Chapter 81: Searching for the Jiang Surname

When Ye Fan saw the helpless elderly, sick, and disabled, a bitter feeling always welled up in his heart. However, upon encountering those who bullied the weak or committed evil, he would become utterly ruthless, his heart turning cold. This might seem contradictory, but it was his true nature—excessive compassion coexisting with mercilessness. He wasn't sure which side was more dominant.

For instance, at this moment, he was absolutely merciless, devoid of any pity. He stepped on the Seventh Young Master Li's face, his voice chilling as he said, "If you don't wish to suffer, you will answer whatever I ask. Otherwise, you will understand the consequences."

"You little brat..." *Thud*. Ye Fan kicked him away. The Seventh Young Master Li's teeth all came loose, his fair and delicate cheeks swelled terribly, and blood spurted from his mouth and nose.

"With your fine skin and tender flesh, you're practically an eunuch. So you won't speak, hmm? I'll ensure you live up to that name." Ye Fan once again conjured the golden book, which appeared like a dazzling rainbow fixed in the darkness, radiating brilliant light.

"You... what are you daring to do?" The Seventh Young Master Li was utterly terrified.

"Make you an eunuch!"

"No, I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!" The Seventh Young Master Li's face twisted with fear; for a man, this was a fate worse than death.

"Useless wretch."

Ye Fan sat on a bluestone nearby, quietly listening as the young master recounted the past. Tingting's parents had indeed been killed by several cultivators from the Li family. They had acquired a rare drug at a considerable price from other cultivators—a drug capable of inducing powerful, exotic beasts into a frenzy. They secretly sprinkled it on Tingting's parents. As a result, when the parents went out to gather spiritual herbs, they were torn to shreds by terrifying Lightning Birds.

Naturally, the story also contained details of sordid dealings and dark schemes, which were infuriating to hear. Ye Fan sighed, remarking, "Whether it's the mortal world or the realm of cultivators, there's no fundamental difference. Wherever people exist, there will be complex human enmities and grudges; even cultivators are not exempt from this."

Ye Fan reached into the young master's robes and retrieved a wooden box, then kicked him aside. Under the light of the stars and moon, he slowly opened the somewhat heavy sandalwood box.

Inside lay a pale yellow stone, about the thickness of a thumb and the length of a finger joint. Though small, it felt surprisingly heavy in his hand, and Ye Fan sensed a powerful surge of vitality emanating from it.

"According to ancient texts, during the era when the energies of heaven and earth converged to create all things, plants flourished, creatures were mighty, and spiritual herbs were limitless. Many 'Sources' were formed then, crystalline like amber, yet containing vast amounts of life essence. Is this what a 'Source' is?"

Ye Fan repeatedly examined it under the moonlight, discovering that this 'Source' was riddled with impurities; the crystalline portion comprised only about one-third of its total mass. This left him somewhat disappointed, as it was not a pure 'Source'.

Even so, he was quite satisfied. Within this peculiar, amber-like stone, an incredibly vibrant life essence was contained, with mist-like and glowing substances circulating within.

"This is truly a valuable item! I wonder how much it will help me expand my Sea of Bitterness!"

"That's mine..." Not far away, the Seventh Young Master Li groaned in a pool of blood, gritting his teeth, his voice filled with resentment and fury.

"Wasn't this 'Source' discovered in an ancient cave deep in the mountains? Is this the only one, or are there others?"

Under Ye Fan's torture, the Seventh Young Master Li revealed everything, without any concealment. Within that ancient cave, there had been a cultivator who attained nirvana; the era was so distant that only this 'Source' remained, his skeleton having long since weathered away.

"What a pity, I thought I might obtain several pieces," Ye Fan mused, feeling a touch of greed himself.

"I've told you everything. Can you spare my life?" A flicker of hope appeared in the Seventh Young Master Li's eyes, though he knew it was nothing more than a desperate wish; his captor would certainly not let him live.

"When you conspired to murder Tingting's parents, did you show any pity? When you oppressed vulnerable old folk like Old Man Jiang and little Tingting, did you ever consider sparing their lives?"

Ye Fan kicked him away, saying, "I'll give you a chance: end your own life, so you don't suffer further. I haven't killed anyone yet, and I'd prefer not to stain my hands with blood."

"You... you haven't killed anyone..." The Seventh Young Master Li trembled with fury at these words. "You... you'll be struck by lightning!" he spat.

Ye Fan kicked him towards a large rock. "Bash your head against it and kill yourself," he ordered. "If you force my hand, I'll turn you into an eunuch first, and then take your life."

At that moment, the Seventh Young Master Li was so utterly humiliated he felt on the verge of madness. Such a death was too ignominious; his opponent disdained even to lay a hand on him, insisting he end his own life.

"You damn little brat! I... I won't let you go, not even as a ghost!" The Seventh Young Master Li coughed up blood continuously in his rage.

