"You... I'll kill you!" Lin Bao screamed. "I'll cripple your limbs, and then I'll defile your precious senior sister a thousand times, no, ten thousand times! Right in front of you!"
Xie Ren stood silent for a moment, his face serious. "You're beyond saving."
Without another word, he moved with a speed that seemed to defy reason.
In the blink of an eye, he was behind Lin Bao, a blur of motion. A single, swift kick to the back of Lin Bao's neck was all it took.
There was a sickening snap, and the young master's body went limp, his eyes still wide in disbelief as death claimed him.
"Insult me all you want," Xie Ren muttered. "But you will not insult my senior sister."
The words echoed in the silent mountain air as Lin Bao's lifeless body collapsed to the ground.
Lin Lei's face drained of all color. His body froze as his gaze moved from the body of his fallen master to the unyielding figure of Xie Ren. This is impossible.
The young man who had once been nothing more than a trash, weak disciple at Qi Refining had just killed Lin Bao in the blink of an eye.
The power, the swiftness with which he moved, it was beyond anything Lin Lei could comprehend.
"You... you're a monster!" Lin Lei's voice cracked with fear, his knees buckling as he turned to flee.
But Xie Ren was already one step ahead. With a flick of his wrist, the gleam of cold steel flashed in the air.
SLASH!
A single, clean stroke of his sword severed Lin Lei's head from his shoulders. And with a wave of his hand, those two corpse also vanish into thin air.
Lan Yue stood frozen, her heart racing as she took in the scene before her. She had just witnessed the brutal deaths of two men at the hands of her own junior brother. The fear, the violence, it was too much to process.
"J-Junior Brother… where are Lin Bao and the others?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"They're gone."
Her knees nearly buckled, but she caught herself just in time. "Junior Brother, you killed them all without even blinking! Are you... are you possessed by a demon?"
Xie Ren smirked, the corner of his lips lifting just slightly. "Yep. Possessed by one. So, Senior Sister, if you don't agree to be my disciple, I just might…"
"You might what?" Lan Yue cut him off, her voice rising in exasperation. "Kill me too?!"
She reached out and yanked his ear, twisting it just enough to make him wince. "You've grown bold, huh? Even daring to threaten your own senior sister!"
"Oww, ow, ow! Senior Sister, have mercy!" Xie Ren yelped, his usual playful attitude returning as he winced under her grip.
Lan Yue couldn't help but smile, a small, relieved laugh escaping her lips.
At that moment, despite everything that had just occurred, despite the violence and the power she had just witnessed, Xie Ren's familiar antics brought her a sense of reassurance. He was still the same mischievous junior brother she had always known.
"Tell me the truth," she said, her expression softening as she looked at him with a mixture of confusion and awe. "When did you become so strong?"
Xie Ren quickly made up a story about meeting an immortal fairy. After Lan Yue finished hearing his explanation, She yanked his ear even harder.
"So that's how it is, huh? You've been hiding your strength all this time?!" She narrowed her eyes, her voice filled with both anger and disbelief. "All those years ago, when Master passed away, you had a lucky encounter and actually became super powerful... yet you let a twelve-year-old girl take care of you? You even pretended to be weak the whole time?! How did you even have the heart to do that?!"
She scolded him harshly, but the joy in her eyes betrayed her true emotions. This wasn't disappointment, it was relief. Her junior brother wasn't trash. He had always had potential.
Xie Ren winced. "Senior Sister, to make it up to you, I want you to be my disciple-ow, ow, ow! Gently!"
Lan Yue scoffed, tightening her grip. "Ha! So you think you're stronger than me now, and you want me to be your disciple? Keep dreaming!"
Xie Ren grinned, rubbing his sore ear. "Fine. Then I guess you won't be needing this secret technique I learned from the immortal fairy…"
Lan Yue's expression faltered. Her fingers twitched. "…What kind of secret technique?"
Xie Ren smirked. "Something incredibly powerful. But since you don't want to be my disciple, I suppose I'll just keep it to myself."
Lan Yue hesitated. "…Alright. I'll be your disciple. But you have to teach me everything!"
"Deal!"
Before she could react, Xie Ren grabbed her and spun her around in excitement, his laughter ringing through the mountains.
"Enough, I'm dizzy!" she protested, lightly smacking his shoulder.
"Call me Master first!"
Lan Yue gritted her teeth. After a long pause, she sighed in defeat. "...Master."
[Congratulations! You've successfully taken in SSS-Grade talent disciple, unlocking the SSS-Grade Disciple Gift Pack!]