A scruffy old man had suddenly transformed into a middle-aged man with the bearing of an immortal sage, a fact that everyone found somewhat difficult to accept.
Ye Tian, holding the Black Glaze Sword, looked at the middle-aged man and said, "Senior, who are you, really? I'm sure you must have a reason for disguising yourself like that!"
"Now is not the time to tell you. I'll say what I said before: if you want to know the whole story, come to the back mountain tonight!" The middle-aged man's mouth hadn't moved, but the voice resounded clearly in Ye Tian's ears.
Ye Tian was now certain that this mysterious middle-aged man was an incredibly powerful expert. There had to be a reason he'd given him the Black Glaze Sword. He had a faint suspicion that the sword was related to dragons, which the Dragon-shaped Mark on his palm seemed to confirm.
Just then, the middle-aged man chuckled toward the empty sky. "Have you had your fill of watching? If so, why don't you come on down?"
His baffling words drew everyone's attention. The crowd couldn't help but look up at the sky, yet there was nothing there but blue sky and white clouds.
Suddenly, with a flash of cyan light, a small Cyan Snake appeared on the middle-aged man's shoulder.
Others might not have recognized the small Cyan Snake, but Chu Linfeng knew it all too well. This was the mysterious little snake he had encountered before. 'It can even fly!' He didn't dare to imagine just how powerful this little snake was.
'And from the look of things, the snake seems to be the middle-aged man's pet. In that case, what kind of expert is this man? Could he be one of the Four Vein Powerhouses?'
"Kid, we really weren't wrong about you," the small Cyan Snake said. "Protect this Black Glaze Sword well. You'll get the answers you want tonight!"
Once again, only Ye Tian could hear. This man and beast were simply too mysterious. Everyone was guessing who these extraordinary figures were, why they had appeared in Lisha City, and why they had given away the Black Glaze Sword.
Ye Tian nodded. Then, in a flash, the middle-aged man and the small Cyan Snake vanished without a trace. No one saw how they left.
'What a terrifying Body Technique,' Ye Tian thought. 'Who on earth are they? I have to find out tonight.'
"Brother Tian, congratulations on getting the Black Glaze Sword!" Ye Feifei said as she walked up to Ye Tian's side. "I can't believe such a formidable figure appeared in our Lisha City. It's truly incredible."
"Feifei, what are you doing here?" Ye Tian smiled at Ye Feifei. "Don't tell me you came just to see me draw the sword?"
He hadn't seen her for a few days and found that he missed her a little. The shadow Ye Shixue had left in his heart was slowly receding, and with Ye Feifei's appearance, the wound in his spirit began to heal.
"Of course," Ye Feifei said, her expression turning serious. "The family tournament is tomorrow. Are you confident you'll make it into the top five?"
Ye Tian didn't understand why she asked, but he was still quite confident about placing in the top five. "I think so!" he said with a smile. "But there are experts among the family disciples, so we'll only know for sure after the matches."
"Come on, let's go get something to eat," Ye Feifei said with a smile. "I know you haven't had a decent meal these past few days. There's a fantastic restaurant in Lisha City called the Delicious Pavilion."
At the mention of food, Ye Tian's spirits lifted. He really should treat his stomach to a good meal. "Alright, lead the way!"
Many in the crowd had designs on the Black Glaze Sword in Ye Tian's hand, but Ye Feifei's appearance made most of them abandon the idea.
Who was Ye Feifei? She was the apple of the Ye Family Patriarch Ye Weitian's eye. Many people in Lisha City recognized her. Seeing her so close to Ye Tian, it was clear their relationship was anything but ordinary.
If they made a move against Ye Tian, she certainly wouldn't stand by and watch. And attracting the attention of the Ye Family's experts would lead to very serious consequences.
Still, a few people were willing to risk it. As the pair left the area, several individuals started to tail them.
Before they could reach the restaurant Ye Feifei had mentioned, a richly dressed young man and several of his followers blocked their path. His arrogance was palpable.
"Hey, kid. I heard you got the Black Glaze Sword from that scruffy old man," the richly dressed youth said. "This young master is in a good mood today. If you hand over the Black Glaze Sword, I'll give you one hundred Spirit Stones. If you don't know what's good for you, well, your life might just end right here on this street."
Ye Tian glanced at him. The youth was fairly handsome and radiated the power of a One Vein Sixth Layer cultivator. No wonder he dared to be so arrogant. As things stood, however, Ye Tian wasn't afraid of him in the slightest.
"Qin Li, did you get your head caught in a door?" Ye Feifei's mood instantly soured, and she lashed out at him. "Ye Tian is a talent my father has taken an interest in! You dare try to steal his sword? Believe me when I say this young lady will make sure you don't leave here alive today."
"Well, if it isn't the great beauty, Ye Feifei," the youth said. "My older brother misses you terribly, you know. Why don't you come over to our estate for a visit? I'm sure my big brother would give you a warm welcome."
So, the youth was Qin Li, the second young master of the Qin Family, a family as renowned as the Ye Family. He was an arrogant tyrant who loved to bully people on the streets. Everyone usually put up with him because of the Qin Family's power, but he wouldn't get off so easily for provoking Ye Feifei.
A crowd began to gather again. This promised to be an exciting spectacle, and many were hoping a fight would break out soon.
"Get lost, or don't blame me for what happens next," Ye Feifei snarled, her beautiful eyes practically shooting flames. "And as for your brother Qin Yu, tell him to give up. This young lady has zero interest in him."
"Get lost?" Qin Li's eyes were fixed squarely on Ye Feifei's large chest. "No one in Lisha City has ever dared to tell me to get lost. Not even you, the great young lady of the Ye Family and my future sister-in-law. I'm offering to buy this kid's Black Glaze Sword. What right do you have to tell me to get lost?"
Anger flared in Ye Tian's heart. A man like this really needed to be taught a lesson. He wouldn't let Ye Feifei be bullied because of him.
"What gives you the right to demand my Black Glaze Sword? You think one hundred Spirit Stones is a lot?" Ye Tian said, his tone even. "This young master wouldn't even glance at such a sum. If you know what's good for you, leave now. Otherwise, I'll give you something you'll never forget."
"Heh heh, did you all hear that? This damn brat dares to give *me* something I'll never forget?" Qin Li sneered. "One hundred Spirit Stones is worth years of your monthly allowance. You clearly don't know what's good for you.
"Since you're so determined to be a fool, I'll just have to purchase it by force," Qin Li said.
With a wave of his hands, the few Qin Family disciples behind him surged forward. They weren't weak; two of them were already at the One Vein Fifth Layer.
They were used to bullying people while following Qin Li, but today, their luck had run out.
"Brother Tian, let me handle them," Ye Feifei said. "You used a lot of Spiritual Power just now to draw the sword. I've been wanting to teach arrogant thugs like these a lesson for a long time. Consider it my way of bringing some peace and quiet back to Lisha City."
The moment she finished speaking, her longsword was already a blur, tracing several flourishes in the air. Ye Tian recognized it as the Third Form of the Flowing Cloud Sword Technique. Ye Feifei had already reached the Perfect Realm. In a flash, her figure blurred as she charged toward the menβ¦