Chapter 33 - 31: Li Qingyi’s Shock: It’s You?

Chapter 33: Chapter 31: Li Qingyi’s Shock: It’s You?

Upon leaving the Divine Pill Pavilion, Jiang Hao ultimately turned back for a long look at the Inner Cabinet Hall from afar.

Through countless indirect expressions of his stance, he indeed ended up owing no favors to the Divine Pill Pavilion.

However, tonight, he owed that young girl a tremendous debt of gratitude for her protection.

"Miss Qingyan, please forgive me for shamelessly scheming against you," Jiang Hao muttered to himself, waves of guilt washing over his heart.

In truth, as early as the Pill Master Competition, he had guessed that Gu Qingyan would definitely stand on his side. Even if not in the name of the Divine Pill Pavilion, she would protect him and the Ye Family in her own name.

After all, this was an exchange of interests. The Divine Pill Pavilion needed him to refine that specific batch of pills, while he needed the protection of Gu Qingyan’s status.

Ultimately, this was still a transaction. Yet, after three months of interacting with her, Jiang Hao still felt a bit guilty.

Both he and Gu Qingyan were smart people.

He could see through the Divine Pill Pavilion’s motives and knew that Bai Wufeng’s agreement that day to "refine a batch of pills" was not that simple. Gu Qingyan similarly understood Jiang Hao’s thoughts.

But she still stepped forward in the end.

Inside the Divine Pill Pavilion Inner Cabinet Hall.

Gu Qingyan sat in solitary silence for a long time before she finally let out a slow sigh and spoke. "Uncle Liu, where are Uncle Zhang and the others?"

As soon as she finished speaking, an old man’s figure slowly materialized.

It was obvious that this old man, whose terrifying aura made even the void tremble, was Gu Qingyan’s Guardian, who never left her side.

"To answer you, Miss, they will enter the Xingyue City Earth Realm tomorrow morning."

Hearing this, Gu Qingyan nodded and couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. "I’m actually not worried about the Qi Family. What worries me is the Celestial Sword Sect, as well as those factions in the Eastern Domain backed by the Celestial Sword Sect."

"After the roster for the Pill Master Competition was released, many representatives of the Eastern Domain’s factions indeed came to Xingyue City. If the Pill Master hadn’t set the rule that the Alchemist Association must never participate in the struggles of various parties, this old servant could wipe out the mere Eastern Domain with a single hand."

The old man’s eyes were filled with helplessness. This rule was jointly established by the three great alchemist factions and served as the foundation of their standing in the world.

The Divine Pill Pavilion only conducted business in the Alchemy Dao and would not participate in the conflicts of any faction. This meant that unless the opposing party directly attacked them, the experts of the Divine Pill Pavilion could not launch an assault on any faction, regardless of its size.

However, this didn’t mean Gu Qingyan was completely bound. Although she and the old man couldn’t personally take action, they could rely on the Divine Pill Pavilion’s terrifying network of connections to intimidate all directions.

"It all depends on Uncle Zhang and the others now."

Evidently, the "Uncle Zhang" she mentioned was not a member of the Divine Pill Pavilion. If Jiang Hao won, this group of experts dispatched from afar would be his guarantee for safely leaving the Xingyue City Earth Realm.

If Jiang Hao lost, these experts would simply withdraw.

This was also the terrifying aspect of the Divine Pill Pavilion. Even without acting themselves, they could rally multitudes with a single call, using their heaven-shaking connections to manipulate a massive war.

At the same time.

After leaving the Divine Pill Pavilion, Jiang Hao hurried back to his own courtyard. Little did he know that a group of uninvited guests had currently arrived at his home.

"Niece Qingyi, you’ve come at a bad time. Hao’Er had matters to attend to and went out. I don’t know when he’ll return."

In the courtyard, Ye Tiannan was beaming with smiles. Even when facing a group of juniors, he didn’t put on the airs of an elder.

And this group of uninvited guests was none other than Li Qingyi and her companions.

Ever since learning about Ye Qingxian’s situation, Li Qingyi had visited several times, all to persuade her.

"Uncle Ye, Qingxian, stop protecting that piece of trash. I’ve already contacted the Beardless Sect. As long as Qingxian gives up on that trash, the Beardless Sect is willing to step forward and mediate."

After Li Qingyi finished speaking, the several young men and women beside her wore meaningful expressions.

"Elder Ye, did that trash really go out, or is he hiding because he doesn’t dare to see us?"

"Exactly. Sister Qingyi has been here so many times, yet not once has he been around."

Upon hearing this, Ye Qingxian immediately furrowed her brows.

"My little fool is not a piece of trash. You are Qingyi’s friends, and for her sake, I can let it slide this time. But if you all speak of him like that again, then please leave. Our Ye Family does not welcome you."

Seeing the slight anger on Ye Qingxian’s face, the group of teenagers instead furrowed their brows.

"Miss Qingxian, we’re here to save you and the Ye Family. How can you be so rude?"

"Besides, it’s just the truth—are we not allowed to state it? Trash is trash. Does our silence magically make him not trash?"

"Miss Qingxian, just listen to Sister Qingyi. That piece of trash is already a dead man. Even if he can cling to life today, won’t he just lose it tomorrow in the life-or-death battle anyway?"

"An ant at the Peak of Body Refining Realm actually daring to arrange a life-and-death battle with the Qi Family’s Qilin Child... he sure is bold."

