Dirty Water

"Stop standing there in a daze. Run!"

The aftermath of the Innate Grandmasters' clash sent True Qi sweeping in all directions, killing and injuring quite a few innocent onlookers. Xu Fan hurriedly grabbed Ye Chengjing and leaped out of the Drunken Spring Pavilion.

"How dare you!"

An angry shout rang out, followed by a cold, fierce streak of blue saber light.

It slashed toward the two women who were fighting!

Seeing this, Yu Qing and the Jade Maiden Society's Grandmaster each retreated and struck out with a palm, barely managing to scatter the saber light.

The Jade Maiden Society's Grandmaster had already used the force of the blow to retreat into the distance, rushing out of Yin Mountain Prefecture City.

As she left, she spoke in a melodious voice, her hatred still far from spent.

"Yu Qing, I will kill you!"

A middle-aged man in plain clothes landed on the roof of the Drunken Spring Pavilion. He had an imposing presence and carried a specially made embroidered spring saber.

He withdrew his gaze from the distance and fixed it on Yu Qing:

"Leave Yin Mountain Prefecture City within three days, or die."

His tone was flat, but it brooked no doubt, leaving no one willing to argue.

Having delivered his warning, he glanced around and leaped down, vanishing from sight.

At the same time, numerous yamen runners came rushing in from the streets.

"On what grounds? Why should Miss Yu Qing have to leave the prefecture city?"

"That woman was clearly the one who attacked. Miss Yu Qing was only fighting back to protect herself."

"But who would have thought Miss Yu Qing wasn't just a peerless beauty, but a Grandmaster as well?"

"A Grandmaster played the zither, danced, and served tea for the likes of us. Truly, we haven't lived this life in vain."

"Haha, well said! We haven't lived this life in vain!"

"This area is under guard! Clear out, now!"

The yamen runners moved in to separate the crowd of spectators who delighted in watching trouble unfold, then began clearing the scene and recording what had happened.

"I should have thought of it sooner."

Ye Chengjing looked as though he had lost his soul. Hearing what those people said, his face fell at once.

He stared at the place where Yu Qing had vanished, muttering to himself all the while.

"Brother Ye? Brother Ye?"

Xu Fan waved a hand in front of him, but Ye Chengjing was still utterly distraught. There would be no talking to him anytime soon.

Xu Fan shook his head helplessly.

"What was all that about?"

"Why couldn't Yu Qing be an Innate Grandmaster?"

Although he hadn't gotten much information out of Ye Chengjing, he had gained some understanding from watching the Grandmasters fight just now.

"A Grandmaster's protective True Qi is hard to break through."

Clearly, breaking through from Blood Exchange to Innate brought a qualitative transformation in every respect. Innate True Qi was astonishing in both defense and destructive power.

With his current cultivation and Techniques, he might not be able to kill an Innate Grandmaster even with a sneak attack.

"That's a bit troublesome."

"I need to condense the Jade Capital Wheel as soon as possible. Even if I can't crush them, with Spiritual Sense, I'll definitely have the initiative."

Innate Grandmasters did not possess Divine Intention. Innate True Qi and Martial Dao True Intention had astonishing destructive power, but they still had shortcomings as far as he was concerned.

Once he condensed the Jade Capital Wheel, he would still have a chance to kill one.

Seeing that Ye Chengjing would not be returning to normal anytime soon, Xu Fan glanced around, then turned and entered an alley.

Cloudwood Restaurant.

"Thank you, Brother Wu, for getting me out of danger that day."

"Otherwise, even a stray wisp of True Qi from a Grandmaster could have cost me my life."

"A toast to you!"

Ye Chengjing still looked shaken, but he was very enthusiastic. His complexion had also improved considerably, and he no longer had the sunken-eyed look of someone suffering from kidney deficiency.

With his splendid brocade robes, he looked like a completely different person from ten days ago.

"You and I hit it off like old friends the moment we met, Brother. Of course I had to help."

Xu Fan picked up his cup and likewise drained it in one go.

He hadn't expected Ye Chengjing to seek him out. Presumably, over the past few days, Ye Chengjing had learned where he was and heard about some of the things he had done.

Since the Ye Household and the Han Household were at odds, he was quite willing to have dealings with Ye Chengjing and learn more.

"For those words alone, let me offer you another toast, Brother Wu."

Ye Chengjing was delighted to hear it.

According to his investigation, although he hadn't discovered where Wu Song came from, he could tell that the man was very strong, at least an expert who had undergone Blood Exchange eight or nine times.

A figure like that would be well known even in Yin Mountain Prefecture.

