41: Chapter 40: Disaster of the Pool Fish [Seeking Monthly Ticket] 41: Chapter 40: Disaster of the Pool Fish [Seeking Monthly Ticket] He was still pondering when he suddenly heard voices outside, amid the messy footsteps approaching his yard.

Clutching the sword in his hand, he was puzzled.

This place had been quiet for a month, why now was trouble arriving?

It seemed not to be trouble, as the raucous voices of the approaching people were those of the drunken and self-aggrandizing kind; one couldn’t expect outside disciples to have much restraint – they had only just stepped onto the Daoist path, and the Essence Building through Fasting was somewhat out of reach for Hou Niao at the moment.

But in the eyes of true cultivators, these people had yet to truly begin.

With a ‘bang’, the courtyard door was pushed open violently.

It was never meant to keep out thieves anyway, so how could it withstand the drunken force of a cultivator’s shove?

About a dozen people surged in, each with eyes bloodshot and emanating a stench of alcohol so strong it could be detected from afar.

Where had they gotten their hands on Immortal Wine to get this drunk?

Of course, this was just on the surface.

It might have made them more excited, but they were far from losing their senses.

After performing his cultivation technique three times, the effect of the alcohol dissipating from his spleen and stomach, the irritation that had penetrated his brain still lingered for a moment.

This group of people was clearly surprised to see Hou Niao standing in the courtyard, embracing his sword.

One of the cultivators pointed at him, “Who are you?

Why are you standing here?

Where’s Xiao Missy?”

Hou Niao immediately understood their intentions; this was a case of courage bolstered by alcohol, and in their drunken state, they were starting the activity that men enjoy the most?

“With Brother Zheng overseeing, I was moved to this courtyard, and I know nothing else.

If you have no other business, I need to get back to my cultivation,” said Hou Niao.

For a cultivator, one’s private residence is inviolable, and disturbing someone’s cultivation is not only disrespectful but also provocative.

So Hou Niao wasn’t polite, knowing it was pointless to reason with a group of people who were somewhat tipsy.

Still, he mentioned the manager of the outer courtyards, Brother Zheng, as a protective symbol, wishing to avoid any unnecessary trouble – after all, drunkenness is never an excuse for bad behavior.

Normally, under sober conditions, that would have been the end of it.

These people had come not with the intent to cause harm but to chat with a beautiful woman for some fun, or else they would have come one by one, not in a group.

But, having drawn a blank, they looked at the young cultivator standing with his sword, his expression cold and stern, exuding a real swordmaster’s aura.

As the saying goes,

With a watchful eagle eye, he stood by his sword, with rising anger!

This made the leader very displeased.

A mere Energy Induction cultivator, you don’t address your seniors with due respect and put on a stern show for who to see?

Since they found no pleasure in a young lady, they decided to find it in teasing a young cultivator instead.

Taking advantage of drunken boldness, he pointed accusingly, “I know you, the mere Anhe Energy Induction cultivator, who doesn’t even have the courage to go out of the city to slay demons; without the heart to wield your sword, how dare you come mix in Jin City?

Although Shan Country is wealthy, it doesn’t support the useless!”

Hou Niao remained unflustered, “Disturbing one’s cultivation is forbidden by the outer courtyards; one’s yard is private, and those with dishonorable intentions can be refused.

If you don’t leave, I’ll have to call for the Manager Brother.”

The group burst into laughter.

Running to elders at every conflict, just like a child calling for parents in a fight, is deemed shameful by some; ordinary cultivators would usually handle such matters privately, not to mention the Quanzhen Sect known as the Demon Sect, where everyone is fiercely brave.

The leading cultivator looked down on him even more.

People like them wouldn’t think of showing mercy to the weak, only adding to the humiliation.

This was the basic ecosystem of Shan Country’s Cultivation World, where one could be imposing or brash, but never subservient or insignificant, otherwise, they’d be looked down upon by all.

“Ha, calling for help already?

Are you an old soul in a young body or just an unweaned baby?”

The laughter among the group grew even louder; even if some felt something was amiss, it was just a joke, so what was the big deal?

