Edited by Michyrr

The guards from Xu Clan who’d just arrived looked at Xu Qi one after another as the others called out “Young Master” in unison. Most of them had seen him before, and could recognize him. As such, they came to their senses and greeted respectfully, “Young Master.”

On the other hand, questions rose in Chen Yong’s mind as he stood by the side, watching the group of orphans kneeling down to Xu Qi. I’ve been keeping watch on them since their first day here. During this period, the Chief Housekeeper visited several times, but Young Master never showed up. How did these orphans recognize him? Also, it seems like they are very respectful to him. What’s going on?

Xu Qi took a glimpse at Chen Yong, who was stroking his chin thoughtfully. He raised his hand and poked at the latter’s thigh, saying, “Guardsman Chen, shouldn’t you say a few words?”

Chen Yong noticed the prodding at his thigh as he pondered. He looked down, and saw Xu Qi looking at him. He immediately felt embarrassed, and hurriedly said, “I’m sorry, Young Master. I was in a daze. What did you just say?”

Xu Qi rolled his eyes, thinking he’d just wasted his breath. He didn’t know what to do with these kind of people with all brawn and no brain.

As for the remaining guards from Xu Clan, they went speechless as they heard Xu Qi talking to Chen Yong. That was because the young master they knew was a mute who had never spoken since birth, but from what they saw before their eyes, evidently this was not the case. So why hadn’t they ever seen or heard him speaking before?

Xu Qi swept his eyes across the plaza. There were currently twenty-six people kneeling on the ground, and eighteen guards, including Chen Yong, standing. This is all I have to build up my sphere of influence in this world, Xu Qi thought inwardly, and a wry smile showed on his face.

“Stand up, Lin Hu and the rest of you,” Xu Qi said calmly towards Lin Hu.

Lin Hu, kneeling frontmost, was the first to stand up. The rest followed one after another, and spread themselves to the sides on their own initiatives, causing Xu Qi to nod in satisfaction.

“Everyone, most of you here recognize me. I am the current patriarch of Xu Clan, Xu Qi. Addressing me as Young Master will do. I plan to stay here from now on, and all of you here are my trusted men. Otherwise, you wouldn’t see or hear me speaking,” Xu Qi slowly explained. He paused for a moment, and his eyes swept across the room once more, looking into the eyes of everyone.

“To you, perhaps I’m only a six-year-old child using my status as the young master of Xu Clan to speak with you. However, what I want to show you today, is whether I have the strength to be your young master! Step forward, Chen Yong!” Xu Qi suddenly raised his voice as he spoke.

This time round, Chen Yong responded quickly. He immediately answered respectfully, “Chen Yong is here, Young Master. What are your instructions?”

Xu Qi ignored Chen Yong and said to Lin Hu, “Lin Hu, stand to the side along with your brothers and sisters. Vacate the space in the center.”

Although Lin Hu didn’t understand Xu Qi’s intention for instructing them to move to the side, he immediately agreed and gathered the remaining twenty-five orphans to the side. Only the guards from Xu Clan were left in the center area.

Xu Qi then turned to Chen Yong and asked, “Chen Yong, what is your cultivation level, and the level of the other 10-odd guards?”

Chen Yong immediately answered, “Young Master, I am currently a Swordsman at the 4th stage of Essence realm. Nine of the guards are 3rd stage Essence Swordsmen, one a 3rd stage Essence Healer, and two of them 3rd stage Essence Rangers. The remaining two are 2nd stage Essence Nightlords.”

Xu Qi felt pleasantly surprised upon learning that there were even Healers, Rangers and Nightlords among his clan guards. However, he understood that what he needed to do right now was not to consider other matters. Instead, he should be establishing his authority in front of his people, asserting his dominance!

“Go stand together with them, Chen Yong,” Xu Qi said plainly.

Chen Yong walked over to the other guards as instructed after answering puzzledly.

Xu Qi looked over to the eighteen guards. He licked his lips, then said to Chen Yong, “Chen Yong, bring out all your weapons and come at me together. We’ll have a go at each other.”

“What!?” the guards cried out. They were stunned on hearing this, like getting struck by lightning in the middle of the day.

“Don’t doubt my orders. Bring out your weapons; I’m about to strike!” Xu Qi yelled. With a flip of his palm, a bronze sword appeared in his hands. Other than Xu Qi, no one else had any knowledge of a ‘bronze’ sword.

The guards unwillingly took out their weapons as they saw the strange sword in Xu Qi’s hands, planning to see what their young master intended to do.

“Apologies, Young Master, but aren’t you looking down on us? How could we bully a child like you?” asked a guard as he walked out from the crowd with a bow in his hands.

