Chapter 202: Holy Maiden of Yao Chi
The Yao Chi Immortal Stone Workshop was elegant and tranquil, with exotic trees and rare herbs planted in the courtyards. Stone materials were scattered around, resembling strange rocks and artificial mountains, arranged in a tasteful and refined manner.
Their layout was very meticulous—babbling flowing springs, vine-covered pavilions, and stone materials adorned everywhere, giving people a fresh feeling, as if returning to nature.
"Is the fairy maiden from Yao Chi who descended upon Pingyan City really their Holy Maiden?"
"I heard that the Holy Maiden of Yao Chi is touring the Northern Domain. It's very possible that she came in person; otherwise, the Immortal Stone Workshop wouldn't have closed this morning." Many people came here with the purpose of catching a glimpse of the Holy Maiden's true appearance.
Because Yao Chi's reputation was too great—not only spreading throughout the Eastern Wasteland but also reaching the Central Province and the Northern Desert. It was considered the most ethereal Holy Land, and the women within its gates were all endowed with the spiritual wisdom of heaven and earth.
Many young men from major powers considered marrying a Yao Chi fairy maiden an honor, though almost no one had ever achieved it. Even those as powerful as the Primordial Aristocratic Clans and as deeply rooted as the various Holy Lands could only gaze from afar.
Disciples of Yao Chi could hardly ever marry out, let alone the Holy Maiden of the sect. In such a long span of time, it had only happened once or twice that a Holy Maiden became someone else's wife.
Ye Fan suddenly sensed someone spying on him and couldn't help but look back. He saw a young man in purple robes, surrounded by people like stars clustering around the moon, standing not far away.
Beside him were several familiar faces, all seen at the Rongxiang Gambling Stone Workshop, where they had accompanied Liu Cheng'en. Now, they all deferred to the purple-robed man.
"People from the Qingxia Sect." Ye Fan frowned slightly, but he wasn't worried. With his current cultivation level, having reached the Other Shore realm, he could be considered a minor expert.
Although he couldn't compare to the successors of the Holy Lands, within a small sect, he was undoubtedly a so-called "young hero."
"This guy's cultivation isn't weak either." Ye Fan was somewhat surprised—the other party had also reached the Other Shore realm.
The purple-robed man swept a nearly contemptuous glance at him, then turned away. Beside him, the others looked at Ye Fan with unfriendly eyes, whispering among themselves.
Ye Fan sneered coldly, unconcerned. If even the Ji Family, as terrifying as it was, and the Yaoguang Holy Land, as powerful as it was, couldn't do anything to him, he naturally wouldn't fear a mere "hero" from the Qingxia Sect.
"Mud monkeys, haven't you gone back to the mines yet? You've earned so much Source, aren't you satisfied?" A man from the Qingxia Sect walked over, his tone full of provocation.
"Are you here to repay the Source?" Ye Fan glanced at him indifferently. "If not, then get lost and stop blocking the view here."
This was merely a servant of the Qingxia Sect, yet he dared to speak like this. Ye Fan naturally wouldn't show him any courtesy.
"You... have some nerve, causing trouble even in Pingyan City. You actually made Young Master Liu Cheng'en write an IOU—truly reckless."
"Owing me Source, and now you come to threaten me? Are you speaking on behalf of the Qingxia Sect?" Ye Fan swept his gaze over him. "A mere servant dares to spout nonsense? Get lost!"
He gave a light shout. Others felt nothing, but to the servant's ears, it was like a thunderclap. His ears rang, and he fell to the ground with a thud, his face changing color. "You..."
Not far away, the others were startled. The purple-robed man slowly stepped forward, looking down at Ye Fan. "Quite the imposing manner you have."
"Overpraising me." Ye Fan responded casually, not looking at him but instead gazing at the beautiful scenery of the Yao Chi Immortal Stone Workshop.
"Do you really think that was a compliment? You're nothing but a miner who knows how to dig." The man beside him sneered.
