Chapter 435: Chapter 148: At Thousand-Ren Cliff, a Demon Servant Is Subdued; A Hundred Li Away, a Cold Blade Faces a Fatal Calamity

"My part of the mission failed..." Mo Yunzi said, a lingering fear in her voice. "But my senior brother... I doubt he will fail."

Chu Fan’s expression flickered. "You’re saying that woman who partnered with me also came to Qing Province City?"

Mo Yunzi nodded. "Indeed. However, as far as this servant knows, the woman seems to have left Qing Province City yesterday afternoon. My senior brother has likely gone after her."

Chu Fan thought of that arrogant, aloof woman from the Medicine King Valley.

He didn’t care whether she lived or died, however.

"After your senior brother kills her, will he come looking for me?" This was his real concern.

"He won’t," Mo Yunzi said, shaking her head. "Unless I send back news of my failure here, my senior brother won’t interfere in my affairs. After all, in his eyes, you, Young Master, are just... just at the Spirit Awakening Realm. He’s at the Second Heaven of the Acupoint Realm, so of course he wouldn’t give you a second thought."

’Second Heaven of the Acupoint Realm? Two Demon Puppets...’ Chu Fan mused.

To him, these were all treasures.

’My Ten Thousand Souls Banner is in dire need of such Fierce Souls!’

However...

With his current strength, killing the Medicine King Valley woman, who was at the First Heaven of the Acupoint Realm, wouldn’t be too difficult.

That woman was probably more skilled in Alchemy than in combat.

But a Demon Dao cultivator at the Second Heaven of the Acupoint Realm, plus two Demon Puppets comparable to the same level...

It was a bit too early to be making plans against him.

’Once my cultivation and strength rise another level, I’ll use Mo Yunzi as bait to kill that so-called Second Heaven of the Acupoint Realm cultivator. Then I’ll use the Ten Thousand Souls Banner to devour his soul and perform Refinement on his Demon Puppets...’

Chu Fan glanced at the sky and instructed Mo Yunzi, "Take your Demon Puppet and stand guard for me nearby. Do not disturb me."

After speaking, he ignored the heavily injured Mo Yunzi, walked straight back to the cliff’s edge, sat down cross-legged again, and resumed practicing the "Nine Heavens Wind Mastery Scripture."

Mo Yunzi gazed at his back as he re-entered a meditative state, her heart a whirlwind of complex emotions.

She silently cursed her senior uncle’s ancestors eighteen generations back before finally resigning herself to her fate. Dragging her weakened body, she took the listless Demon Puppet and limped to the cave entrance. There, she stood guard for Chu Fan while regulating her breathing to heal her injuries.

’The twists of fate are truly wondrous.’

’One moment, I was the lofty hunter; the next, a prisoner in chains.’

Still, a part of her felt fortunate.

’This Young Master’s methods are vicious and his decisions to kill are swift. If I hadn’t reacted so quickly, immediately acknowledging him as my master and begging for mercy, I’d probably be a cold corpse by now.’

After signing the contract, she could perceive even more clearly that Chu Fan’s Cultivation was indeed only at the Fifth Heaven of the Spirit Awakening Realm.

’Fifth Heaven of the Spirit Awakening Realm versus Fifth Level of Divine Power Realm... that’s a whole Great Realm apart, yet I was completely powerless to resist!’

’I’ve never heard of such a monster!’

’That old bastard, my senior uncle, provoked a monster like this. It looks like he won’t be living much longer!’

’When that time comes, with the Young Master’s temperament, he definitely won’t let that old fool off. He’ll hunt him down, beat him to death, seize his Demon Puppets, and plunder his entire cave abode... Huh! The thought is actually quite satisfying!’

’It makes one look forward to it, even!’

As Mo Yunzi watched the young man’s figure, motionless in the mountain wind, the terror in her heart slowly faded, replaced by a strange new feeling.

’Perhaps... submitting to a prodigy who defies all logic isn’t such a bad thing for me, after all.’

...

Qing Province City was a scene of ceaseless traffic, a city of unparalleled prosperity.

Shops lined the streets, and the cries of vendors were endless.

Inside the Seven Stars Gang Headquarters, the newly appointed Hall Master, Cao Yan, gathered two Incense Masters and headed straight for the city’s most famous Elixir Shop—the Medicine King Pavilion.

The Medicine King Pavilion was originally a property of the Medicine King Valley in Qing Province. It was a three-story building with upturned eaves and interlocking brackets, exuding an air of ancient simplicity.

In front of its doors stood a Giant Cauldron that served as an incense burner. Green smoke curled up from it, and the medicinal fragrance that permeated the air was so refreshing that a single whiff could clear one’s mind.

"Welcome, esteemed customers. What can I get for you?" A clerk in green robes came forward, a smile on his face.

Cao Yan, with his calm and steady demeanor, handed over a list and said flatly, "Prepare everything written on this for us."

The clerk took the list and glanced at it. He saw it was mostly common elixirs and herbs needed for the Foundation Establishment and Spirit Awakening Realms, and the quantities weren’t large.

He smiled slightly and was about to turn away when he seemed to remember something. He asked politely, "May I ask, which gang requires these elixirs? The Pavilion needs to keep a record."

"The Seven Stars Gang," Cao Yan replied calmly.

The three words seemed to possess some strange power; the clerk’s smile froze instantly.

He scrutinized Cao Yan and his men, then slapped the list down on the counter and said coldly, "Apologies. We at the Medicine King Pavilion do not do business with your Seven Stars Gang."

The two Incense Masters behind Cao Yan immediately flew into a rage.

"What do you mean? You’re open for business! What kind of logic is it to turn customers away?" one of the hot-tempered Incense Masters shouted angrily.

The clerk stood up straight, his face full of disdain. He sneered, "I mean nothing by it. It’s exactly what it sounds like."

"Our manager has given the order. Everyone in the Medicine King Pavilion is forbidden from doing any business with the Seven Stars Gang. Don’t even think about buying a single elixir, you won’t even get a blade of grass! Now get out, all of you!"

"You!" The two Incense Masters were livid with rage.

"Enough," Cao Yan said in a low voice, stopping the two Incense Masters who wanted to step forward and argue. His eyes remained as calm as still water.

He gave the clerk a deep look but said no more. With a wave of his hand, he led the two fuming men away from the Medicine King Pavilion.

"Hall Master! What was that all about? The Seven Stars Gang is new here, we haven’t provoked anyone. We even have the Demon Suppression Bureau backing us! On what grounds does the Medicine King Pavilion humiliate us like this?"

"Exactly! Some pill-pusher dares to walk all over us? This is infuriating!"

The two Incense Masters were filled with righteous indignation, cursing all the way as they walked.

They truly could not comprehend the reasoning behind any of it.