Everyone Says I’m Cold and Aloof, But I Just Have Social Anxiety! - Chapter 10

Gu Qingzhi showed no fear as he surveyed his surroundings, saying coldly, “Hand over that child’s sister.”

Just then, a man dressed in fine silk with the air of a steward hurried out. He first sized up Gu Qingzhi carefully from head to toe before speaking, “Young Master, please do not be impulsive. The woman you speak of may indeed be in our manor, but this is the Prince’s command; we servants are merely following orders.”

Gu Qingzhi’s gaze sharpened like a torch, and he said sternly, “Release her!”

The steward looked troubled. “This… Young Master, I’m afraid this matter requires further deliberation.”

“Enough talk!”

Gu Qingzhi did not want to delay any further. Spiritual power instantly gathered in his palm, shimmering with light. Seeing things taking a turn for the worse, the steward finally said, “Please calm your anger, Young Master. I will go and release her immediately.”

After a while, instead of the woman’s silhouette appearing, Prince Anyang himself walked out from the inner hall in a swaggering manner. Seeing that only Gu Qingzhi was present, he felt that he had once again gained the upper hand.

“Hmph, you mongrel! It was one thing for you to ruin this Prince’s business before, but you dare to provoke me again and again! It won’t be that easy!”

Mongrel? That sounds damnably offensive! Gu Qingzhi wanted to curse him out, but he found it difficult to speak up in person. He was already poor at socializing, and the repertoire of insults in his head was even more lacking.

Gu Qingzhi remained silent, merely looking at Prince Anyang with a calm gaze. Prince Anyang, however, mistook this for fear and laughed wantonly, adding, “Gu Qingzhi, you should know that in this Anyang City, this Prince is the Heavens!”

Gu Qingzhi frowned slightly. “Zhuying, he’s so annoying!”

Zhuying replied, “Young Master, I shall go and kill him right now!”

Gu Qingzhi said hurriedly, “Wait—no rush. Suppress him first; it won’t be too late to kill him after we’ve rescued the people who need saving.”

“Yes.”

No sooner had the word been spoken than a powerful pressure swept through like a surging tide before Prince Anyang could even react, pinning him down so firmly he could not move.

“Aaargh…”

Prince Anyang tried to resist, but to no avail, and fell directly to the ground. His pupils contracted in shock as he speculated inwardly: No, impossible… this pressure is too strong!

He then shouted in great astonishment, “You didn’t come alone! Who else is here? Is it Gu Yuan?”

“Come out and face this Prince! What kind of skill is it for a Body Integration powerhouse like you to bully a Soul Transformation cultivator like me?”

“Still hiding? Are you too ashamed to be seen?”

His voice trembled, filled with terror and panic.

Gu Qingzhi said indifferently, “Stop shouting; he didn’t come.”

However, whether the mysterious person in the shadows was Gu Yuan or not, Prince Anyang knew deep down he was no match for them. For a moment, a trace of regret welled up within him. Why did I have to provoke the Yuqing Immortal Sect?!

Wait, I clearly didn’t take the initiative to provoke them…

Gu Qingzhi paid no more attention to the dazed Prince Anyang slumped on the ground. He forced one of the manor’s servants to lead the way to find the little beggar’s sister.

They went all the way to a basement, and the sight before them was shocking. No one had expected that dozens of young men and women would be imprisoned there—both cultivators and mortals alike. However, the spiritual power within the cultivators was incomplete, much like Yan Luochen’s had been.

Seeing someone arrive, there was no obvious change in their expressions. Some merely glanced indifferently at Gu Qingzhi, thinking it was just another disciple from some sect or noble family who had been unfortunate enough to be captured during their travels.

“Open the doors and release them,” Gu Qingzhi said expressionlessly.

“Yes, yes!” the servant replied submissively. His low and respectful posture caused the prisoners to feel suspicious.

Immediately, someone with sharp eyes recognized the white jade pendant at Gu Qingzhi’s waist.

“Yuqing… are you from the Yuqing Immortal Sect? I am a disciple of the Hundred Flowers Immortal Sect; please, save us! That Prince Anyang has already harmed many people. I don’t know what evil technique he practices, but he increases his power through dual cultivation with others.”

