Chapter 90: Walking Away Without Looking Back
This was a tranquil place, where few cultivating disciples came on ordinary days. Small wooden huts dotted the green bamboo forest, all of them residences for menial laborers.
A gentle breeze stirred, causing the entire bamboo grove to sway softly. The emerald leaves rustled, and fresh air wafted over.
Li Xiaoman stood there in her white robes, which fluttered gently in the wind. She appeared ethereal and otherworldly, her thick black hair flowing, her skin like jade, her eyes like pools of water. She gazed at Ye Fan and said, "You are a mortal. 'Source' is useless in your hands."
"Although I am only a mortal, I also know the value of this thing. You cultivators value it so highly—how can you say it is useless to me?" Ye Fan weighed the piece of Source in his hand and chuckled lightly. "It contains a vast amount of life essence. I think for a mortal, extending one's lifespan should not be a problem, right?"
"You... a mortal using Source to extend your life—what a waste!" The several young men and women nearby all showed displeasure.
"If you want to increase your lifespan and strengthen your body, there are actually many ways. You could exchange this piece of Source for some Hundred Herbs Liquid to drink."
"That's right. If you are willing to part with this Source, we will naturally satisfy you."
The young men and women all spoke in this manner. This piece of Source was too tempting for them, and they urgently wanted to trade for it.
"Sorry, I don't want to trade. I'm not interested in what you mentioned." Ye Fan had no intention of exchanging the Source under any circumstances and directly refused.
The young men and women all changed color. For them, Source was of immense significance. In the hands of a mortal, it was like a pearl buried in dust—truly a waste. They all wanted to claim it for themselves.
Li Xiaoman stood there quietly, her white robes fluttering, her hair dancing in the wind. "You don't know what it means for a mortal to possess Source. It is not wealth; it will only bring you disaster. You are merely an ordinary person, utterly unable to protect it."
"Are you going to rob me?" Ye Fan put away the Source and looked at the people before him.
Except for Li Xiaoman, who remained calm, the others all had hostile expressions, staring unblinkingly at Ye Fan.
"Just now, the second-strongest expert of Ziyang Cave Heaven did not use his power to oppress me. Are you all planning to seize it by force?"
Li Xiaoman's voice carried no emotion. "It is no longer a secret that you have a piece of Source. Once the news leaks out, even if you are safe for now, your future safety is hard to guarantee."
"You mean I have no choice but to trade?"
Li Xiaoman nodded. "Exchange it with a cultivator. From then on, you will benefit endlessly for life. You will no longer have to struggle and can live peacefully as a wealthy man, enjoying glory and wealth for the rest of your days."
"Your cultivation is not that profound. The life essence contained in this Source is probably not something you can refine."
Seeing that Ye Fan's stance seemed to soften, the people nearby quickly spoke up.
"Although we cannot refine it directly, we can hand it over to the elders of our sect."
"That senior just now had profound cultivation. He is the second-strongest expert of Ziyang Cave Heaven and once helped Junior Sister Li regain her youth. If Junior Sister Li can present this Source to him today, she will surely gain even more favor. We can also approach that senior and receive his teachings."
Ye Fan smiled but said nothing, looking at Li Xiaoman.
"That's right. I do want to give this Source to that senior." Li Xiaoman's expression was serene. She gently brushed aside the hair covering her forehead and looked calmly at Ye Fan. "I won't owe you anything. I will make sure you are satisfied."
Ye Fan shook his head and smiled faintly. "Just like the you from before..."
Li Xiaoman did not refute. She took a few steps forward, gazed at Ye Fan, and said, "I know you are confident and capable, unwilling to be a mere mortal. But the fact is that your physique cannot cultivate. You can only be an ordinary person. I hope you can accept being a mortal, don't think too much, wake up, and let go of those unrealistic fantasies. Source is truly useless to you. Accept reality. Being an ordinary person is not without its happiness."
"It seems we don't truly understand each other." Ye Fan said nothing more.
"People always strive upward..." Li Xiaoman paused briefly. "Immortals and mortals are two different worlds."
"Immortals and mortals are two different worlds?" Ye Fan smiled and spoke casually. "Who can say what the future holds? Maybe I will appear on your path someday. Don't be surprised if I, an ordinary person, surpass you."
