Chapter 210: Beast

"You think I won't recognize you just because you changed your appearance? I'd recognize your 'head' even if I peeled off your skin!" Wu Zhongtian, a man of massive build, his full beard trembling like a lion's mane, had piercing eyes.

Tu Fei circled Ye Fan twice, laughing heartily. "I also think you resemble that unscrupulous Taoist priest. Don't think changing your appearance will fool anyone; it must be a trick. Unless you can prove otherwise."

Ye Fan shook his wide Taoist robe. "Brother Tu, you're deliberately making this difficult for me. Can't you recognize me even if others can? We met at Yaoguang's source mine."

"This guy really has some tricks up his sleeve, instantly changing his form. He's clearly a habitual offender, someone who prepares specifically for mischief," shouted a descendant of one of the Great Bandits from nearby.

Tu Fei chuckled. "It's simple. Just take out that item of clothing from the Immortal Lake Saintess and show it to us. That'll be enough proof."

"You... aren't you being too mean?"

"You don't lose anything. It's Yao Xi who should be going crazy, but unfortunately, she's not here."

Tu Fei grinned mischievously at the surrounding bandits. "You always doubt me, thinking that a proud woman like Yao Xi, who seems untouched by worldly affairs, could never be defiled. Today, I'll show you."

"Is that true? From what you're saying, he's really not Duan De?" The nearby bandits were skeptical.

Ye Fan had no ill intentions; he had kept that item of clothing only to enrage Yao Xi and save his own life at a critical moment.

He didn't take it out. Instead, his bones cracked and popped, and he instantly transformed into Tu Tian, the Seventh Great Bandit. "Tu Fei, don't be mischievous."

Tu Fei was speechless.

The surrounding descendants of the Great Bandits were dumbfounded, then burst into uncontrollable laughter, pounding the table with their fists.

"Hey, we can't do this! Little Brother Ye, transform back quickly!" Tu Fei couldn't sit still any longer.

"Now do you believe I'm not Duan De?"

"Yes, I believe you. I knew all along you weren't Duan De," Tu Fei said glumly. The other young bandits, having already realized the man before them wasn't the unscrupulous Taoist priest, continued to laugh uproariously. Wu Zhongtian also sat back down, staring intently at Ye Fan. "Did you really... burn an Elder Supreme of the Ji family to death?"

"Pure luck."

The surrounding descendants of the Great Bandits were very well-informed. They had heard rumors before, and upon hearing this, they all gasped in astonishment.

"Little Brother Ye," another bandit asked, "did you really take one of Yao Xi's garments?"

"Well... how should I put this? I accidentally, incidentally, acquired one."

As soon as he said this, a chorus of wolf-like howls erupted in the restaurant. These few men's eyes glowed green, filled with immense excitement.

Upstairs in the restaurant, everyone else had long since fled, having vaguely guessed that these were the descendants of the Thirteen Great Bandits. They had all scattered and run away.

"Oh my god, Yao Xi is so pure, and yet... that's outrageous!"

"Little Brother Ye, you've really disappointed me."

"Disappointed? This is fantastic! Last time, she and that Holy Son chased Tu Fei and me for three thousand *li*. Now we've truly vented our frustration!"

A few hot-blooded young ruffians slammed the table, causing it to creak, and continued to howl excitedly.

"Little Brother Ye, why don't you sell me that item of clothing? I'll give you a hundred *jin* of source material. If I don't make that arrogant girl spit blood from anger, I won't be able to swallow this. I'll display it." A bandit, trying to curry favor, filled a large bowl of wine for Ye Fan.

"I'll offer five hundred *jin* of source material! I want to take that item of clothing and hawk it in Holy City," another young bandit said.

"Why hawk it in Holy City? Just sell that bra directly to the prince who came from Central Province and extort a fortune from him!"

"That wouldn't be satisfying enough. It's better to sell the Saintess's bra in the Northern Region, invite all the young talents, and even send invitations to some disreputable old geezers."

This group of young ruffians was more devious than the last. From their demeanor, it was clear they intended to utterly humiliate Yao Xi, ensuring she could never recover her reputation.

"Gentlemen," Ye Fan said, lost in thought, "you're really too devious. How do you even come up with ideas like that?" This truly was a bunch of scoundrels.

"The Holy Maiden and Holy Son of Yaoguang are too detestable. Not long ago, they ganged up with many powerful cultivators to besiege and hunt us down, almost taking our lives. Of course, we have to deal with them severely."

