Chapter 312: Zhao Ya Was Harassed

“Understood.”

Seeing the Akaskiya Tiger pacing beside the middle-aged man, Jiang Shu, and confirming that its cultivation had indeed advanced to Grandmaster realm peak, Zhang Xuan knew it had been tamed. He nodded in satisfaction, his gaze calm, his voice showing no ripples.

“My name is Yang Xuan. I’m merely passing through Tianwu Royal City and will stay here for a while. During this time, we will have the title of master and disciple. However, once I leave, you will be you, and I will be me; it will be nothing more than a fleeting encounter. You are not to use my name to swindle or deceive others, or I will kill you without mercy!”

The purpose of taking this student was to form a Golden Page. Naturally, it was impossible to keep him around indefinitely, so he stated his terms clearly beforehand.

“Yes!” Jiang Shu nodded, a hint of disappointment in his expression.

When he first heard the other party propose taking him as a disciple, although he didn't refuse, he felt some resistance. Only after he truly gave the pill to the Akaskiya Tiger and saw it break through did he realize how fortunate he was to be able to become a disciple of such a person.

Turning an ordinary healing pill into a treasure that allows a savage beast to break through, simply by refining it casually—such a method was unheard of, even for someone as knowledgeable as him. This single display indicated that the person before him was likely far more than just a 3-star Master Teacher.

“May I ask where Master resides? So that your student may visit you regularly!” Knowing that even being a temporary student of such a person was a gain, Jiang Shu suppressed his disappointment and cupped his fist.

“I don't have a fixed residence yet. When I do, I'll send someone to inform you!” Zhang Xuan waved his hand. “Alright, you may return for now!”

Eliciting gratitude to form a Golden Page wouldn't happen overnight. Taking him as a student today and establishing a degree of trust was already significant progress. Pushing too quickly might backfire.

“Yes!” Knowing that distinguished individuals have their unique ways, Jiang Shu didn't dare to say more. He leaped onto the Akaskiya Tiger again and turned to leave.

“Whew!” Once the other party left, Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief.

Pretending to be a profound expert in front of a Master Teacher was still quite troublesome. After all, their discernment was extraordinary, and even a slight misstep could lead to problems.

“Oh, right, I forgot to ask about the location of Tianwu Academy!” He had intended to inquire about Tianwu Academy's location, then take on a few more students to cultivate simultaneously, managing multiple lines. But he forgot. It seemed he would have to return to the city to find someone again.

He returned to the Royal City once more. This time, no one was following him, and there were no other complications, making inquiries much simpler.

Tianwu Academy was the Royal City's largest hub for talent, known by almost everyone. He quickly ascertained its exact location.

It was surprisingly near the Master Teacher Pavilion, close to the city center. Walking there would take at least one to two hours.

Hearing it was so far, Zhang Xuan, who had originally planned to find someone to 'guide' that very night, stopped. It had already been dark when he arrived in Tianwu Royal City. Eating, undergoing the calligrapher exam, and reading had taken over an hour. Now, dealing with the attacker and taking Jiang Shu as a student had taken another hour. By his previous world's time, it was already past eleven PM.

If he rushed over now, people would likely be asleep by the time he arrived. Trying to take on students in the middle of the night... he might be mistaken for someone who crawled out of a grave and be buried again.

“Forget it, I'll do it tomorrow. I should find a place to rest for the night!” Continuous travel, coupled with examinations, combat, and maintaining his facade, had left him thoroughly exhausted.

“Hmm? Tianwu Inn? I'll stay here then!” After walking for a while and looking around, an inn appeared before him. He lifted his foot and walked inside.

The inn was spacious and clean. After inquiring at the front desk, he found there were still empty rooms and checked in.

Just as he entered his room, several figures anxiously arrived in the lobby.

“Zhao Ya isn't back yet?”

“No, Master Liu!” Wang Ying said timidly.

“Didn't I tell you all to return within an hour, whether you found her or not? It's been so long, why isn't she back?” Master Liu frowned.

“We... split up as soon as we went out. When I came back just now, I didn't see her and thought she'd returned to her room. I didn't expect her to still be absent after waiting for so long...” Wang Ying explained.

“Alright, Lu Xun, take Zheng Yang and search the east. Sun Qiang, you, Liu Yang, and Yuan Tao search the west. Wang Ying, Huang Yu, and I will search the north. The south is the city gate, so there's no need to go there!” Master Liu instructed, “No matter what, as per the last time's rule, you must return within an hour!”

“Yes!” Everyone nodded and headed outside.

Physician Bai Chan had been enjoying recent success. Ever since his return from the Red Lotus Mountain Range, all physicians treated him with great respect and courtesy.

Even the Head of the Physician Guild had changed his attitude towards him. Previously, he had always been neglected, but now he had suddenly become the center of everyone's attention. Those 2-star physicians who used to act haughty now dared not speak loudly in his presence...

This made him increasingly pleased and satisfied with his current life.

“Who would have thought that being knocked out in an alley would bring such benefits...”

Today, he had been drinking with the Head like brothers for a while, and was now feeling a bit dizzy and light-headed as he walked.

The turning point in his life was being knocked unconscious in Red Lotus City.

