C39 Master Teng's Discovery

Time had flown, and it had been nearly ten days since Ye Xiao's challenge with Wang Jiang of the Wang Family. Yet, the ripples of that battle were still unsettled.

Everyone had pegged Ye Xiao as the sure loser, but in a twist of fate, Wang Jiang's carelessness allowed Ye Xiao's sword to pierce his throat, killing him instantly. Ye Xiao wasn't unscathed, though; he suffered serious injuries from Wang Jiang's blade, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow.

The next day, under the coercion of the animal fighting ring, the Wang Family grudgingly scraped together one hundred and fifty amethysts as compensation. Ye Xiao, meanwhile, was convalescing at home and did not make an appearance, leaving the fighting ring to hold onto the payment temporarily.

Over ten days, Ye Xiao's wounds gradually healed, his once pale complexion gaining back some color.

One morning, after paying respects to his father, Ye Xiao visited Master Teng's courtyard.

"Xiao Er, are you feeling better?" Master Teng asked with a hearty laugh upon seeing Ye Xiao.

Ye Xiao had been recuperating and had to feign illness to outsiders. Now faced with Master Teng's inquiry, he nodded stiffly.

"Your health has always been frail since childhood," Master Teng sighed, then quickly shifted the subject, not wanting to dwell on Ye Xiao's inability to cultivate.

To Ye Xiao's discomfort, Master Teng insisted on discussing the recent challenges at the animal fighting ring. According to Master Teng, Yama was an unparalleled and exceptional youth, the likes of which were scarce in the heavens and nonexistent below.

Despite his thick skin, Ye Xiao felt too awkward to engage in the conversation. He managed to deflect for a bit before hastily excusing himself and making a swift exit.

Master Teng didn't take offense and continued to sing praises, "Ah, if only Yama were a member of the Ye Family, we would have a worthy successor!"

He watched Ye Xiao's retreating figure, then suddenly, his expression turned to one of perplexity. Why did that silhouette seem so familiar?

Master Teng knew Ye Xiao's figure well, but something felt oddly familiar, as if he had seen that same figure elsewhere.

Closing his eyes in contemplation, Master Teng eventually opened them with an eerie look on his face. Reflecting on Ye Xiao's behavior while listening to him earlier, his suspicions only deepened.

"This... this... it can't actually be what I'm thinking, can it?" Master Teng was momentarily stunned by his own speculation.

Moments later, Master Teng shook his head and dashed after the departing figure of Ye Xiao like a whirlwind. He couldn't rest until he got to the bottom of this mystery.

Ye Xiao left Master Teng's courtyard but didn't venture out. Instead, he headed back to his own place. After all, he had just started to recover from his injuries and needed to rest up. He wasn't concerned about the Wang Family's hundred amethysts; he trusted that the wealthy and powerful animal fighting ring wouldn't dare cheat him out of his due.

Just as he was about to step through his door, a whooshing sound from above caught his attention. Looking up, he saw Master Teng hot on his heels.

Ye Xiao was at a loss for words, wondering if Master Teng hadn't quite finished what he had to say earlier.

"Master Teng, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

But Master Teng, with eyes shining bright, seemed to be looking at him as if he were a beggar who had stumbled upon a mountain of gold, or a bachelor beholding a nude beauty.

Feeling a shiver from that intense gaze, Ye Xiao asked uneasily, "Master Teng, is there something you need from me?"

Master Teng chuckled mischievously, "Strip off your clothes!" He had a clever plan to confirm whether Ye Xiao was indeed Yama—by checking for any wounds. After all, Yama had clearly been wounded in the fight with Wang Jiang, and even if the injuries had healed, the scars wouldn't have vanished so quickly.

Ye Xiao was taken aback. "This... this... Master Teng, I assure you, I have no such inclinations!"

It wasn't that Ye Xiao was overthinking; Master Teng's expression and words were just too bizarre.

Master Teng's eyes bulged with impatience. "Quit your blathering! When I tell you to strip, you strip. No interruptions!"

Ye Xiao retreated a couple of steps, clutching the hem of his robe like a maiden about to be defiled.

"Don't make me get physical! Do it now!" Master Teng's fierce tone made it clear that confirming his suspicion was more important than whether Ye Xiao was the young master of the Ye Family.

Blinking in confusion, Ye Xiao couldn't fathom what Master Teng was up to. Just as he was about to relent, he suddenly remembered the wounds on his body and froze. Could it be that Master Teng had grown suspicious?

He chuckled at Master Teng and darted back into the house.

But Master Teng, true to his reputation as a King Yuan expert, moved with lightning speed. He snatched Ye Xiao by the collar and hoisted him up, "Try running away again, I dare you!"

"Hmph, should I call you Ye Xiao, or perhaps Yama?" Master Teng's sinister laugh bore down on Ye Xiao.

Caught off guard, Ye Xiao quickly mustered a sheepish grin. "Uh, Master Teng, it's definitely me, Ye Xiao! Surely you haven't forgotten your own nephew?"

"Fine, let's strip you down and see if Wang Jiang's mark from the animal fighting ring shows up on your skin!" Master Teng peered at Ye Xiao with the gleeful cunning of a fox that's snagged a chicken.

Realizing Master Teng had seen through his Yama disguise, Ye Xiao's mouth fell open in astonishment, and he quickly conceded defeat.

Scratching his head in embarrassment, he stammered, "Uh, Master Teng, how did you recognize me?"

Master Teng slapped his thigh in realization, "Damn, it is you!"

Ye Xiao was flabbergasted, now fully aware that Master Teng had outwitted him into confessing the truth.

An elated Master Teng clapped Ye Xiao on the shoulder, "Spill it! Weren't you unable to cultivate? How did you reach the ninth level of the Primitive and even defeat a Yuan Master? This is incredible news! How could you keep this from me and Big Brother? I need to tell him right away!"

With that, he spun on his heel to leave.

In a panic, Ye Xiao tugged at Master Teng's sleeve, "Master Teng, please, just a moment, wait!"

Master Teng halted, "Alright, kid, out with it. Explain yourself!"

Ye Xiao, tongue-tied, struggled to find an answer. He couldn't very well admit, "The old Ye Xiao is dead, and I'm an imposter from another world?"

Yet, Master Teng was not one to be easily fooled. Without a plausible explanation, Ye Xiao knew he wouldn't get off the hook.

Desperately trying to concoct a believable story, Ye Xiao was at his wit's end.

"Did you take on a master?" Master Teng suddenly interjected.

"Whoa!" Ye Xiao's eyes bulged as he stared at Master Teng. Could Master Teng really be so clairvoyant that he even knew about his apprenticeship?

Master Teng, interpreting Ye Xiao's astonishment as confirmation, pressed on, "Has your master forbidden you from revealing your identity?"

Ye Xiao gazed at Master Teng, dumbfounded by his line of questioning. Meanwhile, Master Teng bubbled over with excitement. "What level has your master achieved in his cultivation? King Yuan? Yuan Sect? No way, it couldn't possibly be Yuan Huang, could it?" He then shook his head, lost in his own wild conjectures.

After a series of speculative guesses that rendered Ye Xiao speechless, Master Teng surprisingly dropped the interrogation.

"You think you can keep secrets from me, young man? Hmph!" With that, he strutted out of Ye Xiao's courtyard, hands clasped behind his back, leaving Ye Xiao still trying to make sense of the encounter.