Ye Xuan carried his sister on his back, walking for a while before suddenly stopping.
Not far ahead stood three people!
It was none other than Jiang Nian and his two companions!
The trio approached Ye Xuan. Jiang Nian smiled slightly, "The three of us have come to see Young Master Ye off!"
Ye Xuan put down his sister and cupped his hands to the three, "Thank you!"
Jiang Nian smiled and handed a white jade bottle to Ye Xuan. "Inside are thirty Nourishing Pills. This is a small token from the three of our families. Please accept it."
Nourishing Pills!
Ye Xuan looked at the three of them, somewhat puzzled.
Seeing Ye Xuan's confusion, Jiang Nian smiled, "I'll be blunt. We wish to form a good relationship with Young Master Ye. Although you are no longer part of the Ye family, you are still from Qing City. When you gain fame in the future, perhaps we may benefit from it too."
Ye Xuan accepted the jade bottle and bowed slightly, "Thank you!"
Although he was reluctant to owe favors, he really needed the Nourishing Pills. For his sister, he was willing to owe any amount.
At this moment, Li Yu spoke, "Are you heading to the imperial capital, Young Master Ye?"
Ye Xuan nodded, "Indeed, I am heading to Cangmu Academy in the imperial capital!"
Li Yu smiled. He waved his hand, and soon a carriage arrived from the city.
Li Yu said, "The journey to the imperial capital is long. If you travel on foot, it may take you half a year. You and your sister can take this carriage to Qianshan City, where you can board an airship to the imperial capital. Coincidentally, the Cangmu Academy enrollment is in a month, so you should be able to make it just in time."
After Li Yu spoke, Zhang Lie took out a pouch and a scroll and handed them to Ye Xuan. "Young Master Ye, this is also a small token. The journey to the imperial capital will require various expenses. Although this is not much, it should help. The scroll is a map, marking some dangerous places that you must avoid."
Ye Xuan looked at the three of them, then cupped his hands, "I will remember your kindness today. There will be a time to repay it in the future. Farewell!"
With that, he put away the items, carried his sister, and boarded the carriage.
Soon, the siblings disappeared from the trio's sight.
Watching them vanish into the distance, Li Yu whispered, "Will this person remember kindness?"
Jiang Nian smiled, "Did you see his sister?"
Upon hearing this, the three immediately understood.
Jiang Nian looked towards the distant, fading carriage and spoke softly, "This young man is decisive and ruthless. He is formidable. If the Ye family had kept him, we might have had to bow our heads for countless years in the future. Thankfully, the fools in the Ye family propped up that so-called Heavenly Chosen One, and even oppressed another genius so thoroughly that they forced him to sever ties with the family. The Great Elder and the patriarch of the Ye family are truly pig-headed!"
Li Yu laughed, "It's good for us, isn't it?"
Jiang Nian smiled, "Indeed!"
Zhang Lie suddenly laughed, "Gentlemen, how do you think we should divide the Ye family pie now?"
Li Yu laughed heartily, "Divide it as we please. Come, let's return and carve up the pie!"
The three turned and left.
Elsewhere, atop a mountain, a young woman wielding a spear was watching a moving carriage below.
This young woman was none other than An Lanxiu!
Behind her stood an elderly man holding a gnarled wooden staff.
An Lanxiu spoke, "Elder Ling, what do you think?"
The old man glanced at the carriage below, then said, "Based on his earlier exchange with you, this young man has likely experienced countless life-and-death battles. As for his swordsmanship, I cannot yet discern its origin, but one thing is certain: he is already considered a sword cultivator."
After hesitating for a moment, the old man added, "Miss, though he is impressive, he and you are from two different worlds. After all, you have already made it onto the Martial Rankings."
The Martial Rankings!
Throughout Qingzhou, there were hundreds of small countries, four or five larger nations, as well as hidden families and sects. Among all these forces, their disciples shared a common goal: making it onto the Martial Rankings!
The Martial Rankings was the most prestigious and authoritative ranking in Qingzhou. Those who made it onto the rankings were the best of the best, geniuses among geniuses.
In all of Jiang Country, only two people had made it onto the rankings.
One of them was An Lanxiu!
An Lanxiu glanced at Elder Ling, smiling slightly, "Are you worried that by giving him my jade pendant, I harbor feelings for him and might fall for him?"
Elder Ling hadn't expected his young lady to speak so frankly. He bowed his head slightly, saying nothing.
An Lanxiu looked at the carriage, now vanishing over the horizon. "Elder Ling, you misunderstood me. When I asked you earlier, it wasn't about his talent, but rather about him as a person."
Upon hearing this, Elder Ling frowned.
An Lanxiu chuckled, "A brother like that is truly something!"
