Chapter 109.1: Dao Shi'er Kills When He Is Awake! (I)

The moment Li Wenying saw Yun Haitang, she rose at once and bowed deeply, saying, "Disciple Li Wenying pays her respects to the Heavenly Maiden."

She had never met Yun Haitang before, but the Heavenly Maiden's presence was unmistakable. The authority she carried left no room for doubt, and Li Wenying recognized her immediately.

Once a disciple of the Heavenly Maiden Sect, Li Wenying was now known as Madam Tao after marrying Tao Shen. Even so, marriage did not sever one's ties to the sect. A disciple remained a disciple, and showing respect to the Heavenly Maiden was a rule that could not be ignored.

Li Wenying had already written to the sect to seek help. What she had never expected was that the Heavenly Maiden herself would arrive in person.

"Madam Tao, there is no need to be so courteous," Yun Haitang said with a gentle smile as her gaze swept calmly over Li Wenying.

Li Wenying turned to Tao Shen and lowered her voice. "Darling, she's the Heavenly Maiden."

A flicker of joy appeared in Tao Shen's eyes. He stepped forward without hesitation and bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Heavenly Maiden."

Tao Shen was not exactly familiar with the intricate affairs of the martial world, but he knew this much with absolute certainty—every Heavenly Maiden, without exception, was a Divine Strength martial artist.

Under normal circumstances, the Tao Clan wouldn't be worthy of such attention. Upon getting struck by crisis after crisis, the other factions had distanced themselves from the Tao Clan, so the Heavenly Maiden's presence left Tao Shen at a loss for words.

The group of jianghu martial artists standing nearby soon began whispering among themselves. Their gazes fixed on the Heavenly Maiden Sect disciples were suffused with thinly veiled intent.

"So she's the Heavenly Maiden?"

"Her beauty is truly out of this world."

"Tsk, tsk, the other disciples are not bad either. The legendary Heavenly Maiden Sect truly lives up to its reputation."

"What a sight. Truly a feast for the eyes. If only..."

The crude remarks made several Heavenly Maiden Sect disciples frown in response, displeasure flashing briefly across their faces.

They were accustomed to attracting attention when traveling through the jianghu. However, they usually moved within Zhanhai Prefecture, and not many there would dare to speak so brazenly about the Heavenly Maiden Sect.

Even Yun Haitang's expression darkened slightly. Her gaze swept past the crowd before settling on Li Wenying. Lowering her voice, she asked, "Who are these martial artists?"

Li Wenying hesitated, and then she answered with visible discomfort. "Heavenly Maiden, they were hired by the Tao Clan. With our clan's current state, we had no one else to rely on, so we recruited them for a high price—"

"There is no need," Yun Haitang calmly interrupted. "Since we have already come down the mountain, they are no longer necessary."

Hearing Yun Haitang's words, the faces of the martial artists changed.

𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

One of them stepped forward and shouted angrily, "What did you mean by that?! Are you planning to use us and then cast us aside afterward?"

Another sneered. "Don't think that just because the Heavenly Maiden Sect is a major sect, you can simply drive us away. Have you even considered who the Tao Clan has offended?

"You think a few fragile women like you can resolve this mess? Keep dreaming."

A third voice chimed in with a harsh laugh. "Hahaha, without us, the Tao Clan will not last even a day. You, women, won't be able to help them at all."

The men's words grew increasingly vulgar, but Yun Haitang had no intentions of trading insults with them. She was the Heavenly Maiden, the representative of the Heavenly Maiden Sect. They were not worth her time.

Whizz!

A streak of sword light flashed past.

Splurttt!

Blood sprayed into the air. The martial artists who had been shouting insults only moments ago clutched their throats. Disbelief suffused their faces as they crashed to the ground, never to stand again.

After spending so much time at Dao Shi'er's side, Yun Haitang had clearly absorbed some of his way of handling matters. There was no need for explanations or justification. When words were pointless, the sword would speak.

Yun Haitang sheathed her sword and looked coldly at the remaining men. "You have three seconds to leave. If you are still here after that, I'll make sure you stay forever."

Though Taoyuan Prefecture lay far beyond the Heavenly Maiden Sect's usual sphere of influence, killing a handful of martial artists would bring them no real trouble.

"L-Let's go!" one of them shouted.

The remaining martial artists fled in a panic, scrambling out of the hall without daring to look back. They knew now that the Heavenly Maiden Sect was not an enemy they could afford to provoke.

The mourning hall fell silent. Several corpses lay scattered across the floor, and the sharp stench of blood lingered in the air. There was nothing left to argue about. The Heavenly Maiden Sect had made the decision with its blade. In the jianghu, right and wrong mattered far less than the blade in one's hand.

Tao Shen opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, no words came. He only let out a long sigh of relief.

Hiring those martial artists was not a choice made willingly. It was a last resort, forced upon him by circumstances. They bullied the servants, harassed the maids, and turned the Tao residence into a place thick with filth and disorder.

If he had any other option, he would never have brought them in.

Now that the Heavenly Maiden Sect was present, there was no longer any need for such people. Relief spread throughout Tao Shen's chest as the weight he had been carrying was finally lifted.

At the same time, beneath that relief, another feeling emerged. Tao Shen felt a chill down his spine at the Heavenly Maiden's cold decisiveness.

"Darling, there is no need to worry," Li Wenying said softly, her voice low and reassuring. "The Heavenly Maiden is here to help the Tao Clan resolve its troubles."

Tao Shen nodded and quickly composed himself. He then led Yun Haitang toward a side reception hall. Inside, the atmosphere was solemn. The disciples of the Heavenly Maiden Sect all remained standing, expressions calm and disciplined.

Only Yun Haitang and Lu Changsheng took their seats.

Tao Shen studied Lu Changsheng up and down, but he could not quite make out his identity. After a moment's hesitation, he finally asked, "Heavenly Maiden, may I ask who this gentleman is?"

"This is Mr. Dao," Yun Haitang replied. "My Dao Guardian."

Dao Guardian!

A chill ran through Li Wenying's heart.

Having once belonged to the Heavenly Maiden Sect herself, she knew exactly what that title represented. A Heavenly Maiden's Dao Guardian was an important pillar of the sect.

She was already astonished at the fact that the Heavenly Maiden had personally come down the mountain, but the fact that she had even brought her Dao Guardian made the sect's support unmistakably clear.

Li Wenying turned to Tao Shen, unable to hide the excitement in her voice as she exclaimed, "Darling, the Tao Clan is saved!"

"Go on," Yun Haitang said calmly. "Tell me what trouble the Tao residence has encountered. Even after marriage, a disciple of the Heavenly Maiden Sect is still a disciple. If there is trouble, the Heavenly Maiden Sect will help resolve it."

Tao Shen drew a breath. "Very well. This matter concerns my daughter..."

Then, he recounted everything from beginning to end.