Chapter 23: A Helping Hand

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In the northern part of Bluestone Town, smoke curled up from the chimney of a low, humble house. Soon, the rich aroma of food wafted through the air, making mouths water in anticipation.

“Brother, it’s ready to eat.” Inside, a little girl set the cooked beast meat on the table, then took out bowls and chopsticks, arranging them neatly as she spoke to Ye Zihan.

Ye Zihan nodded and sat down, picking up his chopsticks. He took a piece of the meat and placed it in the girl's bowl. “Eat more,” he said.

So young, so thin—one could not help but feel pity.

The girl smiled, her eyes reddening with emotion. She picked up a large piece of meat and put it into Ye Zihan’s bowl as well. “Brother, you eat too.”

Ye Zihan did not decline. With a gentle smile, he nodded and brought the meat to his mouth.

The moment the beast meat touched his tongue, its tenderness and flavor awoke his palate, drawing a heartfelt exclamation from him. In the four years he had lived in the Beast Domain, he had always roasted wild beasts over open flame and eaten them as they were. This was the first time in years he’d tasted something so carefully cooked.

The girl, though young, was well-versed in household chores—cooking, tending the fire, and all. Even with such modest means, she could prepare a dish both fragrant and delicious, earning Ye Zihan’s sincere praise.

As they ate, the two chatted about daily life.

“My name is Lin Ruoxi. What’s your name, brother?” After a while, the girl asked, feeling it would be ungrateful not to even know her benefactor’s name.

“If brother doesn’t want to say, that’s fine too.” Remembering the saying that heroes need not reveal their origins, she quickly added, fearing Ye Zihan might be displeased.

Ye Zihan chuckled. “My name is Ye Zihan.”

“Brother Zihan.” Lin Ruoxi’s delight was obvious as she called out sweetly, overjoyed at his openness.

They continued their meal and conversation in high spirits.

Suddenly, a coughing sound came from the side.

“Father!” Lin Ruoxi immediately set down her chopsticks and rushed to the bedside. Seeing the middle-aged man finally awake, she was moved to tears.

With great care, Lin Ruoxi helped her father sit up. Ye Zihan approached and asked, “How do you feel? Any sign of nausea?”

The man looked at the unfamiliar youth before him, bewildered and silent for a moment.

“Father, this is Brother Ye Zihan. He cured your poisoning,” Lin Ruoxi explained at once.

At her words, the memory returned: some days ago, he had ventured deep into the Beast Mountain Range, fought a fierce battle with a Violet-striped Serpent, and was poisoned by its venom. He had made it home, but then lost consciousness. Now, hearing Lin Ruoxi, he realized it was this young man who had saved him.

“I am deeply grateful for your help, Brother Ye.” The middle-aged man quickly clasped his hands in respect. “I, Lin Zhen, am but a humble man, yet Brother Ye has saved my life. I feel much better now—no sign of nausea at all.”

The youth in red before him seemed very young, yet to heal a second-tier venom was no easy feat. Lin Zhen dared not act as a superior in age.

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“My daughter, Lin Ruoxi, must have troubled you greatly, Brother Ye?” Someone with such skill would not have come to cure him for no reason; it must have been because of his daughter.

Ye Zihan only smiled, replying instead, “Uncle, you have a good daughter.”

Lin Zhen smiled with comfort, gently ruffling Lin Ruoxi’s messy hair. “This child, though young, knows the meaning of filial piety. If not for her mother, I would not have ventured into the Beast Domain. During my poisoning, who knows how much hardship this girl endured…”

A flicker passed through Ye Zihan’s eyes. There seemed to be more to Lin Zhen’s poisoning than met the eye.

“Father, I’m not afraid of hardship. As long as we can rescue Mother soon, no suffering will daunt me.” Lin Ruoxi buried her face in his chest, tears falling as she recalled her mother.

“What happened?” Ye Zihan felt something was amiss and pressed for details.

Lin Zhen hesitated, then said, “Brother Ye has shown me great kindness; I will not hide the truth from you.”

After gathering his thoughts, Lin Zhen continued, “I was born and raised in Bluestone Town. Though my talent in cultivation is mediocre, my knowledge of the Beast Domain allows me to capture low-tier beasts to exchange for food and keep my family fed.”

“Over ten years ago, I married Ruoxi’s mother. Later, we had Ruoxi. Our life wasn’t luxurious, but with me hunting, my wife selling beast cores and pelts, and even Ruoxi helping out, our little family lived in humble happiness.”

Lin Zhen’s eyes narrowed, his mind drifting back to those simple yet blissful days.

“A little over a month ago, I hunted down an early second-tier Shadow Hawk and, as usual, handed its core to Ruoxi’s mother to sell in town. I never imagined disaster would follow.”

