Chapter 33: Sky-High Pills, Lets Get Excited!
"Eleven million!"
While everyone was still astonished by He Dewen¡¯s sudden bid increase of 3.2 million, a cold voice rang out. This startled everyone present. They looked up and saw that the bidder was Wu Yaoguang from the Prime Minister''s residence, which caused another wave of surprise.
The Prime Minister''s residence was bidding? Although Prime Minister Wu was known for his integrity, his daughter-in-law¡¯s family was exceedingly wealthy. While not as rich as the He family, they were comparable. Therefore, the crowd¡¯s surprise at Wu Yaoguang¡¯s bid of 15 million was short-lived.
Why was Wu Yaoguang bidding for this high-grade Super Martial Pill? Looking at Wu Yaoguang¡¯s son, Wu Yaolin, the crowd began to understand.
Wu Yaoguang was likely bidding on this high-grade Super Martial Pill for Wu Yaolin. With this in mind, no one was surprised by Wu Yaoguang''s sudden bid.
When He Dewen heard Wu Yaoguang¡¯s bid, he initially frowned but quickly realized it was for Wu Yaolin. He smiled and softly said, ¡°Twelve million!¡±
¡°Fifteen million!¡±
This time, Wu Yaoguang didn¡¯t hesitate. As soon as He Dewen finished speaking, he raised the price by three million, directly to fifteen million.
¡°Wow!¡±
As soon as Wu Yaoguang¡¯s bid of fifteen million was announced, the crowd erupted in chatter.
Fifteen million! This was an enormous amount of money. Even among those present with significant status and wealth, few could afford such a sum.
In a room in the Medicine Pavilion, a middle-aged man around forty years old respectfully asked a master, ¡°Master Yu, should our Medicine Pavilion continue bidding?¡±
Master Yu slightly turned his head, glanced at the middle-aged man, and calmly said, ¡°Our Medicine Pavilion will not participate in the bidding for this high-grade Super Martial Pill.¡±
¡°Not participate?¡± Master Yu¡¯s words stunned the middle-aged man, who looked at Master Yu with confusion.
Seeing the man¡¯s expression, Master Yu smiled inwardly and said, ¡°Jiaheng, do you think our Medicine Pavilion lacks such pills?¡±
The middle-aged man, Zhang Jiaheng, was the head of the Tianyang branch of the Medicine Pavilion. Despite his high status, he showed great respect for Master Yu, indicating that Master Yu held an extraordinary position within the Medicine Pavilion. No wonder no one doubted the efficacy of the Super Martial Pill after Master Yu¡¯s appraisal.
Although Master Yu didn¡¯t directly answer his question and even asked something unrelated, Zhang Jiaheng, still respectful, replied, ¡°Master, we do not lack such pills, but they are seldom sold in the Tianyang branch.¡±
After Zhang Jiaheng finished speaking, Master Yu chuckled and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Since we don¡¯t lack such pills, we can study lower-grade ones instead of competing for high-grade ones. It¡¯s unnecessary!¡±
¡°Master Yu indeed has great insight!¡± Zhang Jiaheng immediately realized the truth and admired Master Yu even more. However, he didn¡¯t know that Master Yu was also somewhat unsettled.
The Medicine Pavilion indeed had plenty of pills like the Super Martial Pill, but almost none were as cheap as this one, which could be traded for gold.
Cheap! To Master Yu, a pill valued at fifteen million taels of gold, or even higher, was very cheap. In his view, any pill that could be traded for gold was cheap.
If Ye Yiming knew Master Yu¡¯s thoughts, would he still embrace Da Hei with a smug look of being a wealthy man?
Fifteen million?
Faced with Wu Yaoguang''s unhesitant bid, He Dewen was initially stunned. After hesitating for a moment, he bid again, ¡°Sixteen million!¡±
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¡°Seventeen million!¡± As soon as He Dewen called out sixteen million, Wu Yaoguang immediately raised the bid by another million.
Oh my! This is outrageous! That¡¯s a million taels of gold, not a hundred taels of silver! How can they bid like this?
Watching He Dewen and Wu Yaoguang increase the bid by millions at a time, most of the crowd couldn¡¯t help but feel a mix of envy, jealousy, and hatred.
Seeing that Wu Yaoguang seemed determined to continue bidding, He Dewen smiled and stopped bidding.
After waiting for a while and seeing no further bids, Wang Weilong spoke up.
¡°Seventeen million, going once!¡±
After a moment of silence with no responses, Wang Weilong reluctantly addressed the crowd, ¡°Is there anyone else who wants to bid? This is a rare pill that can elevate someone to Earth-level martial artist status. It¡¯s extremely valuable!¡±
¡°Seventeen million, going twice!¡±
¡°This is a priceless pill with no side effects. There are only three of them, so don¡¯t miss this chance. You may never get another!¡±
Despite Wang Weilong¡¯s attempts to entice the crowd, no one else bid. Even the He family stopped, and the price of seventeen million was astronomical. Few in the crowd could continue bidding. Besides, given Wu Yaoguang¡¯s personality, anyone who continued bidding might incur his resentment, which was not worth the risk.
Seeing no further bids, Wang Weilong, though somewhat unwilling, made the final call.
¡°Sold! The final price for this high-grade Super Martial Pill is seventeen million taels of gold, won by the Second Young Master Wu.¡±
As soon as Wang Weilong finished speaking, Li Xiaodong quickly went up to the third floor to deliver the pill. However, his real purpose was to collect the money.
According to Wang Weilong, no matter how much money was involved, it had to be collected on the spot. Therefore, the auction rules stated no credit would be allowed, even for the emperor himself.
When Li Xiaodong returned with a smile, both Wang Weilong and Ye Yiming grinned. Unlike Wang Weilong, who was the center of attention, Ye Yiming, though trying to control his emotions, was beaming with joy.
¡°Cough~¡± After calming his excitement, Wang Weilong picked up the second high-grade Super Martial Pill and announced with a smile, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start the auction for the second high-grade Super Martial Pill. The rules remain the same: no reserve price, with each bid increase not less than ten thousand taels. Let¡¯s begin!¡±
¡°Fifteen million!¡±
As soon as Wang Weilong finished speaking, He Dewen immediately bid fifteen million, causing the room to fall silent.
Upon hearing He Dewen¡¯s bid, Ye Yiming was initially stunned, then started cursing He Dewen inwardly.
Damn it! He Dewen, I won¡¯t let you off!
Ye Yiming knew exactly what He Dewen was doing. He was trying to set a high starting price. If the bidding had increased by one million each time, even though a million was a significant increment, it was less shocking than jumping straight to fifteen million.
Ye Yiming was sure that if the bids had increased gradually, the final price would have exceeded the seventeen million of the first pill. However, with He Dewen¡¯s sudden high bid, Ye Yiming had little hope for that.
As expected, despite Wang Weilong repeatedly emphasizing the pill¡¯s value, no one bid further, and the second high-grade Super Martial Pill was sold to He Dewen for fifteen million.
Watching Li Xiaodong return from collecting the payment from He Dewen, Ye Yiming couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of regret for the two million taels less. Yet, he also had a newfound respect for He Dewen.
Hmm, as expected of the richest family in Tianyang, the He family knows how to do business!
My two million taels!!!
While lamenting his loss, Ye Yiming continued to wail inwardly.
Fearing another situation like He Dewen¡¯s, Wang Weilong decided to emphasize some points before auctioning the last high-grade Super Martial Pill.
¡°The second Super Martial Pill has been sold. Now we will auction the last one. The rules remain unchanged: no reserve price, with each bid increase not less than ten thousand taels. This is your last chance, so seize it!¡±
After Wang Weilong¡¯s announcement, there was a brief silence. Seeing no one immediately making a high bid, someone finally called out.
¡°Five million!¡±
The first bid this time came from General Li¡¯s son, Li Feng. After bidding, he nervously watched the pill, hoping no one else would bid. Five million was his limit, and he could only take a chance.
Unfortunately, his hope was soon dashed.
¡°Six million!¡±
A loud bid shattered Li Feng¡¯s dream, causing him to slump back into his seat. Amid the increasingly fierce bidding, no one noticed his plight.
¡°Seven million!¡±
¡°Eight million!¡±
¡°Nine million!¡±
This time, neither Wu Yaoguang nor He Dewen participated. Perhaps because of this, everyone felt free to bid, causing the price of the last Super Martial Pill to quickly soar past fifteen million and head towards seventeen million, eventually surpassing it.
¡°Eighteen million!¡±
Surpassed! The price of this Super Martial Pill had exceeded the first one¡¯s seventeen million, setting a new record. But it didn¡¯t stop there.
¡°Eighteen million and one hundred thousand!¡±
At this point, the bidding slowed down, with smaller increments. However, as the price approached nineteen million, a loud bid broke the pattern.
¡°Twenty million!¡±
Twenty million! Who would have thought a small pill could be so valuable? This news shocked all of Tianyang, and everyone talked about the miraculous Super Martial Pill.
At this moment, Ye Yiming¡¯s excitement was indescribable, only able to roar inwardly.
Sky-high pills, let¡¯s get excited together!
Chapter 34: Youre Too Naive
As soon as the staggering price of twenty million was announced, the auction hall fell silent for a moment. The bidder was none other than Chen Zhihai, the eldest son of the Chen family, one of the five great families of the capital.
The five great families of the capital were the Ye, Wu, Chen, Wang, and Cheng families. Although the He family was the wealthiest in Tianyang, they lacked influential members in the court and had no heavenly-level experts in the family. Thus, they were not considered one of the five great families. However, with the emergence of a heavenly-level beast from the He family, they might soon join the ranks of the top families in Tianyang, transforming the five great families into six.
Chen Zhihai, the eldest son of the Chen family, was a scholar by nature and relatively low-key. This was largely due to his poor talent; he was a man of mediocre aptitude. Earlier, he had bid on some of the lower and middle-grade Super Martial Pills, and he was determined not to miss out on this top-grade Super Martial Pill.
After a brief silence, just when Chen Zhihai thought he could secure the top-grade Super Martial Pill, someone raised the bid.
"Twenty-one million!"
Not only did someone increase the bid, but they also added a million in one go. The price had already soared to a staggering twenty million, yet someone was still willing to increase it by another million. This surprising move drew everyone''s attention. When they saw who had raised the bid, they were even more astonished.
The little prince?
When they realized it was the little prince, Cheng Baili, who had raised the bid, everyone was taken aback.
Seeing the little prince Cheng Baili, dressed in white and smiling warmly, nodding and smiling at everyone, Ye Yiming felt a deep sense of aversion.
When Cheng Baili noticed Ye Yiming looking at him, he smiled and nodded slightly. Little did he know that this courteous gesture made Ye Yiming feel as though he had swallowed a fly, causing a wave of disgust. Fortunately, at this moment, Chen Zhihai raised the bid again.
"Twenty-two million!"
"Twenty-three million!"
As soon as Chen Zhihai raised the bid, Cheng Baili smiled and added another million. His face was full of a gentle smile, as if constantly reminding others of his genteel demeanor.
"Twenty-five million!"
This time, Chen Zhihai increased the bid by two million in one go, even standing up from his seat with reddened eyes, staring fiercely at Cheng Baili. Cheng Baili, however, didn''t mind and smiled slightly at Chen Zhihai before slowly saying, "I bid twenty-six million!"
"Bang!" When Cheng Baili raised the bid, Chen Zhihai slumped heavily back into his seat, no longer able to continue. Twenty-five million was his limit, and now he could only give up.
After a while, seeing that Chen Zhihai was truly out of the bidding, Wang Weilong finally spoke.
"Twenty-six million, going once!"
After a pause and seeing no further movement, Wang Weilong gave up hope. With two more calls in quick succession, he announced the final ownership of the last Super Martial Pill, thus ending the auction.
When Wang Weilong announced the pill''s ownership, Cheng Baili smiled, stood up, and cupped his hands towards Chen Zhihai. "Thank you, Brother Zhihai, for making it possible. I''m deeply grateful."
Chen Zhihai quickly stood up and returned the gesture. "No, no, you''re too kind, little prince. It''s just that I am short of funds, making a fool of myself."
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What is this nonsense?
Seeing Chen Zhihai and Cheng Baili''s hypocritical display, Ye Yiming felt a wave of nausea. He found Cheng Baili even more unpleasant.
Damn, this guy is just like Yue Buqun! After buying the pill, he still pretends to be magnanimous. Could he be any more fake?
In Ye Yiming''s eyes, Cheng Baili was even worse than Wu Yaolin. At least Wu Yaolin was an outright villain, whereas Cheng Baili was clearly a hypocrite!
Watching Cheng Baili''s gentle smile, Ye Yiming felt increasingly irritated.
After a moment of thought, Ye Yiming summoned a servant and whispered a few words. The servant then approached Chen Zhihai and whispered something to him, causing Chen Zhihai to look over at Ye Yiming with a delighted expression. Ye Yiming nodded and smiled at him, making Chen Zhihai even more thrilled.
Cheng Baili noticed the exchange between Ye Yiming and Chen Zhihai. He frowned slightly and then exchanged glances with He Dewen. Understanding Cheng Baili''s signal, He Dewen nodded and then left the room.
As people began to leave after the final pill was auctioned off, He Dewen mingled with the crowd and casually remarked, "Sigh, why are there only three top-grade Super Martial Pills? It would be better if there were more."
Though He Dewen''s words seemed casual, they were anything but. The people who heard them stopped in their tracks and looked towards Wang Weilong.
This startled Wang Weilong, who was previously quite pleased. The fact that these prominent figures were staring at him made him uneasy, prompting him to look to Ye Yiming for help.
Seeing Wang Weilong''s distressed look, Li Feng seized the opportunity and addressed Ye Yiming. "Indeed, there are only three top-grade Super Martial Pills, which is far too few. It''s not enough for everyone here. I suggest you, Young Master Ye, take out a few more for us. We can negotiate the price; we certainly have the money."
Hearing Li Feng''s suggestion, everyone thought it made perfect sense.
Indeed! We''re not short on money. Why doesn''t Ye Yiming take out more pills to sell to us?
The scene began to grow chaotic, with people discussing louder and louder. This made Wang Weilong increasingly anxious.
As the scene grew more chaotic, Li Feng felt proud and looked at Ye Yiming with a smug expression. "Young Master Ye, everyone is waiting for your response. Don''t keep silent!"
Watching the chaotic scene and the smug Li Feng, Ye Yiming calmly asked, "Are you done?"
"Uh!" Li Feng was momentarily speechless at Ye Yiming''s response. Annoyed, he retorted, "Ye Yiming, stop changing the subject! Are you going to take out more pills or not?"
Ye Yiming didn''t answer Li Feng directly. Instead, he turned to Li Xiao and said something that stunned everyone present.
"Xiao Dong, throw out that noisy fool!"
Everyone was waiting for Ye Yiming''s response, but no one expected him to say such a thing. Everyone was momentarily stunned, including Li Feng, who stood there dumbfounded.
Although Li Feng was stunned, Li Xiaodong was not. He moved swiftly behind Li Feng, and before Li Feng could react, Li Xiaodong''s right foot kicked him in the butt.
"Ah!"
"Splash!"
Li Feng, only realizing what happened mid-air, could only scream before landing in the water.
Li Feng''s scream brought everyone back to their senses. They suddenly remembered that Ye Yiming was the most unruly of the four young masters of the capital!
Realizing they had just confronted Ye Yiming, most people present couldn''t help but wipe a cold sweat from their foreheads.
He Dewen, seeing that everyone was intimidated by Ye Yiming''s actions, frowned and said to Ye Yiming, "Young Master Ye, after all, Li Feng is the son of General Li. What you did just now seems a bit inappropriate."
Inappropriate?
Ye Yiming raised an eyebrow, looking at He Dewen with disdain. "What''s inappropriate? Does Ye Yiming need you, He Dewen, to tell him how to act?"
Seeing He Dewen speechless, Ye Yiming continued, "Do you think that just because your He family has a heavenly-level black tiger, you can compare yourself to me? Humph! I advise you to know your place. If you anger me, I''ll have my Fourth Uncle cook that black tiger tonight."
"You, Ye Yiming..." He Dewen was so furious that his face turned red, unable to speak.
"What about me?" Ye Yiming sneered at He Dewen.
"Let me tell you, He Dewen, you don''t even have the demeanor of the future head of the He family. If it were your father or grandfather, they wouldn''t be as foolish as you. If it were your father, he''d shut up after Li Feng was thrown into the river. If it were your grandfather, he''d probably applaud. But you?"
Ye Yiming paused, looked He Dewen up and down, then sighed and said, "But you, He Dewen, you''re far too naive!"
"You, you... I, I, I..." He Dewen was so furious that he spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed unconscious. The He family servants scrambled to help him.
Seeing He Dewen faint, Ye Yiming sighed and said lightly, "Sigh, with such poor mental strength, I truly worry for the future of the He family."
Watching He Dewen collapse and hearing Ye Yiming''s casual comments, a chill ran down everyone''s spine.
That''s ruthless!
He Dewen had only said a few harsh words, but ended up in such a miserable state. This young lord of the capital is truly not to be trifled with!
At that moment, most people silently vowed never to provoke Ye Yiming again. The consequences were simply too severe. Just a few words could make someone spit blood; such a person was not to be messed with!
Chapter 35: Incomplete Special Pill Recipe
At this moment, the always gentle and smiling face of Little Prince Cheng Baili stiffened upon seeing He Dewen being infuriated by Ye Yiming. His previously graceful demeanor disappeared, which amused Ye Yiming.
Ha, you hypocrite, let''s see how you handle this!
However, Cheng Baili''s expression didn''t last long; he quickly returned to his usual gentle and elegant self.
Tsk tsk tsk! Even Yue Buqun would pale in comparison to Cheng Baili''s demeanor!
At this moment, Ye Yiming could only admire Cheng Baili''s composure.
After He Dewen was carried away by his family''s servants, Ye Yiming glanced around the room. Noticing the tense atmosphere, he chuckled and said, "It''s fine, it''s fine. No need to be nervous; it''s not a big deal."
Not a big deal? After all this, you call it not a big deal? No need to be nervous?
Young Master Ye! Boss Ye! Even if you''re toying with people, you can''t do it like this! He''s already spitting blood, and you say it''s not a big deal and we shouldn''t be nervous? Even if we had nerves of steel, we can''t handle this kind of torment!
Seeing Ye Yiming''s smiling face, everyone present felt a chill down their spines and broke into a cold sweat. They made up their minds not to provoke this person no matter what.
"Hahaha!" At this moment, Wang Weilong, noticing the heavy atmosphere, burst into laughter and said to everyone, "Hahaha! Today''s auction was very successful, thanks to everyone''s efforts. I hope you''ll all continue to support us at our next auction!"
After saying this, Wang Weilong gave Ye Yiming a covert look. Understanding Wang Weilong''s intention, Ye Yiming immediately chimed in, "Yes, yes! We hope you won''t miss our next auction! We look forward to your support!"
The next auction?
Hearing this, everyone''s eyes lit up, and they immediately forgot about Ye Yiming''s earlier actions, eagerly listening to him. This sight finally made Wang Weilong breathe a sigh of relief. He didn''t want a small incident to hinder their grand plans for making money.
Seeing everyone''s eager expressions, Ye Yiming smiled and said, "I know you''re all interested and looking forward to the next auction. So, I''ve decided that in ten days, we''ll hold a second auction for Super Martial Pills. The exact location will be announced later. As for the number of pills..."
Ye Yiming intentionally paused, noticing everyone''s impatience. He then continued with a slight smirk, "At the next Super Martial Pill auction, we''ll auction off 500 lower-grade Super Martial Pills, 100 middle-grade Super Martial Pills, and 10 top-grade Super Martial Pills."
As soon as Ye Yiming finished speaking, the room erupted in noise.
Ten top-grade Super Martial Pills?
To be honest, the lower and middle-grade Super Martial Pills didn''t interest the crowd much, as they only enhanced the cultivation of human-level martial artists. What they valued were the top-grade Super Martial Pills that could elevate them to earth-level martial artists!
Seemingly reading their thoughts, Ye Yiming casually remarked, "Oh, by the way, even the lower-grade Super Martial Pills are effective for sky-level martial artists, though the effect is relatively small."
What? Even the lower-grade Super Martial Pills are effective for sky-level martial artists?
Doesn''t that mean that with a large number of lower-grade Super Martial Pills, one could break through to become a sky-level martial artist?
This news was too shocking. The crowd started discussing loudly, disregarding their statuses and positions.
Wu Yaoguang''s eyes gleamed upon hearing this, and he tightly gripped the medicine bottle in his hand before quickly leaving. Even Cheng Baili couldn''t maintain his elegant demeanor anymore. He frowned, thought for a moment, and then left.
