Chapter 199: When All Else Fails, Find Someone

Chapter 199: Chapter 199: When All Else Fails, Find Someone

This happened so suddenly. He had no choice but to break his promise to meet with the Sects in Shuoyue City on the tenth day of the second month to discuss the affairs of the Eastern Domain.

Of course, before leaving, he had also told Jing’an of his plans.

As for whether those Sects would feign compliance while secretly disobeying without him there, Chu Fan wasn’t too worried. It was only half a year. He could settle the score with them when he returned.

As for the little monk, Hui Ke, Chu Fan had also left instructions with Jing’an.

But no matter what, Chu Fan’s sudden departure undoubtedly placed a much greater pressure on Jing’an and the others.

But it couldn’t be helped. To Chu Fan, Yun Xi’s life was even more important than his own; she was his only family in this world.

If he lost her, Chu Fan’s world would turn bleak and gray.

They traveled southwest, passing through Nanling Mountain and crossing the Jipan Mountain Range, before finally reaching the border of the Hua Xu Kingdom in the Central Domain.

After entering the Hua Xu Kingdom, Chu Fan finally understood why the people of the Central Domain called the Eastern Domain "barbarians."

A mere border town could rival the royal cities of the Eastern Domain.

The city gates were imposing, and the buildings within were tall, wide, and orderly. The common people were prosperous, and most had smiles on their faces. While their attire couldn’t be called luxurious, their clothes were neat and clean, and the styles were far more varied than those in the Eastern Domain.

Just walking on the wide roads of such a town seemed to lift one’s spirits.

Since Yun Xi couldn’t use her power, she was naturally unable to perform the Illusory Body Technique. To avoid unnecessary trouble, Chu Fan had her wear a veil when they entered the city.

But even so, they still attracted countless gazes as they walked.

How could a mere veil conceal Yun Xi’s peerless, breathtaking beauty?

Even with the veil, people could not see her delicate features, but her graceful figure swayed with enchanting poise at every step.

Even in the prosperous Central Domain, women of such unearthly beauty were not a common sight.

It was obvious that a beauty like Yun Xi was a rare sight even in the Central Domain.

They rested for a night in the border city. After Chu Fan asked for directions to the Celestial Dao Palace, they set out again early the next morning.

The Celestial Dao Palace was located on Laojun Mountain, a thousand li south of Jianye City, the capital of the Hua Xu Empire.

It was a full thirty thousand li from this border city. With Chu Fan’s current Wind Thunder Escape body technique, it would take him nearly ten days of non-stop travel. But with Yun Xi, who couldn’t use any lightweight body techniques and couldn’t stand for long periods, the thirty-thousand-li journey would take them at least a month.

The farther west they traveled, the larger the towns became and the more prosperous the people were.

Even out in the wilderness, on the incredibly wide official roads, merchant caravans were a constant sight. The guards for these caravans were almost all cultivators, and some were even in the Nascent Soul Realm.

You couldn’t truly understand how far behind the Eastern Domain was until you came to the Central Domain.

After half a month in the Central Domain, everything Chu Fan had seen and heard along the way had completely overturned his understanding of the world.

The might of the Hua Xu Empire was definitely no empty boast.

The entire Central Domain was dotted with Cultivation Sects as numerous as the stars. And beyond the Cultivation Sects, there were countless Noble Families that also practiced cultivation.

In fact, any family with even a little wealth had cultivators among them.

「Hua Xu Empire. He Yi State City.」

At dusk, after a full day of travel, Chu Fan and Yun Xi entered the state capital.

He Yi State City was one of the larger cities in the heartland of the Hua Xu Kingdom. It was at least ten times the size of Shuoyue City, with a population likely numbering in the millions.

Shops lined both sides of the main thoroughfare.

Even as dusk fell, the streets were still bustling with traffic.

Just as they had for the past half-month, upon entering a town, they would find an inn to rest for the night, eating and sleeping there before leaving early the next morning.

"I’m sorry, esteemed guest, but our inn is full. You should hurry and check other inns before it gets dark!"

