Chapter 610 - 342: Show You Some Respect!

He knew nothing good would come from this man seeking him out. So this was his plan.

Asking him to duel the rising martial arts star chosen by Immortal Bai... Did he have too much free time on his hands or what?

Lone Immortal Ye seemed to have anticipated his response. "Gongye Bai told me to choose you," he said coldly. "He also said that as long as I said three words to you, you would agree."

"Oh?"

"Xiao Jinghong."

Chen Yi’s smile froze as he crushed the wine jug in his hand to pieces.

He stared at Lone Immortal Ye for a long time before flashing a smile again. "Since you think so highly of me, Senior, I suppose I’ll give it a try.

"However, you also know my current Cultivation, Senior. I am truly no match for Shui Hetong. If I lose, you can’t blame me for not trying my best."

Damn it. Immortal Bai and Lone Immortal Ye, those two shameless old geezers, actually threatened him. They completely lacked the demeanor of senior experts.

Lone Immortal Ye seemed to guess his thoughts, the flush on his face fading a fraction. "If you win, I can promise to do one thing for you."

Chen Yi raised an eyebrow. "Anything at all?"

"Yes."

"Go to the Le family and... Senior, don’t get angry, I’m just joking."

Seeing a sword blade suddenly hovering right between his eyebrows, Chen Yi let out a dry laugh and added, "I will definitely give this matter my all."

Rumor had it that Shui Hetong’s Cultivation had already entered the Upper Three Grades. His Fist Dao Realm was quite high, possessing the momentum of "a punch that could topple a thousand miles of mountains and rivers."

Moreover, as a disciple of Immortal Bai, the skills he had learned couldn’t possibly be weak.

His strength was definitely greater, not weaker, than that of "Jackal" Du Cang and Yan Jingchen.

Chen Yi naturally wasn’t confident.

But thinking it over carefully, he figured he could give it a try.

A promise from a figure like Lone Immortal Ye carried the weight of ten thousand mountains. If used well, it could act as a surprise force capable of holding off a massive army.

Because of this, Chen Yi’s resistance weakened a bit.

Seeing him agree, Lone Immortal Ye’s lips moved slightly as if he were speaking to someone. Shortly after, a waiter from the Yunqing Building walked in carrying six jugs of wine. He respectfully arranged them neatly before backing out of the room.

Chen Yi looked at the liquor, then at Lone Immortal Ye, whose complexion had returned to normal. Circulating the True Essence within his body, he neutralized the alcohol in his stomach.

Lone Immortal Ye paid no attention to his actions. Just like before, he slapped open the paper seal on a wine jug and drank.

Chen Yi had no choice but to risk his life and keep the gentleman company.

After three rounds of drinks.

After finishing his second jug of wine, Lone Immortal Ye suddenly looked at him and said, "Your talent is the greatest I have ever seen in my life."

Chen Yi slapped open his third jug of Lang Wine and smiled. "You flatter me, Senior. I just have somewhat better luck, that’s all."

Lone Immortal Ye shook his head slightly. "Human strength has its limits. Even someone as powerful as Gongye Bai has only cultivated three Daos.

"As for me, only my Sword Dao and Step Dao have entered the Extreme Realm.

"In your Martial Arts, you have made remarkable achievements in body, step, punch, spear, blade, and sword. This is exceptionally rare in this world."

Seeing him praise him endlessly, Chen Yi wasn’t pleased. Instead, he grew a little wary and guarded.

"Senior... do you have further instructions?"

Surprisingly, Lone Immortal Ye nodded directly. His tone softened slightly, shifting from cold to plain. "In two years, there will be an event called Debating and Striving for the Lead on the South Sea. If any of your Daos reaches the Extreme Realm, you may also go and take a look."

"Debating and Striving for the Lead?"

"Yes. People from Great Wei, the Barbarian Race, Poshisu Country, and even Japan will go."

Chen Yi’s expression shifted slightly. He looked at him and asked carefully, "Will they all be senior experts at the same Realm as you and Immortal Bai?"

Lone Immortal Ye gave a slight nod and said, "Gongye Bai, myself, and Nun Jingci from Wumeng Mountain."

"Nun Jingci? Is her strength comparable to yours as well?"

Chen Yi had naturally heard of Nun Jingci’s name. Previously, Xiao Wan’er would travel to Wumeng Mountain every September and October to recuperate her health, all with the help of this Nun Jingci.

However, he had only assumed that Nun Jingci specialized in the Medical Dao. He never expected her to be an expert on par with Lone Immortal Ye and Immortal Bai.

Seeing Lone Immortal Ye nod, Chen Yi said thoughtfully, "No wonder Immortal Bai came to Shu State. He’s here to invite Nun Jingci."

He looked at Lone Immortal Ye and added, "Is your duel with Senior Immortal Bai also because of this Debating and Striving for the Lead on the South Sea?"

Lone Immortal Ye nodded once again. "Worthy opponents are hard to find. My hands were itching for a fight." Pausing for a moment, he then shook his head and said, "Gongye Bai didn’t just come to Shu State for invitations and spars. He has other matters to attend to."

Chen Yi perked up his ears, wanting to hear the details, but he waited and waited without any follow-up. He couldn’t help but feel a bit exasperated.

