Great Upheaval Was Coming!

Zhang Xu had been expelled from the Martial Academy?!

The news struck every disciple like a thunderbolt from the ninth heaven.

The wealthy-born Zhang Xu, with his superior constitution, who had always been arrogant in the Inner Courtyard and was regarded as a core disciple...

Had been personally expelled from the sect by the academy master! Permanently struck from the rolls! They even planned to carve his name onto the Pillar of Shame!

After a brief moment of shock and silence, an uproar burst out like a volcano erupting.

"Hiss... Senior Brother Zhang Xu has been permanently expelled..."

"My heavens! What did Zhang Xu do? The academy master made it sound so serious!"

"What a show of resolve! He didn't give the Zhang Family an inch!"

"That's a complete ruin of his reputation!"

Shock, horror, speculation, excitement, and awe surged wildly through the crowd.

Everyone realized this was no ordinary punishment.

It was the harshest judgment Liu Qingshi had ever handed down. It represented the Martial Academy's stance on the matter and meant that it had completely fallen out with the powerful Zhang Family.

Among the Inner Courtyard disciples, those who were close to Zhang Xu looked troubled and avoided everyone's eyes.

Those who had long resented him could barely hide their satisfaction.

Zhao Gang, the Martial Academy's senior disciple, stood at the very front of the crowd. His thick brows were furrowed, and his square face was weighed down with solemn thought.

He gazed at his master's imposing, mountain-like figure on the platform, his thoughts churning.

What heinous crime did that bastard Zhang Xu commit? My master would never have taken such a thunderous measure and completely broken with the Zhang Family otherwise.

My master has always valued old ties and sentiment. He wouldn't go this far unless Zhang Xu had crossed a line...

He had a faint sense that beneath the surface, this matter concealed a storm far more violent than anyone could see.

Liu Yiyi and Su Yan stood together near the front of the female disciples. They had already known this was coming.

Their faces were as calm as still water, as though the commotion around them had nothing to do with them.

Yet the most expressive—and ugliest—faces in the crowd belonged, besides Zhang Xu's two lackeys, who looked utterly bereft and wished they could dig a hole and crawl into it, to Hu Tian, standing farther back with a face that kept turning pale and green.

"H-how could this happen..."

It was as though a bucket of ice water had been poured over Hu Tian from head to toe. He stood frozen in place, his mind buzzing and utterly blank.

Just last night, he had helped Zhang Xu set things up, bringing Liu Yiyi and Su Yan to the banquet.

How had Zhang Xu been expelled from the Martial Academy today...

Could it be... could it be that Senior Brother Zhang Xu and the two senior sisters... didn't... didn't see eye to eye? Did they clash?

He struggled to swallow, his throat dry and tight, trying to find a reasonable explanation for this earth-shaking turn of events.

But... even if they didn't see eye to eye and argued, that shouldn't have ended with him being expelled and his name carved onto the Pillar of Shame! What kind of... what kind of huge mess did he make?!

A chill crept up his spine.

He suddenly remembered that when he had entered the Martial Academy that morning, he had vaguely felt two cold gazes land on him. At the time, he had thought it was his imagination.

Now, trembling, he cautiously raised his eyes and furtively glanced toward Liu Yiyi and Su Yan.

By chance, he met the corner of Liu Yiyi's eye as she turned her gaze and glanced his way.

Her gaze was clear and cold, devoid of warmth—and even carried a trace of... disdain and murderous intent?

Hu Tian's heart sank as though he had plunged into a bottomless ice cave.

It's over... I've really offended those two senior sisters beyond forgiveness!

Panic coiled around his heart like countless icy vines, tightening until he could barely breathe.

Only now did he realize that what had happened last night was probably not as simple as Zhang Xu had made it sound.

What am I supposed to do?

Hu Tian's thoughts were a tangled mess.

Could he still stay at the Martial Academy after offending Liu Yiyi and Su Yan?

Night deepened, and closing time soon approached.

The first person to leave the Martial Academy that day wasn't a disciple from the Outer Courtyard. It was Hu Tian.

He had spent the entire day in a state of panic. As soon as the academy closed, he couldn't wait to make his escape.

Jiang Ye watched his retreating figure flee as if pursued, his eyes narrowing slightly. No one knew what he was thinking.

The disciples left one after another, and the academy grounds fell quiet again.

Boom.

