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墨書 Inktalez
That night, they drank heavily until the early hours. The next day at noon, Qin Changlin, accompanied by the elders of the Qin Family and the Steward, saw Ye Tian off, walking several miles before returning. Ye Tian was escorting Duan Liu as they headed north, embarking on their journey back to the village.
The summer sun was scorching, baking everything on the ground. A layer of heat seemed to rise from the dirt road in the distance, and sweat rolled down both of their foreheads.
Duan Liu glanced back and saw Qin Changlin and the others still watching them from a distance. He teased Ye Tian, "You’re quite something; people are already trying to curry favor with you."
Ye Tian remained noncommittal. He understood Qin Changlin's intentions. Although Qin Changlin had formidable strength as a Martial Unity Definition expert, he was already in his sixties. Given his current rate of breakthroughs, it was unlikely he would achieve significant improvements without extraordinary luck in his remaining years.
However, Qin Changlin had made countless enemies. While he currently wielded immense power in Luoma Market, no one could guarantee that a genius wouldn’t emerge from another faction one day. If that happened and Qin Changlin couldn’t suppress them, given the Qin Family's history, retaliation would be inevitable.
This was why Qin Changlin treated Ye Tian with such courtesy. Many young people reached Four-Stage Martial Artist status at seventeen or eighteen, but few gained such esteemed status in Cloud Sea Sect at that age.
If nothing unexpected occurred, it was clear that Ye Tian's future achievements would be remarkable. Even a fool could see that hosting a banquet in exchange for such strong support was akin to winning the lottery.
At this moment, Ye Tian and Duan Liu had reached a slope. Looking back, they saw figures still standing far away, mostly dressed in dark clothing. Only Cold Yang stood out in white attire, making him appear quite out of place.
Though they were far away, Ye Tian could feel Cold Yang's intense gaze upon him. They had devised a plan to rescue Cold Frost during their previous gathering and were now just waiting for the right moment to execute it.
"Brother Yang, I apologize for putting you through this for now."
With that thought, Ye Tian withdrew his gaze and continued forward.
Duan Liu followed closely beside him, mumbling incessantly. However, Ye Tian's mind was entirely occupied with rescuing Cold Frost; he had no interest in listening to Duan Liu's chatter and kept moving forward without responding.
"Hey, I'm talking to you!" Duan Liu quickened his pace and punched Ye Tian’s back playfully twice.
"Speak," Ye Tian said, furrowing his brows as he repeatedly pondered the flaws in the plan.
"I've already said it all along."
"Say it again; I didn't hear clearly just now," Ye Tian replied dismissively.
"Do you think that old Qin is asking something of you?" Duan Liu asked.
"Of course, otherwise, why would he easily let you and me go? Do you really think he's a fool?" Ye Tian put aside his thoughts. This matter was indeed not easy to handle. Qin Changlin definitely had ulterior motives for his hospitality, and his biggest scheme was likely to leverage Ye Tian's position in Cloud Sea Sect to strengthen the Qin Family's influence. This issue was neither too big nor too small; if Qin Changlin acted cautiously, it would be fine. However, if he were to act recklessly and tyrannically, then Ye Tian and even Cloudscroll Pavilion's reputation could very well be ruined by him.
"What do you think he wants you to do?" Duan Liu asked, gossiping eagerly.
"I don't know," Ye Tian said, uninterested in idle chatter.
"Could it be that he wants you to help him eliminate rival forces?" Duan Liu persisted, sticking to him like glue.
Ye Tian fell silent, quickening his pace a bit.
"I see that he doesn't seem very friendly towards your friend," Duan Liu muttered to himself.
Ye Tian could naturally see this as well. Cold Yang was an outsider; if it weren't for Li Qingwu's previous experience, it might have been fine. But now it seemed that Cold Yang would no longer gain Qin Changlin's trust and might even face life-threatening danger.
"I think old Qin might end up killing him," Duan Liu said. Having been locked in the dungeon overnight as a prisoner by Qin Changlin, which was dark, damp, and infested with lice, Duan Liu held a grudge and began to stir trouble.
However, by chance, he had hit upon Ye Tian's concerns.
"How do you see that?" Ye Tian asked.
Duan Liu was taken aback by the question and shook his head, saying, "It's in the eyes. Old Qin's gaze towards your friend is filled with killing intent."
"Haha, you can read eyes now? When did you become so perceptive?" Ye Tian couldn't help but mock him. Duan Liu was the least thoughtful person and loved to act recklessly. His ability to read eyes was no different from hearing a pig climb a tree.
Duan Liu scoffed, thinking to himself that Ye Tian shouldn't look down on him, but he only said it was just something he noticed occasionally.
Ye Tian didn't want to dwell on it. After all, Qin Changlin was indeed very suspicious of Cold Yang, and Ye Tian could see that. Moreover, Duan Liu was right; there was even a hint of killing intent in Qin Changlin's gaze when he looked at Cold Yang.
The plan he and Cold Yang devised was for Cold Yang to continue working in the Qin Family without alarming anyone. Earlier that morning, Ye Tian had a hurried meeting with Wang Weiyang, who he suspected had already taken precautions. If they acted rashly now, it might force Wang Weiyang into a corner, putting Xiaoshuang in danger.
