The musicians at Yan Feng Lou were puzzled. Why had the sword dance stopped? They were about to repeat the same segment of the music when Miss Chen Shuang quickly resumed dancing without giving it much thought.


    After the sword dance finally ended, Miss Chen Shuang, dressed in red, glanced at Qin Yun before leaving.


    "I want to meet Miss Chen Shuang," Qin Yun said as he turned to the maid beside him. She smiled and replied, "Young Master Qin, it costs twenty taels of silver to meet our Miss Chen Shuang, but you cannot touch her. The meeting will last no more than half an hour. If Young Master Qin agrees, I will go and inform her if she''s willing. Also, there may be other guests wanting to meet her, so we must follow the order of arrival."


    "Go ahead," Tian Bo urged. "Make sure to say it''s Qin Gongzi requesting to meet her."


    "Of course, I’ll go right away." The maid quickly went off to deliver the message.


    Qin Yun waited quietly.


    Twenty taels to meet her and have a chat, while the "Qing Qiu Immortal" would cost a hundred taels. This clearly showed the difference in status.


    "Miss Chen Shuang''s sword dance is truly remarkable. I’ve seen many skilled sword fighters, and though they are stronger than her, none have the same elegance in their sword dance. It feels as though her sword strikes at my heart."


    "Her pipa playing is even more impressive. She excels in both the pipa and sword dance. I believe she could make it into the top ten among the courtesans in this contest."


    "In Yan Feng Lou, she’s only second-tier. Among all the courtesans in Guangling County, it’s nearly impossible for her to make it into the top ten."


    The guests nearby chatted casually.


    Qin Yun continued to wait.


    Soon, the maid returned with a cheerful step, smiling as she approached him. She whispered, "Young Master Qin, Miss Chen Shuang is willing to see you."


    "Alright, lead the way," Qin Yun said, taking a deep breath and standing up.


    "Please follow me," the maid said, leading the way.


    The main building was enormous, with winding corridors. After exiting the main building, they followed a hallway leading to the East Building.


    The four buildings of Yan Feng Lou—North, South, East, and West—could only be entered by honored guests. The threshold for the East and South Buildings was relatively low; anyone could enter for a small fee. However, to meet Miss Chen Shuang in the East Building, one would need to pay twenty taels, which was still quite expensive—about the same as the cost of a modest house in Guangling County.


    "Creek." The maid pushed open a door and called out, "Miss Chen Shuang, Young Master Qin has arrived."


    "Young Master Qin, please come in," she said with a smile.


    Qin Yun entered the room, and the maid closed the door behind him as she left.


    Inside, Qin Yun immediately recognized a middle-aged woman standing to the side.


    "Aunt Xue?" Qin Yun was surprised.


    "Second Young Master," the middle-aged woman smiled warmly.


    At that moment, a delicate figure emerged from behind a curtain, her eyes glistening with tears as she looked at Qin Yun.


    Qin Yun’s heart trembled. He felt deep guilt—why hadn''t he returned sooner?


    "Xiao Shuang," Qin Yun said softly.


    "Brother Yun," Miss Chen Shuang ran over and threw herself into Qin Yun''s arms.


    Qin Yun held her tightly and whispered, "I’ve returned too late."


    "I was so scared, scared you might never return. It''s been six years, Brother Yun, and you’ve finally come back." Miss Chen Shuang let go of Qin Yun and looked at him with tear-streaked cheeks, "The happiest day of my life was when my brother left, and now, it''s the day you returned."The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "I only returned yesterday, and I only heard about Xie Lei’s death from Tian Bo today," Qin Yun sighed. "It''s better inside the city, where the government can provide some protection. Outside, in the rivers, lakes, or deep forests, you never know where monsters might lurk. Escorting goods has always been a dangerous job."


    "But the escort agency has been passed down through my family for generations. My brother was determined to restore its former glory," Miss Chen Shuang replied.


    Qin Yun silently nodded.


    Xie Kuang…


    With his temperament, he would never be afraid of death. A man like him would want to expand the escort agency, making it the number one in Guangling County, or even one of the best in all of Jiangzhou. But that pursuit came at the cost of his life.


    Suddenly, a shout came from outside.


    "Get out of the way!"


    "Hmm?" Qin Yun furrowed his brow as he heard a commotion outside.


    In the corridor outside, a fat man dressed in extravagant clothes strode in arrogantly, followed by two bodyguards.


    "Young Master Liu, there’s already a guest inside," the maid said anxiously.


