Chapter 18: Stay Away from Me

Staying in the room with his sister and parents, Ye Cheng closed his eyes and began to formulate his plan.

From the depths of Zhou Qi’s mind, Ye Cheng had already located the exact whereabouts of the Dragon Tiger Hall, but that was only the fourth division. As for the other three branches, this fellow knew absolutely nothing! More perplexing still, though Zhou Qi was already a peak Martial Artist of the Profound Realm, his status within the Dragon Tiger Hall was far from high. In his memories, the three division leaders above him were on an entirely different level, and Zhou Qi himself was desperate to elevate the standing of the fourth division.

A top-tier assassin who struck fear in the hearts of others was, in their eyes, just an ordinary fourth-in-command, not even qualified to eavesdrop when real matters were discussed.

How wretched.

Ye Cheng shook his head in resignation.

He did not pity Zhou Qi in the slightest. The world of martial arts was fraught with danger, and only strength spoke. If he had lost to Zhou Qi only moments ago, it would be his own corpse lying here now.

A knock at the door interrupted Ye Cheng’s thoughts. Zhang Quan had returned with his granddaughter, followed by his two disciples.

Nie Xian’s gaze toward Ye Cheng was far from friendly, but Ye Cheng paid him no mind.

“Master Ye, I’ve taken care of everything downstairs!” Zhang Quan announced. Seeing yet another corpse on the floor, a slight tremor ran through his heart, but he showed little reaction otherwise.

After all, a true master must possess certain traits unique to the strong.

“Xian, let the people outside know to handle this,” Zhang Quan instructed.

“Yes, Master,” Nie Xian replied, still cold and distant toward Ye Cheng. Witnessing Ye Cheng kill another man in mere minutes only reinforced his opinion: this Ye Cheng, who cured his master, was nothing more than a lucky brute with exceptional medical skill, a violent man at heart. Nie Xian, a moderate by nature, refused to show kindness to such a person.

Ye Cheng noticed Nie Xian’s every move and word. Yet he found nothing amiss with the young man; considering Nie Xian’s status in conventional medicine, there might be a use for him in the future.

Once Nie Xian left the room, Zhang Quan spoke again.

“Master Ye, do you have any other instructions?”

“Find a quiet and safe place for my sister and parents to recuperate for a few days. I’ll reward you accordingly in a few days.”

A reward!

Zhang Quan’s excitement was plain. A reward from a grandmaster who knew the Nine Supreme Arts of Ancient Medicine! Surely it would be something related to medicine—how could this not thrill Zhang Quan, who had devoted his life to the healing arts?

“Absolutely! Rest assured, Master Ye, I’ll find the most suitable place for your parents and your sister to recover. You can contact me at any time!”

“Very well.” Ye Cheng packed his parents’ clothes for the next few days and handed them all to his sister, Ye Mengxue.

“I have some things to take care of. I’ll be home by tonight.”

He then lowered his head, gazing softly at his sister.

“Remember to make my favorite dishes from before.”

Ye Mengxue’s nose tingled; she nodded vigorously. That warm feeling of home had finally returned.

“Hmm? Master Ye, what do you have to handle? Is there anything I can help with?” Zhang Quan now responded to Ye Cheng’s every need. After all, this great doctor had just saved his life—even if Ye Cheng were a mere wanderer, he could not be heartless.

“There is a small favor you could do for me.”

“Please, just say the word!”

Ye Cheng nudged Zhou Qi’s body with his foot.

“This man is from the Dragon Tiger Hall. Are you familiar with that organization?”

“Dragon Tiger Hall…”

Now it was Zhang Quan’s turn to look awkward. He had retreated into the mountains over a decade ago, rarely venturing out; he had completely forgotten which organizations ruled the martial world these days.

Seeing that asking was pointless, Ye Cheng shook his head.

“Never mind. It doesn’t concern you. I’ll handle it myself.”

With that, Ye Cheng’s figure vanished from the ward in a flash.

So fast!

Zhang Quan marveled inwardly. Such movement technique—faster even than his own.

“It seems Master Ye is even stronger than I thought…”

“Xian, Wu, you two have lived in River City for years. In the future, if Master Ye needs anything, you must do your utmost to support him. No mistakes are allowed!”

“Yes, Master.”

…

Stepping out of the hospital, Ye Cheng first called Zhao Wuji.

“Hey? Boss, what can I do for you?” Zhao Wuji was panting; he’d just finished a set of boxing forms and was exhausted to the point of collapse.

But over the phone, his voice came out distorted.

“What are you doing?”

“Just…just finished a set of boxing forms…”

Zhao Wuji’s voice was weak and drained, leaving Ye Cheng speechless.

“There are plenty of problems with your forms; not worth practicing. If you help me with this, I’ll give you a new boxing manual—one a hundred times better than yours.”

A new manual!

Zhao Wuji’s eyes lit up. This was a manual from an innate grandmaster! Wouldn’t it help him break through to the innate realm and become a true master?

“Thank you, Boss! Whatever you need, I’ll risk my old life to get it done!”

“No need for dramatics. I want you to investigate the Dragon Tiger Hall. Any issues?”

“No problem!”

Zhao Wuji accepted the task with confidence. He might not be able to cross the Lu family, but a small organization in River City? That he could handle.

“Give me an hour. I’ll look for information right away!”

“Hurry.”

Ye Cheng hung up and found a bench outside the hospital to wait for Zhao Wuji’s call, eyes closed in quiet anticipation.

But less than five minutes later, Ye Cheng sensed his sunlight blocked. Opening his eyes in confusion, he found himself staring at a familiar pretty face.

“What are you doing here?”

The girl beaming at him was none other than Zhang Wenyue, whom he’d just met.

Ye Cheng had to admit, he rather liked this girl—not only did her looks suit his tastes, but she was also young with a strong spiritual aura, an excellent candidate for cultivation.

“Hehehe, weird uncle…”

“Weird uncle?”

Ye Cheng was taken aback, realizing he hadn’t shaved or changed clothes yet; it wasn’t unfair for her to call him that.

“Do you need something?”

Pressed for time, Ye Cheng had no desire to be entangled with this girl.

“Oh, don’t be so fierce, weird uncle! I just need a favor from you.”

“A favor? Can’t your amazing grandpa help you?”

At the mention of her grandfather, Zhang Wenyue immediately shook her head.

“Grandpa doesn’t want to meddle in other people’s business. Asking him is useless.”

“Oh? What kind of matter would your grandfather consider meddling?”

Ye Cheng’s interest was piqued.

“Promise you’ll help first!”

Zhang Wenyue, aware of her own cuteness, began to act coy.

“Ahem, tell me first, then I’ll decide. Also…”

“Please take a step back. I can barely breathe here.”