With that, she turned and left gracefully.
Ling Lao stood in silence for a long time, then turned and followed.
...
Ye Xuan drove the carriage, his sister hugging his arm tightly beside him.
He looked out at the distance and took out the map that Zhang Lie had given him. He glanced at it, and his brows furrowed slightly. Having never left Qing City before, he suddenly realized how vast the world truly was!
They had been traveling for nearly two hours, yet they were still within Qing City's borders. And at their current pace, it would take at least another four or five days to reach Qianshan City!
Ye Xuan decided not to continue on, as it was getting late. He dared not take his sister into the deep mountains at night.
If it had been just himself, he would have feared nothing. After all, he was used to fighting and surviving in the mountains. But with his sister beside him, he couldn't be so reckless.
Above, the moon and stars were sparse, the sky deep and distant.
By the campfire, Ye Xuan and Ye Ling sat together. Roasting over the fire was a half-cooked chicken, provided by Li Yu and the others.
Ye Ling glanced around. Apart from their camp, everything was pitch black, as the moon was now covered by dark clouds.
It was unusually quiet.
Ye Ling clung tightly to Ye Xuan. He smiled, "Don't be afraid."
He looked around, "How familiar this is."
Familiar.
Since he had become the young master of the Ye family, he had often represented the Ye family in competing for mines with disciples from other families. Their battlegrounds were usually deep in the wilderness. The forest was no stranger to him; he was accustomed to fighting for his life in the dark.
Ye Ling tilted her head, looking at him. "Brother, as long as you're here, I'm not afraid."
Ye Xuan gently rubbed her head, "That's right. Remember, no matter what, your brother will be here to shoulder everything first."
Ye Ling smiled sweetly.
After eating the roasted chicken, Ye Ling soon fell asleep.
Ye Xuan carried her into the carriage and then sat down, entering the Boundary Prison Tower.
The earlier battle with An Lanxiu had given him much insight.
Seeing her speed, reaction time, and combat awareness made him realize how much he still had to improve.
Instead of sparring with the shadow, he replayed every detail of his fight with An Lanxiu in his mind.
At first, he just remembered, but gradually, he began imagining himself as An Lanxiu... Essentially, he was studying her while also reflecting on his timing and angles.
An hour later, Ye Xuan suddenly stood up and began practicing his swordsmanship!
Solo practice.
No, it was more like he had imagined a sparring partner, and that partner was An Lanxiu!
He didn't know how much time had passed before he suddenly sheathed his sword, sitting down with a faint smile.
"Did you gain something?" the mysterious woman suddenly asked.
Ye Xuan nodded, "I shouldn't have made that first strike against her. That misstep led to my disadvantage throughout the fight. If I hadn't immediately abandoned my sword, I probably wouldn't have had any chance at all."
The mysterious woman said, "It's good that you understand that."
Ye Xuan looked up, "You already knew, didn't you?"
The mysterious woman replied, "What difference does it make whether I knew or not? Some things must be realized on your own for them to truly belong to you. If others tell you, it holds no real value."
Ye Xuan nodded slightly, "I've learned something."
After a bit more practice, Ye Xuan left the Boundary Prison Tower. He glanced at his sleeping sister, smiled, and then stepped out of the carriage.
It was now the dead of night.
Suddenly, Ye Xuan's brow furrowed. He turned to his right, hearing hurried footsteps!
Soon, a young woman appeared in front of him.
The woman looked about twenty-five or twenty-six, with alluring features and dressed in a rather revealing tight-fitting gown, her ample chest on display. She bore several wounds.
When she saw Ye Xuan, she paused briefly, then suddenly ran over to him. "Young master, someone is trying to kill me! Please save me!"
As she spoke, she grabbed Ye Xuan's arm, pressing her ample bosom against him.
Just then, three figures emerged not far away. Leading them was a middle-aged man holding a long knife, accompanied by two old men.
Upon seeing them, Ye Xuan tensed. Judging by their auras, the middle-aged man was at least at the Qi Mastery Realm, while the two old men were at the Qi Transformation Realm!
The middle-aged man stared at Ye Xuan, frowning, "Who are you?"
Before Ye Xuan could respond, the seductive woman suddenly said, "I got what we needed. Stall them here and meet me at the usual place later!"
With that, she turned to run, but just then, Ye Xuan swung his leg towards her.
The woman's face changed drastically—she hadn't expected Ye Xuan to strike suddenly. She quickly brought her arms up to block.
Bam!
The seductive woman was sent flying several meters away by Ye Xuan's kick.
The trio approaching Ye Xuan froze in their tracks.
Ye Xuan glanced at the woman, speaking seriously, "Where is this 'usual place'? Be more specific—I don't want to get lost."