Prince of Wealth in a Cultivation World

"Yes... they... they are here in that inn." The man barely had time to speak when he felt the sharp blade at his neck.

The group of authorities looked toward the inn and saw two veiled women standing on the roof, watching them.

"So, here you are. You'd better surrender and come with us, or we'll take you, dragging you tied behind our horses."

The man in front laughed, looking at Lin Yulan and Yue Ying, who were staring at him with red eyes. If he had been closer, she would have already used her sword to sever his head.

But when the leader of the group saw a man sitting carefree beside the two women, seemingly watching some children play, he became even angrier. "You crawl down here, or we'll hang your corpse in the middle of this village!"

Noir looked at the man with a confused expression. "Who? Me?" he asked, pointing at himself. Then he casually laughed. "You people can settle your own affairs. I'm just enjoying the sunrise." He put his hands behind his head and relaxed on the roof.

Yue Ying looked at Noir with a serious expression. "What a coward," she thought. She had expected Noir to become angry when the man threatened him, but seeing his casual response, she assumed he was simply afraid of confrontation.

"Go and drag that pipsqueak here," the man ordered. But Lin Yulan spoke calmly, "No need for that." She gracefully jumped off the roof, sword in hand.

Following her, Yue Ying also jumped down before giving Noir an intense stare.

Noir's expression changed after the man called him a pipsqueak, and if someone had been close enough, they would have noticed his face changing colours.

"Have you decided to surrender, woman?" the leader asked, looking at Lin Yulan but She answered immediately, "You'd better leave, or you'll end up like that man." She warned, her hand moving to the hilt of her sword.

"Hahaha, you think you two women can go against us? You're just two weak women, and we're twenty men. After we take you with us, I'm going to enjoy every piece of you." With a big laugh the leader then ordered his men to charge.

"Don't hurt them too much," the leader said. "The elders have their own plans for these two women." He stayed behind while the nineteen men charged forward.

He smiled and relaxed on the back of his horse, oblivious to the fact that someone had been offended by his single remark.

As the two women struggled against the nineteen men, Noir used his Phantom Steps and was already standing behind the leader, who was calmly enjoying the scene.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" a whisper came from behind.

"Yes," he laughed, but then he realized something and turned back to see Noir standing on the back of his horse.

The leader's eyes widened. "When did you...?" Before he could complete his sentence or even react, Noir kicked him so hard that he sent him flying amongst his men, landing against the wooden wall of the inn, which shattered with the impact.

"BOOM"

[Silence]

"Seems I didn't control my power," Noir murmured as the leader of the group lay unmoving, his whole body covered in blood.

The leader's life ended with a single move, stunning the entire crowd—villagers, guards, even Lin Yulan and Yue Ying. They were all bewildered by the sudden death of the enemy leader.

(using "guards" to refer to those who, in some way, act as protectors under the authorities.)

Lin Yulan approached the unmoving leader. "He's dead," she muttered in daze, her eyes shifting from the body to Noir, who stood where he had delivered the fatal kick.

Noir smiled. "He was getting on my nerves, but I didn't think he'd die from a single kick." He dismounted the horse, which had bolted in the opposite direction while The guards remained frozen, still trying to grasp what had just happened.

Yue Ying swallowed hard. She had sensed that the group's leader was a formidable opponent and wasn't confident she could have defeated him alone but To see him fall with a single, seemingly effortless kick from Noir was hard to believe.

A loud sound of a man came from the direction the horse had fled, and three figures emerged.

The one in the middle, a young man, spoke. He was followed by a middle-aged man dressed in cultivator's robes and a man clad in hardened leather, who appeared to be the young man's personal guard.

 "To think there's someone in these wretched lands who can kill a trained man with a single strike. It's Commendable, but unfortunately, you've run into me," the young man said arrogantly, shifting his gaze from Noir to Lin Yulan.

"Lin Yulan," the young man said, his attention now solely on her. "To think you were hiding in these wretched lands seems Marrying my father is worse than living in this place where even breathing the air feels poisonous." Seeing the young man, Lin Yulan recognized him instantly.

"Cai Ming!" she murmured, glaring at the young man. Yue Ying spat on the ground. "Seeing your true face makes me ashamed that we ever considered you a friend," she said, her voice filled with anger.

Cai Ming, grandson of the Prime Minister of the Chu Kingdom and son of a disciple of the Reshi Sword Sect, who wants to celebrate for joining the Reshi Sword Sect by marrying Lin Yulan, who was the same age as his son.

"Friends? I still consider you both friends, but that doesn't mean I'll go against my father's will," Cai Ming replied.

"And what's wrong with it? If Lin Yulan marries my father, her chances of joining the Reshi Sword Sect are guaranteed, and your family's reputation will be boosted, just like ours." His words dripped with confidence and arrogance.

He continued, "I just don't know where your confidence comes from. Can't you see that even the royal family supports us? Now that your family has agreed to betroth you to my father, just accept your fate and come with us."

"Hmph, I'd rather die than marry someone I have no feelings for," Lin Yulan retorted. "Your father can fool the royal family, even my family, but not me." She didn't elaborate, but her words suggested she knew something others didn't.