Chapter 237

Chapter 237: Even If I Want To Touch, I Do It Openly
“That is good,” Si Tu Xuan said with a satisfied nod.

He could save the Chen Clan for a moment, but not for a lifetime. In the end, they had to stand on their own.

“Three Seniors.” Chen Tian Dong looked troubled. “This junior has an unreasonable request.”

He gritted his teeth and said: “The Yang Clan sees us of the Chen Clan as thorns in their eyes and flesh. They will not let us leave easily. This junior dares to ask to leave the city together with the three Seniors. After we have fully left the Yang Clan’s sphere of influence, this junior will take the clansmen to seek our own paths and will never trouble the Seniors again.”

Si Tu Xuan looked at Yu Zhao and Yao Wuji.

Yao Wu Jishrugged, showing she did not mind.

Yu Zhao nodded.

Si Tu Xuan said: “We will rest in the city for the night. Tomorrow at the hour of chen, we will meet outside the city gate.”

Chen Tian Dong was overjoyed. He bowed again and again to thank them, then led the clansmen back at once to pack up.

After they left, Yao Wu Jicuriously asked how Yu Zhao had met the people of the Chen Clan.

Yu Zhao talked as they walked, and Yao Wu Jiand Si Tu Xuan listened with great interest.

On the other side, Yang Hao returned to the Yang Clan and went straight to see the clan ancestor, reporting everything that had happened that day.

The ancestor of the Yang Clan frowned: “Three young Golden Core cultivators… do you know where they are from?”

Yang Hao shook his head: “The three of them looked unfamiliar. They should be visiting Qishan City for the first time, but one of the young women has ties with the Chen Clan. Maybe she was an old acquaintance of the Chen Clan ancestor.”

The lines in the ancestor’s face grew deeper.

After the Chen Clan ancestor fell, the Chen Clan’s property had been divided up by the major powerful families in Qishan City, and the Yang Clan had been the biggest winner.

Having swallowed the Chen Clan’s benefits, the Yang Clan naturally did not want to give the Chen Clan any chance to make a comeback, so they had deliberately plotted to push Chen Tian Dong into causing trouble, hoping Yang Hao would take the chance to get rid of them all.

Who knew someone like Cheng Yao Jin would jump out halfway, forcing them to halt their plan to pull the weeds up by the roots.

All their effort had been wasted at the last step.

Yang Hao also let out a sigh: “Maybe the Chen Clan’s fate is not yet to be destroyed.”

The ancestor of the Yang Clan snorted coldly.

“With the Chen Clan people’s talent, they cannot stir up much trouble,” he said. “But those three dared to casually interfere in our affairs with the Chen Clan. They should bear the consequences.”

From the ancestor’s tone, Yang Hao heard thick killing intent.

He was greatly alarmed: “Ancestor, you must not! Those three became Golden Core cultivators at such a young age. Their identities are surely extraordinary. The Yang Clan should not make enemies of them. We should end this matter here.”

“Do you really think I am senile?” the ancestor snapped. “I will not invite trouble for the Yang Clan. There is someone who can deal with them for us.”

Yang Hao’s worry turned to joy: “Hao is slow-witted. Please enlighten me, Ancestor.”

The ancestor of the Yang Clan took out a message transmission jade slip and said: “Back when I roamed outside, I befriended a Nascent Soul stage heretic cultivator. He loves to drink human blood and also likes to swallow Golden Cores whole, especially the Golden Cores of young cultivators. He believes they are a great tonic.”

Yang Hao was shocked.

Rumor had it that swallowing a Golden Core whole allowed one to gain most of that cultivator’s spirit power.

He had always thought it was just a rumor.

So it was true!

His eyes flashed, and a trace of greed appeared.

But the ancestor of the Yang Clan quickly burst his fantasy.

“Fool,” he said. “Do you really think that swallowing Golden Cores is a shortcut in cultivation? Wrong. Completely wrong.”

The ancestor had lived for hundreds of years. With one look he saw the crooked thoughts in Yang Hao’s mind and cut them off.

