Young hero, stay put and don't be reckless.

Chapter 65 Please Stay

Jiang Xun paused in his steps.

Starry Sea.

He turned around and his gaze fell on the man.

He was in his early twenties, dressed in fine clothes, and looked fairly decent, but there was a sinister look in his eyes.

Several fellow disciples stood behind him, dressed in identical clothes, with swords hanging at their waists.

Li Fei.

Jiang Xun always remembered this name.

The only son of Li Hai, the leader of Xingxiuhai.

Jiang Xun would never forget those eyes—those were the eyes of the man in black who pinned Gu Yunqian down on that blood-soaked night at the Gu family in Yunzhou, when he pierced her throat with a dagger.

Cold, vicious, and with the smug satisfaction of a cat toying with a mouse.

Jiang Xun's gaze slowly swept over Li Fei, a smile appearing on his lips.

The smile was extremely faint, as faint as a ripple on the surface of water.

But for some reason, Li Fei suddenly felt a little uneasy.

He recognized Jiang Xun just now—the kid who ruined his plans at the Gu family and even stabbed him.

At the time, he thought he had just been careless and caught off guard, which was why he suffered a loss.

In terms of real skill, what is this kid?

Having grown up in Xingxiuhai since childhood and personally taught by my father, the sect leader, I possess profound inner strength and refined skills. How could this wild, unorthodox style be comparable to mine?

So he jumped out.

In front of so many people, he wanted to avenge that sword wound and show this kid the consequences of offending Xingxiu Hai.

But now, looking into Jiang Xun's eyes, he suddenly felt uncertain.

"Xingxiu Sea?" Jiang Xun spoke, his voice not loud, but every word was clearly audible to everyone present. "The Xingxiu Sea that wiped out entire families?"

The entire audience erupted in uproar.

"Murder your entire family? What does that mean?"

"Starry Sea? Isn't that a prestigious and righteous sect?"

"Who is this person? Is what he's saying true or false?"

Whispers rose like a tide, or the buzzing of a swarm of bees.

Countless gazes swept back and forth between Jiang Xun and Li Fei, filled with surprise and uncertainty.

Li Fei's face turned ashen, veins bulging on his forehead: "You're spouting nonsense! My Xingxiu Sea has always acted with integrity and uprightness; how could we tolerate such slander!"

"Slander?" Jiang Xun sneered, his laughter carrying a chilling coldness. "Three months ago, the entire Gu family, thirteen members in total, was murdered overnight. Lord Gu Wenxu, an incorruptible official who loved his people like his own children, was tragically killed. His daughter, Gu Yunqian—"

He paused abruptly at this point.

The scene from that night flashed through my mind: Gu Yunqian's clothes were disheveled, her eyes were wide open, and then there was that man in black...

Jiang Xun took a deep breath, suppressing the murderous intent in his heart, his voice even colder than before: "Gu Yunqian was stabbed in the throat with a dagger. Does your Xingxiu Sea dare to say this has nothing to do with you?"

The courtyard was completely silent.

All eyes were fixed on Li Fei.

Li Fei's face changed several times, turning pale and then flushed, as he forced himself to say, "Nonsense! You say we did it, where's the evidence?"

"Evidence?" Jiang Xun laughed, a laugh that sent a chill down Li Fei's spine. "The night the Gu family was massacred, someone went to their rescue and stabbed you in the thigh with a sword. Do you dare to let the seniors present examine it in front of everyone?"

Li Fei opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

Of course, he couldn't say it—the wound on his right leg was still there, the scab hadn't fallen off yet, thanks to Jiang Xun.

"What? Can't say it?" Jiang Xun pressed on, his voice low but like nails hammering into everyone's ears, "Want me to help you take your pants off—"

"That's enough!"

Li Fei shouted, his face turning a deep purplish-red, a hint of panic flashing in his eyes.

But this slight panic had already been noticed by many people present.

"So it really was true..."

"Xingxiuhai actually did such a despicable thing!"

"What kind of reputable sect are you? You're clearly a heretical and evil force!"

The murmurs grew louder and louder, like water being poured into boiling oil.

Those sects that usually maintained good relations with Xingxiuhai remained silent at this moment, and not one of them stood up to speak for them.

Seeing the situation turning against him, Li Fei became enraged and drew his long sword from his waist: "You've slandered my Xingxiu Sea with nothing but empty words. If I don't teach you a lesson today, I, Li Fei, swear I'm not a man!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than he drew his sword and lunged forward.

The sword light was as white as snow, carrying a bloody stench, and it pierced straight at Jiang Xun's face.

This sword strike was both swift and ruthless, clearly intended to kill.

A glint flashed in Jiang Xun's eyes, and his figure vanished from the spot. When he reappeared, he was already right next to Li Fei, and he raised his hand to strike with his sword.

Since he began practicing the "Dragon Taming Technique," his martial arts skills have improved rapidly, and his internal energy has become increasingly refined, making him completely different from before.

What's even more amazing is that he can now freely control his internal energy, trying to combine swordsmanship with the Azure Lotus Divine Movement, moving nimbly and skillfully within a small space.

This sword strike, though delayed, arrived first, a flash of cold light—

"when!"

Li Fei's longsword flew out of his hand, tumbled a few times in mid-air, and landed on the ground with a clatter.

Immediately afterwards, a scream ripped through the night sky.

Li Fei staggered backward, clutching his right arm, blood gushing from between his fingers, leaving a trail of glaring red on the blue brick floor.

His right arm was severed at the elbow, the severed limb lying at his feet, his five fingers still twitching slightly.

"This sword strike is for Gu Yunqian." Jiang Xun sheathed his sword, his expression calm.

The entire room fell silent once again.

This time, no one said a word.

Under the glow of the lanterns, everyone's faces were stunned, their eyes wide open.

The disciples of Xingxiu Sea were pale-faced and trembling as they helped Li Fei retreat.

Li Fei was sweating profusely from the pain, but he gritted his teeth and didn't utter a sound, only staring intently at Jiang Xun with his eyes full of hatred.

Jiang Xun didn't even glance at him before turning and leaving.

"Bravo!" After a moment, someone else shouted a cheer.

Then, more people started applauding.

"Well done!" "This kind of scum deserves to die!" "Good job, young man!"

Li Tang came up to her, her eyes sparkling: "You're amazing!"

"It's alright," Jiang Xun replied casually, sitting back down in his seat.

Li Che poured him a cup of tea and said softly, "Thank you."

"Don't be so polite." Jiang Xun picked up the glass and took a sip. "I just can't stand that kind of behavior."

Li Tang leaned closer and whispered, "Is the matter with the Gu family... true?"

Jiang Xun nodded and said nothing more.

Seeing that his expression was not quite right, Li Tang wisely refrained from asking any further questions.

The banquet continued, but the atmosphere had changed, and it ended not long afterward.

The servants of the Meng family carried lanterns to lead the way, and guests in twos and threes walked out along the corridor.

Some people were still whispering about what had just happened, their eyes occasionally glancing in Jiang Xun's direction with curiosity and a hint of apprehension.

Jiang Xun ignored them and leisurely followed Li Che and his sister toward the door.

A night breeze blew by, carrying the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms in the courtyard, along with a faint scent of perfume.

He sniffed and suddenly felt a little hungry—the tofu and vegetable meal he had just eaten had only filled his stomach.

Just then, a clear voice came from behind.

"Your Highness, please wait."