Chapter 27: The Blueprint of Azure Patterns

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Dusk had settled, and the last rays of the setting sun cast a gentle glow, lengthening the shadows of all things. Along the main street of Bluestone Town, a youth of fifteen or sixteen walked forward, his shadow trailing long behind him. By his direction, he was heading out of town.

This youth was Ye Zihan, who had just bid farewell to the Lin family. In today’s battle, Liu Ye had resorted to treachery, taking Lin Ruoxi hostage to threaten Ye Zihan. Furious, Ye Zihan drew upon part of Hong Yan’s power, cutting down Liu Xiong and Liu Ye with swift and deadly force, rescuing Lin Ruoxi’s mother.

The Lin family, reunited at last, were overwhelmed with joy and gratitude, repeatedly giving thanks to Ye Zihan. Yet, impoverished as they were, Lin Zhen had nothing to offer in return and felt deeply apologetic. Ye Zihan, of course, cared little for such things. He had never helped the Lin family for reward. When Lin Zhen, somewhat embarrassed, asked why someone of Ye Zihan’s skills would so enthusiastically aid strangers, Ye Zihan only smiled warmly, gently stroking Lin Ruoxi’s hair, and replied, “I have a little sister who is very much like Ruoxi.”

Lin Zhen and his family could not quite grasp his meaning and simply assumed Ye Zihan had been moved by sympathy for Lin Ruoxi. Though the world was cold and indifferent, there still existed some people with warmth and conscience.

Yet it was Lin Ruoxi’s mother who left Ye Zihan somewhat puzzled. Though already a matron, she was remarkably well-preserved; plain clothes could not conceal her graceful beauty, and her every gesture held a faint air of nobility. Lan Yu had once mentioned to Ye Zihan that the woman seemed to harbor some strange creature within her, making her aura different from ordinary people. Where most had a continuous, steady breath, hers was intermittent, now strong, now weak, quite bizarre.

Whenever Ye Zihan observed her closely, the woman would turn away, as if still unsettled by the trauma of the Liu family’s attack, her gaze evasive. Her behavior clearly hinted at some concealed secret she was unwilling to reveal. Yet, as it was her private matter, Ye Zihan did not pry. After a brief conversation with Lin Zhen and a few words of advice to Lin Ruoxi, he took his leave.

Now that Liu Xiong and Liu Ye were dead, the Liu family scattered and powerless, Ye Zihan no longer worried about anyone troubling Lin Zhen. Moreover, news of the Liu patriarch’s defeat seemed to have grown wings—by midday it had already spread throughout Bluestone Town. Outsiders might not know Ye Zihan’s face, but his crimson robes had become a symbol of bloodshed. To avoid unnecessary trouble, Ye Zihan had changed into a black cloak.

After the intense battle and a period of meditation, Ye Zihan sensed he was on the verge of a breakthrough. Seizing upon the momentum from his recent fight, he planned to head outside town to seek a worthy opponent—be it beast, demon, or human—in hopes that combat would provide the opportunity he needed to advance.

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The wilds, deserted and untamed, were the perfect place for all creatures to reveal their true nature. Instinct and potential could be unleashed to the fullest in such a setting.

Moreover, during his day in Bluestone Town, seeing Lin Ruoxi had only made Ye Zihan miss his own sister even more. His longing to see Ye Zixue was now almost unbearable.

After falling from the cliff and emerging from the Beast Domain, Ye Zihan’s path back to the human world was completely different from the route through the Monster Beast Mountains he once took. Now, he had to take a long, winding detour to return to the Ye family. Even at his walking pace, the journey would take some time. Eager to see his sister sooner, he was growing impatient and did not wish to waste a single moment.

Without pause, Ye Zihan headed straight for Bluestone Town’s main gate. Beyond it, for dozens of miles, lay either mountain or plain, interspersed with streams and greenery, but rarely a sign of human life. The landscape was bleak and desolate.

The area around the city gate, connecting the wilds to the town, was the busiest part of Bluestone. Inns, taverns, pawnshops—everything could be found here. All sorts of people, coming and going, would stop by to make purchases or pawn items for later use.

As the town’s commercial hub, the trading of monster cores, pelts, and all manner of goods was lively and intense. Even as dusk approached, many vendors still displayed their wares on the ground.

Ye Zihan strolled past, glancing from side to side, his gaze sweeping over each stall. Even if he found nothing useful, a look or two would expand his knowledge.

“Stop, Han’er.” Just as Ye Zihan was about to step beyond the gate, Hong Yan’s voice spoke up.

“What is it, Master Hong Yan?” Ye Zihan halted and replied. The gate would soon close for the night.

“By the left corner of the gate, do you see that stack of blueprints?” Hong Yan asked.

Ye Zihan turned to look. At the left corner, there was indeed a stall with a stack of pale blue papers at the edge—surely what Hong Yan referred to.

He examined the stall further. It was smaller than the others, and its owner, a short, rotund middle-aged man, had only reached the late stage of the First Origin realm—middling at best in Bluestone Town. No wonder his stall was so modest; he simply lacked the strength to compete.

“Go buy those blueprints,” Hong Yan instructed.

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Ye Zihan was puzzled. The blueprints looked utterly unremarkable—what use could they possibly have?

Nonetheless, he walked over to the stall. Hong Yan’s experience far surpassed his own. If he advised Ye Zihan to buy them, there must be a reason.

“Boss, how much for this space scroll?” Ye Zihan pointed to a scroll beside the blueprints.

The fat man perked up, surprised to have business so late in the day. “Five taels of silver! This is a top-quality space scroll.”

“Five taels is rather steep,” Ye Zihan replied with a slight frown. “This is only a low-grade dark-tier scroll, with a very limited capacity. It’s not worth five taels.”

The man hurried to explain, spittle flying. “You’ve got it wrong, young man. It may be a dark-tier scroll, but it was crafted by a demon beast. The sealed space inside is fifty feet long and wide—much larger than the human-made variety. Ordinary dark-tier scrolls sell for three taels at least; this one at five is not expensive at all.”

Ye Zihan waved a hand dismissively. “Tell you what. I’ll give you five taels for the scroll, but you must throw in those blueprints. I need something to wipe my hands with—those papers will do for that. How about it?”

The man was stunned. He hadn’t expected such a request. The blueprints had been sitting unsold for half a year, but the instincts of a merchant told him not to let go of any opportunity for profit, so he hesitated.

“If you won’t sell, I’ll leave. It’s getting dark, and I need to get out of town,” Ye Zihan said, turning as if to go.

“Wait—don’t go! I’ll sell, I’ll sell!” The man hastily called him back, fearful of losing a rare customer. His modest cultivation and mediocre goods made it hard to compete with other stalls. Business was terrible, and he’d made nothing all day. Now, with a buyer at last, he couldn’t afford to let him walk away. Besides, he’d found those blueprints in the woods over half a year ago and never managed to sell them. They were probably worthless. With this in mind, he agreed.

Ye Zihan was thorough in all things. After slaying Liu Xiong and Liu Ye, he had thoroughly searched their residence, confiscating most of their silver and treasures, distributing them among the servants and sending them off to seek their own fortune. He had given some to Lin Zhen, kept some for himself, and now had the means to buy the scroll.

With the scroll and blueprints in hand, Ye Zihan did not linger. As the twilight deepened, he left Bluestone Town behind.