Chapter 173: Chapter 171: Great Change in Cyan Dragon

Qin Li’s words brought happy smiles to the faces of most of the young women. Li Qin smiled too, but one could sense a certain strain behind it.

Qin Li asked, "What is it? Is something on your mind?"

"Ah, no, it’s nothing. By the way, we still don’t know our benefactor’s identity, do we?" Li Qin stared intently at Qin Li, turning the question back on him.

Qin Li smiled and said, "We are all wanderers at the ends of the earth; why must we have known each other before to meet? Is there any point in knowing who I am?"

"’We are all wanderers at the ends of the earth; why must we have known each other before to meet...’ Well said!" Li Qin murmured to herself. Many of the other young women also stared at Qin Li in disbelief, unable to imagine that such a brutish-looking young man with tyrannical strength could utter such philosophical words.

"But if we don’t even know our benefactor’s name, won’t we regret it for the rest of our lives?" Li Qin said, mustering her courage.

"Oh, I remember! What did those two old beasts call our benefactor? Qin...?" A young woman frowned, her expression adorable as she tried hard to recall. The tension of being under the shadow of death at the time had made her memory hazy.

"He was called Qin Li!" an older girl of about eighteen or nineteen exclaimed excitedly.

"Yes, yes, that’s the name!" several others chimed in.

A helpless expression crossed Qin Li’s face, and he gave a wry smile. ’There are many people named Qin Li in this world.’ He had no intention of revealing his identity. Although the name Qin Li was as famous as the midday sun in the Cyan Dragon Kingdom, it also came with a great number of enemies.

Qin Li had never asked about the girls’ backgrounds, but judging by their demeanor, many of them likely came from prominent, wealthy families.

’There must be some among them who are aligned with the Crown Prince’s faction. If they knew my true identity, it would only cause embarrassment for them and their families.’

’It just wasn’t necessary.’

To everyone’s surprise, the official road, which should have been bustling and lively, was sparsely populated. The few people they did encounter were all in a hurry, and they would stare in astonishment at the group composed entirely of young maidens.

If the group’s carriages had been more luxurious, they might have been mistaken for a convoy for the imperial concubine selection. Every one of the young women was exceptionally beautiful, and an experienced eye could tell from their untouched eyebrows that they were all virgins. However, these passersby were merely curious about Qin Li’s group and took no other action.

It wasn’t just Qin Li; even the young women could tell that something was wrong.

Just then, a troop of cavalry appeared in the distance behind them. There were twenty or thirty riders in all, with strong men and robust horses, moving at incredible speed. A cloud of dust billowed up far behind them. In the blink of an eye, they had caught up. They were about to ride past when they suddenly noticed that the group was composed of young maidens.

The lead Knight reined in his warhorse, which let out a long neigh as it reared up on its hind legs. The Knights behind him performed the same maneuver, demonstrating exceptional combat discipline.

The lead rider looked to be no older than thirty. His face was weathered, as if he had spent years enduring the wind, frost, rain, and snow, and his eyes held a world-weary look. He swept his gaze doubtfully over the young women before it landed on the only man, the one with the big beard. In a deep voice, he asked, "Who... are you people? Why... are so many young women traveling with you?"

"Qi!" A young woman’s voice, full of surprise and joy, rang out from the crowd. A girl in a bright yellow dress ran out, her face streaked with tears.

The Knight Leader on horseback froze, stunned. He stared at the girl running toward him, his mouth falling open little by little. Then, he leaped down from his horse and caught the approaching girl in his arms. Tears streamed from his fierce eyes, and his voice was filled with boundless joy. "Little sister, you... you’re alive! This is wonderful, just wonderful! You’re alive! Mom and Dad will be overjoyed! You don’t know—since you disappeared, Mom has done nothing but cry all day!"

Everyone on both sides was stunned, not expecting a reunion to happen under such circumstances.

Qin Li noticed that although the eyes of the Knights on horseback held a trace of amazement when they looked at the young women, their gazes were mostly appreciative. Judging by their auras, their strength wasn’t high, but they were all at least Entry Grade Martial Artists. The Knight Leader who had just reunited with the girl, in particular, had reached the Profound Level.

’These men must be soldiers of the Cyan Dragon Kingdom.’

Indeed, after a moment of emotional reunion, the brother and sister remembered their current situation. The young woman took her brother’s hand, led him to Qin Li, and said, "We were all abducted by a wicked Sect. If it weren’t for this benefactor, we would have been defiled and killed long ago. We never would have had the chance to see the light of day again!"

The Knight Leader was startled. His eyes immediately filled with gratitude, and he gave Qin Li a deep bow. "I am Li Shiqi of the Royal Knights. On behalf of my younger sister, I thank you for your great kindness, valiant hero. May I ask for our benefactor’s esteemed name? The Li Family of Mountain and Sea City will surely reward you handsomely!"

"Qi! Big Brother Qin Li is a peerless master! Don’t embarrass us by mentioning our little family!" Having been reunited with her kin, the young woman was overjoyed, and her voice was as clear and pleasant as pearls falling onto a jade plate.