While Wu Yaoguang and Cheng Baili''s reactions varied, Master Yu, who had been watching Ye Yiming and the others bicker out of boredom, felt uneasy after hearing Ye Yiming''s words. After a while, he stood up with a grave expression and hurriedly left, not even bothering with Zhang Jiaheng, who was following him.
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Ye Yiming didn''t notice this scene. After his final statement, he left the painting boat without looking back and went to a nearby riverside teahouse with Wang Weilong and Li Xiaodong.
Shortly after arriving at the teahouse, before the waiter could serve tea, they saw a hurried figure approaching. As the figure got closer, they realized it was Chen Zhihong, the eldest young master of the Chen family.
"Yo! Isn''t this Young Master Chen?" As soon as Chen Zhihong approached, Ye Yiming started teasing him.
"Haha! What a coincidence! Young Master Chen, are you here for tea too?"
Chen Zhihong was momentarily stunned by Ye Yiming''s teasing, then smiled bitterly and said, "Little Duke, please don''t joke with me. You know why I''m here."
Of course, Ye Yiming knew why Chen Zhihong was there; he had sent someone to inform him. He was just playing a little joke.
Seeing Chen Zhihong''s urgency, Ye Yiming stopped teasing and gestured for him to sit down. He then said, "Haha, since that''s the case, I''ll get straight to the point. I''m willing to sell you an additional top-grade Super Martial Pill. What do you think?"
Although Chen Zhihong had anticipated Ye Yiming''s intention, hearing it directly from him still made him overjoyed.
"No problem at all! I''ll take it! I''ll offer a fair price of 26 million, plus an additional 4 million in gold. I only have 25 million with me now, but I''ll send the remaining 5 million to the Duke''s mansion immediately after I return. Do you have any objections?"
Holy moly! 30 million upfront! What objections could I have?
Hearing the price Chen Zhihong offered, Ye Yiming nearly drooled. However, remembering his true purpose, he resisted the temptation and said, "Ahem, Young Master Chen, this pill doesn''t need to be that expensive. Just 15 million will do."
What? Only 15 million?
Not only was Chen Zhihong stunned, but even Wang Weilong and Li Xiaodong, who had been sipping tea out of boredom, choked on their tea upon hearing Ye Yiming''s words. Wang Weilong coughed violently and kept signaling to Ye Yiming.
My cousin! My dear brother! Why are you acting foolish at a critical moment? 15 million in gold! That''s 15 million in gold! Why are you turning it down?
Despite Wang Weilong''s reminder, Ye Yiming felt the same pain in his heart. But for his greater goal and benefit, he decided to sell the pill for 15 million, no more.
Chen Zhihong was perplexed and asked, "Little Duke, did I hear you correctly?"
"Young Master Chen, you heard correctly. The pill is yours for 15 million."
Having made up his mind, Ye Yiming handed a top-grade Super Martial Pill to Chen Zhihong.
Looking at the pill, Chen Zhihong was still in disbelief, even after holding it.
After Chen Zhihong took the pill, Ye Yiming said, "Young Master Chen, there''s a small condition for selling you this pill at such a low price."
A condition?
Chen Zhihong became cautious and said, "A condition? What is it? If it''s too difficult, then..."
Although he didn''t finish his sentence, everyone understood. If Ye Yiming''s condition was too harsh, Chen Zhihong would probably refuse the pill.
Fortunately, Ye Yiming''s condition was simple. He smiled and said, "Young Master Chen, don''t worry. It''s a simple condition. After you use the pill to break through to the earth level, I need you to walk around the city three times a day for three days."
What? That''s it? So simple?
Chen Zhihong was filled with astonishment at the simplicity of Ye Yiming''s condition.
"Just that?"
"Yes, just that," Ye Yiming said, sipping his tea leisurely.
"Really?"
Chen Zhihong still found it hard to believe.
Chen Zhihong''s repeated doubts made Ye Yiming smile bitterly. He put down his teacup and said seriously, "Really, that''s all. Though I may be a bit of a playboy, I''ve never gone back on my word. You can rest assured."
Hearing Ye Yiming''s firm assurance, Chen Zhihong felt he might have misjudged him. He handed over the 15 million in gold notes to Ye Yiming and then took out an old, incomplete yellow paper, giving it to Ye Yiming as well. Seeing this, Ye Yiming accepted it immediately.
"Since the Little Duke is so generous, I''ll accept the pill. This yellow paper is a recipe for a very peculiar pill."
"A peculiar pill recipe?" Ye Yiming was immediately intrigued and examined the yellow paper.
"Yes, from this recipe, you can barely make out some of the pill''s effects. But it''s too incomplete to fully understand it. Even Master Yu couldn''t identify the pill or its exact effects. I thought since you can make Super Martial Pills, your master must be a great master. Perhaps he might know something about it."
Master? I don''t have a master. If I had to say, my master is a system!
Thinking of this, Ye Yiming used a probe technique on the yellow paper.
"System notification: Congratulations, host, you have discovered an incomplete special pill recipe!"
Incomplete Special Pill Recipe: A recipe for a pill with magical effects. Due to its extreme incompleteness, its exact effects are unknown. (Friendly Tip: This recipe can be fully restored by completing a specific system mission.)
A system mission?
Thinking of this, Ye Yiming smiled and put away the yellow paper. He said to Chen Zhihong, "Thank you for this. After taking the pill, remember to do what I said."
Chen Zhihong took the pill happily, nodded, and left without another word.
After Chen Zhihong left, Ye Yiming and the others sat in the teahouse. Ye Yiming was thrilled, thinking about the incredible effects of the Super Martial Pill.
"Hey, Little Duke, don''t keep us in suspense. What did Chen Zhihong give you?" Wang Weilong, unable to contain his curiosity, asked Ye Yiming.
Ye Yiming laughed and said, "It''s an incomplete pill recipe. Even though it''s incomplete, it''s still valuable. I plan to ask around to see if anyone can restore it."
Wang Weilong and Li Xiaodong were intrigued but trusted Ye Yiming''s judgment.
As they continued their conversation, a mysterious figure watched them from a distance, a cold smile forming on his lips.
Chapter 36: Celebrity Endorsement and the Refining Pill
Ye Yiming never expected that the incomplete pill recipe given by Chen Zhihong would be so special. He was stunned for a moment.
This made Chen Zhihong think Ye Yiming was deeply pondering the pill recipe, so he didn''t disturb him and instead drank tea with Wang Weilong and Li Xiaodong.
After a while, Ye Yiming finally snapped out of it when he heard a system prompt in his ear.
"System Prompt: Do you want to spend 1 skill point to repair the incomplete special pill recipe?"
Repair it! Of course, it must be repaired!
Not to mention anything else, just the word "special" in the pill recipe made Ye Yiming feel it must be repaired. Because, in Ye Yiming''s view, anything labeled as special is definitely good! Moreover, the system itself suggested that he repair the pill recipe.
In this situation, if he didn''t repair it, wouldn''t he be a fool?
"System Prompt: Host used 1 skill point to repair the incomplete special pill recipe. It will take one hour."
Seeing his 5 skill points drop to 4, Ye Yiming felt a pang of heartache.
Sigh, only 4 skill points left! Why can''t skill points be increased? I hope this special pill recipe lives up to the word "special"!
Knowing from the system prompt that it would take an hour to repair the pill recipe, Ye Yiming stopped focusing on it and started chatting with Chen Zhihong.
After talking with Chen Zhihong for a while, Ye Yiming learned why Chen Zhihong was willing to spend a fortune on the pill. It all boiled down to one word: love.
Chen Zhihong spent thirty million to buy the top-grade Super Martial Pill from Ye Yiming because of an agreement with his fianc¨¦e.
Chen Zhihong''s fianc¨¦e, Yang Ke''er, had a cute name and a sweet, adorable appearance. However, being born into a martial arts family, her temper didn''t match her looks and name at all.
Although Yang Ke''er was quite fond of Chen Zhihong, she had a stubborn nature and insisted that Chen Zhihong had to defeat her in a fight before they could get married. Unfortunately, Yang Ke''er, though not a genius, had far better talent than Chen Zhihong, who was more like a frail scholar.
To motivate Chen Zhihong, Yang Ke''er made an agreement with him to fight every three months. As Chen Zhihong''s defeats piled up, Yang Ke''er''s demands lowered from defeating her to just being her equal.
Even so, with Chen Zhihong being only at the early human level and Yang Ke''er at the later human level, he was still far from meeting her requirements.
With only four or five days left until their next match, Chen Zhihong, prepared to accept another defeat, suddenly heard about the miraculous effects of the Super Martial Pill. Naturally, he rushed to participate in the auction. Seeing Li Xiaodong break through to the earth level excited Chen Zhihong even more, prompting him to bid aggressively.
Even with twenty-five million in cash, Chen Zhihong couldn''t win a top-grade Super Martial Pill at the auction. Fortunately, Ye Yiming sold him an extra pill, otherwise, he would have had to wait another three months. This made Chen Zhihong extremely grateful to Ye Yiming.
As Chen Zhihong clasped his hands together, looking excited, Ye Yiming finally understood.
No wonder this guy was so desperate, spending thirty million on a pill now instead of waiting for the second auction in ten days. He was being pressured by his fianc¨¦e!
After chatting with Ye Yiming for a while, Chen Zhihong hurriedly left.
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Chen Zhihong probably couldn''t wait to take the pill, break through his level, and assert his authority.
Once Chen Zhihong left, Wang Weilong couldn''t wait to ask Ye Yiming, "Cousin, why did you reject Chen Zhihong''s thirty million offer just now and only ask for half the price? That''s fifteen million taels of gold! How could you just let it go?"
Wang Weilong pounded his chest in frustration, looking at Ye Yiming as if he wouldn''t let it go until he got an answer. Even Li Xiaodong didn''t understand Ye Yiming''s actions, looking at him with confusion.
Seeing their expressions, Ye Yiming chuckled and said, "This is called celebrity endorsement, you know?"
Celebrity endorsement?
Wang Weilong and Li Xiaodong looked at each other, then shook their heads and said in unison, "We don''t get it!"
Seeing their confused faces, Ye Yiming scoffed, "Hmph, with your IQ, it''s no wonder you don''t understand."
Ye Yiming''s undisguised disdain made Wang Weilong and Li Xiaodong feel a bit embarrassed. Li Xiaodong scratched his head with a guilty expression, while Wang Weilong fawningly said to Ye Yiming, "Haha! We''re a bit slow, Cousin, can you explain what this celebrity endorsement is?"
"Celebrity endorsement, it''s celebrity endorsement!"
Ye Yiming gave Wang Weilong a look of frustration and continued, "Actually, this so-called celebrity endorsement is just me getting Chen Zhihong to help with promotion."
Promotion?
Without the explanation, Wang Weilong was even more confused.
Seeing his puzzled look, Ye Yiming shook his head and said, "Fine, I''ll explain it so you can understand. Celebrity endorsement means after Chen Zhihong takes the pill and breaks through to the earth level, he should show off a bit. With his status, it will clearly demonstrate the power of our Super Martial Pill, right? As the saying goes, seeing is believing. With Chen Zhihong as a billboard, do you think people will still doubt it?"
After saying this, Ye Yiming glanced at Wang Weilong and then picked up his teacup to sip slowly.
With this explanation, Wang Weilong finally understood what celebrity endorsement meant. Although Li Xiaodong had been a precedent, he was relatively low-key compared to Chen Zhihong, who was a public figure.
With Chen Zhihong''s status, everyone would know about him. If he broke through to the earth level because of the Super Martial Pill, wouldn''t that clearly show its effects? In that case, would they still worry about the Super Martial Pill not selling at a high price?
Understanding this, Wang Weilong admired Ye Yiming even more.
"Haha! As expected of my cousin, you''re amazing. To come up with such a great idea. I''m really impressed."
Seeing Wang Weilong''s joy, Ye Yiming was about to put down his teacup to say something when the system''s two prompts interrupted him, plunging Ye Yiming into a state of ecstasy.
"System Prompt: Incomplete special pill recipe repair completed."
"System Prompt: Congratulations to the host for obtaining the recipe for the special Refining Pill."
Refining Pill: A special pill that can refine impurities from the body for both humans and beasts. It can also negate any negative effects from previous pill consumption. Adding the Refining Pill to alchemy or crafting can purify materials, increase success rates, and produce more powerful pills and equipment.
Special Note: Since the host has no negative effects from pill consumption, taking a Refining Pill with any other pill will allow the host to absorb all cultivation points from the pill at once. Given the host''s current condition, one Refining Pill can be taken per month.
Refining impurities from the body? Increasing success rates in alchemy and crafting?
Both of these effects are incredible. They certainly deserve the label of "special." But what excited Ye Yiming the most was the special note!
Absorbing all cultivation points from a pill at once?
Doesn''t that mean if he has the Refining Pill and a top-grade Super Martial Pill, he could immediately upgrade to the heaven level?
Thinking about this, Ye Yiming''s heart was pounding with excitement!
At this moment, Ye Yiming wished he could immediately take a Refining Pill, then swallow a top-grade Super Martial Pill and soar to the heaven level, eventually becoming invincible.
Unfortunately, he didn''t have either the top-grade Super Martial Pill or the special Refining Pill. He was missing some ingredients for the former, and he had just obtained the recipe for the latter. Despite this, Ye Yiming was still thrilled.
In his excitement, Ye Yiming didn''t realize that his posture¡ªfrozen in the act of putting down his teacup when the system prompts interrupted him¡ªlooked extremely unique, or rather, very strange.
This worried Wang Weilong, who reached out to shake Ye Yiming, "Cousin! Cousin! Cousin!"
After calling out three times, Wang Weilong finally woke Ye Yiming from his daze. Blinking in confusion, Ye Yiming asked, "Hmm, what''s up?"
Wang Weilong, worried, said, "Cousin, are you alright?"
Ye Yiming fully woke up this time. Realizing his earlier behavior, he blushed and quickly laughed it off.
"Haha! I''m hungry. I''m heading home for some food. You guys keep drinking!" With that, Ye Yiming ran off and soon disappeared.
Wang Weilong and Li Xiaodong, still at the tea table, were left stunned and confused, looking at each other, unable to understand what just happened.
Chapter 37: Mother Is Angry
As soon as Ye Yiming returned to the Duke''s Mansion, he was informed by the servants that Duke Wu was looking for him and that he should go to the main hall immediately.
Upon arriving at the hall, Ye Yiming sensed something was amiss. Duke Wu sat solemnly in the main seat of the hall, and beside him was Wang Yulian, with a stern expression on her face. Ye Yiming, led by the servants, stood obediently below.
Why does this feel like a public trial?
This scene startled Ye Yiming. If they added the legendary guillotine, wouldn''t this be an otherworldly version of Judge Bao''s courtroom?
"Cough, Yiming greets Grandpa and Mother. So, um, what''s the matter?" The atmosphere made Ye Yiming speak cautiously.
Duke Wu glanced at Ye Yiming, gave him a look, then subtly glanced at Wang Yulian before resuming his tea.
Ye Yiming immediately understood the hint from his grandfather.
Although it seemed like his grandfather was in charge, the actual person in charge was his mother, Wang Yulian, sitting beside him.
"Hehe, Mother, what do you need me for?"
Seeing his son''s smiling face, Wang Yulian said irritably, "If I didn''t call you over, I might not recognize what my son looks like anymore!"
Her tone made Ye Yiming''s heart skip a beat.
Ye Yiming realized his mother was angry, although he wasn''t sure why. But he knew that when his mother was angry, it was no small matter!
Even Duke Wu, who usually paid no mind to the emperor of Tianyang, was seriously ''tasting tea'' at this moment.
"Really?" Ye Yiming feigned surprise and then ran behind Wang Yulian, starting to massage her shoulders in a fawning manner.
As he massaged, Ye Yiming smiled and said, "Hehe, Mother, how could you not know what I look like? I am your precious son!"
Feeling the pleasant sensation from her shoulders, Wang Yulian felt comfortable but kept a serious demeanor as she thought about the recent events involving her son. She pretended to be surprised and said, "Oh, really? But how come I didn''t know that my precious son can not only write poetry but also refine pills? And most surprising, I didn''t know my precious son is a first-rank martial artist!"
The more Wang Yulian spoke, the angrier she got. She stood up, twisted Ye Yiming''s ear, and said, "My precious son, tell me, what else are you hiding from me?"
"Ouch! Ouch!" Although Wang Yulian was gentle, Ye Yiming exaggerated his cries, making Duke Wu''s mustache twitch and his facial muscles quiver.
"Alright, alright, I didn''t use any force. Why are you yelling so loudly?"
Ye Yiming''s exaggerated reaction made Wang Yulian laugh, her anger dissipating significantly.
In truth, Wang Yulian wasn''t genuinely angry. She was just upset that Ye Yiming had kept so many things from her.
What mother wouldn''t want her son to be open with her?
Ye Yiming knew this, so he exaggerated his cries. After Wang Yulian released his ear, he quickly helped her sit down and said, "Mother, don''t worry. You sit down, and you can ask me anything. I''ll explain everything."
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"Really, anything?" Wang Yulian''s tone was skeptical, doubting Ye Yiming''s words.
"Really! As true as pearls!" To strengthen his credibility, Ye Yiming patted his chest and spoke sincerely.
After making his promise, Ye Yiming spent the next while explaining everything that had happened to him recently to Wang Yulian. Throughout her questions, he responded with unwavering honesty and sometimes exaggerated gestures, which made Duke Wu suppress his laughter.
This rascal can really spin tales!
You couldn''t blame Ye Yiming. He couldn''t reveal anything related to the system, so he had to make things up.
After a long time, Ye Yiming finally answered his mother''s last question and breathed a sigh of relief.
After listening to Ye Yiming''s explanation, Wang Yulian seemed to understand something and said, "So, you learned alchemy from a divine book? And that sensational auction was for the super martial artist pills you made?"
"Yes!" Ye Yiming nodded repeatedly.
"Oh, so those super martial artist pills must be very valuable?"
"Yes, Mother, you have no idea. This morning''s auction was a frenzy! Those pills sold for sky-high prices! Just one top-grade super martial artist pill sold for..."
Mid-sentence, Ye Yiming realized something and stopped abruptly. Seeing his mother''s smiling face, any dissatisfaction disappeared.
This is?
Seeing his mother''s expression, Ye Yiming seemed to understand something.
Instantly, his smugness and excitement vanished, leaving only a look of shock.
"Hahaha!" Duke Wu, unable to hold back any longer, burst into laughter. Pointing at Ye Yiming, he said, "You silly boy, did you really think you were the only clever one? Do you know who gave birth to you?"
If Ye Yiming still didn''t understand, he''d be too foolish. Looking at his laughing grandfather and smiling mother, he felt utterly dejected.
After all that talk, this was a trap waiting for me!!!
"Mother, if you knew all this, why did you ask me?"
Seeing Ye Yiming''s dejected look, Wang Yulian laughed, "What''s wrong? Are you angry?"
Ye Yiming quickly shook his hands to show he wasn''t upset and said, "No! Absolutely not, why would I be angry?"
As long as you aren''t angry, anything goes!
"Good, that''s more like it!" Seeing Ye Yiming''s sincere face, Wang Yulian nodded and continued, "Since that''s the case, how about you hand over some of the money from today''s auction?"
Oh no!
Hearing his mother''s words, Ye Yiming sighed inwardly but held onto a glimmer of hope, "Alright, alright, Mother, I have fifteen million here, I''ll give it all to you. Is that okay?"
As he spoke, Ye Yiming took out his remaining fifteen million. He felt somewhat relieved.
Fortunately, I only have this fifteen million from selling to Chen Zhihau. The rest is with Xiaolong. Otherwise, I''d be completely bled dry!
Seeing the banknotes, Wang Yulian smiled happily.
"Not bad, my precious son. You''re doing well, making money for your mother. It''s worth all my efforts in raising you."
"Hehe, it''s what I should do. Who else would I honor if not you, Mother?" Seeing his mother happy, Ye Yiming finally relaxed.
But what Wang Yulian did next taught Ye Yiming a truth.
A mother knows her son inside out!
Just as Ye Yiming fully relaxed, Wang Yulian called out to the door, "Since you''re here, come on in!"
What?
Ye Yiming was puzzled by his mother''s sudden words. Looking towards the door, his eyes widened.
A slender figure, as thin as a bamboo pole, walked in!
It was none other than Wang Weilong.
What are you doing here?
Seeing Wang Weilong, Ye Yiming tried to signal him, but Wang Weilong ignored him, walked up, greeted Duke Wu, and then approached Wang Yulian.
"Aunt!"
"Yes," Wang Yulian nodded, "Hand it over."
Hand it over?
Hearing this, Ye Yiming felt a sense of foreboding. Wang Weilong''s next actions confirmed his fears.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
After Wang Yulian spoke, Wang Weilong took out several banknotes from his pocket and placed them on the table in front of her, "Aunt, here are the banknotes totaling 111.27 million taels of gold, all the winnings from the gambling and the auction proceeds."
It''s over!
