He Was Still Himself, but She Was No Longer the Same

The disciples in the Liu Lineage's caravan gripped the reins or held onto the cargo boxes, their eyes all fixed on Ye An.

They had only heard of them by name but never seen them in person.

Ye An had heard of this name when he helped Liu Ruyan gain a foothold in the mine, but he had gradually forgotten about it over time.

The last time I heard about it was during the resource battle between the Azure Dragon Hall and the Black Tortoise Hall. Ye An didn't show up and was subtly mocked as a "turtle".

Later, the news took a turn, and this Ye guest master Qi Condensation.

Now he stood there, Meng Qian's politeness intended to make him back down, but he simply shook his head, neither dodging nor avoiding. In this world, there are too many people who take money but do nothing, and even more who hold the title of guest advisor and receive a salary without working, but this Guest Advisor Ye is not one of them.

"Then let's see who's the real deal." Meng Qian made up his mind. After all, what did it matter if their cultivation levels were the same as his? The other party was so young; they must have used some kind of trick, such as taking pills, and their foundation was extremely weak.

How could his Qi Condensation, which he had painstakingly cultivated for decades, be defeated by a mere youth?

He slightly raised both palms, assuming a fighting stance.

Seeing Meng Qian move, Liu Ruyan knew he was about to attack, so she took half a step forward. "Master Ye, be careful..."

The words had barely left his mouth when Ye An moved.

Without any indication of gathering momentum, he simply took a step forward and thrust out his right palm flat; this strike was merely a test.

Black Tortoise Mountain-Suppressing Palm - Mountain-Shattering.

The Palm Force strike exploded the moment it made contact with the opponent's True Essence defense.

Meng Qian had already assumed a complete defensive stance, but his True Qi was torn open like paper. He was pushed back several steps by the force of the Mountain-Shattering, leaving a long drag mark on the ground with his feet.

He looked down at his arms, which were already numb, then looked up at Ye An.

But they found the other person standing still, their breathing as steady as if they hadn't done anything, not even their breathing rhythm had changed.

Meng Qian's expression shifted from shock to resentment, and then from resentment to decisiveness, all within a single breath.

He didn't speak again, withdrew his numb hands, and this time genuinely called out, "Big brother, big brother, I was wrong."

Unfortunately, Meng Qian's cultivation Cultivation Method were only at the Meridian Opening level, and his Martial Techniques were at the Spirit Grade level.

When facing the core Cultivation Method Martial Arts of the four Four Halls disciples of the Four Symbols Sect, the two are not even on the same level.

Meng Qian spoke crisply; as Rogue Cultivator, he understood a principle.

Only by being flexible and adaptable can one endure longer.

He turned to leave.

"Wait a minute." Ye An's voice came from behind, and Meng Qian stopped in his tracks.

"Brother Meng has stayed here for three days, during which time the Liu Lineage has lost countless profits. As Liu Family Guest Elder, I demand an explanation."

Meng Qian was silent for a moment, then sighed, took out a money pouch from his pocket, and unfastened it along with a fine jade pendant from his waist, placing it on the ground. "This is all the wealth I have on me."

Ye An nodded, indicating that it was fine and they could leave.

Meng Qian didn't linger any longer, turned around and left quickly, afraid that if he stayed even a second longer, his clothes would be left behind.

Liu Hou took all of this into account. Back then, he had repeatedly advised Liu Ruyan to consider the marriage alliance with the Song Family in the council hall because he felt that the Liu Lineage needed a reliable in-law. But now?

Perhaps they've already found that powerful backer.

Liu Ruyan stood behind Ye An, and she hadn't moved since Ye An made his move.

She wasn't a martial artist, but she could clearly see the difference between the two.

She stood a few steps away and suddenly remembered the first time she met Ye An.

At that time, Ye An had only undergone his Second Body Tempering. He admired the other party's loyal and righteous character and wanted to recruit him as Liu Family Guest Elder. Even though the other party did not agree, he still wanted to establish a good relationship.

Unexpectedly, this small act of kindness not only helped him gain a foothold in the Liu Lineage, but also helped the Liu Lineage this time.

After all, if this batch of goods incurs a loss, it would be a huge problem.

Ye An turned around, Liu Ruyan went to greet him, "Teacher Ye, Ruyan has remembered what happened today."

"Master Ye, please rest for a moment while Ruyan explains some things..."

Liu Ruyan found the person leading the team, her uncle Liu Hou.

She hadn't wanted to say much to him, but this time she really needed him to do something. "Uncle Hou, after this shipment is delivered, could you check along the way for any precious medicines or treasures? If you find anything suitable, acquire it at any cost."

Liu Hou immediately understood and replied, "I understand."

Seeing Ye An back the Qi Condensation Rogue Cultivator with a single palm strike, he knew better than anyone that he had to cling to this powerful figure.

Liu Hou was already planning his next move in Clear River Commandery. He had to find something useful to bring back this time, otherwise he would be ashamed of Ye Keqing's blow today.

The carriage moved slowly along the official road.

Liu Ruyan sat on one side of the carriage shaft, originally intending to take this opportunity to communicate more with Ye An and deepen their relationship. However, Ye An was leaning against the carriage wall, meditating with his eyes closed and his breathing even and long, clearly in the middle of cultivation.

Liu Ruyan dared not disturb him. She finally understood that Ye An's cultivation of martial arts was more diligent than anyone she had ever seen.

She originally thought she would dedicate her life to her ideal career and would never have any romantic feelings for a man.

However, during this time she realized that, without her noticing, her feelings for Ye An had become more than just those of a guest.

But she also knew that the other party didn't seem to have any other intentions towards her. Ye An helped her from beginning to end only because of that bottle of "Flawless Body Tempering Pill" and his current status as a guest elder, and never overstepped the bounds.

The carriage stopped in front of the gate of the Four Symbols Sect.

Ye An noticed and stepped out of the carriage.

Not far away, Lu Xingzhou and Shen Qing were coming out from the direction of the mountain gate. The two walked and talked, and took another look when they saw the carriage.

There weren't many Lineage in Cangwu Prefectural City who could afford to ride in this kind of standard carriage, and they recognized the Liu Lineage's emblem. Before they could think much about it, they saw Ye An get off the carriage.

Just as Lu Xingzhou was about to call out for help, the carriage curtain moved again, and Liu Ruyan got out of the carriage.

Ye An turned around. "Miss Liu, there's no need to see me off any further. I've arrived. If you encounter any further trouble and need my assistance, please feel free to let me know."

Standing beside the car, Liu Ruyan felt a surge of joy upon hearing these words.

One group was delighted that Ye An hadn't refused the Liu Lineage's offer; he was willing to continue serving as Liu Family Guest Elder.

Another source of joy was that Ye An referred to "her," not the Liu Lineage.

Liu Ruyan's initial disappointment had subsided. "I'll remember what Master Ye said. If I ever encounter any trouble in the future, I'm afraid I'll have to bother Master Ye quite a bit."

"But don't worry, Master Ye, Ruyan knows what's important and won't bother you with everything."

She smiled, a smile she had never shown to anyone else, "Ye An, see you later."

Ye An didn't pay much attention to the change in how the other person addressed him, and simply nodded.

Before he had gone far, he saw two familiar faces staring at him, motionless...