After he woke up, the attitude of countless physicians towards him changed.

He even wondered if he was dreaming.

Of course, after all these days, he had completely understood.

The young man who appeared with Princess Mo Yu that day had knocked him out, then used his name and appearance to save Grand Apothecary.

These physicians deliberately showed him favor and approached him, firstly, to obtain good medicine at a low price through his supposed connections with Grand Apothecary; secondly, to find out what the 'Contract Gu' was and how it was cured.

At that time, he was just lying in a cold alley, his clothes stripped off. How could he know any Grand Apothecary? Naturally, he knew even less about the so-called Contract Gu...

But having finally turned his fortunes around and being regarded by so many people, denying it now would be humiliating and could easily get him killed, wouldn't it?

After much thought, he had been lying ever since.

Whenever someone asked about Grand Apothecary, he would grit his teeth and change the subject.

Seeing his reluctance to speak, everyone assumed it involved a secret and stopped pressing him, which ironically elevated his status even further.

This outcome filled him with excitement. Whenever he encountered a small alley, he would wander into it, hoping to be knocked out again and gain even greater fame.

Today, after bidding farewell to the Head and returning home alone, he saw an alley. Just as he was about to enter, he saw a young girl walking towards him.

The girl was young, only about sixteen or seventeen, but her beauty was extraordinary, surpassing all the women he had ever seen. Even Princess Mo Yu, known as the most beautiful woman in Tianwu Kingdom, paled significantly in comparison.

He was notoriously lecherous, which was why Mo Yu had disliked him in the first place. After pretending to be an expert for so long, suddenly seeing such a peerless beauty, combined with the effects of alcohol, his eyes immediately lit up.

Knowing that Master Zhang had appeared at the Calligrapher Guild, Zhao Ya and the others left the inn to search everywhere for him.

To be more efficient, they split up.

They had searched almost all the surrounding streets and taverns, yet there was no sign of him.

Having just searched this small alley, Zhao Ya rubbed her slightly tired eyes, planning to return to their lodging. Just then, she saw an old man with a lecherous expression approaching her.

“Drinking alone is quite dull. Young lady, would you care to join me for a few drinks?” Physician Bai Chan blocked her path.

“Get out of my way!”

Zhao Ya frowned. With her Pure Yin Body activated, her appearance and aura had undergone a qualitative change. She frequently encountered such harassment, but usually from men of similar age. An old man who could easily be her grandfather suddenly appearing made her expression turn unpleasant.

“What if I don't?”

Physician Bai Chan scoffed. It was nearing midnight, and the previously bustling alley was almost empty. Even if there were people around, seeing his luxurious clothes, they probably wouldn't dare to interfere.

“You're asking for death!” Seeing the fellow's ruffian-like expression, Zhao Ya frowned. With a flick of her wrist, a long sword appeared in her palm. Her Pure Yin Body circulated to its limit, and a cold sword qi thrust straight towards the man in front of her.

“You don't know your place!” Seeing that Zhao Ya dared to use a sword against him, Physician Bai Chan sneered and grabbed it. The long sword landed in his palm.

Physician Bai Chan might have been knocked out with a single punch by Zhang Xuan, but he was a genuine peak Tongxuan realm expert, far beyond what Zhao Ya, who had only opened two acupoints, could contend with.

“Oh no!” With her sword snatched away, Zhao Ya's heart tightened. She knew that the man's strength was beyond what she could handle. She leaped forward, rushing straight towards the inn.

With her Pure Yin Body activated, her speed, though not as fast as Wang Ying's, was still extremely rapid. The inn was not far from here. As long as she reached it and Master Liu intervened, that scoundrel would surely be beaten into submission and dare not speak nonsense.

“Still trying to escape? Do you think you can get away?” Having finally encountered such a beauty, how could Bai Chan let her escape? He immediately pursued her.

“Zhao Ya?” After a frantic dash, Zhao Ya reached the inn's lobby, where she just so happened to encounter Master Liu and the others, who were about to leave.

“What's wrong?”

“What happened?”

Seeing her rush in so frantically, everyone was filled with confusion.

“This old man harassed me...” Zhao Ya pointed backward.

Physician Bai Chan also walked into the lobby at this moment.

“What?!” Hearing that she had been harassed, Zheng Yang and the others immediately became furious, their eyebrows rising as they prepared to rush forward.

“Wait!” Master Liu recognized the man's strength at a glance and stopped them.

Seeing that there were people present, Physician Bai Chan's eyes glinted. “No wonder she ran so fast; so there were people here! If that's the case, then it's simple!”

As a seasoned veteran, he had seen such scenes many times before and was not afraid in the slightest.

“May I ask, friend, why are you pursuing my student?” Knowing that this was Tianwu Royal City, a place full of all sorts of characters, Master Liu, though angry, forcibly suppressed it. He stepped forward and cupped his fist.

“This young girl stole something from me, so I pursued her to demand it back! Since you all know her, it's simple: either hand over the item, or let me deal with her!” Physician Bai Chan waved his hand, his voice calm.

“Stole your item? You... nonsense!” Zhao Ya's beautiful face flushed crimson with rage, almost exploding. She never expected this man to harass her and then turn around and accuse her of theft.