"Someone of your level can only understand it that way." Ye Fan glanced at him, then stopped Wang Shu and Er Lengzi, who were about to come over, telling them to stay put and not get involved.
"I heard my younger brother, Liu Cheng'en, owes you ninety jin of Source. Is that true or false?" the purple-robed man asked lightly.
"That's right. Are you here to pay off his debt?" Ye Fan replied unhurriedly.
"Bring out the IOU. Let me see if it's real or fake." The purple-robed man coldly extended his hand, demanding it from Ye Fan.
Ye Fan pulled out a piece of paper, held it between two fingers, and handed it to him.
The purple-robed man didn't look at it but directly tossed it to the man beside him. "Check it carefully. Is it Cheng'en's handwriting?"
"Fake. How could this possibly be the Second Young Master's IOU? It's clearly a forgery." The man beside him didn't even look at the paper before tearing it to shreds. Then, with a flick of his palm power, he ground it into powder, which scattered to the ground.
"You've got some nerve, trying to extort even me and slander Cheng'en." The purple-robed man sneered, staring at Ye Fan. "You people must be desperate for money!"
"How could these mud monkeys possibly know how to appraise stones? Clearly, they're trying to blackmail us. If we don't teach them a lesson, it won't sit right."
"Drag them out and beat them half to death." The others all shouted, ready to grab Ye Fan and drag him away.
"You're going too far!" Er Lengzi's eyes turned red. Seeing the IOU torn up, he wanted to rush over and fight.
"How can you do this?" Wang Shu was also furious and helpless, knowing that the Qingxia Sect was a sect that their stone stockade simply couldn't afford to provoke.
"Debts must be repaid—that's only natural. Don't you think your methods are too despicable?" Ye Fan said coldly, stopping Er Lengzi and Wang Shu.
"What nonsense are you spouting, you little brat? Who owes you Source?" the man beside the purple-robed man shouted.
"Bring out the real IOU. If you don't, we'll break your legs today. A kid like you dares to extort people!"
"I..." Not far away, Er Lengzi wished he could pounce over and bite off a few chunks of their flesh.
"Teach these mud monkeys a lesson."
"If they don't hand over dozens of jin of Source, we won't let them off today."
"Why waste words with them? Just drag them out and beat them half to death first!"
The men around the purple-robed man all surrounded Ye Fan, wanting to drag him away. They didn't dare to act within the courtyard, fearing the Yao Chi Immortal Stone Workshop's wrath.
"All of you, get away from me." Ye Fan swept his gaze over them. "You want to see the IOU, don't you?"
With that, he pulled out another piece of paper, but instead of handing it over, he merely waved it in front of them.
"This is..." The man who had torn up the paper showed a shocked expression. This was clearly the real IOU; the one earlier was a fake, and he had shredded it without even looking.
The purple-robed man turned back and glanced at him, causing that man to tremble. Then, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes as he lunged forward to snatch the real IOU.
"You've got some nerve! In broad daylight, under the clear sky, you dare to cause trouble in the Yao Chi Immortal Stone Workshop? Do you have no respect for the fairies of the Holy Land?" Ye Fan shouted loudly, his voice carrying far.
Up ahead, the people who had come to gamble on stones all heard him and turned to look.
"What's going on?" A crisp, pleasant voice came from the Yao Chi Immortal Stone Workshop as a young woman inquired.
"Please forgive us, Fairy of Yao Chi. We had a few heated words in a moment of impulse," the purple-robed man said, cupping his hands toward the front.
From the distant halls and pavilions, the sound of a zither came, and no further questions were asked.
"You mud monkey, you're something!" The men beside the purple-robed man glared at Ye Fan angrily.
"What, you still want to cause trouble? Should we invite the Yao Chi Fairy to judge?" Ye Fan sneered at them.
The purple-robed man flicked his sleeve and walked forward, the others following closely.
"Kid, you'd better keep that IOU safe. Don't lose it," one of them said hatefully, his tone sinister.