Seeing the stack of banknotes, Ye Yiming groaned inwardly.
"What? Feeling hurt? Reluctant to part with it?" Wang Yulian saw through Ye Yiming''s thoughts and said softly.
"No, not at all!"
What could Ye Yiming say at this point? Besides, the money was for his mother, which was like keeping it for himself.
Thinking this way, Ye Yiming''s frustration dissipated.
"Mother, my money is your money. It doesn''t matter who holds it!"
Ye Yiming''s words were free of any complaint, spoken as if it was the most natural thing. This made Wang Yulian smile happily.
"Good, you''re indeed my precious son. I''m happy to see you think this way." Wang Yulian''s tone was filled with satisfaction. She looked at Ye Yiming and continued, "Actually, the reason I took the money is that I was afraid you and Xiaolong would waste it and end up like those playboys in the capital. That wouldn''t do!"
Hearing his mother''s words, Ye Yiming felt a surge of emotion.
Sigh, after all, my mother is still looking out for me!
Chapter 38: I Will Sue You for Defamation!
After a moment of reflection, Ye Yiming made a firm decision in his heart: he would never let his mother worry about him again.
With this thought, Ye Yiming smiled and earnestly said to Wang Yulian, "Mother, you can rest assured! I was immature before, but now I''ve grown up. I understand your painstaking efforts. From now on, I promise not to disappoint you!"
Hearing Ye Yiming''s words, Wang Yulian stood up excitedly, her eyes reddening with a touch of moisture. She looked at Ye Yiming and then hugged him tightly.
Even Duke Wu, standing nearby, was moved.
Sigh! The boy has finally grown up!
"Mother, can you let go now?" After being held for a while, Ye Yiming finally spoke, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Sweat~
I''m already 18 years old, being held like this, even if it''s by my mother, it''s still quite embarrassing!
"Oh, you can feel shy?"
Seeing Ye Yiming''s embarrassed look, Wang Yulian couldn''t help but find it amusing. After teasing him, she released her hold on him.
Ye Yiming could only smile helplessly and said nothing more.
At this moment, Old Master Ye glanced at Ye Yiming and his mother and spoke up.
"Alright, Yulian, no need to say more. That''s enough." Turning to Ye Yiming, he reminded, "Yiming, you have something to do today, don''t you?"
Something to do? It seems that apart from auctioning the elixirs, there''s nothing else on my schedule today, right?
Ye Yiming was puzzled by Old Master Ye''s words.
Seeing Ye Yiming''s puzzled look, Old Master Ye chuckled, "Haha! I knew you forgot."
"Grandfather, what exactly is it?" Ye Yiming was now completely confused.
"Oh, it''s nothing major. It''s just that I told you seven days ago that you have to visit the palace today."
Old Master Ye''s tone was extremely calm, as if going to the palace was no different from visiting a teahouse by the street.
Old Master Ye''s attitude left Ye Yiming speechless, but Wang Yulian grabbed Ye Yiming''s hand and said, "Yiming, you should go quickly!"
Seeing this, Ye Yiming first gave Wang Weilong a look that said ''I''ll deal with you when I get back,'' which made Wang Weilong shiver. Then he smiled and said to Wang Yulian, "Mother, I''ll be going then!"
"Yes, go quickly and come back soon. When you see the emperor, be careful with your words..."
"Oh, I know, Mother! Yes, that''s enough, I''m leaving now!"
Initially, Ye Yiming listened attentively to his mother''s instructions, but as she spoke more and more, he felt overwhelmed and quickly turned and left.
This made Wang Yulian sigh in exasperation, but Ye Yiming was already out of earshot.
...
Ye Yiming arrived at the palace and, under the guidance of a eunuch, entered a hall named Juxian Hall. Upon entering, he was stunned.
Juxian Hall was already filled with more than twenty scholars and literati before Ye Yiming arrived.
"He''s here, Ye Yiming is here!"
Among the scholars, someone immediately shouted upon seeing Ye Yiming, making him the focus of the entire hall.
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What''s this all about?
Seeing more than twenty scholars glaring at him, Ye Yiming was puzzled and scratched the back of his head.
Seeing Ye Yiming''s confused look, the eunuch who led him in stepped forward and quickly whispered in his ear.
"Little Duke, these gentlemen are civil officials from the capital. After you angered the Prime Minister seven days ago, they jointly petitioned to convict you. Leading them is Grand Scholar Zheng of Taihe Hall, along with two other Grand Scholars, the Minister of Rites, and even the Supervisory Censor and the Director of Internal Affairs. The rest are deputy ministers and scholars from various departments and the Hanlin Academy, totaling twenty-three people."
Although the eunuch spoke quickly, his words were clear, allowing Ye Yiming to quickly understand their identities. But once he did, he was completely stunned.
My goodness!
Did I hear that right? Among these people, there are seven or eight first-rank officials, and the rest are all at least second-rank. Almost all the highest-ranking civil officials of Tianyang are here, and they are all here to trouble me?
Heavens! What saint did I insult? Did I fill a pit and bury a Confucian scholar? Is this lineup necessary?
"Are you Ye Yiming?" Just as Ye Yiming was reeling, an elderly voice rang out.
Looking up, Ye Yiming saw an old man with white hair glaring at him as if they had some deep-seated enmity.
This must be Grand Scholar Zheng, but why does he look at me with such hatred? I don''t remember offending him!
"Uh, yes, I am Ye Yiming. What advice do you have for me, Grand Scholar Zheng?" Although the other party seemed hostile, Ye Yiming couldn''t be too rude. After all, he was a Grand Scholar of Taihe Hall!
Unfortunately, Grand Scholar Zheng was not interested in Ye Yiming''s politeness. He snorted coldly.
"Hmph, advice? I dare not. The Little Duke''s talent is so astounding that even Prime Minister Wu had to bow in submission. I am too unlearned to offer any advice."
Hearing the undisguised sarcasm in Grand Scholar Zheng''s words, Ye Yiming raised an eyebrow and was about to speak when a sharp voice rang out.
"The Emperor arrives!"
At this sound, the officials who had been glaring at Ye Yiming immediately shifted their gaze away from him, knelt, and called out.
"Long live the Emperor!"
Ye Yiming had no choice but to kneel and bow as well.
"Rise, everyone."
A moment later, a majestic voice rang out. It was the current Emperor of Tianyang, Lin Wanjun.
After the officials rose, Lin Wanjun spoke again, "I understand the reason for your gathering today. It''s about the petition you submitted seven days ago to convict Ye Yiming."
"Your Majesty is wise!" As Lin Wanjun spoke, the twenty-three officials immediately bowed and called out.
Seeing this, Ye Yiming was startled. He wanted to say something but remembered his promise to his mother to be careful with his words, so he held back.
This time, Ye Yiming managed to keep his promise, but his behavior puzzled Lin Wanjun.
Hmm, why isn''t this boy talking? Why is he so obedient?
Just as Lin Wanjun was pondering this, Grand Scholar Zheng stepped forward, bowed to Lin Wanjun, and said, "Your Majesty, Ye Yiming does not know the court''s etiquette. Seven days ago, he loudly disrupted the court and showed disrespect to the Prime Minister, which is also disrespect to Your Majesty. I implore Your Majesty to convict him as a warning to others!"
"Please convict Ye Yiming as a warning to others!"
As soon as Grand Scholar Zheng finished speaking, the other twenty-two officials immediately knelt and petitioned.
This left Ye Yiming completely dumbfounded.
Damn it! They''re clearly trying to get rid of me!
All the high-ranking civil officials of Tianyang are now calling for the Emperor to convict me. Even if the Emperor is inclined towards me, he can''t ignore the petitions of so many officials!
If I don''t speak up now, I''m as good as dead!
"Your Majesty, I have something to say!"
Sigh, you finally decided to speak up, you rascal.
After hearing the numerous officials'' petitions, Lin Wanjun was getting a headache. Upon hearing Ye Yiming''s voice, his eyes brightened, and he said, "Ye Yiming, if you have something to say, speak freely!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Ye Yiming bowed to Lin Wanjun, then straightened up, walked to Grand Scholar Zheng, smiled, and said, "Grand Scholar Zheng, you want His Majesty to convict me. May I ask, what crime have I committed?"
Grand Scholar Zheng did not want to respond to Ye Yiming, but since the Emperor had granted him permission to speak, he had to answer.
"Hmph, I have already stated in my petition that your crime is disrupting the court and showing disrespect to the Prime Minister and the Emperor seven days ago! Do you still want to deny it?"
Hearing Grand Scholar Zheng''s words, Ye Yiming shook his head and said, "I disagree with your accusation, Grand Scholar. Seven days ago, I was merely debating with the Prime Minister and composing poetry. How is that disrupting the court? As for the accusation of disrespect, that''s even more baseless!"
Haha, well said. This rascal is still as eloquent as ever.
Ye Yiming''s words were logical and reasonable, making Lin Wanjun secretly nod in approval.
Although Lin Wanjun agreed with Ye Yiming, the other twenty-three officials might not.
"Hmph, Little Duke, your words are the ones I truly disagree with. Seven days ago, your argument with Prime Minister Wu was nothing but nonsense! As for the poems and couplets you presented, they were clearly not your own, but something you borrowed to pass off as your own!"
Damn it! This old man is too despicable. I admit the poems weren''t mine, but the couplets were my own creations!
How can you slander me like this? I will sue you for defamation!
Chapter 39: Is This Never-Ending?
"Hmph, why aren''t you saying anything, Little Duke? Are you feeling guilty because I''ve hit the nail on the head?" Seeing that Ye Yiming had nothing to say, Scholar Zheng scoffed, his words dripping with the arrogance of someone who believes they''ve seen through everything.
"Guilty?" Ye Yiming suddenly shouted.
Guilty? Ha! Would I, Ye Yiming, ever feel guilty?
Seeing Scholar Zheng''s disdainful expression, Ye Yiming felt a surge of anger.
"Scholar Zheng, I, Ye Yiming, have never known what it means to feel guilty. What is mine is mine; if it isn''t mine, I would never claim it. When you speak, you should base your words on facts and not spout nonsense under the guise of being a cultured scholar!"
Ye Yiming''s bold words stunned the civil officials present.
Daring to scold Scholar Zheng of the Tahe Hall so bluntly in front of the Emperor and numerous powerful civil officials? Ye Yiming must be insanely audacious!
Not only were the officials shocked and angered, but even Lin Wanjun was taken aback by Ye Yiming''s words, finding them hard to believe.
This kid is unbelievably bold. I''ve never seen anyone talk to Scholar Zheng like this before!
"You..."
Scholar Zheng was already extremely agitated, pointing at Ye Yiming and stuttering "you, you, you" for a while before finally roaring, "What a sharp-tongued brat! I would like to know how I, a cultured scholar, have spouted nonsense. Now, in front of His Majesty, explain how I have been talking nonsense!"
Hmph!
Ye Yiming sneered, giving the agitated Scholar Zheng a cold glance, and said, "Fine! Since that''s the case, may I ask you, Scholar Zheng, have you ever seen the couplet and the poem I presented in the court seven days ago before that day?"
As soon as Ye Yiming finished speaking, Scholar Zheng was stunned into silence. The reason was simple: he had indeed never seen the couplet and poem before that day, leaving him momentarily speechless.
Seeing this, Ye Yiming stepped forward, fixed his gaze on Scholar Zheng, and raised his voice slightly, "I request Scholar Zheng to answer my question!"
Feeling uncomfortable under Ye Yiming''s intense gaze, Scholar Zheng reluctantly said, "I indeed had not seen those couplets and poems before seven days ago, but..."
Scholar Zheng paused, seemingly thinking of something, and then sneered at Ye Yiming, "But given the profoundness of those couplets and poems, they are not something an ordinary person could come up with. Considering your notorious reputation as the top playboy in the capital, I find it hard to believe you could have composed them."
Upon hearing Scholar Zheng''s words, the twenty-two officials present began nodding and discussing.
"Indeed, Scholar Zheng is right. With Ye Yiming''s reputation, he couldn''t have composed such poems."
"Exactly! With his reputation as a playboy, how could he argue with Prime Minister Wu and match couplets with him?"
"Yes, I agree too!"
For a moment, all the officials were convinced that someone with Ye Yiming''s reputation could not have such talent, causing Lin Wanjun, sitting in the grand hall, to feel suspicious.
Why does this scene look so familiar?
Seeing the officials'' reactions, Ye Yiming felt displeased. He frowned and said to Scholar Zheng, "Are you basing your conclusion on your assumptions and my reputation? There''s a saying that one should look at a person with new eyes after three days. Just because I have a bad reputation, does that mean I can''t compose poetry? Scholar Zheng, you should know that the world is full of wonders. Perhaps I am indeed the exceptional person you think I am!"
Ye Yiming''s words made everyone present realize he had a point. After all, in such a vast world, it''s normal for one or two extraordinary talents to emerge, so they all stopped discussing and focused on him.
Though they found Ye Yiming''s argument reasonable, Scholar Zheng remained adamant, "Hmph, words are useless. Actions speak louder than words. Since you claim to be talented, let''s have a competition to prove your capabilities and see if you are indeed as extraordinary as you claim."
Another competition? Is this never-ending?
Ye Yiming felt troubled. But upon seeing Scholar Zheng''s smug expression, he felt a surge of defiance.
Hmph! Old coot, if you want to play, I''ll play with you to the end.
"Fine, let''s compete. I don''t mind. Tell me, how do we compete?"
Hearing Scholar Zheng propose a competition, the officials buzzed with excitement, and the hall was filled with lively discussions when Ye Yiming agreed.
Hearing Ye Yiming''s agreement, Scholar Zheng was delighted and quickly said, "Alright! Since that''s the case, let me explain the rules. First, we''ll start with matching couplets."
Scholar Zheng then bowed to Lin Wanjun and said, "First, let''s have His Majesty give us a topic. Both Ye Yiming and I will provide a matching couplet to see whose is more fitting. Then, Ye Yiming and I will each give three topics to the other to match. As for composing poems..."
This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Scholar Zheng deliberately paused and coldly said to Ye Yiming, "Let''s see if Ye Yiming can come up with a matching couplet first. I hope you can match the first topic His Majesty gives."
After saying that, Scholar Zheng waved his sleeve and stopped looking at Ye Yiming.
"Oh, it seems I have a role to play in this?" Hearing Scholar Zheng asking him to set a topic, Lin Wanjun became interested, glanced at Ye Yiming, and asked, "Ye Yiming, do you have any objections?"
Ye Yiming first gave Scholar Zheng a glance, then bowed to Lin Wanjun and said, "Your Majesty, I have no objections. Please set the topic."
Seeing Ye Yiming''s agreement, Lin Wanjun nodded and thought for a moment before speaking.
"Listen carefully. The topic is ''Eight directions bridge, bridge eight directions, on eight directions bridge, view eight directions, eight directions, eight directions, eight eight directions!''"
Upon hearing the topic, the officials exclaimed in awe, praising the Emperor''s topic as wonderful, excellent, and perfect. Eventually, they were so excited that they knelt and chanted long live, leaving Ye Yiming feeling exasperated.
After the officials knelt, Scholar Zheng bowed to Lin Wanjun and said, "Your Majesty, I have come up with the matching couplet."
In no time, Scholar Zheng announced he had a matching couplet, causing Lin Wanjun to marvel at his talent.
As expected of the scholar of Tahe Hall! His knowledge is indeed astonishing!
"Then go ahead, Scholar Zheng."
"Yes!" Scholar Zheng first responded to Lin Wanjun, then straightened up, glanced at Ye Yiming, and said, "My matching couplet is ''One penny coin, coin one penny, exchange one penny coin for one penny, one penny, one penny, one one penny!''"
As soon as Scholar Zheng finished, the officials nodded in approval, and even Lin Wanjun couldn''t help but nod.
"Very good, very good. Scholar Zheng''s couplet is excellent!"
"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty!" Scholar Zheng hurriedly bowed in gratitude.
After bowing, Scholar Zheng turned to Ye Yiming and asked, "Little Duke, have you come up with your matching couplet?"
With Scholar Zheng''s question, Ye Yiming became the center of attention.
Facing the inquisitive and doubtful looks, Ye Yiming smiled, then bowed to Lin Wanjun and said, "Your Majesty, I have come up with a matching couplet. Please evaluate it."
Seeing this, Lin Wanjun smiled and said, "Alright, let''s hear it."
As soon as Lin Wanjun finished speaking, Ye Yiming knelt and loudly recited, "Long live Your Majesty, Your Majesty long live, in front of Your Majesty, long live, long live, long live, long long live!"
Ye Yiming''s actions first stunned Lin Wanjun, but his loud recitation of the couplet made Lin Wanjun burst into laughter.
"Good! Good! Good! Ye Yiming, your couplet is excellent!"
Not only was Lin Wanjun surprised, but the officials were also amazed by Ye Yiming''s couplet, even Scholar Zheng was momentarily stunned.
After a burst of laughter, Lin Wanjun glanced at the officials and asked, "What do you all think of Scholar Zheng''s and Ye Yiming''s matching couplets? Who do you think did better?"
Hearing Lin Wanjun''s question, the officials exchanged awkward glances.
Do you really need to ask? Didn''t you see how pleased the Emperor was?
Ye Yiming''s couplet not only matched perfectly but also flattered the Emperor. The winner is clear, isn''t it?
But these officials were here to find a reason to punish Ye Yiming. They were all on Scholar Zheng''s side, but as scholars who had lived their lives upholding their integrity, they couldn''t bring themselves to unfairly support Scholar Zheng, leaving them in a difficult position.
Fortunately, Scholar Zheng was a person who could accept defeat gracefully. After hearing Ye Yiming''s couplet, he was momentarily stunned before speaking up.
"Your Majesty, there''s no need to ask. I concede this round. My couplet is not as good as Ye Yiming''s."
Scholar Zheng''s firm tone surprised Lin Wanjun.
Ha, this is the first time I''ve seen Scholar Zheng admit defeat!
"Very well, I declare Ye Yiming the winner of this round. Now, you may set topics for each other."
"Yes!" After Lin Wanjun finished speaking, Scholar Zheng and Ye Yiming both bowed, then looked at each other.
After a moment of thought, Scholar Zheng set his first topic, "The snow has melted in three layers on the warm earth."
Ye Yiming pondered for a moment, then said, "The wind is warm and the flowers are blooming in spring."
The officials didn''t have time to express their surprise when Scholar Zheng gave his second topic, "The rain has stopped, leaving wet flowers on the ground."
Ye Yiming pondered again and responded, "The sun is bright, shining warmly."
Hearing Ye Yiming''s response, the officials were in an uproar. They didn''t expect Ye Yiming to match so well.
After composing himself, Scholar Zheng announced the third topic, "In the warm spring breeze, flowers bloom and willows turn green."
Ye Yiming pondered and responded, "With the arrival of summer, lotus flowers are in full bloom, and the lotus fragrance fills the air."
Upon hearing the third response, Scholar Zheng was stunned. After a while, he sighed and conceded, "I admit defeat."
Seeing Scholar Zheng admitting defeat, the officials exchanged glances in disbelief.
Did Scholar Zheng really admit defeat? That''s too unbelievable!
Before the officials could react, Lin Wanjun burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Good, very good! Scholar Zheng, Ye Yiming, both of you are excellent! It seems that Ye Yiming is indeed talented. Scholar Zheng, you should not underestimate the younger generation."
"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty!" Both Ye Yiming and Scholar Zheng bowed to Lin Wanjun.
After the ceremony, Lin Wanjun looked at Ye Yiming and asked, "Ye Yiming, now it''s your turn to set topics for Scholar Zheng."
Ye Yiming thought for a moment and set his first topic, "When the flowers fall, they follow the water, and they both vanish."
Upon hearing the topic, Scholar Zheng was stunned, but after a moment, he responded, "The wind sends the fragrance of flowers far away, filling the air."
Seeing Scholar Zheng''s quick response, Ye Yiming smiled and set his second topic, "The moonlight on the pond is clear and the water sparkles like silver."
After a moment of thought, Scholar Zheng responded, "The mountain stream is cold, and the water flows swiftly."
Seeing Scholar Zheng''s confident response, Ye Yiming paused and set his third topic, "In the quiet forest, the deer are leaping."
Scholar Zheng pondered for a moment before responding, "In the vast sky, the eagles are soaring."
After hearing Scholar Zheng''s response, the officials couldn''t help but marvel at his talent.
Though both Ye Yiming and Scholar Zheng performed well, Lin Wanjun knew it was time to conclude the competition.
"Alright, today''s competition is over. Both of you have performed admirably. Scholar Zheng, Ye Yiming, you have both demonstrated your talents. There is no need to determine a winner or loser. Today, I am very pleased with your performance."
Hearing Lin Wanjun''s words, both Ye Yiming and Scholar Zheng bowed and thanked him.
