Chapter Forty: Guards of the Imperial Realm

After the young man left, Qin Tian went out and bought some spirit wine and ingredients. He planned to prepare a meal using the meat of the Demon King Light Tiger, as the texture of a Demon King's meat was truly excellent. Qin Tian sliced off a large piece of meat and began cutting it into smaller portions.

Just as Qin Tian was busy cutting, the young man returned with an old man. Unable to find Qin Tian in the storefront, they followed the sounds and found him in the kitchen. At that moment, Qin Tian was slicing the meat rapidly, each stroke appearing to be imbued with the essence of a blade.

The old man stood at the entrance, watching Qin Tian. His eyes narrowed gradually. He was astonished to discover that he could not detect a single trace of spiritual energy fluctuation from Qin Tian. Yet, every movement Qin Tian made while cutting the meat was undeniably infused with blade intent. Finally, when he shifted his focus to the kitchen knife, he froze. The knife was an Emperor-grade weapon, and it did not appear to be an ordinary one at that. To refine an Emperor-grade weapon into a mere kitchen knife—how capricious could one be?

At that moment, he became convinced that Qin Tian was certainly no ordinary mortal; how could a mortal kill a Demon King so effortlessly? Since he could not see through him at all, there was only one possibility: this person was far more powerful than he had been at his peak. He was likely a supreme master at the half-step Sovereign Realm. The old man had been at the second level of the Emperor Realm at his peak, though he had since dropped to the first level. Yet, even in his current state, it was impossible for him to be completely unable to detect the spiritual energy of a third-level Emperor Realm expert. Therefore, the man before him was likely a half-step Sovereign.

Qin Tian noticed the old man and said, "Wait a moment." The old man nodded with a smile. Regardless of how powerful Qin Tian was, he was the one seeking help, so he needed to keep a humble posture.

Qin Tian worked for an hour. Once the dishes were ready, he served them on the table and brought out wine to invite the old man to dine. The old man did not refuse, and they sat opposite each other. He picked up a piece of tiger meat and placed it in his mouth; he felt a sudden mental jolt and tentatively remarked, "Meat cut with an Emperor-grade weapon is truly delicious."

"Is it not because of my cooking skills?" Qin Tian asked, puzzled.

The old man felt slightly awkward, but having lived for so long, his face was thick enough to handle it. "Sir's cooking is, of course, beyond reproach, but I simply feel that your kitchen knife is quite extraordinary."

"It is just a kitchen knife," Qin Tian replied calmly.

The old man was slightly stunned, unsure of how to respond. Finally, he said, "My name is Zong Wu. May I ask for your name, sir?"

"Qin Tian."

The two then engaged in idle chatter while the young man stood to the side watching. Qin Tian did not bring up the cultivation technique, waiting for Zong Wu to speak first.

"The technique you bestowed upon my grandson previously has been very effective for me, so I wish to obtain the subsequent cultivation methods."

"I have the technique, but why should I give it to you?"

"Whatever you require, sir, just name it," Zong Wu replied hurriedly.

"What can you give me?" Qin Tian's question left Zong Wu momentarily speechless. He was currently a homeless stray and truly had nothing of value to trade for Qin Tian's technique. Even in his prime, he doubted he possessed anything that could compare to such a work.

Thinking of this, Zong Wu got straight to the point: "Since you let my grandson bring me to see you, there must be a deeper meaning. If you have any requests, just state them."

Seeing that Zong Wu had laid his cards on the table, Qin Tian was direct: "Become my bodyguard, and I will give you the technique."

Now that he had arrived in the Central Province, it would likely not be long before he clashed with the enemies of An Miaoling and Bai Xiaoru. Thus, he needed subordinates, especially those at the Emperor Realm like Zong Wu.

Upon hearing this, Zong Wu wanted to turn hostile immediately. He was, after all, an Emperor Realm expert; asking him to be a bodyguard was somewhat insulting. The young man beside him flushed with anger, "Do you know who my grandfather is? You would dare ask him to be your bodyguard?"

Qin Tian’s expression remained unchanged as he continued: "I don't care who he is. I only know that without my technique, he has at most one month to live. Choose between life and death for yourselves. Or, if you prefer, you can try to take it by force!" Qin Tian raised an eyebrow and said lightly.

