Chapter 8

The scene fell into complete silence! Every member of the Ye family was filled with shock and fear! Everyone in the Ye family knew how much Ye Fan cherished his younger sister—he could be described as an overprotective brother to the extreme! But none of them had expected him to go this far! Ye Feng was the direct grandson of the Grand Elder and the biological cousin of Ye Lang! Yet, Ye Fan had killed him just like that! Ye Fan did not waste time entangling himself with the other Ye family members. Instead, he went straight to the family’s medicine store. At that moment, an elderly man stepped out. This man was Elder Ye Qing, the one in charge of the Ye family’s medicine store. Seeing Ye Fan, Ye Qing immediately furrowed his brows. "Ye Fan, what are you trying to do?" Ye Fan walked directly to the medicine cabinet, scanning it briefly. His eyes quickly locked onto a specific compartment. He pulled open the drawer, only to find it completely empty! Seeing this, Ye Fan’s expression turned cold. He turned to Ye Qing and said, "Nourishing Spirit Pills." Ye Qing’s eyes narrowed slightly. "I’ve already hidden them away. Ye Fan, the family has stopped providing your sister with pills, you—" Before he could finish, a fist-sized counterweight from a nearby medicine scale suddenly hurtled towards him! Ye Qing’s face changed dramatically as he quickly dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the flying object. Though he had evaded it, his expression darkened instantly—Ye Fan was already right in front of him! Without hesitation, Ye Fan threw a powerful punch straight at Ye Qing’s head! Simple and direct! Ye Qing was utterly shocked. He quickly raised his right hand, throwing a punch of his own to counter Ye Fan’s attack. Fist met fist! Bang! A deep, resounding explosion of energy echoed through the air! Ye Qing was sent staggering backwards by the sheer force of Ye Fan’s punch. He was forced back until he hit the wall, unable to retreat any further. But before he could react, Ye Fan appeared in front of him again—this time, throwing another punch straight at his head! Ye Qing’s pupils shrank abruptly. He hurriedly shouted, "I’ll give it to you! I’ll give it to you!" Ye Fan’s fist stopped just inches from Ye Qing’s face! Ye Qing stared at Ye Fan in terror. He was a genuine Qi Transformation Realm expert. Although he didn’t often engage in combat, he was well aware that Ye Fan was only supposed to be at the Fifth Grade Endless Realm. Yet, in just one exchange, he had been utterly defeated! Ye Fan’s strength was simply terrifying! Ye Fan extended his hand. Ye Qing’s face changed slightly, but he didn’t dare to play any tricks. He quickly took out a white jade bottle and handed it to Ye Fan. Ye Fan opened the bottle and glanced inside—there were only fifteen Nourishing Spirit Pills! His brows furrowed. Ye Qing hurriedly explained, "Ye Fan, these pills are extremely rare. Even in Qingcheng, they are unavailable—we have to source them from outside. These are the last ones from our last shipment!" Ye Fan remained silent for a moment before finally putting away the jade bottle. Then, he said, "I have risked my life for the family for so many years. Taking these pills from the family—surely that’s not too much to ask?" Ye Qing looked at Ye Fan but said nothing. Ye Fan did not say anything further either. He turned and left the room. However, outside, the Grand Elder had already arrived with a group of elders, surrounding him! Clearly, the Grand Elder and the others had already heard about Ye Fan’s act of murder. The Grand Elder glared at Ye Fan. "My grandson merely spoke a few words to you, and you killed him for it?" Ye Fan walked slowly up to the Grand Elder and said calmly, "Your grandson misbehaved, and since you didn’t discipline him, I did it for you." The Grand Elder’s hands clenched tightly. Ye Fan simply looked at him with an expressionless face, but within his eyes, a murderous intent had already surfaced. At that moment, the Grand Elder suddenly let out a sinister laugh. "Kill him!" Immediately, several Ye family guards charged towards Ye Fan. A twisted grin appeared on Ye Fan’s lips. In the next instant, he lightly tapped his toes against the ground and shot forward like a blur. Before