Chapter 211: Beaten to a Pulp

’First, I need to separate from Xian Xian for a bit to do some homework. I can come back later to find him. Anyway, he would be by the lakeside to wait anyway, right?’

Yun Shu thought as she halted in her steps, calling out to Bai Yunxian in a relatively calm voice.

“Palace Lord, I just remembered I have something to do. You can go ahead, don’t mind me. It won’t take too long, I’ll be back soon. Let’s meet by the lakeside, alright?”

For some reason, Yun Shu’s voice sounded like she was coaxing a small child who was clinging onto her and not letting her go, afraid to get lost.

’To treat me like an innocent little child like that, there is only one person who is able to do this…’ Bai Yunxian stared at her deeply.

But would Lord Yun really go so far as to disguise himself as a woman to come here? Didn’t he say he would let him grow here by his own?’

’It can’t be, I must be too tired that I’m imagining things?’ Bai Yunxian questioned his absurd thoughts as he shook his head in approval, seeing the woman’s eyes spark brightly as she looked at him and rambled on before turning around and disappearing in one leap.

With Yun Shu gone, Bai Yunxian stood there for a while, contemplating something before he turned around and started his journey towards the great lake.

Soon, Bai Yunxian arrived at the lakeside. However, the guy felt astonished to see the number of cultivators that had already arrived beforehand, surrounding the place and bustling with crowds as if it were a night market.

“My lord, it seems the artifact had not arrived yet. You should take a little rest before the real fight begins. With so many high-level experts here, taking away the artifact might prove to be a little difficult.” Bai Yunxian’s subordinates scouted the area as they returned with information, but compared to their anxiety, Bai Yunxian seemed a lot relaxed as he sat and stared at the calm, serene lake water.

’I wonder what Lord Yun is doing right now…’

When Bai Yunxian was lamenting on his sorrow of not seeing his husband for days, a storm was raging in another corner of the forest.

The forest air was heavy with damp earth and mist. Yun Shu slipped between the trunks, her robes barely whispering against the brush. She had already memorized this path in her heart, from all the times she’d watched, powerless, as Bai Yunxian’s story played out in the game.

In those timelines, this forest had always been the place where the noose tightened around him. And Bai Yunxian, who was proud and unyielding, had arrived at the lake seeking the artifact, only to be ambushed here by his so-called clan.

The Bai elders had shackled him with cruel seals, treating him like a beast of burden instead of a kin. They hadn’t just dragged him back; they broke him.

They tortured him until his pride and spirit were broken, taking away his freedom. And the artifact that he obtained also turned into a curse upon him.

They broke his legs and chained him in shackles, forcing him to serve as their lowly slave, and used him to wield the artifact to their will, not by his wishes.

Yun Shu’s eyes glinted like stars hidden in shadow.

If fate insists on letting him suffer, then I will destroy fate itself.

The system’s chiming voice interrupted her brooding.

[Ding~ Host, your murderous aura is leaking out again! Be careful, if Bai Yunxian saw your face right now, he might think you’re the villain instead.]

“…Villain? Isn’t that cool?” Yun Shu’s lips quirked.

If protecting him makes me one, then so be it.

[Host, now that’s scary! …But also heroic! You’re like the cool final boss who turns out to be secretly protecting the protagonist all along!]

She shook her head, but a faint smile tugged at her lips despite herself. The system’s childlike antics were absurd, but they kept her from drowning in old rage.

For some reason, Yun Shu felt as if the system’s age regressed, with the style of talking changed, sometimes it felt as if she was talking to a kid instead of a mighty system.

Well, not that it matters. No matter what happens, Chen Yu will always remain as her system.

Ahead, three qi signatures pulsed that were sharp, poisonous, and oppressive.

’Found them!’

The clearing was quiet except for hushed voices. Three Bai clan elders stood together, their figures unmistakable in ornate clan robes. Younger disciples ringed the area, standing like guards, though their vigilance was relaxed. After all, who would dare disturb the noble Bai clan?

