The Imperial Martial Pill Venerable

Agony. A searing pain coursed through his entire body.

It felt as if his very flesh was being ripped apart, and his spirit shuddered.

Images flooded his mind: after killing Qiann Feng, the Pavilion Master of Linfeng Pavilion, he had been escaping the pursuit of Fierce Beasts when he fell into a river.

The thought of his perilous battle with Qiann Feng still made his heart pound with lingering fear. Especially that final moment—if his physical body hadn’t been so much more formidable than that of other Martial Artists, Qiann Feng’s palm strike would have been enough to take his life, let alone allowing him to turn the tables and kill him instead.

"Where am I?"

Jarred by the external sensation, Qin Ya suddenly regained his senses. His gaze, sharp as a blade, swept over everyone present, and his voice was hoarse as he spoke.

Instantly, the pupils of the Guard Team captain behind Bai Haichen contracted. With a single motion, he moved to block Bai Haichen, his eyes flashing with dread as he watched Qin Ya with extreme vigilance.

The intuition he had honed through years of battle screamed at him: this young man was... dangerous!

Bai Haichen frowned slightly. He had great faith in his Guard Team captain’s judgment. Plus, with his own considerable Cultivation, he could also sense that Qin Ya was no simple character. Still, he couldn’t figure out what was so special about this young man.

"This is the Wohu Mountain Range in Chu Province," Huang Yanrou said.

"Chu Province? The Wohu Mountain Range?"

Qin Ya frowned, somewhat surprised. He hadn’t expected to have drifted all the way from Shuo Province to Chu Province. Then, his gaze fell on the Elixir in Huang Yanrou’s hand, and he knew she had been trying to save him. He offered a faint smile. "Thank you for your kind intentions, Miss, but I can tend to my own wounds. Please, take back this Elixir."

To be honest, a single Sixth-Grade Elixir was beneath his notice.

"No, you mustn’t. Your injuries are too severe. It will be incredibly difficult to recover without an Elixir. Please, hurry and take this," Huang Yanrou said, holding out the Elixir.

"There’s no need. I have my own."

"Hmph. How could your Elixirs possibly compare to Young Master Bai’s?"

A young man in the entourage spoke with disdain. But the moment the words left his mouth, he saw Qin Ya produce an Elixir. As its fragrant aroma filled the air, the young man wanted to slap himself across the face. That Elixir was clearly of a higher grade than Sixth-Grade!

A sharp glint flashed in Bai Haichen’s eyes. Casually producing an Elixir of the Sixth Grade or higher was not something an ordinary person could do. ’This man’s background must be extraordinary,’ he thought.

Huang Yanrou watched Qin Ya’s throat bob as he swallowed, then looked down at the so-called Sixth-Grade Pill in her hand. She flushed with embarrassment. ’So he had a better one all along.’

"Young Master Bai, this man is no simple character. To possess such treasures at his age... and look at his Sword Artifact, it gleams with a precious light. It’s clearly no ordinary item. Why don’t we..."

A young man murmured softly into Bai Haichen’s ear.

Upon hearing this, a glint flashed in Bai Haichen’s eyes. He was tempted.

But the thought of Qin Ya’s unfathomable nature gave him pause.

"Heh, Young Master, there’s no need for you to get involved. Just leave it to me."

Seeing Bai Haichen’s hesitation, the young man assumed he was merely being too proud to make the first move himself. The young man smiled and spoke, and Bai Haichen, hearing this, nodded. Perfect. This would be a good way to test the boy’s true capabilities.

A savage grin spread across the young man’s face, his eyes dancing with excitement.

’If I can pull this off,’ he thought, ’I’ll definitely win Bai Haichen’s favor. My days of soaring success and meteoric rise are just around the corner!’

With this in mind, the young man stepped in front of Qin Ya, who was just about to leave.

"Hey, kid! You think you can just walk away like that?" the young man barked.

The rest of the group looked on, ready for a show.

Huang Yanrou’s delicate brows furrowed. Just as she was about to step forward and intervene, Bai Haichen blocked her path. "Yanrou," he said gently, "this man’s origins are a mystery. Let’s just let Yuan Feng test him." Seeing the displeasure on her face, he softened his tone further. "Please, Yanrou, don’t worry. With me here, nothing will go wrong."

’It’s precisely because you’re here that I’m worried...’

Huang Yanrou sighed to herself. There was nothing she could do. She could only watch the situation unfold, ready to intervene the moment things went south.

Qin Ya’s brow furrowed. "What do you want?" he asked coolly.

"Hey, kid. We saved your life. Don’t you even know how to say thank you? You were just going to leave?" Yuan Feng stared at Qin Ya, a mocking grin playing on his lips.

"Saved me? Heh."

Qin Ya let out a soft chuckle. He had clearly woken up on his own. Besides, he could tell that Huang Yanrou was the only one with any intention of helping him. The others were just enjoying the spectacle. Why would they want to save him?

’And now they want me to thank them? Heh. Ridiculous.’

"I’ve already thanked the person who deserves it. As for the rest of you... get lost."

At these coolly delivered words, Yuan Feng’s face turned livid with rage. Not far away, Huang Yanrou grew anxious. ’This young man... why is he so stubborn? Even if he has heaven-defying abilities, how much of his power can he possibly use while so heavily injured? Why can’t he just be a little more yielding, act submissive for a moment, and get himself out of this dangerous situation first?’

"We saved you, and this is the attitude we get? You’re a vicious, ungrateful whelp! Since you’re going to be like that, there’s no need for us to be polite anymore. Hand over that sword and your Storage Ring. Consider it our ’thank-you’ gift."

’So, that was their goal all along.’

Huang Yanrou was no fool. Hearing Yuan Feng’s words, she instantly understood what he and Bai Haichen were plotting, and she couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger.

Ignoring Bai Haichen’s attempt to stop her, she walked forward. Though she was seething inside, she didn’t let it show. Instead, she offered a slight smile and said, "Young Master Yuan Feng must be joking. Saving a life is the greatest of all good deeds. Besides, you are a true gentleman. How could you possibly do something like demanding repayment for an act of kindness?"

Being praised like this by Huang Yanrou made Yuan Feng’s head swell, but he had no intention of letting Qin Ya off the hook. This was his chance to curry favor with Bai Haichen and secure his own bright future. How could he possibly let it go?

"Ahem, Miss Yanrou, this brat is truly detestable. It’s not that I care about the trinkets he’s carrying, but for acting this way, he must be taught a lesson. Someone has to teach him the meaning of gratitude. I’m doing this for his own good, you see."

"How about this," she said. "Let me repay you on his behalf."

With that, Huang Yanrou drew a longsword and offered it to Yuan Feng. "This is a Sixth-Grade Profound Soldier. I have no use for it, so allow me to gift it to you on his behalf."

Not far away, Bai Haichen’s expression had grown as dark as a stormy sea.

He never imagined Huang Yanrou would go to such lengths for Qin Ya.

He took a deep breath, walked up to Qin Ya, and said, "My friend, please don’t take offense. My companion here is just a bit... blunt. He’s always been this way."

Qin Ya glanced at the two of them without a word, then turned to leave. He was severely injured and needed to find a place to heal properly.

"Please wait."

This time, it was Huang Yanrou who stepped forward. "I can see your injuries are quite severe," she said. "Why don’t you come to my residence to recuperate for a few days?"

Qin Ya looked at her deeply. "Why are you doing this for me?"

As if his profound gaze had seen right through her, Huang Yanrou’s heart skipped a beat. She then gave a faint smile. "Heh, let’s just call it an act of goodwill."

"Then I’ll have to impose on you, Miss."