Ye Fan sat on a bluestone nearby. "Why all this useless talk?" he said. "Hurry up and get it over with. I have no patience."

"You... I..." The Seventh Young Master Li was so choked with humiliation that he couldn't form words, finally letting out a roar, "May you die a terrible death!"

*Thud*. He slammed his head against the rock and died a violent death.

"You struck your head yourself. I didn't kill anyone." Ye Fan stood up and began to erase all traces. It took him a full hour to remove everything before he set off towards the town.

Although he appeared calm, his palms were already sweating. This was the first time in his life he had killed an enemy. Even though the Seventh Young Master was thoroughly wicked and deserved his fate, the act still left Ye Fan feeling somewhat uneasy.

After acquiring the 'Source', Ye Fan was not in a hurry to cultivate. He deeply understood that the 'Source' contained an immense life essence, and breaking it open would release a surge of source energy that could easily be detected by others. For now, extreme caution was paramount.

Qingfeng Town remained peaceful for the next two days. It was not until the third day, when two more cultivators from the Li family returned from Misty Cloud Cave Heaven, that chaos erupted, affecting the entire town.

"The Seventh Young Master Li is missing." "How can a cultivator just vanish?" "This is the Li family's retribution!" "What retribution? It must have been done by someone from the Wang family. Besides the Li family's rivals, who would dare to do such a thing, and who would possess such power?" "Indeed, the Li family's servants say it was most likely caused by that 'Source' discovered recently."

Even the common folk of Qingfeng Town were discussing this, which underscored the magnitude of the disturbance. The entire Li family was thoroughly enraged, and simultaneously, somewhat fearful.

Initially, Ye Fan paid little heed. The two Li family members who returned had not reached the Life Spring realm and could not yet travel by divine rainbow, making them not particularly formidable. However, within a few days, events unfolded somewhat beyond his expectations, and the commotion gradually escalated.

People from Misty Cloud Cave Heaven actually arrived. Several cultivators of the Life Spring realm came in person, instructing the Li family to guide them directly to the ancient cave where the 'Source' had been discovered. Subsequently, the Wang family's cultivators also invited members of their sect to enter the deep mountains and search for the same ancient cave, leading to a near-violent clash between the two factions.

"Could a 'Source Vein' have been discovered here?" On that very day, over a dozen mounted figures arrived in Qingfeng Town. They rode incredibly mystical savage beasts, each one covered in dense, gleaming scales and sporting formidable horns.

The mount in the center was truly extraordinary, its entire body covered in golden scales, radiating a dazzling divine light as if golden flames flickered around it. It resembled a Golden Divine Beast, yet its head bore two additional branched horns, wreathed in golden light, making it incredibly majestic and formidable. Its four hooves did not touch the ground, hovering more than three inches above it, moving completely through the air. One could easily imagine the power and fearsomeness of this exotic beast.

Seated atop the Golden Divine Beast was a young man in his mid-twenties, dressed in white. He appeared very refined, with a gentle smile on his exceptionally handsome face. His eyes were like clear water, subtly shimmering with divine light, truly embodying an appearance as flawless as jade.

Flanking him, two more riders advanced abreast. To his left was a blue exotic beast, resembling a lion-tiger. Its long, exceptionally clean blue fur was crystalline like jade, shimmering with pure light and radiating brilliance. From its head grew a single jade horn that emitted five-colored divine light. This multi-hued beast also moved through the air, its hooves not touching the ground, appearing extraordinarily magnificent. Seated upon it was a boy of sixteen or seventeen, dressed in blue, whose commanding heroic presence was tinged with a subtle arrogance, as he seemed to look upon everything in the town with disdain.

On the other side rode a shimmering silver wondrous beast, shaped like a divine deer, its body covered in silver scales. A vertical eye grew centrally on its forehead, and its entire form radiated a sacred glow. It too moved through the air, utterly spotless. Seated upon it was a girl of sixteen or seventeen, her skin like congealed fat, her eyes like misty autumn waters, and her lips a vibrant red. She was exceedingly beautiful, yet exuded an unapproachable aura tinged with pride.

The dozen or so exotic beasts behind these three were equally remarkable, all extremely rare breeds—some covered in dense scales, others appearing entirely like jade, all shimmering with light. The riders, ranging in age from twenty to forty, both men and women, carried an air of grim determination, and a powerful battle intent coalesced around them.

From a distance, Ye Fan observed everything, involuntarily gasping. Who exactly were these people? They were certainly not ordinary!

Setting aside the three leading figures, even the dozen riders behind them were no less imposing than the forces of the Ancient Aristocratic Families and Sacred Lands he had encountered before the Demon Emperor's Tomb. A powerful battle intent and murderous aura surged towards him.

"Excuse me, are there any families with the surname Jiang in this town?" At that moment, a knight, acting on orders, inquired of the townspeople.

Ye Fan's heart instantly leaped. Why were they looking for someone named Jiang?