Chapter 26 – Ma Zhurong, Heir to the Ghost Flame

“Qin Yun! Fancy seeing you here,” a man said, early twenties, slightly older than Qin Yun himself, as he approached steadily.

Clad in red and black, a peacekeeper’s token swaying at his waist, the man’s eyes glimmered a dark, muddied red, like blood left to thicken. An unsettling aura clung to him.

Yun Jingfei narrowed her eyes, tracking the man’s unhurried stride. She saw the unmistakable signs of a practitioner. With every step, the very air seemed to hum, the Etra pulsing in rhythm with his breath.

He was strong, though slightly weaker than she had been at her peak. She judged him to be in the upper ranks of the Foundation Building Realm, not far from the peak.

In a few years, he may even attempt a breakthrough.

She couldn’t help but wonder if Qin Yun could contend against him. He did boast that he could best her at her best, after all.

“Ma Zhurong,” Qin Yun sighed. “Was it too much to ask for you to just pretend you didn’t see us?”

Qin Yun made little effort to mask his irritation. He plainly wished to avoid the young man. Yun Jingfei found herself curious. To her eyes, the newcomer carried himself with dignity. The crowd, especially the mortals, seemed to hold him in high esteem.

There was a slight hint of fear in their eyes, but that wasn’t unusual. Many would feel this way, for a single haphazard blow from this man could remove them from existence.

Instead, Yun Jingfei was intrigued by what she saw from the nearby practitioners. Their reaction was rather mixed. Some showed barely veiled animosity, while for others, it was closer to worship.

Yun Jingfei didn’t really know what to think.

“Qin Yun,” Ma Zhurong shook his head. “Is this how you talk to an old friend? Maybe it’s been so long that you’ve forgotten how to act!”

Ma Zhurong then put his hand on Qin Yun’s shoulder.

It weighed on him, reminiscent of the chains he once wore. Any ordinary mortal would have buckled, perhaps even been crushed, beneath such force.

But Qin Yun only offered a helpless smile and stood firm. If he retaliated, the resulting shockwave would endanger those standing too close.

He became as immovable as a stone lodged in a raging river, letting the force wash over him without budging.

When Qin Yun remained unfazed, the man’s eyes narrowed. The tension in the air thickened; everyone seemed to hold their breath. Even Ma Zhurong’s fellow peacekeepers lingered at a distance, uncertain if the line had already been crossed.

In the midst of all this uncertainty, only Qin Yun stood fast, relaxed. His gaze landed gently on the man whose hand was trying to crush him, pity hidden in its depths.

Ma Zhurong snorted before releasing the pressure.

“You’re no fun,” he said. “That’s what I don’t like about you.”

“I don’t think about you at all,” Qin Yun retorted.

A multitude of gasps rang out, shattering the heavy silence.

Ma Zhurong’s expression was now heavy; gone was the superiority and pride he oozed from every pore, replaced by a ferality about to be unleashed.

He radiated the tension of a beast poised to pounce.

A chill crept down Yun Jingfei’s spine. She had encountered many ambitious young men before, but none had ever struck her as unpredictable as this one.

She questioned why Qin Yun insisted on provoking him. Ma Zhurong may have started the confrontation, but there was no need to fan the flames.

“What are you doing?” she asked in a muffled shout, clinging to Qin Yun’s collar so he would look her way.

She didn’t care if his gaze left Ma Zhurong. She knew this was all posturing for the crowd. He wouldn’t dare strike with all those people watching.

Besides, as someone who had nearly reached the Void Core Realm, she sensed the Etra around them shifting. At first, she hadn’t understood, but now a suspicion began to form.

Someone of great power was watching over the situation. The fact that she could even feel it, with her broken spectral seed, meant that Ma Zhurong was sure to be aware of it. Even the nearby practitioners knew, which explained their casual look, unlike the oblivious mortals.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Qin Yun turned to her, eyes gentle and lips curled in a soft smile—a striking contrast to the tension radiating from both Ma Zhurong and Yun Jingfei.

For a fleeting moment, she wanted nothing more than to smack him. Why couldn’t he ever take things seriously?

Ma Zhurong’s gaze also turned to Yun Jingfei. Draped in many layers of cloth and a hood over her face, he recognized something from her voice.

“Is that the rumoured bride?” he asked, changing the subject. “I heard she was of great beauty, but now we find her bundled up from head to toe. I didn’t peg you for the jealous type. I must admit, it has me curious. Would it be too much to ask her to grace the crowd with said beauty?”

Yun Jingfei’s eyes narrowed. Something felt off. Why demand she reveal herself now? Did he know more than he let on?

Her condition was supposed to be concealed by the Cloud Imperial Palace; only a select few in the city knew of her injuries.

She didn’t doubt that the leadership of a prominent clan like the Ma Clan would be aware, but why share it with a member of the younger generation?

What would they have to gain?

As Yun Jingfei’s thoughts swirled in all directions, Qin Yun remained calm and composed. In fact, he rather enjoyed seeing her squirm, unsure of how to proceed.

For his part, he knew exactly what to do.

“After being rejected so many times by my sister, have you finally decided to give up?” he asked. “But, not satisfied with going after her, you’ve chosen your next target to be my wife. Have you no shame?”

Qin Yun’s words landed like a blow. Shock flickered across Ma Zhurong’s face before souring. He saw the mortals’ awe dissolve into thinly veiled mockery, a change mirrored by the practitioners.

Ma Zhurong’s infatuation with Qin Yun’s younger half-sister was well known among the city-dwellers, as was her constant refusal of courtship.