Yi Xiaoyao watched Tang Ruoxue’s indifferent back, his fists clenched so tightly his nails dug deep into his palms.
Tang Feng, standing beside him, snorted heavily and turned to leave.
Then, Tang Feng stopped and turned back to Yi Xiaoyao. "You, come with me."
「Tang Feng’s residence.」
Tang Feng sat in a chair, trembling with rage.
Yi Xiaoyao stood to the side. After a moment of thought, he asked, "Uncle, is there a reason you called me here?"
Tang Feng was indeed Yi Xiaoyao’s maternal uncle, but because of the matter of inheriting the Fortress Master position, they hadn’t exchanged a single word in ten years.
So, being summoned by Tang Feng today made Yi Xiaoyao feel a little puzzled.
Tang Feng looked up, his expression complicated as he gazed at Yi Xiaoyao.
"You... still acknowledge me as your uncle?"
"Although you’ve been cold to me, Uncle, if it weren’t for you all these years, I’m afraid I would have died long ago," Yi Xiaoyao said with a faint smile.
Tang Feng’s expression shifted to one of shock. "You know everything?"
"Over the years, I’ve survived countless assassination attempts by the Tang Family. Although Tang Long helped fend off most of them, there were many attempts that he didn’t know about. I figured someone else in the Tang Family Castle must be saving me, and besides you, Uncle, there’s no one else."
As Yi Xiaoyao spoke, a warmth spread through his heart.
Tang Feng shook his head and sighed. "Sigh! You are my sister’s flesh and blood, after all!"
He then added, "But you probably still don’t know that most of the assassination attempts that Tang Long and his daughter ’saved’ you from were actually sent by them!"
Yi Xiaoyao was stunned. "They sent people to kill me, only to step in and save me, all to win my trust?"
"Exactly! I discovered this while I had my men protecting you in secret."
"Then why didn’t you tell me, Uncle? It led to me suffering such humiliation today!" Yi Xiaoyao’s face was filled with confusion.
Tang Feng said helplessly, "Given your relationship with them before, if I had said anything, you would have just thought I was trying to sow discord. Besides, Tang Long and his daughter were only putting on an act, so you were never in any real danger."
Yi Xiaoyao gave a bitter smile. Tang Feng was right. In the past, he had seen Tang Long and his daughter as his own family and truly wouldn’t have believed anyone who spoke against them.
’To think that father and daughter would be so calculating, all for the position of Fortress Master!’
He shook his head, unwilling to think about that treacherous pair any longer.
"By the way, Uncle, you..."
Tang Feng raised a hand. "I know you want to ask why I ignored you in the past but am seeking you out today."
Yi Xiaoyao fell silent.
Tang Feng stood up. "The reason I’ve been this way toward you for ten years is because I hate your father! He took my most beloved sister away, and her whereabouts are unknown! Not only that, but I also hate your maternal grandfather, for he left the position of Fortress Master—which should have been mine—to you!"
"Every time I saw you, it would trigger the hatred in my heart. But I also knew none of it was your fault, so I never interacted with you, only protecting you from the shadows."
Hearing this, Yi Xiaoyao finally understood the contradictory emotions hidden in his uncle’s heart.
"Uncle, once I take back the position of Fortress Master, I will give it to you!"
"There’s no need!"
Tang Feng waved his hand dismissively. "The position of Fortress Master was something I craved in my youth. Now, I only hope that your mother and grandfather are still alive. As for the Fortress Master title, it’s just an empty name in the end."
Yi Xiaoyao looked at Tang Feng, feeling for the first time that this uncle was so kind. It was a kindness he hadn’t experienced in ten years, because this was the genuine affection that comes from blood.
Tang Feng patted Yi Xiaoyao’s shoulder.
"I called you here because I heard you say you’re going to fight that Tang Ruoxue in ten days. You know full well that she’s already at the seventh level of the Qi Condensation Realm, and you didn’t even receive the Immortal Soul inheritance..."
"Uncle, please believe me! Right now, you’re the only one who can!"
Yi Xiaoyao said, looking at Tang Feng with determination.
Tang Feng was taken aback. Although he still couldn’t imagine how Yi Xiaoyao could possibly defeat Tang Ruoxue, he still nodded, his eyes conveying his trust.
