Gathering Information (Seeking Recommendations and Favorites)

Gathering Information (Seeking Recommendations and Favorites)

That evening, Ye Yun and the other two sat at the dinner table eating, looking at Uncle Iron Bull across from him and Yaya beside him.

Though Ye Yun was utterly reluctant to part, he had to leave eventually. With a complicated expression, he looked at Uncle Iron Bull and said, "Uncle Iron Bull, I've troubled you for so many days. Now that my injuries have mostly healed, it's time for me to leave. I've caused you trouble during this time. I, Ye Yun, will never forget Uncle Iron Bull's life-saving grace for as long as I live!"

"Ah Yun, Uncle knew there would come a day when you left, but I didn't expect it to come so soon. Uncle knows your background isn't simple, but Uncle doesn't care about any of that. Whenever you have time, come back and visit Uncle and Yaya. That alone will make Uncle very happy," Uncle Iron Bull said with a sigh as he looked at Ye Yun.

"I understand, Uncle. I definitely will. This isn't much money, but take it and improve things at home a little. Buy Yaya some new clothes too. If you ever run into any trouble, come find me at the Purple Extreme Sect, more than a hundred li away, or send someone with a letter." Ye Yun took out one hundred taels of silver and handed them to Uncle Iron Bull.

It wasn't that he didn't want to give more, but that would not be helping Uncle Iron Bull—it would be harming him. After all, wealth stirred men's hearts.

"Ah Yun, what are you doing? I can't take your money," Uncle Iron Bull refused.

"Uncle, this money is for improving your life and letting Yaya live a little better. Just accept it. Yaya, do you want new clothes?"

"I do!" Yaya said.

"Uncle Iron Bull, you heard her too. Just take it. If you can live a little better, I won't have to worry about you all the time. Isn't that right?"

"If that's the case, then all right. Uncle will accept this money." Under Ye Yun's repeated persuasion, Uncle Iron Bull finally agreed to take it.

Yaya suddenly asked from the side, "Brother Ye Yun, where are you going? Do you not like Yaya anymore? Can you please not leave?"

Seeing Yaya's adorable appearance, Ye Yun reached out and stroked her head. "How could Brother Ye Yun not like Yaya? It's just that Brother Ye Yun has some things to do. Once I'm done, I'll come back and see Yaya, all right?"

After hearing Ye Yun's words, Yaya held out one finger toward him. "All right, then. But Brother Ye Yun, we have to pinky swear. Only then will Yaya let you go."

"Alright. Pinky swear, hang ourselves for a hundred years, no changing our minds. Is that good enough? Hurry and eat. Once you're done, it'll be time to rest." After pinky swearing with Ye Yun, Yaya's mood brightened as well.

The next morning, Uncle Iron Bull and Yaya stood at the courtyard gate, looking at Ye Yun outside. Their eyes were filled with reluctance. Though they had only spent a few short days together, they had accepted Ye Yun into their lives.

"Uncle Iron Bull, Yaya, go back inside. When I have time, I'll come back to see you," Ye Yun said, waving to them.

"Ah Yun, be careful on the road. Uncle doesn't understand any grand truths, but being alive is more important than anything else," Uncle Iron Bull said with deep concern.

"Uncle Iron Bull, I'll keep everything you said in my heart. Don't worry. Go back now. I'm leaving!" Hearing Uncle Iron Bull's simple, honest words, Ye Yun's heart was full of emotion.

He did not dare linger any longer and turned to leave the village.

"Brother Ye Yun, you must remember to come back and see Yaya! Yaya will miss you!" Yaya's voice came from behind him.

Ye Yun did not respond. He quickened his pace as he left, afraid that he would be unable to bear parting.

After reaching the outskirts of the village, Ye Yun steadied his emotions and headed toward Azure Sun Town.

Even now, Ye Yun did not know who the four people who had ambushed him that day were, so he planned to go to Azure Sun Town to gather information and learn the names of his enemies.

After more than an hour, Ye Yun finally arrived outside Azure Sun Town. He carefully disguised himself before entering the town.

After entering Azure Sun Town, Ye Yun came to an inn. The moment he stepped inside, he heard a hubbub of voices. Places like inns were a mixed bag of fish and dragons, making them ideal for gathering information.

After finding an empty table and sitting down, a waiter immediately came over and asked, "Esteemed guest, what would you like to eat?"

Ye Yun glanced at the waiter, took out ten taels of silver from his robes, and placed them on the table. He said, "Waiter, I want to ask you about something. As long as I'm satisfied, this silver will be yours."

"Esteemed guest, you've come to the right person. Within a radius of ten li around Azure Sun Town, there's nothing I don't know. Ask whatever you wish," the waiter said as he tucked the silver into his robes.

Ye Yun did not mind this at all. He asked, "Do you know of a group of three men and one woman near Azure Sun Town? The woman is an archer, and the men are uglier than the last. What are their names?"

Upon hearing Ye Yun's words, the waiter's face instantly turned pale. He looked around in every direction, and only after confirming that no one was paying attention did he breathe a sigh of relief. Then he whispered to Ye Yun, "Esteemed guest, if I'd known you were asking about them, I wouldn't have answered you no matter what. The four people you mentioned are the infamous Blackwater Four Fiends around Azure Sun Town. They have long made a living by robbing and killing people around the Blackwater Mountains. Over the years, the corpses of those who died by their hands could probably be piled into a mountain. I advise you not to set your sights on them."

After hearing the waiter's explanation, Ye Yun was deeply puzzled. Since the Blackwater Four Fiends were so rampant and had committed evil near Azure Sun Town for so many years, why had no one eliminated them, allowing them to remain so carefree?

"The Blackwater Four Fiends are so rampant. Why has no one gotten rid of them?" Ye Yun voiced his doubt to the waiter.

"I heard that the four of them have a True Essence Realm expert backing them, so the mayor of Azure Sun Town turns a blind eye, pretending not to know and allowing them to be so arrogant. Esteemed guest, I've told you all I know. I don't know anything else. I'll take my leave first." The waiter left as though fleeing for his life.

After figuring everything out, Ye Yun began to ponder. It seemed that if he wanted to eliminate the Blackwater Four Fiends, he might have to face a True Essence Realm martial artist directly. At present, there were only two options: one, wait until he broke through to the True Essence Realm before taking revenge; two, find a way to obtain a means of escaping alive from a True Essence Realm martial artist.

For Ye Yun, if he could not take revenge and dispel the resentment in his heart, he would always be at risk of going berserk.

Moreover, he did not want to drag this out for too long.

Ye Yun casually ordered some food. After eating, he left Azure Sun Town and headed back toward the Purple Extreme Sect.

This time, Ye Yun had three goals upon returning to the Purple Extreme Sect. First, to enter the Hundred Strong Ranking. Second, to work hard at improving his cultivation and martial arts realm. Third, to find a way to survive against a True Essence Realm martial artist, striving to eliminate the Blackwater Four Fiends before the Great Dynasty Tournament, defeat Zhuang Yan with a better state of mind, and wash away the humiliation he bore.

For a martial artist, losing was not frightening. What was frightening was losing one's dignity and then not daring to win it back oneself. A martial artist like that would not go far on the path of martial arts.

(End of Chapter)