Hearing this, the young man deflated, his expression turning dim. So his grandfather only had one month left; no wonder he had been urging him to cultivate so intensely recently. The old man had felt a flicker of temptation when the word "force" was mentioned—perhaps Qin Tian was just a paper tiger? But when he saw his grandson, he abandoned the thought. If he died, so be it, but if he dragged his grandson down with him, his lineage would be extinguished.

Previously, he and his friend, Luo Hou, the Sect Master of the Rakshasa Sect, had gone treasure hunting and discovered three half-step Emperor-grade weapons. To possess them, Luo Hou had betrayed him and planted the "Deadly Death Curse" upon him. This curse could have been purged initially, but Luo Hou had dragged him out, denying him the opportunity. By the time he escaped, the curse had already merged with his body. It would continuously erode his vitality, forcing him to use his cultivation to suppress and slow down the process. Later, to finish the job, Luo Hou massacred his entire clan. He had fought to the death to carry his grandson away, while all others in his clan perished.

After a moment of thought, Zong Wu chose to accept Qin Tian's conditions. He wanted to live, he wanted to protect his grandson, and he wanted revenge. Zong Wu sighed and said, "I can serve as your bodyguard, sir, but I have one condition: once my strength is restored, allow me to seek my revenge."

"Are your enemies strong?" Qin Tian inquired. He figured that if Zong Wu’s enemies were too powerful, the trade wouldn't be worth the trouble.

"The strongest among them is at the second level of the Emperor Realm," Zong Wu replied.

"If it is only the second level of the Emperor Realm, then I agree."

What did he mean by "only" the second level? Zong Wu was speechless—was the second level of the Emperor Realm weak? In truth, Qin Tian did have the strength; he was currently at the third level of the Eternal Indestructible Body, and as long as his spiritual energy was unsealed, wielding the Life-Death Sword to deal with a second-level Emperor would be a simple matter.

Once Zong Wu swore the Great Dao Oath, Qin Tian gave him the subsequent parts of the technique. Zong Wu began to browse the Emperor Realm cultivation method, becoming more excited as he read. As long as he cultivated the vitality force of the "Sitting and Forgetting Longevity Sutra," he could undo the Deadly Death Curse. Furthermore, the sutra was a technique that could increase one's lifespan, which was perfect for replenishing the years he had lost.

From then on, the Artistic Conception Painting Studio gained two new occupants: Zong Wu and his grandson, Zong Yan. The old man spent his days busy breaking the curse and cultivating, while Zong Yan helped clean the shop or ran errands. Qin Tian also found time to update a portion of "The Legend of the White Snake."

When Lin Wan returned, she handed Qin Tian a Supreme Storage Ring specially crafted by her firm. "Young Master Qin, there are 800,000 top-grade spirit stones inside. This is your share of the profits. I hope you can update a bit faster."

Qin Tian hadn't expected the first three volumes of "The Legend of the White Snake" to sell so well.

*Ding!*

[Task "Make a Name for Yourself" completed. Sign-in rewards increased by 20%. Reward: Emperor-grade top-tier blade technique, "Heaven-Breaking Blade."]

Just like that, Qin Tian's second task was completed. How delightful!

After delivering the spirit stones, she began chatting with Qin Tian to build rapport. Just as she was deep in conversation, she suddenly felt a powerful surge of spiritual energy from upstairs—a fluctuation more terrifying than that of her great-grandfather, who was at the third level of the Saint Realm. This person was likely an Emperor Realm expert. Even her Lin Clan Firm didn't have a single Emperor Realm expert, yet one was here at Qin Tian's place.

"Is there someone else upstairs?" Lin Wan asked tentatively.

"Yes! My bodyguard is up there cultivating."

A bodyguard? Hearing this, Lin Wan’s beautiful eyes widened in shock.

"Is there a problem?" Qin Tian asked.

"No... no problem at all." After receiving this information, Lin Wan was convinced that Qin Tian was a supreme powerhouse. Her perception couldn't be wrong, and since Qin Tian said the Emperor Realm expert upstairs was his bodyguard, it must be true. After all, the expert surely heard their conversation downstairs. Since he hadn't refuted it or shown anger, it meant Qin Tian’s words were the truth.