First Arrival at the Ye Manor

The moment the twin scythes fell, two heads rolled to the ground, and scarlet blood sprayed three feet high. After finishing them off, Chen Chu retracted his Martial Soul, avoided the corpses on the ground, and turned towards the inn's front hall.

As he reached the corner, he saw a guard rushing over with a long saber. Seeing that Chen Chu wasn't stained with blood, the guard breathed a sigh of relief. "Count, inside..."

"It's handled," Chen Chu said calmly. "Go and clean up the bodies in the woodshed out back. Don't let Lingling see them."

The guard's expression sharpened, and he quickly replied, "Yes."

After giving the order, Chen Chu walked directly to Ye Lingling's room. The door was ajar, so he knocked. "Lingling, come out, it's alright now."

Silence from inside the room for a moment, then Ye Lingling's timid voice came, "T-Teacher, outside..."

"Just a small trouble, it's all dealt with," Chen Chu softened his tone. "Pack your things, we'll find another place to stay."

The door opened, and Ye Lingling walked out with a small bundle on her back, her eyes filled with unease. She glanced at the empty counter in the front hall and asked softly, "Where are the inn staff?"

"They had to leave for a bit. We'll find another inn," Chen Chu lied, not wanting to scare her. He turned and walked outside. "Let's go, we'll have to sleep in the carriage tonight."

Ye Lingling hummed and didn't ask further, silently following behind him. The guard had already cleaned up the traces in the backyard and was waiting by the door with the carriage. Seeing them emerge, he quickly opened the carriage door and drove towards Autumn Leaf City under the moonlight.

Not long after they left, several figures in black arrived at the inn. Upon seeing the state of their fallen comrade, they were shocked. "This is bad, this place is compromised. Those two idiots probably got greedy and were discovered by the Martial Soul Hall. Let's get out of here!"

The leader of the black-clothed men inserted a finger into the deceased's chest, still feeling a faint warmth. His expression changed drastically, and he signaled the others to retreat quickly.

By the time Chen Chu and his party arrived at Autumn Leaf City, it was already late at night. The city gates were closed, and they could only spend the night outside the city.

The next morning, Ye Lingling groggily opened her eyes and found herself leaning against Chen Chu's shoulder. She quickly shifted away. Noticing the anomaly beside him, Chen Chu ended his meditation and opened his eyes, not looking at her. "We can enter the city now that you're awake."

With that, he walked out of the carriage, leaving Ye Lingling bewildered inside.

Autumn Leaf City, being the Ye Family's stronghold, was filled with countless shops selling medicinal herbs. Pedestrians and merchant caravans created a bustling scene.

Ye Lingling, with her small backpack, followed behind Chen Chu.

Soon, they arrived at an ancient mansion with a rich historical charm, bearing the grand inscription "Ye Manor."

The couplets by the door were also quite distinctive. The upper couplet read, "In the spring garden, a hundred herbs are hidden deep," and the lower couplet, "In the warm medical hall, a thousand families are saved," with the horizontal inscription: "Generations of Benevolent Healers."

From these couplets, one could discern the Ye family's esteemed position in the medical community.

"Teacher, I'll go call someone," Ye Lingling said, seeing Chen Chu standing outside the door, hesitating to knock. Thinking he was simply too shy, she stepped forward.

Before Chen Chu could reply, Ye Lingling ran into the Ye Manor. In a short while, a voluptuous woman emerged with the young girl.

From a distance, she called out to Chen Chu, "Teacher Chen, why didn't you let us know you were coming? I could have made preparations."

Ye Tang'er was indeed enthusiastic, especially seeing how young Chen Chu looked.

Hearing Ye Tang'er's voice, he nodded slightly with a smile. "My apologies for the intrusion. I've come this time for a home visit, and secondly, I'm very interested in knowledge related to medicinal herbs. Your esteemed family happens to be a renowned pharmaceutical family on the continent, and I wish to learn a thing or two."

Ye Tang'er's smile didn't waver. She looked at Chen Chu and didn't think he was being insincere. "Teacher Chen, you flatter me. It's Lingling's fortune to be able to learn by your side. As for learning about medicinal herbs, that's easily arranged. Don't stand outside, please come in for some tea and warm yourself up."

Chen Chu nodded and followed Ye Tang'er into the Ye Manor. There weren't many servants inside, only a few scattered women drying medicinal herbs. The air in the house carried a faint, bitter aroma of medicine.

"Teacher Chen, let's go to the front hall first," Ye Tang'er said, leading the way with light steps. "We just picked this year's new tea. It's brewed with fresh mountain spring water, so the flavor is at its best."

Passing through a small courtyard, they arrived at the front hall. Inside, a set of pear wood table and chairs was arranged, with tea sets already prepared on the table.

Ye Tang'er invited Chen Chu to take the seat of honor and had a maid serve Ye Lingling a cup of warm water before personally pouring tea. "This tea is called 'Cloud Mist Tip,' produced from Cloud Mist Mountain outside the city. It can calm the mind for Soul Masters and is also beneficial for meditation."

Chen Chu picked up the teacup, his lips touching the warm rim. He took a sip. The tea was clear and refreshing, with a lingering sweetness after swallowing. It was very comfortable to drink, truly a good tea. He put down the cup and his gaze fell on the woman. "Madam Ye, why don't I see Mister Ye? Is he out on business?"

He had been here for a while and hadn't seen the Ye family's Soul Sage, which made him a little curious. Normally, a son-in-law who supported a family like this would be like a bodyguard, similar to those in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, always by their side. It was unusual for Mister Ye to go out alone and leave his wife at home.

"Oh, Old Ye? It's been a bit unstable around the city lately. Several villages have been massacred. People from the Martial Soul Hall have come, saying there are a large number of Evil Soul Masters wandering in the vicinity. They've organized the high-level Soul Masters from various families to go and suppress them."

Madam Ye recounted the strange events of the past few days. If their people hadn't gone to the countryside to collect herbs and discovered the massacred villages, who knew how many more would have died.

"Evil Soul Masters? Teacher, were those we encountered that night Evil Soul Masters?" Ye Lingling, sitting nearby, remembered that night and couldn't help but ask.

"Oh? Lingling, did you also encounter Evil Soul Masters when you returned? There were no casualties, right?" Hearing that her daughter had also encountered Evil Soul Masters, Madam Ye's heart leaped, and she quickly inquired.

Ye Lingling shook her head. "No, Teacher killed them all. With Teacher here, we won't be in any danger."

Ye Lingling knew Chen Chu was a Soul Emperor and had been recognized by the royal family, being conferred the title of Count. He was only slightly weaker than her father, so dealing with a few minor Evil Soul Masters would be a piece of cake.

But Madam Ye didn't know this. How could she know Chen Chu was a Soul Emperor? She assumed teachers of the Heavenly Grade had at most the strength of a Soul Ancestor or Soul King.

"Oh, of course, I feel at ease with Teacher Chen here. I was just being overly worried," Ye Tang'er said, feigning self-reproach. Then she looked at Chen Chu again. "Teacher Chen, you must be tired after your journey. I'll arrange a guest room for you to rest. When her father returns tonight, we can discuss the matter of studying medicine?"

"Alright, Madam Ye. I am indeed a bit weary, so I'll go and rest first." Chen Chu nodded. Since Ye Tang'er had already agreed to his request to study medicine, everything else was negotiable and fine.