Yang Yan

"Yang Yan? He's here? Take me to see him, quickly!" Nie Yun's eyes lit up at the name spoken by the steward.

Yang Yan was an inner-branch disciple of the Yang Family, one of the Four Great Families. Because of an incident, he had lost faith in his family and voluntarily transferred to the outer branch. He was about Feng Xiao's age and possessed mid-stage Fourth Layer True Qi Realm strength. He and Nie Yun had always gotten along well.

In his previous life, Yang Yan could be said to have been his only friend in his youth. When the Four Great Families fell into turmoil, Yang Yan had fallen out with his family for Nie Yun's sake and had both arms chopped off. Later, when the Demon Race laid siege, Nie Yun had narrowly escaped with Nie Tong's help, but he never heard any news of Yang Yan again.

After his cultivation had reached a certain level, he had specifically searched for him, only to learn that he had already died fighting the Demon Race!

This had always been something he found hard to let go of.

In his previous life, Yang Yan had lost his arms for him. He had thought this debt of gratitude could never be repaid, but he had never expected to return three hundred years into the past!

In a few strides, Nie Yun reached the reception hall. Sure enough, he saw a young man seated in the guest's seat, drinking tea. The young man's muscles bulged, and his entire body brimmed with strength. The instant he saw Nie Yun, he smiled. "You're awake! I just heard about what happened between you and Nie Chao. Don't worry, I'll avenge you. I'll definitely beat that bastard until he can't take care of himself!"

"There's no need!" As the familiar figure before him gradually merged with memories from three hundred years ago, Nie Yun shook his head.

A cultivator's arms were among the most important things they possessed. Thinking of how Yang Yan had not hesitated to turn against his family for him, even losing both arms, Nie Yun could not help but feel his eyes redden.

It was not that the mighty Blood Prison Demon Venerable had suddenly become sentimental. Rather, in his previous life, he had not been born cold and heartless either. It was only after everyone he cared about had died that his temperament had changed so drastically!

"No need? Don't worry about me. No matter what, I'm an inner-branch disciple of the Yang Family. In terms of status, I'm far above this Nie Chao. Even if I beat him until he can't take care of himself, your Nie Family won't dare say anything to me!"

Yang Yan thought Nie Yun was worried that injuring Nie Chao would bring trouble, so he waved a hand magnanimously, utterly unconcerned.

It was the truth that the Nie Family would not say anything even if he injured Nie Chao. To be precise, Yang Yan was the son of the current Yang Family patriarch and the half-brother of Yang Jun, heir to the foremost family!

The conflict between Yang Yan and the Yang Family was an utterly commonplace one: the struggle between a concubine-born son and a legitimate son for power within the family. After his birth mother died of illness, his father not only refused to bury her, but even refused to place her memorial tablet in the family hall, all because she had been a concubine!

In a fit of fury, Yang Yan left the Yang Family. He nearly died after suffering cultivation deviation, but happened to be saved by Nie Yun, who was out traveling at the time. That was how the two became friends!

"Young Master Yang Yan, there truly is no need for you to act, because Nie Chao has already been beaten by the young master until he can't take care of himself!" Steward Nie Chong, standing to one side, smiled at Yang Yan's words.

"Beaten until he can't take care of himself by the young master? You did it?" Yang Yan had clearly not expected this. He froze for a moment, then turned wide-eyed toward Nie Yun.

"Heh heh, just luck!" Nie Yun did not want to say much about it. Looking at the young man before him, he chuckled. "You didn't come here today just to avenge me, did you?"

The two had a close relationship, so they spoke freely and casually.

"Ah, right! If you hadn't asked, I would've forgotten. I heard that Luoshui Auction House is auctioning off a top-grade Marquis-class battle axe today, so I came specifically to ask you to go take a look with me!"

Slapping his forehead, Yang Yan grinned.

Like cultivation techniques and bloodlines, weapons were divided into five grades: Emperor, King, Marquis, Noble, and Common. Different grades naturally possessed different levels of power.

"A battle axe?" Nie Yun immediately remembered upon hearing this.

After awakening in his previous life, Yang Yan had indeed invited him to the auction house. But both of them had been poor as church mice. Forget buying the battle axe—they had merely gone there to feast their eyes before returning empty-handed!