"Please don't get me into trouble..." Ye Fan knew he couldn't compare to them. These people all had powerful grandfathers backing them up; even if they caused immense trouble, someone would protect them.

If he dared to auction Yao Xi's bra, the Yaoguang Holy Land would undoubtedly go to any lengths to eliminate him to preserve its reputation.

"What's there to be afraid of? If you stick with us, you think that little girl can do anything to you?"

"If I'm with you, who can give me an ancient scripture to cultivate? Who can provide me with a million *jin* of source material?" Ye Fan murmured softly.

"Little Brother Ye, you're too greedy," someone said. "How many ancient scriptures are there in the Eastern Wasteland in total? A million *jin* of source material – do you think even those Holy Lands could produce such a huge amount?"

"Come, come, let me introduce everyone," Wu Zhongtian said, introducing the people present.

"This guy is Liu Kou." Wu Zhongtian pointed to a wild-looking young man, who was actually the direct grandson of Liu Feng, the Sixth Great Bandit.

Ye Fan truly didn't know what to say. This name was too unusual; wasn't "Liu Kou" just another way of saying "bandit"? It rivaled Tu Fei's name.

"This is Li Heishui." Wu Zhongtian pointed to a dark-faced, powerfully built young man, the grandson of Li Heng, the Eighth Great Bandit.

This name... was also very strange. "Heishui" (Black Water) sounded like something corrupted and oozing black liquid. He truly wondered if these Great Bandits had coordinated their naming choices.

Tu Fei said with a disgruntled expression, "I know what you're thinking. There's nothing we can do; those old geezers sat together and just made a few jokes, and our names were decided like that."

Ye Fan's mouth twitched. To have grandfathers like these was truly bad luck.

"He's Jiang Huai'ren." Wu Zhongtian pointed to another young man, the eldest grandson of Jiang Yi, the Ninth Great Bandit. Speaking of his origins, they were significant, as he came from an Ancient Desolate Family—the Jiang family.

Of course, their branch had long since broken away and become renowned Great Bandits, a move that truly dropped jaws back then. Ye Fan thought this name was acceptable, even normal. Unexpectedly, the people nearby scoffed, and Jiang Huai'ren glumly poured himself a large bowl of wine and drank it.

"His grandfather was aloof and didn't want to follow trends, so he decided to give him a meaningful name, but it turned out even worse," Tu Fei explained from the side. "'Jiang Huai'ren' – isn't that just 'Jiang Bad Guy'?"

Ye Fan was utterly speechless. This was really something...

The names Tu Fei, Liu Kou, Jiang Huai'ren, and Li Heishui, when put together, made him want to burst out laughing, but he had to hold it back. These guys' names were truly something else.

Actually, among these five, only Wu Zhongtian's name was acceptable, but his demeanor and appearance were just like the other four; he clearly wasn't someone to mess with. If he walked down the street, it would surely become quiet instantly.

"Little Brother Ye, what are your plans?" Wu Zhongtian asked.

Tu Fei also said, "What are you doing in Kunyun Ancient City? It's a remote and desolate place, nothing special here apart from occasional strange occurrences."

"I want to find out if the Immortal Lake Saintess is returning to her sect," Ye Fan inquired.

Li Heishui immediately howled, "Animal! Animal! You just stole the Yaoguang Saintess's bra, and now you're planning to lay your hands on the fairy from Immortal Lake? Little Brother Ye, you need to have some conscience!"

"That's going too far! Are you planning to round up all the Saintesses in the Eastern Wasteland? A person shouldn't be too greedy. You should be content with having one Yaoguang Saintess!" Liu Kou also shouted.

"Ye the Pervert," Tu Fei grumbled, "you're one of us now, so you shouldn't go too far. Are you trying to cut off our paths?"

Jiang Huai'ren was calmer. "One shouldn't be too Ye Fan-ish."

"You're missing a few," Ye Fan replied. "Actually, I not only want to capture a few Saintesses from the Eastern Wasteland, but I also want to snatch the precious daughters of several Ancient Desolate Families, and even abduct the princesses from the Immortal Dynasty that has existed for over a hundred thousand years in Central Province. I want to build a grand harem."

"Animal! Animal!"

Half an hour later, full from food and drink, they descended the restaurant stairs, chatting and laughing.

Ye Fan's body crackled and popped, and he transformed into Tu Tian, the Seventh Great Bandit.

Tu Fei immediately became agitated. "Familiarity is one thing, but if you take advantage of me again, I'll get angry with you!"

Ye Fan thought about it and decided that impersonating the unscrupulous Taoist priest was too risky. That scoundrel had done so many terrible things that if he took his form, he might end up inexplicably taking the blame for him again.