    "A guest? In Guangling County, how many people dare to make me, Liu Qi, wait? This Qin Gongzi—make him wait? He’s not worthy!" The fat man shouted loudly. At the same time, a female manager from the hall hurried over, shouting from afar, "Young Master Liu, please don’t be angry. Let me explain. I’ll tell that Qin Gongzi to leave first."


    "Well, then tell him to leave quickly," the fat man said in a huff, still giving Yan Feng Lou some face.


    The female manager hurriedly opened the door and said, "Young Master Qin, I’m sorry, but as you’ve heard outside—"


    "Get lost!"


    Qin Yun spoke coldly.


    The female manager froze.


    Hearing the commotion outside, the fat man scoffed and strode in. "I gave you face, and you refuse to leave? It looks like we’ll have to resort to force. Go, throw this arrogant fool out of here!"


    "Yes," one of the burly bodyguards immediately stepped forward.


    "Don’t be angry, Young Master Liu," Miss Chen Shuang quickly apologized, and then whispered to Qin Yun, "This Young Master Liu is from the Liu family, one of the three great families in Guangling County. You can''t provoke him."


    The Liu family, one of the top noble families in Guangling County. As Miss Chen Shuang knew, even the head of the Silver Badge Enforcement, Qin Liehu, could not stand up to the Liu family.


    "Did you hear that? Miss Chen Shuang knows what’s what. I gave her face. Now get lost," the fat man shouted.


    "Liu family?" Qin Yun sneered. "Even if the head of the Liu family is here, they wouldn’t dare speak to me like this. Let alone you, a small fry from the Liu family." Qin Yun shot him a glance. "You better jump down the stairs yourself, or I’ll throw you down. There won’t be any soft treatment then."


    The fat man was taken aback.


    Who was this person? How come I’ve never heard of him?


    "Who are you?" the fat man demanded.


    "Get lost, quickly," Qin Yun frowned.


    "Are you threatening me?" The fat man glared. "You two, go teach him a lesson! Show him what happens when you mess with me!"


    "Yes."


    The two bodyguards, one at Qi Refining Level 7 and the other at Qi Refining Level 8, were both top-tier martial artists. This showed the immense power of the Liu family!


    Bang! Bang!


    Before the two bodyguards could even approach, they were knocked back like shadows, flying out of the door and crashing over the railing, falling to the floor below.


    "Not good!" The fat man turned pale with fear, not daring to speak arrogantly anymore. He turned and fled.


    "Go!" Qin Yun stepped forward and kicked the fat man in the back.


    "Ah!" The fat man let out a sharp scream as he was sent flying over the railing, landing hard on the ground. The two bodyguards, despite being top-tier martial artists, were too dazed to stand and could only watch as their master hit the ground, bleeding and with a bloodied face.


    The fat man groaned as he got up, shouting angrily, "Why didn’t you two catch me?!"


    "Young Master, our bodies are too sore. We can barely stand," the two bodyguards said, struggling to rise.


    "Ha ha..."


    "That''s Liu Qi, from the Liu family."


    "What a disgrace."


    "Who did that? Who threw him out of the building?"


    Many of the guests in Yan Feng Lou had gathered at the railing, watching the embarrassing scene of Liu Qi. After all, Liu Qi was from the Liu family and had the power to act arrogantly in Guangling County.


    Qin Yun walked over to the railing, looking down at the fat man covered in blood.


    The fat man looked up, seeing a crowd around him, and his courage grew. He shouted loudly, "Qin, if you have the guts, reveal your name!"


    Qin Yun casually pointed.


    Whoosh!


    A strand of sword Qi shot toward the fat man, grazing his face, and hitting the ground with a deep, barely visible hole in the stone.


    The fat man touched his face and looked down at the dark hole, his throat tightening as his body trembled.


    The two bodyguards, who had just gotten up, were pale with fear.


    "True essence unleashed."


    "They’ve reached the Immortal Gate!"


    "A cultivator! A cultivator!"


    The two bodyguards


    were terrified.


    "I''m sorry, I''m sorry, please, Young Master, I’m just a fool. Let me go, I beg you!" The fat man forced out a smile, clearly understanding how terrifying a cultivator could be. If the Liu family head were here, he might have a chance to argue, but for him, a mere junior, he was completely outclassed.


    "You asked for my name, didn’t you? Listen carefully. I’m from the Qin residence—Qin Yun!" Qin Yun glanced around at the shocked guests. Everyone had fallen silent after witnessing the sword Qi, and no one dared to speak.


    "Miss Chen Shuang is my sister. If you offend her, you offend me, Qin Yun."


    With that, he turned and entered the room.


    "Close the door," he ordered the maid standing outside.


    "Yes, yes," the maid said, trembling as she quickly closed the door.