Changfeng Villa

The man was completely silenced by the retort. He had no choice but to brace himself and say, "Fine, let's call it a spirit tool, then... "It's a rare item. One hundred and twenty mid-grade spirit stones—non-negotiable!" Ye Feng was about to haggle further, but the vendor cut him off bluntly: "No bargaining! If you want it, pay up; if not, I'm packing up to leave." Hearing the price, Cao Yan slowly rose to his feet. With visible reluctance, he said softly, "Second Brother, forget it. It's too expensive." Ye Feng had originally thought about dropping it as well, but the moment Cao Yan called him 'Second Brother' and looked at the bracers with such lingering desire, Ye Feng gritted his teeth. "How much do you have left? Hand it over." Cao Yan tried to dissuade him again—it truly was far too costly. Yet Ye Feng reached over and pulled the storage bag right out of Cao Yan's robes. Then he drew two storage bags from his own bosom, followed by another... and yet another... The vendor felt a pang of guilt watching this, even wondering if he should drop the price. Just as Ye Feng finished turning his entire stash upside down to scrape the sum together, an arrogant voice rang out in the alley. "Wait!" *Whoosh!* A young man dressed in opulent green robes abruptly materialized beside them. He wore magnificent garments—his robe was actually a dharma artifact, its embroidered patterns shimmering with a faint, luminous glow. He had sharp, upright features, a slender build, and slightly sunken cheeks. Even in the dead of night, he struck a flamboyant figure, lazily fanning a folding fan in his hand. The moment he appeared, the vendors lining both sides of the alley recognized him at once. Rising to bow with hands clasped, they chorused in greeting. "Well now, isn't this Young Master Fang? What pleasant wind blew you our way?" "Indeed, has Young Master Fang come to inspect the family properties?" A contemptuous smirk curved the young man's lips, as if he were long accustomed to the surrounding flattery. His haughty gaze swept across Ye Feng and Cao Yan. Then, without a word, he reached straight out and picked up the dark red armbracers. Ye Feng's brow furrowed, and he took a sudden stride forward! Yet the vendor behind the stall caught him by the arm, urgently warning through a low voice transmission: *What are you doing! Have you lost your mind? Do you know who he is?* *He is Fang Hao, the young master of Changfeng Villa!* *This entire dock belongs to his family!* Ye Feng tilted his head and said in a cool, level voice, "I paid the money, so the goods are mine. "I don't give a damn who the hell he is!" Cao Yan tugged at him, transmitting softly: *Second Brother, let's just let it go... Don't invite trouble on my account.* Fang Hao watched the two of them with amusement. Behind him stood an elder with a profound, terrifying aura, staring intently at the pair with piercing eyes. Ye Feng glared back without an ounce of fear. Looking at the armbracers in Fang Hao's grip, he felt nothing but indignation. At that moment, Fang Hao, who had been enjoying the spectacle, finally spoke. "How many spirit stones did you pay for this?" A cold glint flickered in Ye Feng's eyes, and he replied with matching arrogance, "Twelve thousand." The young man curled his lip in mock surprise and muttered, "Sounds like a fine item, then. "Elder Li, keep it safe for me." With that, he tossed the armbracers to the elder behind him. Watching this, Ye Feng narrowed his eyes into thin slits. His fists clenched tightly within his sleeves, waiting to see what else the man would say. To his surprise, a playful sneer touched Fang Hao's lips as he spoke in a tone of feigned pity. "Then I'll give you three thousand spirit stones. Consider it bought off you." Hearing that, Ye Feng erupted in fury! With a metallic ring, he drew his sword and surged forward! "Screw your mother!" Primal energy surged, casting a suffocating pressure across a hundred yards. A golden light flashed beneath his feet, and he transformed into a streak of radiance hurtling toward Fang Hao! Yet Fang Hao, who was merely at the late Foundation Establishment stage, showed no fear whatsoever. He stood where he was, gently flicking his folding fan as he looked upon the incoming Ye Feng with brazen complacency. The biting chill of the sword light sent a jolt of shock through the watching cultivators! The icy gleam radiating from the blade made everyone feel as though their very skin were about to be sliced open! *Clang!