He sighed. “My wife, though from the village, has some beauty. That should not have mattered, but that day she caught the eye of Liu Ye, the most lecherous man in all Bluestone Town. He used some tricks to buy the core, then turned around and accused my wife of selling a fake, claiming it was not a true Shadow Hawk core and that his son suffered a loss of vital energy after refining it.”

“That was utter nonsense! Though I am not strong, I risk my life for every beast I bring back. How could I sell a fake?”

Emotion flared in Lin Zhen’s voice, but helplessness soon followed. “But Liu Ye is from the Liu family, a clan that has dominated Bluestone Town for generations. They are powerful and act as they please—no one dares challenge them. Using the beast core as an excuse, Liu Ye demanded we pay a hundred taels of silver in compensation. For a family like ours, where would we find such money? Unable to pay, we fell right into Liu Ye’s trap. That fiend seized my wife, claiming she would be held as a hostage until I raised the sum.”

“I went to the Liu family in anger, but my strength was no match for theirs and I was driven out. With no other options, I risked venturing deeper into the Beast Mountain Range, hoping to hunt a higher-tier beast to raise enough silver. Instead, I was poisoned by the Violet-striped Serpent. If not for Brother Ye’s intervention, I would not have survived.”

Lin Zhen finished and bowed deeply in gratitude to Ye Zihan.

Ye Zihan listened with furrowed brow, anger simmering beneath his calm exterior.

Such brazen villainy in broad daylight!

To satisfy his own desires, Liu Ye had framed an honest family, torn them apart, driven Lin Zhen to the brink of death, and forced Lin Ruoxi into peril.

Such scum were no better than beasts!

“Ruoxi, take me to the Liu household,” Ye Zihan said coldly, his tone icy.

“Brother Ye, you mustn’t!” Lin Zhen was alarmed. He did not know Ye Zihan’s true strength, but he knew the Liu family boasted powerful Four Symbols-tier masters. If Ye Zihan went, he would be in grave danger. “I still have the Violet-striped Serpent in my spatial ring. Selling it could raise thirty taels. I’ll find a way for the rest. Please, Brother Ye, don’t risk yourself!”

“Rest assured. I won’t do anything I’m not confident in,” Ye Zihan replied firmly.

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Ruoxi glanced at Ye Zihan and, seeing the determination in his eyes, looked up at her father. “Father, let Brother Zihan try. He’s very strong. This morning, he knocked down Master Yuan with a single punch just to save me.”

“What?!” Lin Zhen was even more shocked. Master Yuan was a mid-level practitioner of the Two Forms tier, yet this frail-looking youth had defeated him with one blow? Clearly, his strength was unfathomable.

“Uncle, rest and recover. The venom has only just been cleared—you are still weak and need to recuperate. Leave this matter to me,” Ye Zihan told him.

Lin Zhen thought for a moment, hesitated, then finally said, “Very well, I’ll trouble you with this, Brother Ye. But please, don’t act recklessly. If things go wrong, withdraw immediately.”

Ye Zihan nodded, called for Ruoxi, and left the house.

Ruoxi answered, reminded her father to rest well, and followed Ye Zihan out. Her trust in him was now absolute.

Lin Zhen watched their departing figures, his expression complex. When his eyes had met Ye Zihan’s just now, he had glimpsed coldness—and the will to kill.

This boy had seen blood.

…

In the heart of Bluestone Town stood a grand manor, occupying nearly a third of the entire settlement.

At this moment, two figures approached along the avenue, stopping at the manor’s main gate before proceeding forward.

“Halt! Who are you brats, daring to trespass on the Liu estate? Do you have a death wish?” Two burly guards at the entrance barked at them.

The figures paid them no heed, continuing onward.

“Ignorant whelps, seeking death!” Enraged at being ignored, the guards raised their sheathed broadswords and swung at the intruders, one from each side.

Two crisp sounds rang out as one of the figures extended a hand, catching both blades with ease.

“Get lost, riffraff. Call Liu Ye out,” the youth said coldly. With a flick of his wrist, the broadswords spun, sending the guards flying through the air before they crashed heavily to the ground.

“What’s all this commotion?” A man with a goatee, looking every bit the steward, emerged from within, followed by a group of black-clad guards.

“A mere brat dares make trouble at the Liu household?” Seeing his men lying groaning on the ground, the steward knew these were not ordinary visitors. With a wave of his hand, the guards spread out, surrounding the two intruders.

“Bring out Liu Ye,” the youth said again, his face unchanged, voice calm.

“Third Master Liu is not someone street urchins like you can meet. Besides, why would a whelp like you seek an audience with him?”

“To collect a debt,” came the icy reply, devoid of feeling. In the vast expanse of the manor, the words rang out, chilling all who heard them.