A woman with a haggard face looked on with eyes full of hope, as if seeing a chance to escape.

Gu Qingzhi did not want to interact too much; he merely gave her a faint look and said nothing. The Hundred Flowers Immortal Sect was the sect his mother had once belonged to. His impression of it was quite vague, and it seemed his relationship with his mother had not been good either. He had seen her only a handful of times when he was young before she passed away for reasons unknown. From his memories, he only knew this much—he didn’t even have an impression of what his mother looked like.

Although the woman was puzzled by Gu Qingzhi’s coldness, she and the others were being released, so she didn’t dwell on it. She simply ran out as fast as she could, fearing another misfortune might occur.

Gu Qingzhi watched as everyone left. Aside from some mottled bloodstains on the ground, the basement held nothing else.

He asked, “Are there other places where people are held?”

The servant trembled all over and shook his head vigorously. “No, no more!”

Gu Qingzhi naturally didn’t quite believe him. After leaving the basement, he immediately used his divine sense to scan every inch of the manor. Confirming there were no other suspicious spots, he finally felt at ease and went to the front courtyard, sending a telepathic message to Zhuying: “Zhuying, I will leave first; you release Prince Anyang afterward. Stay here but do not show yourself—find a suitable opportunity to kill him silently. I will wait for you outside the city.”

“Yes, Young Master,” Zhuying replied.

Prince Anyang was still sitting on the ground, unable to move. He watched helplessly as the prisoners were released and then saw Gu Qingzhi leave just like that. He speculated inwardly: He left so easily? Could it be he doesn’t want to form a grudge with the Royal Family?

“Heh, if this Prince dies, that one will probably be the happiest! After all, he loathes this Prince so much!” he sneered, murmuring to himself.

After a while, he suddenly felt his whole body relax; that powerful pressure was no longer binding him. Only then did he feel completely at ease, certain that Gu Qingzhi and the mysterious person had truly left. He stood up, clenching his fists in fury. In his rage, he killed the servant who had led Gu Qingzhi to release the prisoners with a single palm strike to vent his anger.

The steward approached timidly to inquire, “Your Highness, are you… alright?”

Prince Anyang snorted coldly, flicked his sleeves violently, and walked away, leaving the steward and a group of servants looking at each other in confusion. The steward barked, “What are you looking at? Get back to work!”

Not far from the manor gates, a little boy in new clothes was looking on anxiously. When he saw the crowd coming out of the manor, he spotted his elder sister at once. Overjoyed, he ran to her, and the two siblings embraced and wept.

“Sister, you really came out! That immortal didn’t lie to me! This is great!”

That same day, news spread throughout Anyang City that Prince Anyang practiced evil arts and captured countless young men and women for dual cultivation to increase his power, thus persecuting many innocent people.

Before this matter could settle, another report came out the next morning: Prince Anyang had died in his own bed in an extremely eerie manner. He was discovered early in the morning by the manor steward; the killer was unknown.

Prince Anyang’s death caused a sensation in the city. The common people felt it was a great relief, yet they also harbored fear toward the unknown killer. Rumors circulated that those who had been persecuted must have found someone to take revenge after their release. As for who exactly did it, no one knew.

After succeeding, Zhuying immediately left Anyang City to reunite with Gu Qingzhi. By this time, the two had already left the city and embarked on the journey back to the Yuqing Immortal Sect. Along the way, Gu Qingzhi remained silent, his mind full of many thoughts. He thought of the innocent people trapped in that basement and then of Prince Anyang’s arrogance and ultimate end; he couldn’t help but feel that good and evil ultimately have their rewards.

In the sect, Yan Luochen learned of Prince Anyang’s death and guessed it must be the work of Gu Qingzhi and Zhuying. When Gu Qingzhi returned to the sect, Yan Luochen was waiting early at the mountain gate.

“Qingzhi, you’re finally back! You’ve done a wonderful thing that brings relief to everyone this time!” Yan Luochen approached with a smile, fan in hand.

Gu Qingzhi nodded slightly, his face showing little expression.