Hidden Fragrance

"Ye Zhen, have you offended someone lately?" Sha Fei asked with a grave expression.

"What is it?" Ye Zhen frowned.

As for those who held grudges against Ye Zhen, Ma Hun had already been publicly killed by him. Hong Bao was probably the one who hated him most at present, while Fan Chuyu, the true disciple residing at Spirit Sword Peak, could barely count as one because of Fairy Caiyi.

"These past few days, black-clothed Outer Disciples have often come to Hundred Pine Peak to inquire about you," Sha Fei said.

"Who?"

"I don't know any of them. And there was more than one black-clothed Outer Disciple asking about you!"

"More than one?" Ye Zhen's brow furrowed even deeper. "What exactly were they asking about?"

"A lot. Their questions covered a wide range, but in the end, they always circled back to your cultivation. Your performance when you first entered the sect, when you broke through to Blood Refining Second Level and Blood Refining Triple Layer—basically, every Menial Disciple on Hundred Pine Peak who had fought you was questioned. Your two battles with Ma Yuanwu, before and after, were also key points of interest," Sha Fei said.

Ye Zhen was startled. "How do you know all this so clearly?"

At that, a trace of pride appeared on Sha Fei's face. "Who do you think I am? Heh, with the Blood Origin Pills you gave me helping out, my cultivation has soared by leaps and bounds. Now I'm the undisputed boss of Hundred Pine Peak. If anything so much as stirs in the wind, who would dare hide it from me?"

"Right, about when did this start?"

"Let me think." Sha Fei pondered for a moment. "Eight or nine days ago, I guess!"

"Eight or nine days ago?" Ye Zhen fell into thought.

Eight or nine days ago had been precisely when Ye Zhen caused a great stir in the Martial Arena, killing Ma Hun and defeating Hong Bao with his fists. Ye Zhen understood that someone had set their sights on him.

Who could that person be?

Fan Chuyu could probably be ruled out. A person like him could not afford to lose that much face.

Could it be Hong Bao? Or perhaps some other observant person who had noticed Ye Zhen's rise was too swift?

An observant person?

The image of someone suddenly flashed through Ye Zhen's mind.

Ye Zhen knew very well that his recent rise had been too fast. In four months, he had gone from a Menial Disciple at Peak Blood Refining Third Level to second place on the Earth Ranking.

That rate of advancement was still within the realm of normality. Qi Yun Sect had seen such cases before. Yet anyone with such cultivation speed was invariably an extraordinarily gifted genius. For geniuses like Changsun Ran, such speed was perfectly natural.

But when it happened to Ye Zhen, who had risen from being a Menial Disciple, this rate of advancement became highly unusual.

Thus, an observant person had fixed their attention on Ye Zhen, hoping to pry out the secret behind him.

Ye Zhen understood clearly that, now that he had drawn the attention of such a person, the best response was to quietly leave Hundred Pine Peak. For three months, or even half a year, he should not go to the Cliff Secret Cave to collect Marrow Spirit Liquid again.

Once that observant person had waited long enough and decided Ye Zhen had no secret, giving up on their own, Ye Zhen could return to the Cliff Secret Cave.

But while there were thieves for a thousand days, there was no guarding against thieves for a thousand days.

Besides, no matter what happened later, Ye Zhen had to make a trip to the Cliff Secret Cave tonight. The Marrow Spirit Liquid was astonishingly effective. He was going home tomorrow, and he had to bring some for his parents.

In an instant, Ye Zhen had made up his mind.

As usual when he came to Hundred Pine Peak, Ye Zhen chatted with Sha Fei until late. Before leaving, Ye Zhen left Sha Fei a bottle of Blood Origin Pills.

Walking along the goat-gut mountain path of Hundred Pine Peak, Ye Zhen casually traced serpentine steps beneath his feet, moving along the narrow winding trail as though a snake were gliding over level ground.

Though his steps were casual, Ye Zhen's mind was highly focused. Power gathered in both ears as he listened intently for every faint movement on either side of the mountain path.

Ye Zhen did not know whether anyone was following him tonight, but one could never be too careful.

At a bend in the path, dense Iron Branch Pines swayed in the wind like ghostly shadows, sending waves of pine roars through the air. The instant Ye Zhen reached that spot, his body shot out. In a blink, he vanished into the pine forest, leaving only the ceaseless roar of the pines.

