Making Preparations Before the Rain

Zui Qingshan, in the pavilion next door, found it interesting and gained a little more appreciation for Ye Tong. But Lan Xiaozhu, standing amid the crowd, felt considerably less favorably toward Ye Tong. In her view, anyone who used poison was no good person.

"Medicine Slave." Ye Tong sat back down in his chair, as though he had not been the protagonist of the earlier disturbance.

Medicine Slave cheerfully walked over to the four youths sprawled on the ground. He took out a jade bottle and poured out four yellow pills, stuffing one into each youth's mouth as he sighed, "Young Master, these Detoxification Pills are precious beyond measure. Giving them to these people is simply a waste. Even if we have some family wealth, we cannot afford to squander it like this!"

Ye Tong said calmly, "Ten thousand taels of blue silver per pill. Pay up, then take them away."

In an instant, strange expressions appeared on everyone's faces. Wasn't that bottle of Detoxification Pills at the stall only worth ten thousand taels of blue silver? And there seemed to be ten pills in that bottle.

This youth... really was an oddball!

Still, before the Gao Family had paid the ransom, he had already ordered the old servant to feed the four youths Detoxification Pills. That showed he had never intended to kill anyone. There was some kindness in his heart after all.

The show was over, and the crowd dispersed.

Ye Tong sat upright in his chair, a trace of helplessness appearing on his delicate face as he let out a faint sigh. "The spring colors filling the garden could never all be seen; amid the forest, every creature competed freely for liberty. I had thought Peach Garden was tranquil, picturesque as a painting, a paradise beyond the mortal world untouched by worldly strife. Yet there are simply too many unruly fools, and they have disturbed this pure land."

"Wherever there are people, there will be conflict." An abrupt voice sounded beside Ye Tong's ear.

Ye Tong looked over and saw a lean middle-aged man standing before him with a smile on his face. He nodded lightly and said with a faint smile, "That is true enough."

Zui Qingshan smiled. "You are quite interesting, but unfortunately, you are a little too weak. If you cultivate diligently from now on and manage to break through into the Innate Realm within the next few years, you may still have a chance."

After saying that, he drifted away.

What did he mean? Did he just show off and leave? Confusion filled Ye Tong's eyes. He found the lean middle-aged man's disjointed words rather laughable, but then he remembered that this world had every kind of bird under the sun and quickly let it go.

Besides, Ye Tong was merely somewhat startled; he was not afraid. So what if the man was a foundation establishment stage expert? If he truly pushed Ye Tong into a corner, Ye Tong was not without means of his own.

Medicine Slave narrowed his eyes as he watched the lean middle-aged man's departing figure and said calmly, "He is a foundation establishment stage expert."

"Hm? A foundation establishment stage expert?" Ye Tong froze upon hearing that.

From what he knew, there were probably fewer than three Foundation Establishment stage experts in all of Zifu County. There were fewer than ten in the entire Sky Net Empire. These people were all the Sky Net Empire's most formidable supreme experts! How had one suddenly appeared before him?

"Are you certain?" Medicine Slave nodded.

"Certain." Ye Tong smiled bitterly. "All right. Fortunately, he bore us no hostility. Otherwise, we would likely have been doomed beyond escape."

Medicine Slave fell silent for a moment before gritting his teeth. "If there is only one foundation establishment stage expert, then even if this old servant must risk his old life, I can still protect Young Master's life."

"So what if he is a foundation establishment stage expert? He cannot come after us for no reason at all, can he?" Ye Tong looked at Medicine Slave, understanding dawning in his heart. Medicine Slave probably had some hidden trump card as well.

Ye Tong left the stall in Medicine Slave's care while he circled the pavilion several times before becoming busy. He could guess that although Gao Hu had left, this matter would not end so easily. Gao Hu's arrogance proved that the Gao Family elders were no decent people either. Before long, Gao Family members might come looking for trouble again.

Making preparations before the rain was Ye Tong's nature. He did not believe that he and Medicine Slave alone could directly contend against the entire Gao Family.

Tian-character Pavilion, Number 109.

It was the grandest pavilion in the entire Peach Garden Inn. Ancient trees towered around it, their green foliage casting deep shade. Blooming peach blossoms formed woven pink clouds, while a river like an emerald ribbon encircled it. Only a winding little bridge connected it to the garden before the pavilion, and beautiful zither notes lingered around the rafters.

Within the cool pavilion beside the door, Lan Tianyu sat cross-legged before an ancient zither, her ten fingers smoothly plucking the strings as music flowed forth like running water. The quiet Lan Xiaoshui wore a smile at the corners of her lips, immersed in the sound.

"Ding..." As the final note faded away, Lan Tianyu slowly raised her head and happened to see Lan Xiaozhu, who was walking over the little bridge while lowering her head in thought. Lan Tianyu brushed the strings again with her fingertips and smiled warmly. "Xiaozhu, what are you thinking about? You are so absorbed."

Lan Xiaozhu snapped out of her daze. Seeing the smile in her mistress's eyes, she immediately ran to her side and said indignantly, "I was thinking about bad people! A big bad person and a little bad person."

"Pfft..." Lan Tianyu could not help laughing. "Who provoked our Xiaozhu? Tell me about it, and I will help you vent your anger."

Lan Xiaozhu said, "It is nothing! It is just..."

She recounted her first encounter with Ye Tong, as well as everything she had just witnessed, from beginning to end. Only then did she say angrily, "That nasty medicine seller did not praise you, so Xiaozhu was unhappy with him. But that Gao Hu really is shameless—seizing things by trickery and force, and when others refuse to submit, even trying to take their lives."