According to Cold Yang, Wang Weiyang sent Cold Yang into the Qin Family primarily for a few treasures. Now that the treasures were lost, there was no reason for him to stay in the Qin Family any longer. It wouldn't be long before Wang Weiyang ordered Cold Yang to withdraw and continue using Cold Frost as leverage for other tasks.
Wang Weiyang's movements were erratic; even Cold Yang couldn't fully grasp them. However, one thing was certain: every time Wang Weiyang issued orders to Cold Yang, Xiaoshuang would be involved. This served both as a threat and proof that Cold Frost was still alive.
In accordance with past patterns, Wang Weiyang would notify Cold Yang of new missions a few days in advance through special means. The reason behind this was unknown to Cold Yang, but it greatly benefited the rescue of Cold Frost.
Therefore, what Ye Tian needed to do now was return to the village and wait for news. Once Wang Weiyang made any moves again, Cold Yang would notify Ye Tian via Message Bug, and they could discuss specifics then.
However, there was one concern: Wang Weiyang had already met with Ye Tian and had entered the Qin Family again. He would likely be more cautious in dealing with Cold Yang. He was a cunning person and would definitely devise some countermeasures.
This posed a significant obstacle to rescuing Cold Frost. If they couldn't thoroughly understand Wang Weiyang's actions, even a slight misstep could cost Cold Frost his life.
Thinking about this, Ye Tian sighed lightly. Not knowing Wang Weiyang's whereabouts was manageable, but now that he had some knowledge of his movements, waiting idly made him uneasy—even though waiting idly was the most rational choice.
Thoughts racing, they had unknowingly traveled quite a distance. The sunlight in the sky had already been obscured by dark clouds, and it seemed that heavy rain would soon pour down.
Duan Liu looked up at the sky, cursed at the impending rain, and then began to say that rain was actually nice because it was cool.
The Luoma Market was only about sixty or seventy miles from the village where everyone was resting. The two of them were not in a hurry, but after an hour, they had already covered a quarter of the distance.
"Here we are again; it would be great to find another Li Qingwu," Duan Liu said, pointing at a large patch of Azure Eyes grass ahead, expressing his greedy sentiment.
Ye Tian followed Duan Liu's gaze and sure enough, not far ahead was the place where they had previously robbed Li Qingwu. There were patches of wild grass on both sides of the road, towering over a person’s height, swaying in the wind, creating an illusion that someone might jump out at any moment.
If ordinary travelers encountered such a scene, they would surely feel uneasy. At this moment, with the sky covered in dark clouds and evening approaching, it was definitely prime time and location for dangerous individuals to appear.
"While others fear encountering criminals, you’re hoping to meet one. I really can’t deal with you," Ye Tian couldn’t help but chuckle.
"Criminals are nothing; with my Void Fire Technique, they would turn to ash," Duan Liu said, waving his hand as two flickering ghostly lights appeared within.
"Void Fire Technique?"
"That's right; I came up with the name myself. Isn’t it powerful?" Duan Liu asked proudly.
Ye Tian shot him a sideways glance, thinking that this guy really could be full of himself.
"By the way, that day when we were traveling and sensed the Giant White Ape fighting someone, do you think it was dealing with Li Qingwu and his group?" Duan Liu turned back thoughtfully to look at the distant mountains.
Following Duan Liu's gaze, there was a small peak in the southwest. The peak wasn’t very high, only about a hundred feet tall, but due to the angle, it seemed to reach straight up into the sky, as if it could pierce through layers of dark clouds.
That day, the aura of Fang Xiong emanated from that mountain peak, accompanied by several faint traces of Martial Origin Power, with the strongest around the level of a Five-Stage Martial Artist; the others were not worth mentioning.
"Maybe," Ye Tian replied perfunctorily to Duan Liu, but confusion stirred within him. Li Qingwu was stealing treasures, and Fang Xiong was pursuing him; could it be for those rewards? This matter seemed more complicated than he had imagined.
"I think so," Duan Liu concluded. He had spent enough time with Ye Tian to be accustomed to his dismissive responses. He wasn't really seeking an answer; he just wanted to chat. Even if Ye Tian spoke about unrelated topics, he wouldn't mind and would instead continue the conversation enthusiastically.
Ye Tian was naturally used to Duan Liu's incessant chatter. Among all the people he had met, perhaps only his Fifth Brother, who had followed him in eliminating the Black Wind Stronghold, could match Duan Liu in this regard.
"Let's hurry up; otherwise, we'll get drenched again."
After saying this, Ye Tian flashed forward several dozen feet using the Cloud Sea Sect's universal Skyward Martial Arts technique, Cloud Step.
Seeing this, Duan Liu chuckled. He knew he could never compare to Ye Tian's Yuqi Tayan Jue, but he truly believed his understanding of Cloud Step was on par with Ye Tian's.
The sound of breaking air echoed as Duan Liu chased after him.
At that moment, a sudden rumble of thunder split the sky, and a blinding white lightning tore through the heavens, illuminating the entire world.
More than thirty miles ahead, in the village where Cold Moon and others resided, a strange figure entered quietly, holding its breath as it stepped forward.
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