Chapter 15 - A Challenge of Fates

"HELP! SOMEONE IS TRYING TO KILL ME!" Xiangju screamed with all his might.

"Stop screaming, damn it!" Shen Fei began to shake him violently, but the boy didn't stop.

"HELP, PLEASE!" Xiangju continued as hysterical as before.

Seeing that Xiangju wouldn't stop on his own, Shen Fei punched him hard in the stomach, causing the boy to stop to catch his breath.

"You're lucky today, you piece of shit, but it won't always be like this!" Shen Fei dropped Xiangju to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

As Shen Fei was about to leave quickly...

"Wait... a moment!" Xiangju said, still struggling to breathe.

Shen Fei looked at Xiangju, irritated, and responded impatiently:

"What the hell do you want?"

"The Sacred Family's Genius Tournament... A match between you and me... The loser becomes the subordinate of the winner..."

'It may seem crazy or foolish, but having him around will be more useful than keeping him away.'

Shen Fei laughed loudly before pointing a finger at Xiangju with a big smile on his face.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA, you bet I accept! While you prepare for your death, I'll make sure to let you live, I want to see your hope disappear as we fight, you piece of trash."

Shen Fei said, and then disappeared into the night.

Seconds later, a figure descended from the skies, landing near Xiangju as dust rose.

Xiangju looked to the side and got excited.

With white hair, a long pointed white beard, and gray clothes, Ye Xiu made his presence known.

"Who..?" He stopped talking as soon as he saw Xiangju. The boy was covered in blood, with a tired expression and tears all over his clothes. If it weren't for the blood staining every piece of his garments, he would be mistaken for a homeless person.

"It's good to see you, sir..." Xiangju said weakly. He tried to take a step forward, but exhaustion finally overtook him, and he could no longer stay awake. Despite his physical exhaustion and injuries being completely healed, the mental fatigue from fighting for his life had not been cured.

A few hours later, a sweet aroma woke Xiangju. The boy, lying in a small single bed with a thin sheet over him, looked around, not recognizing exactly where he was. However, the decor was much more refined than his room, making it obvious he was somewhere in the city lord's mansion.

"Oh, I see you're awake, young man." A deep male voice caught Xiangju's attention.

The boy looked in the direction of the voice and finally noticed Ye Xiu's presence, emerging from behind one of the thin bamboo walls separating the room's compartments. He carried a silver tray with a steaming cup, probably some tea by the aroma.

The old man approached the bed where Xiangju lay, pulled a chair to sit beside him, and placed the tray on his lap.

Xiangju calmly followed him with his eyes. He had never seen this man act in any way other than kind, so he felt comfortable and safe near him.

The tea on the tray in his lap emitted an aroma likely a mixture of leaves and flowers, its pinkish color very inviting.

"Drink, it will help you regain your strength."

Xiangju didn't respond, just nodded and slowly drank the tea.

"Thank you for rescuing me, sir."

The old man didn't respond, just watched the boy drink the tea.

"Your clothes..." He began to speak, catching Xiangju's attention.

"You were covered in blood... not just stained, the amount was unimaginable. Anyone who had lost that much would be dead..." The old man paused while looking up at Xiangju.

The boy couldn't say anything, not because he was at a loss for words or surprised, but because of the immense spiritual power emanating from the old man's body. Saying he was dozens of times more powerful than Shen Fei would be an understatement.

The old man looked Xiangju directly in the eyes. The young boy couldn't even look away; his whole body was telling him to either flee or kneel because if Shen Fei was akin to a tiger, this old man in front of him was equivalent to a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Xiangju tried to mumble words but couldn't produce any sound.

"You're not a killer, are you?" Ye Xiu asked, seemingly having better control of his strength, as Xiangju felt the "knot" in his throat loosen.

"N-n-no, sir! I was being hunted!!" Xiangju said hastily, his eyes wide open, his whole body trembling. He was lucky against Shen Fei, the boy was too arrogant to kill him quickly, but Ye Xiu was different. Xiangju could clearly tell that if he saw him as a threat, he would be exterminated right there.

"Really..? By whom?"

"S-S-Shen Fei! A young master of the Sacred Family!"

"And why would a young master, especially from the Sacred Family, be after you..?"

Xiangju lowered his head in shame and finally admitted.

"I... flirted with his betrothed..." The boy said with his head down. He had even thought about keeping it a secret, but that wouldn't be possible against someone of this level.

