A man emerged from deeper within the cave. He strode up to Ye Chu and Tan Miaotong, his eyes carrying a trace of cold sharpness.
“Were you calling for me?” Ye Chu noticed Tan Miaotong’s body tense up. He gently patted the back of her hand to signal her to relax. The soft, silky touch under his palm made his heart involuntarily stir. “What’s the matter? We were just passing by, saw such a large cave, and could not resist coming in to take a look.”
The man relaxed slightly, his expression softening a bit. “This cave belongs to our village. Outsiders are not permitted to enter. Please leave.”
“Why not?” Ye Chu said indignantly. “This is a naturally formed cave. Why can’t we go in?”
“I say you cannot, so you cannot!” The man replied domineeringly, glaring at Ye Chu as he shouted.
“Fine then!” Ye Chu sighed dramatically and grumbled loudly in an exaggerated tone. “It is just a lousy cave. As if this young master is that interested in going inside anyway.”
Seeing Ye Chu lead Tan Miaotong away, the man breathed a sigh of relief. He continued deeper into the cave. The Demon Origin Grass had ripened considerably, and he needed to harvest the mature ones and bring them back to the village.
Not long after he had gone in, Tan Miaotong and Ye Chu, who had turned back, once again stepped forward and headed inside.
“Giggle, you are really naughty. No wonder Wenting keeps telling me to stay away from you.” Tan Miaotong could not help covering her mouth and laughing. Her heart had tightened when she first saw someone appear. She had not expected Ye Chu to tell such a bald-faced lie without even blinking. Though the lie itself was not particularly clever, his natural and composed demeanour made it genuinely convincing, as though he had truly wandered in by accident.
“Qing Wenting is secretly in love with me. She is afraid that if you get too close to me, I will ignore her, so she keeps telling you to stay away from me.” Ye Chu shrugged. “Otherwise, why would Qing Wenting herself avoid me?”
“You are so full of yourself!” Tan Miaotong found it amusing. She knew Qing Wenting’s personality all too well. How could she possibly like someone like him? Ye Chu really loved putting gold on his own face!
Looking at Tan Miaotong’s radiant smile that bewitched in every direction, Ye Chu could not resist teasing her further. He leaned in close, his nose almost brushing against her long, silky hair, catching the faint, sweet fragrance drifting from it.
“If I really were a bad person, would Miaotong still pay attention to me?” Ye Chu asked with a smile. His warm breath nearly touched Tan Miaotong’s face.
“Ah…”
Tan Miaotong’s face flushed crimson. Seeing Ye Chu’s face draw so near, she let out a startled cry. Her cheeks burned hot, blooming with shy anger, utterly charming and enchanting.
Yet Ye Chu had no mind to appreciate the sight. He felt like crying inside. Why had he teased Tan Miaotong for no reason? That startled cry was bound to alert the man from earlier.
Sure enough, the man shot back out from deeper inside. Seeing that Ye Chu and Tan Miaotong had returned, his face darkened to an extreme.
“You little brat! You almost fooled me!” The man was furious. If he had let them go deeper and they discovered the cave’s secret, what then?
Tan Miaotong looked at Ye Chu with a mix of panic and apology as the man appeared.
Ye Chu smiled reassuringly at her, indicating there was no need to worry. He stepped forward. Since avoiding confrontation was no longer possible, he would have to find a way to deal with this man and prevent him from spreading the word.
“You were told to leave, yet you refused. Do not blame me then.” The man roared and struck out fiercely. His attack was domineering and terrifying. The surrounding spiritual energy surged along with his movements, pressing down towards Ye Chu.
The man thought that with his Innate Realm strength, a single move would be enough to handle this boy. But how could he have known that the young man before him would neither dodge nor evade? With a smile still on his lips, Ye Chu met the strike head-on.
“Bang…”
A resounding collision rang out. The man was sent flying backwards. His arm trembled violently from the impact, sharp pain shooting into his mind. He could not help drawing in a sharp breath.
“You are also at the Innate Realm.” The man climbed up from the ground, staring at Ye Chu in shock and horror. Suddenly, he understood something. An Innate Realm cultivator entering here could not possibly be a coincidence. Could it be that the other party already knew the cave’s secret?
At this realisation, the man’s expression changed dramatically. If such a secret leaked out, it would be impossible for their village to maintain exclusive control over Demon Origin Cave. How many people would come seeking Demon Origin Grass? Though their village was strong, the world was full of powerful experts. Just a few years ago, had not someone robbed them of Demon Origin Grass and left without consequence?
“You can stay here forever!” Ye Chu lunged forward with a grasping strike, intending to finish him off.
The man’s face twisted in alarm. He spun his body and shot towards the side in a burst of speed. After that clash, he knew full well he was no match for Ye Chu. In that case, his only option was to hurry back to the village.
He darted swiftly behind a cluster of rocks. He was not worried about failing to escape. The cave was extremely complex. If he wanted to flee, it would be very difficult for the other party to catch him.
“Want to escape? Should not you at least ask if I agree first?”
Just as the man was about to dash into another tunnel entrance, Ye Chu somehow appeared in front of him and struck out once more.
“Damn it!” The man cursed loudly. He raised his arm to block. The arm that had already been in agony took the full force of Ye Chu’s strike again. It immediately swelled red, the bones creaking ominously.
“Ah…” The man cried out in pain. His gaze darted to the side as he tried to slip into yet another cave opening.
But Ye Chu’s relentless, continuous attacks poured out like waves. Though the people of this village were indeed strong, how could their techniques compare to Ye Chu’s refined mastery? Soon, the man was beaten down to the ground.
Ye Chu struck a final blow to the man’s neck. The opponent immediately fainted. Ye Chu did not kill him. That last strike was enough to keep him unconscious for a full day. With that much time, he would have more than enough to harvest the Demon Origin Grass.
Tan Miaotong watched as Ye Chu merely knocked the man out. She looked at Ye Chu curiously. “I thought you were going to kill him. Wenting always says you kill without batting an eye!”
“Do you think I am some bloodthirsty demon?” Ye Chu rolled his eyes. “Why would I kill someone for no reason?”
Tan Miaotong covered her mouth and giggled softly. She thought to herself that Qing Wenting really loved ruining Ye Chu’s reputation. Recalling the words written on the old city wall, Tan Miaotong felt that Ye Chu was different from ordinary young men. At the very least, his ability to endure infamy was far greater than most.
“Let us go.” Ye Chu reached out and took Tan Miaotong’s hand, stepping deeper into the cave.
Tan Miaotong’s heart raced as Ye Chu held her hand. She stole a quick glance at him. Seeing that his gaze was clear and focused earnestly ahead, completely unconcerned about their joined hands, she quietly let out a breath of relief. “I was overthinking it. Ye Chu has no intention of taking advantage at all.”
Ye Chu felt Tan Miaotong’s palm relax. The warm, soft sensation made him want to gently squeeze her hand. He forcefully suppressed the urge. He knew very well that if he made even the slightest unnatural move, Tan Miaotong would flee like a startled bird.
If that happened, it would truly be more loss than gain!