the onlookers could even react, the leading guard was already sent flying several metres away! Ye Fan did not stop. Turning sharply, he delivered a devastating whip kick to another approaching guard. Bang! That guard was sent soaring through the air by the sheer force of the kick! At this point, Ye Fan charged directly at the Grand Elder! Seeing this, the Grand Elder’s face contorted with rage. He stepped forward and unleashed a powerful palm strike towards Ye Fan! Ye Fan clenched his right fist tightly and met the palm strike head-on with a punch! Boom! The moment their attacks collided, the Grand Elder was sent staggering backwards, retreating over ten steps before he could stabilise himself. However, Ye Fan remained completely unmoved! The Grand Elder stared at Ye Fan in shock. "Impossible! Your dantian was shattered—how can you still have such power?" From a distance, Ye Fan’s eyes narrowed. "How do you know my dantian was shattered?" The Grand Elder stared at Ye Fan, silent. But Ye Fan had already figured it out! There was no doubt—the mysterious assassin who ambushed him back then had been sent by the Grand Elder! Realising this, Ye Fan’s killing intent surged. Just then, a voice suddenly rang out in the courtyard. "Ye Fan, leave!" Everyone turned to look. It was Ye Lang! Ye Fan shot a cold glance at Ye Lang, said nothing, and turned to leave. None of the surrounding guards moved to stop him; instead, they looked towards Ye Lang. Standing beside Ye Lang, the Grand Elder asked in confusion, "Ye Lang, even if you have a life-and-death pact with him, he still killed your cousin. How can you just let this go...?" Ye Lang interrupted the Grand Elder. "Don’t worry. In two days, I will settle this for you!" The Grand Elder clenched his fists tightly, his face dark with rage, but he said nothing. Ye Lang smirked. "I know he’s arrogant—he deserves to die. But now is not the right time. In two days, notify everyone in Qingcheng to come and witness. I will fight him—and make my name known!" Hearing this, the Grand Elder frowned. "What do you mean?" Ye Lang laughed and said, “If I want to attract the attention of those powerful sects on the mountain, I must first make a name for myself. That Ye Fan is the first person I will trample on. By defeating him, I will establish my name in Qingcheng, and only then will I have a chance to catch the attention of those higher forces!” The Grand Elder's expression relaxed slightly. “That is true. Those forces stand above all others. If you don’t create some commotion, it will be difficult to gain their notice.” Ye Lang nodded. “Grand Elder, rest assured. In two days, I will humiliate him on the stage and ensure he dies in disgrace, avenging the hatred in your heart!” The Grand Elder nodded again. As if recalling something, he spoke solemnly, “Though his dantian is shattered, his combat ability is not to be underestimated. Do not let your guard down!” Ye Lang glanced at the Grand Elder and smiled faintly but said nothing. In his heart, however, he was full of disdain. Just now, he had seen the Grand Elder fight against Ye Fan—and the elder was at a disadvantage. In his view, it was not that Ye Fan was too strong, but rather that the Grand Elder was too weak! A man who has lived in luxury for too long, even if he is a martial artist, is still just an old man if he has not reached the realm beyond the physical body! To Ye Lang, the Grand Elder was just an old man. In fact, not just the Grand Elder, but all the elders of the Ye family were the same! Ye Lang withdrew his thoughts and looked in the direction where Ye Fan had left. He sneered, “Becoming my stepping stone should be considered your honour!” … Ye Fan returned to his room and quickly took out a Nourishing Soul Pill for Ye Ling. He watched Ye Ling nervously. At this moment, he truly felt lost and helpless. He also blamed himself for forgetting to prepare medicine for his sister! Soon, under Ye Fan’s anxious gaze, Ye Ling slowly opened her eyes. When she saw Ye Fan, she immediately smiled sweetly. “Brother, it’s so good to see you.” Ye Fan smiled gently, holding Ye Ling’s hand tightly. “Are you feeling better?” Ye Ling nodded slightly. “I don’t feel so cold anymore.” Ye Fan said softly, “It was my fault. I