As the officials prepared to leave, Lin Wanjun gave Ye Yiming a meaningful look and said, "Ye Yiming, you have shown great talent today. I hope you will continue to cultivate your abilities and not let your talents go to waste."
"Thank you for your guidance, Your Majesty. I will do my best to live up to your expectations," Ye Yiming responded respectfully.
As the officials left the grand hall, Ye Yiming felt a sense of relief.
Today''s competition had been intense, but he had managed to hold his own against Scholar Zheng, earning the respect of the Emperor and the officials.
However, he knew that this was just the beginning. There would be more challenges ahead, and he had to stay vigilant.
As he walked out of the hall, Ye Yiming couldn''t help but think to himself, "Is this never-ending?"
Chapter 40: A Treasure? Whats That? Looking at Scholar Zhengs disdainful expression, Ye Yiming, fi
Looking at Scholar Zheng''s disdainful expression, Ye Yiming, filled with anger, said, "Fine! I''ll let you set the topic now, Scholar Zheng!"
"Alright!" Scholar Zheng nodded, then took a step towards Ye Yiming and said, "Listen carefully, Young Marquis. My first topic''s upper verse is, ''Wangjiang Tower, overlooking the river flow, from Wangjiang Tower, the river flows by, the tower stands for eternity, the river flows forever!''"
"Excellent!"
As soon as Scholar Zheng announced his upper verse, it immediately elicited applause from the audience.
Fortunately, this Juxian Hall was originally built by Lin Wanjun in the palace for literary and artistic pursuits, without strict regulations. Otherwise, without Old Master Ye present, Lin Wanjun would have been furious at the previous scene.
After all, Lin Wanjun was the ruler of a nation, and the dignity of a king was not something anyone could disregard! Old Master Ye was the only exception.
Listening to the audience''s applause, Scholar Zheng looked at Ye Yiming with a calm face and said, "Young Marquis, I have given the upper verse. Now, please provide the matching lower verse. Of course, if you can''t come up with it immediately, it''s alright. I can wait."
Show off! Keep showing off!
Seeing Scholar Zheng''s pretended generosity, Ye Yiming felt his anger rising. After calming himself, he put on an indifferent expression and began to speak.
"No need. Such a simple upper verse, I, Ye Yiming, can match it effortlessly. No need to make you wait."
Ye Yiming''s words sparked anger among the audience.
Although Scholar Zheng had quickly come up with the upper verse, very few people in the audience could immediately create a matching lower verse. Yet, Ye Yiming''s dismissive comment, "Such a simple upper verse, I, Ye Yiming, can match it effortlessly," infuriated everyone.
Even the ministers who had slightly changed their opinion of Ye Yiming after he matched Lin Wanjun''s verse were now filled with anger again.
Hmph! A fop is always a fop, an arrogant person is not to be trusted!
The only one who still had some faith in Ye Yiming was Lin Wanjun, sitting in the hall.
Looking at Ye Yiming, Lin Wanjun thought to himself, "Ha, this kid is angry!"
Hearing Ye Yiming''s words, Scholar Zheng laughed out of anger, "Well then, since that''s the case, go ahead and give us your lower verse."
"Hmph, no need to rush me, I''ll say it now." Ye Yiming snorted, glanced at Scholar Zheng, and then spoke.
"My lower verse is, ''Yinyue Well, reflecting the moon''s shadow, from Yinyue Well, the moon''s shadow is reflected, the well lasts forever, the shadow lasts forever!''"
What?
Unexpectedly, Ye Yiming, the foppish young master, had indeed come up with a matching lower verse.
The audience was astonished by Ye Yiming''s response.
Ignoring the crowd''s astonishment, Ye Yiming glanced around and then said to Scholar Zheng, "Alright, please set the next topic, Scholar Zheng."
It wasn''t until Ye Yiming reminded him that Scholar Zheng, who had been shocked by Ye Yiming''s matching lower verse, snapped out of it.
How could this be? Ye Yiming was just a fop. How could he come up with a matching verse so quickly?
Impossible, he must have seen a similar couplet before!
Yes, that must be it. Perhaps Ye Yiming had fortuitously encountered the works of a great literary master, or even a treasure left by a literary saint.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
With this thought, Scholar Zheng became more convinced of his speculation.
In that case, it doesn''t count as Ye Yiming''s talent! He''s just a fraud!
Hmph, I''ll see how much you remember, you foppish young master. I don''t believe you can have matching lines for everything I come up with.
"Very well then, my second topic is, ''An inch of land forms a temple, beside the temple, there are words of poetry, the poem says: The bright moon sends the monk back to the ancient temple!'' Young Marquis, provide the lower verse!"
As soon as Scholar Zheng gave the upper verse for his second topic, he stared intently at Ye Yiming.
Seeing this, Ye Yiming smiled to himself, then deliberately frowned, pretending to be deep in thought.
Ye Yiming''s pretense made Scholar Zheng relax, thinking to himself, "Thankfully, this young master is still a fop and hasn''t put much effort into memorizing anything."
But at that moment, seeing the corner of Ye Yiming''s mouth lift slightly, Scholar Zheng suddenly felt uneasy.
Indeed, Scholar Zheng''s intuition was correct because, after revealing this expression, Ye Yiming immediately spoke his matching lower verse.
"Listen well, Scholar Zheng, my lower verse is, ''Two trees form a forest, under the forest, there are prohibitions, the prohibition says: Axes and hatchets should be used seasonally!''"
After giving his lower verse, Ye Yiming glanced at Scholar Zheng and asked, "Scholar Zheng, is my lower verse acceptable?"
Acceptable? There''s no question about it!
Hearing Ye Yiming''s question, the ministers secretly criticized him for showing off while also being amazed by his talent.
Facing Ye Yiming''s question, Scholar Zheng did not respond, as he was lost in thought.
Matched again? How does he remember so much? And just happen to have similar verses? Is Ye Yiming just lucky? Or am I unfortunate?
Stubborn as ever, Scholar Zheng still believed that Ye Yiming had acquired some great literary work or a treasure left by a literary saint.
If Ye Yiming knew Scholar Zheng''s thoughts, he would probably laugh out loud.
After a while, Scholar Zheng finally spoke.
"The Qian trigram, the Kun trigram, eight trigrams multiply to sixty-four, each trigram has its established meaning!"
This time, Scholar Zheng didn''t say much and directly gave his upper verse. Ye Yiming, without hesitation, quickly provided his matching lower verse.
"The Luan''s nine cries, the Phoenix''s nine cries, nine times nine is eighty-one, each cry harmonizes with the Luan and Phoenix!"
Seeing Ye Yiming match the verse without a moment''s thought, the audience was amazed.
Sigh! Who would have thought that Ye Yiming, the foppish young master, not only excels in frivolity but also possesses extraordinary talent in scholarship!
In this light, perhaps Prime Minister Wu''s declaration in the court, "I admit defeat," wasn''t just nonsense said in anger but a sincere acknowledgment of Ye Yiming''s talent?
It''s not surprising that people had this misunderstanding, given that Prime Minister Wu had indeed spat blood and collapsed. Consequently, the literati in the capital believed that Ye Yiming, the leader of the Four Fops, had somehow enraged Prime Minister Wu to the point of fainting, leading to his unexpected declaration of defeat.
Moreover, after that day, Prime Minister Wu lay in bed for three days before recovering. Upon regaining consciousness, he left no message and wandered off, which further fueled the misunderstanding.
But the current situation clearly indicated that Prime Minister Wu''s words came from the heart, and Ye Yiming genuinely possessed remarkable talent, not just a fop as people had thought.
While everyone was marveling at Ye Yiming''s talent, Scholar Zheng suddenly shouted.
"A literary treasure! Ye Yiming, you possess a treasure left by a literary saint!"
Silence!
The audience, who had been discussing Ye Yiming''s talent, fell completely silent upon hearing Scholar Zheng''s exclamation.
A literary treasure? Did Scholar Zheng say Ye Yiming possesses a treasure left by a literary saint?
Could it be a misunderstanding? Judging by the surroundings, it doesn''t seem so!
When everyone realized the implication, they were even more astonished, looking at Ye Yiming with fervent eyes.
Indeed! That must be it! As Scholar Zheng said, Ye Yiming must have acquired a treasure left by a literary saint! Otherwise, how could a foppish young master suddenly exhibit such remarkable talent?
Surely, Ye Yiming must have recently stumbled upon a treasure left by a literary saint, which explains his recent astounding transformation.
Hearing Scholar Zheng''s words, not only the ministers but even Lin Wanjun, seated above, believed Scholar Zheng, thinking to himself.
Indeed! Only this explanation could account for the drastic change in this child, as if he had become a different person.
What''s wrong with these people?
Seeing everyone staring at him like hungry wolves after Scholar Zheng''s exclamation, Ye Yiming felt a chill and became even more confused.
A literary treasure?
What on earth is that???
The more Ye Yiming thought about it, the more confused he became, unable to understand the current situation.
Seeing Ye Yiming''s bewildered expression, Scholar Zheng assumed he had guessed correctly and sneered, "Hmph, no wonder you could respond so fluently to my topics without any mistake. It turns out you possess a treasure left by a literary saint. That''s why you, the leader of the Four Fops, have shown such astonishing talent."
As Scholar Zheng continued his disdainful speech, Ye Yiming grew increasingly angry, finally interrupting him with a loud shout.
"To hell with you!"
Postscript£ºIf you enjoyed my work, would you please consider leaving a review for my novel? It would help more people discover it!
Chapter 41: Confronting the Scholars
Silence!
Ye Yiming¡¯s shout plunged the grand hall into a deathly silence.
Everyone present was shocked, staring at Ye Yiming with disbelief. Even Lin Wanjun, seated above, was left gaping.
The shock among others was palpable, but it was Zheng Daxueshi who was most affected.
Zheng Daxueshi, yelled at by Ye Yiming, stood there dumbfounded.
After a moment of stunned silence, he started trembling with rage. His face turned pale, then flushed red, and finally a purplish hue, his eyes bloodshot.
At this moment, Zheng Daxueshi¡¯s face was covered in a dark mist, making him look like a ghost.
"You, you, you are insulting our culture!" Zheng Daxueshi stuttered for a long time before he could say anything, managing only this sentence.
For someone of his stature, saying this much was quite an achievement.
"So what if I am?"
Ye Yiming no longer cared. Since Zheng Daxueshi never took him seriously, why should he bother to be respectful?
With this thought, Ye Yiming decided to act in a more carefree and roguish manner.
"Hah, since you, Zheng Daxueshi, say I¡¯m a mere wastrel, what does a little insult to our culture matter?"
Ye Yiming suddenly felt a great sense of relief, his entire body relaxing.
A wastrel? Fine, I¡¯m a wastrel. Who cares?
With this thought, Ye Yiming paid no attention to the others'' opinions. He glanced at Zheng Daxueshi, who was fuming.
"I don¡¯t understand, Zheng Daxueshi. Why do you dislike me so much? First, you say I can¡¯t compose poetry, then you claim I must have some treasure to be so eloquent. Do you know me better than I know myself?"
By now, Zheng Daxueshi had calmed down. Hearing Ye Yiming¡¯s words, especially the last sentence, he snorted heavily and said, "It¡¯s not just any treasure; it¡¯s the legacy of the literary saint. It¡¯s because of this treasure that you are so arrogant."
Seeing Zheng Daxueshi adamantly claiming he had this treasure, Ye Yiming felt helpless and annoyed.
Damn it, what is this treasure? I don¡¯t have anything like that!
Glaring at Zheng Daxueshi, Ye Yiming said clearly, "I really don¡¯t have any literary treasure!"
Even if I am a wastrel, you can¡¯t just accuse me of having things I don¡¯t!
"Impossible! You must have it!" Zheng Daxueshi immediately denied, speaking with conviction.
Zheng Daxueshi¡¯s firm tone made Ye Yiming want to slap him. But seeing the other ministers and Lin Wanjun watching, he restrained himself, glaring fiercely at Zheng Daxueshi.
"Zheng Daxueshi, I don¡¯t care if you believe me, I really don¡¯t have any literary treasure!"
"Impossible. Given your past, only the vast knowledge left by the literary saint could explain your transformation. Nothing else could do it!"
Not only did Zheng Daxueshi think this way, but many ministers also nodded in agreement, looking at Ye Yiming with a knowing expression.
Ye Yiming finally understood that this so-called literary treasure was just the knowledge left by the literary saint!
Now that he understood, Ye Yiming looked at the twenty or so ministers, feeling frustrated. Frowning, he said to Zheng Daxueshi, "I don¡¯t care if you believe me, I have not obtained any literary treasure. As for your accusation of me deceiving the world with it, that¡¯s nonsense!"
"Don¡¯t speak yet." Ye Yiming stopped Zheng Daxueshi from interrupting and continued coldly, "Since you call me a wastrel, I ask you, even if I had the literary treasure, would I seriously study and use it? Even if I read it, as the head of the wastrels, how much could I remember?"
Zheng Daxueshi, hearing Ye Yiming¡¯s words, suddenly remembered that Ye Yiming was indeed a wastrel and wouldn¡¯t have learned so quickly even if he had the treasure.
This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.The ministers also began to see some logic in Ye Yiming¡¯s argument.
Ye Yiming felt a sense of satisfaction from their silence and turned to the still stunned Zheng Daxueshi.
"Zheng Daxueshi, I¡¯ve told you, though I¡¯m not talented, I have some skills, enough to compose poetry!"
He smiled smugly at Zheng Daxueshi.
This display made Zheng Daxueshi seem to age instantly. The two elderly scholars behind him also felt a complex emotion seeing this.
Seeing Ye Yiming¡¯s smugness, the two elderly scholars exchanged a look, then one stepped forward to speak.
"Maybe the young duke really doesn¡¯t have the literary treasure, or maybe he does. It¡¯s uncertain."
"And you are?" Ye Yiming asked politely, sensing something was off.
"I am Zhou Yan. You may call me Zhou Daxueshi. Regarding what you said, some might still have doubts, but I have a solution."
"Oh? Please enlighten me, Zhou Daxueshi."
Zhou Daxueshi smiled, "It¡¯s simple. Each of us here will pose a question for you to answer. Even if you have the literary treasure, if you can answer all our questions, I will be the first to admit defeat. What do you think?"
The ministers nodded in agreement, even the previously disheartened Zheng Daxueshi¡¯s eyes lit up, glancing at Ye Yiming.
Ye Yiming snorted and agreed. "Fine, let¡¯s do it."
If it¡¯s just couplets, what¡¯s the big deal?
Seeing Ye Yiming agree, Zhou Daxueshi smiled and said, "Great! I will start. My couplet is, ''The moon waxes and wanes, year after year, dawn and dusk, only after night ends comes the day.''"
Ye Yiming frowned, admiring Zhou Daxueshi''s skill.
Good! These scholars, Zheng Daxueshi and Zhou Daxueshi, are truly exceptional!
Despite the difficulty, Ye Yiming quickly composed his reply.
"My couplet is, ''Flowers bloom and wither, season after season, heat and cold, only after winter ends comes the spring.''"
Clap! Clap! Clap!
As soon as Ye Yiming finished, the hall echoed with applause, coming from Zhou Daxueshi.
Zhou Daxueshi smiled kindly at Ye Yiming, nodded, and then left.
Ye Yiming, surprised, seemed to understand and bowed deeply to Zhou Daxueshi¡¯s departing figure, a bow filled with genuine respect.
Zhou Daxueshi is truly a literary scholar!
Once Zhou Daxueshi¡¯s figure vanished, Ye Yiming turned to the ministers. "Who¡¯s next?"
The ministers exchanged glances until one stepped forward and said, "Speak of the past and laugh at the present, everything fades with a smile!"
Ye Yiming immediately replied, "A big belly can accommodate the heavens and the earth, what can¡¯t it accommodate within oneself?"
Without hesitation, he faced the remaining ministers.
He didn¡¯t even know the minister¡¯s name!
"Next!"
Ye Yiming called for the next question, confident in his abilities.
As it turned out, he was right! Throughout the process, Ye Yiming didn¡¯t miss a single question, proving his talent to the increasingly convinced ministers.
Time passed quickly, with more and more questions, yet Ye Yiming answered them all.
Finally, the third elderly scholar who had accompanied Zheng Daxueshi and Zhou Daxueshi stood up and posed his question.
"My couplet is, ''Rowing a boat on the Western Lake with a tin pot, the tin pot falls into the Western Lake, alas, the tin pot!''"
Ye Yiming was stunned, pondering the answer for a quarter of an hour before responding.
"My couplet is, ''Crossing Nanping with a blue bottle, the blue bottle gets to Nanping, it¡¯s hard to find a blue bottle!''"
Chapter 42: Where Were You Earlier?
"Hehehe!" As Ye Yiming matched the final couplet, the last scholar who had posed the challenge immediately burst into laughter. His gaze toward Ye Yiming now held a hint of admiration.
"The young lord''s talent is indeed extraordinary. I am truly convinced!"
Hearing the scholar''s words, Ye Yiming was slightly taken aback. He hadn''t expected this scholar to be similar to Scholar Zhou, not overly pedantic. He quickly responded, "Not at all, sir. You flatter me."
Ye Yiming''s polite response took the scholar by surprise, causing him to pause momentarily before smiling slightly and stepping aside without further comment.
In truth, many of these civil officials had a bias against Ye Yiming from the beginning. Scholar Zheng, in particular, had harbored dislike for him from the start, his words and actions filled with disdain and contempt for Ye Yiming.
Ye Yiming, however, was someone who would respond in kind: a smile for a smile, and retaliation for an insult. He believed in reciprocation¡ªreturning respect for respect and retaliation for oppression. He did not see himself as a gentleman, thinking that those who aimed to be gentlemen often met bad ends. This was Ye Yiming''s honest belief, and he had no interest in being a refined gentleman.
As a result, the verbal conflicts only intensified the friction between Ye Yiming and these civil officials.
However, after Ye Yiming faced and answered numerous challenges, many of these officials began to change their initially biased views of him. They now held some admiration for Ye Yiming''s intellect.
But there was always an exception. Even though most people present had now begun to view Ye Yiming differently, one person still held severe prejudice against him.
This person was none other than Scholar Zheng, who had been verbally sparring with Ye Yiming from the beginning.
Even now, while most people no longer held any bias against Ye Yiming, Scholar Zheng''s gaze remained filled with intense prejudice and anger.
Seeing that the last scholar who had accompanied him no longer held any bias against Ye Yiming and had even praised him, Scholar Zheng was furious. He snorted coldly and said, "Since the young lord''s talent is so extraordinary, surely you won''t mind if I pose another challenge?"
Damn it! This old bastard is really shameless!
Seeing Scholar Zheng''s cold demeanor, Ye Yiming felt uncomfortable. But given that Scholar Zheng had phrased it this way, he had no choice but to reluctantly agree.
"Alright! I accept. Scholar Zheng, please present your couplet."
Hearing this, Scholar Zheng smiled slightly. But instead of immediately presenting his couplet, he said, "This couplet is one I accidentally came across in my early years. Although I''ve come up with a few responses over the years, I was never satisfied with them. Today, I hope the young lord can provide a satisfactory response."
A satisfactory response for you?
Ye Yiming felt uneasy upon hearing this.
What do you mean by satisfactory? What if you decide to be unsatisfied no matter what I come up with?
Seemingly reading Ye Yiming''s thoughts, Scholar Zheng quickly said, "Rest assured, young lord, with so many people here and His Majesty present, if your response is appropriate, I will acknowledge your remarkable talent. This way, no one can accuse you of any wrongdoing. How about that?"
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How about that? It feels like this old man is treating me as if I''m begging for forgiveness for some crime.
Come on, I haven''t committed any crime!
Ye Yiming wanted to shout this out but seeing that everyone, including Lin Wanjun, seemed to agree, he could only nod in agreement.
"Alright! I agree. Now, please present your challenge."
Seeing Ye Yiming agree, Scholar Zheng''s face showed a hint of joy. He immediately said, "Good, then I will present the challenge." With a glance at Ye Yiming, he recited:
"¹³¤ÕÅÕŹ£¬ÕŹÊÖÕŹÉä¼ý£¬¼ý¼ý½ÔÖС£" (Bow Zhang draws the bow, archer Zhang draws the bow and shoots arrows, every arrow hits the target.)
As soon as Scholar Zheng confidently presented his couplet, the crowd began to murmur.
"Indeed, Scholar Zheng is truly worthy of his title. This couplet is quite challenging!"
"Yes, drawing the bow and shooting arrows¡ªit''s a rare and difficult couplet!"
"Not only rare but very challenging! Now let''s see how the young lord responds."
Listening to the crowd''s discussions, Scholar Zheng felt a surge of pride.
Hmph, even I couldn''t come up with a satisfactory response to this couplet. Let''s see how you, Ye Yiming, manage to impress me.
The couplet was indeed difficult. Even the scholar beside Scholar Zheng furrowed his brows in deep thought upon hearing it.
