Realms In The Firmament
chapter-18

When thinking about that, Ye Xiao felt his blood raging. He took a long and deep breath to calm the raging blood in his body. As he did, his eyes quickly became brighter.

As of this moment, Ye Xiao was unaware of the East-rising Purple Qi’s power. Not just that, he also didn’t realize that when he would eventually reach the peak of the East-rising Purple Qi cultivation, he would become much more than a simple immortal existence. He would become an unparalleled legend!

Right now, all that Ye Xiao knew was that the awful smell from before had returned and that he badly needed a bath to clean the filth covering him. His body was completely covered by a disgusting layer of brown sticky outer skin with big beads of sweat dripping in between. These were the impurities found in every simple human being and only once one started on their journey of cultivation could they expel them out of their body.

This state of the body was something every cultivator wished to attain. It was the important ablution of muscles and bones, as he had successfully broken through the first level of the Grade of Diyuan and had entered the second grade!

For the current Xiao Monarch, this was an absolutely outstanding accomplishment!

He had already achieved two ablutions of his muscles and bones. To achieve just one ablution was an incredible achievement, but to actually achieve a second one, and in such a short time as well, was definitely unheard of!

As Ye Xiao stood up, he felt the bones in his body crack. As he fully straightened his back, he realized that he had actually grown a little bit taller over the course of this single night.

After Ye Xiao had properly cleaned his body from the disgusting filth in a nice and comfortable warm bath, he turned to look in a mirror and gasped in admiration for the image he perceived, “I am so bloody handsome! The girl I will eventually marry must definitely possess many generations of her family's good fortune…”

Coincidently, the steward walked to the door and heard what Ye Xiao was saying. He nearly fell down because of that. Although he was usually a composed steward, at the moment, he couldn’t help but twist his mouth and shiver…

“What the hell… I have traveled extensively for 30 years and gone through fire and water for 18 years. Even so I have never seen anybody that narcissistic…”

“What a top wonder of the world!” He spoke straight out.

“What top wonder of the world?” Ye Xiao was opening the door and happened to hear that, so he asked.

He knew that even though he had gotten the memory from the dead Ye Xiao, he still had much to learn about this mortal world. He wouldn’t let go a chance to gain more information!

“Hmm… Urh… Well…” The steward spoke slowly, “My lord, there were some supreme dan beads at the auction in the Ling-Bao Hall Salesroom. I was saying that those dan beads were truly a top wonder of the world.”

“Supreme dan beads?” Ye Xiao curled his lip and thought, “Supreme dan bead he said. That’s nothing. It is just something I used to earn some money, you fool.”

“My lord, I think it would better for you to stay at home these days.” The steward said seriously, “I have heard that the kingdom is extremely chaotic right now. All those martial sects including the mysterious ones and the noble clans are sending their core forces to the capital. The next few months in the capital will be filled with dangers…”

He looked at Ye Xiao and had an opinion that he dared not to voice, but spoke in his mind instead, “A foppish young lord like you will easily be the target of their swords. Hmm, you are dead meat if you get into any trouble.”

In the government and among the residents, people may be afraid of offending the General Ye, but those people who fought for living or came from some great sects or noble clans were fearless. They would easily kill anybody like crumpling a piece of paper…

“How can I just stay here? I am going out now…” Ye Xiao frowned.

“It would be better if you don’t.” The steward also frowned and said impatiently.

All the clans in the capital were recalling their fighters from the frontlines. All the young lords were forbidden to go out by their families. Every clan was preparing to receive these sects…

At this time, if Ye Xiao walked out on the street, he would be like a bright lamp in a dark tunnel – a vivid target.

Ye Xiao signed, “Don’t worry. I will keep myself inconspicuous…” He then pushed the door open and left.

“Stay low, my lord.” The steward spoke and thought, “Oh my lord… please don’t get into any trouble…”

“All right. Absolutely!” Ye Xiao loudly replied as he had already moved far away.

Both of them didn’t know that Ye Xiao would neither keep away from trouble nor would he stay low, instead he was going to be the centerpiece of an earthshaking event!

Ye Xiao was walking breezily on the streets. As he had the money now, he certainly was heading to the herbal medicine market. That was his most important goal at the moment.

Above all, after having absorbed the blood ginseng into the sphere’s space, he had great confidence in the use of herbal medicine for this space. He couldn’t wait to get to the market.

In Ye Xiao’s opinion, no matter if it was in the Qing-Yun Realm or the mortal world, cultivation was always the top priority!

