BAM!
A muffled thud suddenly rang out.
Blood Princess thrust out her long leg, executing a queen-like stomp that pinned Old Filthy Turtle directly to the ground. The force was so terrifying that Old Filthy Turtle instantly spat out a mouthful of blood.
At this moment, Ye Xuan finally regained his mobility and took action. An Earth-grade weapon appeared in his grasp, and he unleashed a fierce slash. The hand Old Filthy Turtle was using to clutch the bellyband was severed instantly.
"Impossible! What grade is this weapon?!" Old Filthy Turtle exclaimed in shock. His cultivation was at the 9th Layer of the Demon Spirit Realm! Even a high-tier Ghost-grade weapon shouldn’t have been able to slice through his defenses so easily. Could it be a peak-tier Ghost-grade weapon?
"Speak. Who are you? How do you know me?" Ye Xuan demanded, pressing his sword against the old man’s neck. The Earth-grade weapon was so absurdly sharp that blood immediately welled up from the cut.
Instead of answering, Old Filthy Turtle blurted out in astonishment, "To think you actually have an expert guarding you!"
Ye Xuan frowned. The old man dared to ignore him. Without another word, he raised his sword again.
Pinned beneath Blood Princess’s foot, it was incredibly difficult for Old Filthy Turtle to resist. The woman’s weight felt like a massive mountain pressing down on him.
"I’ll talk! I’ll talk! It’s Liu Ruoxi!" Old Filthy Turtle cried out. He had already lost a hand; he had no intention of leaving his life here too.
"Liu Ruoxi... she really didn’t die. Where is she now? She should have returned to Chasing Moon City, right?"
"Yes. She is in Chasing Moon City."
"Did she send you to kill me?"
"No, not to kill you."
"Oh? She doesn’t want to kill me?" Ye Xuan was quite surprised. Hadn’t Liu Ruoxi been constantly clamoring for his death?
"She told me to capture you and bring you back. As long as I keep you alive, nothing else matters. My young lord, please don’t kill me. I’m just following orders."
"I see. She wants to torture me personally."
"Young lord, I’ve confessed everything. Can you let me go now?"
Ye Xuan pondered for a moment before saying, "Go back and tell Liu Ruoxi..."
"Yes, yes, young lord! I will definitely deliver the message!"
"Blood Princess, step aside."
Blood Princess removed her foot, finally allowing Old Filthy Turtle to move. He bent down, reaching for his severed arm on the ground. If he reattached it in time, it might still be somewhat useful!
But Ye Xuan didn’t give him the chance. He stabbed his sword into the dirt, blocking Old Filthy Turtle’s reach.
This perverted old geezer had sneaked into the Ye family’s home, and instead of causing trouble for Ye Xuan directly, he had been stealing the intimate apparel of the Ye family members. How could someone this wretched be allowed to leave without paying a price? Those stolen clothes likely included Hua’s and his own sister’s!
Startled, Old Filthy Turtle jerked his remaining hand back, nearly losing it as well. He quickly conceded, "I don’t want it! I don’t want it..."
He turned around, intending to flee.
"Leave your Qiankun Bag behind," Ye Xuan ordered.
"Ah? I have to leave my Qiankun Bag too?" Old Filthy Turtle’s face was filled with reluctance.
Ye Xuan raised an eyebrow. Was there some treasure inside? He sneered, "If you’d prefer, you can leave your life behind instead."
Old Filthy Turtle stayed silent. He really wanted to run, but the blood-haired woman in front of him filled him with dread. She had appeared completely out of nowhere, radiating a terrifying, evil aura. He wasn’t confident he could outrun her.
After weighing his options, he swallowed a stalk of Healing Spirit Medicine and tossed away his Qiankun Bag. But the moment the bag hit the ground, Ye Xuan’s sword came crashing down as well. Shocked, Old Filthy Turtle stomped his feet and actually managed to dodge the strike.
"Didn’t you promise to let me go?!" he shrieked.
"I changed my mind. Is that a problem?"
Old Filthy Turtle said self-righteously, "How can you do this... A person must keep their word!"