Ye Yiming, too, frowned upon hearing the couplet and didn''t immediately respond. His hesitation made Scholar Zheng even more smug.
Even Lin Wanjun, who had been silent for a while, smiled slightly, thinking: Ha, finally stumped, huh? I thought there wasn''t a single couplet in the court that you couldn''t respond to. Now let''s see how you handle this.
Just as this thought crossed Lin Wanjun''s mind, Ye Yiming spoke up.
"My response is: ¡®Ä¾×ÓÀîÀîľ£¬Àîľ½³Àîľµñ¹£¬¹¹ÄÑ¿ª¡£¡¯" (Wood Li carves the bow, carpenter Li carves a bow from wood, every bow is hard to draw.)
Boom!
Ye Yiming''s voice was soft and indifferent when he recited his response, but to Scholar Zheng, it was like a thunderclap exploding in his ears, leaving him stunned.
He did it! He actually matched the couplet! And it was a perfectly crafted response, almost flawless!
Completely dumbfounded, Scholar Zheng didn''t realize that his shock had caused an uproar at the scene.
No one present now viewed Ye Yiming as a mere playboy. No one even questioned whether Ye Yiming possessed a precious literary artifact.
To them, even if Ye Yiming did have such a treasure, being able to respond to so many couplets in such a short time, and now matching Scholar Zheng''s challenging couplet almost instantly, proved that Ye Yiming was indeed a remarkably talented scholar!
With this realization, the civil officials'' attitudes towards Ye Yiming became even friendlier. Some even thought that Ye Yiming''s past frivolous behavior was just youthful indulgence in his talent, nothing serious.
If Ye Yiming knew these officials thought this way, he would probably laugh out loud.
Seeing the officials'' reactions, Lin Wanjun gave Ye Yiming a complex look, then smiled.
This boy is truly unpredictable! But now, Scholar Zheng should have nothing more to say, right?
Thinking of Scholar Zheng, Lin Wanjun addressed him, "Scholar Zheng, do you think we can consider this matter settled?"
But the completely stunned Scholar Zheng didn''t hear Lin Wanjun''s question, let alone respond.
Frowning, Lin Wanjun raised his voice slightly, with a hint of displeasure, "Scholar Zheng!"
This startled the officials present. One of them, standing beside Scholar Zheng, nervously nudged him.
Only then did Scholar Zheng snap out of his daze. He glanced at Ye Yiming before bowing to Lin Wanjun and saying, "Your Majesty, this old minister will follow your decision on this matter."
Seeing Scholar Zheng finally come to his senses, Lin Wanjun nodded and said, "Very well. As for your competition, Ye Yiming, you need not pose another challenge. I declare you the winner."
Turning to Scholar Zheng, Lin Wanjun asked, "Scholar Zheng, do you have any objections?"
Scholar Zheng''s face changed, hesitating for a moment, but finally, he nodded and said, "Your Majesty''s decision is final. I have no objections. I admit defeat."
Though his tone was filled with reluctance, after Lin Wanjun nodded, Scholar Zheng shot Ye Yiming a look full of defiance.
Seeing Scholar Zheng still so hostile, Ye Yiming felt annoyed. He thought for a moment and then said to Lin Wanjun, "Your Majesty, since it was a competition, we should finish it. I haven''t even posed my challenge yet!"
Ye Yiming''s words made Lin Wanjun smile wryly.
What is this boy thinking?
At this moment, Scholar Zheng''s anger was palpable.
I already admitted defeat, but you, Ye Yiming, continue to insist on this. Are you trying to humiliate me?
Fine, since you are so insistent, let''s see what kind of challenge you pose.
With this in mind, Scholar Zheng put on a magnanimous demeanor, bowing to Lin Wanjun, and said, "Your Majesty, since the young lord wishes to continue, please allow him to pose his challenge."
Scholar Zheng didn''t seem to consider who had been relentlessly trying to humiliate whom.
Seeing this, Ye Yiming grew even more annoyed with Scholar Zheng.
Damn it! Putting on this magnanimous act now¡ªwhere was this attitude earlier?
Chapter 43: Admitting Defeat?
After Master Zheng finished speaking, he assumed an attitude of eager anticipation. Seeing this, Lin Wanjun thought for a moment and reluctantly nodded in agreement, saying to Ye Yiming, "Ye Yiming, you can now present your question."
Seeing that Lin Wanjun had nodded and agreed, Ye Yiming no longer hesitated. He smiled at Master Zheng and said, "Then I shall present the question. Master Zheng, please listen carefully."
"Hmph!" Master Zheng snorted coldly without saying anything.
Ye Yiming didn''t mind and began to tell a story.
"I once heard a story about a beautiful and exceptionally talented woman. Because of certain grievances, she chose to renounce the world and entered a monastery, ignoring worldly affairs. Later, she wrote a couplet on the wall outside the temple: ''In the lonely cold window, emptiness guards widowhood,'' and declared that anyone who could match the couplet, regardless of appearance, would win her heart, and she would return to the secular world.
Due to her beauty and talent, many scholars and gentlemen came to respond, but none succeeded, and they all left disappointed. Eventually, seeing no one who could understand her, the woman lost hope and truly spent her life alone in the temple, dying in loneliness. Such a talented and beautiful woman ending up like this is truly regretful!
Today, I hope Master Zheng can come up with a matching couplet. Although it cannot fulfill the woman''s dream, it can resolve my doubts. So, the couplet from the story is my challenge. Please, Master Zheng, provide your answer."
After finishing his story, Ye Yiming smiled and looked at Master Zheng.
The story Ye Yiming told was sorrowful, especially the woman''s ending, which left everyone present feeling regretful.
Master Zheng had been attentive since Ye Yiming started speaking. However, upon realizing Ye Yiming was telling a story, he was displeased and wanted to interrupt. But when he heard that Ye Yiming''s question was the couplet from the story, he stopped.
"In the lonely cold window, emptiness guards widowhood?"
Master Zheng furrowed his brow, deeply pondering the couplet. After a long time, he reached a shocking conclusion: he couldn''t come up with a matching line!
It wasn''t just Master Zheng; everyone in the hall, including Lin Wanjun, was also racking their brains but to no avail.
The couplet had no intricate traps or specific cryptic words, but Master Zheng couldn''t find a line that matched the word "loneliness."
After pondering for a long time, Master Zheng realized he couldn''t come up with an answer, and he began to feel frightened.
He was terrified that Ye Yiming would mock him for this and that his reputation would be affected.
What should I do?
Master Zheng was once again deep in thought, but this time he was not thinking about a matching line; he was devising a strategy to extricate himself from this predicament.
Got it!
A thought flashed in Master Zheng''s mind, and he suddenly had an idea.
After a slight cough, Master Zheng began to speak.
"After hearing the story from the young Duke, I realize there was such an extraordinary woman in the world. Her tragic end fills me with regret, and I am amazed by her talent. She came up with such a brilliant couplet, truly astounding!"
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There''s a scheme here!
The moment Master Zheng spoke, expressing deep regret over the woman''s tragic end and praising her talent, Ye Yiming sensed something amiss.
Astounding? Amazed?
It was just a story; why the exaggeration?
Master Zheng''s actions made Ye Yiming suspicious.
And sure enough!
What Master Zheng said next confirmed Ye Yiming''s suspicions.
Master Zheng, after expressing his emotions, looked at Ye Yiming and said, "Young Duke, you are putting me in a difficult position. How can an ordinary man like me match a couplet from such an extraordinary woman?"
What?
Ye Yiming had expected Master Zheng might struggle to answer and perhaps even ask for a new question. Or he might ask Ye Yiming to present a second question directly. But Master Zheng''s response left Ye Yiming stunned.
But that wasn''t the main point! The main point was that everyone around seemed to agree.
Ye Yiming hadn''t expected this at all!
Finally, after a while, Lin Wanjun spoke up as Ye Yiming remained dumbfounded.
"Ye Yiming, what Master Zheng said is correct. Such an extraordinary woman''s couplet is beyond us. How can you claim it as your own? Let''s skip this question."
Ye Yiming was exasperated!
Is this even possible? Oh, heavens, can you be any more unreasonable?
Although Ye Yiming couldn''t accept it, even the Emperor had spoken, so he had no choice but to change the question.
However, seeing the slight smugness in Master Zheng''s eyes, Ye Yiming felt quite pleased.
Hmph, feeling smug, are you?
Fine, this time I''ll present a couplet that will leave you utterly stumped.
After thinking for a moment, Ye Yiming raised his head, glared at Master Zheng coldly, and presented his second question.
"Master Zheng, my second couplet is: ''Water with worms is muddy, water with fish is for fishing, water water water, rivers, and lakes abound.''"
Upon hearing this, everyone¡¯s eyes lit up, but then they furrowed their brows and began to ponder deeply.
Master Zheng was truly at a loss this time. He knew he couldn''t come up with a matching couplet. But admitting defeat was something he couldn''t do!
Admitting defeat this time would be different. Previously, he could rely on the Emperor''s order to save face, but this time it was different. He had personally asked Ye Yiming to present a question, and now he couldn''t come up with an answer. Admitting defeat would mean a complete loss to Ye Yiming.
How could a Grand Academician of the nation lose to a less than twenty-year-old playboy?
The thought of admitting defeat and its consequences filled Master Zheng with anxiety.
If only he had agreed to stop the competition earlier as the Emperor suggested, but now, what could he do?
Thinking about the consequences of admitting defeat, Master Zheng was sweating profusely.
At this moment, another Academician, who had been standing quietly nearby, walked over to Master Zheng. Leaning close, he whispered something in Master Zheng''s ear.
Hearing the whispered suggestion, Master Zheng first looked stunned, then gradually became excited, and finally wore a look of joy.
"Got it! Got it!" Master Zheng, now almost incoherent with excitement, only calmed down after the nearby Academician patted him gently.
Gratefully looking at the Academician, Master Zheng turned back to Ye Yiming and said, "Young Duke, I have thought of a matching couplet."
"Oh!" Ye Yiming responded lightly, then said, "Please recite your couplet, Master Zheng."
Everyone present had clearly seen the exchange between Master Zheng and the other Academician. They knew exactly what had happened, but Ye Yiming said nothing and allowed Master Zheng to present his couplet.
Ye Yiming''s actions made Master Zheng pause in appreciation. After a moment, he regained his composure and began to speak.
"Young Duke, my matching couplet is: ''Under the tree is the root, above the tree is the tip, tree tree tree, pine, cypress, camphor trees thrive.''"
Ye Yiming was so stunned by Master Zheng''s apology and then his calm and respectful repetition of the couplet that he didn''t catch the couplet itself at first.
Only when Master Zheng repeated it did Ye Yiming fully grasp it, realizing how unusual Master Zheng''s behavior was.
Is he on medication? Or did a gust of wind cause him to lose his senses?
While Ye Yiming had these thoughts, he wisely kept them to himself.
Seeing the anticipation in Master Zheng''s eyes, Ye Yiming nodded and said, "Not bad, it matches perfectly."
"Ah!" Master Zheng sighed in relief, but before he could fully relax, Ye Yiming spoke again.
"Since Master Zheng has answered this question, I will present a third."
"No, no need!" Master Zheng quickly interrupted, stopping Ye Yiming from continuing.
He then turned to Lin Wanjun and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, the young Duke''s talent is extraordinary. I admit defeat. There is no need for a third question."
Admit defeat?
Master Zheng is admitting defeat?
Chapter 44: Night Talk
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Admit defeat?
Grand Scholar Zheng¡¯s current words caught everyone off guard. Did he really admit defeat? However, upon reflection, it made sense.
Ye Yiming had posed two questions, but Grand Scholar Zheng had failed to answer even one. The first question was circumvented because it wasn¡¯t posed by Ye Yiming himself, and as for the second question, the answer was given directly.
In such a situation, how could Grand Scholar Zheng have the courage to listen to Ye Yiming¡¯s third question?
Thus, it was no surprise when Grand Scholar Zheng admitted defeat. Though it startled everyone, it wasn¡¯t beyond acceptance.
At least, admitting defeat was better than being beaten.
¡°Alright, then. This competition ends here. I now announce that Ye Yiming is the winner of this match, so his actions in court seven days ago were not wrong. This matter is settled!¡±
Speaking these words, Emperor Lin Wanjun felt a sudden relief. The unexpected relaxation made him chuckle silently, filled with mixed emotions.
Alas, who would have thought that Ye Yiming, this young rascal, would stir up such an incident, earning praise for his intelligence from all the civil officials!
A playboy, and the foremost among the four playboys of the capital, had now successively impressed the Prime Minister, the Grand Scholar, and numerous other ministers. It was indeed a peculiar situation.
¡°Long live the Emperor!¡±
As Lin Wanjun was contemplating the recent events concerning Ye Yiming, the attending ministers knelt and saluted him.
Long live the Emperor?
Watching the kneeling ministers, Lin Wanjun suddenly felt a bit disenchanted. He waved his hand impatiently at the eunuch beside him and said, ¡°Xiao Dezi, let¡¯s return to the palace!¡±
¡°Prepare to return to the palace!¡±
A sharp voice echoed as Lin Wanjun departed amidst the ministers¡¯ farewells.
¡
Recently, the capital has been rather unsettled, coincidentally all linked to the little Duke of the Duke¡¯s Mansion.
First, in court, in front of all civil and military officials and the Emperor, he made Prime Minister Wu, the head of the civil officials, vomit blood. Then, he defeated the third son of the Prime Minister¡¯s residence in one move. Subsequently, with the cultivation of an early-stage Human-level martial artist, he forced back the second son of the Prime Minister¡¯s residence, a peak Earth-level martial artist and one of the three geniuses of the capital.
Later, he won 1.5 billion taels of gold from the He family. Finally, he held the most extravagant pill auction in the entire capital. This series of events showed people a different little Duke, sparking widespread discussion.
People in the capital initially thought the little Duke would be quiet for a while after these events. But unexpectedly, after holding the auction in the morning, shocking news spread in the afternoon that the little Duke had debated scholars in the Hall of Gathered Virtue and made all the civil officials bow in admiration.
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This not only surprised but deeply shocked everyone.
Little Duke, what are you up to?
While everyone was discussing Ye Yiming, he was already in a restaurant eating and drinking.
He had no choice; he hadn''t even had lunch before being summoned to the Hall of Gathered Virtue by the Emperor, where many events unfolded. By now, he was starving.
¡°Burp~¡±
After a long while, Ye Yiming let out a loud burp, then rubbed his full stomach with a content and satisfied expression.
¡°Woof~¡±
After devouring the last delicacy on the table, Da Hei also barked at Ye Yiming in satisfaction.
Da Hei was there because when Ye Yiming was summoned to the palace by his grandfather, Da Hei had followed. However, palace rules did not allow Da Hei inside, so it waited outside for Ye Yiming.
Now, both man and dog, with eyes half-closed, basked in the happiness of being full and soon fell asleep.
Ye Yiming slept straight until dusk, only waking up when Da Hei licked him.
In his sleep, Ye Yiming felt a wet sensation on his face, groggily opened his eyes, and saw Da Hei wagging its tail expectantly.
Seeing this, Ye Yiming muttered ¡°glutton¡± under his breath and tossed a few low-grade super martial pills to Da Hei.
¡°Woof~¡±
Catching the pills, Da Hei barked happily again.
Ignoring the excited Da Hei, Ye Yiming glanced outside to see the sky already darkening. He realized it was late.
Huh, it¡¯s dark already? I better get going.
Upon returning to the Duke¡¯s Mansion, Ye Yiming was informed by Ye Qi that his mother, Wang Yulian, was looking for him. His heart skipped a beat.
If his mother was looking for him, it couldn''t be good. I¡¯d better hide with Grandpa.
Thinking of his mother¡¯s impending lecture, Ye Yiming shivered, glanced around to ensure his mother wasn¡¯t nearby, and then sneaked into his grandfather¡¯s small courtyard.
¡°You little rascal, you¡¯re finally back?¡± Just as Ye Yiming sneaked into the courtyard, he was spotted by his grandfather, who was having dinner in the small pavilion.
Seeing his grandson sneaking around, and thinking of recent events, the old man immediately knew Ye Yiming was hiding from his mother.
Caught so quickly, Ye Yiming scratched his head awkwardly and said, ¡°Haha, good evening, Grandpa!¡±
¡°Evening?¡± The old man first exclaimed in surprise, then laughed, teasing, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s quite early now!¡±
Realizing his mistake, Ye Yiming regretted his words. It was clearly dinner time, how could it be early?
¡°Alright, come and eat!¡± Finally, unable to stand his grandson¡¯s foolishness, the old man invited him to join for dinner.
Grinning, Ye Yiming eagerly ran over.
After dinner, Ye Yiming accompanied his grandfather in the small pavilion, drinking tea.
After a while, his grandfather spoke.
¡°I heard you made quite a scene in the Hall of Gathered Virtue today?¡±
Ye Yiming, sipping tea, was taken aback. Seeing his grandfather¡¯s amused expression, he pondered for a moment and then said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t showing off, Grandpa. You don¡¯t know, Grand Scholar Zheng was just too¡¡±
¡°Too pedantic, right?¡± Before Ye Yiming could finish, his grandfather interjected.
The word ¡°pedantic¡± made Ye Yiming slap his thigh and exclaim, ¡°Exactly! Grandpa, you¡¯re right. Grand Scholar Zheng is so pedantic! He kept harping on minor issues, claiming my disrespect to Prime Minister Wu was disrespect to the Emperor, and wanted to punish me. What nonsense!¡±
Listening to Ye Yiming¡¯s complaint, the old man chuckled, took a sip of tea, and said, ¡°Ah, you seem to have quite an opinion on Zheng Wensheng!¡±
¡°Zheng Wensheng?¡± The sudden mention of a name puzzled Ye Yiming.
Seeing his grandson¡¯s confusion, the old man paused, then burst into laughter.
¡°You don¡¯t even know that Grand Scholar Zheng¡¯s name is Zheng Wensheng?¡±
Watching his grandfather laugh, Ye Yiming felt helpless.
No one told me his name was Zheng Wensheng! How¡¯s that my fault?
Seeing his grandson¡¯s helpless expression, the old man laughed even harder. After a while, he finally spoke again.
¡°Well, Zheng Wensheng, though a Grand Scholar of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, is a Confucian scholar influenced by Confucian ideals since childhood. His personality is a bit stubborn, so he can be somewhat pedantic, but it¡¯s not a big deal.¡±
So Grand Scholar Zheng is a Confucian scholar!
Hearing his grandfather¡¯s words, Ye Yiming finally understood why Grand Scholar Zheng was so intent on punishing him.
Confucians advocate ¡°moral governance¡± and ¡°benevolent rule,¡± valuing ethical relationships. Growing up in such a household, Grand Scholar Zheng would naturally place great importance on these ideals.
In his view, regardless of right or wrong, Ye Yiming¡¯s attitude towards Prime Minister Wu at that time was a great disrespect to an elder, violating ethical principles, and thus, a crime!
With this understanding, Ye Yiming felt that Grand Scholar Zheng didn¡¯t seem so bad after all.
Seeing Ye Yiming¡¯s realization, the old man smiled and continued to tell him more about the civil scholars of Tianyang.
This significantly changed Ye Yiming¡¯s previously negative view of Confucians due to Prime Minister Wu and Grand Scholar Zheng, leaving him deeply reflective.
Chapter 45: The Mysterious Young Master
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This conversation between grandfather and grandson lasted late into the night.
Just like in the Duke''s mansion, the He family also had a night talk tonight.
In the small secret room of the He family, He Daji, He Youhua, and He Dewen¡ªthe previous, current, and next heads of the He family¡ªwere all present.
What important matter could gather these three generations of the He family in this small secret room?
"Young Master, does the Lord have any updates on the matter I mentioned earlier?"
The speaker was He Daji, the previous head of the He family, but once again, he mentioned their mysterious Lord.
"My father has investigated it. That Ye Yiming merely encountered a strange person and received a bit of fortune."
A cold voice came from a corner of the secret room, adding to the chill in the room.
Was there another person? Could it be that besides the three of them, there was a fourth person in the room?
The speaker with the cold voice was neither He Daji''s son He Youhua nor his grandson He Dewen. The voice came from the darkest corner of the room, confirming the presence of a fourth person.
This fourth person, shrouded in darkness, was quite mysterious. From his words, it wasn''t hard to deduce his identity as the son of He Daji''s mysterious Lord, making him the young master of the He family.
"A strange person?" He Daji was shocked by the mysterious young master''s words and said worriedly, "Young Master, anyone who can be called a strange person is likely an extraordinary individual. Could this affect the Lord''s grand plan?"
Thinking of his Lord''s grand plan, He Daji became even more cautious.
Such a grand plan must not allow for the slightest mistake! I have to ask clearly! Otherwise, a single misstep could lead to the annihilation of the entire He family!