Quanzhen Sect’s rules were harsh, but they were recognized for their contributions to slaying demons, and besides, they hadn’t joined Quanzhen yet, had they?

Hou Niao drew out a talisman—it was standard issue for all residents in the outer courtyard, a low-grade item that couldn’t be transmitted far, but was more than enough for passing messages within the outer courtyard.

He illuminated it in his hand and then crushed it, “Trespassing a cultivation house is a crime that permits the master to kill the intruders.

I have reported this; I urge you all to be wise!”

The group had not really expected this fellow to actually crush the talisman.

This wasn’t making a mountain out of a molehill, it was pure bluffing; they were just a bunch of guys who heard there was a pretty dame here, coming over for a bit of fun, to tease her a few words, that’s all.

To be scared off by a mere talisman, how could they face their drinks in the future?

When you encounter someone who doesn’t play by the rules, treating every trifling matter as if it were a command sword, completely oblivious to the gravity of a joke, escalating a trivial matter to the point where a Quanzhen disciple has to step in, anyone would feel frustrated.

When someone is irked, they need to vent, that’s their philosophy.

Cultivating demons is not like the Daoist path, being in a good mood is important; there isn’t so much hidden endurance and giving in.

This is the belief of the cultivators from Shan Country: one step forward and the world is vast, one step back and you’re in an abyss.

The leading cultivator was seething with anger.

It was his idea to come here, and the attractive young woman had indeed caught his fancy, but with his friends showing him favor by joining him, how could he possibly show weakness in front of a junior cultivator?

He threw his wine flask aside, and with a ‘clang’, drew his longsword, “Since you’re holding a sword, you must have some profound understanding of it, right?

Why not let your senior brother here have a look at what extraordinary swordsmanship you can muster while hiding in your courtyard like a woman?”

Hou Niao remained in the same pose from beginning to end, “Drawing a sword in the master’s private residence is against the continent’s law, punishable by death without liability!

Additionally, Zheng senior brother will be here shortly, and if you do not leave now, you will bear the consequences yourself!”

The first part of his speech was impassioned, but the second part betrayed his fear.

This little Taoist was truly a funny character, with a trembling heart but pretending to be fearless; it was genuinely laughable.

However, this reminded the leading cultivator that if they really waited for Zheng senior brother to arrive, they wouldn’t be able to lay a hand on anything anyway.

At the very least, they would be scolded on the surface—that was a rule.

“Consequences?

Before I face any consequences, I’m afraid you’ll be the one to face them first!”

He lunged forward, and his longsword swept down;

His companions behind him couldn’t help but cheer loudly for this stroke.

Though they had drunk alcohol, and even though the opponent seemed weak, this single strike had no flaws!

This was the work of a seasoned warrior, a habit born out of countless battles, where underestimating the enemy was never an option.

Every time he drew his sword, it was with full force.

Full strength from an Essence Building Realm cultivator, how could a mere Energy Induction junior withstand it?

The junior appeared too frightened to even dodge, and just as everyone began to worry that their friend’s strike was too heavy and would be hard to explain, the junior suddenly stepped forward, and in a hair’s breadth, let the longsword with its trailing Qi whisk past his cheek…

Unbeknownst to them, the longsword he held had shifted from a defensive to an offensive position, as if his friend had willingly moved closer to the blade.

The sword’s tip was sharp, imbued with Gang Qi, and it pierced through his friend’s body without any resistance, striking precisely at the heart!

Hou Niao held his sword steady as he shouldered his opponent out of the way, as if he himself had avoided the sword’s edge.

Throughout the movement, his shoulders did not shift, nor did his hands swing; he simply went from holding to thrusting the blade—a mastery of timing, resolute spirit, and pinpoint accuracy, causing an involuntary shiver down the spine of those who witnessed it!

This set of skills was precisely what he learned from the Sword Soul within the Soul Realm!

Killing someone without a sound, effortlessly, with such casual elegance!

He then looked at everyone around him, all standing dumbstruck like petrified chickens, and shook his head silently to himself.

…Though one may possess boundless spirit, here lies no man who truly knows the sword.