Chapter 25: One Punch Creates a Plain

The common people of Qingyan Town who wanted to leave the mountains to sell wine in the Imperial City had to spend quite a bit of time traveling.

Because blocking their path to the Imperial City were three massive mountains that needed to be crossed.

Usually when they set out at sunrise and left the town, it would be dusk by the time they barely reached the Imperial City.

Every time they sold wine, they had to spend a night in the city before they could return.

Liu Yan, like her husband, was born and raised in Qingyan Town.

Her childhood memories were sweet.

Because every time she followed her father arduously over those three mountains to reach the Imperial City to sell wine, she would get a candied hawthorn stick.

But her childhood memories were no longer complete.

The three mountains in front of Qingyan Town had disappeared, replaced by an incredibly vast expanse of yellow earth flatland.

Looking carefully, one could see that this flatland was slightly lower than Qingyan Town.

The Nether Poison Swamp and everything else had disappeared along with those three mountains.

"Isn't this great? That poison swamp is gone, and the two mountains I accidentally cracked with a stomp are also gone."

"No matter who comes here, they won't be able to tell what happened."

Xiao Tian looked smug and snorted coldly: "I'm sure even if all the people from Black Soul Hall came, they wouldn't find a single trace of evidence."

Zhong Ling covered her face. She really couldn't keep up with His Highness the Prince's way of thinking.

You've already destroyed this entire place with one punch—of course they won't find any traces!

Liu Yan beside them was also bewildered by the wind, looking at the now completely unfamiliar entrance to her old home, not knowing what to say.

She would never again see the green mountains from her childhood memories.

But thinking about it carefully, now that these three mountains were gone, wouldn't it be very convenient to build a road and travel to the Imperial City in the future?

In a certain sense, His Highness the Prince had done a great deed for the common people of Qingyan Town.

Not to mention, His Highness the Prince had personally wiped out Xiang Yuanbai and saved the lives of all the townspeople.

"No matter how I think about it, it still feels so absurd." Liu Yan looked at the vast emptiness before her, unable to recover for a long time.

She was even more curious about Xiao Tian—how could he possess such terrifying power without using spiritual qi?

Liu Yan thought carefully and discovered a strange fact: "Even Her Majesty probably couldn't defeat His Highness the Prince."

"Oh no, the people of Qingyan Town won't be able to see what's outside, will they?" At this moment, Xiao Tian's panicked shout startled Liu Yan awake.

Seeing Xiao Tian covering his head with a frightened expression, Liu Yan laughed and explained to him: "Your Highness, rest assured, the townspeople inside can't see outside."

"This formation array uses my husband's statue as its core. To enhance defense, many peripheral functions were sacrificed."

"For example, unnecessary abilities like being able to see outside clearly."

Hearing that the people of Qingyan Town couldn't see outside, Xiao Tian breathed a long sigh of relief: "You scared me. I thought my leisurely days were about to end."

After saying this, Xiao Tian waved at Liu Yan: "I'll wait for you in the forest over there. Handle the matters of Qingyan Town, and remember to bring wine!"

After speaking, Xiao Tian led Zhong Ling toward the nearby forest.

Qingyan Mountain stretched endlessly, occupying a vast area.

The Qingyan Town where they were now was located to the west of the city, while the area where Xiao Tian and the others had been earlier was to the south.

To hide himself, Xiao Tian went to great lengths, deciding to return via the original southern route.

He absolutely would not take this shortcut to the west that he'd punched out with one fist!

Xiao Tian and Zhong Ling quickly disappeared from Liu Yan's line of sight.

"His Highness the Prince truly is different from others." Liu Yan shook her head. Despite possessing such tremendous strength, he was willing to be a kept man and act as a carefree, idle prince.

Liu Yan speculated that something must have happened to Xiao Tian to make him choose this path.

"Isn't that nice?" Liu Yan patted her husband's stone statue. In the distance, the formation array around Qingyan Town began to slowly dissipate.

As the array lifted, a group of Qingyan Town residents holding various makeshift "weapons" came rushing out.

"Xiao Yan, don't be afraid, we're here!"

"There are no cowards among the people of Qingyan Town. Come on, we're not afraid!"

"Ahhhhh!"

The townspeople surged out, each one as if they'd been injected with adrenaline.

But once they left the town entrance, they were stunned by the scene before them.

Was this really the entrance to their Qingyan Town?

Where were the mountains?

How had they disappeared?!

"Old Town Chief, we're safe now. Everyone, please go back quickly." Liu Yan smiled as she spoke, greeting these old neighbors.

When Liu Yan called to them, the townspeople still hadn't recovered their senses.

Many people looked around, muttering repeatedly: Where are the mountains? How did the mountains just disappear?

Half a moment later, Liu Yan had already found Xiao Tian and Zhong Ling waiting in the forest.

"All settled?" Xiao Tian looked at Liu Yan approaching with a wine jar and asked carefully.

Liu Yan nodded: "Your Highness, rest assured. They only know that an unfamiliar expert saved me, destroyed the Black Soul Hall people, and even opened up a road to the city for them."

"To be precise, Your Highness punched out an entire plain with one fist." Zhong Ling pursed her lips, correcting Liu Yan's conservative description.

"Indeed, it truly was one punch that created a plain." Liu Yan deeply agreed, nodding emphatically.

Xiao Tian shook his head and looked at Liu Yan with a serious expression: "Commander Liu, can you guarantee you'll keep my secret?"

Liu Yan's expression was equally solemn: "Your Highness, you avenged my husband, personally saved my life, and protected my fellow townspeople."

"I, Liu Yan, am not an ungrateful person. If I expose your secret, may I die a terrible death!"

Liu Yan was this kind of woman—loyal, righteous, and of noble character.

If not for this, Zi Ruoyan would never have appointed her as Commander of the Imperial Guards.

"Good, I trust you." Xiao Tian smiled, reached out to take the Qingyan wine from her, stored it in his system space, then waved his hand grandly toward the mountain path ahead.

"Let's head home and make it back in time for dinner!"

With that, Xiao Tian strode forward with light, carefree steps, whistling a tune, hands behind his back, walking leisurely ahead.

Strolling through the mountain forest was also a way to enjoy life!

Watching Xiao Tian's retreating figure, Liu Yan felt deeply moved.

In the end, she couldn't escape convention. Despite not understanding Xiao Tian well enough and only knowing very superficial information about him.

Based on just this shallow knowledge of Xiao Tian, she had rashly concluded he was an unlearned, seductive man who bewitched Her Majesty and the Young General.

Exhaling lightly, Liu Yan reproached herself and looked at Zhong Ling: "Young General, could you tell me in detail about the process of how you destroyed Blood Cloud Tower back then?"

"Hmm?" Zhong Ling looked at Liu Yan strangely.

Liu Yan's expression was serious: "I want to understand His Highness the Prince better, to avoid making the mistake of being blinded by a single leaf and rashly judging others again."

Zhong Ling raised her eyebrows, looking at Liu Yan: "Then you'd better prepare yourself mentally. Don't be too shocked."

"I won't be." Liu Yan shook her head. She'd already witnessed Xiao Tian obliterating three mountains with one punch—how could she be shocked?

Zhong Ling covered her mouth and cleared her throat: "Ahem, the whole story begins with His Highness the Prince hoisting up an entire mountain and hopping around to bury a valley."

Liu Yan: "???"