Translator: 549690339
The young practitioner glanced around anxiously, his face pale. Seeing that no one had noticed them, he finally sighed in relief.
Yang Zhen watched the departing carriage with interest, âSuch wealth.â â â More than just wealth!â The young practitioner glanced at Yang Zhen, âYou must be from out of town. Are you here for the Three Kingdoms trial or for Changyue Towerâs guest selection?â
Before Yang Zhen could answer, the young practitioner continued, âNever mind, it must be fate that our paths crossed. Regardless of whether you are a disciple from the Great Sect participating in the Three Kingdoms trial or are here to try your luck at Changyue Tower, you should keep a low profile and especially avoid offending the man we just encountered.â âThank you for the advice,â Yang Zhen replied, raising his hand reassuringly, âI am very modest. I never behave arrogantly and I do not offend people recklessly.â He then asked, âMay I know your name and who that man was?â
The young practitioner sighed and said, âMy name is Ma Yuan. The man we saw earlier is the Young Master of the Ding family, Ding Keqi. He is a cultivation genius in the Mahayana phase and is known for his exceptional comprehension. He has mastered many of the Ding familyâs powerful cultivation methods and martial skills.â
The Ding family, Ding Keqi.
Yang Zhen mentally noted the name, then discreetly gave Ma Yuan a crystal, asking, âBrother Ma, are there any other noteworthy people or matters?
Upon seeing the crystal offered by Yang Zhen, Ma Yuan quickly declined, âI canât accept this, it would make me uncomfortable.â
While slipping the crystal into his robe, Ma Yuan gave a beaming smile, âActually, Flame City is not as ruthless as you may think. Apart from Ding Keqi of the Ding family, you should also be wary of Lan Fangyue of the Lan family. â
âDoes the Lan family also have great riches?â
Ma Yuan gave Yang Zhen a strange look and said, âItâs not just about wealth, these families cannot be simply summarized by their resources. Their influence in Flame City runs deep, and even Changyue Tower treats them with a degree of respect. Of course, itâs only a measure of respect.
At this point, Ma Yuan leaned towards Yang Zhen and whispered, âDing Keqi is gifted but is narrow-minded and vindictive. Most who offend him donât end well, but he wonât dare to offend Lan Fangyue. Guess why?â
Yang Zhen stepped back slightly, almost unable to resist slapping Ma Yuan on the head. If he knew the reason, he wouldnât need to listen to his ramblings.
âIâd love to hear more!â Yang Zhen slipped another crystal into Ma Yuanâs hand.
Giggling ghoulishly, Ma Yuan pocketed the crystal and coyly said, âBecause Lan Fangyueâs talent surpasses Ding Keqiâs. Not only can he not defeat her, but her family prestige also outweighs his own. In Flame City, the person Ding Keqi fears and most wants to conquer is Lan Fangyue.â
âOh!â Yang Zhen nodded expressionlessly and asked, âAre there others I should avoid offending?â
âThereâs not much to worry about,â Ma Yuan replied with a shake of his head, âIâm sure you wouldnât offend anyone from Changyue Tower. As for the outsiders, most are formidable individuals who you wouldnât dare to offend anyway. Besides the two I just mentioned, the rest⦠well, you seem to be a sensible and modest person. You shouldnât get into any trouble.â
Yang Zhen nodded approvingly, âThat sounds about right. Iâm quite discreet and avoid trouble at all costs. Well, I shall take my leave, Brother Ma, it was nice knowing you.â
Ma Yuan replied with a hearty laugh, âIt was nice knowing you as well⦠Wait, why do I detect a girlâs scent on you? Youâre not a woman disguised as a man, are you?â
Yang Zhen:ââ¦â
This guyâs wild speculations were simply beyond comprehension. Yang Zhen promptly took his leave, deciding it was best to avoid further encounter.
Ma Yuan watched Yang Zhen leave with a puzzled look, âThatâs strange. Although his voice is masculine, thereâs a faintly fragrant scent about him.
What a peculiar person.â
Heavenly Fragrance Fruit, Yang Zhen couldnât help but shudder as he walked away.
