Chapter 103

Chapter 103: Roadside Ambush

Ye Shi and Mu Chen, holding their vouchers, visited the Mingyue Commerce to retrieve their stored items.

The safes at Mingyue Commerce were renowned. Customers were provided with a unique box for their valuables.

To access the box, one needed a voucher, and to open it, a password set by the customer. If entered incorrectly, a mechanism would release a special liquid, destroying the box's contents.

"Mingyue Commerce sure is excessive," Ye Shi remarked as they left.

The box was stored eighteen years ago with a tenure of ten years. Upon retrieval, they were charged for the extra eight years, which genuinely upset Ye Shi.

"Come on, it's just 160,000 stones," Mu Chen said with a chuckle.

Ye Shi grumbled, "That's still 160,000 stones! If the contents turn out to be junk, we'll be at a loss."

"Let's not jump to conclusions. If the contents were worthless, Qu Kun wouldn't have gone through such lengths to preserve them."

Touching his spatial ring, Ye Shi said to Mu Chen, "I wonder what's inside."

Mu Chen shrugged, "We'll find out soon enough."

Ye Shi's eyes twinkled with anticipation, "I hope it's something valuable, making me rich overnight."

Mu Chen laughed, "Such occurrences are rare. Don't get your hopes up too high."

"Guess you're right," Ye Shi admitted, somewhat disheartened.

No sooner had the two left Mingyue Commerce than Lan Ruofeng was informed.

Ever since Mu Chen revealed the Qingming Flame, Lan Ruofeng grew suspicious, thus assigning someone to shadow Mu Chen and Ye Shi.

Mu Chen felt watched upon leaving and decided to head straight back to the academy with Ye Shi without further delay.

Opting for main roads to avoid complications, they still faced an ambush near the academy's vicinity.

When two figures clad in black appeared, Ye Shi instinctively muttered, "They must be from Ye Xun."

Mu Chen raised a skeptical eyebrow. "How can they be Ye Xun's men? Two nine-star martial artists; Ye Xun couldn't possibly afford such elite guards."

Just as Ye Shi was about to make his move, Mu Chen was a step ahead, releasing over a dozen formation disks.

The two black-clad figures, seemingly trapped between these disks, launched chaotic attacks.

"What are those?" Ye Shi asked, observing the bewildering scene before him.

"Level three trap formation, level three misty maze formation, level three soul-confusing formation, level three illusion formation..." Mu Chen listed nonchalantly.

Ye Shi blinked in astonishment, noting, "There are so many of them. They seem trapped."

Without a word, Mu Chen cast dozens more talismans toward them. In an instant, flames erupted, and consecutive explosive sounds filled the air.

"And what are those?" Ye Shi inquired, puzzled.

"Level three flame talisman, level three explosion talisman, level three magnifying talisman..." Mu Chen explained, with the latter said to amplify the power of the talismans.

Amid the cacophony of screams and relentless explosions, a sly grin crept onto Ye Shi's face.

"Ah!" Flames raced towards Ye Shi. Mu Chen swiftly grabbed Ye Shi's hand and pulled him back.

All Ye Shi could see was a sea of fire, with its sweltering heat threatening to consume everything.

Still unsatisfied, Mu Chen tossed a dozen more talismans into the heart of the flames. Instantly, the already ten-meter-tall fire surged to over twenty meters, raising the surrounding temperature significantly.

Ye Shi's eyes widened in amazement, captivated by the spectacle.

"It seems the screams have ceased," Ye Shi observed.

Mu Chen nodded, remarking coolly, "It appears so. After all, ashes don't scream."

Ye Shi strained to peer into the heart of the flames and wondered, "Did they all perish?"

Mu Chen responded with a nod, "They likely did."

"Ye Xun is going to grieve. Losing two nine-star martial artists," Ye Shi mused, a sinister smile forming on his lips.

Mu Chen turned to face Ye Shi, posing, "Do you truly believe those men belonged to Ye Xun?"

Puzzled, Ye Shi countered, "Aren't they?"

Mu Chen shook his head, saying, "I doubt it. I don't think Ye Xun has the influence to hire such individuals."

Ye Shi pondered, realizing, "You might be right. I was only thinking about Uncle Chen's warning that Ye Xun had sent men after me."

"If not Ye Xun, then who could it be?" Ye Shi mused aloud.

Mu Chen contemplated, then speculated, "Perhaps Lan Ruofeng."

Ye Shi's eyes widened in alarm, cautioning, "We have no evidence. Let's not jump to conclusions. For all we know, others might be aware of my grandfather's secret too."

"I get it, that damned bastard," Ye Shi grumbled in frustration.

"Calm down. Let's head back to the academy," Mu Chen soothed.

Nodding, Ye Shi suddenly turned to Mu Chen, asking, "Where did you get those formation disks?"

"I made them myself," Mu Chen replied with nonchalance.

Ye Shi, eyes widening in shock, responded, "You crafted those disks? How do you even know how to make them?"

"In my free time, I dabbled in the art of formation," Mu Chen answered breezily.