Sensing He Daji''s nervousness, the mysterious young master spoke up, "Old Master He, there''s no need to worry. My father has already investigated thoroughly. There are no strange people in the capital right now. It seems that the person Ye Yiming met was just someone who gave him a few tips on alchemy out of momentary interest."
As soon as the mysterious young master finished speaking, He Dewen chimed in.
"Yes, Grandpa, if there really were any strange people, given Ye Yiming''s personality, it would have spread by now. Hmph, Ye Yiming is just using some super warrior pills to make a big profit. In my opinion, Ye Yiming is just a money-grubbing person who is not worth fearing."
Recalling how Ye Yiming made him so angry earlier today that he spat blood, He Dewen''s anger flared up again, making his tone as fiery as if he had swallowed gunpowder.
Hearing the mysterious young master''s words and seeing his furious grandson, He Daji finally felt relieved and said to the mysterious young master, "Please forgive me, Young Master. The Lord''s grand plan is of utmost importance, and any carelessness would lead to failure. I must be cautious."
He Daji''s tone was extremely serious, and his expression was exceptionally solemn. Seeing this, the mysterious young master could only respond, "Old Master He, rest assured. Today, I met Ye Yiming in person. He indeed seems to be a greedy person. Even if he managed to talk Dewen into fainting, it only shows that he has some wit, not enough to be a threat."
The mysterious young master''s words made He Dewen''s face turn red with embarrassment, and his emotions became agitated. However, thinking of his grandfather and father, as well as the mysterious young master, He Dewen restrained himself from showing any extreme behavior, but his hatred for Ye Yiming grew even deeper.
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Seeing the mysterious young master speak so reasonably, He Daji thought for a moment and agreed. No matter how he looked at it, Ye Yiming didn''t seem like someone capable of grand plans. Even though Ye Yiming had shown some exceptional behavior recently, his image as a playboy was hard to forget.
Sometimes, people don''t believe things until they see them with their own eyes, no matter how much they hear about them.
The four people in the secret room probably shared this mindset. Even He Dewen, who had fainted from anger because of Ye Yiming, only thought Ye Yiming was good at talking, nothing more.
People often suffer losses and fail to accomplish things because of this mentality.
As the saying goes, "seeing is believing."
The mysterious young master, seeing that He Daji was no longer worried, continued, "Let''s end the matter of Ye Yiming here. Today, my father sent me to ask if the task given to Old Master He has been completed."
Perhaps convinced by the mysterious young master, or maybe because he never took Ye Yiming seriously, He Daji''s earlier questions were merely due to his cautious nature. With the conversation progressing, he no longer worried about Ye Yiming.
Upon hearing the mysterious young master''s question, He Daji dismissed his final thoughts about Ye Yiming and quickly answered.
"Rest assured, Young Master. The Lord''s instructions have been fulfilled." He Daji then turned to his eldest son, "Youhua, report the details to the Young Master."
He Youhua, who had been standing by, immediately responded, "Yes, Father."
He then turned to the mysterious young master, bowed respectfully, and said, "Young Master, according to the Lord''s instructions, the He family has liquidated some assets, converted them into a large amount of gold, and used this gold to quietly purchase large quantities of food and weapons. We will not delay the Lord''s grand plan."
Hearing He Youhua''s words, the mysterious young master nodded involuntarily but then recalled something and asked worriedly, "Did your actions attract any attention?"
This concern was valid. The He family was the wealthiest in Tianyang, and the Lord''s plan required a vast amount of money. Even with the He family''s wealth, their actions couldn''t have been small, thus causing the mysterious young master''s worry.
Seeing this, He Daji smiled and said, "Young Master, rest assured. The Lord had arranged everything in advance. You may not know, but the black tiger beast in my house was originally a low-level celestial beast. When the Lord gave it to me, he provided a Hidden Qi Pill to conceal its power, giving us an excuse to mobilize funds."
He Daji''s words finally put the mysterious young master at ease, making him even more impressed with his father.
So, his father had planned everything long ago. With such preparation, how could the grand plan fail?
At this moment, He Dewen spoke up.
"Please rest assured, Young Master. Recently, under the pretense of buying pills to stabilize the black tiger''s realm, I have purchased a large number of pills from Wang Weilong and Ye Yiming at several times the market price to mislead them."
"Yes, Dewen handled this personally, so please rest assured, Young Master," He Daji quickly added, praising his grandson before continuing with a smile. "Interestingly, when we were struggling to mobilize funds, Ye Yiming won 15 million taels of gold in our gambling house. Now, our large-scale fund mobilization won''t attract any attention. Please rest assured, Young Master."
The mysterious young master nodded and said, "That''s good. As long as your family is dedicated, my father will reward you handsomely once his plan succeeds. Your family''s wealth and status will far exceed others."
"Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Young Master!"
Hearing this, the three generations of the He family were filled with enthusiasm at the thought of the future described by the mysterious young master, and they bowed in gratitude.
Their actions made the mysterious young master even more proud.
"There''s no need for such formality. Your family''s assistance is well-deserved."
The mysterious young master''s words moved He Daji and the others, who immediately pledged their utmost support to the Lord''s plan.
Seeing their determination, the mysterious young master became more excited and said, "Good! Good! Good! After three months, when my father succeeds, your family will be the first in Tianyang!"
The mysterious young master became more excited as he spoke, eventually standing up, his voice growing louder and more confident.
Seeing this, the three generations of the He family knelt and shouted in unison.
"May the Lord''s grand plan succeed! Long live the empire!"
Their words made the mysterious young master even more excited, and he involuntarily stepped out of the dark corner.
Dressed in white and with a handsome face, this person looked familiar!
If Ye Yiming were here, he would certainly exclaim, "Hypocrite Yue Buqun!"
Yes, this mysterious young master was none other than Cheng Baili, who left an impression of being a hypocrite on Ye Yiming.
The little prince Cheng Baili?
That means the Lord mentioned by He Daji is Cheng Baili''s father, Cheng Haoze, the only non-royal prince of Tianyang?
From the conversation, it was clear that Prince Cheng seemed to have intentions of rebellion.
No, he definitely had intentions of rebellion, as the He family had already taken action.
Could someone really be bored enough to rebel? And that person is the only non-royal prince of Tianyang, Cheng Haoze?
Ye Yiming''s prediction was right!
Three months later?
All Tianyang citizens knew that three months from now was the birthday of King Lin Wanjun, a time of nationwide celebration!
Chapter 46: This Should Be a Person
Due to the upcoming duel with Wu Yaoguang in a month, Ye Yiming had to make preparations in advance. Wu Yaoguang was, after all, a peak Earth-level martial artist. According to his own cultivation progress, Wu Yaoguang would have at least **hundreds of thousands of cultivation points.
But Ye Yiming currently had at most 44,000 cultivation points. Even if he used all of them to enhance his cultivation, it would only reach less than 50,000, which was still far from Wu Yaoguang''s **hundreds of thousands.
Moreover, who knows if Wu Yaoguang might have a stroke of luck, suddenly breaking through to the Heaven-level realm within this month! Although the chances of this happening were very slim, Ye Yiming had to be prepared for this possibility.
Therefore, Ye Yiming believed that to ensure victory over Wu Yaoguang, his own cultivation must break through to the Heaven-level martial artist''s realm. Otherwise, Ye Yiming would not feel at ease.
Previously, Ye Yiming did not dare to think about breaking through to the Heaven-level martial artist''s realm. Even if he managed to refine a mutated Super Warrior Pill, the quantity needed was enormous, and Ye Yiming could only refine mid-grade Super Warrior Pills. As for the high-grade ones, he could only dream of them.
As for the top-grade Super Warrior Pills, Ye Yiming didn''t even dare to hope for their mutation. Although Ye Yiming was now confident in refining top-grade Super Warrior Pills, it was only possible with a large amount of thousand-year-old ginseng.
Ye Yiming had only five pieces of thousand-year-old ginseng. No, now he had only four pieces left. Ye Yiming had already consumed one piece to refine a dozen high-grade Super Warrior Pills.
Ye Yiming estimated that refining a top-grade Super Warrior Pill would require at least three pieces of thousand-year-old ginseng. Under such harsh conditions, how could Ye Yiming still hope for a mutation in the top-grade Super Warrior Pills?
As for relying on the high-level absorption technique to absorb cultivation points, Ye Yiming didn''t even dare to think about it. Currently, the high-level absorption technique could absorb nearly 9,000 cultivation points a day.
Although this seemed like a lot, considering that reaching the Heaven-level martial artist''s realm required 1 million cultivation points, Ye Yiming had no hope for this.
However, the situation was different now. With the Purification Pill, even if it wasn''t a mutated pill, Ye Yiming could still obtain all the cultivation points from the pill after consumption.
Thus, once he refined the Purification Pill and took it along with the top-grade Super Warrior Pill, Ye Yiming could immediately soar to the Heaven-level martial artist''s realm and then crush Wu Yaoguang!
Ye Yiming got up early this morning to buy the herbs needed to refine the Purification Pill.
Most of the herbs required for the Purification Pill were quite common, and Ye Yiming quickly bought them at the medicine building, except for three.
These three herbs were not available in the medicine building. Two were too rare and were only available on the fourth floor of the building, which Ye Yiming couldn''t access. However, Ye Yiming didn''t plan to buy them there anyway, as he had already learned from the medicine building staff where these herbs could be found.
As for the last herb, it wasn''t because it was too rare that Ye Yiming couldn''t buy it. It was because this herb, called Qing Shui Grass, was too common and not very useful. Even the Ye family''s Ye Ji Pharmacy didn''t have it, let alone the medicine building.
After returning to the State Duke''s residence and making some preparations, Ye Yiming set off for his destination¡ªBaiyun Mountain!
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This time, only Ye Qi and Da Hei accompanied Ye Yiming. Ye Yiming''s grandfather was quite at ease with only Ye Qi going along. Three days ago, when Ye Yiming had just refined the Super Warrior Pill, Ye Qi was the first to benefit from it.
With the help of a dozen mid-grade and two high-grade Super Warrior Pills, Ye Qi had now become a peak Earth-level martial artist.
If Ye Qi were to fight Wu Yaoguang now, Ye Qi would undoubtedly have a higher chance of winning. After all, Ye Qi had battlefield experience, which was incomparable to Wu Yaoguang, a young master. This was why Ye Yiming''s grandfather felt reassured letting him accompany Ye Yiming to Baiyun Mountain.
Riding swiftly, Ye Yiming and Ye Qi soon arrived at Baiyun Mountain.
Baiyun Mountain was the only mountain in Tianyang Kingdom with an altitude exceeding three thousand meters, reaching over five thousand meters. Located in the central part of Tianyang Kingdom, it was not far from the capital, Tianyang City, so Ye Yiming and Ye Qi arrived quickly. The mountain was named Baiyun Mountain because its peak pierced the white clouds due to its great height.
The foot of the mountain was lush with grass and trees, with countless medicinal herbs. Many herbalists and medicine gatherers in Tianyang Kingdom relied on the herbs at the foot of Baiyun Mountain for their livelihood. However, they could only gather common herbs within a thousand meters of the mountain.
Above a thousand meters, demonic beasts appeared, making it extremely dangerous for herbalists and medicine gatherers. Even the lowest-level demonic beasts posed a significant threat to them, with the slightest mistake potentially costing them their lives.
Moreover, most demonic beasts on Baiyun Mountain lived in groups, making it even more dangerous to gather herbs above a thousand meters. Only martial artists with high-level skills dared to venture above this height.
Ye Yiming''s goal was the three-thousand-meter altitude, where he could find the herbs he needed. Although the higher he went, the stronger the demonic beasts became, Ye Qi, a peak Earth-level martial artist, made the journey relatively safe.
After settling their horses in the only small town at the foot of Baiyun Mountain, Ye Yiming and Ye Qi began their ascent.
Along the way, Da Hei was unusually excited, running back and forth and occasionally barking, attracting the attention of passing herbalists. This left Ye Yiming feeling a bit exasperated.
Good heavens! Does this glutton really need to be this excited?
"Woof! Woof! Woof!"
Just as Ye Yiming was about to scold Da Hei, it suddenly started barking wildly ahead.
This time, Da Hei''s bark was different, conveying an urgency that called Ye Yiming over. Ye Yiming hurriedly ran over with Ye Qi.
When they reached Da Hei, Ye Yiming saw it wagging its tail excitedly by a small pond. Seeing Ye Yiming approach, Da Hei wagged its tail even more vigorously.
What''s this?
Seeing this, Ye Yiming initially wanted to scold Da Hei, but when he saw some green grass by the pond, he stopped.
Is this Qing Shui Grass?
Qing Shui Grass was a green herb that grew only in watery places, hence its name. It was a common herb used for healing injuries but had a slow effect. Due to its abundance and slow healing properties, people rarely collected it specifically. However, it was a staple in ordinary households.
Before coming here, Ye Yiming had shown Da Hei pictures of the herbs he was looking for, hoping it might help. Unexpectedly, Da Hei had actually found Qing Shui Grass.
Although Qing Shui Grass was common, if Da Hei could find it, it might also find the other two herbs!
"Good job, Da Hei! Well done! Here, take this!"
Ye Yiming praised Da Hei and threw it a few pills.
"Woof!"
Da Hei leapt up to catch the pills, barked excitedly at Ye Yiming, and then ran off again.
It seemed that after getting a taste of the reward, it was now off to find more herbs to please Ye Yiming, hoping for more pills.
Seeing this, Ye Yiming could only smile wryly. But Ye Qi, standing by, spoke up.
"Hahaha! Young master, Da Hei is getting smarter. It''s even earning rewards now."
Ye Qi was now extremely loyal to Ye Yiming. After Ye Yiming gave him a few Super Warrior Pills, allowing him to reach the peak Earth-level martial artist realm in just three days, Ye Qi seemed to have attached himself to Ye Yiming, staying by his side all day.
Ye Qi had volunteered to accompany Ye Yiming to Baiyun Mountain this time. Originally, Ye Yiming''s grandfather wanted Ye Qi to stay and cultivate in seclusion, hoping he would soon break through to the Heaven-level. But upon hearing that Ye Yiming was going to Baiyun Mountain to gather herbs, Ye Qi begged and was allowed to go.
Seclusion?
Why would I need seclusion! Following the young master, who knows when he''ll be in a good mood and give me some amazing pill, and then I''ll break through to the Heaven-level. Why would I need seclusion!
With this thought, Ye Qi was now more obedient to Ye Yiming than to the Duke''s orders.
Hearing Ye Qi praise Da Hei, Ye Yiming felt pleased. Just as he was about to say something, a black shadow suddenly darted out from the nearby bushes, startling both Ye Yiming and Ye Qi. But when they saw what it was, they were even more shocked.
Yes, they were shocked!
It wasn''t because the black shadow was a powerful demonic beast. On the contrary, it was a person that startled them.
Uh, it should be a person, right?
Chapter 47: Preparing for Combat
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Upon seeing this person clearly, the first image that popped into Ye Yiming''s mind was:
Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, wielding his golden staff and shouting at a demon, "Hey! Where do you think you''re going, monster!"
You couldn''t blame Ye Yiming for such a thought because this person''s appearance was just... too abstract!
This dark figure, well, maybe a person! His face vaguely resembled a ghost''s, with a huge, asymmetrical mouth full of black and yellow rotten teeth. His upturned nose seemed to lack any middle cartilage, making it look like he had only one nostril. His eyes were even more peculiar¡ªone was as small as a soybean, while the other was as large as a cow''s eye, glaring roundly at Ye Yiming.
If this were Earth, Ye Yiming would have screamed, "Mom!" and exclaimed, "How on earth do you look so thrilling and creative? Your mom must have watched a ton of sci-fi movies while pregnant to achieve such a special effect!"
The ''strange person'' stood in front of Ye Yiming and Ye Qi after leaping out of the bushes, scratched the few hairs on his scabby head, extended his right hand covered in psoriasis, shook the bizarre wooden stick in his hand, and spoke.
"Eat sasi wok, eat shushu wok zai, yo shang chi lu go, liu xia mai lu cai!"
Hearing the ''strange person''s'' words, Ye Yiming was even more shocked.
What the hell! Is this even human language? Could this thing really be a failed transformation of some monster?
But considering its barely mid-level warrior aura, it seemed unlikely.
While Ye Yiming was puzzled about the identity of the dark figure, Ye Qi, who had just reacted, stuttered.
"You... Young Master... What... what did it just say?"
Ye Qi couldn''t find the words to describe the dark figure in front of him and ultimately used ''it.''
After thinking for a while, Ye Yiming hesitantly said, "It probably said, ''This mountain is mine, this tree is mine, if you want to pass through, leave a toll.''"
What? A robbery?
Hearing Ye Yiming''s words, Ye Qi was furious, no longer caring about the strange appearance, and shouted, "Who are you? How dare you block the way of people from the Duke''s household? Do you have a death wish?"
The dark figure seemed to frown (Ye Yiming thought so, if it really had eyebrows) and angrily said, "My name is Niu Biyang, nicknamed Niu Er! I am the boss here, leave the toll."
Though the dark figure''s speech was unclear, his name was quite clear, leaving Ye Yiming speechless.
Niu Biyang? Niu Er? Bull**er?
What a peculiar name. What outrageous act did this person commit to deserve such a name from his parents?
Ha! So he really is a robber! How bold!
Ye Qi burst into laughter and was about to teach this ''Bull**er'' a lesson when Da Hei appeared out of nowhere, rushed in, and knocked Niu Biyang down the mountain.
Niu Biyang rolled all the way down to the foot of the mountain and fainted. A kind-hearted herb gatherer saw him and tried to help, but the sight of Niu Biyang''s already shocking face, made even more grotesque by the fall, scared the herb gatherer to death.
To be so terrifying that he could scare people to death with his looks, Niu Biyang was probably the only one.
However, Niu Biyang was quite lucky; although he didn''t die from the fall, his legs were broken. When he finally woke up a day later, he crawled out of Baiyun Mountain and lived as a beggar from then on.
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But these are all later stories.
After the farce with Niu Biyang, Ye Yiming and Ye Qi were only slightly startled and quickly resumed their herb-gathering journey.
This time, Ye Yiming had an idea: to take out a bunch of herbs from his Immortal Spirit Ring and cut off small pieces for Da Hei to taste.
Having come to Baiyun Mountain once, Ye Yiming didn''t just want to gather herbs for refining Tempering Pills. If possible, he wanted to gather as many as he could.
Ye Yiming''s idea seemed great. With Da Hei''s efforts, he quickly found a lot of herbs. Da Hei''s diligence was soon rewarded with several pills, making him even more excited.
At one point, Ye Yiming discovered a thousand-year-old ginseng under Da Hei''s feet and was amazed at Da Hei''s ability to find herbs.
"Good job, Da Hei!"
After carefully digging up the ginseng, Ye Yiming tossed a mid-grade super warrior pill to Da Hei, feeling a bit sentimental.
Wow! Who knew my Da Hei could find herbs? Truly worthy of being a super divine beast!
"Woof!"
Da Hei suddenly barked a few times as if he had found something and ran off. Ye Yiming and Ye Qi quickly followed.
After running for a short distance, they found Da Hei fighting several wild boars.
It looked like this was the territory of a wild boar herd. Ye Yiming and Ye Qi were now at an altitude of a thousand meters, so the wild boars here were not ordinary.
Wild boars were low-level demonic beasts, the most common low-level herd demonic beasts in Baiyun Mountain. The highest level a mature wild boar demonic beast could reach was that of a high-level warrior.
Receiving feedback from his detection skill, Ye Yiming had a thought.
These wild boars are perfect for me, a newly minted human-level warrior, who doesn''t know how to use my own power yet and lacks actual combat experience. This is a great opportunity to practice!
With this idea, Ye Yiming spoke to Ye Qi, who, instead of stopping him, looked at him with approval and said, "Young Master, you''re right. Actually, even if you didn''t mention it, I would have found a chance for you to have some combat practice here in Baiyun Mountain. After all, there''s less than a month left before your duel with Wu Yaoguang. I''m not worried about your cultivation, but..."
Ye Qi glanced at Da Hei playing with the wild boars and then turned back to Ye Yiming, smiling, "But when it comes to combat experience, Young Master, you might not even compare to Da Hei!"
This...
Ye Yiming was speechless but couldn''t refute it. After all, Ye Qi was right; his combat experience was probably less than Da Hei''s.
"Don''t be discouraged, Young Master. You''ve never been exposed to this before. It''s not too late to start now. In fact, during this Baiyun Mountain trip, the Duke specifically instructed me to give you some combat opportunities to accumulate experience. This shows that the Duke thinks highly of you!"
Ye Qi was counting on Ye Yiming to help him break through to the sky-level warrior realm, so he didn''t dare to say too much. However, considering Ye Yiming''s recent performance, Ye Qi thought it wouldn''t be too difficult.
I didn''t expect Grandpa to have arranged this for me. I thought he only agreed to this trip for herb gathering! He even planned combat opportunities for me!