Not long after Ye Zhen disappeared, a black shadow suddenly appeared at the bend in the path. "Hmph, this kid really does have a secret. He's clever enough, but the one following him today is me..."

The black shadow flashed and vanished into the pine forest as well.

On the cliff face, Ye Zhen appeared at the entrance to the Cliff Secret Cave. Before slipping inside, he glanced toward the pitch-black mountain forest. Shadowy trees crowded together, with nothing unusual in sight, yet a thread of unease continued to coil around his heart.

After he entered the Cliff Secret Cave, that unease only grew stronger.

Inside the Cliff Secret Cave, everything was as usual. Having not come for nearly ten days, the bamboo tube Ye Zhen had set beneath the broken bamboo shoot had already collected almost half a tube of azure Marrow Spirit Liquid.

Ten days' worth of Marrow Spirit Liquid should be enough for his parents.

Because of the unease in his heart, Ye Zhen nearly filled the small bamboo tube he had brought at top speed. Just as he was about to leave—

Clink!

The shattered stones Ye Zhen had arranged at the cave entrance suddenly rolled with a sound, and a black-clothed figure slipped into the hidden cave.

"Junior Brother Ye, if I were you, I would obediently put down that bamboo tube in your hand." A rather effeminate voice rang out.

"Senior Disciple Brother, it really was you?" Seeing the newcomer, Ye Zhen showed no surprise at all.

When Sha Fei had mentioned this matter earlier today, Ye Zhen had recalled what Jin Yuanbao had told him. Senior Disciple Brother Gu Duozhi seemed to be especially interested in him.

Ye Zhen had suspected that this observant person might very well be Senior Disciple Brother Gu Duozhi. He had not expected his guess to be right.

The one thing Ye Zhen could not understand was how Senior Disciple Brother Gu Duozhi had tracked him here. He had been so careful, and had taken every possible precaution on his way to the Cliff Secret Cave.

"Looks like you aren't stupid after all." Gu Duozhi gave a sinister smile. "Junior Brother Ye, if I'm not mistaken, the reason your cultivation could surge from Blood Refining First Level to Blood Refining Fifth Level Peak in five months, at a speed nearly comparable to Changsun Ran, the number one genius among the inner disciples, is because of the thing in your hand, isn't it?"

Ye Zhen glanced at the small bamboo tube in his hand. Just as he was about to speak, Gu Duozhi laughed again.

"Ye Zhen, don't rush to deny it! With your Three Meridians Mid-Grade bloodline talent, although you were born into the Ye Family of Jin City, you came from a collateral branch. Your family could only provide you with one or two hundred taels of silver a year—probably not even enough to buy a single Blood Origin Pill, right?"

"That's right. The information Senior Disciple Brother found is very accurate. The reason my cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds was this thing." Ye Zhen shook the bamboo tube in his hand. "But there is one thing I don't understand. On the way here, I employed layer upon layer of methods. How were you still able to follow me?"

Gu Duozhi smiled smugly. "I excel at speed, but that isn't the most important thing. The most important thing is that I knew every time you went to Hundred Pine Peak, you would talk with Sha Fei until very late. I guessed that you talked with Sha Fei for so long to delay time, waiting until the dead of night, when all was quiet, to carry out your secret business.

"So I secretly placed a Hidden Fragrance on Sha Fei. Anyone who spends a long time in close contact with Sha Fei will pick up this Hidden Fragrance. Heh, to tell the truth, Junior Brother Ye, your Snake-Wandering Steps are truly profound. If not for this Hidden Fragrance leading the way, I really would not have been able to track you."

"So that's how it is!" Ye Zhen carefully sniffed his sleeve. Only after sniffing several times did he catch an extremely faint fragrance. He really had fallen into the trap.

Silently committing this lesson to memory, Ye Zhen's experience of the martial world grew by another measure.

With the doubt in his heart resolved, Ye Zhen spread his legs slightly and assumed the stance of the Five Peaks Divine Fist. He shouted at Gu Duozhi, "Fine, Senior Disciple Brother. Since you found out, I have nothing to say. Whoever else is outside, call them in. We'll fight together and decide who gets the treasure in my hand!"

"Who else is outside? Ye Zhen, do you take me for a fool? For such a good thing, how could I—"

Before he could finish, Ye Zhen's expression suddenly turned certain. Gu Duozhi's face changed sharply. He had fallen for Ye Zhen's trick!

********

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