I stood there, surveying the estate.

  By the standards of my previous world, it was vast. By the standards of my current home, it was underwhelming. A traditional single-storey compound of wood and slate, arranged around modest courtyards. Functional. Respectable.

  Small.

  As I observed the layout, a portly, pig-faced man waddled forward, draped in expensive robes that did little to disguise his vulgarity.

  “Who are you?” he demanded. “I hear you’re looking to wed… well, me.”

  I looked at him.

  Revulsion churned in my stomach. If I had truly been the frail old widow they expected, he would not have allowed me to live long after the marriage.

  I smirked.

  With a thought, I instructed the system to reseal my vitality. Instantly, my youthful radiance receded. My skin wrinkled. My back bent. I returned to the timid, ageing widow persona they remembered.

  Recognition struck him.

  He staggered back.

  “You—how can you be the widow of the Clear Water Sect Elder?” Sweat poured down his face. “What realm must you have reached to regress your age like that? Cultivators grow younger as they ascend—not older. What Dao allows such control over vitality itself?”

  Perfect.

  I slowly suppressed my aura down to Foundation Establishment.

  “Have a look,” I said mildly. “I’m only at Foundation now. Feel free to examine my aura if you doubt it.”

  The smirk on my face widened.

  He was confused.

  That was when I released it.

  Core Formation.

  Golden Core.

  Nascent Soul.

  Void Refinement.

  Void Separation.

  Unity Realm.

  Saint.

  Saint King.

  Saint Emperor.

  Great Saint.

  Great Emperor.

  I directed every ounce of pressure downward into the estate alone, carefully shielding the surrounding city.

  The manor trembled.

  Everyone inside struggled to breathe. Each inhalation became agony. Bones creaked. Organs felt as though they were being crushed from within.

  Then—

  They collapsed.

  Bodies slammed against the ground in unison.

  Silence followed.

  I looked down at the pig-faced Family Head.

  “You thought this widow was defenceless?” My voice was calm. “I am the most powerful being in this realm. Just because that strength manifested after my husband’s death does not mean I would settle for the nearest pathetic excuse for a man.”

  I tilted my head slightly.

  “Human might be generous. Pig demon seems more accurate.”

  “City Lord! City Lord! We have an emergency! The Smith Family is about to be wiped out!”

  A petite woman burst into the chamber at tremendous speed. Her long brown hair whipped wildly behind her before settling into a chaotic halo around her head. She quickly fixed it with practised precision—clearly accustomed to arriving at full sprint.

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  The City Lord glanced up lazily.

  “Marissa, you’re a Golden Core cultivator. Isn’t it time you selected a hairstyle that stays tied back? At this rate you’ll comprehend the Dao of Hair Care.”

  She stiffened at the comment but swallowed the irritation.

  “City Lord, you’re a Nascent Soul cultivator—the strongest person within two hundred thousand miles. If whoever is attacking the Smith Family is stronger than you, this could destabilise the entire city. What about the other families?”

  He sighed dramatically.

  “Fine. I’ll take a look. I’m not dying to protect those wretches. Figuratively or literally.”

  Before she could protest further, he vanished.

  Marissa pressed a hand to her temple.

  “That man will be the death of me…”

  A faint blush coloured her cheeks.

  “Just come back safely. You’re the best City Lord we’ve ever had.”

  The City Lord reappeared above the Smith Family estate in a gust of wind.

  The moment he entered the airspace, a pair of cold eyes locked onto him.

  Manager Andrew materialised at his side.

  “City Lord,” Andrew said evenly, “I suggest you observe from the perimeter and refrain from interfering. She is a customer of my Pavilion. Based on her recent expenditure alone, she qualifies as a Gold VIP. After today’s display, I will be applying for the highest tier on her behalf.”

  Andrew’s expression was calm.

  His gaze was not.

  It clearly communicated: Interfere, and consequences will follow.

  The City Lord followed him to the edge of the estate.

  “What provoked her to attack?” he asked quietly.

  “She is the widow of the Clear Water Sect Elder,” Andrew replied. “The one who lived outside the city.”

  The City Lord stared at him in disbelief.

  “You mean the Foundation Establishment widow?” He gestured toward me. “You’re telling me she’s still Foundation? I couldn’t even muster resistance.”