* A blur crossed Ye Feng's vision. Without anyone realizing when, the elder behind the youth had appeared between them. A three-foot steel blade swept across, blocking Ye Feng's strike. Yet the elder did not have it easy either. His body was forced back over ten feet, each step shattering the bluestone pavers beneath his soles! Meanwhile, the moment Ye Feng struck, Cao Yan had already followed right on his heels! Moving with an ethereal lightness technique, his speed was blinding. Before the elder could even arrest his backward momentum, Cao Yan had already vaulted over the eaves and bypassed him entirely. The elder whipped his head around and shouted, "Young Master, watch out!" Fang Hao's expression flickered. A radiant longsword suddenly appeared in his hand—it was a weapon of spirit tool grade! Coated in earthy yellow primal energy, the blade slashed violently toward Cao Yan! Yet in that instant, Cao Yan revealed the true extent of his monstrous talent! Though both were at the late Foundation Establishment stage, Cao Yan shifted like a wisp of smoke, drifting mere inches alongside the descending blade light. In the blink of an eye, he was upon Fang Hao! Under his opponent's shocked gaze, primal energy surged within Cao Yan, and eerie blue flames erupted over both his arms. Harnessing his immense divine sense, he condensed that primal energy into a pair of blazing gauntlets and slammed a fist straight into Fang Hao's head! One punch! Flames detonated, and Fang Hao's body was sent flying several dozen feet like a kite with a severed string. Yet that phantom-like figure followed immediately behind. Before Fang Hao could even hit the ground, Cao Yan unleashed dozens of strikes in midair! *Thud, thud, thud, thud!* Dull, heavy impacts signaled fists striking flesh to the bone. *Bang! Crash! Rumble!* Fang Hao was kicked backward through the air, crashing straight through the front of a shop. His chest heaving violently, Cao Yan still had flames dancing across his fists. When he looked back, Ye Feng was already locked in an intense melee with the elder! In the distance, Li Guanqi's brow furrowed. Sensing the burst of energy from the two, he transformed into a purple streak of light and bolted toward them! The swindler old man beside him was left staring in utter bewilderment. By the time Li Guanqi reached the alley, Ye Feng had already taken the upper hand against the elder. Not a single stall remained in the alley; the vendors had long since scattered without a trace. Just then, two arcs of sword light swept across Ye Feng's black robe, slicing away his hood and revealing his features beneath! Without hesitation, the elder crushed a jade slip and roared, "The Young Master is grievously wounded! Come at once!" *Swish!* A figure abruptly materialized behind the elder. A cold whisper brushed past his ear. "Rushing Thunder!" *Boom!* A sword beam wrapped in crackling purple lightning flashed through the dark night and vanished! The elder's body was severed in two. Primal energy pulverized the Core Formation core within him and obliterated his sea of consciousness, extinguishing his breath in an instant. Seeing Li Guanqi, Ye Feng immediately wilted in chastisement. Li Guanqi frowned and asked, "What happened?" Even as he spoke, he swung his sword and severed the elder's head. In the briefest words possible, Ye Feng recounted everything that had just occurred. Without a second's hesitation, Li Guanqi darted into the wrecked shop and cut down the youth named Fang Hao with a single strike. He then stripped off the magic treasure robe from the corpse, ransacked both bodies clean, grabbed Cao Yan, and bolted. The three took to the air, soaring toward the east in an instant! Masking their presence, they vanished into the darkness of the night. Along the way, Li Guanqi tossed the tiger-head armbracers to Cao Yan. Then he spoke: "Cao Yan, I know your heart is kind. "But in this world, there are times when only fists can make people see reason. "Blind kindness... might simply mean that when trouble finds you, you will endure without end. In the end, you are the one who suffers! "Those who make you uncomfortable never harbor good intentions to begin with." Cao Yan fell into deep thought at his words, as if no one had ever shared such principles with him before. Turning back, Li Guanqi looked at the timid, cautious Ye Feng and smiled. "You did well this time. You were in the right, and you showed some spine!" Yet as he searched through Fang Hao's storage bag, his hand came upon an object that made his expression instantly darken into sheer thunder! Halting his flight, Li Guanqi narrowed his eyes to slits. Faint streaks of blood crept into his pupils, and his voice dropped to a low hiss laden with murderous intent. "I am going to butcher Changfeng Villa!"