They checked six inns in a row, but astonishingly, none had any rooms available.

"It’s alright. Since there are no rooms, why don’t we just find a place to make do for the night?" Yun Xi said, weakly trying to console Chu Fan.

Before Chu Fan could reply, two young men started walking down the inn’s staircase.

The two men’s eyes lit up the moment they saw Yun Xi in Chu Fan’s arms. One of them said, "Well now, little lady, there’s some room to squeeze into my ’Jia-zi’ room. Why don’t you stay with me tonight?"

Yun Xi shot him an angry glare and tugged on Chu Fan’s clothes, wanting to leave.

Chu Fan had wanted to teach the man a lesson, but Yun Xi clearly didn’t want any trouble. He supported her and was about to head out the door, but to his surprise, the two young men quickly stepped forward and blocked their path.

"Don’t make me use force. Get out of the way!" Chu Fan said angrily.

"Oh? Do you have any idea who I am? How dare you shout at me here in He Yi State City?"

"I don’t care who you are. I’ll say it again: get out of the way!"

"You think I’ll move just because you say so? I’ve taken a liking to the little lady by your side. If you know what’s good for you..."

Before the man could finish speaking, Chu Fan swept his left hand out, sending both young masters flying backward to crash heavily onto the floor.

"Insolent!"

A furious shout echoed through the inn as a middle-aged man reached out to grab Chu Fan.

Chu Fan dodged the attack with a single, easy movement. The middle-aged man froze, likely stunned that this young man, who showed no sign of True Qi fluctuations, could evade his strike.

"I don’t care who you are. Attacking the Crown Prince is a capital offense!" the middle-aged man threatened.

Just then, the two young men got up from the floor and walked over to Chu Fan, glaring at him with fury.

"Kid, in all my years, you’re the first one who’s ever dared to lay a hand on me."

"An offense?" Chu Fan sneered. "Is it the rule in He Yi State that one cannot fight back when being bullied? Since when has such a principle existed in this world?"

"This is the Heir of Liao. For a mere commoner like you to strike the Heir is a crime of disrespect," the middle-aged man said.

"So the Heir of Liao can just kidnap women off the street? He can ignore the law?" Chu Fan was so angry he laughed.

"It is your good fortune that the Heir of Liao has taken an interest in the woman by your side. Not only do you fail to appreciate it, but you dare to strike the Heir and now you’re here twisting words and logic."

"Utterly senseless!" Chu Fan snorted, supporting Yun Xi as he turned to leave.

He didn’t want trouble, but that didn’t mean he was afraid of it. What did the Heir of Liao have to do with him? It’s not like the guy had three heads and six arms.

"It seems you’ve chosen the hard way. Zuo An, take him down!" the Heir of Liao ordered the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man, Zuo An, immediately clenched his fist and attacked Chu Fan again.

Soul Emergence Realm Tier Four was already considered an expert, but what did that amount to in front of Chu Fan?

The punch carried the force of a mountain and was incredibly swift.

Chu Fan had already been quite patient, but he hadn’t expected them to be so aggressive.

This punch was clearly meant to heavily injure Chu Fan.

Why would Chu Fan hold back any longer?

He took a light step with his right foot, shielding Yun Xi behind him, and directly unleashed the Heaven-Reaching Palm with his left hand.

However, he wasn’t reckless. He only used thirty percent of his power in this palm strike.

Countless palm phantoms materialized, striking Zuo An’s body in a rapid flurry. Zuo An spat out a mouthful of blood and staggered back dozens of steps, clutching his chest.

"You... You’re a Divi..." The middle-aged man pointed at Chu Fan, so shocked he was stammering incoherently.

Chu Fan paid him no mind. In a flash, he appeared before the Heir of Liao and the other young master and slapped both of them across the face.

The two young men’s cheeks immediately swelled up like pigs’ heads.

"If you bother me again, I’ll kill you without hesitation, Heir of Liao or not." Leaving them with that final sentence, Chu Fan took Yun Xi and left the inn.

The three men were left behind, their gazes following Chu Fan, filled not only with terror but also with deep-seated hatred.