"What? Our benefactor’s name... is Qin... Are you Marquis Qin?" Li Shiqi stared at Qin Li in shock. He thought, ’The famous Marquis Qin of the Cyan Dragon Kingdom is supposed to be a young man. Are they not the same person? Heavens... can it be that everyone in this world named Qin Li is such a stunningly brilliant talent?’

Qin Li gave a wry smile. He could clearly detect a hidden meaning in Li Shiqi’s words. Apparently, something had happened in the Imperial Capital. He had hidden his identity earlier to avoid trouble, but now that he had been asked directly, there was no longer any need to be secretive.

He nodded and asked in a low voice, "I am. I see you are all in a hurry. Has something happened?"

"Ah, it really is Marquis Qin! I knew there couldn’t be two powerful experts with the same name and such astonishing strength! This is wonderful! The heavens have eyes! The Cyan Dragon is not yet lost!" The Knight Leader, Li Shiqi, looked deeply moved. He immediately fell to his knees before Qin Li, his voice choked with emotion. "Marquis Qin, save the Cyan Dragon Kingdom! Save Her Highness the Princess!"

Now everyone was stunned, including the young women who were already surprised by Qin Li’s identity. Just moments ago, Li Shiqi had only given a deep bow to thank Qin Li for saving his sister. But upon learning Qin Li’s identity, he had thrown himself to the ground, begging him to save the Cyan Dragon Kingdom and Her Highness the Princess... ’Heavens, what is going on?’

Qin Li quickly pulled Li Shiqi to his feet. "Don’t be anxious. Calm down and tell me what happened."

Li Shiqi sighed, a worried look on his face. "Alas, it’s a long story. Marquis, you are in disguise, aren’t you? Let’s talk as we walk. We can speak in detail when we reach the old town up ahead. We were actually on our way to Yellow Sand City to ask for your help, Marquis. We never expected to run into you here so coincidentally."

Hearing that Qin Li was in disguise, the group of young women became even more curious about his true identity. They began to pester the Knights at the rear, asking them questions about Qin Li.

Although the Knights were upright soldiers, they couldn’t withstand the constant pestering from such a group of beautiful young women. Before long, they had spilled everything they knew about Qin Li’s deeds. When these girls had been captured and taken to the Paradise Celestial Palace, Qin Li’s fame had not yet spread. So, as they heard about his various accomplishments, they couldn’t help but let out continuous gasps of disbelief.

In the eyes of these young women, Qin Li—an idol to all the young people of the Cyan Dragon Kingdom—was instantly elevated from a mere lifesaver to an object of unparalleled adoration.

This was especially true after one of the Knights unintentionally let it slip that the Marquis was, in fact, extremely young and handsome.

This revelation sent the group of young women into a state of even greater excitement. It wasn’t that they judged by appearances, but if their benefactor was a young, handsome man, wouldn’t that be even better?

The group entered the old town and rented out two entire adjacent inns. Then, Li Shiqi came to Qin Li’s room alone. The moment he entered, he once again fell to his knees and said in a low voice, "Marquis Qin, I serve the Second Prince!"

Qin Li had already guessed as much. ’If he were one of the Crown Prince’s men, he wouldn’t be acting so friendly, no matter how grateful he was,’ he thought. Qin Li nodded and asked, "Tell me, what exactly has happened in the few months I’ve been away?"

"His Majesty has passed away!"

Li Shiqi’s words were so shocking that Qin Li was stunned speechless.

He blurted out, "What? This... How is that possible? His Majesty was an Earth Level Martial Artist! And he had so many Royal Tributors protecting him. How could he just suddenly pass away?" As Qin Li spoke, his gaze hardened, and he slowly asked in a heavy voice, "Was it the Crown Prince?"

Li Shiqi nodded and sighed. "This matter, it’s actually somewhat related to you, Marquis Qin. The Crown Prince and you were not on good terms. Ever since you left, the Crown Prince has..." He trailed off, a conflicted expression on his face.

"Has what?" Qin Li asked, his expression calm.

"He began to aggressively suppress your allies, Marquis Qin. The new Dragon Head of Cyan Dragon City’s underworld, Xi, is one of your people, correct?" Li Shiqi asked, looking at Qin Li.

"That’s right. What of it?"

"The Crown Prince dispatched a large force to encircle and suppress the underworld powers of Cyan Dragon City. Xi was wounded and fled. Then... the Crown Prince framed your Qin’s Elixir Shop, Marquis Qin, claiming it was harboring fugitives. He had the place raided, and everyone from the Elixir Shop was arrested. Next, they moved on your mansion, Marquis. However, Elder Chen intervened and saved your estate. He also secured the release of the people from the Elixir Shop and publicly declared that anyone who crossed you, Marquis Qin, would have to cross him first!"

Qin Li thought of Chen Yihan with gratitude. "Then how did His Majesty die?" he asked.

(To be continued. If you want to know what happens next, please log on to www.qidian.com. More Chapters are available, support the author, support genuine reading!)