A flash of interest passed through Lan Tianyu's eyes. She had not expected such an interesting youth.

After finishing, Lan Xiaozhu hesitated before asking tentatively, "Miss, the Gao Family are all bad people. Since Gao Hu suffered a loss, do you think the Gao Family will let this matter rest? I heard that someone offended Gao Hu before, and the Gao Family sent people to beat him to death."

"They will not!" Lan Tianyu said thoughtfully. "Perhaps it will not be long before the Gao Family's experts arrive."

A trace of anxiety appeared on Lan Xiaozhu's face as she asked, "Then what should we do? Miss, he... he is staying here with us. Should we help him?"

Lan Tianyu did not answer. Instead, she asked, "After Gao Hu was taken away, did that youth truly have his servant give antidotes to the four poisoned youths?"

"Mm!" Lan Xiaozhu said. "That old servant was even a little reluctant. That fellow said one Detoxification Pill cost ten thousand taels of blue silver, and the Gao Family would only be allowed to take their people away after paying."

Lan Tianyu said thoughtfully, "Exceptionally intelligent, ruthless in his methods, kind-hearted, and bold enough to defy heaven... Interesting. It has truly been a long time since I encountered such an interesting young lad."

Suddenly, her expression shifted as she recalled the interesting sixteen- or seventeen-year-old youth Mu Qianlan had mentioned yesterday. She could not help laughing silently. She realized that she and Mu Qianlan truly seemed to be growing younger with age, having both become interested in youths.

"Miss..." Lan Xiaozhu called softly.

Lan Tianyu smiled. "Do not worry. With that youth's intelligence, even without our help, he will be able to turn danger into safety. I only wonder what method he will use to resolve this trouble."

Gao Family residence.

The middle-aged man carried Gao Hu on his back and staggered back to the main gate before collapsing headfirst onto the ground.

"It is Young Master! Quickly, get someone..." The four burly men at the residence gate rushed toward the pair.

Very quickly, Gao Hu and the middle-aged man were carried into the residence. When Gao Fengshan, the Gao Family patriarch, hurried over with several confidants, he personally examined both men before sending someone to fetch Detoxification Pills.

"Eagle Guard." A cold light flickered in Gao Fengshan's eyes as he asked in a deep voice, "What happened? Who poisoned you?"

As the middle-aged man felt his strength gradually returning, he recounted everything that had happened at Peach Garden Inn in meticulous detail. Finally, he said, "The four from An Village were poisoned as well and are still there. Their fate is unknown now, whether they are alive or dead."

"That bastard!" Gao Fengshan glared at his unconscious son before taking a deep breath and asking in a deep voice, "Are you certain they are outsiders?"

The middle-aged man said, "I cannot be certain, but they are staying at Peach Garden Inn, so it is highly likely."

Killing intent appeared on Gao Fengshan's face. Looking at a burly man, he said coldly, "They dared poison members of my Gao Family. They must pay a painful price. Fifth Brother, take the Black and White Guards and slaughter those two bastards for me."

"Fine!" Gao Fenglong agreed without hesitation.

"Wait a moment." The middle-aged man hurriedly stopped him. "That old servant is at the Innate Triple Stage. Other than you, no one in the entire Gao Family is his match."

Gao Fengshan's expression changed. He had never expected a mere old servant to be an Innate Realm expert. Just what was that youth's background? If he had an Innate Realm old servant following him, did he have some powerful backing behind him?

"I will go take a look myself!" After pondering for a moment, Gao Fengshan decided to make the trip personally. No matter what the youth's origins were, Gao Family members had been poisoned, and four people had yet to be brought back. If word of this spread, the Gao Family would lose all face.

Peach Garden Inn.

Ye Tong busied himself for quite a while before burying the eight Jade Carvings he had brought around the pavilion. The double formation he had set up used the terrain of the peach grove, combining with it perfectly. Once a cultivator was trapped within it, even an Innate expert would find it extremely difficult to emerge safe and sound.

Ye Tong felt a little pained. After all, he had spent considerable effort carving the eight Jade Carvings. If a cultivator trapped inside forcibly broke the formation, the eight Jade Carvings would shatter as well.

However, if it could resolve the immediate trouble, he could not care about so much.

"Young Master, two Silver Crystals." Not long after taking a Qi Gathering Pill, Medicine Slave held out his hand to ask for Silver Crystals.

Without hesitation, Ye Tong handed him two Silver Crystals and said, "Innate Realm cultivators consume medicinal pills and Silver Crystals this quickly? At your rate of consumption, the Silver Crystals we have will last at most another half month."

Medicine Slave said, "In at most three days, this old servant will break through to the Xiantian Fourth Level."

Ye Tong was immediately delighted. He kept only one Silver Crystal for himself and stuffed all the rest to Medicine Slave. "Use them without worry. Although we do not have many Silver Crystals left, we have plenty of gold notes and silver notes. At worst, we can buy another batch of Silver Crystals. If you need them, we can even purchase Gold Crystals."

Medicine Slave smiled. "Silver Crystals are enough. Using Gold Crystals... would be too extravagant."

Ye Tong smiled. "As long as it can make us become stronger, never mind Gold Crystals—even better treasures would not make me so much as furrow my brow."

Medicine Slave discovered that he liked Young Master's current personality more and more. Although Ye Tong cared about money and wealth, whenever he felt an expense or use was necessary, he possessed a boldness difficult for ordinary people to match. Furthermore, Young Master's change in personality had made his ability to earn wealth a thousandfold, even a hundredfold, stronger than before.

Suddenly, Medicine Slave looked into the distance and said in a low voice, "They are here."