"I can spare your life, fine. But you are not allowed to tell Liu Ruoxi who subdued you. Let her guess for herself. Do you understand?" Ye Xuan said coldly. He still didn’t want to expose Blood Princess.
"Understood, understood! You don’t want to expose this young lady... But what if she guesses right?"
"She won’t guess it. And if she does, there’s only one explanation: you told her."
"I wouldn’t! I swear upon the Celestial Dao and my own faith, I will absolutely not say a word!"
"Then get out of here, before I change my mind again."
"Yes."
Old Filthy Turtle whistled. A massive bird swooped down from the sky. He hopped onto its back and rapidly flew away.
Only when he was far away from the Ye family’s home did he grit his teeth and complain, "Sigh! Lust is truly a deadly trap. Liu Ruoxi, did you set me up on purpose?!"
Liu Ruoxi had promised him confidently that kidnapping Ye Xuan would be a walk in the park. She said Ye Xuan was only in the Super Spirit Realm, whereas he was at the 9th Layer of the Demon Spirit Realm. With such a cultivation level, he could have walked unhindered through a Three-Star Main Town. Now it seemed he had been far too naive.
Meanwhile, back in the courtyard.
Ye Xuan inspected Old Filthy Turtle’s storage bag. What he found instantly made him nauseous.
"What the fuck is this?!"
There weren’t many resources in the Qiankun Bag; it was almost entirely stuffed with bellybands and undergarments of various colors. The garments were piled up like a mountain. Some even had unidentified liquids stained on them. It was a blindingly revolting sight. Even a deviant like Ye Xuan found it absolutely sick.
Tossing the Qiankun Bag aside, Ye Xuan went back to fishing.
Five days passed.
Hua drove the Beast Vehicle, carrying Ye Xuan toward Hero City. It was time to head to the Two-Star Secret Realm.
A Three-Star Main Town was relatively close to a city, so five days of travel was more than enough.
This time, both of them kept a low profile. Neither wore the Clan Uniform embroidered with the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon. Ye Xuan even glued a fake bushy beard onto his face, instantly making himself look ten years older.
During the journey, Ye Xuan didn’t practice Martial Techniques; instead, he focused on comprehending Arrays. But Arrays weren’t something one could master just by willing it. Much like learning the Void Shattering technique, it required a sudden, profound resonance with heaven and earth.
Meanwhile, in Chasing Moon City, at the edge of a cliff.
Liu Ruoxi stared in utter shock at Old Filthy Turtle, who had returned empty-handed and missing an arm.
"Old Filthy Turtle, you failed? Impossible! How could you fail?" she demanded, her face full of astonishment.
"What do you think, Miss Ruoxi? You really screwed me over! Not only did I lose an arm this time, but all the resources I’ve collected over the years are gone too," Old Filthy Turtle sobbed, tears streaming down his wrinkled face. He had worked so hard to gather those resources over the years!
"Could it be... Gongsun Yanran!" Liu Ruoxi clenched her fists.
Old Filthy Turtle’s cultivation was at the 9th Layer of the Demon Spirit Realm. In her eyes, capturing Ye Xuan with that level of strength should have been effortless. The only explanation was that Gongsun Yanran had been at the Ye family’s home. But hadn’t her sister said that the Gongsun family and the Ye family parted ways, and Gongsun Yanran had stayed behind in the One-Star Main Town? Did Gongsun Yanran just coincidentally visit the Ye family? This Ye Xuan’s luck was simply too good!
Having reasoned it out, she asked coldly, "Ye Xuan is so narrow-minded. How did he not kill you, but only sever your arm?"
"He let me come back because he wanted me to pass on a message to you."
"A message? What did he say?"
"He said he’s very happy that you’re alive. Also, he told you not to forget your place. One day, he will bring you back to his side to practice a certain Martial Technique with him."
Practice a Martial Technique?
Just as Liu Ruoxi was feeling confused, Old Filthy Turtle suddenly formed his hand into a claw and gave the air a violent squeeze.
"Ye Xuan!" Liu Ruoxi’s body immediately trembled.
Despicable! Wasn’t that Ye Xuan’s Milk-Squeezing Dragon Claw Hand?!
Ahhh!
That country bumpkin was still insulting her!
Ye Xuan, I will definitely kill you!