“Hmph, I’m afraid you don’t have the qualifications to bully me!” Xu Qi said, rolling his eyes.

At that, a hint of dissatisfaction flashed in the heart of the Xu Clan Ranger.

As for Chen Yong, he noticed the ill-intentioned gaze from Xu Qi. He held onto his wooden axes and turned to the guards behind him, saying, “Just do as you're ordered. I saw his moves earlier. Perhaps we really aren’t a match for him.”

They were shocked by Chen Yong’s words, thinking, Since our boss has put it like this, what are we waiting for?

Just as they were thinking of how to deal with their mischievous young master, a surge of aura suddenly burst forth from Xu Qi. It was so strong that the guards felt immense pressure from it, causing a disbelieving look to show on their faces. Following which, Xu Qi’s body was slowly enveloped by blue light right before their surprised faces.

“Spi-spirit realm expert!” These words barely escaped Chen Yong as he looked on, his mouth agape. Earlier, when he saw Xu Qi’s demonstration of his strange technique, he had already estimated him to be at a high level. However, he realized once again that he had still underestimated his young master’s cultivation level when he saw the blue light. His hands holding onto the twin axes were instantly drenched in cold sweat.

It wasn’t any better for the other guards. Their faces became even uglier, and they clenched their weapons tightly in their hands, in preparation for the young master’s attack. Now, they no longer dared to go on the offensive. A six-year-old Spirit realm expert. Are we dreaming? they thought inwardly.

“Brace yourselves. Here I come!” Xu Qi yelled, pouncing on the guards. Only an afterimage was left in his original position.

A streak of blue light blurred past the guards before their eyes, then Xu Qi’s figure gradually reappeared in the very same spot he had vanished from.

Pa pa pa.. After Xu Qi returned to his position, sounds of objects dropping to the ground could be heard. The twenty-six orphans by the side were the first to realize what was happening: the guards’ weapons broke and fell to the ground one after another.

Such strength. He’s so strong! Such thoughts filled the minds of Lin Hu and the other orphans.

As for the Xu Clan guards, their minds blanked out when they realized their weapons were broken into halves, and each of them revealed a look of terror.

The one most taken aback from this was Chen Yong. He looked at the fraction of twin axes in his hands, lost in confusion. These weapons were a gift from Xu Pingfan, who spent a fortune to hire an expert to craft them. They were made incredibly tough, and heavy, but they felt natural when he wielded them. They had been with him for many years, and there was never much damage to the blade. Yet now, all it took was a single blow for Xu Qi to break them in half. How could Chen Yong not feel heartache from this?

“Hehe. Do you think I’m qualified to face you all at once now?” Xu Qu smirked.

Plop, the Ranger who taunted Xu Qi earlier fell to his knees, apologizing in fear. “I was blind, Young Master. My words were too arrogant. Please punish me!”

Xu Qi looked at him and gave a smile, then switched his gaze to the others and yelled, “Are any of you still unwilling to submit to me?!”

None of them dared to think otherwise when they heard Xu Qi’s thunderous roar. They threw down their broken weapons one after another, and knelt on the ground with their heads lowered.

With the guards from Xu Clan done with, Xu Qi looked over to the twenty-six orphans by the side, saying, “I told you that night that I’ll show you whether I possess strength deserving of your loyalty. Does anyone among you still doubt me?”

Seeing Xu Qi render the guards’ weapons useless in just an instant, all the orphans’ doubts as to Xu Qi’s strength were cleared. Even the guards were willing to submit to him, so who were they to doubt Xu Qi?

Lin Hu got the other orphans to walk to Xu Qi and kneel before him, with all of them tactfully keeping their mouths shut.

Looking at the kneeling crowd before him, Xu Qi couldn’t help but smile bitterly and think, Strength reigns supreme, no matter when or where.

He looked at the crowd before him, and said, “Everyone, from today on you will be my most trusted subordinates, my precious friends, my dear brothers and sisters. I will be imparting top-grade cultivation methods to you, enabling you to be experts in this world in the shortest amount of time possible – to make everyone hold you in reverence!”

With such a tempting speech after his demonstration of power, everyone who witnessed it was fired up. Who wouldn’t want to be among the strong, to feel respect and fear from the people?

“From today on, this institution will be named the Godsward Villa. The only person you will be taking orders from is me. Though, I’ll have to let you know that the training from here on will be especially tough; some of you might even die from it. I do hope you’re all mentally prepared,” Xu Qi said gravely.

Xu Qi looked at the crowd once more. He saw that not a single one of them flinched in the slightest from what he just said. Then, he declared excitedly, “Everyone, today will be the day the legend of our Godsward Villa begins! In the near future, you will be proud of the choice you’ve made today!”