Cui Shiming

"Shopkeeper, I'll take this sword. How much is it?" Ye Chen did not put it back and asked the attendant waiting nearby.

The attendant glanced at the Broken Sword. "The proprietor said that all these ancient weapons are priced at twenty thousand taels of silver. No bargaining, and no price hikes."

"All right."

The price was within Ye Chen's means. It was worth buying.

Over there, Ye Hai had also picked out a Stone Figurine and a broken Bronze Bell, which came to fifteen thousand taels of silver altogether. By that reckoning, Nine Cauldrons Pavilion's annual profits were simply astronomical. After all, some antiques might have been acquired for only a few dozen taels, or even just a few taels.

By the time the two left Nine Cauldrons Pavilion, it was already noon.

"Ye Chen, let's eat at Chaoyang Tower! My treat." Ye Hai had a Storage Spirit Ring, a gift from his master Duan Yueke, and he put the Stone Figurine and broken Bronze Bell inside it.

Chaoyang Tower was Luocheng City's largest restaurant. Ye Chen had not been there in a long time, so he immediately nodded in agreement.

A quarter of an hour later, the two arrived at Chaoyang Tower and followed the waiter upstairs.

"Gentlemen, would you like a private room, or shall you dine in the main hall?" the waiter asked.

Ye Chen said, "The main hall is fine."

"Certainly. There's a window seat over there. This way, gentlemen." The waiter first gestured toward it, then hurried over and used the towel on his shoulder to wipe the table.

Dropping into his seat, Ye Hai looked out at the street and said, "Luocheng City still feels the most familiar. You have no idea—my master and I practically roam the world every day. Today we might be in this city, and the next day we'll arrive at some nameless little town a thousand miles away. Sometimes, when our luck is bad, there won't be a soul within tens of thousands of miles, and then we can only dine on the wind and sleep beneath the dew."

"Have you never encountered danger?" Ye Chen asked.

"Of course we have. My master and I were once chased through Great Wilderness Ridge in the Black Dragon Empire by a peak level-six Demonic Beast. We were also besieged by renowned experts from Tuoluo Kingdom. Luckily, our fortune was good. Each time, it was a false alarm, and we escaped safely." Recalling the past, Ye Hai still felt lingering fear.

Ye Chen rather admired Ye Hai. The man was clearly the wandering sort, and naturally, his master Duan Yueke was as well. No wonder the two had become master and disciple.

The dishes arrived, and the two ordered a pot of wine as well, eating and drinking with great relish.

Thud, thud, thud...

While they were eating, a jumble of footsteps sounded from the staircase. There were quite a few people.

"Senior Brother Cui, Chaoyang Tower is the largest restaurant in Luocheng City. Many famous figures and experts have dined here. You certainly won't be disappointed." A crisp female voice rang out. It was Ye Xuan.

"Since Junior Sister Ye praises Chaoyang Tower so highly, it must have something extraordinary about it. Junior Brothers, you must savor it properly later."

"Indeed. It isn't often that we visit Junior Sister Ye's territory. We ought to leave behind some memories, no matter what."

"Junior Sister Ye, Luocheng City may be lovely, but it is no place to linger. Jade Valley is your home from now on!" someone coaxed.

The footsteps grew louder and louder as the group arrived on the second floor. Ye Xuan was about to speak when she spotted Ye Chen and Ye Hai by the window. With a cold snort, she frowned.

"Junior Sister Ye, who are these two?" The small-eyed youth noticed something unusual in Ye Xuan's gaze. Turning his head, he found Ye Chen and Ye Hai exceptionally conspicuous on the second floor.

Ye Xuan said indifferently, "They are disciples of my Ye Family."

"Ye Family disciples? Which sect do they belong to?" another youth asked.

"One joined the Flowing Cloud Sect, while the other travels the martial world with Duan Yueke," Ye Xuan answered truthfully.

"The Flowing Cloud Sect is a major sect in Heavenly Wind Kingdom, but unfortunately, it cannot compare to our Jade Valley. They are two grades below us. As for this Duan Yueke, who is he? Why have I never heard of him? He can't be some martial-world swindler, can he?" Several youths began teasing one another.

