Martial Peak

Translator: Silavin & Ashish

Translation Checker: PewPewLazerGun

Editor and Proofreader: Leo of Zion Mountain & Dhael Ligerkeys

The old woman started coughing again, and she coughed so violently that it seemed like she was about to hack up a lung. It was a long time before she managed to catch her breath, and she turned to say weakly to Ji Yao, "It's alright, it's alright, I'm just getting on in years… Thank you, little girl."

Ji Yao shook her head, but before she could even let go of the old woman, her knees buckled again.

Ji Yao hurriedly pulled her to her feet again, and said with a frown, "I'll help you stand, Grandma."

"Thank you, thank you," said the old woman, "You have a kind heart, little girl, you will be rewarded for it one day…" She coughed again.

Ji Yao smiled, "My Honoured Master often taught us Disciples that we should be respectful and kind to the elderly and the young when we're outside. It's only a small matter."

The old woman chuckled lightly, "You're a good girl, and your Master has taught you well. Which Sect are you from, young lady?"

Ji Yao shook her head and smiled, but did not answer.

Yang Kai's eyes flashed at that moment though and he said with a smile, "It is indeed virtuous to be respectful and kind to the elderly and the young, but it's also important to keep your eyes wide open when travelling outside. You mustn't let yourself be easily tricked by others; after all, there are so many deceitful and sinister people in this world, and who knows when you'll be taken advantage of when you're just trying to do a good deed? Now, that would be the same as helping a tyrant to oppress the innocent, wouldn't you say so, 'Grandma'?"

The old woman trembled in spite of herself, and she forced a smile, "You are quite right, Little Brother."

Ji Yao nodded her head seriously, "Disciple will take Master's words to heart."

"Disciple?" The old woman jolted at her words, realising that the Honoured Master that Ji Yao had mentioned earlier was actually the man standing behind her. She could not help but find this somewhat incredible.

Then came the sudden non sequitur from Yang Kai, "Your earrings are quite exquisite, Grandma."

The old woman was startled and touched her earlobe with a hand, but found nothing there. She gave him a strained smile at that point, "Little Brother, you're still so young and yet your eyes are fooling you. How could I wear earrings at my age?"

"You didn't wear them today, but you probably did yesterday," said Yang Kai, "The holes from the piercings are quite distinct. It would appear you've worn such ornaments for many years."

His words were so pointed that there was no way Ji Yao would not have realised something was wrong. Her brow furrowed as she stealthy channelled Emperor Qi into the old woman's body.

A moment later, Ji Yao's expression turned icy and she tightly gripped the old woman's arm, asking coldly, "Who are you, and why did you deceive me?"

It had escaped her notice previously, but upon closer inspection, she discovered that the seemingly terminally ill old woman was actually someone whose body was teeming with vitality. Her aged face was clearly not her true appearance, merely a camouflage of some kind.

This made Ji Yao quite furious. She had just been helping the woman out of the kindness of her heart, and had no idea that the woman actually had ulterior motives, which sent her into a rage.

The woman was not a true Master like them, only a Third-Order Dao Source Realm, so she was completely unable to move with Ji Yao grabbing her like this. All the Source Qi in her body was suppressed, and the inability to channel her Source Qi made her panic. She looked pleadingly at Ji Yao and said in a low voice, "Senior, I mean no harm, I only did this because I had no other choice! Please be magnanimous, Senior, and don't expose me."

Ji Yao's expression changed as she cast a glance towards the cultivators closely guarding the city gate and asked, "They're here because of you?"

The woman nodded silently.

"Why did you choose to take advantage of me!?" Ji Yao asked coldly.

"Earlier, Young Master Bai and Young Lady Yan seemed very fearful of the two of you when they were entering the city, so…"

Yang Kai raised an eyebrow and said, "Madame Dong is sharp-eyed indeed. You even took notice of something so minor."

At his words, the woman's whole body trembled as she looked at him in despair, "You know me?"

"Madame Dong?" Ji Yao frowned, wondering how her Honoured Master was able to reveal the woman's identity so easily. As far as she knew, it was their first time in Serenity City, and they did not know anyone there.

"I don't," said Yang Kai, "But I heard some people talking about you."

"What… what did they say about me?" The woman asked shakily, seemingly very keen to find out.

"The wife of the Dong Family Patriarch," Yang Kai said lightly, "She stole the family's greatest treasure, sending the Patriarch into a fury, causing him to request assistance from the City Lord's Mansion's guard to seal all the gates but this one and then perform a tight inspection of everyone trying to leave the city. If anyone found the criminal, they were to quietly arrest her!"

"Stealing the family's treasure…" The woman smiled bitterly, "I dare not bear such a crime on my name."

Ji Yao frowned, "Are you saying my Honoured Master is wrong?"

Madame Dong shook her head, "What family treasure? I never saw anything like that. The Dong Family doesn't even have such a thing. I married into the Dong Family so many years ago, and was the wife of the Patriarch. If there really was a family treasure, how could I not know of it?"

"Then why would they frame you?" Ji Yao asked curiously.

"Because they need to catch me," Madame Dong answered.

