Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Although the Lin family is large, Ye Tian has lived here for a while, so he is relatively familiar with the terrain. Along the way, he moved with the agility of a spirit monkey, his figure flickering as he avoided the gaze of all the guards. Eventually, he climbed over a high wall and successfully slipped out of the Lin family estate.
As he landed on the other side of the wall, Ye Tian couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle bitterly. "This isn't helping at all; it's practically the same as being a thief."
In fact, how could Lin Qingfeng, being so clever, not anticipate his actions of sneaking out at night? Therefore, during the banquet, Lin Qingfeng poured drinks for Ye Tian relentlessly until Ye Tian was thoroughly intoxicated.
Even so, Lin Qingfeng was still not at ease and arranged for a pair of guards to watch over Ye Tian right outside his room to feel completely reassured.
However, for Ye Tian, avoiding those guards who were only at the late Warrior stage was quite easy. Moreover, while drinking, he played a trick; he drank heavily on one side while using his spiritual power to dispel the effects on the other side. So at this moment, he felt no intoxication whatsoever.
Of course, under normal circumstances, he wouldn't do this; after all, drinking is meant to be enjoyed to the fullest without holding back.
But this time was different; he was determined to help the Lin family with something important, which is why he resorted to such tactics.
"Sigh... I feel a bit guilty about Lin the Elder's hospitality," Ye Tian shook his head helplessly. In the end, it still felt strange. After all, this was helping others rather than harming them, yet he had to resort to deception everywhere; it was truly sad and lamentable.
Putting aside these mixed thoughts, Ye Tian quickly set off. The Southern Wilderness Town's Square Area stretched for thousands of miles from the south of the town to the west. For an ordinary person, it would likely take several days to cover that distance. Even for someone in Martial Cultivation, it would take at least a day to reach there. But for Ye Tian, it wasn't that complicated; if he exerted himself fully throughout the journey, he could probably arrive in less than half a day.
Of course, doing so would come at a certain cost; consuming Martial Origin Power was the most troublesome aspect. Fortunately, at this moment, all four of his Spirit Pouches were full. Even using them against the Abbot of the Arhat Hall would give him enough strength for a battle.
Moreover, if the Abbot of the Arhat Hall saw him, he probably wouldn't even have any intention of fighting.
Whoosh!
Ye Tian's figure darted like a flash of lightning. Beneath his feet shimmered with golden light as he executed Yuqi Tayan Jue to its utmost limit. The scenery along both sides of the road flew by rapidly, barely visible to his eyes.
About an hour later, Ye Tian arrived at a tavern that was still open to take a break. After all, consuming Martial Origin Power for thousands of miles without rest was something even he could not endure.
Ye Tian sat for a while, ordered a bowl of fragrant tea, and then set off again.
The reason he did not drink alcohol was that the Spiritual Energy in his Spirit Pouch could only control the effects of drunkenness, but the liquor would actually enter his stomach, which he truly could not handle. As for the bowl of fragrant tea, since he mentioned it was just a short break, the owner insisted on not charging him. Left with no choice, Ye Tian ordered a bowl of tea but ultimately did not take a sip.
Once back on the road, he increased his speed and did not stop until he reached his destination.
To the west of Southern Wilderness Town, this area was relatively more rundown compared to the southern part of the town center, but "run down" was only relative.
The streets here were not particularly wide, about five zhang across, and there were quite a few taverns and inns along both sides of the road, though they were smaller in scale.
Ye Tian had set out from the Lin family in the middle of the night. After several hours of travel, dawn was approaching.
The weather today was not very good; although the morning light was just beginning to break through, it was only a few rays as most of it was obscured by dark clouds. It seemed that in a few days, the first cold rain of early autumn would fall, and the weather would turn completely chilly.
Standing at the street corner, Ye Tian looked around. There were not many pedestrians on the street; apart from a few early-rising farmers and woodcutters, there were hardly any tourists to be seen.
According to Lin Qingfeng, there were seven branches of the Lin family west of South Ring Town, and Star Hall was just one of them, but it was the largest among these seven halls.
"Old man, do you know where Star Hall is?" Ye Tian asked an elderly man carrying an axe.
The old man wore hemp clothing that was severely worn at the shoulders, and the edge of his axe blade was already bent; he must have been a woodcutter for many years.
"Star Hall? Just go straight down this street to the west; you won't have to walk far before you see it," said the old man, wearing a large-brimmed hat likely for sun protection while chopping wood.
He pointed to a corner street not far ahead. His voice was somewhat hoarse, as if he suffered from a cough.
Ye Tian nodded in thanks, then took out a few pieces of silver and stuffed them into the old man's hand before leaving.
Following the old man's directions, Ye Tian turned into the alley and walked west for about half an hour. Still, he saw no end in sight; the houses on either side were gradually diminishing, and a desolate path appeared ahead without a single tile from Star Hall in view.
At this moment, Ye Tian finally felt that something was off. He stopped his footsteps and began to recall the details about the old man.
