Chapter Forty-Nine: An Acquaintance

Su Yi walked along the road, reflecting on the force of his kick to Ke Yue’s abdomen—it had been powerful enough to destroy his energy vortex. Since Ke Yue was so fond of calling others useless, he could experience being useless himself for a while.

After leaving the auction house, Su Yi considered his options and decided to browse the stalls set up by mercenaries. These mercenaries spent their lives wandering remote mountains and forests; perhaps they had some rare finds, or even herbs that could boost his battle energy.

His own reserves of battle energy were running low. He couldn’t restore them through cultivation, so whatever he used was gone for good. At this rate, even the Xuanlong Sinew would only be usable a few more times. Now, even the smallest increase in battle energy would be a blessing.

Ever since Su Yi had wielded the Xuanlong Sinew, he had been awed by its power. He had resolved that, unless absolutely necessary, all the battle energy he had left would be saved for using this weapon, never to be squandered on anything else. Only by keeping such a trump card could he ensure his own safety.

After wandering for a while, Su Yi finally stopped at a particularly large stall. He carefully examined the items on display, silently naming each one and recalling their effects.

The stall was run by a mercenary. Noticing Su Yi’s serious scrutiny, the man asked, “Brother, you seem quite attentive. Looking for something specific?”

Su Yi smiled faintly, nodding. “I wonder if you have anything here that could help with battle energy?”

The mercenary chuckled. “I do have a few things, but you know, the effects won’t be dramatic. My goods can’t compare to those of the great families—things like the Seven-Colored Azure Ganoderma or the Infernal Lotus are out of my reach.”

Su Yi’s expression didn’t change, but his heart gave a jolt. He remembered how he had hastily consumed all the herbs he’d seized from the Lie family; had he known better, he would have saved the Seven-Colored Azure Ganoderma and the Infernal Lotus.

As for the Soul-Returning Nightflower and the Spirit-Restoring Grass, they didn’t do much for battle energy, so it didn’t matter that he’d eaten them. But the Seven-Colored Azure Ganoderma and the Infernal Lotus were rare treasures that could greatly boost one’s power!

Just the Infernal Lotus alone could raise a Battle Practitioner’s strength by three levels. If he had it now, perhaps it could not only replenish his energy but even help him break through to new heights… Unfortunately, he’d already consumed it in haste, at the wrong time. The thought left Su Yi regretful.

As he brooded over his mistake, a few familiar voices caught his ear. He glanced over and, from a distance, spotted some acquaintances. His brows drew together almost imperceptibly, but he pretended not to notice and continued searching among the herbs as if nothing had happened.

...

Lief Feifei had come out with her second brother, Lieren, for a stroll. Since a series of disasters had struck the Lie family, their wealth had plummeted, and a shadow hung over everyone’s heart—especially after the citywide lockdown and search yielded not a single clue, even after days of effort.

This had infuriated the family’s elders, who spent their days berating the captain of the guards, leaving everyone on edge. The clan leader, Lie Chen, had even decreed that while the family would borrow money from allied houses both inside and outside the city, all household expenses for the younger generation would be halved.

This was a bitter blow to a notorious wastrel like Lieren, who, bored and cooped up at home, finally went out to amuse himself. Lief Feifei, both weary of the stern faces at home and worried her brother would stir up trouble, decided to accompany him to get some fresh air.

“It’s all that bastard who targeted our Lie family’s fault! Now I can’t even afford to visit the brothels…” Lieren muttered resentfully as he walked, wishing he could catch the culprit and give him a sound beating.

Lief Feifei, growing impatient, snapped, “Enough, Second Brother! How many times are you going to say that? All you care about is drinking and women, but you never seriously cultivate. You’re twenty-three now and still only a second-level Battle Practitioner—look at others your age…”

“Alright, alright!” Lieren interrupted with a grin. “Little sister, I know you just broke through to Battle Practitioner yesterday—you must be thrilled. But there’s no need to train so hard; life should be enjoyed, too, you know.”

“Enjoy life?” Lief Feifei snorted. “You mean wasting time chasing after women!”

“Heh, that’s where you don’t understand, dear sister. After all, you’re still a maiden—you’ve never tasted those pleasures…” Lieren laughed slyly, his eyes lingering with a hint of lechery on Lief Feifei’s shapely, rounded hips.

“Second Brother, you…” Lief Feifei was both mortified and furious, her face turning bright red. “Shameless! How can you say such things to your own sister?”

Incensed, she raised a foot to kick him, but Lieren dodged with a chuckle. “Sister, I’m complimenting you. With your beauty and those lovely hips, you’d drive men wild…”

“You!” Being spoken of so crudely, Lief Feifei was left speechless with rage. Judging by Lieren’s addled expression, it seemed that if she weren’t his sister, he’d pounce on her right then and there.

Fuming, Lief Feifei stepped forward to teach him a lesson, when suddenly a light, amused voice drifted over: “I never expected Young Master Lieren to be so interested in his own sister’s charms…”

Both Lief Feifei and Lieren turned to see a young man and woman approaching. The man was decent-looking, while the girl was tall and slender, her figure alluringly graceful, with curves in all the right places—and her long, shapely legs seemed to invite admiring glances.

At the sight of this girl, Lief Feifei was momentarily flustered; being overheard in such a vulgar conversation left her at a loss for words. But her innate pride stiffened her resolve. “Gree, what are you doing here?”

The young woman was none other than Gree, the city lord’s daughter. The man beside her was Liu Xuan, one of her more accomplished suitors—already a third-level Battle Practitioner, and from a family of some influence in Changling City. Gree found him satisfactory, and when he invited her out, she had happily agreed, never expecting to run into the Lie siblings.

Lief Feifei was awkward and ill at ease, but Lieren, thick-skinned as ever, smiled easily. “It’s only natural to admire beauty, and my sister truly is lovely. But compared to Miss Gree, she’s not the slightest bit inferior—a natural beauty in her own right. I’ve admired you for a long time, Miss Gree!”

If Lieren were to name his ideal woman, Meiya would have been his first choice, but that avenue seemed closed to him. Lief Feifei, another of the three great beauties of Changling City, was his own sister, so by process of elimination, Gree was the final candidate.

Gree was pleased by Lieren’s flattery, though she merely smiled and said, “Since the four of us have met, why not walk together?”

A beauty’s invitation was never unwelcome. Lieren agreed cheerfully, while Lief Feifei, seeing her brother fawning over her nemesis, was naturally displeased. Liu Xuan, for his part, frowned slightly but said nothing.

As the four strolled and chatted, the mood seemed pleasant enough. Liu Xuan, though a level above Lieren in strength, lacked his flair for humor—after all, Lieren was an old hand in such matters and quickly had Gree laughing. Liu Xuan, meanwhile, could only interject occasionally, growing increasingly frustrated.

Of course, the most dejected was Lief Feifei, trailing behind. The woman before her was her sworn rival, and both men were vying for her attention, leaving Lief Feifei largely ignored. She wanted to boast about her recent achievement in becoming a Battle Practitioner, but the conversation never turned in that direction.

At first, Liu Xuan had exchanged a few polite greetings with Lief Feifei, but seeing Lieren clinging so closely to Gree, he quickly abandoned Lief Feifei to “rescue” Gree. Thus, two of the city’s three great beauties received vastly different treatment, and Lief Feifei’s excitement over her breakthrough quickly faded.

As Lieren was joking and laughing, he suddenly pointed to someone in the distance. “Hey, isn’t that Su Yi?”

(Chapter 49: Old Acquaintance)