Ye Tian and Ye Feifei sat in the carriage as it slowly departed from Lisha City. No one could know what awaited them in this new place, only that when they returned, they would surely be prodigies envied by all.
Once outside Lisha City, the carriage began to pick up speed. The driver was an experienced man from the Ye Family, and he considered it a great honor to be personally driving for Ye Tian and Ye Feifei.
Throughout the journey, Ye Tian and Ye Feifei sat on opposite sides of the carriage. Ye Feifei wanted to ask Ye Tian why, but she was too embarrassed to bring it up. 'A woman should be a little more reserved,' she thought.
Ye Tian, however, was afraid that being too close to Ye Feifei would cause the Pure Yang Qi within him to stir. 'It would be a disaster if my Pure Yang Qi manifested inside this carriage,' he thought. 'I have to be careful.'
Neither Ye Tian nor Ye Feifei spoke much during the ride. Unable to find a good topic of conversation, they both remained silent, each lost in their own thoughts.
As night fell, the carriage entered a city several times larger than Lisha City. "Young Miss, Young Master, shall we find an inn here for the night and continue our journey early tomorrow morning?" the old Ye Family driver asked.
"Thank you for your hard work. Let's do as you suggest," Ye Feifei said, getting out of the carriage with Ye Tian.
Ye Feifei put her veil back on. Her beauty was so striking that it was best to avoid attracting unnecessary trouble. 'It's always better to keep a low profile.'
The carriage stopped outside an inn. Ye Tian glanced at it and smiled faintly. "Feifei, no one knows us here. We don't have to put up with all those frustrating stares anymore. How about we have a nice drink tonight?"
"I'm happy doing anything as long as I'm with you," Ye Feifei said with a laugh. "Let's go in and see what they have to eat!"
The two were about to enter the inn when they noticed the old Ye Family driver wasn't following. Ye Feifei turned to him. "You should join us! You've worked hard all day!"
"Young Miss, that wouldn't be proper," the old driver said. "I'm just a humble servant. How could I eat with you? I'll just stay out here."
"I said you should come, so come. Stop dawdling. We don't consider you a servant. Let's go!" Ye Feifei insisted, though in her heart, she understood how the old man felt.
The old man wanted to refuse again, but when he saw Ye Tian looking at him, he could only steel himself and follow them into the inn. A waiter immediately came up to greet them at the entrance.
"Welcome, honored guests! Are you here for a meal or a room? Our inn is renowned far and wide. We have an extensive menu—if you can think of it, we can make it..." The waiter launched into a long-winded spiel, clearly having recited the lines by heart countless times.
There weren't many people in the inn at the moment. After all, it was evening; it would likely have been packed at noon. The three of them found a secluded corner where they were less likely to be disturbed.
"Bring us a few of your finest dishes, a jug of wine, and prepare three of your best rooms. And be quick about it," Ye Tian ordered.
"Right away, honored guests! Your order will be out shortly!" the waiter said before hurrying off.
After sitting down, the three of them began to size up the other patrons. The inn had several dozen tables, but only ten or so were currently occupied. Since it wasn't very crowded, it was possible to overhear other conversations.
Ye Tian, with his exceptional Perception Power, could hear their words with perfect clarity. However, it was all just trivial chatter, not worth his attention.
A short while later, the waiter returned with their food and wine. He glanced at the trio and said, "Please enjoy your meal, honored guests. Call me if you need anything else!"
Ye Tian gave a slight nod of acknowledgment. Ye Feifei filled their three cups with wine. "Brother Tian, let's try this inn's fine wine."
"Young Miss, Young Master, allow me to toast you," the old driver said. "I never even dreamed I'd have the chance to share a meal with you."
"You're too kind," Ye Tian said with a laugh. "You're the one who's worked the hardest on this trip. We should be toasting you!" He then raised his cup and drained it in one gulp.
The three of them ate slowly. The old driver, no longer so reserved, became much more talkative, giving them a general overview of the places they would pass on the road from Lisha City to Linyuan Academy.
Neither Ye Tian nor Ye Feifei had ever traveled far, so they listened with great curiosity. Before long, the jug of wine was empty.
Just as Ye Tian was about to call the waiter for more wine, four people walked in: three middle-aged men and a youth.
The waiter, of course, hurried over to greet them enthusiastically, launching into the same long-winded introduction. The youth's brow furrowed in annoyance as he listened.
"Get my young master your best room, and bring up some of your finest food and wine. Hurry up. If you keep our young master waiting, we'll tear this place down," one of the middle-aged men said in a domineering tone.
'It's obvious this youth is the young master of some powerful family, and these three are his bodyguards,' Ye Tian thought. 'And they're not weak. The weakest of them must be at least at the Second Vein Fifth Layer.'
'That's strange,' Ye Tian mused. 'I can somehow perceive cultivation up to the Three Vein Realm now. With my current power, I should only be able to see as high as the Second Vein Fourth or Fifth Layer.'
'And the youth himself is no slouch. He's about my age, but he's already at the One Vein Eighth Layer. He's probably heading to Linyuan Academy, too.'
The youth scanned the inn's common room. "Just find any table," he said. "It's been a long day, and I'm exhausted. We'll see if we can find a suitable woman to help me... unwind."
His voice wasn't loud, but Ye Tian heard him perfectly. 'Hard to believe someone so young is already so deep into wine and women.'
"Rest assured, Young Master," another of the men said with a smirk. "We'll find you a pretty one later. You'll be nice and comfortable tonight."
Before their food and wine had arrived, the four of them sat at their table, scanning the other patrons. There weren't many women in the room, so their eyes quickly landed on Ye Feifei.
"Young Master, what about that woman in the corner?" one of the men said immediately. "She's even wearing a veil. With that air about her, she must be a beauty. Shall I go take a look for you?"
The youth's gaze shifted toward their table. Ye Feifei's eyes were fixed on Ye Tian's face, but Ye Tian was looking back at the youth, and for a moment, their gazes locked.
The youth smirked. "Of course, you should go. She must be a beauty; why else would she hide her face? Just be polite. Don't frighten my little prize."
"Understood," the middle-aged man said, rising from his seat and walking toward Ye Tian's table.
Ye Tian felt a surge of irritation. 'It's true what they say: even if you don't look for trouble, trouble will find you. If they dare lay a hand on Feifei today, I wouldn't mind one bit if Ye Lin slaughtered every last one of them…'