Ji Yao seemed curious to find out more, but Yang Kai waved his hand and discontinued the conversation, "Madame Dong, we're not interested in your matters. As for your attempt to use us to escape the city, I won't hold a grudge for it either. You'll just have to pray for good fortune!"

"Sir…" Madame Dong looked pleadingly at Yang Kai, "It was my fault earlier, and I can only beg you to help me leave Serenity City. I will definitely repay your kindness one day."

Yang Kai smiled coldly, "What can you use for repayment? I'm not interested in getting mixed up with other people's affairs!"

"Sir…"

"If you say another word, I'll expose you right now!" Yang Kai looked coldly at her.

Madame Dong shuddered. She did not doubt that Yang Kai was capable of doing this as his Disciple, Ji Yao, was able to instantly subdue her, and as Ji Yao's Honoured Master, he would not be any weaker.

She had hoped to be able to persuade him to help her, but it was all wishful thinking in the end.

Madame Dong turned around miserably and stood in line, not daring to say anymore.

"Honoured Master, this person's Disguise Technique is extremely profound!" Ji Yao whispered to Yang Kai. If it hadn't been for Yang Kai's observation earlier, she probably would have never suspected that the old woman was just a disguise.

This was no Secret Technique, but purely a Disguise Technique, but not one that could be mastered by just anybody.

Yang Kai gave a slight nod and agreed, "It is indeed. If I didn't have prior knowledge, I may not have noticed anything off either."

It was only because he had overheard part of Commander Yu and Patriarch Dong's conversation, and then noticed the fresh piercing holes on the old woman's ears, that he started to suspect her.

"Honoured Master, are we really going to do nothing? She really seems like she has some secret she can't reveal." At the sight of the woman's frightened expression, Ji Yao grew sympathetic.

"People are deceitful," Yang Kai said lightly, "We don't know who's right and who's wrong in this situation. If we arbitrarily interfere, we may be aiding the villain instead."

"Yes!" Ji Yao nodded.

As they spoke, the old woman had reached the front of the queue.

One of the cultivators guarding the gate waved his hand at the old woman and she walked unsteadily up. The cultivator was holding a bag in his hand, which he opened and placed before the old woman.

She took only one look at it before her demeanour changed completely. Immediately after, a chirping sound was heard from within the bag, like the cry of some Monster Beast.

The old woman moved quickly, with none of her previous frailty or unsteadiness. She was as agile as any youth as she bolted straight for the city gate.

"Seize her!" Cried the guard.

"Since you've shown yourself, then you may as well stay," came another person's voice, followed by a flash of a blade as it swung towards the old woman's path.

The old woman's expression changed again, and she knew that she was bound to be critically injured if she tried to force her way forward. Having no other choice, she reluctantly retreated a few steps.

*Shua shua shua…*

Several figures came dashing out from all around, charging towards the old woman.

After that moment's delay, the old woman found herself completely surrounded by those people just as she realised what was going on.

"Oh!" At that sight, Ji Yao could not help but sigh. She knew the woman had no hope of escape.

The woman was only a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, while the people surrounding her included at least six with equal cultivations. Being so greatly outnumbered, it would be a joke if they let her escape.

"It's the Elders from the Dong Family!"

"You're right. It really is them!"

"Strange, what are they doing here? Who is that old woman? How did she get on the Dong Family's bad side?"

The cultivators nearby were all discussing amongst themselves, full of curiosity about the scene going on before their eyes.

Though the Elders from the Dong Family had the old woman surrounded, they were in no hurry to actually make a move. It was clear that they all knew who the old woman really was, and they looked at her with conflicted expressions.

This was the Patriarch's wife, after all. She held a higher position than all of them.

Two more people stepped out towards the city gate then, causing those guarding the gate to cup their fists in greeting.

"Greetings Commander Yu."

"Greetings Patriarch Dong!"

Yang Kai glanced over, and saw that one of these men was clad in full armour and looked very imposing, while the other was wearing a blue robe and looked very stern.

Both of them were also Third-Order Dao Source Realms.

The person in armour was most likely Commander Yu, and thus the other one would be the Dong Family Patriarch.

The old woman turned, and her gaze fell upon the Dong Family Patriarch. Through gritted teeth she pleaded, "Let me go!"

Patriarch Dong shook his head slowly, "You know that is impossible."

"I beg you, please let me go. If I can't leave today, then I'll leave tomorrow. You can't stop me forever!"

"How will you leave if I break your legs and cripple your cultivation?" Patriarch Dong said coldly.

At those words, the old woman's whole body trembled and she said in disbelief, "We have been husband and wife for so many years, are you really going to be so heartless?"

"Husband and wife?"

At those words the onlooking cultivators were all greatly astonished, wondering how the Dong Family Patriarch's wife, who was as beautiful as a flower, had turned into an old hag.

The crowd whispered amongst itself, and Patriarch Dong's expression was as dark as it could be.

The old woman standing in the street raised a hand at that moment and rubbed across her face, removing the disguise and revealing her lovely appearance.

"Wow… It really is Madame Dong! How could this be?"

"Heh heh, what drama is going on in the Dong Family?"

"We're up for a good show now! The Patriarch's wife is trying to escape the Dong Family, and they're sending all their forces to stop her here. I wonder what happened behind the scenes!"