"Don't worry, I'll keep it safe. I'm waiting for you to come and repay the Source." Ye Fan lightly flicked the IOU before tucking it into his sleeve.
The inner courtyard was even more serene. Ahead lay a small lake, crystal clear and sparkling, with ancient vines crawling along its banks, creating a beautiful scene. By the shore, piles of stones formed landscapes, giving off a natural charm.
On the lakeside, a pavilion was built over the water, shrouded in misty immortal vapors. The pavilion was hidden among ancient trees, surrounded by lush greenery and veiled in fog. The heavenly sound of a zither came from there, stirring the heart and soul, making one involuntarily...
The zither's melody was leisurely, soft, and beautiful, fresh and soothing, with endless charm. Although separated by green shade and immortal mist, one could almost see a fairy maiden gently plucking the zither in that pavilion, ethereal and otherworldly, untouched by mundane dust, breathtakingly beautiful.
It was as if a dreamlike realm emerged—misty clouds drifting, jade towers faintly visible, a flawless woman standing alone atop the clouds... This music made one's emotions rise and fall, moving with its notes.
Ye Fan's heart trembled. This person's skill was extraordinary, no less than Hua Yunfei's, nearly reaching the Dao. Indeed, the zither's sound possessed a mysterious power, as if it could infect one's emotions.
At this moment, the fish in the lake all gathered before the pavilion in the clear water, swaying their heads and tails as if dancing, completely immersed in the music.
"Even if she's not the Holy Maiden of Yao Chi, she's still a stunningly talented figure," Ye Fan thought to himself.
"It's the successor of Yao Chi. Their Holy Maiden has truly come," an old man said.
Ye Fan turned to look and found it was the same few old men with extraordinary bearing whom Er Lengzi had choked off earlier.
"How do you know?" Er Lengzi, being familiar, stepped forward to ask.
The old men all had dark expressions and ignored him, continuing their own conversation.
"The Holy Maiden of Yao Chi is famous throughout the Eastern Wasteland. Her status is extraordinary. Her arrival will probably attract..."
"I've already seen a young man from the Jiang Family, and a conceited junior from the Yaoguang Holy Land. I've seen them all in the Holy City."
"Indeed, quite a few people have come. Even a few little bandits have shown up. Those bastards aren't planning to kidnap the Yao Chi Holy Maiden, are they? If they do, it'll be interesting."
"Yao Chi is indeed extraordinary. Whether in our era or the present, those who come are all..."
These old men clearly had extraordinary backgrounds, and Ye Fan was secretly glad he hadn't offended them. He believed that someone of their status wouldn't care about Er Lengzi's blunt words.
At the same time, Ye Fan was surprised. According to these old men, the outstanding talents from various Holy Lands had all come running. The allure of the Yao Chi Holy Maiden was evident.
"Ding dong." The final lingering note ended, and the zither's melody faded away, coming to a gentle stop.
The door of the lakeside pavilion opened, and several beautiful, otherworldly women filed out. The last one was like moonlight veiling her body, like an immortal flower blooming, her entire person hazy and indistinct, yet giving off a flawless, perfect feeling.
Her graceful jade body, tall and slender, was shrouded in radiant light, as if she stood in the Guanghan Palace, holy and distant, making people feel they could never approach her.
"What are you mud monkeys doing here, joining in the fun?" someone beside them sneered.
Ye Fan felt annoyed. He hadn't expected to end up standing next to the purple-robed man and his group again.
"Is this the territory of the Qingxia Sect? If not, then all of you shut up," Ye Fan said, sweeping his gaze over them.
"Fine, fine, fine. Let you have your sharp tongue for now. There'll come a time when you cry," the man beside the purple-robed man said.
[Author's note: I actually wanted to take a night off. It was almost ten when I got back, but I felt that not writing a chapter would let everyone down, so I still worked hard on one. Well, tonight, just this one chapter.]