A Twist of Fate

A Twist of Fate

Han Yi walked toward the city gate at an unhurried pace.

Just as he opened the door, a figure lurking in some remote, shadowy corner outside suddenly jolted.

"He's out. This guy finally came out."

The man was so excited he nearly cried. He had been squatting here for two months. The owner of this courtyard was leaving for the first time—what kind of secluded cultivation was this? It was simply outrageous.

Remembering Guan Sheng's instructions, he had originally planned to turn back at once and report the matter to Guan Sheng at the Mystic Fire Pill Shop. But on second thought, he suppressed the urge and made his own decision, silently following close behind Han Yi.

"Hmph, let me first see what shady business this fellow is up to."

A quarter-hour later, the man watched helplessly as Han Yi passed through the city gate and departed into the distance. At last, he stopped, torn between continuing to follow or turning back.

After thinking it over, he ultimately decided to return. He was only at Qi Refining Layer 3 himself; even if he caught up, he might not be able to stop the other party.

He regretted not rushing straight to the Mystic Fire Pill Shop from the courtyard gate to report the matter. But fortunately, no one knew about this. As long as he said nothing, Guan Sheng would not know either.

That settled it.

Having thought it through, he quickly turned back and rushed to the Mystic Fire Pill Shop, informing Guan Sheng that Han Yi had just left the courtyard.

After listening, Guan Sheng narrowed his eyes and gave a sinister smile.

"He actually left? I thought he wouldn't step outside until the one-year deadline arrived."

"Hmph."

"I'd like to see what little tricks he's trying to pull."

"Though the plan has changed and we missed that perfect opportunity two months ago, at least it can still continue."

Then he suddenly thought of something, and a puzzled expression appeared on his face.

"But where could this fellow be going? Instead of coming to the Mystic Fire Pill Shop, he headed in the opposite direction?"

"There are no other markets over there. That's the direction of the city gate."

"No."

Guan Sheng abruptly rose to his feet, his eyes widening round as a look of horror crossed his face.

"This fellow is running away!!"

The man standing before him shuddered from head to toe, terrified that his unauthorized decision to follow Han Yi would be exposed. He could only put on a confused expression. "Running away?"

Guan Sheng stepped out from behind the counter and headed outside.

"Don't concern yourself with so much. Watch the pill shop for me. I'll be back soon. If anyone asks, say I've gone to collect goods."

His voice gradually faded. By the time he finished speaking, Guan Sheng was already twenty meters outside the pill shop. He turned past the street corner and vanished from sight.

The man guarding the counter quietly let out a breath of relief.

"Good thing he didn't discover that I acted on my own."

"But Old Guan's guess was so accurate. No wonder he's so shrewd and calculating."

"Heh, that guy who fled through the city gate won't get far. He's definitely walking straight into a dead end."

Elsewhere.

After leaving Mengshan City, Han Yi turned back to look at the peaceful city gate, with people constantly entering and leaving, and gave a bitter smile. It seemed he had been overly suspicious.

Perhaps there had never been any danger to begin with. Perhaps it had all been in his own head.

But safety outweighed everything else.

Han Yi recalled how he had delayed Guan Sheng's important business. Guan Sheng surely still bore a grudge over it.

Yet he did not regret it. He merely thought to himself that once he became powerful in the future, he would compensate Guan Sheng tenfold for this misunderstanding.

Han Yi no longer lingered. Turning around, he continued down the road.

Moreover, the route he took was not the one he had used when descending the mountain before—a nearly straight path leading directly to the sect.

Instead, he deliberately made a detour, first heading away from the Mystic Pill Sect before circling around toward the Mystic Pill Mountain Range.

This was part of the plan he had devised before leaving.

After all, he was a cultivator. The physique of Qi Refining Layer 3 granted him strength and endurance far beyond that of ordinary people. He walked as swiftly as if flying, even faster than an average horse, and did not feel tired in the least.

He was more than twice as fast as when he had descended the mountain before. Though the journey was longer, the time it took was not much different from his previous trip down the mountain.

This, too, was part of the plan.

Mengshan City was a city within Nanyang Commandery.

Nanyang Commandery was one of the Thirteen Commanderies of Shu Province in the Great Qian Immortal Kingdom.

The Mystic Pill Sect was located in the Mystic Pill Mountain Range, which stretched across Taibai, Nanyang, and Luofeng, the three commanderies that formed the core territory under the sect's influence.

The closest city to the Mystic Pill Mountain Range from Mengshan City was Lin'an City, while the closest city in the direction away from the mountain range was White Snake City.

But by the time Han Yi reached Lin'an City, night had fallen. He found an inn specifically for cultivators, with private rooms protected by formations, and spent three taels of spirit sand to stay the night.

The next day, he set out again, turning right and taking a winding route toward the Mystic Pill Mountain Range.

What he did not know was this.

Guan Sheng, who had left Mengshan City after him, arrived in Lin'an City even before Han Yi reached White Snake City.

He waited outside Lin'an City's gates for five days and five nights.

His thoughts went from, "We didn't cross paths on the road. That bastard must have entered Lin'an City."

"I'll wait."

To, on the second day, "Still not coming out? Don't tell me this bastard has settled down in Lin'an City?"

Then, on the third day, "Damn it, what the hell is this bastard doing living in Lin'an City?"

By the fourth day: "Should I go in and look for him? No, Lin'an City is too big. Finding him would be unrealistic. Keep waiting. I refuse to believe you're a turtle."

On the fifth day: "Damn it all! You infuriate this old man to death!!"

Guan Sheng left, carrying a deep hatred for Han Yi along with utter helplessness.

On the way back, he went over everything he had done before, even every expression and gesture he had shown in front of Han Yi.

All of it had seemed flawless.

Yet in the end, he had still failed to shove that brat into the jar. What a pity.

Now, he had to hurry back and erase certain key traces from his previous arrangements, lest anything go wrong.

He was afraid.

Of course, it was not as if he had never considered going straight to the town below the Mystic Pill Mountain Range, waiting for Han Yi there, and killing him outright.

But the thought had barely surfaced before it died away.

That place was heavily guarded. Even Foundation Establishment cultivators of the immortal path were stationed there year-round.

If he got caught, he would be finished on the spot.

His backing in the sect was merely an outer sect steward, and that steward's backing was only an outer sect Peak Master, whose cultivation was likewise at the Foundation Establishment stage. With two layers between them, they might not be willing to pay the price to protect him.

He hated Han Yi enough to grit his teeth and want him dead, yes, but that did not mean he had to perish together with him.

Five days later.

When Guan Sheng returned to Mengshan City, Han Yi was also setting foot in the Mystic Pill Mountain Range once more.

As he entered the bounds of Little Spirit Void Peak, he let out a breath inwardly.

At last, he had returned without mishap.

Then he headed straight for the Little Spirit Void Peak Outer Peak Management Hall.

Every outer peak had such a management hall to handle the affairs of that peak.

Han Yi presented the outer sect disciple identity token he had kept. Then, under the astonished gaze of the hall steward, he paid ten spirit stones, received a voucher, and headed straight for the cultivation rooms behind the hall.

After entering the designated cultivation room, he used the formation already set within it to activate the room's array.

Han Yi took a deep breath.

At the main node of a second-tier spirit vein, rich spiritual energy poured into his nose, flowed freely through his entire body, and swept away the exhaustion of travel.

"The cultivation room really is extraordinary."

"This spiritual energy density—the effect is incredible."

"Expensive things really do have their reasons for being expensive."