Nearby, the young disciples of Ziyang Cave Heaven all showed strange expressions. They felt that the conversation between these two had a special flavor, not as simple as neighbors. Especially Ye Fan, who did not seem like an eleven- or twelve-year-old child at all.
"In any case, I will not give up this Source. Please leave." Ye Fan made a gesture of dismissal, directly seeing them off.
"You..."
The faces of the Ziyang Cave Heaven disciples were not very pleasant. Before turning to leave, Li Xiaoman glanced at Ye Fan and said, "Accept reality early. Be an ordinary person."
Suddenly, chaos erupted outside Ziyang Cave Heaven. Shouts and curses rang out, followed by crimson rays streaking across the sky as cultivators engaged in battle in the distance.
"Let's go see!" The young disciples in the bamboo grove rushed out quickly.
Ye Fan's heart jumped. Someone was storming the mountain gate. He immediately thought of the Jiang Family's knights. He decided to hide among the crowd and take a look, so he could prepare in advance.
At this moment, Ziyang Cave Heaven was in turmoil. Many cultivators rushed toward the mountain gate. When Ye Fan arrived, he saw several people seriously injured being carried back.
"Who is so bold as to sneak into Ziyang Cave Heaven and then fight openly after being discovered?"
"It's a powerful knight, riding a terrifying beast. He defeated five of our Ziyang Cave Heaven experts in a row and almost broke through. Now he has been stopped by our grand-uncle."
Listening to the crowd's discussions, Ye Fan was almost certain that the Jiang Family's knight had tracked him here.
"Truly a persistent ghost!" He frowned.
Just then, cheers erupted from ahead. Someone shouted, "Grand-uncle is truly powerful! He captured that terrifying knight!"
A man in his mid-thirties walked through the void, unhurried and composed. It was the second-strongest expert of Ziyang Cave Heaven, whom Ye Fan had seen not long ago. He was now carrying a savage beast and an unconscious knight, throwing them heavily to the ground. "Lock him in the stone prison first."
"It's time to leave. Ziyang Cave Heaven did me a big favor. The longer they keep this hot potato locked up, the better..." Ye Fan could imagine that when the people of Ziyang Cave Heaven learned the knight's identity, they would surely regret it deeply.
Ye Fan walked out of Ziyang Cave Heaven's mountain gate and began to run quickly, heading out of the mountain range. But just then, several people noticed his departure. They exchanged glances and simultaneously gave chase.
"If I can survive this ordeal, I want to find a quiet place and cultivate properly!" After a series of events, Ye Fan urgently wanted to become stronger. He longed for unparalleled power.
After running for dozens of li, Ye Fan gradually sensed something wrong. Someone was following him, moving just as fast as he was and about to catch up. His heart tightened. He dashed into a patch of rocky forest and hid behind a large boulder, looking back.
"It's him..."
The pursuer was about twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, one of Li Xiaoman's senior brothers. Not long ago, he had been eyeing Ye Fan's Source. He moved quickly and entered the rocky forest in an instant.
"I see you. Come out. Leave the Source, and I'll give you a way out."
"So he really wants to rob my Source..." Ye Fan hid behind the boulder without moving rashly. This person's strength was not weak; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to catch up.
"Even if he gets the Source, he definitely won't let me go. In that case, I might as well strike first!" Ye Fan made his decision.
"If you don't come out, once I find you, don't blame me for showing no mercy." This person was cautious. He felt that Ye Fan's speed was too fast, almost shaking him off. For a mortal, this was clearly abnormal.
When this person turned near the boulder, a golden light suddenly shot up, instantly tearing through the void. With a "swish," it swept past.
"Pfft"
Blood splattered. A head rolled to the ground. The headless corpse spurted blood over two meters high before falling with a "thud."
Ye Fan retrieved the Golden Book. Just then, his expression changed. Several more figures appeared behind him, approaching rapidly. He glanced briefly and then fled like the wind. He didn't know if Li Xiaoman was among them. The mountain terrain was lush with vegetation, making it hard to see clearly.
"I hope you're not among them..." Ye Fan walked away without looking back.