Starting Reward – A Three Thousand Assassin Network - Chapter 21

Chapter 21 –  Shu Mountain, Daoist Xiaoyaozi

The words spoken by Ye Chen had never been uttered in front of anyone else, and today was the first time he disclosed them before Tian Yan.

In the Ye Family, nothing could escape the eyes of Old Master Ye, and Ye Chen didn’t want to expose himself prematurely.

After all, tall trees catch much wind.

He understood this reasoning well.

Now, it had been twelve years since Ye Chen arrived in this world. From birth until now, aside from providing some covert help to the Ye Family, he had never revealed his true abilities.

However, if one were to speak of Ye Chen’s exceptional talents from childhood to adulthood, it would be the peculiar items sold by the Wan Family Chamber of Commerce controlled by Ye Xue. Yet, those things only brought wealth, which was dispensable to a true master.

The incense he gave to Ye Dingtian was also out of helplessness. Moreover, he didn’t know the specific effects of those cigarettes.

Even so, Ye Chen had never given him much, fearing that these things might leak out. After all, they were items from the system.

If, by any chance, they accidentally leaked out, they had an excuse. In the vast world, there was no shortage of wonders, even Divine Artifacts existed. Crafting some incense to enhance various attributes seemed plausible!

Time passed swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, it was noon. After lunch, Ye Chen took Tian Yan on a boat tour in Luo Shen Lake.

Meanwhile, Xiaoyue and Xing’er, the two sisters, were arranging various furnishings in Luo Shen Residence.

Although the August summer was scorching hot, for Ye Chen and Tian Yan, this temperature was like soaking in a hot spring, not worth mentioning.

The gentle breeze blowing on them was quite pleasant.

“It seems that moving out of the Ye Mansion was the right decision. No one disturbs us, and these days are genuinely peaceful.” Ye Chen sat on the deck, munching on watermelon, enjoying the beautiful scenery.

Thinking about the upcoming return of the female devil to the Ye Mansion, a faint smile appeared on his face. He felt extremely proud inside, “Little girl, you’re far from being my match in a fight. Don’t think that just because you’re a few years older than me, I can’t deal with you.”

Indeed, Ye Chen was only twelve years old, but his soul was over thirty. If he were to contend, even ten Ye Xues wouldn’t be a match for him.

However, in this reincarnated world, he had lived in the Ye Family since childhood, and he enjoyed this kind of environment.

At this moment, an elderly man dressed in a grey Daoist robe descended from afar.

His speed was so fast that even Tian Yan hadn’t reacted in time; he had landed on the boat in an instant.

Seeing this, she made a gesture, and the Sword beside her was drawn into her hand. Gripping the sword’s hilt with her right hand, she positioned herself in front of Ye Chen, wearing a vigilant expression. “Who are you? What is your purpose here?”

Facing Tian Yan’s inquiry, the old Daoist stroked his beard lightly and smiled, “Little girl, this old Daoist came here without any ill intentions. I just passed by this place and felt a bit thirsty in this scorching summer, so I came to ask for a slice of melon!”

As he spoke, his eyes looked at the watermelon in Ye Chen’s hand.

“Oh! So, you want some melon, huh? But I’m not giving it to you!” Originally, there were no watermelons in this world, but after Ye Chen obtained watermelon as a reward from the system, he collected the seeds, intending to try planting them to see if they could bear fruit.

Unexpectedly, the grown watermelons were large and succulent, presumably due to the system’s characteristics.

After Ye Xue accidentally discovered this business opportunity, she had people plant a large number of watermelons. Through the chamber, they were sold everywhere and were particularly favored by various noble families, though the prices were ridiculously high.

“Haven’t you heard what my Young Master said? Hurry and leave!” Tian Yan stared at the person, warning.

She didn’t dare to be careless; this person’s strength was formidable, an extraordinary existence beyond the Transcendent Realm.

“Hey, why doesn’t this kid understand respecting elders and caring for the young?” The old Daoist remained unperturbed by Tian Yan’s words.

Hearing this, Ye Chen chuckled, “You want me to respect my elders? Who do you think you are? Do you even care for the young? You’re almost sixty and still asking for food from a twelve-year-old like me. Aren’t you embarrassed?”

