Then They Were Dead Wrong

Only a handful of people on Seven Mysteries Peak knew him and were acquainted with him.

Senior Brother Zhang Qingshan was one, that damned Jin Feng was another, and then there were Zhang Sanlei, Li Zongqing, and Wang Fulai.

There were also the Azure Phoenix Fairy and the Seventh Elder, but neither could possibly have come, and the voices were not theirs.

It was not Jin Feng either. Jin Feng had not come looking for him in a long time, and he had no idea where the man had gone.

The voice he heard was actually Zhang Sanlei's. Did they know I was here? Or had they recognized me?

Sure enough, Zhang Sanlei, Li Zongqing, and Wang Fulai were standing outside his cave abode, glaring fiercely at it as they shouted.

"Ye Han! Don't think we can't do anything to you just because you're hiding in your cave abode!"

"You little brat, don't think we can't find you! Are you just going to forget what you promised us?"

"Come out, Ye Han. We won't hurt you. Didn't we have an agreement? You were going to help us deal with that Demon Beast."

"That's right, come out! You're the only suitable person. Just give us a hand. We definitely won't shortchange you!"

"Exactly! You promised us, then tried to back out and even lied to us. We've decided to let that slide, but if you won't help us, just you wait!"

Ye Han frowned deeply as he listened. These three were using both threats and inducements. From their tone and words, he immediately realized that they really had recognized him.

But how was that possible? If they remembered what I looked like, they should have recognized me when we ran into each other in the sect last time.

They should have come looking for him long ago.

Yet only now had they come to his cave abode.

He suspected someone had told them who he was. Could it be...

Ye Han had no intention of going outside. He let them shout while he pondered who had revealed his true identity.

Besides, he had grown so much taller and bigger. His build had changed considerably.

Senior Brother Zhang Qingshan had said that practicing the Blood Refining Art could accelerate his physical growth. His advancing cultivation was part of the reason, but the main reason was the effect of practicing the Blood Refining Art.

How could an ordinary child grow more than a head taller in just a few months?

That was why his body had changed so much.

Back in Green Ox Village, he had eaten poorly, slept poorly, and lacked adequate nutrition. He had been much smaller than other children.

He had looked barely ten years old, with somewhat dark skin. Now, after expelling impurities from his body several times, Ye Han had fair skin and the build of a young man. He had changed enormously.

It would not have been easy for Zhang Sanlei and the other two to recognize him, which was why they had failed to do so during their last encounter in the sect.

But now they had suddenly turned up at his cave abode. Someone had clearly told them that the boy they had met was him.

Who could it be?

Was it that damned Jin Feng?

Or the Fifth Elder?

Ye Han's expression darkened. The only people in the Azure Profound Sect who held a grudge against him should have been Jin Feng and the Fifth Elder.

But ever since the Azure Phoenix Fairy had driven Jin Feng away that time, he had not come to harass Ye Han again.

He should not have known how much Ye Han's appearance had changed.

Then it was the Fifth Elder?

Damn it! How could a Golden Core cultivator be so petty?

The more Ye Han thought about it, the more he felt there was only one conclusion: the person targeting him was probably that damned Fifth Elder.

But so much time had passed. Why was the Fifth Elder still refusing to let him go?

Was that not far too small-minded for a Golden Core Stage cultivator?

Still, this was only Ye Han's conjecture. He did not know what had actually happened.

He never went out of his way to provoke anyone, yet others always seemed to have him in their sights. It left Ye Han feeling utterly helpless.

Outside, Zhang Sanlei and the others were growing increasingly impatient as they shouted.

Suddenly!

Wang Fulai blurted out, "Ye Han! Don't think we can't do anything to you just because you're hiding in your cave abode! Zhang Qingshan is your warning!"

The moment he said that, Zhang Sanlei and Li Zongqing glared at Wang Fulai, their eyes full of warning.

Zhang Sanlei lowered his voice and snapped, "You idiot! Don't say things you shouldn't!"

Li Zongqing cursed him too. "You fool! Is that something you can say?"

Hearing them, Wang Fulai realized his mistake. In his impatience, how had he let something like that slip?

He defended himself without much confidence. "He probably hasn't seen Zhang Qingshan yet, has he?"

Zhang Sanlei and Li Zongqing stared at him with grim expressions, making Wang Fulai look increasingly uneasy.

Still, Wang Fulai whispered, "What are we afraid of? Zhang Qingshan is already in that state, and our backer is far stronger than he is."

At that, Zhang Sanlei's and Li Zongqing's expressions eased slightly. Harming fellow disciples was strictly forbidden.

But the other party had no evidence. Of course, it was only a remark; no one would investigate it.

Still, why had this idiot gone shouting his mouth off?

The speaker meant nothing by it, but the listener took it to heart.

Ye Han was exceptionally sharp. He immediately realized that Senior Brother Zhang Qingshan's suspicions had been right. When he had gone out on that mission, he had never been confident of success.

He had indeed succeeded and completed the mission, only to be surrounded and attacked by outsiders with sinister intentions.

Zhang Qingshan suspected that someone had betrayed him, and the people he suspected were Zhang Sanlei and his two companions...

Ye Han did not know what grudge they held against Zhang Qingshan, but he knew Zhang Qingshan's character well. He would never have taken the initiative to provoke them.

Rather, Zhang Qingshan must have spoiled something for the three of them, causing them to bear a grudge against him.

Now Wang Fulai had accidentally let the truth slip.

That meant they were responsible for Zhang Qingshan losing his arm and suffering such severe injuries.

At that thought, Ye Han's expression darkened. Senior Brother Zhang Qingshan was such a good man, yet they had reduced him to this.

And they were even fellow disciples.

But Senior Brother Zhang Qingshan...

Before Ye Han could think any further-

Click...

The door to the Cultivation Room opened, and Zhang Qingshan walked out. His expression was calm, showing neither joy nor sorrow.

Seeing Ye Han's grim expression, he grinned and said, "Don't let it bother you! Although we're allies, we're also competitors. Cultivators fight to seize resources. The last time I had a dispute with them, it was because I completed their mission."

At that point, Zhang Qingshan's expression darkened again, and he said coldly, "But if they think I'm a sickly cat they can bully, then they're dead wrong."

Then he looked at Ye Han grimly and asked, "Junior Brother Ye! You said before that you had a plan to deal with them. What did you have in mind?"

Ye Han looked at Zhang Qingshan's grim expression. It was the first time he had ever seen him like this. His eyes shifted, and after a moment's thought, he revealed his plan...