He was a seventy-year-old man, and due to the large-brimmed hat obscuring his face, it was difficult to see his features; only a few strands of white hair could be seen falling from his head. His clothes were extremely tattered, with significant wear on his shoulders. The axe he held was also rusted and had a severely warped blade.
Such an old man would give the first impression of a hard-luck woodcutter, but upon further reflection, problems began to surface.
There is a saying in the marketplace: "Sharpening the axe does not delay the work of cutting firewood."
However, the blade of the old man's axe was severely warped, which seemed illogical. One would think that a woodcutter whose shoulder garments were worn out would understand this basic principle.
Moreover, why would a woodcutter wear such a large-brimmed hat? Wouldn't it be cumbersome while chopping wood?
Of course, one might think it could be for shade while traveling, but today’s weather wasn’t particularly cold or hot; thus, the presence of such a hat seemed suspicious.
Additionally, Star Hall was a branch of the Lin family and had considerable influence in Southern Wilderness Town. If it were an ordinary old woodcutter who encountered a young boy asking for directions to Star Hall, wouldn’t he have shown some reaction?
Yet that old man seemed indifferent, as if Ye Tian should have known where Star Hall was located all along. In the end, he even deceived Ye Tian.
Putting all this together, Ye Tian finally realized that if he wasn't dealing with an oddity, then that old man must undoubtedly be the Abbot of the Arhat Hall!
With this thought in mind, Ye Tian turned around to chase after him. He had traveled far to find him but unexpectedly missed him by mere moments...
No, not only did he miss him; they even exchanged a few words.
This made Ye Tian feel, for the first time in his life, that his intelligence had been severely insulted.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Ye Tian couldn't help but quicken his footsteps, even channeling his spiritual energy, moving like the wind.
After following the same path for about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, Ye Tian suddenly halted. He began to think from the perspective of the Abbot of the Arhat Hall. If he were the Abbot and learned that a strong enemy was coming to hunt him down, how would he react?
Without a doubt, a normal person's instinct would be to flee. However, Ye Tian believed that the Abbot of the Arhat Hall was no ordinary person; he would not only refuse to run away but would also launch an attack on Star Hall!
Of course, this was merely Ye Tian's subjective guess and carried a degree of risk, but extraordinary situations required extraordinary measures.
Between letting the Abbot of the Arhat Hall go and allowing Star Hall to be slaughtered, Ye Tian had to choose to prioritize the latter.
If the Abbot of the Arhat Hall fled directly, given Ye Tian's speed, catching up to him wouldn't be difficult at all. After all, if he were to escape, he would have to use Skyward Martial Arts, and within ten miles, Ye Tian would sense it.
On the other hand, if he headed towards Star Hall, he could rely on his formidable body and speed as a Seventh-Dan Martial Artist to travel undetected, taking advantage of Ye Tian's pursuit to annihilate Star Hall.
Thus, Ye Tian had to choose the latter option, even if it meant that the Abbot of the Arhat Hall might indeed escape.
With this decision made, there was only one thing left to do: reach Star Hall before the Abbot did in order to minimize casualties.
As mentioned earlier, due to the Lin family's connections, Star Hall held a rather transcendent status in Southern Wilderness Town; anyone could easily provide its location.
It was uncertain whether Ye Tian was lucky or unlucky; when he casually asked someone for directions, he encountered a Woodcutter disguised as the Abbot of the Arhat Hall. Unfortunately, this person was careless and fell for Ye Tian's deception, wasting nearly half an hour.
It seemed that what had just happened left a shadow in Ye Tian's heart. This time when he sought directions from a passerby, it was a middle-aged woman. Aside from her tendency to ramble nonsensically, she seemed reliable enough.
"Going to Star Hall? Where are you from, young man?" The middle-aged woman appeared not to have an "ordinary profession." She had a decent figure and her looks were passable; however, her heavily applied makeup gave off a rather worn vibe.
Ye Tian took a step back, swept by her captivating gaze, and asked, "That's right, could you please guide me, elder sister?"
Upon hearing the term "elder sister," the middle-aged woman seemed displeased. She shot Ye Tian a glare and said something to the hunched Old Servant beside her, ignoring Ye Tian afterward.
Ye Tian felt extremely awkward; after all, which woman would want to be called "elder sister" by someone else?
"Sigh..." Ye Tian sighed at his own carelessness and turned to leave.
"Wait, young man, don't go." The middle-aged woman suddenly called out to him, stepping forward with flirtatious eyes and pretending to be youthful as she said, "Call me 'sister,' just 'good sister,' and I will tell you."
Ye Tian frowned slightly; he really had no interest in chatting with this middle-aged woman. Although there weren't many people on the street, it shouldn't be difficult to find someone to ask for directions.
Seeing Ye Tian about to leave again, the middle-aged woman became anxious and quickly stepped in front of him. However, the previous flirtatious demeanor had vanished completely.
"Younger brother, why are you asking about Star Hall? If you don't clarify today, it might be difficult for you to leave safely," the middle-aged woman said, her eyes sparkling with intensity as she exuded a certain aura.
Ye Tian was taken aback and raised an eyebrow as he examined her. He thought to himself, "Could she be a remnant of Arhat Hall?"
Comment 0 Comment Count