Silence fell over the place, Xiangju held his breath in anticipation.

Until...

Laughter, a hearty and invigorating laughter.

"Hohohoho, what a scare, boy. I really thought you had done something much worse. I think interacting with pretty girls isn't something you can avoid at your age."

Xiangju almost cried with relief; he also smiled.

"Yes... she's a good friend of mine! I... I... I just didn't know about her engagement, and before I could apologize, he was already kicking me around the city!" Xiangju said with erratic hand movements, trying to sound sincere.

Ye Xiu, of course, saw through the boy's little lies, but he just smiled at it. Youngsters will be youngsters, after all.

"I understand. But you know that doesn't explain the blood on your clothes, right?" Ye Xiu said, crossing his arms.

"This blood is mine! Totally and absolutely mine! If you want, you can even do a DNA test to prove it!" Xiangju said desperately, starting to take off his shirt to hand it to Ye Xiu, but the man refused.

He looked at the boy more closely, holding the top of his head and turning it to look at both sides of his face more precisely.

"There are no wounds on your face..." Ye Xiu looked at Xiangju's arms and legs. "There are no wounds on your arms or legs either. And besides a completely destroyed armor, there are no signs of injuries on your torso."

The man finally finished speaking, sitting back in the chair, his raised eyebrow indicating that, although he believed Xiangju, he didn't understand.

Xiangju was surprised when the old man mentioned the armor. Looking around, he noticed it resting on a table on the other side of the room.

"Can you explain how you're in perfect condition despite having so much blood on you?"

Xiangju pondered for a second, but he was sure this old man was trustworthy. Although his decisions until now hadn't been very good, he was confident that trusting him wouldn't be one of those.

"This is the result of my cultivation technique... Whenever I level up, my body heals completely." Xiangju said with a fearful look, hoping deep down that Ye Xiu would believe him... which didn't seem to be the case.

"I've been a demon spiritualist for a long time, boy. I know many things, but I've never heard of such a technique."

"My friend... discovered it while we were translating ancient texts. As incredible as it may seem, the pain and lacerations I face during my cultivation are no joke. Every day I wonder if it's really worth continuing."

Although everything Xiangju said sounded like nonsense, the old man could still see in his face and feel with his spirit that the boy was telling the truth. Years of understanding the harsh and cold expressions of Ye Mo and Ye Zong had made him an expert at discerning others' character.

"Alright, I believe you."

Xiangju's eyes sparkled.

The old man had given the boy some new clothes so he wouldn't walk around so raggedly dressed, which could cause rumors in the city. The clothes were obviously much larger than the young boy, but he certainly looked much more presentable than before.

"You said Shen Fei was your attacker, right?" Ye Xiu resumed the conversation; this old man liked to talk, a detail Xiangju didn't know.

"Yeah, that ugly, colorful hair is unmistakable!" The boy replied proactively.

"I might be mistaken, but I'm almost certain that young man from the Sacred Family is already a Gold Rank demon spiritualist."

"You're remembering perfectly, sir!" Xiangju continued acting like a good boy.

"What's your age, young man? You seem as young as little Ziyun."

"Ye Ziyun and I are classmates! I also study at the Holy Orchid Institute." The boy said cheerfully, it was time to build some bonds!

"Oh, what a surprise! I hope you two are good friends; little Ziyun often stays alone around here." As he said this, the old man approached me with a smile on his face and spoke quietly:

"And let's be honest, that young man from the Sacred Family isn't exactly the best company, hohohoho." Both started laughing at this.

"I agree, I've had my issues with him too, but nothing a good kick in the butt can't solve!" The old man laughed even more at Xiang

ju's comment.

"I like you, boy. You're honest. But tell me, what is your cultivation level? I imagine you had a hard time against young Shen Fei being only Bronze Rank." The old man spoke calmly, but still doubted the boy's talent before him. His character might be clean, but from his perspective, his talent couldn't be much higher than Ye Ziyun's.

"I'm currently Bronze Rank 5 stars. But I admit you're right, that damn Shen Fei was indeed a terrifying opponent. I'm lucky to be here."

The old man didn't say anything. His eyes were wide open in total disbelief.

"W-what did you say?"

Xiangju wore a smug smile on his face; this was exactly the expression he was looking for.

"I'm Bronze Rank 5 stars, sir." Xiangju repeated, emphasizing "5 stars."