Chapter 365 - 217: Peerless Prodigy Xie Yuan, the Path to Grandmaster Opens

Chapter 365: Chapter 217: Peerless Prodigy Xie Yuan, the Path to Grandmaster Opens

Li Tai had mixed feelings. He had witnessed Xie Yuan’s talent firsthand—it was truly exceptional, worthy of being called a genius.

But the idea that Xie Yuan could be on par with Situ Qin had always seemed a bit unrealistic to him.

’But now... it looks like... maybe... just maybe... there’s actually a chance?’

It took Li Tai a long time to calm his turbulent emotions. He glanced again at the assassin’s corpse and spoke slowly.

"To cleave a man in two from a distance with a single axe strike. The Third Transformation Realm is the pinnacle of a Martial Artist’s physical body, and assassins from the Autumn Wind Building use special Body Forging techniques to enhance their killing prowess. They’re practically Body Cultivators. Xie Yuan, the power of that axe of yours..."

He stroked his bristly beard, his tone full of profound meaning.

"It could injure a Grandmaster back then, and how much time has passed since? A rising tide lifts all boats."

Xie Yuan offered a few modest words, only for Situ Qin to chide playfully,

"Tai Bo, weren’t you supposed to let me travel alone? Master Xie and I were betting the whole way on whether you’d follow us or not. And sure enough, here you are!"

Li Tai sighed and pointed at the Celestial Tier assassin.

"Miss, look at this situation. How could we possibly let you go out on your own? Just keep training. We’ll talk again once you break through to the Qi Blood Third Transformation Realm..."

"It’s always one more realm, one more realm! At this rate, I’ll be a Grandmaster by the time you let me go!"

Situ Qin pouted.

"This was just a fluke. We randomly picked a place and stumbled right into a noble family’s conspiracy. I don’t know what to make of this luck—normally, my fortune is quite good..."

She tilted her head, a suspicious look crossing her face as her lovely eyes slanted toward Xie Yuan.

’If it wasn’t my bad luck, then...’

’This guy... doesn’t he stumble upon ancient ruins every time he goes out for training?’

’Right, back at the Escort Agency, he was guaranteed to run into bandits every time he left. A single escort run for him was worth half a year’s business for anyone else...’

Sensing Situ Qin’s suspicious gaze, Xie Yuan looked up at the sky, humming a little tune and pretending he hadn’t noticed.

’I’m just using Zhang Shan’s luck. If I keep running into trouble, what does that have to do with me, Xie Yuan?’

Seeing Situ Qin’s displeasure, Li Tai shook his head.

"The Autumn Wind Building even sent a Grandmaster. I’d say this was premeditated."

Situ Qin frowned slightly as well, a hint of confusion on her face.

"Mr. Qian had no sooner fled than the assassins arrived. Even if the Qians wanted to call on the Autumn Wind Building for revenge, it couldn’t have happened that fast... But if this was planned in advance to target me, well, frankly, this force is a little underwhelming. Unless they knew I was going to be traveling on my own? Otherwise, one Grandmaster and one Celestial Tier... did a mere two people come all the way to Yunzhou just to get themselves killed?"

To anyone else, that might sound like an exaggeration, but for her, it was simple fact. As long as she was in her residence, with Li Tai to fend off enemies and Aunt Hong handling arrangements and acting as her personal bodyguard, not even a Flying Dragon List Master could hope to lay a finger on her.

"Still, deploying these two is no small expense. It doesn’t seem like the usual petty harassment... Hey, Master Xie, fess up. Did you leak my location?"

Suddenly, Situ Qin leaned in close to Xie Yuan with a wide grin, her bright, lively eyes scanning his face up and down.

"Let me see if you’re a bad guy or not!"

Xie Yuan gave a wry smile.

"Please don’t joke like that! I’m afraid Tai Bo won’t be able to resist hauling me off to Aunt Hong for questioning. Once they torture a confession out of me, I’ll never be able to clear my name."

Of course, Situ Qin was just teasing. She pulled her gaze back.

"Well, you’re still quite handsome. With a face like that, you have to be the good Master Xie!"

She had just been looking for an excuse to get a good look at his face, and now she was beaming.

Xie Yuan was speechless. He changed the subject, offering a new theory.

"Perhaps some Autumn Wind Building agents were already nearby, and the Qian family contacted them?"

Situ Qin shook her head.

"It’s not impossible, but the odds are just too low."

Xie Yuan paused in thought. Suddenly, remembering all the trafficked women and children, he had a flash of insight.

"Then could it be that among those ’goods,’ there were some that the Autumn Wind Building was supposed to receive?"

At his words, Situ Qin fell into contemplation. Suddenly, she asked,

"Tai Bo, do assassins from the Autumn Wind Building have markings carved on their foreheads?"

Li Tai moved to inspect the assassin’s corpse. He returned a moment later.

"There are no markings on his forehead now. But looking at the skin, I can see a few breaks in the natural lines, which suggests a mark was indeed made there in his youth. I know many assassin organizations do this—they use numbers instead of names and raise their assassins in a brutal, survival-of-the-fittest style."

Xie Yuan and Situ Qin exchanged a look. They both recalled that some of the rescued children had basic markings on their foreheads—they were likely the "goods" prepared for the Autumn Wind Building.

"It seems this incident is connected to the Autumn Wind Building after all. The Qian and Yao families are most likely supplying them with potential recruits," Xie Yuan said with a nod.

Situ Qin’s brow furrowed slightly as she spoke slowly.

"The Imperial Court has repeatedly failed in its attempts to eradicate the Autumn Wind Building. It’s long been suspected that they have the backing of noble families. It seems those suspicions were correct."

The Autumn Wind Building only sprang up in the last few decades. Without deep roots, how could they be so resilient, springing back up no matter how many times they’re cut down?

And within the Great Li Empire, the only powers capable of opposing an Imperial Court—one that’s been remarkably successful at centralizing its authority since its founding—are those few great families.

However, there has always been a tacit understanding between the Imperial Court and the noble families. As long as a veneer of peace is maintained, they officially ignore whatever schemes the other is up to, no matter how vicious the backstabbing gets in the shadows.

For millennia, the Central Dynasty and the great clans have been locked in a complex, symbiotic relationship.

But this time, Xie Yuan and Situ Qin had found conclusive evidence of collusion between the Qian family of Yongyang, the Yao family of Jinling, and the Autumn Wind Building—

Well, perhaps not hard evidence, but Situ Qin had witnessed the two families’ massive operation firsthand. After being attacked immediately following that discovery, they certainly wouldn’t be able to deny it with just a few words.

Situ Qin’s expression turned serious.

"As soon as we get back, I’m summoning the Qian family’s steward in Yunzhou. He refuses? If he refuses to come, I’ll pay him a personal visit.