Chapter 1837: Since You’re Here, Do You Still Want to Leave?

"Genuine goods at a fair price, no cheating the old or the young!"

With Yun Xiao’s wits, how could he not know what that Fan Yulin was thinking? It was just that with his current strength, a mere Hua Xuan Realm Early Stage fellow could no longer make him feel much apprehension.

Back then in the Murong Tomb, even Lu Qinwan’s disciple Xue Qi had been beaten by Yun Xiao until he fled in utter disarray. This nameless fellow here couldn’t possibly be stronger than Xue Qi, right?

"Brother Yun Xiao, that old fellow is a Steward of the Inspection Hall at the Emperor Palace Headquarters, called Fan Yulin. His Cultivation is at the Hua Xuan Realm Early Stage!"

At some unknown point, Situ Nan had already swept over to the courtyard wall where Yun Xiao was. The heaviness in his voice carried a trace of worry; clearly, he didn’t think too highly of Yun Xiao’s chances.

Don’t look at how Situ Nan had twice witnessed Yun Xiao’s methods before; right now he too had naturally been sensing this peer’s strength. With Cultivation at Heavenly Realm Peak, Yun Xiao was still weaker by one grade compared to his own Half-step Holy Rank.

With Cultivation at Heavenly Realm Peak, killing Heavenly Realm Early Stage or Heavenly Realm Late Stage Cultivators in a surprise attack indeed allowed one to take the enemy down in a single move, but when encountering some even stronger Cultivators, the situation would be completely different.

Situ Nan himself was a Half-step Holy Rank powerhouse, so he understood all the better just how powerful that Hua Xuan Realm Early Stage Fan Yulin was. This could be seen from the outcome he had just suffered.

Fan Yulin hadn’t even truly made a move; just by assisting Yu Baicang a little, he had left Situ Nan utterly without the power to fight back. It showed that his Cultivation, knowledge, and even battle experience were far beyond anything Situ Nan could compare to.

"Brother Yun Xiao, with that Fan Yulin here, we probably won’t be getting any advantage today. Why don’t we take a step back first and then plan at length?"

After these thoughts turned over in his mind, and with him already having suffered some internal injuries, Situ Nan didn’t want to linger in battle under such unfavorable conditions, so he immediately offered a suggestion.

In Situ Nan’s view, if he and Yun Xiao chose to withdraw without fighting, it wasn’t necessarily impossible for them to escape with their lives. They could always come back to reclaim this field later.

"Hmph, since you’re already here, you still want to leave?"

Though Situ Nan’s voice was low, Fan Yulin over there was a Hua Xuan Realm powerhouse and vaguely heard him. A cruel smile appeared on Fan Yulin’s face, and the excitement in his tone wasn’t concealed in the slightest.

"That’s right. Since we’re already here, there’s no rush to leave."

Just as Fan Yulin’s sneer fell, Situ Nan suddenly heard the coarse-clothed youth at his side speak up in agreement, making him inwardly anxious.

"Forget it, things have already come to this. That old Fan Yulin definitely won’t easily let the two of us off, so let’s just fight it out with them!"

Situ Nan wasn’t someone afraid of trouble. What he’d said just now was merely a suggestion. In truth, he didn’t really think it would work—how could these people from the Emperor Palace just let them walk away?

After Situ Nan’s words fell, the aura he had just restrained on his body seemed to show a tendency to be roused again, but unexpectedly, it was immediately suppressed when Yun Xiao slapped a palm onto his shoulder.

"I know your Situ Family has a Secret Technique that can temporarily raise your strength, but it’s too damaging to the body. Better not use it."

Yun Xiao’s words followed right after, making Situ Nan’s heart jolt. He thought to himself that in the hundred years since, there were probably almost no one left who knew this secret of the Situ Family.

"Huh? My injuries..."

But in the next moment, Situ Nan had no mind to think of anything else, for he suddenly discovered that his right shoulder, which had been blasted by Yu Baicang earlier, was actually completely healed.

At this moment, storms raged in Situ Nan’s heart. One had to know that the injury he had just suffered was no ordinary minor wound—that was a fury-fueled strike from Yu Baicang, one that had forced him into a desperate situation.

At least in Situ Nan’s view, if he recuperated step by step without other pressure, it would still take ten days to half a month to fully recover. Yet now, the youth beside him had merely given him a light pat, and he felt as if nothing had happened.

"Could this Brother Yun Xiao actually be an Advanced Medical Pulse Master of the Heaven Rank?"

Situ Nan guessed the truth in one shot, yet his heart remained shaken. Even if Yun Xiao really was an Advanced Medical Pulse Master of the Heaven Rank, this method was still too formidable.

Ordinary Medical Pulse Masters, when treating injuries and illnesses, at the very least needed to use needles and acupoint techniques, and bring out some Meridian Arrays for it to be effective. How could there be such a thing as just a light pat restoring his injuries completely?

"What nonsense are you thinking? I only made you temporarily unable to feel pain. Now, do you have the confidence to fight Yu Baicang one-on-one?"

Just as Situ Nan’s thoughts were swirling, the youth’s deep voice came from his side, waking him up in an instant. He secretly thought that he had indeed been overthinking. With such serious injuries, how could they heal so quickly?

"As long as Fan Yulin doesn’t help, what counts is that mere Yu Baicang?"