Ye Hai had long noticed their arrival and initially did not want to bother with them. But he had not expected them to directly insult his master Duan Yueke. Anger immediately rose in his heart. Setting down his chopsticks, he turned, stood up, and said, "Who are you people? Do you not know that insulting another person's master is rude?"

The small-eyed youth sneered. "I'm reminding you not to fall for the tricks of certain martial-world swindlers. Otherwise, suffering a loss would be one thing, but losing your life would not be worth it." Under ordinary circumstances, they would certainly have given Ye Xuan some face. But when they heard that Ye Xuan had lost to someone named Ye Chen at the Clan Gathering, they felt very displeased. Ye Xuan had not said it outright just now, but once they heard he was from the Flowing Cloud Sect, how could they not understand? Thus, they mocked him without restraint, hoping to flaunt Jade Valley's might.

Ye Hai's face darkened. "Take back what you just said, and I won't hold your offense against you."

"What a joke. Words once spoken are like water flung out—there's no taking them back. What, what do you intend to do?" The small-eyed youth looked at Ye Hai provocatively.

Ye Xuan's expression was troubled. These people were Jade Valley disciples, with cultivation roughly equal to hers. The strongest among them was Senior Brother Cui, Cui Shiming, who had remained silent all along. He was already a Mid True Condensation Realm martial artist, a notable figure even among Jade Valley's Inner Sect Disciples. Though Cui Shiming had not stated it directly, Ye Xuan could clearly sense that he was interested in her. Otherwise, he would not have traveled thousands of miles from Jade Valley specifically to see her.

On one side were Ye Family disciples, and on the other were Jade Valley disciples. Ye Xuan did not want them to clash. Whether it damaged the Ye Family's dignity or Jade Valley's dignity, neither was something she wished to see.

"Lu Zhao, forget it!" Ye Xuan finally spoke up to stop him.

The small-eyed youth named Lu Zhao glanced at Ye Hai and nodded. "I'll give Junior Sister Ye some face. Otherwise, the one who suffers would definitely be you."

"We'll only know after trying. Mountain Character Fist!" Ye Hai roared, True Qi surging through his body as he threw a punch at Lu Zhao.

"You're courting death." A chilling gleam flashed through Lu Zhao's eyes. He sprang forward, instantly intercepting Ye Hai three paces away, and struck out with his palm.

Boom!

Several nearby tables were overturned by the fierce wind, and the diners scattered in panic amid cries of alarm.

Ye Hai staggered back three steps and shouted wildly, "Again!"

He threw another punch, even more powerful than the last.

Jade Shattering Palm!

Failing to defeat Ye Hai with one strike made Lu Zhao's face look rather ugly. He immediately unleashed Jade Valley's ultimate art, faint jade-like cracks spreading across his palm.

When fist and palm collided, the sound of shattered jade erupted. Ye Hai was ultimately a little inferior in cultivation, and he could not withstand the force. He retreated straight backward, knocking over three or four tables in succession without stopping.

Just as he was about to tumble out the window, Ye Chen made his move. He gently patted Ye Hai on the back, and the True Qi of the Pure Origin Skill crushed and destroyed Lu Zhao's True Qi like dry weeds and rotten wood, preventing Ye Hai from making a fool of himself before everyone.

"So you're that Ye Chen. Take a palm strike from me." Lu Zhao had been looking for an opportunity to teach Ye Chen a lesson. Seeing him intervene, he no longer had any reservations. With a single leap, he charged forward as the Jade Shattering Palm burst through the air.

"Get back!"

Ye Chen did not move his body. He threw a punch, then withdrew it in an instant.

Pfft!

As if several galloping horses had slammed into him, Lu Zhao flew backward at even greater speed in horror, vomiting a large mouthful of blood in midair.

At that moment, Cui Shiming, the Senior Brother Cui Ye Xuan had mentioned, casually caught Lu Zhao and said blandly, "Junior Brother Lu, in the future, either do not make a move, or if you do, uphold Jade Valley's prestige. Do you remember that?"

After saying this, he shifted the subject and addressed Ye Chen. "You injured a Jade Valley disciple. Do you know your crime?"