Yun Shu stepped forward, letting her presence ripple out like a stone dropped into still water.

“Looking for something?”

Dozens of heads snapped toward her.

The hawk-nosed elder scowled. “Who dares intrude on Bai clan matters?”

“Matters?” Yun Shu’s voice was calm, almost mocking. “Is that what you call skulking in the woods, waiting to ambush your own kin?”

Of course, they already knew who Bai Yunxian was, and they decided to kill him before the Clan Leader knew of his existence.

Because they considered his blood was mixed with filth, due to the Empire’s blood flowing through his veins. They didn’t recognise his existence, and that was the sole reason why they wanted to kill him.

But after he got the artifact, savoring his life was just a bonus on their end.

Even if he was disguised as the Nine Hall Palace Lord, they still recognised him with just a glance, because of the special features of the Bai clan, those ruby red eyes.

The disciples murmured. The silver-haired elder narrowed her eyes, sensing something off about this woman. The heavyset elder snorted. “Kill her before she alerts the others.”

“Kill me?” Yun Shu tilted her head. Her eyes shimmered faintly with suppressed power. “You can try.”

The hawk-nosed elder struck first, his qi condensing into a gleaming blade of light that hissed toward her throat.

But Yun Shu didn’t even move.

Her qi surged outward like a tidal wave as the air roared. Leaves tore from branches, stones cracked, birds scattered in terror. The disciples collapsed instantly, clutching their heads, some coughing blood under the sheer weight. Even the elders staggered, faces blanching.

“You— no, the honorable Martial Emperor?!” the silver-haired elder gasped.

’No, why would a Martial Emperor come fight them out of nowhere?’

“That’s… impossible!” thundered the heavyset elder.

The hawk-nosed elder’s sword shattered between Yun Shu’s two fingers. She flicked her wrist, and he was flung against a tree, coughing blood.

[Ooooh~ Host, ten points for dramatic entrance! He looked like a chicken flung into a wall!]

“Chicken?” Yun Shu muttered under her breath, suppressing a laugh.

The silver-haired elder snarled, summoning a storm of poisonous needles. They whirled like locusts toward Yun Shu.

The system squeaked.

[Barrier, barrier! Activating bubble shield! Look, Host, it’s sparkly!]

A translucent dome shimmered around her, scattering the needles like raindrops. Yun Shu lazily raised her hand and clenched her fist. The needles reversed course, slamming into the elder’s robes and pinning her to the ground.

She shrieked, struggling like a moth in a spider’s web.

“Pathetic,” Yun Shu said coldly.

The heavyset elder roared, enlarging his body with qi until he loomed like a mountain. He charged, shaking the ground beneath his steps.

Yun Shu extended her palm. Invisible chains of qi snapped into place, freezing him mid-charge.

“Do you feel powerless?” Her voice was soft, almost kind.

“No, why is the Honorable Martial Emperor doing this to us? Is there sone kind of misunderstanding between us? Honorable one, please quench your anger and let us compensate!” One of the elders pleaded from the ground.

“That is the feeling you wanted Bai Yunxian to know. Remember it well, only your death can be the right compensation for I, this lord.”

She flicked her hand. The elder slammed into the dirt, the forest trembling with the impact. He groaned, spitting soil and blood.

[Ding~ Mission progress: Two scumbags humbled, one still flapping like a fish!]

The clearing fell into horrified silence.

The Bai clan disciples had dropped to their knees, unable to bear her aura. There were elders who were revered like three strong powerhouses of the clan who were sprawled in the dirt, battered, humiliated, utterly powerless.

’So… So she came knowing that we were planning to kill that bastard child!’

But how?

And why would she defend such a bastard like him? Don’t tell me, he is her disciple?!

Even if they took the wrong kind of relationship, they were still convinced that this overlord had something to do with Bai Yunxian.

Yun Shu’s eyes swept over them, sharp as blades. “Take this lesson to heart. If anyone dares touch Bai Yunxian again, I will come for your entire clan.”

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