Lower Vehicle martial arts could only bring about three Blood Exchanges.

Middle Vehicle martial arts were limited to six Blood Exchanges.

Only Higher Vehicle martial arts could bring about seven or more Blood Exchanges and allow one to become a Grandmaster, or even a Great Grandmaster.

A martial artist who had undergone Blood Exchange seven or more times must have learned Higher Vehicle martial arts and was almost certainly not from some small place beneath the prefecture city.

If the Ye Household could recruit him, that would be a good thing too.

In his prime at around thirty, he still had a chance of comprehending Martial Dao True Intention and advancing to Innate Grandmaster.

Cups went back and forth, and three rounds of wine passed.

"Brother Ye, why did you say that day that Miss Yu Qing couldn't be Innate?"

"And what about that Jade Maiden Society?"

Xu Fan was curious.

Why had Ye Chengjing made that face when he learned Miss Yu Qing was a Grandmaster?

Could he have been in love with her and upset to learn that the gap in their strength was too great?

But it hadn't looked like that at the time.

"Well... let's not talk about it."

Ye Chengjing's expression stiffened. He gave an awkward smile, unwilling to say more.

Even now, just thinking about it gave him goosebumps.

"Fair enough."

Xu Fan didn't press him. He had only been curious.

Instead, he brought up the major matter concerning himself that had caused a sensation in the prefecture city these past few days:

"The Han Household really has spared no expense. They even put up Emperor Flow Serum as a reward."

"I heard that Xu Fan has cultivated the Wedding Robe Divine Art for less than a year and is suspected of already breaking through to Innate. He even killed Han Tianhao. His guts are big enough to blot out the sky."

During his ten days in the prefecture city, aside from observing the Han Household, he had cultivated methodically, absorbing the essence of the sun and moon.

Every day, he spent quite a bit of silver on precious fish and medicinal treasures to charge up and cultivate.

In just ten days, he had already spent over a thousand taels. The silver had truly flowed like water.

This also meant he was not far from condensing the Jade Capital Wheel and finishing the charge.

"What Wedding Robe Divine Art cultivator?"

Ye Chengjing gave a mocking laugh:

"It's just a pretext the Han Household cooked up to get Innate Grandmasters from sects who care about their reputations to make a move."

"The Han Household knows that Xu Fan isn't a Wedding Robe Divine Art cultivator, and that the Northern Pacification Office won't hunt him down for it. They don't want to risk getting involved personally either, so they set up this whole stage."

"Without branding him a Wedding Robe Divine Art cultivator, the reward alone would only draw some bounty hunters of considerable strength, and they might not be enough to deal with Xu Fan."

"Only if those sect disciples, or even True Disciples, make a move will Xu Fan find no road to heaven and no door into the earth."

"Now that Han Tianling has joined Saber-Nurturing Valley, which Aristocratic Clan scion or sect disciple across the provinces and prefectures wouldn't want to cultivate a connection?"

"With the reward of Emperor Flow Serum and the lure of the reputation that comes from slaying a Wedding Robe Divine Art cultivator, that Xu Fan is surely ten deaths with no life."

Speaking of this brought a worried look to his face. The Han Household would only grow more powerful in the future.

It was already foreseeable that they would monopolize an entire prefecture, and they might even rule as an Immortal Clan someday.

For a genius on the Hidden Dragon Ranking who had mastered three kinds of Martial Dao True Intention at the Blood Exchange stage, the Grandmaster realm was merely a threshold he could step over at will.

Divine Intention Great Grandmaster would not be the end, either.

"So that's how it is. An astute assessment, Brother Ye."

Xu Fan understood. He had initially wondered why the Han Household had branded him a Wedding Robe Divine Art cultivator.

Given the Han Household's current standing, offering Emperor Flow Serum as a reward was already beyond expectations, showing how determined they were to kill him.

He thought to himself that, as expected of a scion of one of Yin Mountain Prefecture City's only two Aristocratic Clans, Ye Chengjing had thoroughly analyzed the interests involved in just a few words.

People prized reputation, especially in the martial world.

If killing him could earn them a reputation as well as a treasure like Emperor Flow Serum, which could help Blood Exchange martial artists and Innate Grandmasters comprehend Martial Dao True Intention, many Grandmasters would presumably be happy to make a move.

"I've only seen more thanks to my Lineage's position."

Ye Chengjing shook his head slightly and raised his cup again:

"Brother Wu, if you ever want a place to settle down, the Ye Household will always welcome you."

"Haha, if that day comes, I'll certainly come looking for you, Brother Ye."