promise you, this will never happen again. Never!” Ye Ling looked at Ye Fan, and suddenly, tears welled up in her eyes. “Brother, in the past, I often wanted to die because I didn’t want to be a burden to you. But just now, I was so scared of dying. I was afraid that if I died, you would be left all alone. I… I want to stay with you forever!” Ye Fan’s eyes became moist. He smiled and said, “Ling’er, you’ll be fine. We will both be fine!” Ye Ling wiped the tears from her face. “I… I will live well. I want to stay with you for a lifetime!” Ye Fan hooked his little finger around Ye Ling’s and smiled. “Then it’s a promise. Neither of us is allowed to die first!” Ye Ling rolled her eyes at him. “Brother, pinky promises are for children!” Ye Fan laughed heartily. “In my heart, you will always be a child!” A bright smile bloomed on Ye Ling’s face, filling her heart with warmth. This time, Ye Fan did not immediately go into training. Instead, he carried Ye Ling on his back and took her out for a stroll. She had been stuck in the Ye family estate all this time, hardly going out to have any fun. Ye Fan felt guilty about it! Now that he had some free time, he naturally wanted to make up for it by spending time with his sister. In Ye Fan’s heart, nothing in the world was more important than his sister! Qingcheng was a small city, with a population of less than 200,000. Among the many cities in Jiang Country, it ranked near the bottom. Though small, Qingcheng was still bustling, with street performers and vendors filling the lively streets. As soon as Ye Fan took his sister out of the Ye family estate, a group of people immediately followed from a distance. Clearly, they were afraid that Ye Fan would run away! The Grand Elder certainly would not let Ye Fan escape. Ye Fan, however, paid no mind to those trailing behind him. As long as they did not cause trouble, he did not care. “Brother, I can walk on my own!” “Nonsense! You’re still weak. How can you walk? Let me carry you a little longer…” “Alright then… fine…” Ye Fan and Ye Ling wandered through most of Qingcheng. As the sun set and they prepared to return to the Ye estate, a woman suddenly rode in on horseback through the city gates at incredible speed. She was dressed in a pristine white robe, spotless and elegant. In her right hand, she held a silver spear, its tip gleaming like a frosty star. She was stunningly beautiful, with an oval face and phoenix-like eyes. Her delicate features were almost flawless. Ye Fan had never seen such a breathtaking woman before. She was the kind of person one would remember for a lifetime after just one glance! As she entered the city, all eyes turned towards her. She was a scene of absolute beauty that no one could look away from! The moment she entered, she suddenly stopped beside Ye Fan and Ye Ling. Her gaze fell on Ye Fan as she studied him briefly. Then, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes. “You’re concealing your cultivation!” Hearing this, Ye Fan’s expression changed slightly. This woman could see through his hidden cultivation? More importantly, she was the first person to notice it! Not even the Grand Elder had been able to detect it because his realm had been hidden by a mysterious woman. Yet, this woman saw through it with ease. At that moment, she raised her silver spear and pointed it directly at Ye Fan. “I assume you are Ye Lang, the one who caused the celestial anomaly? To be able to cultivate a hidden realm, your foundation must be solid. Not bad. You are worthy of facing my spear. My name is An Lanxiu. Now, take my strike!” “An Lanxiu!” Nearby, someone gasped. “Heavens! She is An Lanxiu, the once-in-a-millennium prodigy of Jiang Country!” “It’s really her! She’s the one whom the Jiang Country ruler personally granted the title of ‘National Scholar’… An eighteen-year-old National Scholar! Not only has such a figure never appeared in Jiang Country before, but not even in the previous dynasty!” “I heard she has been challenging all the geniuses of Jiang Country. She has already fought in thirty-six cities, and no one has ever been able to withstand even one strike from her… She must have come for Ye Lang! If she praises him, then the Ye family will undoubtedly become famous overnight!”