Chapter 296: Leaked

Translator: Tim Editor: Fish Creek

Looking at Dong Qing, who was still vomiting, Ye Mo casually killed Cha Rulong with a wind blade and dumped him with the rest of the Cha family. Then, he threw tens of fireballs and burned the entire house to dust.

“Huh, you…” Dong Qing turned around and saw the fireballs Ye Mo created. She was truly shocked. This was beyond her comprehension.

Who was he? Dong Qing stared dumbly at Ye Mo. She finally believed unimaginable masters existed in this world.

Ye Mo looked at the dazed Dong Qing, took out an ancient martial arts booklet and a porcelain vase, and gave them to her: “This is from a black-level peak stage master, and these pills assist in cultivation. These are yours for showing me the way.

Without these pills, considering your age, you might not progress for decades. But with them, that will be different. These pills aren't true elixirs, but they can get you to the black stage within five years.

However, we're both in danger. As a hitman, you've likely realized this. Leave immediately.”

Ye Mo then gave Dong Qing two fireball charms: “These charms can save your life. In danger, throw them at the enemy and say ‘Lin.’ I won't help further. Go; your escape from Earth Fiend depends on you. Your organization suspects you; you know this. They likely know about your relationship with Cheng Qing.”

Dong Qing bowed: “Thank you, Ye brother, for saving my life. If I survive, I will repay you.”

Ye Mo waved his hand. “No need. Escaping Earth Fiend is uncertain. They'll hunt us soon; it’s your fate. Go. I have business.”

Dong Qing bowed again and quickly left, disappearing.

Seeing her go, Ye Mo knew her intelligence and intuition meant she might escape Earth Fiend. If not, he’d done all he could.

He knew he was in danger because the Cha family gave the jade woman plate to Earth Fiend. Earth Fiend might not reveal the Cha family’s acquisition of the blood coral, but they would if they knew Ye Mo had it. They probably knew something happened to the Cha family and had dispatched numerous hitmen while spreading news of the blood coral.

Earth Fiend, connected to hidden sects, could notify them about the blood coral. To ancient martial arts cultivators, the blood coral was far more valuable than the blue flower blue leaf grass Ye Mo obtained previously. It’s said the blood coral could be made into a soup enabling earth-level cultivators to reach great heaven level.

The Qiao family and others didn't know its value and tried to use it to reach yellow level—a terrible waste.

A few hidden sect martial artists wouldn't worry Ye Mo, but this was bigger. Too many people, and Ye Mo wasn't sure he could escape. His flying sword wasn't invincible. Once his fighting style was known, two or three earth-level cultivators could control his sword, and two more could surround him. He'd be dead. Even without controlling his sword, they could overwhelm him; his spirit chi wouldn't be enough. Once depleted, he'd die.

Without his flying sword, Ye Mo's power was roughly equivalent to an earth-level elementary stage cultivator. He easily killed earth-level cultivators and subjugated Zhang Zhihui solely because of his flying sword and spirit sense, unknown to ancient martial artists.

The gap between dao cultivation and ancient martial arts widens. Eventually, ancient martial artists are like insects to cultivators. Initially, dao cultivators are no match for ancient martial artists. Ye Mo was in this early stage; he wasn't a full dao cultivator.

Without some martial arts knowledge and decent power, he'd be dead.

Ye Mo knew Earth Fiend acted quickly; his exposure meant numerous hidden sect masters were rushing towards Liang Pu.

But he couldn't leave. This yin fiend place was too precious; it likely contained a yin fiend bead. He wouldn't pass that up. While currently useless to him, it was valuable for ghost cultivators and artifact creation. A yin fiend bead was worth a city, rare even in the cultivation realm, let alone Earth. In the cultivation realm, it was far more valuable than a blood coral.

Also, it was harmful to ordinary people. Taking it benefited him and others. If he didn't take it, someone else might recognize it, and it would be gone. He believed taking the yin fiend bead would take an hour or two. He didn't think he'd be surrounded in Liang Pu in that time.

…

Far away, in a luxurious Hong Kong mansion, a man in blue pajamas, his face bleak, sat in a grand lounge, holding a yellow insect.

Cheng Qing would recognize it as the insect Ye Mo removed from him.

It seemed to have flown far and was fatigued. An almost nude maid brought fruit and milk, kneeling before the man, saying softly, “Master, please have breakfast.”

The bleak man set the fruit aside. The girl looked surprised; this was unprecedented.

He dropped the insect; it burrowed into the woman's body. She screamed and fell, her face draining of blood, becoming pale in moments. A man quickly carried her away.

The insect flew back to the man's hand, lively, not withered.

The man in blue stood, saying bleakly, “Cheng Qing is dead, no news returned. Things in Liang Pu went out of control. This Ye Mo exceeds expectations. I wonder how a Gu will be after feeding it someone like him. Let Sha One contact the hidden sects. Tell them about the blood coral. Earth Fiend will fully cooperate. I want Ye Mo, dead or alive.”

“Yes,” someone in the corner replied and left.

“Hmph, the Cha family is useless. They call themselves semi-hidden, yet can't keep a blood coral. I told them to keep it for a week!”

Cha Rulong, if he knew, might crawl out of the ground and say his family stole the blood coral and gave Earth Fiend the jade woman plate to keep quiet. Even so, this man still said the blood coral was temporarily placed with the Cha family.

Cha Rulong likely never expected this. Hidden sects stayed hidden, but when they emerged, it was for profit. With the Cha family's foundation, scheming with Earth Fiend only benefited them. Even if Ye Mo hadn't taken the blood coral, it would've eventually belonged to Earth Fiend.

Why did the semi-hidden family fall? Their minds were stagnant, clinging to a busy city. Without the yin fiend place, they'd be annihilated. If someone knew the yin fiend bead's worth, they'd be devoured.

News of the blood coral spread among the hidden sects.

News spreads fast. Countless hidden sect masters rushed to the small city of Liang Pu. The Yu Association auction couldn't attract everyone, but the blood coral nearly brought all hidden sect masters.

Hidden sects hadn't produced a great heaven state cultivator in centuries, except for the inner hidden sects.

The true inner hidden sects rarely appeared, so outsiders didn't know if they had great heaven level masters. But for outer and semi-hidden sects, the last great heaven state person was Zhang Sanfeng, at the start of the Ming dynasty.

TL Note: Zhang Sanfeng is the creator of Tai Chi.