"Though the position of Fortress Master is no longer important to me, I absolutely refuse to let it fall into the hands of that venomous father-daughter pair! It would be best if you could get it, so if there’s anything you need, just ask," said Tang Feng.
Yi Xiaoyao thought for a moment. Although he possessed the Reversed Godslaying Sword Technique and the Sword God Bloodline, allowing him to cultivate extremely fast, it would still be incredibly difficult to reach the seventh level of Qi Condensation in just ten days.
So, he did indeed need help.
"Then thank you, Uncle. I need Elixirs to improve my Cultivation, and Swordsmanship techniques."
Yi Xiaoyao stated his needs, then added, "Oh, right, and I’ll need a sword!"
Tang Feng committed these items to memory and nodded in agreement.
"There are a few Swordsmanship techniques in the Library Pavilion. As for a sword... I remember now, there’s also a good quality longsword in the Armory."
He then frowned slightly. "I can get you both of those, but I don’t have any Elixirs on me that are suitable for someone at your level of Cultivation."
Yi Xiaoyao’s brow furrowed as well. If he wanted to raise his Cultivation quickly, Elixirs were essential.
"But don’t worry. I’ll give you some money, and you can go buy them at the market yourself."
Smiling, Tang Feng took out a stack of gold notes and handed them over.
"Uncle, this is too much. I don’t need this many," Yi Xiaoyao said, waving his hand to refuse.
"Take it. I’ve never taken good care of you all these years. Consider it a token of my guilt toward your mother," Tang Feng sighed.
Unable to refuse any longer, Yi Xiaoyao had no choice but to accept the gold notes.
Ten days was a very short time for the current Yi Xiaoyao. Unwilling to waste another moment, he took the gold notes and headed to the market.
Although the Tang Family Castle’s influence in Hunting City wasn’t considered immense, it still controlled several markets.
Yi Xiaoyao arrived at one such market.
He was here to buy Cultivation Elixirs, so his goal was clear: the Pill Workshop in the market.
「A moment later, inside the Pill Workshop.」
"Young master, from the looks of it, you must be here to buy Spirit Enhancing Pills, right?"
The Pill Workshop’s Shopkeeper greeted the newly arrived Yi Xiaoyao with a smile.
Yi Xiaoyao was startled. "I remember that the Elixir for raising one’s Cultivation in the Qi Condensation Realm is called the Spirit Enhancing Pill. How did you know I wanted to buy that?"
The Shopkeeper smiled helplessly. "The Immortal Gang descended last night. Most of the youths your age have become Cultivators, and every single one of them is coming to buy Spirit Enhancing Pills."
Understanding dawned on Yi Xiaoyao. "I’d like to buy ten Spirit Enhancing Pills."
"Sigh! My apologies, but there are simply too many people buying Spirit Enhancing Pills. We sold out early this morning and only have three left! And it’s not just our shop; it’s the same situation at all the other Pill Workshops."
The Shopkeeper said apologetically.
Yi Xiaoyao immediately frowned. ’What am I going to do?’
"Young master, how about this."
The Shopkeeper suggested, "Why don’t you buy these three Spirit Enhancing Pills first, and come back for the rest tomorrow? How does that sound?"
Yi Xiaoyao nodded. "I suppose that’s the only way."
Just as the Shopkeeper was about to fetch the Elixirs, a young man who had just entered called out to him.
"Shopkeeper, I want to buy Spirit Enhancing Pills!"
The young man was also here for Spirit Enhancing Pills; it seemed the Shopkeeper hadn’t been lying to Yi Xiaoyao.
Holding the three Spirit Enhancing Pills, the Shopkeeper said apologetically, "These are the only three Spirit Enhancing Pills left, and they’re already..."
"Three is fine! I’ll take them!"
The young man cut the Shopkeeper off and snatched them from his hand.
"Wait! I was buying those three Spirit Enhancing Pills!"
Yi Xiaoyao blocked the young man, frowning.
"Huh? Kid, you got a death wish or something, daring to compete with me? Don’t you know this entire market is controlled by my Tang Family Castle?!"
As he spoke, the young man glared at Yi Xiaoyao, then suddenly froze.
"Well, well! Look who it is. Isn’t it our Tang Family Castle’s useless Young Master of the Castle?"
Then, the young man sneered. "A piece of trash wants to compete with me for Elixirs?"