C16 In the Red Rebel

Outside the Su Mansion in Dirtcliff, the dying Blood Asura had claimed that Xue Tiandao had been a Martial Saint for many years.

Jee Yun initially dismissed this.

After all, a decade prior, he was capable of slaying a Martial Saint himself.

But upon arriving at the Red Rebel's stronghold, Jee Yun sensed that Xue Tiandao might have made significant breakthroughs. Even at the base of the mountain, a surge of sword energy could be felt emanating from the summit's grand hall.

Yet, Xue Tiandao's formidable presence only stoked the fires of Jee Yun's excitement rather than deterring him.

His own Heavenly Mysterious Sword quivered with anticipation.

Jee Yun possessed the Fighting Evolution System, which rewarded skill points for defeating opponents above his level.

In the entire mortal realm, few were deemed worthy of his blade.

And within the four prefectures, such individuals could be counted on one hand.

Defeating Xue Tiandao now could greatly enhance his power.

"How dare you!"

"I am Xiao Yu from Six Fans Gate, invited by your master to the feast!"

"What? Do you two lackeys intend to bar my way?"

With a swift glance at the two Red Rebel disciples, Jee Yun's gaze shifted back to the peak's main hall.

Meanwhile, Young Master Yu from Six Fans Gate's countenance grew icy as he looked down his nose and addressed the two Qi Force Realm warriors.

His arrogance had evidently resurfaced.

"Indeed, indeed!"

"If you are Young Master Yu from Six Fans Gate, we wouldn't dream of obstructing you!"

"But this gentleman here..." The two Red Rebel disciples hadn't expected the man leading the horse to be the renowned Young Master Yu of Six Fans Gate.

Their initial anger at Xiao Yu's rebuke quickly turned to belief as they recognized the Grandmaster's aura radiating from him.

After all, Young Master Yu was known for his mercilessness, a man who dispatched others with ease.

Who else would dare impersonate him so boldly?

Yet, what puzzled the Red Rebel disciples was the identity of the individual seated atop the Dragon Horse.

Could Xiao Yu be the head of the Six Fans Gate himself?

"This elder is one of our Six Fans Gate's most respected. You two aren't even worthy to know his name. Now, clear the way!"

Xiao Yu had finally reclaimed his old swagger, and it showed in his imperious tone.

His rebuke effectively snapped the two Red Rebel disciples out of their wild speculations.

"Oh, oh!"

"It's a venerable elder from the Six Fans Gate. Please, ascend the mountain!"

The disciples exchanged glances. Jee Yun's bamboo hat might have been a bit too conspicuous for their taste, but now that they recognized his seniority, they wouldn't dare suggest he remove it.

"Clip-clop! Clip-clop!"

The Dragon Horse beneath Jee Yun moved with a spirited grace, its robust haunches twisting as it made light work of the mountain path. This sight left the Red Rebel disciples and the warriors attending the banquet utterly astonished.

Upon reaching the Red Rebel's domain, most martial artists proceeded with caution.

The older warriors, even if they didn't fawn over the Red Rebel, certainly didn't want to cross them.

And the younger prodigies? They were there in hopes of joining the Red Rebel ranks.

Thus, they all came on foot.

Those with mounts had left them at the base of the mountain.

Only Jee Yun sat atop his Dragon Horse, unshakable as a mountain, drawing sidelong glances from all.

Had Jee Yun arrived alone, his journey might have been fraught with interruptions.

But with Xiao Yu leading his horse, no warrior dared approach.

"Brother Zhao, are my eyes deceiving me?"

"Isn't that Xiao Yu from the Six Fans Gate, leading a horse?"

"Whoa, who is this guy? He's got some nerve, riding a horse up the mountain!" Eventually, every mountain path leads to its peak.

At this moment, numerous scions from prestigious families had congregated outside the palace mid-mountain.

These young masters, usually aloof and superior, felt they stood a cut above the average martial artist.

But their composure shattered at the sight of a green Dragon Horse, nonchalantly swaying its haunches as it approached.

Among them, a few who recognized Xiao Yu even blinked in disbelief.

"It seems my eyes aren't playing tricks on me after all!"

"It's true!"

Young Master Zhao, who was well-acquainted with Xiao Yu, slapped his forehead and let out a powerless groan when he received a nod of acknowledgment from Xiao Yu—a casual greeting between old friends.

The arrival of Jee Yun had stirred up a storm in the once peaceful Red Rebel.

The tension only escalated when a teenager clad in a blood-red robe emerged from the palace on the mountainside.

"Humph!"

"Who is this, trying to steal the spotlight in my Red Rebel territory?"

"Xiao Yu, you've really fallen from grace. Since when did the esteemed Young Master of the Six Fans Gate start playing the role of a coachman?"

The young man in the blood-red robe, barely eighteen, with a pale and tranquil appearance, had already attained the eighth level of Martial Saint, stepping into the realm of a Grandmaster.

This sight took Jee Yun, who had been caressing the Xuan Tian Sword sheath atop his Dragon Horse, by surprise.

Indeed, this blood-robed youth berating Xiao Yu was the second most talented individual Jee Yun had encountered in the mortal realm, with Jee Yun considering himself the first.

Yet, the second genius's crimson lips lent an eerie allure to his otherwise striking features.

"Ha, a dead demon indeed!"

"Since when do you get to dictate my actions?"

"Isn't your Red Rebel hosting a gathering for all the martial artists from Irongate?"

"Where's the banquet?"

"Is this how the Blood Blade Sect welcomes its guests—leaving them to stand on a mountain in the wind?" Xiao Yu retorted, tilting his head with disdain toward the young man in the blood-red robe.

Previously, such mockery from a bitter rival, suggesting he was nothing more than a coachman, would have infuriated Xiao Yu.

But now, confident in Jee Yun's enmity with the Red Rebel, he was unfazed.

Moreover, he eagerly anticipated the unfolding drama.

Thus, Xiao Yu's face betrayed no annoyance.

However, the blood-robed youth's anger was palpable, his eyebrows arching sharply at being called a human demon.

"How dare you!"

"Who are you to critique the hospitality of our Red Rebel?"

"Xiao Yu, you seem to forget you're not within the walls of your Six Fans Gate. If you're courting death, my Blood Evil Hand is more than ready to claim your life in an instant!"

The blood-robed youth and Xiao Yu stood in fierce opposition, silencing the onlookers, including the scions of prominent families, who dared not interject.

However, as tensions mounted between the two, Jee Yun, who had been sitting atop the Dragon Horse in silence, suddenly leaned forward and tapped Xiao Yu on the shoulder.

"Uh, Senior? Do you need something?" Xiao Yu, who had been verbally sparring with the blood-robed youth, paused and turned to face Jee Yun.

"Nothing much. I'm just curious—why are this young man's lips so unusually red? Is he wearing lip rouge?"

Jee Yun's eyebrows arched subtly beneath his bamboo hat, the sight of the youth's crimson lips unsettling him.

The sight of this young man involuntarily brought back memories of Xue Tiandao's son, who had repeatedly ambushed him in the Bayliers Peaks a decade earlier.

Though their appearances were entirely distinct, they shared one eerie similarity.

Those deeply red lips, as if stained with fresh blood.