C12 Was He a Master??

In the instant that voice rang out, Hsu Qing’s previously furrowed brow smoothed over, and she shot Ye Tian a taunting smile.

It was as if her expression was declaring that Ye Tian was nothing but a liar.

If he weren't a liar, why would they label him as one? Why would they come to beat him up?

"Hsu Qing, do you recognize this little con artist?"

Just then, Lin Faang strode over with his entourage. He glanced at Hsu Qing and greeted her with a grin.

"Young Master Lin!"

Upon seeing Lin Faang, Hsu Qing's demeanor shifted, a respectful tone coloring her manner.

Lin Faang was the heir apparent to the Lin family, the most prestigious family in the South Sea.

She hadn't anticipated that Ye Tian would have the audacity to cross paths with such an influential figure.

Undoubtedly, the repercussions of angering someone of his stature were far more terrifying than any trouble Niu Xu could cause.

In that moment, she could almost envision the dire consequences awaiting Ye Tian!

"He and I were college classmates, but we're not close."

Hsu Qing shook her head and stepped back, signaling her disassociation from the unfolding drama. She couldn't resist glancing at Ye Tian, secretly hoping to see a glint of disappointment in his eyes upon hearing her words.

Yet, to Hsu Qing's surprise, Ye Tian remained composed, his gaze serene and devoid of the disappointment she had anticipated.

Ye Tian had been cultivating for two centuries, weathering endless hardships. His heart belonged to Ning Yao, the one he would protect at all costs, even if it meant facing a cataclysmic disaster.

And Hsu Qing?

Who was she to him?

What claim did she have to his emotions?

"Smash his stall to pieces!"

Lin Faang commanded with a nonchalant smile, gesturing sharply with his hand.

Instantly, his muscular bodyguards, wielding baseball bats, descended upon Ye Tian's stall with a fury.

Hsu Qing watched impassively, almost visualizing Ye Tian bloodied and battered. Beneath her pity, a sense of vindication stirred.

Ye Tian was nothing more than a destitute swindler. How dare he address her with such audacity!

Had he forgotten his wretched state, or to put it more bluntly, his worthlessness?

"Don't you think your behavior is quite fly-like?"

At that moment, Ye Tian looked up at the approaching thugs, shook his head, and spoke with cool detachment.

With a spring in his step, he leapt up from the ground.

He delivered a flying knee kick!

He ducked and executed a sweeping leg!

His movements flowed with a graceful ease, an effortless elegance that was a sight to behold.

As the dull thuds of impact echoed, the bat-wielding bodyguards collapsed in heaps, clutching their limbs and chests, their cries filling the air.

Hsu Qing stared, her eyes wide with astonishment and disbelief.

Back in the dormitory, she had heard about Ye Tian giving Niu Xu another thrashing, even driving away his bodyguards.

She had thought, even if Ye Tian could fight, how formidable could he really be?

But in this moment, she truly grasped the extent of Ye Tian's prowess.

While Hsu Qing was taken aback, Lin Faang, the instigator of this chaos, was more than shocked—he was in a state of panic, his legs shaking uncontrollably as sweat beaded on his forehead.

"I sell my wares fair and square, with clear pricing. I never deceive anyone."

Ye Tian advanced towards Lin Faang, his voice steady and assured.

"My father is Lin Tianxiong, and I am the heir to the Lin family. Cross me, and the Lin family won't let you off easily! If you have any sense, you'll kneel and apologize this instant!"

Lin Faang's eyes darted fearfully before he lifted his chin and issued his threat with a bravado that belied his inner unease.

"Ye Tian, you'd do well to back off now. You don't want to tangle with the Lin family," Hsu Qing warned, her voice a hushed murmur as she turned to Ye Tian.

"Did you hear her? Get on your knees and apologize to me, now! Slap yourself fifty times, and maybe I'll consider sparing you," she added, emboldening Lin Faang, whose eyes gleamed with renewed arrogance as he sneered at Ye Tian.

What did it matter if Ye Tian could fight? Even if he could take on five or six opponents, he was nothing in the eyes of the Lin family—less than nothing.

"Who exactly do you think you are, to meddle in my affairs?" Ye Tian's brow furrowed slightly, and he shot Hsu Qing a look of cool disbelief, his words leaving her cheeks frosted with anger. Turning to Lin Faang, he said flatly, "To me, the Lin family is no better than dog excrement."

As a Pill Monarch with two centuries of cultivation, Ye Tian held little regard for a sect brimming with Nascent Soul Stage experts, let alone a minor clan that threw its weight around in Nanhai City.

Lin Faang's attempt to intimidate Ye Tian was a grave mistake.

With a swift motion, Ye Tian's fist connected with Lin Faang's chest. The powerful blow sent him soaring like a kite severed from its string, crashing down across the street, coughing up blood as he collided with the curb.

"Ye Tian, how dare you strike Lin Faang and provoke the Lin family? You're done for," Hsu Qing said, her voice trembling with fear as she stared at the bloodied Lin Faang.

"And what concern is that of yours?" Ye Tian replied, his smile cold and detached.

He had once thought Hsu Qing and her family were merely cold-hearted. Now, having been given a second chance at life, he saw her true colors: not just heartless, but also hypocritical and cowardly to the core.

She had no ties to him, yet she felt slighted by his street vending, demanding respect with her shrill commands. If that wasn't hypocrisy, what was?

Because Lin Faang was the scion of the Lin family, she turned a blind eye to justice, demanding apologies and hurling insults. If that wasn't weakness, what was?

"Indeed, I'm relieved that I no longer have any connection to you," Ye Tian said, his voice laced with satisfaction.

Hsu Qing's face contorted with rage as she bellowed back at him.

Ye Tian simply smiled, unfazed. Why should he be upset with someone who was now a stranger to him?

From this point on, their paths would diverge forever.

"What's going on here?"

Just then, a clear, melodious voice cut through the tension. A girl in a light green dress, delicate as a porcelain doll with sharp, sword-like eyebrows, hurried toward them.

It was Ning Xue, the same girl who had purchased the Peach Wood Amulet from Ye Tian previously. Who else could it be?

"Master, I'm truly sorry. I had no idea Lin Faang would come to cause you trouble. Had I known, I would have intervened. Rest assured, I'll shoulder the responsibility for this incident."

Upon arriving, Ning Xue glanced at Lin Faang and the bodyguards sprawled on the ground, quickly grasping the situation. With a look of regret, she offered Ye Tian her earnest thanks.

Hsu Qing watched Ning Xue, momentarily spellbound.

She had always prided herself on her looks, yet beside Ning Xue, she felt eclipsed.

She found it hard to believe that Ye Tian could be acquainted with someone as stunning as Ning Xue.

Wasn't Ye Tian supposed to be scorned and belittled by everyone?

"I don't need anyone to bear the burden of my actions," Ye Tian said with a dismissive wave of his hand, his tone detached. "Has your grandfather recovered? Once he does, the Peach Wood Amulet should show a crack. After it cracks a second time, it will be of no further use."

"Thank you, Master!"

Hearing Ye Tian speak of the crack in the Peach Wood Amulet, Ning Xue's conviction that her grandfather's revival was thanks to the amulet Ye Tian had sold her deepened. She bowed deeply, a full ninety degrees, expressing her profound gratitude.

Master?

This woman, even more beautiful than herself, was calling Ye Tian 'Master'!

As Hsu Qing listened to their exchange, she was repeatedly struck by a sense of disbelief.

She wasn't foolish; she could see that Ning Xue's reverence for Ye Tian was genuine, without a hint of insincerity.

But she couldn't fathom how Ye Tian had become a 'master.'

How could he possibly be a master?