At this moment, Situ Nan’s heroic spirit surged. Although his injuries were still there, they no longer affected him in the slightest. The reason he had been defeated so quickly earlier was only because Fan Yulin had been assisting Yu Baicang from the side.

"Yu Baicang, do you have the guts to fight young master me for another three hundred rounds?"

As if to prove his resolve, Situ Nan let out a loud shout, and his entire figure abruptly shot toward Yu Baicang, surging forward with boundless arrogance.

"A defeated cur, and you dare speak of courage?"

Seeing Situ Nan rushing at him, Yu Baicang grew so furious he laughed instead. He did not think in the slightest that he had relied on Fan Yulin’s help to win; he only knew that he had just defeated this ignorant brat once already.

Yu Baicang knew full well how powerful that palm of his had been. That Emperor Palace Hunter’s combat strength would have dropped by at least thirty percent because of it. This time, even without Fan Yulin’s assistance, he felt he could quickly win the battle.

Bang!

Who would have thought that when the two clashed again, they each retreated two steps. This left Yu Baicang’s eyes filled with shock and doubt, and he locked his gaze firmly onto Situ Nan’s right shoulder.

"How is this possible? Wasn’t his right shoulder already heavily injured?"

This was what Yu Baicang could not figure out no matter how he pondered. Just now, he had clearly seen Situ Nan withdraw with serious injuries, and he knew the power of his own palm all too well. How could the other party, in such a short span of time, be back to looking as if nothing had happened?

"Again!"

Situ Nan did not have as many thoughts as Yu Baicang. Hearing his own excited shout, he stuck to Yu Baicang like a shadow. Without Fan Yulin’s aid this time, in merely a dozen moves, he had already forced Yu Baicang vaguely into the losing side.

On the other side, seeing that although Yu Baicang was gradually falling behind he had not yet shown clear signs of defeat, Fan Yulin’s gaze had long since shifted to that coarse-clothed youth.

This Inspection Hall Steward from the Emperor Palace Headquarters, Fan Yulin, knew very clearly which of the two young men was more important. Compared to that Emperor Palace Hunter, he was undoubtedly more interested in Yun Xiao.

One was nothing more than a petty clown causing trouble in this Northeast Territory, while the other was a wanted criminal whom even the Empress attached great importance to. If Fan Yulin could not even distinguish this much, he would not be worthy of being an Inspection Hall Steward.

"Master Steward, allow me to make a move and seize that brat!"

Just as thoughts turned in Fan Yulin’s mind, a familiar voice sounded beside him. When he turned his head, he saw that it was none other than Cai Yong, the Emperor Palace’s Second Elder, who had spoken.

"You and Liu Zheng go together!"

After a brief moment of pondering, Fan Yulin seemed to think of something, then pointed at another person to the side. The Liu Zheng he mentioned was precisely the Great Elder of this Emperor Palace branch, second in status here only to Yu Baicang.

This Great Elder Liu Zheng of the Emperor Palace had already broken through to the Heavenly Realm Peak ten years ago. His combat strength far surpassed that of Second Elder Cai Yong, who had only just stepped into this Realm.

Fan Yulin had just witnessed Yun Xiao’s bizarre methods: the Fourth Elder at the Heavenly Realm Late Stage had been unable to withstand even a single move. If he let Cai Yong, this Second Elder who had only just entered Heavenly Realm Peak, make a move alone, he truly had no confidence.

It seemed that for this wanted man whom even the Empress took seriously, Fan Yulin did not dare underestimate him too much. Although the other was young, to have already cultivated his Meridian Qi Cultivation to the Heavenly Realm Peak at such an age clearly marked his Talent as extraordinary.

First let these two Emperor Palace Elders probe him, at least to figure out what trump cards that brat had. Only then could they ensure nothing went wrong; this was Fan Yulin’s overall plan.

Moreover, Fan Yulin believed that with himself nearby overseeing the battle, it would be impossible for any accident to befall these two Emperor Palace Elders. Once they had forced out all of that brat’s methods, capturing him might become twice the result with half the effort.

"Go."

Under Fan Yulin’s encouraging gaze, the two Heavenly Realm Peak Elders of the Red Rock City Emperor Palace bowed to him in unison, then leapt forward, flanking Yun Xiao from the left and right.

"Fan Yulin, a dignified Hua Xuan Realm Early Stage expert like you won’t make a move, and instead you send these two old geezers to their deaths?"

Yun Xiao did not care in the least about being in such a disadvantageous position. Instead, he turned his gaze to Fan Yulin, and the words that came out of his mouth instantly enraged the two Emperor Palace Elders.

These two were Heavenly Realm Peak Cultivators, who within the bounds of Red Rock City could call the wind and summon the rain. Few people dared provoke them lightly; they were figures ranked among the very top beneath Supervisor Yu Baicang.

Yet this greenhorn who had seemingly popped out of nowhere dared to boast so shamelessly, treating Heavenly Realm Peak Emperor Palace Elders as if they were nothing. This was simply unbearable.

Long accustomed to giving orders with an air of superiority, the two Emperor Palace Elders simultaneously let dense Heavenly Realm Peak Meridian Qi surge from their bodies. Judging by aura alone, they were countless times stronger than the seemingly calm and indifferent Yun Xiao at their side.

They simply had no idea what kind of existence they were facing. Let alone Heavenly Realm Peak experts like them—even Half-step Holy Rank Directors of the Emperor Palace were not without precedent for Yun Xiao to have slain.