Puffing out his cheeks, Ye Shi exclaimed, "You even delved into formation techniques!"

Mu Chen chuckled, reflecting, "Indeed. Many things and many paths eventually converge. A master of many trades has many paths, right?"

Pondering, Ye Shi queried, "Between formation and inscriptions, why did you choose the Inscription Academy?"

With a furrowed brow, Mu Chen mused that while inscriptions are profound and intricate, and formation is versatile, the dean of the Formation Academy was too kind-hearted. Mu Chen was concerned he might buckle under pressure from Lu Han and Song Cheng, hence he didn't choose the Formation Academy.

"I just picked one. Let's hurry back to the academy before anything else happens," Mu Chen urged.

Ye Shi nodded, hastening to keep up with Mu Chen's pace.

……

Gazing at the message in his hand, Lan Ruofeng's expression turned increasingly dark.

It's unbelievable; two nine-star martial artists couldn't handle an eight-star and a five-star martial artist. Ye Shi didn't even get a chance to act before those two were swiftly defeated by Mu Chen.

Worthless, all of them.

"Ruofeng, what's the matter?" Zhuang Yu asked as she approached.

Lan Ruofeng looked at Zhuang Yu and smiled gently, saying, "Nothing at all."

Lan Ruofeng felt a pang of unease when he looked at Zhuang Yu. With her level-eight potential, the gap between them would only grow over time. If he didn't do something, someone else might take her away.

One could only wonder what was inside the safety deposit box Ye Shi retrieved from Ming Yue Merchant House.

The object Qu Kun painstakingly left for Ye Shi couldn't possibly be ordinary.

Whatever it is, now that Ye Shi and Mu Chen have it, they'll undoubtedly benefit greatly.

Lan Ruofeng clenched his fists in frustration, fearing he would fall further and further behind the two.

...

"You're back?" Jing Chiyang inquired, looking at Ye Shi.

Ye Shi nodded, replying, "Yes, I am."

"Were you ambushed on the way?" Jing Chiyang continued.

Ye Shi looked at Jing Chiyang with surprise. "Master, how did you know?"

Jing Chiyang's expression darkened, "The incident happened not far from the academy. It would've been hard not to know. Someone dared to attack my disciple? They're courting death."

Ye Shi smirked, "They're already dead."

"Mu Chen was too thorough. He burned them to ashes, leaving no clues. He should've kept one alive," Jing Chiyang commented critically.

"Both of them were nine-star martial artists! The fact that Mu Chen managed them is impressive," Ye Shi argued.

"Meh, he's just good at throwing money around. With all those formation disks and talismans, it's no wonder he defeated them. Still, his soul power is commendable. Using so many formations and talismans without draining it is impressive," Jing Chiyang admitted with a nod.

Ye Shi stated matter-of-factly, "Mu Chen has always been exceptional."

Jing Chiyang observed Ye Shi's admiring expression for Mu Chen and waved him away in resignation, "Alright, go get some rest."

Ye Shi nodded in acknowledgment, "Sure."

...

"Ye Shi," Lan Ruofeng called out softly from the staircase.

Ye Shi looked at Lan Ruofeng with a wary frown, "What do you want?"

"Relax, Ye Shi. I came to apologize. I'm sorry for the issue with Ye Rong last time. Zhuang Yu acted without knowing the full situation, and I apologize for that," Lan Ruofeng said sincerely.

Eyebrows raised, Ye Shi responded, "Only if you truly mean it."

"What did you think I came for?" Lan Ruofeng asked with a smile.

Shrugging, Ye Shi remarked, "I thought you came to rob me."

Lan Ruofeng's smile stiffened momentarily, "Ye Shi, you have quite the sense of humor."

"Don't call me 'Stone'. We're not that close. Only Mu Chen calls me that," Ye Shi retorted, clearly annoyed. Hearing Lan Ruofeng say it made him uncomfortable.

Lan Ruofeng's expression tightened, "You're really close to Mu Chen."

Growing impatient, Ye Shi said, "Do you have other business? If not, please move."

Quickly stepping forward, Lan Ruofeng grabbed Ye Shi's arm, "Ye Shi, I've always... had feelings for you."

Goosebumps covered Ye Shi's skin instantly.

"That's your issue, not mine," Ye Shi replied with clear disdain.

Lan Ruofeng's face flushed, humiliated by Ye Shi's outright rejection.

"Do you really believe Mu Chen truly cares for you?" Lan Ruofeng asked, his eyes cold.

"Of course, he does," Ye Shi responded with conviction.

"You're being deceived. He's just using you for his benefit. Once you're no longer of value, he'll cast you aside," Lan Ruofeng said maliciously.

"Shut up," Ye Shi said irritably.

Lan Ruofeng noticed the change in Ye Shi's expression and felt elated, asking, "Did you just remember something?"

"What could I possibly think of? Mu Chen is not like you," Ye Shi remarked with annoyance.

"You're too deeply ensnared by the poison to hear me out now. But someday, you'll regret it," Lan Ruofeng declared somberly.

"I said shut up!" Ye Shi raised his voice.