Fortunately, he wasn’t overly curious, otherwise hearing only half a sentence would have driven him crazy.

"May I ask what exactly is this Debating and Striving for the Lead? Why does Senior Immortal Bai have to invite people personally?"

Lone Immortal Ye continued to shake his head, saying, "It cannot be spoken of."

"..."

Chen Yi cursed inwardly, guessing it was probably because his current Cultivation and Techniques were still insufficient. So, he didn’t ask any further.

Then, he lifted his wine jug and gestured toward Lone Immortal Ye. "Please."

Lone Immortal Ye was straightforward, replying with a single word. "Come."

It wasn’t until the sun set in the evening that the two finally finished their battle.

The result was naturally a tie, with each of them downing ten jugs of wine.

Even with their Martial Arts to support them and the ability to use True Essence to neutralize the alcohol, they both felt somewhat tipsy by this point.

Chen Yi checked the sky outside the window, stood up, and cupped his hands. "Thank you for your hospitality, Senior. I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll be taking my leave first."

Lone Immortal Ye gave him a glance. Resting his hand on the hilt of his sword, his entire body transformed into a streak of light. In the blink of an eye, he vanished into the horizon.

Chen Yi was stunned. His mouth gaped slightly as he stared at the spot where the man had disappeared, standing frozen for a long time.

"Goddamn it..."

No matter how good-tempered Chen Yi was, encountering such a senior expert left him speechless for a moment. He could only curse inwardly. There was nothing he could do. Lone Immortal Ye had run off, which meant someone had to pay the silver for the food and liquor in this private room.

Shaking his head with a sigh, Chen Yi stumbled out of the private room and headed downstairs to the counter to settle the bill.

"Mr. Qingzhou, twenty jugs of top-quality Lang Wine comes to one hundred taels of silver. As for the food, consider it complimentary snacks to go with your drinks."

Expressionless, Chen Yi pulled out his coin pouch, slapped down a silver note, and turned to leave the Yunqing Building, walking toward the Hundred Herbs Hall across the street.

He had to commit this debt to memory—on the twenty-ninth day of September in the 21st year of Anhe, "Monarch Xue Jian," Lone Immortal Ye, owed him a hundred taels of silver!

Floating in the sky atop his long sword, Lone Immortal Ye looked down at Chen Yi entering the Hundred Herbs Hall. A rare trace of a smile appeared on his icy face.

"Not a bad tolerance for liquor..." Immediately after, he turned into a streak of light and departed.

***

Thanks to the unexpected disruption caused by Lone Immortal Ye, Chen Yi’s leisurely mood was completely ruined.

After arriving at the Quiet Chamber of the Hundred Herbs Hall, he had Wang Ji bring him pen and paper, then wrote down his arrangements one by one.

"Medicine supply: Head to the Mountain Race as soon as possible. If they ask, give them Pei Guanli’s name.

"Expansion into Shu State must not be delayed. Using Guangyuan and the Prefecture City as our foundation, spread out to the surrounding areas. Strive to cover all of Shu State before the end of the year.

"Additionally, buy the five Xinglin Hall shops here in the Prefecture City. There’s no need to limit the tea supply..."

After writing down all the tasks one by one, Chen Yi naturally spoke about other unrelated matters aloud. He inquired about the recent situation of the Hundred Herbs Hall, asked how many silver coins the Medicine Hall was distributing as profits, and questioned the whereabouts of Mr. Chen Yu, the owner, among other things.

Wang Ji smiled and answered as he read the contents on the paper.

Once the official business was concluded, Chen Yi noticed it was getting late. He thought for a moment and asked, "Are Guard Liu and Zhang Dabao not here?"

"They’re currently staying with the guards from the Celestial Sect," Wang Ji replied. "Following the boss’s instructions, since the expansion of the Hundred Herbs Hall concerns the Marquis’s Mansion, Guard Liu was tasked with teaching Martial Arts to the other guards."

Chen Yi raised an eyebrow slightly and mouthed wordlessly, "Liu Lang’s idea?"

Unexpectedly, Wang Ji shook his head. "It was the Celestial Sect disciples who requested it themselves.

"I’m not too clear on the details, but I heard that the previous attack by the Five Poison Sect made them lose face. They all want to improve their Cultivation as quickly as possible.

"So Xue Duanyun sought out Liu Lang and asked him to help instruct the others."

Chen Yi nodded in understanding, a hint of a smile appearing on his lips. "Liu Lang has finally done something productive."

After chatting for a bit longer, Chen Yi gave Wang Ji a few more instructions before getting up to leave.

He didn’t forget to first stop by the Jishi Medicine Hall to pick up Pei Guanli, bringing her along with him back to the Xiao family.

However, for some unknown reason, Tiger Girl was rather depressed and unusually quiet along the way.

Although Chen Yi wasn’t in the best of moods either, he was free-spirited by nature. If there was a problem, he would simply find a way to solve it. Thus, he smiled and asked, "How are you getting along with Liu’er?"

Pei Guanli snapped out of her daze and looked at him with confusion on her face. "Chen Yi, is my talent in Martial Arts very poor?"

Chen Yi couldn’t help but laugh, finally understanding the reason behind her gloomy mood.

"Of course you’re not."

But that also depended on who she was comparing herself to...