Chapter 237: Even If You Want to Touch, Do It Openly
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“This is quite satisfactory,” said Si Tu Xuan, nodding with approval.
He knew that while he could save the Chen family temporarily, he couldn’t protect them forever. Ultimately, they had to stand on their own.
“Honored seniors,” Chen Tian Dong said hesitantly, looking troubled. “I have an impertinent request.”
After hesitating, he confessed, “The Yang family regards my clan as a thorn in their side and will surely not let us leave easily. I humbly ask to accompany you out of the city. Once we are safely beyond their sphere of influence, I swear my family and I will go our separate ways and not trouble you further.”
Si Tu Xuan turned to Yu Zhao and Yao Wu Ji.
Yao Wu Ji shrugged indifferently, signaling no objection. Yu Zhao nodded.
“We will rest in the city tonight and meet outside the gates at dawn tomorrow,” Si Tu Xuan declared.
Overjoyed, Chen Tian Dong bowed repeatedly in gratitude and hurried off to gather his family and belongings.
After the Chen family left, Yao Wu Ji curiously asked Yu Zhao about her connection with them. She recounted the tale as they walked, captivating both Yao Wu Ji and Si Tu Xuan.
Meanwhile…
Yang Hao returned to the Yang family residence and immediately reported the day’s events to the family patriarch, Yang Family Ancestor.
The old patriarch frowned deeply. “Three young Golden Core cultivators… Do you know their origins?”
Yang Hao shook his head. “They seem unfamiliar, likely visiting Perching Mountain City for the first time. However, one of the women is acquainted with the Chen family, perhaps an old friend of their ancestor.”
Wrinkles etched themselves deeper into the old patriarch’s face.
After the fall of the Chen family’s ancestor, the family’s holdings were divided among the city’s powerful clans, with the Yang family benefiting the most. To ensure the Chen family wouldn’t rise again, the Yang family had orchestrated Chen Tian Dong’s humiliation, intending for Yang Hao to eliminate him altogether. But their plans were foiled by unexpected interference.
“Perhaps the Chen family’s misfortune hasn’t reached its end,” Yang Hao sighed.
The patriarch sneered coldly. “The Chen family lacks the talent to pose any real threat. However, those three who dared meddle in our affairs must bear the consequences.”
The ominous tone alarmed Yang Hao. “Patriarch, we mustn’t act recklessly! Those three are extraordinary. Provoking them could bring disaster. Let’s not escalate this further.”
“Do you think I’ve gone senile?” the old man snapped. “I will not drag the family into unnecessary trouble. But others can solve this problem for us.”
Relieved but intrigued, Yang Hao asked, “Who would that be, Patriarch?”
The patriarch pulled out a transmission jade slip. “Years ago, during my travels, I befriended a Nascent Soul-stage evil cultivator. He delights in drinking human blood and devouring Golden Cores, especially those of young cultivators, which he finds particularly nourishing.”
Yang Hao’s eyes widened in shock.
It was rumored that consuming a Golden Core granted immense spiritual power, equivalent to half of the original owner’s cultivation. Yang Hao had dismissed this as legend—but now, he realized it was true!
His expression turned sly with a flash of greed, but the patriarch quickly crushed his fantasies.
“You fool! Do you really think swallowing a Golden Core is a shortcut to cultivation? You’re completely and utterly wrong!”
The Yang Family Ancestor, who had lived for centuries, immediately saw through Yang Hao’s reckless intentions and interrupted his misguided thoughts.
Swallowing a Golden Core could indeed provide a temporary surge of spiritual energy, but the energy introduced into the body would not merge with the natural flow of energy in one’s meridians. This would lead to severe rejection.
At best, it would result in severed meridians. At worst, it would lead to a catastrophic explosion of the body.
“Think about it for a moment. If such a heaven-defying method of cultivation existed, the cultivation world would have already descended into chaos. People like me would never have had the chance to survive.”
Confused, Yang Hao asked, “Then how could that evil cultivator manage to swallow a Golden Core?”
The Yang Family Ancestor’s expression grew indescribable.
“Because he doesn’t swallow Golden Cores to absorb their spiritual energy. He savors the act of carving them out from a cultivator’s body, chewing, and swallowing them whole.”
Yang Hao froze.
A chill rose from his feet, spreading through his entire body.
“Ancestor…”
Now terrified, Yang Hao hesitated. Cooperating with such a savage evil cultivator was akin to seeking death. He wanted to dissuade the ancestor, but the latter’s stance was firm.
“I merely sent him the information about those three. What he chooses to do with it is not for me to decide.”
Although these words seemed indifferent, the Yang Family Ancestor was almost certain the evil cultivator would act.
The timing was perfect. The evil cultivator had just completed his seclusion and needed a substantial replenishment. Hearing about three humanoid “supplements” nearby would undoubtedly tempt him to strike.
Even if unexpected events altered the outcome, the ancestor would lose nothing.
His expression turned cold as he sent out a message talisman.
This was the price of offending the Yang Family.
…
The following day, at dawn.
Yu Zhao and her companions met the Chen Family outside the city gates. Led by Chen Tian Dong, the group consisted of over two hundred people.
“Three honored seniors, we will never forget your life-saving grace!”
The voices of over two hundred people echoed through the air, drawing the attention of many passing cultivators, who looked on with curiosity.
Unaccustomed to such formal gratitude, Si Tu Xuan and Yao Wu Ji awkwardly waved off the grand gesture, insisting it wasn’t necessary.
Shortly after, the group embarked on their journey to the Northern Region, forming an imposing procession.
…
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
They had now reached the first city in the Northern Region, and the massive group had disbanded, leaving only the original three.
With a grass stalk between her teeth, Yao Wu Ji muttered, “Finally! I thought I was going to suffocate these past three days.”
The Chen Family treated the trio as saviors, showering them with endless care and attention. Even someone as outgoing as Yao Wu Ji found their excessive enthusiasm overwhelming. Now that they had parted ways, she felt as if a weight had been lifted, her body noticeably lighter.
Si Tu Xuan smirked. “You seemed to enjoy it plenty, though.”
The Chen Family’s men were tall, muscular, and brimming with energy. More than once, Yao Wu Ji’s wandering eyes had been caught in the act.
Unwilling to back down, Yao Wu Ji retorted, “If anyone’s been enjoying themselves, it’s you, Young Master Si Tu.”
Though arrogant by nature, Si Tu Xuan’s striking appearance, coupled with their heroic deeds, earned him plenty of admiration from the Chen Family’s female cultivators.
“Don’t make baseless accusations. I didn’t respond to their advances,” Si Tu Xuan countered, glancing nervously at Yu Zhao. Her calm demeanor made his fleeting disappointment even more evident. “Unlike someone, who uses medical checkups as an excuse to get handsy.”
“That’s nonsense! They’re the ones who rolled up their sleeves and asked me to feel their pulses!” Yao Wu Ji shot back indignantly.
She wasn’t the type to sneak around. If she wanted to touch, she’d do it openly!
Si Tu Xuan: “That doesn’t change the fact you slandered me first!”
Yao Wu Ji: “Slandered? You know whether it’s true or not!”
Si Tu Xuan: “It is!”
Yao Wu Ji: “It isn’t!”
Si Tu Xuan: “It is!”
Yao Wu Ji: “It isn’t!”
The argument went back and forth, neither willing to back down.
Silent, Yu Zhao watched their bickering, finding it both absurd and strangely amusing. She hadn’t witnessed such a straightforward argument in a long time.
“Well, isn’t this lively?”