This battle axe was called the Blazing Axe, a top-grade Marquis-class weapon. It had been purchased by Yang Yan's elder brother in his previous life—Yang Jun, heir to the foremost Yang Family line.

Later, Yang Yan's arms had been chopped off by Yang Jun using this very battle axe!

Yang Yan had always deeply respected this half-brother of his. He simply could not believe that Yang Jun would chop off his arms! Because of this, he became dispirited and ultimately died at the hands of the Demon Race!

"You're going to look at the battle axe, but do you have the money to buy it?" Knowing that Yang Yan was naturally robust and particularly fond of strength-based weapons, Nie Yun deliberately asked with a smile.

"Money... cough, cough. Even if I don't have any, I can still look!" Yang Yan became rather embarrassed.

"Fine, then. Let's go take a look!" Seeing his expression, Nie Yun chuckled.

In his previous life, he had lacked the money to buy it and had ultimately allowed the battle axe to fall into Yang Jun's hands, making it an accomplice in the chopping off of Yang Yan's arms. This time, he would absolutely not allow that to happen!

Though he was still penniless, with the knowledge of two lifetimes and memories that let him foresee what was to come, making some money would be no problem at all!

Besides, he needed medicinal ingredients to prepare medicinal liquid anyway. He could buy them all at the auction house while he was there.

"Good, let's walk there!"

Hearing the youth agree, Yang Yan hurriedly nodded and turned to head outside, as though afraid Nie Yun might change his mind.

"We're leaving now? Don't be in such a hurry! Since we're going, naturally we're going to buy that battle axe. Once we head out later, follow my arrangements. Do whatever I tell you to do, and speak only when I tell you to speak. Otherwise, we might as well not go—there would be no point in going!" Nie Yun gave him advance warning.

"Buy it? You said we can buy it? Fine! As long as you can buy this battle axe, I'll do whatever you ask! Isn't it just listening to you? That's easy!" Upon hearing that Nie Yun intended to buy the battle axe, Yang Yan jumped up excitedly, thumping his chest as he loudly promised.

"Good. Uncle Nie Chong, help me find some flour and mud..."

This was exactly what Nie Yun had been waiting to hear. He chuckled and turned to give the order.

"Yes!" Although Nie Chong found it strange that the young master wanted flour and mud, he still answered and left. Before long, he returned with both items.

Two incense sticks' time later, two people quietly emerged from a corner of the Nie Tian Branch courtyard. The one in front had three wisps of dark green beard, graying hair, and a tall, slender frame clad in a blue-gray robe. He looked transcendent and sage-like, like an enlightened master. Behind him stood a hulking brute, broad and thick, with a face covered in tangled beard. Judging by his appearance alone, he looked ferocious in the extreme.

One appeared transcendent and sage-like, while the other was fierce and menacing. The two did not match in the slightest, yet they walked together, creating an indescribably strange sight.

Naturally, these two were Nie Yun and Yang Yan in disguise.

Nie Yun's Art of Disguise was unmatched beneath the heavens. Even familiar tavern attendants had failed to recognize him when he disguised himself, much less anyone who had never seen either of these faces before.

Even so, when Nie Chong and Yang Yan saw the disguised appearances, they could not help being greatly shocked. When they looked at Nie Yun again, a trace of strangeness appeared in their eyes. They could not understand when this youth had learned such a formidable Art of Disguise.

Nie Yun did not explain much. Sometimes, the more one explained, the more troublesome things became. It was better to say nothing and let them speculate. In any case, Nie Chong was the old steward of the branch and kept a tight mouth, while Yang Yan, being directly involved, would not spread the matter around either. There was no need to worry about news of his skill in disguise getting out.

"Nie... Master, where are we going now?"

Yang Yan, following behind, called out.

Nie Yun had instructed him that after leaving the courtyard, he was to address him as Master. Though Yang Yan was not particularly willing, he endured it for the sake of buying the battle axe!

As for why such a transcendent, sage-like master would accept a disciple who looked like a bandit, Nie Yun had no solution for that either! Yang Yan was simply too broad and burly. If he disguised him as a young attendant, that would have been far too absurd...

"Of course, we're going to make money. Heh heh!" Nie Yun gave a sly chuckle, an unbelievably lecherous grin appearing on his face.

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