"Who do you think you're scaring? You want to wipe out my Murong Family? Take a look at yourself and see if you're even worthy! My Murong Family is closely related to the Ouyang Family of the Imperial City. You should reconsider," the young man snapped, paying no mind to the Innkeeper's words.
"It's Murong Jiang's misfortune to have a son like you. The Ouyang Family of the Imperial City is certainly powerful, but not everyone is afraid of them. Boy, your insolence has earned you a lesson," the Innkeeper said in anger.
He then reached out and grabbed at the empty air. The young man flew uncontrollably toward him, arriving in front of him in the blink of an eye. Such power left him stunned and terrified.
"How dare you lay a hand on me! My father will not let you go! What are you two standing around for? Do you want to watch me die?" the young man shouted, quickly snapping out of his daze.
At this, the two middle-aged men rushed forward. The Innkeeper was incredibly powerful, but the boy was a young master of the Murong Family. If anything happened to him, their own lives would be over.
But the Innkeeper just threw a punch. It didn't seem very powerful—just enough to do the job. The young man was sent flying, landing several meters away. He coughed up blood and immediately fell unconscious.
The two middle-aged men who had rushed forward now found themselves in an impossible situation. It was too late to turn and run. The Innkeeper lashed out with a palm strike at each of them, but the force behind these strikes was immeasurably greater than the punch that had sent the young master flying.
The two middle-aged men were sent flying without any chance to resist. When they landed, one was already dead, and the other was on the brink of death.
The gap in power between the Three Veins and a Five Vein Powerhouse was just that vast—they had been completely helpless. The realization sent a shock through Ye Tian. He was certain that the middle-aged man still struggling for life would soon breathe his last.
"Utterly weak," the Innkeeper said nonchalantly, without even glancing at the two men on the ground. He then began to walk slowly toward Ye Tian.
Ye Tian instinctively took a few steps back, but the Innkeeper just smiled. "Don't be afraid, young man. I have no intention of harming you. Those four were disrespectful to you in the inn, so they deserved to be punished. You could say I was simply ridding the world of a pest."
"I was tempted to kill that brat, too, but I have some history with his father, so I spared him. It's all over now. It's getting dark. If you've no objections, you should come back to the inn. I'm the Innkeeper there."
Just then, Ye Feifei came over. She looked at the Innkeeper and said respectfully, "Thank you for saving us, Elder! My brother and I are deeply grateful! We won't be going back to the inn, though. There was an old man from our clan traveling with us. By now, he must have driven the carriage quite a distance away. My brother and I have to go and catch up with him."
"It's true. My sister is telling the truth," Ye Tian added. "We can't just abandon him, so please forgive us, Elder." In the presence of a Five Vein powerhouse, he knew he had to be deferential. Besides, the man clearly meant them no harm and had even saved their lives.
The Innkeeper glanced at Ye Tian and Ye Feifei. "If you have business to attend to, I won't insist," he said. "May I ask where you two are headed? I hear Linyuan Academy has started accepting new students. Are you perhaps headed there?"
Ye Tian and Ye Feifei exchanged a glance before Ye Tian replied, "To be honest, Elder, we are indeed on our way to Linyuan Academy. We hope to further our Cultivation there. The person escorting us is a carriage driver from our clan."
"In that case, our meeting must be fate. The dean of Linyuan Academy, Xiao Wenjie, is a friend of mine from many years ago. I have a Jade Pendant here. If you encounter any trouble at the academy, you can take it to him. I'm sure he will understand when he sees it." As the Innkeeper spoke, an ancient, green Jade Pendant appeared in his hand.
Ye Tian had sharp eyes and immediately spotted a silver-white ring on the Innkeeper's finger. 'It's a Storage Ring, no doubt,' he thought. 'Anyone who possesses a Storage Ring must have an extraordinary identity.'
'But that's secondary. An innkeeper who's friends with the dean of Linyuan Academy and isn't afraid of the Murong Clan can't be just a simple innkeeper. His true identity must be something else.' However, Ye Tian had no intention of prying into the man's identity right now—nor did he have the right to.
Ye Tian and Ye Feifei were hesitant. Should they accept such an immense favor? The man had already helped them, and now he was offering another huge favor. The situation was awkward.
"Don't overthink it," the Innkeeper said with a serious expression. "I have a good feeling about you two. Especially you, young man. You remained calm in the face of danger and handled yourself like a veteran. You are clearly destined for great things. My greatest hobby is making friends, and I trust my judgment of character."
And who was Ye Tian? He was the Young Master of Shen Li Palace, bearer of the War Dragon Pearl. Once his bloodline was fully awakened, he would become a peerless powerhouse who could transform into a War Dragon. He was certainly not someone who would remain ordinary. This old innkeeper's perception was truly remarkable.
Of course, the man didn't know Ye Tian's true identity. If he did, he would surely be astonished. One could only wonder if he would try to seize the War Dragon Pearl from within Ye Tian's body. After all, few could remain steadfast in the face of such an overwhelming temptation.
"In that case, thank you, Elder. I am Ye Tian, and this is my sister, Ye Feifei. If we achieve anything in the future, we will never forget your kindness today," Ye Tian said earnestly. He then accepted the Jade Pendant, but he didn't put it into his Storage Ring.
Ye Tian had already made up his mind. 'From now on, I won't use the Black Glaze Sword so casually. I'll carry a Fine Steel Sword on my back for protection instead. That way, I can keep more of my secrets hidden.'
"Elder, we know it's disrespectful to ask for your name," Ye Feifei said, "but after receiving such a great kindness, could you at least tell us your surname? Please forgive our forwardness."
"My surname is Long. You can just call me Elder Long," the Innkeeper replied. "I'm usually at the inn. I enjoy a quiet and leisurely life, so I'm not hard to find."
"Thank you, Elder Long! We'll take our leave now, then. We will certainly repay this debt of gratitude one day!" said Ye Tian.
"There's no need for repayment. I just hope that one day, I'll have the chance to share a drink with you, my young friend! Journey safely!" the Innkeeper said.
With that, Ye Tian and Ye Feifei quickly departed. The Innkeeper, Long, also vanished in a flicker.
"Brother Tian, do you know the surname of the Royal Family?" Ye Feifei suddenly asked.
"What is it? Why do you ask that?" Ye Tian asked, curious.
"Long! Under the heavens, only members of the Royal Family are allowed that surname. So, I think…" Ye Feifei trailed off…