Chapter 161: The Seven Kill Scripture! Furious Yang Han!

"Yang Han came?!"

At these words, Jiang Ye's eyes flickered with a hint of surprise.

Since the two of them had jointly ambushed the Qisha Sect demons last time, this woman had vanished without a trace.

Jiang Ye had vaguely guessed she must have been badly injured then, afraid he'd take advantage of her weakness.

So she deliberately avoided him.

After all, this woman was meticulous and cautious, never giving him any opening.

He never expected she'd now dare come to Tianqing Sect to find him herself.

It seems she's mostly recovered.

As Jiang Ye's thoughts shifted rapidly, his expression remained calm: "Have her come over."

"Yes, Elder Jiang, I'll bring Miss Yang right away."

Lü Ming bowed respectfully and walked out of the herb garden, his steps light.

Moments later.

As a faint, elegant fragrance drifted in, a woman in a purple long skirt, with a graceful figure and exquisite beauty, arrived at the garden gate under Lü Ming's guidance, her steps light and poised.

It was none other than Yang Han.

After bringing her there, Lü Ming wisely stepped back: "Elder Jiang, Miss Yang has arrived. I'll take my leave."

"Thank you kindly for guiding me, young man."

Yang Han bowed slightly to Lü Ming with perfect poise, her voice soft and melodic, like a mountain stream tinkling.

In public, she was always the refined, elegant Young Lady of the Yang family.

"No need to thank me... it's my duty..."

At being thanked by such a beauty, Lü Ming's chubby face instantly flushed red.

He flustered, waving his hands awkwardly, looking like a child lost for words, then fled as if escaping.

Then Yang Han took a light step forward and entered the herb garden.

She glanced at the humble wooden hut.

The wooden door was weathered, the window frames old, and moss grew on the roof—unthinkably shabby compared to the residences of other Tianqing Sect elders.

A flicker of surprise passed through her watery eyes, then her gaze shifted slightly.

It landed on Jiang Ye, seated cross-legged in the open space of the garden.

She bowed slightly with composed grace, a polite smile on her lips, and said softly:

"I never imagined Elder Jiang was also a hermit cultivator. I'm truly impressed."

Jiang Ye, seated on the ground, did not rise, only smiled faintly, a hint of amusement in his expression.

His voice, neither loud nor soft, carried a touch of teasing:

"I thought Miss Yang intended to renege on our deal. I didn't expect you'd come yourself—quite unexpected."

At this, Yang Han showed no embarrassment; instead, she raised her slender hand to cover her mouth and laughed lightly.

"I'm the heir of the Yang family. As merchants, we value integrity above all—how could I renege?"

Her laughter was crisp, like silver bells, echoing through the garden.

After a pause, she changed tone, and her lotus-like eyes glinted with a deep, shadowed light:

"Besides, last night's news terrified me..."

"I was afraid that if I didn't come soon, the Yang family would become the next Jin family..."

As she spoke, a new expression surfaced on her exquisite face.

Jiang Ye said nothing, only watched her calmly.

Yang Han's smile stiffened slightly, then she sighed helplessly: "Elder Jiang, your gaze is frightening... I was only joking."

She reached into her robe and pulled out two ancient, weathered pages, offering them to Jiang Ye: "Elder Jiang, these are the payment we agreed upon—I've never forgotten."

Jiang Ye reached out and took the pages, and at once a refreshing, intoxicating body fragrance drifted into his nose.

He glanced down, scanning the dense script on the pages, confirmed there was no trick, then tucked them into his robe, close to his chest.

Then Jiang Ye nodded slightly: "It's troublesome for Miss Yang to come all this way. I won't see you off."

Though he was intrigued by her unique constitution, this woman wouldn't dare come here without some advantage.

Moreover, he didn't wish to reveal his true strength within Tianyangfeng.

So he chose to dismiss her outright.

This woman was too calculating—he had no desire for further dealings with her.

At this, Yang Han's smile froze again, a flicker of anger flashing in her lotus-like eyes.

She understood perfectly—now that the payment was delivered, she could leave.

"This damn old man—does he even understand social graces?"

Yang Han cursed inwardly, yet her face retained its polished smile:

"Elder Jiang, might I trouble you for a cup of water?"

Jiang Ye smiled faintly: "Miss Yang cultivates Water true qi—surely drawing water is simple for you. Why ask?"

