Chapter 255: No Minor Matter

Translator: Tim Editor: Chrissy

"Alright, then go and wait for me. Remember to collect any rare herbs and ores you find. I'll give you a list later; help me locate the herbs on it. I won't mistreat you," Ye Mo said.

Zhang Zhihui breathed a sigh of relief. He'd feared Ye Mo had no requests, but this eased his mind. He didn't believe a ruthless killer like Ye Mo would let him go if he were worthless.

After Zhang Zhihui left, Ye Mo glanced at the brush leaning against the wall and sneered. This person had been hiding there when he killed Zheng Chengfa. However, Ye Mo hadn't exposed him; he knew it was Xi Wushan from the auction house.

He believed that after the old man witnessed his power, the auction house wouldn't dare to cross him. His reason for avoiding further conflict with the auction association was resource-based; perhaps collaboration was still possible. However, if they tried any tricks, his current power could annihilate them.

Leaving Wu Liang Mountain, Ye Mo called Qiao Gang. He'd promised to race him but had been delayed. He wasn't sure if the race had already started, but he felt obligated to contact Qiao Gang, having taken his money. Qiao Gang was astonished to hear from him. "Big Brother, I thought you'd forgotten! I tried calling, but couldn't reach you. The race is in six days. Where are you? I'll pick you up."

Ye Mo hadn't realized the race hadn't begun. Checking his phone's calendar, he saw it wasn't the end of the month. He'd help Qiao Gang; after all, Qiao Gang's money had been crucial. "I'm going to Tan Du Shi Fan University to see my sister. Just meet me the day before the race."

"Great! The race is near Tan Du, in Gui Lin Valley. I'll pick you up then. Thanks! What's your name, brother?" Qiao Gang, relieved after a month of worry, was ecstatic.

He hadn't suspected Ye Mo of fraud; with Ye Mo's supercar skills, earning hundreds of thousands would be trivial.

"I'm Ye Mo." Ye Mo no longer needed to hide; the hidden sects already knew his identity.

He'd hidden it previously due to weakness. Now, with his flying sword, he had little to fear unless he planned to antagonize the entire nation or all the hidden sects—neither scenario was likely. He hadn't harmed the country and, additionally, his position as Flying Snow's instructor gave him a license to kill.

…

Xi Shuang Temple.

Several people hurried into a secret meeting room. Xi Wushan was agitated.

"Elder Xi, why the urgent summons?" Lady Fang asked.

Yu Shi Xiong sat down slowly. "Lady Fang, don't worry. I believe we've found Mo Ying."

Xi Wushan stood, interrupting. "Yu Shi Xiong, I've found his whereabouts and seen his face. This young man is only in his twenties, but…"

"You saw him attacked by the Broken Fist Hall?" the goateed man asked.

Xi Wushan nodded. Before he could speak, Lady Fang exclaimed, "Was he killed? Are they defying the Space Association?"

Yu Shi Xiong shook his head calmly. "Lady Fang, you're jumping to conclusions. The Broken Fist Hall is powerful, but not powerful enough to ignore us. Even if Mo Ying killed Zheng Chengze, they wouldn't be so brazen. Xi Shi Di must have more to say. We must acquire Mo Ying. What conditions did they offer?"

Xi Wushan shook his head. "The Broken Fist Hall offered nothing."

"Impossible. Even out of respect, they'd have conditions," Yu Shi Xiong insisted.

Xi Wushan said gravely, "Not offered, couldn't offer. The twelve people who attacked Mo Ying, including their leader, Zheng Chengfa, were all killed by him."

"What?!" Yu Shi Xiong's cup crashed to the floor, the spilled water unnoticed. He gasped, "Zheng Chengfa, a peak Earth Level Elementary Stage master, with eleven strong men… and this young man killed him? Was he acting before?"

Xi Wushan nodded emphatically. "I believe so. His ruthlessness was evident. He's decisive in his kills."

"He killed Zheng Chengfa and eleven men? Xi Shi Di, what level is he?" Yu Shi Xiong, regaining composure, asked.

Xi Wushan stated seriously, "I suspect he's reached the Great Heaven Level."

"What?!" Yu Shi Xiong, Lady Fang, and the goateed man were stunned. Was the Great Heaven Level so easily attained?

"Ancient martial arts haven't seen a Great Heaven Master in centuries. Xi Shi Di, are you mistaken? Mo Ying killed Lone Wolf, but Great Heaven Level is excessive," Yu Shi Xiong said, his face growing increasingly serious.

Xi Wushan shook his head. "I'm certain. I was suspicious when he fell off the cliff. An Earth Level Peak Stage master would die from that fall, yet he emerged unscathed. And you know how many moves he used to kill Zheng Chengfa? Two. A single, simple move."

The others were speechless. Killing an Earth Level martial artist with one move was impossible, even for an Earth Level Peak Stage master. Perhaps Great Heaven Level was indeed possible.

Seeing their shock, Xi Wushan sighed. "I saw it with my own eyes. Zhang Zhihui was there, but Mo Ying defeated him and he surrendered. Do you know what weapon he used? A flying sword! Its speed was comet-like; it emitted light rays. Zheng Chengfa blocked it, but the sword sliced through his, then returned to pierce Zheng Chengfa's heart from behind. I can't describe it."

Flying sword?

The room fell silent. They'd believed him to be Great Heaven Level, but the flying sword confirmed it.

After a long moment, Lady Fang whispered, "A flying sword… a Great Heaven Level master… it's… unbelievable."

Xi Wushan sighed. "That wasn't the most shocking. He launched fireballs from his hand, reducing those twelve men to ashes."

"Huh…" Yu Shi Xiong sat down, pale-faced.

After a while, he and Lady Fang murmured, "We dared to challenge a Great Heaven Level master… We were insane…"

Suddenly, Yu Shi Xiong stood. "Xi Shi Di, immediately cease all investigations and operations on him. We can't mess with someone like that."

Xi Wushan smiled bitterly. "Too late. I'm sure he saw me hiding, but he only sneered. He didn't call me out, but I know he saw me."

"He's that strong?" The goateed man sighed.

Yu Shi Xiong fell silent, then said slowly, "If he sought revenge, we'd be helpless. Since he noticed Xi Shi Di and didn't act, he has other intentions, perhaps needs our help. We haven't truly offended him yet. Zhang Zhihui offended him greatly, yet he spared him. Perhaps we can be like Zhang Zhihui."

"Shi Xiong, you mean…?" Xi Wushan's eyes brightened.

Yu Shi Xiong continued, "This man possesses Lotus Life Pill and Face Preserving Pill, signifying power and a deep knowledge of herbs. He didn't fight us because of fear, but because he needs us, like Zhang Zhihui."

"What do we do? Contact him?" Lady Fang asked.

Yu Shi Xiong shook his head. "No. This person has a strange temperament and is likely over a hundred years old. We wait for him to contact us. Any further provocation will endanger the Space Association. We must inform the elders; this is no minor matter."

…

Ye Mo, aiming to pressure the association, hadn't anticipated such success. Now, he was on a plane to Tan Du, to see Tang Beiwei and treat her mother. He'd given her a pill last time, confident it would sustain her mother's life for at least six months.