"The Body Refining Realm... even I could crush such a tiny ant to death with one hand. I truly don’t know what Miss Qingxian is thinking."

Hearing the words of these young men and women, even the even-tempered Ye Tiannan couldn’t help but frown.

Ye Qingxian’s pretty face darkened even further. Looking at Li Qingyi, she said, "Qingyi, Jiang Hao really isn’t here. I know you mean well, but this is my choice. Take your friends and go home."

"Qingxian, why are you so stubborn? Their words might be hard to hear, but they’re the truth."

"Enough, don’t say anymore. And as for the rest of you, I’m asking you to get out. Leave. You are not welcome here."

Hearing this group calling him trash left and right, even Ye Qingxian had lost her good temper.

However, the more she acted like this, the angrier Li Qingyi became. "It’s all because of that trash, Jiang Hao. I really don’t know what kind of magic potion he fed you that makes you insist on following him even when you know it’s a dead end."

The more Li Qingyi thought about it, the more furious she felt, eventually transferring all of this rage onto Jiang Hao.

She had come with the good intention of talking her out of it, never expecting that even Ye Qingxian wouldn’t understand her.

"This disaster is all caused by that trash, Jiang Hao! If I run into him, I will definitely beat some sense into him."

As she spoke, Li Qingyi began shouting right there in the courtyard.

"Jiang Hao, I know you’re in there! If you’re still a man, then come out! You can court death on your own, but don’t drag Little Sister Qingxian down with you! She may be innocent and easy to fool, but I’m not someone to be trifled with!

"You surnamed Jiang, get out here right now!"

Seeing Li Qingyi, who seemed to have whipped herself into a genuine frenzy, Ye Qingxian and Ye Tiannan didn’t know what to do for a moment.

Right at this moment, a faint voice rang out from outside the courtyard.

"Miss Li, are you looking for me?"

A figure clad in white slowly appeared outside the courtyard gates.

The moment Ye Qingxian saw Jiang Hao, her mood instantly brightened.

"My little fool, you’re back?"

As she spoke, Ye Qingxian trotted over to Jiang Hao and immediately threw herself into his embrace.

At the thought that tomorrow was the life-and-death battle, she didn’t want to leave his side for even a single second.

Caught completely off guard by this sudden scene, Li Qingyi and the others all turned their heads to look.

However, because Ye Qingxian was obscuring the figure, the group failed to recognize him at first glance.

"Jiang Hao, I can’t believe you actually dared to show your face."

Li Qingyi spoke as the group briskly stepped forward, wanting to say more.

However, when Jiang Hao put an arm around Ye Qingxian and slowly revealed his full figure, Li Qingyi and the others instantly froze. Their footsteps stiffened in place as they stared blankly at that incredibly familiar face.

Jiang Hao looked at them and smiled faintly. "Miss Li, everyone, we meet again."

BOOM!!!

The moment the phrase "we meet again" left his lips, everyone shuddered violently as if struck by lightning.

Li Qingyi was dumbfounded, her eyes wide with horror. "It... it’s you?"

The others also recognized Jiang Hao. The young man standing before them was the exact same peerless monster they had encountered on Wuyang Mountain!

"He... he is Jiang Hao? How is that possible? How could this possibly be?"

The young man who had been the most vocal earlier was now breathing heavily and shaking his head like a madman.

Jiang Hao, however, looked directly at him, his face full of smiles. "I heard you say earlier that you were going to crush me to death with one hand?"

BOOM!

Jiang Hao’s words were like a heavy sledgehammer, smashing viciously into the young man’s heart.

Hearing this, the youth’s legs instantly gave out, and he collapsed to the ground with a THUD.

What a joke! Standing before him was an expert who had broken through to the Unity Realm in just fifty days. It was already glaringly obvious who was going to crush whom.

"Alright, Miss Li, thank you for your concern for Qingxian. But tomorrow is Hao’Er’s life-and-death battle, so we won’t be keeping our guests."

Watching this scene unfold, Ye Tiannan calmly issued an order for them to leave. Earlier, this group of juniors had been throwing the word "trash" around relentlessly, and he had long since reached the limits of his tolerance.

Half an hour later.

At the Li Family Mansion.

Up until this moment, Li Qingyi and the others still hadn’t recovered their wits. They didn’t even know how they had walked back to the Li Family Mansion.

Presently, the group sat blankly in the Li Family’s main hall, each wearing a vacant expression.

The Li Family’s Patriarch, Li Fengchun, hurried over upon hearing the commotion. Seeing his daughter in such a state, his worry spiked to the extreme.

"Yi’Er, what’s wrong? Why do you look like this? What happened?"

After being called several times in a row, Li Qingyi finally snapped out of her daze. With her eyes full of shock and disbelief, she looked at Li Fengchun and subconsciously stammered, "Father, Jiang... Jiang Hao... Jiang Hao, he..."

"Jiang Hao? That piece of trash?"

Hearing this, Li Fengchun instantly furrowed his brow tightly.

"Yi’Er, what about that trash? Did he bully you?

"What audacity! A dead man walking actually dared to bully my Yi’Er?

"Men, dispatch someone to the Ye Family immediately and slaughter that trash for me! What life-and-death battle? I say there’s no need for it anymore."

As soon as Li Fengchun gave the order, Li Qingyi paled in fright and hurriedly spoke up to stop him.

"Don’t!

"Father, don’t, absolutely do not!"