Feeling the warmth of his grandfather''s care, Ye Yiming was even more determined not to disappoint him. He vowed to win the upcoming duel with Wu Yaoguang with an overwhelming victory to live up to his grandfather''s expectations.
With this resolve, Ye Yiming didn''t hesitate and called out to Da Hei, who was still playing with the wild boars, "Da Hei, stop playing and kill those wild boars. Come back quickly!"
Da Hei barked fiercely, revealing his savage side, and quickly killed the wild boars, then ran back to Ye Yiming, wagging his tail, looking nothing like his previous fierce self.
Seeing the wild boars lying in pools of blood, Ye Yiming sighed.
No wonder he''s a super divine beast! With just human-level cultivation, his mere presence suppressed the five wild boars into submission and then killed them effortlessly.
This was why Ye Yiming didn''t use the wild boars for combat practice. They had lost their fighting spirit, and what experience could he gain from that?
Ye Yiming''s approach made Ye Qi nod approvingly, admiring Ye Yiming''s wisdom.
After a while, Ye Qi asked, "Young Master, are you ready?"
Ye Yiming nodded confidently, "Don''t worry, Uncle Ye Qi. I''m ready now. Just tell me what to do."
Ye Qi nodded, "Alright, let''s start now. We''ll begin with these wild boars."
Ye Yiming agreed, thinking it made sense. You can''t rush things; you must learn to walk before you can run!
Seeing Ye Yiming eager to go, Ye Qi quickly reminded, "Young Master, don''t rush. With your experience, it''s best to start with one wild boar and gradually increase the number."
"Alright, Uncle Ye Qi, I understand."
Though Ye Qi''s words seemed to underestimate him, Ye Yiming knew he was just speaking the truth.
Ye Yiming knew. Although he was now at the early stage of human-level cultivation, facing wild demonic beasts, even those at the high-level warrior stage, a slight mistake could lead to big trouble.
His actual combat experience was zero! Even though he had fought Wu Yaolin and Wu Yaoguang, it was over in one move.
What experience could he gain from that? It only showed him how powerful peak earth-level warriors were. The experience gain was minimal!
Now was his first step in real combat. Ye Yiming must stay cautious.
Taking a deep breath, Ye Yiming looked at the five wild boar demonic beasts lying in a pool of blood, picking out a mid-level warrior wild boar demonic beast, and then...
Ye Yiming dashed over, launching his first actual combat attempt!
Chapter 48: Wild Boars, Here Comes the Young Master!
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With this decision made, Ye Yiming eagerly started searching for wild boars.
Perhaps because this was the wild boars¡¯ territory, it didn''t take long for Ye Yiming to spot one drinking from a small pond.
Ye Yiming''s eyes lit up, ready to leap out and battle the wild boar for three hundred rounds. But then, an unexpected event occurred.
"Woof~"
Da Hei, who had also spotted the wild boar, dashed out without hesitation, charging straight at it. A moment later, Ye Yiming heard the wild boar''s final scream.
Seeing Da Hei with wild boar fur in his mouth, Ye Yiming was speechless.
"Woof!"
Thinking it had performed a great service, Da Hei ran back immediately to claim its reward. Seeing no reaction from its master, it barked once more and started circling Ye Yiming.
Even Ye Qi, standing nearby, was at a loss for words seeing Da Hei''s behavior. He could only shake his head and smile bitterly at the sight of Da Hei circling Ye Yiming.
After giving Da Hei some stern instructions and using a medicinal pill as guidance, Da Hei obediently followed Ye Qi, staying two hundred meters away from Ye Yiming.
Having dealt with Da Hei''s interference, Ye Yiming confidently stepped into the wild boars¡¯ territory, his eyes gleaming.
"Wild boars, here comes the young master!"
"Snort!"
Ye Yiming hadn''t walked far into the territory when he discovered a one-meter-tall wild boar. Spotting this lone boar, Ye Yiming''s eyes lit up again. Without thinking, he jumped in front of it.
"Snort!" The wild boar, which was rooting around a tree, was startled by Ye Yiming''s sudden appearance. It was about to run away but got angry upon realizing Ye Yiming was just a small human.
Of course, compared to the wild boar''s size, Ye Yiming did appear small and weak.
"Roar!" The wild boar, seeing Ye Yiming¡¯s slender frame, abandoned its escape plan and charged at him, thinking the human was no match for it.
Unfortunately, a boar is a boar! Don¡¯t expect it to be very smart.
Watching the charging wild boar, Ye Yiming remained calm. Instead, he felt a bit excited.
"Good timing!" Ye Yiming shouted, clenching his fist and punching the wild boar¡¯s forehead.
"Boom!" His punch landed squarely on the boar''s head.
"Ow!" The wild boar screamed, knocked back by Ye Yiming''s punch, skidding four to five meters on the ground.
Ye Yiming was also pushed back three steps by the recoil, but seeing the boar on the ground, he felt an immense joy. He quickly stepped forward, intending to punch the boar a few more times.
Ye Yiming knew that his punch, although it knocked the boar down, didn''t cause serious damage.
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The punch was meant to test his strength, and he hadn¡¯t used his full power. The wild boar probably only suffered minor injuries.
But as Ye Yiming took a few steps forward, the boar quickly got up, didn¡¯t even glance at Ye Yiming, and ran away frantically.
Ye Yiming was stunned by the boar''s swift movement. It took him a moment to react. When the boar was already seven to eight meters away, he shouted, "Where do you think you''re going!" and chased after it.
A few moments later, Ye Yiming caught up with the fleeing boar. Fortunately, he was already a novice human-level warrior; otherwise, he wouldn''t have kept up with the boar.
Seeing the boar two meters ahead, Ye Yiming jumped up and kicked it in midair.
"Boom!"
"Crack!"
As his leg hit the boar''s back, he heard the sound of bones breaking.
"Ow!" The boar screamed and collapsed, motionless.
Two hundred meters away, Ye Qi was shocked by how easily Ye Yiming dispatched the boar. He felt a surge of emotion.
He didn''t expect the young master to have such an outstanding combat talent. It was his first time fighting a demonic beast, albeit a low-level one, but to react so quickly to the boar''s escape was remarkable!
Especially that final kick, executed with just the right amount of force to kill the boar. This was only Ye Yiming¡¯s second attack, yet he already had such precise control over his strength. His combat talent was truly exceptional!
The young master is indeed a genius!
Feeling a sense of triumph, Ye Yiming stepped on the boar''s body, saying, "I haven¡¯t even used my full strength, and you¡¯re already down. How disappointing."
He shook his head, looking dejected. To someone who didn''t know better, it would seem like Ye Yiming had just defeated a formidable demonic beast.
As Ye Yiming lamented, there was a sudden rustling sound. Three wild boars, each as large as the one at his feet, emerged.
"Roar!"
Perhaps seeing their fallen companion, the three boars were enraged and charged at Ye Yiming.
Ye Yiming didn¡¯t panic; instead, he felt a thrill. One boar wasn¡¯t challenging enough. Three should be manageable; he could handle them in five seconds.
But reality is often harsh.
As the three boars neared, Ye Yiming kicked one away and prepared to attack the others. Before he could act, the remaining two boars, after seeing their companion fly away, shrieked and charged at him faster than he anticipated.
Their swift movements caught Ye Yiming off guard, but his quick reflexes as a human-level warrior saved him. He leapt away just in time.
However, as soon as he landed, he saw the boar he had kicked earlier running back, looking as lively as ever. It seemed his kick had done little damage. Now, Ye Yiming was surrounded by three wild boars.
This...
Seeing the once triumphant Ye Yiming now in a precarious situation, Ye Qi consoled himself internally. Experience! Experience! Experience! The young master is just lacking some combat experience. He can handle this.
Despite his thoughts, Ye Qi was tense, ready to rush in at any moment. Even Da Hei was still, eyes fixed on Ye Yiming, ready to pounce.
Surrounded by the three boars, Ye Yiming had to keep jumping to avoid their charges.
At this moment, his earlier confidence and sense of accomplishment vanished. He realized his combat skills were lacking.
Sigh, my combat experience is really insufficient!
Suddenly, one boar overshot its charge. Seizing the opportunity, Ye Yiming gathered his strength and punched the boar¡¯s head.
"Smack!"
His punch, displaying the full power of a novice human-level warrior, was not insignificant. The boar''s head exploded, scattering red and white matter everywhere.
"Thud!" The boar dropped dead.
"Snort!"
"Snort!"
The remaining two boars froze, seemingly unable to comprehend what had happened.
While the boars were stunned, Ye Yiming wasn¡¯t. He immediately punched another boar¡¯s head.
"Smack!"
More red and white matter splattered on the ground.
Finally, the last boar snapped out of its daze. Without hesitation, it turned and fled.
Unfortunately for the boar, Ye Yiming anticipated this. As it turned to escape, he jumped in front of it.
"Smack!"
Another watermelon-like explosion sounded, and the area fell silent.
"Pant, pant, pant!" Leaning against a tree, Ye Yiming sat down, breathing heavily.
Although it seemed like Ye Yiming only used three punches to kill three boars, only he knew that those punches had exhausted all his strength. If he hadn''t hit the last boar, he would have been in real danger.
Even now, the area wasn¡¯t safe. This was wild boar territory, and another boar could appear at any moment, causing real trouble.
Although Ye Qi was nearby, this was supposed to be combat training. He couldn''t always rely on others!
With this thought, Ye Yiming struggled to stand, glanced at the four wild boar corpses on the ground, and quickly left.
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Chapter 49: Fierce Batt
Ye Yiming hadn''t gone far when Ye Qi and Da Hei caught up with him.
"Young Master, we can rest for a while now. It''s getting late, and we should call it a day," Ye Qi suggested, noticing that although Ye Yiming was still panting, he had performed admirably earlier.
"Woof!" Da Hei wagged its tail and barked in agreement.
Only then did Ye Yiming fully relax, squatting down and sitting on the ground.
As night fell, by a small pool, Ye Yiming and Ye Qi were roasting meat¡ªwild boar meat!
Thanks to the space within his Celestial Ring, which had expanded to nine cubic meters, Ye Yiming had packed some pots, pans, condiments, and barbecue tools in addition to valuable and commonly used items. These were all to deal with situations like this.
When Ye Yiming suddenly took out a pile of barbecue tools, it startled Ye Qi, who repeatedly asked Ye Yiming how he managed it.
Having encountered such questions many times before, Ye Yiming was no longer nervous. He calmly explained that the mysterious "strange person" had once again been mentioned.
Upon hearing that the "strange person" had given Ye Yiming a ring capable of storing objects, Ye Qi''s gaze never left Ye Yiming''s right hand.
Fortunately, Ye Yiming was quite skilled at roasting meat. Once the deliciously fragrant meat was ready, Ye Qi was deeply attracted and stopped focusing on Ye Yiming''s ring.
If Ye Qi was this entranced, it was even more so for the foodie Da Hei.
Given the circumstances, Ye Yiming had no choice but to play the role of a barbecue master.
After the feast, Ye Qi began to instruct Ye Yiming on his performance in today''s combat.
He pointed out where Ye Yiming''s strength was lacking, where his reactions were slow, and other issues, giving Ye Yiming a deeper understanding of his combat deficiencies.
Ye Qi''s guidance continued until late at night, significantly enhancing Ye Yiming''s combat experience.
...
The night passed without incident. When Ye Yiming woke up, it was already early morning.
Da Hei was no longer by his side, but Ye Yiming wasn''t worried. He knew Da Hei had gone out to play. Here, Da Hei was like the local tyrant, so there was nothing to worry about. After tidying up, Ye Yiming planned to leave and find some demonic beasts to spar with.
Having received Ye Qi''s guidance last night, Ye Yiming felt he had made some progress. He wanted to test his improvements against a few demonic beasts.
"Rustle!"
Just as Ye Yiming finished packing and was about to leave, there was a rustling in the nearby bushes. Suddenly, a black shadow leapt out. When Ye Yiming saw the shadow clearly, his whole body bristled with fear.
What shadow?
It was a large tiger with yellow and black stripes, white forehead, and piercing eyes! From its aura, Ye Yiming could clearly sense its demonic beast level.
This was a mid-human-level tiger!
One stage higher than himself, which naturally alarmed Ye Yiming.
But, thanks to his combat experience from yesterday, Ye Yiming quickly forced himself to calm down.
Once calm, he began to scrutinize the tiger in front of him.
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The tiger had a natural "king" character on its forehead, whiskers curled up high, and intimidating eyes that stared unblinkingly at Ye Yiming, sending chills down his spine.
The tiger''s massive body had yellow and black patterns, a cat-like face with a blood-red mouth and sharp teeth, powerful limbs, sharp claws, and a long tail like a steel whip.
The tail, especially, swung leisurely, occasionally sweeping the ground, raising clouds of dust.
These traits showed the tiger''s fierce nature, making Ye Yiming''s heart race with fear.
No wonder people say, "The tiger is the king of beasts." This situation was not exaggerated at all!
"Roar!"
Suddenly, the tiger roared, like a thunderclap in midair, shaking the ground. Ye Yiming was momentarily stunned by the unexpected roar.
At that moment, the tiger seized the opportunity, leaping with its blood-red mouth open, revealing sharp fangs, lunging at Ye Yiming.
At this critical moment, a cool sensation from the Celestial Ring on Ye Yiming''s right hand snapped him back to reality. Seeing the tiger''s maw close in, he instinctively sidestepped, rolled to the ground, and narrowly avoided the beast''s lethal attack.
Having dodged the deadly strike, Ye Yiming quickly stood up, eyes fixed on the tiger.
Staring at the tiger, with its powerful body, strong limbs, and glowing green eyes, Ye Yiming broke into a cold sweat.
Just a little more, and he would have been dead. The tiger, as the king of beasts, was indeed formidable! Its strength far surpassed his own, likely equivalent to a late human-level warrior''s strength!
"Roar!"
Before Ye Yiming could finish his thoughts, the king of beasts roared again, charging at him once more.
This time, somewhat prepared, Ye Yiming narrowly avoided the beast''s fierce pounce.
"Roar!"
Failing once more, the king of beasts became furious. It grew more frenzied, pressing its front paws on the ground, baring its fangs, and leaping at Ye Yiming again. Ye Yiming once again dodged the savage attack.
But unexpectedly, as he dodged the frontal attack, he didn''t notice the tiger''s whip-like tail sweeping powerfully towards him.
"Thud!" Unprepared, Ye Yiming''s arm was struck by the tail.
"Thump, thump, thump!" The sudden force knocked Ye Yiming back several steps, almost causing him to fall.
Rubbing his numbed and aching right arm, Ye Yiming felt a wave of fear. The force of the tiger''s tail strike was at least a thousand pounds.
Thankfully, Ye Yiming was now an early human-level warrior. Otherwise, his right hand would have been broken by that strike.
A thousand pounds of force from just a tail strike! How powerful was this king of beasts?
Was it a peak human-level demonic beast or even an earth-level demonic beast?
Ye Yiming had no time to ponder as the king of beasts launched a new round of attacks.
He heard a whistling sound, and a foul wind hit his face. Looking up, Ye Yiming saw the king of beasts leaping at him again.
Seeing the situation, Ye Yiming gritted his teeth, fixed his gaze on the approaching tiger, and stopped dodging.
In a split second, as the tiger''s maw was about to bite him, Ye Yiming suddenly ducked, dodging the beast''s pounce, and punched it hard under the belly.
"Roar!"
The tiger cried out in pain, but even so, it remained fierce.
"Swish!"
"Rip!"
At the last moment, the tiger''s hind legs slashed at Ye Yiming''s neck. Although he dodged the vital spot, his shoulder still bore three bloody claw marks.
The tiger landed, turned around, and pounced at Ye Yiming again.
Ye Yiming had no time to check his wounds. Seeing the tiger coming at him again, he roared, channeling all his inner strength, and at the last moment, grabbed the tiger''s neck.
The tiger, with its neck gripped, struggled violently. Ye Yiming, eyes wide and face red, held on tightly, kicking the tiger''s belly with all his might.
The tiger writhed in pain, scratching Ye Yiming with its claws, leaving numerous wounds.
Ye Yiming nearly cried from the pain. Seeing the tiger''s struggles intensifying and feeling himself weakening, he decided to release its neck but had a sudden idea.
He released the tiger''s neck, flipped over, and landed on its back.
The tiger, feeling the grip loosen, didn''t react in time as it felt a new weight on its back and its neck tightening again.
Ye Yiming''s plan was to jump on the tiger''s back and use his right arm to choke it while punching its head with his left.
The tiger struggled to see behind it, flailing to shake off Ye Yiming. Despite its efforts, Ye Yiming clung to it like an octopus, punching its head repeatedly.
The tiger, panicked, ran wildly, crashing into trees and bushes. Yet, after a short time, Ye Yiming remained on its back, continuing his assault.
Suddenly, Ye Yiming''s left hand found a large rock. He grabbed it and smashed it on the tiger''s head.
"Roar!"
The tiger yelped in pain, speeding up. But Ye Yiming, enjoying the smashing, continued hitting the tiger''s head until it was bleeding profusely, its roars weakening, and its speed slowing.
"Smack!"
Finally, with one last blow, the stone in Ye Yiming''s hand shattered, and the tiger collapsed.
Seeing the fallen tiger, panting weakly and no longer majestic, Ye Yiming winced in pain but smiled in relief.
To ensure his safety, Ye Yiming struggled off the tiger''s back, trembling as he lifted a large stone and smashed the tiger''s head.
With a final shudder, the king of beasts lay still.
Only then did Ye Yiming truly relax, succumbing to the pain and fainting.
After Ye Yiming passed out, there was a rustling in the nearby bushes.
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Chapter 50: The Thirteenth Eagle of the Ye Family
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After a commotion, a figure emerged from the bushes, none other than Ye Qi.
Early in the morning today, Ye Qi got up to find a suitable place for Ye Yiming''s real combat practice.
Although Ye Qi had left, he had already noticed the appearance of the tiger and quickly rushed back when it appeared.
However, when Ye Qi arrived, he did not intervene to help Ye Yiming. He wanted to see how Ye Yiming would face the situation, so he did not step in to deal with the tiger.
In fact, Ye Qi just wanted to see how Ye Yiming would react and handle a sudden strong enemy. However, the result greatly exceeded Ye Qi''s expectations. Facing a mid-stage human-level beast, Ye Yiming not only did not turn and run but also fought it head-on.
What surprised Ye Qi the most was that Ye Yiming emerged as the final victor.
A martial artist at the early stage of human level defeating a mid-stage human-level beast?
Even more surprising was that Ye Yiming, who had just entered the stage, was considered a combat rookie. But the opponent?
The opponent was the king of beasts, definitely a tiger with extensive battle experience!
A rookie who had just entered the stage defeated a battle-hardened king of beasts!
Not only did he defeat it, but he also killed it directly!
In a daze, Ye Qi seemed to see a tall and mighty man clad in battle armor, covered in blood on the battlefield, madly killing enemies!
Indeed, like father like son!
Just as Ye Qi was having these thoughts, he recalled what his third brother had said when they saw Ye Wu''s blood-soaked battlefield.
The roles had just switched.
Ye Yiming became Ye Wu, and Ye Wu became the old master!
Looking at Ye Yiming lying on the ground, covered in blood, Ye Qi felt excited.
Who said the young master was a dandy?
All the men of the Ye family are upright men, without weaklings or prodigals!
...
When Ye Yiming woke up again, it was already evening. However, upon awakening, he immediately felt a wave of pain all over his body.
"Ugh~"
Seeing Ye Yiming open his eyes, Da Hei, who had been guarding him, immediately whimpered softly.
"Awake? How do you feel?" Ye Qi, sitting by the fire, smiled when he saw Ye Yiming.
Feel?
Hearing Ye Qi''s slightly teasing tone, Ye Yiming smiled bitterly.
But the bitter smile wasn''t too bad. This bitter smile made Ye Yiming feel that the pain all over his body had eased a lot.
"Why didn''t I give you some healing medicine?"
Hearing Ye Qi''s words, Ye Yiming instinctively replied, "Why?"
If there was healing medicine, why not use it?
Seeing Ye Yiming''s puzzled look, Ye Qi smiled gently before speaking, "Because enduring the pain from injuries after battles is the best real combat experience. Only through pain can one deeply remember the mistakes made in battle. Only by enduring pain can one truly be considered a real man!"
Ye Qi''s words made Ye Yiming fall silent, and for a moment, even the pain in his body diminished.
Yes! Ye Qi was right.
This pain did remind him of the mistakes he made in battle!
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Upon careful thought, Ye Yiming realized that although he seemed to have won today, it wasn''t entirely the case.
Because when he fought the fierce tiger today, he completely abandoned his human advantages due to fear.
What''s the biggest difference between humans and beasts?
Humans have martial arts and techniques! Beasts have nothing.
But think about it, what did I do today?