He was trying to keep his promise, so he stayed low all along and showed no curiosity towards anything. In fact he had no mood for trouble.

As he got closer to the herbal medicine market, he sniffed a dense smell of the herbal medicine.

Ye Xiao’s eyes lit up and he trotted over to the market with excitement.

The market was on a street which was over six miles long and at least half of the stores in it were selling herbal medicine. The others were either clinics or stands that were selling medical equipment. Most of the people walking on this street were wearing fierce expressions.

This street was the well-known Hui-Tian Street of the Chen-Xing City.

In Hui-Tian Street, only herbs, medicine and medical equipments were sold.

If you got hurt, got ill or got poisoned, you would either come here to find a cure or a doctor who could help you fight against death or you could simply die.

Because if there was anything in this mortal world that could save you, it would be found in this Hui-Tian Street. If it wasn’t for sale here, you were almost certainly going to die…

That was why this street was named the Hui-Tian Street. [1]

Ye Xiao went in and out of one store after another. He had been spending money like running water to buy herbal medicines – and he had bought a lot. He wouldn’t hesitate since he had 500 thousand silver bars at his disposal.

Ye Xiao was satisfied since he had bought several hundreds of years old ginsengs and other hundreds of years old herbal medicines.

But those had already cost Ye Xiao more than 150 thousand silver bars.

Nobody had noticed that every time after he had bought something, he kept discarding the purchases after walking a short distance. Because once these herbal medicines came in touch with his hands, their essences would be completely absorbed by the sphere’s space.

These herbal medicines were far from superior treasures, but they had useful quantities of medicinal essence. They possessed quite a massive potency when gathered together.

This time the space had just absorbed the most essential parts of them. Some of the herbal medicines had retained their appearances, but the essences within them were already absorbed completely. They had just become some useless shells…

Ye Xiao did everything covertly. He kept a few bags in his hands so that people around him would think that he had never let his purchases out of his sight.

But they didn’t know that these bags were replaced many times. And all the contents of the bags had become garbage.

He travelled from north to south and then east to west. All the stores in the market thought that they finally had the chance to meet a heavy buyer that they had always been dreaming about.

Nobody noticed that he was quietly throwing away everything he bought, spending his money like running water – this was quite a stealthy operation.

When Ye Xiao was about to visit the last store, some guys walking toward the same store caught sight of him. Then one of them hurriedly moved to an alleyway to hide from Ye Xiao.

This guy was actually Wang Xiao-Nian!

His eyes were burning up with unquenchable hatred.

He cursed in his mind,“Ye Xiao! You bloody son of a bxtch！The god must hate you so he gave me this opportunity! Your retribution is coming.”

Beside him was a silk-robed youth who was followed by a small entourage. This youth was confused by Wang Xiao-Nian’s reaction, so he curiously asked, “Who is he?”

“He is Ye Xiao!” Wang Xiao-Nian said, while gnashing his teeth.

“That guy is Ye Xiao?” The silk-robed youth was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with a roman nose, fiery eyes and a strapping body. He frowned, “The blood ginseng that I gave your father as a gift, was extorted by him, right?”

This youth had slightly overdone the deepness of his voice, creating a heavy tone that made people who heard his voice feel depressed.

Wang Xiao-Nian took a deep breath, “That is him! It was this bloody foppish black sheep that bullied and extorted us, while relying on the name of his father!”

“Hmm... It really is a small world. Don’t worry.” The silk-robed man had a murderous look in his eyes that was emanating a thick killing intent, “Quick, go away and hide yourself somewhere! Make sure no one can connect you with what’s going to happen!”

He spoke slowly, “A gift from me is never something that can be robbed so easily. He who dares to rob me, must prepare to pay the price!”

Wang Xiao-Nian was delighted, “That’s right!”

Wang Xiao-Nian was clear about who this man was.

That’s why he was so delighted!

The name of this silk-robed man was Mu Cheng-Bai. He was the elder brother-in-law of the crown prince and he was from one of the well-known eight noble clans – the Mu clan.

He had lived in the capital all his life. Even though he did not hold any official position, nobody dared to mess with him.

Because he represented an extremely powerful force!

The main reason the crown prince could have been crowned, was because of the support he received from this great noble clan.

Mu Cheng-Bai had played an important role in choosing the next crown prince.

A man like him wanted to assault Ye Xiao. It seemed that Ye Xiao would not find it easy to get away this time!

……

[1] Hui-Tian Street: Hui-Tian is 回天 in Chinese. It means to save a desperate situation.