“Hahaha, my good grandson speaks the truth. You’re almost sixty and still asking a little kid for food. How shameless.” At this moment, a familiar voice echoed from afar.

Old Master Ye, with his hands behind his back, arrived swiftly from a distance.

“Old Daoist, it’s been many years, and you’re still the same shameless person!”

“Old General, your style remains as impressive as before!” The old Daoist bowed to Ye Dingtian.

“Hmph, I sensed a scent of bull coming to Luocheng before you arrived. Speak up, what’s your purpose here? I don’t believe you traveled all the way from Shudao Mountain just to ask for a slice of melon!” Ye Dingtian glanced at the old Daoist.

“Hehe, since Old General speaks straightforwardly, I won’t beat around the bush.” The old Daoist looked at Ye Dingtian and smiled.

“This time, I came out for the matter concerning the Divine Flame Sect!”

“As expected!” Ye Dingtian thought to himself.

Then, with a cold snort, his tone turned somewhat unfriendly. “Hmph, do you think the Ye Family is behind the annihilation of the Divine Flame Sect?”

“Indeed, the Ye Family is not responsible for the Divine Flame Sect’s destruction!”

Ye Dingtian was somewhat puzzled. Why was this old Daoist so sure?

“Yesterday, after the news of the Divine Flame Sect’s demise reached the Tianji Pavilion, Tianji Zi used the Tianji Compass to deduce!” To obtain this information, the old Daoist had paid a considerable price.

“Then, tell me, who is the force behind the destruction of the Divine Flame Sect? I’m quite curious! Even Tianji Zi used the Tianji Compass!” Ye Dingtian looked towards Tianji Zi.

Seeing Ye Dingtian’s confusion, the old Daoist spoke slowly, word by word, “Heavenly Net(work)!”

Hearing these four words, Ye Chen’s heart skipped a beat. He hadn’t expected the Network to be exposed so quickly. It made him more cautious about Tianji Pavilion. It seemed that every superpower was not to be underestimated.

“Heavenly Net? What force is that? I’ve never heard of it.” Ye Dingtian became even more puzzled.

“You traveled far to inform me about this?”

“Of course, although the Divine Flame Sect is a force in the martial world, the sudden annihilation of such a force has caused widespread anxiety.” The old Daoist looked somewhat worried.

“They say heroes rise in “troubled times, and monsters emerge in prosperous times. Now, with the appearance of Heavenly Net, the once tranquil waters have turned turbulent. My journey this time was to head towards the Divine Flame Sect. I passed through Luocheng and decided to inform you.” The old Daoist revealed the true reason for his visit.

Hearing the true purpose of the old Daoist’s trip, Ye Dingtian understood, “I see. Though your intentions were good, I won’t thank you. No matter what you do, the outcome cannot be changed. It’s already destined! What you wish to change can’t be changed by you.”

“Sigh! The world has just begun to stabilize, and now it’s about to stir up trouble. In the end, it’s the common people who will suffer!” The old Daoist wore a look of pity for the people.

“I’ve met you, you’ve delivered the message, and now the old Daoist should depart.”

Finishing his words, he glanced at Ye Chen, who was eating watermelon, and remarked, “Your Young Master from the Ye Family is quite stingy!”

“Haha, why should I give it to you?” Ye Chen gave the old Daoist a disdainful look.

It wasn’t that Ye Chen wouldn’t give it to the old Daoist; it was that this watermelon was a reward from the system and couldn’t be given away. If it were another ordinary watermelon, not just one, even a hundred, he wouldn’t bat an eye.

“Forget it, I won’t argue with you! I’m leaving!”

After saying this, the old Daoist vanished instantly from where he stood, reappearing a hundred feet away.

“Xiaoyao Movement! Such fast footwork, almost like teleportation!” Ye Dingtian’s pupils slightly contracted.

“Old Master, who was that bull-nosed old Daoist?” Ye Chen asked, puzzled.

“He is the leader of the Daoist faction from Shudao Mountain, Daoist Xiaoyaozi, one of the Ten Supreme Experts!”

“Ten Supreme Experts! Xiaoyaozi! Interesting!” Ye Chen silently remembered this person.

However, he still showed a shocked expression on his face, “Oh my, that old man was actually one of the Ten Supreme Experts!!! I really couldn’t tell.”

…