Chapter 208: Tracking

Hearing Ye Qingxuan ask for compensation.

Han Ming not only felt no disappointment, but instead breathed a sigh of relief. He clasped his fists and said in a low voice, "I still have spirit stones. I can bear all expenses myself. Please, Daoist friend, help me recover from my injuries."

Ye Qingxuan nodded, calculated for a moment, and said, "To ensure your full recovery, I require one million high-grade spirit stones."

"Furthermore, you must swear a Dao Oath. You may not reveal any information about me to anyone, in any form."

Treating Han Ming required only a combination of several fifth-grade elixirs.

The reason for demanding one million high-grade spirit stones

was that Ye Qingxuan disliked Han Ming bringing trouble to Dongxuan City and wanted him to bleed a bit.

Han Ming knew Lin Fan's secret. Once this secret exploded in the Eastern Region,

Lin Fan would definitely be on a path to death.

Under such circumstances, how could the other party easily let Han Ming go? They might track Han Ming's trail and arrive at Dongxuan City at any moment.

Although Ye Qingxuan was not afraid, he did not wish to bear part of the karma and trouble for Han Ming without cause.

Having Han Ming swear a Dao Oath was because Ye Qingxuan did not want others to know he came from the Eastern Region.

At the same time, Ye Qingxuan did not want Han Ming's troubles to implicate himself.

Ye Qingxuan was unclear whether the people of the Tianyuan Trading House knew about Lin Fan's actions.

This matter involved great stakes.

Once the news spread and reached Han Ming's Han family and the Tianyuan Trading House,

the Han family's strength, connections, and underlying resources, their attitude toward this matter, and the attitude of the Tianyuan Trading House's rulers could all influence the final outcome.

Therefore, Ye Qingxuan made Han Ming swear a Dao Oath to avoid being implicated in the future.

Compared to the Han family and the Tianyuan Trading House, he was currently just an insignificant small fry.

Hearing Ye Qingxuan's price and demands, Han Ming gritted his teeth and agreed immediately:

"Agreed."

After agreeing, Han Ming followed Ye Qingxuan's instructions and swore a Dao Oath on the spot.

Then, without hesitation, he took out a storage bracelet and gave Ye Qingxuan one million high-grade spirit stones.

These one million high-grade spirit stones represented nearly all of Han Ming's assets.

Seeing that Han Ming was sensible, Ye Qingxuan had no intention of making things difficult for him.

He took out several fifth-grade elixirs and handed them to Han Ming:

"These are top-grade fifth-grade Green Lotus Elixir, Sky-Mending Elixir, and Detoxification Elixir. They are sufficient to restore your injuries, repair your dantian, and neutralize the poison."

Han Ming hurriedly accepted the elixirs and said gratefully, "Thank you, Daoist friend, for your help. If Han Ming can successfully seek justice, I will surely repay you handsomely in the future."

"What exists between us is merely a transaction. You need not thank me."

Ye Qingxuan did not take Han Ming's promise to heart.

Even if Han Ming recovered from his injuries,

it would not be easy for him to return to the Eastern Region smoothly.

On the way back, not to mention the possibility of encountering his pursuers,

even if he successfully reached the Tianyuan Trading House's base in Jihai Province and reported Lin Fan's actions to the Tianyuan Trading House,

the Tianyuan Trading House's attitude remained uncertain.

As for going to Dongjizhou?

Thinking of this, Ye Qingxuan asked curiously:

"Why are you going to Dongjizhou?"

Dongjizhou is located in the center of the Dongji Region.

Going to Dongjizhou would not enable a return to the Eastern Region." Hearing Ye Qingxuan's question, Han Ming did not hide the truth:

"I am going to Dongjizhou to find Elder Mo Shuan of the Tianyuan Sect, who is stationed in the Dongji Region."

"Elder Mo is a close friend of my family's ancestor. Once I find Elder Mo, I can return to the Eastern Region smoothly and seek justice."

Upon hearing this, Ye Qingxuan finally understood.

He had almost forgotten that the three dominant powers of the Eastern Region—Xuantian Sect, Tianyuan Sect, and the Huangfu Immortal Clan—all had powerful experts stationed in the Dongji Region.

Moreover, the locations where these experts were stationed were right in the core area of the Dongji Region, within Dongjizhou.

Han Ming's choice to go to Dongjizhou could indeed be considered a way out.