Finally, his joints cracked, and his form completely changed. He became a Taoist priest in flowing feathered robes, as handsome as jade, with an unblemished, ethereal aura, truly appearing detached from the mortal world.

Kunyun Ancient City had a long history; the flagstones on its streets were significantly worn down from countless footsteps, making it hard to tell how ancient it truly was.

The city's inhabitants believed in ancient deities, convinced that a god protected the place. The Immortal Lake Saintess's half-month stay here was thought to be connected to this belief.

The group headed towards the Immortal Lake Stone Pavilion. These young ruffians were not easy to deal with; wherever they went, peace was unlikely.

Ye Fan knew these guys were plotting something, and it was highly likely they would cause immense trouble in the area.

However, he wasn't worried. Walking around in his current appearance, he wasn't afraid of being recognized.

"By my reckoning, the Immortal Lake Saintess will be leaving this city soon," Wu Zhongtian said.

"I really want to get rid of the Yaoguang Holy Son soon," Li Heishui said fiercely.

"That guy is too strong. With his Holy Light Art, he's almost invincible among his peers; even a Divine Body might not be able to suppress him. We can only make him cough up blood for now. To kill him, we'd need the old folks to make a move."

Although the Immortal Lake Stone Pavilion was located within the city, it was elegant and serene. Ancient trees stood individually, autumn leaves drifted, water murmured, and small bridges spanned streams. Stones were arranged artfully, forming landscapes and miniature mountains, giving it the feel of a beautiful garden.

As it was the last few days before the Immortal Lake Saintess's departure, there had been a continuous flow of people. The Stone Pavilion was crowded, but no one was speaking loudly; everyone was conversing in hushed tones.

"The people from Yaoguang are accompanying the Immortal Lake fairy. It seems they truly intend to go to the Primordial Mine together," Tu Fei said, his eyes gleaming.

"Little Brother Ye, I beg you, sell me that bra! I really want to wave it around and hawk it here," Li Heishui gritted out.

Yao Xi stood in front, her black, lustrous hair flowing. Her beauty was breathtaking, pure and radiant like a divine moon. She seemed ethereal as mist, her long gown trailing the ground, elegantly outlining her graceful and undulating figure. She stood tall and exquisite.

The Yaoguang Holy Son was also ahead, resembling a radiant sun. A layer of golden light shimmered around his body, and his every movement drew attention, as if he were a divine son.

Li Heishui and Tu Fei had suffered greatly at the hands of these two, nearly being killed, and barely escaping with their lives.

"The Yaoguang Holy Son is truly terrifying," Tu Fei sighed. "Once his Holy Light Art is unleashed, he's impervious to all techniques; he simply cannot be attacked. He truly possesses an invincible aura. Even the most powerful offensive techniques have no effect."

"Didn't we invite Brother Zhongtian? He'll surely be able to suppress him," Li Heishui said coldly.

"Control yourselves," Wu Zhongtian cautioned in a low voice. "I'm probably not his match either. We're not here to kill him today, just to create a diversion. Don't act impulsively."

"Don't worry, we won't cause any trouble."

"Where did Little Brother Ye go? He's disappeared," Jiang Huai'ren asked.

"Animal! Animal!" Liu Kou exclaimed. "This kid isn't old, but he's truly an animal! Look, he's targeting the princess of the Great Xia Dynasty from Central Province! I... I didn't misjudge him; that's exactly where he went!"

"He absolutely must not cause trouble," Li Heishui mumbled worriedly. "The Great Xia Dynasty has an immortal heritage of over a hundred thousand years; its foundation is unimaginably profound. A powerful prince is also there."

In front, a young man, protected like the moon among stars, was at the center of attention. His entire body, adorned in golden armor, glowed brilliantly and dazzled the eyes. This was the Prince of the Great Xia Dynasty, full of heroic spirit, with dragon-like energy flowing around him, sparkling with radiance. His cultivation was unfathomably profound.

Ye Fan wasn't heading for the prince, but for a woman beside him. Dressed in white, she seemed ethereal, pure, and bright, possessing a unique spiritual charm.

Ye Fan wasn't captivated by romance, but rather by excitement. Although this woman was pure, sacred, beautiful, and otherworldly, what truly drew him was that she was... a Buddhist nun.

Of course, he didn't have any peculiar interests; it was simply the identity of the person that made him excited and unable to remain calm.

She was a disciple of Buddhism. He really wanted to ask her if the Buddha was in this world.