn't dare."

Li Beiye explained with a smile.

Hearing this, Su Yang nodded, feeling curious about what kind of expert the founder of the Liang Estate might be.

"Does my young friend have any other questions?" Li Beiye took the initiative to ask this time.

Su Yang shook his head and said, "No, that is all. If Miss Shanshan is ready, I can set off at any time."

"And what about the Su Estate..."

"The Su Estate has nothing to do with me anymore. My parents are gone, and the Su Estate is no longer my home. From now on, whether they live or die is entirely up to them." Su Yang's tone was devoid of any emotion.

From the moment they exiled his parents, he had severed all ties with the Su Estate.

"Very well, I understand."

"In that case, I have already prepared some things for you, and I hope you will accept them." As Li Beiye spoke, he produced a storage bag and handed it to Su Yang.

Su Yang did not stand on ceremony; he took it and smiled, "Thank you, City Lord."

"Haha, no need for formalities. Inside are the spiritual stone earnings of Yebai City from the past decade. While not a vast fortune, it should be enough to sustain you for some time," Li Beiye replied with a hearty laugh.

"Shanshan, you will leave with Su Yang shortly. Do not be willful, and be obedient. With Su Yang by your side, I can rest easy," Li Beiye said, looking at Li Shanshan with earnest concern.

Li Shanshan blushed and replied, "I understand, Father. I will listen to Brother Su Yang!"

"Good!" Li Beiye nodded with satisfaction.

...

Outside Yebai City, two figures, a man and a woman, slowly receded into the distance in the direction of the setting sun.

Li Beiye stood atop the city wall, watching them and murmuring to himself, "Su Yang, Shanshan is in your hands now. I hope you can protect her well."

Central Province was over a thousand miles away from Yebai City. If Su Yang were alone, with the speed of the Purple-Electric Berserk Lion, he could have arrived in no time.

However, since he was now accompanied by Li Shanshan, Su Yang was in no particular rush.

The two walked along the mountain path, one on the left and one on the right. Though they remained silent, they both seemed at ease.

Su Yang had always viewed Li Shanshan as a younger sister. Perhaps it was due to her appearance, but there was not a shred of romantic sentiment between them; otherwise, he would have chosen her back then instead of Wang Yiyi.

Moreover, he now carried a deep, blood-soaked vendetta, and under no circumstances could he allow Li Shanshan to be drawn into it.

Three hours later.

As the pair were passing by Black Wind Cliff, an unexpected incident occurred.

Over a dozen burly men blocked Su Yang and Li Shanshan's path, shouting, "This mountain was opened by me, and this road was paved by me. If you want to pass, leave behind the road toll."

"It's the people from the Black Wind Stronghold," Li Shanshan whispered to Su Yang, looking at the men.

"Oh? Black Wind Stronghold. Their leaders are the Black Wind Brothers, right?" Su Yang had heard of them. Three years ago, they had been active around Black Wind Cliff and had gained a small reputation, but they had never dared to provoke the three major factions of Yebai City, which is why they had avoided trouble.

Unexpectedly, they had walked right into his trap today.

"The Black Wind Brothers died at the hands of your friend. I suppose they are now leaderless, which is why they resort to robbing everyone they see," Li Shanshan added in a low voice.

Su Yang recalled that night when he had sent the Purple-Thunder Berserk Lion to the city gate to rescue Li Shanshan. It seemed those who had attacked that night were indeed the thugs hired by Wang Lang—the Black Wind Brothers.

"Hey, are you two deaf? If you don't want to die, hurry up and hand over everything valuable on you," one of the men, wielding a machete, barked at them.

Su Yang took out the storage bag Li Beiye had given him and said, "Gentlemen, please spare us. I have quite a few spiritual stones here intended as a tribute to you, my lords."

"Oh? You're quite sensible, kid. Toss the bag over," the man laughed.

Su Yang didn't hesitate and threw it over. The man caught it, took a glance, and his eyes lit up with greed, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Damn, there are so many spiritual stones! Hahaha! I'm going to be rich!"

"Big Brother, can you let us go now?" Su Yang asked weakly.

The man looked at Su Yang, then at Li Shanshan, and revealed a lewd grin. "You can go, but she stays."

"Big Brother, this girl is gorgeous. It's been a long time since I've had a taste..."

"Yeah, me too. Ever since the three bosses disappeared, I've been itching for a woman."

"Exactly, this little girl isn't going anywhere."

"..."

Seeing his brothers shared the same sentiment, the man became even more aggressive. "Did you hear that? Get lost now, or I'll twist your head off."

"So, you have no intention of letting us leave?" Su Yang understood their intentions perfectly and could not help but sneer inwardly.

"Are you damn deaf? I told you to get lost!" The man pointed his machete at Su Yang, as if he were about to strike the next second.

"Sigh, I gave you a chance, but you didn't cherish it. It seems your leaders didn't teach you well."

Su Yang smiled faintly. A flash of golden light erupted from his body, and like an afterimage, he wove through the dozen figures.

A moment later, he returned to his original spot.

The man stood there, eyes wide, his legs trembling violently. He was a cultivator at the Three-Mysteries Realm, yet he couldn't track Su Yang's speed at all. This was proof enough that the youth before him was far, far stronger than he was.

*Thump.*

The sound of something falling to the ground echoed.

Then, *thump, thump, thump*—a chain reaction followed.

The man couldn't help but look back. His brothers had all been struck down, their heads shattered, lying lifeless on the ground. The scene was beyond description.

"Ah!!!"

With a desperate scream, the man's vision went black, and he died of pure fright.

Li Shanshan had rarely witnessed such carnage and turned deathly pale, but she gritted her teeth and remained standing where she was.

Su Yang knew that although Li Shanshan was at the Three-Mysteries Realm, she was a flower raised in a greenhouse. Li Beiye had rarely let her leave the City Lord’s Estate, and she had certainly never killed anyone. Since Li Beiye had asked him to take her along, he likely wanted him to teach her the ways of survival.

"Are you afraid?" Su Yang asked coldly.

"I'm not afraid," Li Shanshan replied, clenching her teeth.

"The cruelty of this world is far beyond what you see before you. If you are soft-hearted, your future will be no different from theirs."

"Remember, never show mercy to anyone except your parents. If anyone bullies you, kill them without hesitation."

"You might think I'm a good person, but I want you to know that in my eyes, good and evil are determined by the strength of one's fist."

"Let's go. Stop staring." With that, Su Yang stepped on the head of the man who had fainted.

The head burst instantly like a watermelon.

This time, Li Shanshan did not look down at the ground again; she simply followed closely behind Su Yang as they walked away.