However, this path was not easy to walk.

Crossing the distance of five major provinces was no joke.

When Ye Qingxuan traveled from Jihai Province to Xingluo Province, he only crossed one Jitian Province,

yet it took him over ten years." Recalling his own experience of crossing major provinces, Ye Qingxuan couldn't help but pat Han Ming's shoulder and say, "Then I wish you good luck!"

Before Han Ming could speak, Ye Qingxuan teleported Han Ming to the foot of Wanling Mountain.

With the transaction complete, Ye Qingxuan naturally did not wish for Han Ming to linger there.

As for going to Dongjizhou? Ye Qingxuan had no such plans at present.

After being teleported down by Ye Qingxuan, Han Ming was slightly stunned, then realized what had happened.

Understanding Ye Qingxuan's meaning, Han Ming still bowed toward the direction of Wanling Mountain.

Finally, Han Ming stopped insisting, turned around, and left the foot of Wanling Mountain.

Several days later, Han Ming's injuries were completely healed.

His cultivation base also benefited from the misfortune, breaking through from the peak of the Jin Dan realm to the early stage of the Yuan Ying realm in one go.

With his injuries fully restored and his realm broken through,

Han Ming no longer stayed in Dongxuan City. He transformed into a streak of light and headed toward Dongjizhou.

Above Mount Wanling.

Ye Qingxuan stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing in the direction Han Ming had departed. Only after a long while did he speak lightly:

"Dongjizhou? I will go, but not now."

Half a month after Han Ming's departure.

Ye Qingxuan, who was brewing tea within Mount Wanling, suddenly paused, his gaze turning toward the outskirts of Dongxuancheng.

Not far east of Dongxuancheng.

A Soul Transformation realm powerhouse clad in black robes, accompanied by several Nascent Soul realm cultivators also in black robes, had arrived near Dongxuancheng.

Gazing at Dongxuancheng before him, that Soul Transformation powerhouse spoke indifferently:

"How many days did that fellow stay here?"

Hearing the inquiry, the black-robed figure closest to the Soul Transformation realm hurriedly replied: "Report to the leader, he stayed in that city ahead for about seven days."

"After seven days, his injuries healed, his cultivation base broke through to the Nascent Soul realm, and then he left."

"Stayed only seven days?"

Upon hearing this, the black-robed leader looked at Dongxuancheng not far away with some hesitation, his mind constantly turning things over.

Their group was the bandit cultivators who had previously ambushed Han Ming and others.

That Soul Transformation period Venerable was the leader of this group of bandit cultivators.

Previously, the bandit leader had been severely injured by two mid-grade sixth-tier talismans and was forced to enter seclusion to recover.

Before entering seclusion, he had entrusted the task of hunting down Han Ming to his subordinates.

Who would have thought that after emerging from seclusion,

his subordinates not only failed to kill Han Ming but allowed Han Ming to get further and further away.

With no other choice, he could only personally lead the team, following the intelligence received, to track Han Ming's trail once more, all the way to Dongxuancheng.

After reaching the borders of Xingluozhou, he had heard various legends about Dongxuancheng.

The bandit leader himself was only at the early stage of the Soul Transformation realm; facing Dongxuancheng, he felt great apprehension.

Lin Yun, who cooperated with him, was merely a manager of the Tianyuan Trading House and could not represent the Tianyuan Trading House.

If the strength of Dongxuancheng was truly as rumored,

they would indeed not be a match for Dongxuancheng.

Seeing their leader lost in thought, a late-stage Nascent Soul realm black-robed figure suggested: "Leader, shall we enter Dongxuancheng to investigate? Or ask the City Lord of Dongxuancheng?"

Upon hearing this, the bandit leader glanced at his subordinate: "Why don't you go in and ask?"

Hearing his leader's words, that suggester shivered internally, immediately closed his mouth, and remained silent.

Seeing this, the bandit leader slowly spoke:

"Since Dongxuancheng did not shelter that boy, then we need not enter Dongxuancheng to investigate."

"Let's go, continue tracking that boy's whereabouts."

"Yes, Leader."

Immediately afterward, their group instantly fled in the direction Han Ming had departed.

After they left.

Ye Qingxuan, atop Mount Wanling, finally withdrew his gaze.

He casually continued brewing his tea.

(End of this chapter)