  Andrew shook his head slightly.

  “I stopped being able to sense her cultivation at the Unity Realm.”

  The realisation struck like a falling mountain.

  First—Andrew was far stronger than he appeared, and for some reason operated within this small city.

  Second—the widow was stronger than both of them.

  Far stronger.

  I looked around and noticed a young-looking man appear above the estate. His pristine white attire flowed around him, giving an air of immortality and prestige—but judging by the feel of his aura, he was significantly weaker than me.

  Fixing a glare at him to warn him off, I noticed Andrew appear at his side, whispering something. I suppose that bit of spending really had made an impression—big enough to actually get the Pavilion involved and on my side.

  Well, given I now had an audience, I should probably give them a show.

  “Well, I think we should end this and give our guests a good show.”

  With a smile, I activated my Falling Petal Mirage Step, splitting into hundreds of clones that surrounded the estate.

  “Now, I think it’s time that we end this and the Smith family once and for all. Kids, I hope you’re watching. When you deal with enemies—especially in a world where might makes right—you rip them out by the roots and salt the earth. Nothing can be allowed to return. Even when you’re as strong as me, they can still be used by people stronger than you currently are.”

  All my clones acted in unison.

  “Verdant Dragon Coiling Fist!”

  I shouted at the top of my voice and released ten percent of my strength.

  As the punches were unleashed from every direction, they morphed into a crystal-green dragon that coiled around the entire Smith estate. Manager Andrew and the City Lord stood there, mouths agape. Andrew was the first to speak.

  “What level of technique is this? I have never seen such a fantastical art capable of forming such a tangible manifestation.”

  The two stood in stunned silence, simply taking it all in. Then something shifted. Both assumed meditative postures in midair, as if grasping at some deeper truth. Adam and the children were also seated in lotus position, somehow comprehending the mysteries of the Dao unfolding before them.

  With one final roar, the dragon ascended. At its apex, it came crashing down.

  It was as though a nuclear detonation had been contained within a single section of the city—a brilliant green mushroom cloud erupting skyward. Every member of the Smith family within the estate was erased from existence. Not a bone. Not a shred of flesh. Not a single speck of blood remained.

  Everything was annihilated—reduced to something smaller than atoms. Gone.

  After what felt like an eternity everyone seemed to come back to reality. Every seemed to have gained something from this which is a bonus. Two birds, one stone, so to speak.

  “Well, that settles that. City Lord, I presume?”

  The man in white gave a stiff nod.

  I smiled.

  “This isn’t going to be a problem, is it? If any other bugs appear, send them over. I have some friends that need feeding.”

  He nodded again and moved to stand beside Andrew.

  Andrew, on the other hand, practically had currency symbols in his eyes. I could only assume he was already calculating how to leverage our meeting.

  “Well, you two, I shall take my leave. Andrew, I will pay you a visit another day. I will require a considerable amount of ore, ranging from Foundation to Saint level. I trust you can accommodate?”

  Andrew simply nodded, stupefied into silence. His brain appeared to be racing through mental calculations, practically overheating at the numbers involved. After a moment, he composed himself.

  “I can arrange that. You need not worry.”

  A merchant’s smile slid into place as he gave me a bow. The City Lord followed suit, and the two of them disappeared.

  I rejoined the children and Adam.

  “So, shall we return home?”

  They all stared at me blankly, none seeming to understand what I meant.

  “Home, anyone?”

  Without a word, they fell into step behind me. Adam was the first to speak.

  “They were a Foundation family. All those spirit stones… probably close to twenty thousand low-grade stones.”

  I couldn’t help but chuckle at his limited perspective. I had to remind myself that, before meeting me, he had only been a Foundation-level officer in an army that had little regard for mortals. He likely earned ten to twenty spirit stones a month—most of which probably went straight back into cultivation.

  I glanced at him and produced a high-grade spirit stone.

  “Here. This should give you more than enough spending money. It’s worth far more.”

  He accepted it and offered his thanks. I think he had finally realized that reacting with constant shock and refusing my generosity had grown tedious. It was easier to simply go with the flow.

  And just like that, my first battle—well, slaughter—had come to an end.

  I felt wonderful.

  It was satisfying to flex my muscles.

  I truly was not in Kansas anymore.