Only when Yang Zhen was out of sight did Ma Yuan shake his head and turn to leave. Suddenly, he felt a tremor and quickly reached into his robe. But his bag of crystals was gone.
âYou bastard! Give me back my crystals!â
Ma Yuanâs exclamation echoed through the streets, startling nearby pedestrians. However, no matter how hard he searched, there was no sign of
Yang Zhen.
âWait, thatâs not right. I only had two crystals in my bag,â Ma Yuan took out the two crystals Yang Zhen had given him and stared at them in exasperation before tucking them back inside his robe.
If one wanted to find Changyue Tower in present-day Flame City, asking for directions was unnecessary. One merely had to follow the crowd.
After walking with the crowd for about the time it took to burn an incense stick, Yang Zhen arrived in front of a magnificent tower.
The tower stood seven or eight stories tall, making it the tallest structure in Flame City. It covered a vast area and not only did it look imposing and overpowering, but its intricately carved dragons and beams also gave it a sublime celestial aura. Indeed, its reputation was well-deserved.
A mild aura emanated from Changyue Tower. Yang Zhen stared at it baffhngly, standing still.
Although the aura around the tower was gentle, Yang Zhen was certain â anyone who tried forcefully destroying or breaking into it would receive swift retribution from Changyue Tower.
Even having comprehended the Heavenly Book to the fullest, Yang Zhen took a whole five minutes to understand the grand array set up on the tower.
Clearly, there was at least one grandmaster of arrays in Changyue Tower. âOut of the way, bumpkin. Couldnât you go and stand bewildered somewhere else instead of blocking my path?â
An impatient voice sounded next to Yang Zhen, and with a slight jolt of his shoulders, he sidestepped and avoided being pushed.
âHuh?â
The person frowned at Yang Zhen and tutted disdainfully, âCountry bumpkin!â He straightened his back and walked towards Changyue Tower; the crowd respectfully cleared a path for him.
Despite looking only about seventeen or eighteen and short in stature â barely reaching Yang Zhenâs shoulders â the personâs earlier shove had left Yang Zhen with a strange feeling.
In the moment they passed each other, the expression on Yang Zhenâs face became more peculiar. This was the Young Master of the Ding Clan, the arrogant owner of that carriage that recklessly charged through the streets. He was one of the people you shouldnât mess with in Flame City â Ding Keqi!
What a coincidence.
After the crowd had made way for Ding Keqi, they turned to look at Yang Zhen with pitying eyes.
âWho is this guy, just standing there like a statue? Now heâs done it, caught the Young Masterâs eye; heâs probably made a memorable impression.â âSo what if heâs remembered? Itâs his fault for being so foolish; everyone else made way, only he didnât. Luckily, Young Master Ding was in a good mood today, otherwise he wouldâve been slain by now.
âI wonder whether we should call him fortunate or unfortunate.â As Ding Keqi entered Changyue Tower, the crowd chattered amongst themselves. An old man softly advised, âYoung man, you should leave while you can. If you see Young Master Ding in the future, try to steer clear. If he spots you a second time, you might not be so fortunate.â Yang Zhen nodded at the old man whoâd offered him advice and gave him a grin but said nothing. Instead, he walked directly through the cleared path and into the Changyue Tower.
âHmph, thereâs really no helping the foolhardy. Did he walk in looking for death?â
âWhere did this greenhorn come from? Doesnât he realize heâs just offended the Young Master?â
-Perhaps heâs just a country boy. The ignorant know no fright. What a pity.â
Under the crowdâs sympathetic gazes, Yang Zhen entered the Changyue Tower and arrived before a wooden sign in the main hall.
The sign was crammed full of writing. A short young man was squinting and reading from it with great concentration. It was Ding Keqi, who had arrived before him. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
The sign wasnât all that big, from a distance, it was impossible to make out the words. Yang Zhen stepped behind Ding Keqi, smacked him on the back of his head and said, âMake way, good dog.â
Smack!
Ding Keqi turned around, a clueless expression on his face.
The jaws of all the people present nearly dropped, their eyes bulged out as they stared speechless at Yang Zhen.
The main hall fell into a deathly silence..