Chapter 169: Arriving in the Capital City

"Hiss... They’re all alchemists..."

Hearing Ye Qingchen’s mockery, Hu Ji still found it hard to believe. Seething with frustration, she roared at him, "Impossible! I hid myself so well these past two days without the slightest hint of malicious intent! How could you have possibly discovered my plan and prepared for it in advance?"

Ye Qingchen sneered, speaking to her with contempt, "Your heart is fundamentally evil. No matter how well you hide it, you can’t conceal your venomous thoughts!"

Hu Ji’s heart filled with bitterness.

I was so close to my goal, just a hair’s breadth from success!

Ye Qingchen disdained such petty tricks and had even less interest in killing Hu Ji herself.

At that moment, Elder Wuji reached Li Zongrui’s side. He sprinkled the antidote on him and said with grave sincerity, "Zong Rui, you are too naive and simple, which is why you are repeatedly deceived. I, your master, played along with this act precisely to show you this woman’s true colors. I hope you will take this as a lesson for the future!"

Li Zongrui was overcome with shame.

If not for my stubborn insistence, would things have ended up like this?

However, the Elder’s antidote took effect at that moment. Li Zongrui tested his limbs and discovered he could indeed move again.

Li Zongrui stood up, unable to look his master in the eye, much less Ye Qingchen. Burning with shame, he drew his precious sword and stalked toward Hu Ji.

Seeing Li Zongrui’s shame-filled face, Hu Ji still clung to a sliver of hope.

The woman who had been putting on a brave and fierce front now revealed a fragile side. She spoke to Li Zongrui, "Master Li, it’s all my fault. This humble woman was confused for a moment and committed such a foolish act. Please, take pity on me as a weak woman and spare me this once. From now on, I am willing to serve by your side!"

Li Zongrui sighed. Sensing his hesitation, Hu Ji continued to plead, "Master Li, if you spare me, I will never do something like this again. Moreover, if Master Li is willing, I am ready to toil like a beast of burden to repay your kindness!"

Li Zongrui faced her pleas, listening as she begged again and again for another chance.

In a daze, his thoughts drifted to Li Susu, and his expression shifted.

Hu Ji’s words... how similar they are to what Li Susu said back then! When I saved Li Susu on Qingyun Mountain, she also swore she would serve me like a beast of burden. But what happened later? She relentlessly lured me, causing me to commit countless evil deeds and lose all my dignity. Yes, Ye Qingchen was right. A seemingly vulnerable woman isn’t always weak.

He sighed inwardly.

If Ye Qingchen hadn’t intervened, the desperately pleading Hu Ji before me now would have never given me a second chance!

Li Zongrui slowly closed his eyes, a storm of thoughts raging in his mind.

The next moment, he gritted his teeth and swung his sword!

A flash of steel!

Blood splattered!

Hu Ji, still pleading for her life, met her tragic end.

Li Zongrui’s expression turned dazed once more. As he stared at Hu Ji’s lifeless body, her image seemed to morph into that of Li Susu.

"With that one strike, I, Li Zongrui, killed Hu Ji. But it was as if I killed Li Susu as well," he muttered to himself, feeling no joy from his revenge.

Because only he knew that sword strike felt as if it had pierced his own heart. The agony was excruciating, tearing his very soul apart!

He sighed, sheathed his sword, and did not spare Hu Ji another glance.

At that moment, Li Zongrui felt he had severed the naivety in his heart, along with what he once foolishly believed was love.

Dispirited, he walked toward Ye Qingchen and stammered, "Just now... thank you for saving my life. If it weren’t for you, I might have died at that woman’s hands."

Ye Qingchen smiled and shook his head, surprised that Li Zongrui would actually thank him. He couldn’t help but tease, "Young Master, no need to be polite. I just can’t stand vicious women like her, so I thought I’d teach her a lesson. As for saving your life, I can’t take credit for that. I never intended to save you; you’re overthinking things."

The corner of Li Zongrui’s mouth twitched, and the flicker of goodwill he had just developed for Ye Qingchen vanished completely.

Hmph! Never mind Li Susu or Hu Ji; that Ye Qingchen brat is no saint either! If I get the chance, I must find a way to humiliate him! We’ll see if he still dares to be so arrogant in front of me then.

As Li Zongrui was lost in his thoughts, a commotion erupted behind him.

Turning around, he saw a dozen or so fierce-looking men rushing over. Their gazes fell immediately upon Hu Ji’s corpse, and they instantly understood that Ye Qingchen’s group had killed her.

The leader of the men quickly expressed his gratitude while his subordinates scurried over to Hu Ji’s body. After a brief search, they recovered the items she had stolen from them.

"Thank you all for your righteous intervention," the leader said, bowing respectfully once more. "This vile woman stole the Cultivation Technique we painstakingly acquired at an auction in the capital."

Hearing that they were from the capital, Ye Qingchen asked quickly, "Brothers, since you’ve come from the capital, have you heard if there’s any place selling Thousand-Year Peony Heart Grass?"

The leader replied with a troubled expression, "Thousand-Year Peony Heart Grass is incredibly precious. Even in a prosperous city like the capital, a Spiritual Medicine of that caliber rarely appears."

Ye Qingchen was disappointed. It seemed concocting the Breakthrough Pill would be more difficult than he had thought.

Just as Ye Qingchen felt disheartened, another man spoke up thoughtfully. "Honorable benefactors, I heard a major auction is being held in the capital soon. Rumor has it that one of the items is none other than the Thousand-Year Peony Heart Grass!"

Hearing this, Ye Qingchen was overjoyed.

As long as I can get the Thousand-Year Peony Heart Grass, I can refine the Breakthrough Pill and reach the Martial Master Realm!

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, the two groups parted ways.

Without lingering, Ye Qingchen and his companions sped toward the capital. They weren’t far now; after leaving the bamboo forest, they could already vaguely make out the city’s silhouette.

An hour later, they finally arrived at the gates of the capital.

Ye Qingchen was awestruck by the magnificent city walls before him.

The colossal city gates stood dozens of meters high and were tens of meters wide. Yet even this massive gateway was choked with a bustling, endless stream of people.

The prosperity of the capital completely shattered Ye Qingchen’s expectations.