“Swallowing a Golden Core can indeed grant a large amount of spirit power for a time,” he said, “but the spirit power entering the body cannot merge with the spirit power already flowing through your meridians. It will cause a strong rejection.”

“At best, your meridians will be severed. At worst, your body will explode and you will die.”

“You do not even think,” he went on. “If such a heaven-defying cultivation method really existed, the cultivation world would already be in chaos. How would people like us still be alive?”

Yang Hao was puzzled: “Then why can that heretic cultivator swallow Golden Cores?”

An indescribable look appeared on the ancestor’s face.

“Because he does not swallow Golden Cores to absorb spirit power,” he said slowly. “He enjoys the feeling of cutting the Golden Core out from the cultivator’s body, then chewing and swallowing it.”

Yang Hao froze.

A chill rose from the soles of his feet.

“Ancestor…” he whispered.

Yang Hao was afraid.

Cooperating with such a cruel heretic cultivator would be like asking a tiger for its skin.

He wanted to persuade the ancestor to change his mind, but the ancestor’s attitude was firm.

“I will only send him information about those three,” the ancestor said. “As for what he does, I do not know.”

Although he spoke that way, the ancestor of the Yang Clan was fully confident in his heart that once the heretic cultivator received the news, he would definitely act.

The man had just finished a period of closed-door cultivation and was in great need of nourishment. Learning that there were three human-shaped tonics not far away, he would not be able to resist going to claim their lives.

Even if something unexpected happened along the way and things did not go as he expected, the ancestor would at least suffer no loss.

The ancestor of the Yang Clan’s expression turned cold as he sent out a messaging talisman.

This was the price of offending the Yang Clan.

…

The next day at the hour of chen, Yu Zhao and the other two reached the city gate and saw the Chen Clan people waiting there. There were more than two hundred of them, led by Chen Tian Dong.

“Greetings to the three Seniors,” they shouted together. “We will never forget the Seniors’ life-saving grace!”

More than two hundred people spoke at once. Their voices shook the sky.

Many passing cultivators turned to look, their faces full of curiosity.

Si Tu Xuan and Yao Wu Jiwere used to doing as they pleased. Being solemnly thanked by such a crowd made them a little embarrassed, and they quickly said there was no need for so much ceremony.

Soon after, the group set out in a mighty procession toward the Northern Region.

…

In the blink of an eye, three days passed.

They passed the first city in the Northern Region.

The large group returned to just the original three.

Yao Wu Jichewed on a blade of grass and muttered: “We finally parted ways with them. These three days almost suffocated me.”

The Chen Clan had treated the three of them as life-saving benefactors and fussed over them the whole way. Even someone as outgoing as Yao Wu Jicould not stand such excessive enthusiasm.

Now that they had separated, she felt light all over, as if her bones were a bit lighter.

Si Tu Xuan curled his lip: “I think you were enjoying it.”

The Chen men were tall and strong, all muscle and tendon. Yao Wuji’s eyes kept wandering over them, and he had caught her doing it several times.

Yao Wu Jirefused to back down: “The Young Heir of the Situ clan is the one who had all the luck with beauty.”

Si Tu Xuan had a proud personality, but his looks were first-class. With the added glow of having saved their lives, female cultivators from the Chen Clan often showed their goodwill to him.

“Don’t talk nonsense. I did not accept their advances,” Si Tu Xuan said. He sneaked a nervous glance at Yu Zhao. Seeing her calm expression, a hint of disappointment flashed across his face. “Unlike certain people who use treating injuries as an excuse to touch others.”

“You are the one talking nonsense. They were the ones who rolled up their sleeves and asked me to feel their muscles!” Yao Wu Jisaid unhappily.

She was not some coward with lustful thoughts but no courage.

She did not need to sneak around looking for excuses.

Even if she wanted to touch, she would do it openly!

Si Tu Xuan said: “You slandered me first!”

Yao Wu Jishot back: “You know very well whether it was slander!”

“Was!” Si Tu Xuan said.

“Was not!” Yao Wu Jiargued.

“Was!”

“Was not!”

“…”

Yu Zhao stayed silent.

It had been a long time since she had seen such a simple and straightforward quarrel.

“Oh, how lively,” a new voice said.