I didn''t use the Bloodthirsty Heaven Decree, a divine-level martial art, during the battle!
I didn''t use my innate ability, Blood God Possession!
Even my only technique, Blood Slash, was not used once!
When did I completely forget my advantages and just act recklessly, almost like an untrained person?
If it weren''t for my sudden inspiration to jump onto the tiger''s back, I don''t know how the situation would have ended!
Although Uncle Qi was there, I would have only suffered some injuries at most, certainly no life-threatening danger.
But what if Uncle Qi wasn''t there?
What if I were alone today?
Thinking of this possibility, Ye Yiming felt a chill!
I''m still far from enough!
Seeing Ye Yiming lost in thought for a while, seeming to understand something, Ye Qi couldn''t help but nod secretly before speaking.
"Heh, young master, you don''t need to feel burdened. When I had my first real battle back then, it was much more embarrassing than you."
Hearing Ye Qi reveal a embarrassing incident, Ye Yiming''s eyes lit up, and he asked, "Really?"
"Really!" Ye Qi smiled bitterly and continued, "When I had my first real battle back then, I was almost scared to wet my pants. What I told you earlier, those were all words from the Marquis."
Grandpa said that?
At this moment, hearing Ye Qi''s words, Ye Yiming''s interest surged, and even the pain all over his body was forgotten.
"Uncle Qi, then tell me about your situation back then! Let me understand!"
Seeing Ye Yiming''s curiosity like a child, Ye Qi felt emotional.
The young master is indeed still a child!
Although the young master is already 18 years old, in some ways, he is really no different from some children!
For example, his combat experience!
Thinking of this, Ye Qi laughed. He had never seen anyone kill a beast two levels higher than themselves just by being reckless.
But even though it''s a bit late, the current young master is much stronger than the leader of the four dandies in the Jing Capital.
"Uncle Qi, please tell me quickly!"
Seeing Ye Qi not speaking but inexplicably laughing, Ye Yiming felt a bit unhappy and hurriedly urged him.
"Uh, alright, alright! I''ll tell you." Seeing that Ye Yiming seemed a bit unhappy, Ye Qi hurriedly spoke.
"Back in the day, I was one of the Ye Eagles!"
After that, Ye Yiming learned many unknown things from Ye Qi''s words.
The Ye Eagles, the Thirteen Eagles of the Ye Family! These were soldiers personally trained by the old master Ye, tough as iron!
As the name implies, the Thirteen Eagles of the Ye Family were composed of thirteen people. These thirteen people, trained by the Marquis, were all valiant and skilled in combat! Just based on these thirteen Ye Eagles, they could contend with a thousand soldiers and were invincible on the battlefield!
With their extraordinary achievements, the Thirteen Eagles of the Ye Family had made remarkable contributions to Tianyang and were even considered mythical figures in the military at that time, commanding the respect of tens of thousands of troops!
Although the Thirteen Eagles of the Ye Family had completely withdrawn from the battlefield for some reason, their reputation still existed. Even some enemy countries of Tianyang did not dare to invade again because they feared the fame of the Thirteen Eagles of the Ye Family.
Listening to the legends of the Thirteen Eagles of the Ye Family, Ye Yiming felt excited.
He never expected that Uncle Qi, who seemed unserious in daily life, was such a legendary figure.
With this thought, Ye Yiming made a firm decision.
I, Ye Yiming, also want to become a person like the Thirteen Eagles of the Ye Family!
Seeing Ye Yiming''s determined look, Ye Qi couldn''t help but sigh secretly.
The Thirteen Eagles of the Ye Family? What a distant name!
There are actually many things about the Thirteen Eagles of the Ye Family that Ye Qi hasn''t told Ye Yiming.
For example, all the Thirteen Eagles of the Ye Family are sworn brothers and were all fostered by the Marquis. However, apart from a few people, hardly anyone knows this.
People only know about the Marquis''s son Ye Wu, who is also one of the Thirteen Eagles of the Ye Family! Ye Wu is none other than Ye Yiming''s father!
People also don''t know that even their biological sons were treated just like the Thirteen Eagles of the Ye Family when the Marquis trained them. They were all treated as if they were his own sons. The reason they were trained so harshly and ruthlessly was that during those turbulent times, only such training could give them a chance to survive.
These are things that Ye Qi didn''t say, and Ye Yiming is completely unaware of them. He can only slowly discover and understand them in the future.
...
As the sky was illuminated once again by Tianyang, a night had passed.
At this moment, Ye Yiming stood under a large tree, punching and stretching his muscles.
As for Ye Yiming''s injuries, they had mostly healed by now.
This is not to say that Ye Yiming''s recovery ability was astonishing; it was all thanks to the healing medicine applied by Ye Qi.
After their conversation last night, Ye Qi applied the medicine to Ye Yiming''s injuries.
Initially, Ye Yiming was confused about Ye Qi''s actions.
Didn''t we say that enduring the pain on my own to remember my mistakes was important?
To this, Ye Qi''s response was that since Ye Yiming already knew where he went wrong and had endured the pain for a while, it was enough. The most important thing was that Ye Yiming didn''t have much time left, and the fight with Wu Yaoguang was only twenty-something days away. Ye Yiming couldn''t afford to waste time on healing!
Recalling Ye Qi''s words, Ye Yiming, who had been punching for a while, looked up at the towering peak of Baiyun Mountain that pierced the clouds, feeling even more determined in his heart.
Baiyun Mountain, I, Ye Yiming, will stand at your peak someday. But first, let''s test my skills in real combat.
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Chapter 51: Encountering Danger
Half a month later, somewhere three thousand meters high in Baiyun Mountain, a young boy in white was running swiftly, followed closely by a large black dog.
"Hahaha! Da Hei, hurry up! If you catch me, I''ll give you two top-grade Super Warrior Pills!"
"Woof!" Perhaps enticed by the offer of the two pills, the black dog behind the boy quickened its pace. Seeing this, the boy in front also sped up.
This boy and dog were none other than Ye Yiming and Da Hei!
After half a month, Ye Yiming''s cultivation was still at the initial stage of the Human level. Despite this, with the assistance of Ye Qi, Ye Yiming could now fight evenly with early-stage Earth-level demonic beasts.
Crossing from the initial stage of the Human level to the initial stage of the Earth level was a significant leap, showing that Ye Yiming''s efforts over the past half-month had not been in vain.
Ye Qi was continuously astonished by Ye Yiming''s rapid growth, but eventually, he became numb to it. In his mind, none of the so-called geniuses in the capital, like those of the Yitai or Sancai, could compare to their own young master.
However, what puzzled Ye Qi was that after half a month, he hadn''t seen Ye Yiming use the Super Warrior Pills to break through his level.
When Ye Qi brought up his doubts, Ye Yiming could only smile bitterly.
Do you think I don''t want to? Do you think it''s fun being stuck at the initial stage of the Human level?
I''d love to take a bunch of pills and have my cultivation soar instantly.
But is that even possible?
Thinking about this, Ye Yiming felt a wave of frustration.
Damn system, are you messing with me?
But Ye Yiming couldn''t say this directly. He could only tell Ye Qi that he was practicing a special cultivation method.
Upon hearing this, Ye Qi had an enlightened look and whispered to Ye Yiming, "I understand. This is a technique taught by an extraordinary person, right?" After that, Ye Qi stopped asking questions.
Ye Yiming was left speechless.
In fact, Ye Yiming could increase his cultivation. Over the past ten to twenty days, his advanced absorption technique had gathered nearly 200,000 cultivation points for him.
These 200,000 points were enough to elevate Ye Yiming to the Earth level in one go. However, thinking about Wu Yaoguang, who might already be at the Heaven level, Ye Yiming abandoned the idea of increasing his cultivation.
Using the 200,000 points to reach the initial Earth level still left a significant gap between him and Wu Yaoguang.
Instead, Ye Yiming decided to use these points to enhance his alchemy skills. With just over 9,000 proficiency points needed, or roughly 90,000 cultivation points, he could upgrade his alchemy to an advanced level.
Then, with the effect of the Immortal Ring, his alchemy skills would rise another level, increasing his success rate in refining pills.
Ye Yiming had this idea because he had gathered all the ingredients needed to refine Tempering Pills. Not only that, but he also estimated that the ingredients were sufficient to refine a dozen Tempering Pills.
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He owed this success to Da Hei, the glutton. For the sake of its food, Da Hei had been incredibly diligent over the past days.
Thanks to Da Hei, Ye Yiming not only found ingredients for the Tempering Pills but also collected many other herbs, even finding three King Ginsengs, the key ingredient for top-grade Super Warrior Pills.
This made Ye Yiming very happy.
"Woof!"
Ye Yiming, running quickly ahead, suddenly heard Da Hei bark.
Hearing this, Ye Yiming immediately stopped and turned back towards Da Hei without thinking.
Every time he heard Da Hei bark like this, it meant Da Hei had found some herbs.
Sure enough, when he reached Da Hei, Ye Yiming saw a ginseng at Da Hei''s feet.
"Ha! Good job, Da Hei!"
After gathering herbs for a while, Ye Yiming could tell at a glance that this was at least a thousand-year-old ginseng. Excitedly, he tossed a pill to Da Hei.
Da Hei caught the pill, barked twice, wagged its tail at Ye Yiming, and ran off.
Knowing that Ye Yiming needed to be careful when collecting herbs to avoid damaging them, Da Hei conscientiously kept watch.
After all, this area was frequented by demonic beasts.
Seeing this, Ye Yiming smiled and carefully dug up the ginseng with a herb shovel.
However, once he dug it up, Ye Yiming was shocked¡ªit was a King Ginseng!
A King Ginseng!
This naturally made Ye Yiming overjoyed.
Hahaha! Now I have even greater confidence in refining top-grade Super Warrior Pills!
Huh? What''s that?
As Ye Yiming put away the ginseng and was about to leave, he noticed a small cave not far ahead.
Seeing the cave, Ye Yiming''s first thought was that caves meant opportunities!
With this thought, Ye Yiming''s mind filled with visions of divine pills and artifacts.
Entering a cave unscathed usually led to some opportunity, and surviving a fall meant one was destined for greatness!
Ye Yiming couldn''t remember where he had heard this saying, but he believed it a little.
After some investigation, he confirmed it wasn''t a demonic beast''s lair and boldly, albeit with some trepidation, ventured inside, thinking about the unknown opportunities.
The small cave was just big enough for one person at first, but as Ye Yiming went deeper, it widened until even a carriage could pass through.
However, as he went further, the cave became darker. Soon, he couldn''t see his own hand in front of him.
Feeling uneasy, Ye Yiming stopped and looked around, seeing nothing. He was uncertain.
This cave is disappointing! Is there any opportunity here?
Forget it. I don''t believe I can''t find any opportunities. I''ll just leave!
Just as he was about to turn back, he heard a sudden clatter of falling rocks.
"Who''s there?"
Startled, Ye Yiming stepped back. But after three steps, he misstepped on the fourth, and his whole body plummeted into the void.
"Ah!"
Startled by the misstep, Ye Yiming cried out as he fell, the wind whistling past his ears.
"Help!"
"Help!"
"Hel¡ª"
Suddenly, during his descent, Ye Yiming hit something hard. With a thud, he passed out.
Although unconscious, his body continued to fall.
Falling!
Falling!
Falling endlessly!
...
"Woof!"
Ye Yiming''s cries for help reached Da Hei.
Following the cries, Da Hei entered the small cave. Reaching the spot where Ye Yiming had fallen, Da Hei saw nothing.
"Woof! Woof! Woof!"
Unable to see Ye Yiming, Da Hei barked frantically, but there was no response.
"Whimper~"
Sensing something had happened to its master, Da Hei whimpered in distress. Suddenly, it seemed to remember something and ran out.
Not long after, Da Hei returned with Ye Qi, his pants in tatters from Da Hei''s tugging and biting. Ye Qi''s legs were scratched, and blood trickled from the wounds.
Unable to speak, Da Hei had dragged and bitten Ye Qi to bring him quickly. Alarmed by Da Hei''s actions, Ye Qi hurried after him despite his injuries.
Arriving at the cave, Ye Qi was puzzled but followed Da Hei inside with a torch.
Seeing the pit that looked like a cliff, Ye Qi had a bad feeling. His heart sank.
This? Could it be?
No, definitely not. I must be overthinking!
Terrified by the thought, Ye Qi shook his head to dispel it.
But as he shook his head, he saw a white piece of cloth.
That?
Seeing it, Ye Qi''s heart raced. Trembling, he picked it up, and his face turned ashen.
It was a piece of Ye Yiming''s clothing!
Boom!
Realizing this, Ye Qi felt as if struck by lightning, frozen in place.
After a while, Ye Qi remembered something, picked up a stone, and threw it into the pit.
He listened for a long time, but there was no sound of the stone hitting the bottom.
"Plop!"
Feeling drained, Ye Qi collapsed to the ground.
"Whimper~"
Suddenly, Ye Qi started crying!
This iron-blooded man, who hadn''t shed a tear even when three of his bones were broken, cried now.
Chapter 52: Da Heis Crisis
After giving the little beggar a bowl of hot soup, the man said a sentence that the beggar would never forget for the rest of his life. "A man can bleed, but he can''t shed tears!"
After saying this, the man walked away without looking back.
The little beggar, staring at the tall figure disappearing into the wind and snow, looked at the hot soup in his hand and then fiercely smashed it on the ground. Barefoot and resolute, he chased after the tall figure.
That little beggar was none other than Ye Qi! And the tall man was Ye Xiangtian, the Duke of Wu!
It was that sentence at that time that made Ye Qi never shed a tear, no matter how much pain he encountered.
But now, Ye Qi was crying like a child, wailing so sadly, so sorrowfully!
Not even in the most dangerous battle eighteen years ago, a battle that shattered the myth of the Thirteen Hawks of the Ye Family, did he cry.
In that battle, seven of the Thirteen Hawks died, five survived, and one was crippled! The myth was broken, and family members parted forever! Such pain was far more intense than physical pain, yet Ye Qi still didn''t cry.
At that time, looking at the corpses of his seven sworn brothers, the Duke of Wu merely said lightly, "You can''t cry!"
Then, overnight, his hair turned white!
At that time, the Duke of Wu had just broken through to the Heavenly level and was only in his early fifties, so such a phenomenon shouldn''t have occurred.
But Ye Qi understood that the Duke of Wu was too heartbroken!
And that battle eighteen years ago was for Ye Yiming, for him, and for their foster father. The Thirteen Hawks of the Ye Family had no regrets!
Because of this, the Duke of Wu doted on Ye Yiming exceptionally when he was a child. He believed his grandson was not only his own but also the continuation of the lives of his six sworn brothers. The Duke''s attitude fostered Ye Yiming''s indulgence.
But even so, the Duke never interfered and didn''t allow anyone else to discipline Ye Yiming too much because he wanted his grandson to live a happy childhood and a peaceful life in place of his six sworn brothers.
He didn''t want Ye Yiming to follow in his father''s footsteps because he was old, even as a Heavenly level expert, he was just an old man who couldn''t withstand any more blows.
Even Ye Yiming''s recent outstanding performance made the old man hesitate for a long time before he finally made the difficult decision to arrange this practical exercise for him.
Therefore, no matter how spoiled or ignorant Ye Yiming was, Ye Qi never blamed him.
As long as he was alive, it was fine!
But now?
Falling from such a height, could he possibly survive?
Ye Yiming''s life was exchanged for by his six brothers!
But now, because of his negligence, Ye Yiming fell into this abyss. How could he face his foster father?
How could he face Ye Yiming''s parents and his brothers who were very concerned about Ye Yiming?
How could he face his six brothers who lost their lives for Ye Yiming after his death?
With these thoughts, Ye Qi felt utterly desolate!
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"Woo~" "Woo~" "Woo~"
While Ye Qi was in deep sorrow, Da Hei suddenly cried out in grief!
But what Da Hei did next shocked Ye Qi.
Da Hei cried softly by the edge of the pit for a while, then suddenly leaped into the pit.
"Da Hei!"
Ye Qi reached out, trying to grab Da Hei, but he was too late. His hand grasped nothing.
"Da Hei!"
Ye Qi cried out again, then collapsed on the ground in pain, crying loudly, "Why? Why? Why?"
But there was no response to Ye Qi''s question.
After a long time, Ye Qi finally staggered to his feet.
After standing up, Ye Qi took one last look at the deep pit and then walked out of the cave without looking back.
At this moment, a thought formed in Ye Qi''s mind, a thought that no one could stop.
He had to find Ye Yiming! And Da Hei!
Even if it was just their bodies!
Ye Qi had to find them!
¡
"Uh, where am I?"
After an unknown period, Ye Yiming suddenly woke up. But upon seeing his current situation, he was immediately shocked.
He was floating in mid-air without any external support, and most alarmingly, below him was a bubbling pool of lava.
This sight immediately terrified Ye Yiming.
What the heck is this?
But after a while, Ye Yiming''s anxiety subsided.
Because he found that he was merely floating in mid-air. Although he was close to the lava, he didn''t feel any heat and seemed unlikely to fall, so he didn''t appear to be in danger.
Thus, Ye Yiming began to examine his surroundings.
This should be inside Baiyun Mountain, and at a very deep level, otherwise, he wouldn''t see the bubbling lava.
The lava resembled a small lake, circular in shape, with a diameter of about a hundred meters. Ye Yiming was in the middle of this small lava lake.
Around the edges of the lava lake were some rubble and oddly-shaped rocks, which made Ye Yiming uneasy.
But when he looked towards the edge of the lava, he suddenly saw a small platform. His eyes lit up, and he immediately began to swim through the air.
If anyone saw Ye Yiming''s movements now, they would think he was swimming in water, which wasn''t entirely wrong.
Because Ye Yiming''s actions at this moment indeed resembled swimming, but the effect was minimal.
After much effort, he only moved a short distance from his initial position.
Finally, after an hour, Ye Yiming reached the small platform.
As soon as he got there, he grabbed the edge of the platform and pulled himself up.
"Ouch!"
As soon as he entered the platform''s range, the force keeping him afloat vanished, and he fell heavily to the ground.
"Damn it!"
In pain, Ye Yiming jumped up and shouted towards his previous floating position. But looking at the bubbling lava, he shrank his neck and fell silent.
After resting for a while, Ye Yiming stood up and wanted to explore the area further. But just then, a system notification startled him.
"System Alert: Warning! Warning! Host''s pet Da Hei is in extreme danger, please rescue immediately!"
Da Hei in danger?
Ye Yiming was shocked, but when he saw the system notifications, he was even more alarmed. There wasn''t just one notification, but several.
"System Alert: Pet Da Hei in danger, please treat immediately!" "System Alert: Warning! Warning! Host''s pet Da Hei has been invaded by unknown psychic forces, in unknown danger, suggest immediate rescue!" ...
Seeing these system alerts, Ye Yiming became anxious. The last alert was from two hours ago, and the earliest was ten hours ago.
This meant Da Hei had been in danger for ten hours.
Thinking of this, Ye Yiming began running frantically along the edge of the lava lake.
He had to find a way out!
He had to rescue Da Hei!
In Ye Yiming''s heart, Da Hei was like family. He couldn''t imagine life without Da Hei!
No exit to the south! None to the north! None to the west! To the east...
To the east was a large cave!
Though surprised and eager to explore the cave, Ye Yiming knew he had to prioritize rescuing Da Hei over any adventure. No matter how amazing the adventure, it wasn''t as important as Da Hei!
The cave was enormous, large enough to hold a thousand people, with several smaller caves inside. But for Ye Yiming, only seeking a way out mattered.
No way out! No way out! Still no way out!
Ye Yiming searched the cave thoroughly but couldn''t find an exit.
"Ah!"
In extreme disappointment, Ye Yiming ran through the cave and shouted towards the pit above.
But when he looked up after shouting, he noticed a black object floating in mid-air.
What was that?
Was it Da Hei?!
Initially unclear, Ye Yiming soon realized that the floating black object was Da Hei!
However, Da Hei was floating twenty meters higher than where Ye Yiming had floated, so he hadn''t noticed him earlier.
"Da Hei! Da Hei! Da Hei!"
Seeing Da Hei floating in mid-air, Ye Yiming shouted several times, but Da Hei remained motionless, increasing his anxiety.
Recall!
Right! How could he forget the pet recall function? Da Hei was his pet!
Pet Recall Function: Within a certain range, pets can be recalled into their corresponding pet space, providing a beneficial environment, especially for injured pets!
Note: Within a certain range: 1. Visible to the host; 2. Within a thousand meters of the host, outside this range is invalid!
"Pet recall!"
In his excitement, Ye Yiming shouted the command aloud, showing how important Da Hei was to him.
But to Ye Yiming''s surprise, the pet recall function failed!
How was that possible?
Could the system fail?
Ye Yiming had never experienced such a situation before.
The pet recall function failed?
When Ye Yiming heard the system notification, his heart sank.
His pet, Da Hei, was in serious danger.