The instant the twin sickles fell, two heads rolled to the ground, scarlet blood spraying three feet into the air. Once it was over, Chen Chu withdrew his martial soul, stepped around the corpses, and headed for the inn's front hall.
He had just reached the corner when he saw the guards hurrying over with long blades in hand. Seeing no blood on Chen Chu, they finally sighed in relief. "Lord Earl, inside..."
"It's handled." Chen Chu's voice was calm. "Clean up the bodies in the woodshed behind the inn as well. Don't let Lingling see them."
The guard's expression tightened, and he quickly replied, "Yes."
After giving his orders, Chen Chu went straight to Ye Lingling's room. The door was slightly ajar, and he knocked on it. "Lingling, come out. It's all right now."
There was a moment of silence inside before Ye Lingling's timid voice came through. "T-Teacher, outside..."
"Just a little trouble. It's already been dealt with." Chen Chu softened his tone. "Pack your things. We're changing places."
The door opened, and Ye Lingling emerged with a small bundle on her back. Unease filled her eyes as she glanced at the empty counter in the front hall and asked quietly, "Where are the inn staff?"
"They left temporarily to deal with something. We'll find another inn." Chen Chu did not tell her the truth, afraid of frightening her. He turned and walked outside. "Come on. We can only rest in the carriage tonight."
Ye Lingling gave a soft hum and did not ask any more questions, silently following behind him. The guards had already cleaned up the traces in the rear courtyard and waited at the entrance with the carriage. When the two came out, they quickly opened the door and drove toward Autumn Leaf City beneath the moonlight.
Not long after they left, several more men in black arrived at the inn. When they saw the state of their companions who had remained behind, their hearts jolted. "Not good! This place has been exposed. Those two idiots probably got greedy and were discovered by Spirit Hall. We need to leave!"
The black-clad man at their head thrust his finger into one corpse's chest and could still feel a trace of warmth. His face changed at once, and he hurriedly led the others away.
By the time Chen Chu and his group reached Autumn Leaf City, it was already late into the night. The city gates were shut tight, so they could only make do outside the city for the night.
Early the next morning, Ye Lingling groggily opened her eyes and discovered that she had been leaning against Chen Chu's shoulder. She hurriedly shifted aside. Noticing her movement, Chen Chu ended his meditation and opened his eyes without looking at her. "Since you're awake, let's enter the city."
With that, he got out of the carriage, leaving Ye Lingling at a loss inside.
As the Ye Family's base of operations, Autumn Leaf City was filled with countless shops selling medicinal herbs. Pedestrians and merchant caravans flowed through the streets, creating a bustling scene.
Ye Lingling carried her small bundle and followed behind Chen Chu.
Before long, they arrived at an ancient residence with a distinctly historical air. Above its gate were the two large characters: "Ye Residence."
The couplet by the entrance was equally distinctive. The upper line read: In spring's deep herb gardens, a hundred plants are hidden. The lower line read: In warm halls of healing, a thousand homes are saved. The horizontal inscription read: Healers of Benevolence Through the Generations.
From that couplet alone, one could see the Ye Family's standing in the medical world.
"Teacher, I'll go call someone." Seeing Chen Chu standing outside without knocking for so long, Ye Lingling assumed he felt awkward and stepped forward on her own initiative.
Before Chen Chu could reply, Ye Lingling ran into the Ye Residence. Not long afterward, a graceful woman came out with the little girl.
From afar, she greeted Chen Chu warmly. "Teacher Chen, why did you come without sending word in advance? I could have prepared properly."
Ye Tang'er was quite enthusiastic, especially after seeing how young Chen Chu looked.
Hearing Ye Tang'er's voice, he nodded slightly with a smile. "I'm the one imposing. I came this time for two reasons: first, for a home visit; second, I'm quite interested in medicinal herbs and related knowledge. Your household happens to be a renowned medical family on the continent, so I came hoping to learn a thing or two."
The smile on Ye Tang'er's face did not fade. Chen Chu did not seem to be pretending, so she said, "Teacher Chen, what are you saying? It is Lingling's good fortune to study by your side. As for learning about medicinal herbs, that is naturally no problem. Don't stand outside any longer. Come in and have some tea to warm yourself."
Chen Chu nodded and followed Ye Tang'er into the Ye Residence. There were not many servants inside. Only a few women were scattered about drying medicinal herbs, and the air within the residence carried a faint, bitter herbal fragrance.
"Teacher Chen, let's sit in the front hall first." Ye Tang'er led the way with light steps. "The residence has just harvested this year's new tea. It's brewed with freshly drawn spring water from the mountains, when its flavor is at its best."
After passing through a small courtyard, they arrived at the front hall. Inside stood a set of Pear Wood Table and chairs, with a tea set already prepared on the table.
Ye Tang'er invited Chen Chu to take the seat of honor, then had a maid bring Ye Lingling a cup of warm water before personally pouring the tea. "This tea is called Cloud Mist Tip. It comes from Cloud Mist Mountain outside the city. Soul Masters who drink it can calm their minds, and it is also beneficial for meditation."
Chen Chu lifted the teacup, his lips touching the warm rim as he took a small sip. The tea was clear and refreshing, leaving a sweet aftertaste in his throat. It was very pleasant indeed—a fine tea. He set the cup down and looked at the woman. "Madam Ye, why haven't I seen Mister Ye? Is he away on business?"
He had not seen the Ye Family's Soul Saint since entering, which made him somewhat curious. Logically speaking, a son-in-law in an auxiliary family was like a hired fighter and bodyguard, much like those in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. They were usually inseparable. Yet Mister Ye had actually gone out alone, leaving his wife at home.
"Oh, Old Ye? Things around the city have been unsettled lately. Several villages were slaughtered to the last person. Spirit Hall sent people from above, saying that a large number of Evil Soul Masters were roaming the area. They gathered the high-level Soul Masters from each family to suppress them."
Madam Ye recounted all the strange events of recent days. If their people had not gone to the countryside to collect herbs and discovered that the villages had been massacred, who knew how many more people might have died.
"Evil Soul Masters? Teacher, were the people we encountered that night Evil Soul Masters?" Remembering that night, Ye Lingling could not help asking.
"Hm? Lingling, you encountered Evil Soul Masters on your way back as well? No one was hurt, right?" Hearing that her daughter had also run into Evil Soul Masters, Madam Ye was startled and hurriedly asked.
Ye Lingling shook her head. "No. Teacher killed all of them. With Teacher here, we won't be in danger."
Ye Lingling knew that Chen Chu was a Soul Emperor powerhouse and had even been favored by the royal family and granted the title of earl. He was only a little weaker than her father. Would dealing with a few Evil Soul Masters not be effortless for him?
However, Madam Ye did not know any of this. How could she know that Chen Chu was a Soul Emperor-level powerhouse? She assumed that a teacher from Tianwei Academy would at most possess the strength of a Soul Ancestor or Soul King.
"Oh, with Teacher Chen here, I'm naturally relieved. I was too anxious." Ye Tang'er deliberately reproached herself, then looked toward Chen Chu again. "Teacher Chen, after traveling for so many days, you must be tired. I'll arrange a guest room for you to rest first. When her father returns tonight, we can discuss your plans to study medicine?"
"Certainly, Madam Ye. I am indeed rather tired, so I'll rest first." Chen Chu nodded. Since Ye Tang'er had agreed to his request to study medicine, everything else would be easy enough.
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