A soft thud sounded.

After the last disciple crossed the threshold, Jiang Ye slowly rose and began to close the two heavy, black-lacquered gates.

As usual, Jiang Ye went straight back to the gatehouse and changed into a faded, unremarkable grayish-brown outfit.

He stood motionless inside the room, his mind sinking inward as the essence of Spirit Ape Thousand Changes flowed through his sea of consciousness like liquid mercury.

Inside his body, all 206 bones and countless tendons and fascia gave off a faint but dense patter of crackling sounds.

In the blink of an eye, the person standing in the room was no longer Jiang Ye, the frail old gatekeeper on the verge of death. In his place stood a tall, lean old man with an unfamiliar face, dressed plainly—the sort of person who would disappear into a crowd and be impossible to recognize.

He walked to the blurry bronze mirror in the corner and examined the utterly unfamiliar reflection, giving a slight nod.

"Mm, this appearance will make things easier."

After confirming his disguise was flawless, he reached into his shirt and felt the five thousand taels in banknotes tucked close to his body.

Then he wasted no time. Like a nimble deer merging into the night, Jiang Ye slipped away from the Martial Academy without a sound.

Anxi County, eastern district.

Jiang Ye stopped in front of a shop.

The storefront was wide, and beneath its eaves hung two imposing lanterns, illuminating a black plaque inscribed in gold: Treasure Medicine Hall.

The three characters were written in bold, vigorous strokes, their iron-and-hook calligraphy hinting at the establishment's formidable foundations.

He had once heard Liu Qingshi casually mention that Treasure Medicine Hall was the foremost medicine shop in Anxi County. It not only carried a full range of medicinal herbs but also sold high-quality finished pills. Its owner had considerable influence and even had connections in Prefecture City.

Jiang Ye stepped into the medicine hall. The interior was brightly lit and spacious, with rows of tall ebony medicine cabinets gleaming with a subdued luster. The air was filled with a complex fragrance from the mingled herbs, soothing to the mind.

Behind the counter, several shop assistants were busy sorting herbs and wiping utensils in an orderly fashion.

A middle-aged man of about forty, dressed in a dark blue silk robe, with fair skin and sharp, lively eyes, saw a customer enter. He immediately set down his account book and approached with a welcoming smile.

His gaze swept over Jiang Ye. Though the old man's clothes were plain, his reserved, steady bearing and straight back gave the shopkeeper pause, and he became even more courteous.

"Welcome to Treasure Medicine Hall, old sir. I'm Cui Yang, the manager here. What can I get for you? Whatever we have in stock, I'll make sure you're satisfied."

Cui Yang cupped his hands in greeting. His tone was warm without being obsequious.

Jiang Ye nodded slightly and got straight to the point, his voice calm and even. "I want to buy Blood Replenishing Pills."

"Blood Replenishing Pills?" Cui Yang replied at once, his smile unchanged. "We have those. Our Blood Replenishing Pills are made with quality ingredients and carefully refined. Their effects are a cut above ordinary pills. The only thing is, the price..."

He paused briefly and held up two fingers. "They're twenty-one taels of silver per bottle now. How many do you need, old sir?"

"Hmm?"

Jiang Ye furrowed his brows, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "Aren't Blood Replenishing Pills twenty taels a bottle? Why have the prices gone up? Do you think I'm an old man who never gets out and can be fleeced with an arbitrary price hike?"

After so many years at the Martial Academy, he naturally knew the price of Blood Replenishing Pills. They were almost always twenty taels a bottle, with little fluctuation.

"Oh, old sir, you've wronged me!"

Cui Yang hurriedly cupped his hands. A wry smile spread across his face as he leaned forward and lowered his voice, explaining with helpless caution.

"It isn't that I want to raise the price. It's just... the situation has grown unstable, and costs have shot up. You've probably heard about neighboring Lushan County... Things are bad there, and they've sealed the city amid internal unrest!"

"With the city sealed, the supply routes for quite a few medicinal herbs have been affected, and prices have soared."

"We've been forced to raise the prices of our pills, too."

Jiang Ye's expression shifted when he heard this.

Lushan County was right next door, not far from Anxi County.

They had actually sealed the city amid internal unrest...

If so, it was only a matter of time before Anxi County was affected.

Thinking back to the growing number of refugees in the city, Jiang Ye felt a premonition.

Great upheaval was coming!