Hearing this, even Yang Han, raised in a noble family with impeccable manners, nearly cracked. Her exquisite face froze, her expression abruptly stiffening.

"This damn old man—I'll kill him one day!!!"

Yang Han took a deep breath, gritted her silver teeth, suppressing her inner fury.

Her full chest rose and fell heavily—clearly furious.

Her fingers were pale and slender, fingertips tinged with a soft pink, like fine sheep-fat jade.

Now they trembled slightly, her nails nearly digging into her palms.

Then she glanced around, confirming no one was nearby.

She dropped the act.

She set aside her role as Young Lady Yang for now.

A faint layer of Water true qi rose beneath her lower body, soft as silk, lifting her gently as she squatted before Jiang Ye, eye to eye, and said firmly:

"Elder Jiang, there's something I've been unable to understand these past days."

"I left a small mark on the Qisha Sect demon..."

"But since the day we failed to kill him, I've felt no trace of him whatsoever."

"Do you have any idea why?"

As she finished, Yang Han stared fixedly at Jiang Ye.

Her lotus eyes were filled with scrutiny and inquiry.

Jiang Ye paused slightly.

Not because of her question.

But because now that she sat closer to him...

After his Soul Absorption success, his heightened senses could now detect her fragrance.

It wasn't the cloying scent of cosmetics, but a natural, orchid-like aroma seeping from her very bones.

Whether from her breath as she spoke or as she breathed, it carried a faint sweetness, intoxicating and stirring the soul.

In that moment, he faintly understood what Zheng Hui had felt.

Yang Han, for all else,

truly smelled wonderful.

Not a trace of odor anywhere on her.

As if she weren't human, but a fairy raised on petals.

Yet Jiang Ye's momentary distraction lasted only an instant.

Instantly, he shook his head: "Miss Yang, I don't understand what you mean."

Yang Han studied him for a moment, then smiled faintly, shaking her head:

"Of course—Elder Jiang is too shrewd, fleeing so swiftly that day..."

She knew well that given the demon's power, Jiang Ye had little chance to snatch anything.

Yet for some reason, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off—that the demon's disappearance was tied to this old man before her.

Then Yang Han probed further with more questions, but Jiang Ye either stayed silent or gave vague replies.

It nearly made her lose control—her teeth ground together audibly.

Seeing Jiang Ye had no interest in conversation, Yang Han wasted no more time.

She rose gracefully, her purple skirt swaying like a blooming violet in the wind.

On her exquisite face appeared a stiff, polite smile:

"Since Elder Jiang has no wish to speak with me, I'll take my leave."

Jiang Ye nodded slightly, his tone flat: "Miss Yang, take care on your way."

Yang Han gave Jiang Ye one last long look, her full chest rising and falling, then walked away with light, poised steps.

At the garden entrance, she suddenly turned back and spoke with deep meaning:

"Elder Jiang, no matter what, we must be cautious of the Qisha Sect."

"In a way..."

"We're grasshoppers on the same bed."

But after speaking, she waited a long while without any reply from Jiang Ye.

Only the rustling of tiankui grass swaying in the morning breeze, and the occasional birdcall from afar, filled the herb garden.

«... »

Yang Han's eyelid twitched slightly, then she walked without hesitation out of the herb garden.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Her footsteps pounded loudly along the garden path, swift and heavy—utterly unlike the light, graceful steps she had taken when arriving.

After watching Yang Han's slender, graceful figure depart, Jiang Ye reached into his robe and pulled out the pages.

The pages were yellowed and frayed, their corners curled from countless readings, covered densely with tiny, cramped characters—scribbled in a hurried hand that still carried a sharp, lethal intent.

Counting the one Yang Han had given him earlier in the ruin.

There were three pages in total.

Jiang Ye laid them out in order, piecing them together; his gaze swept over the archaic characters, and the old man's eyes grew brighter with each passing moment.

Jiang Ye was deeply intrigued by the Seven Kill Sect's killing qi technique; from the first moment he encountered the words "killing qi," he had sensed that this art might be precisely what he truly needed.

He began studying it meticulously, line by line, word by word, repeatedly pondering the obscure and difficult phrases in his mind.

"The Seven Kill Scripture?!"

Jiang Ye could not help but let out a low exclamation.