Martial Sage from the Vajra Skill

"My family arranged my marriage when I was a child. The woman is incredibly aggressive and arrogant. I don’t like her, and I didn’t want others controlling my marriage, so I decided to pursue a woman I actually like..."

Jiang Fan continued his story, and soon, everyone understood the gist of it.

He was rebelling against his family’s arranged marriage, hoping to find a woman who wouldn’t be with him for his family’s status, seeking a pure and simple love. And then he ran into a real piece of work like Ah Ya.

He thought she was an angel, but at a single word from Li Chuyang about attending to him in his chambers, she couldn’t wait to strip. She was even worse than the fiancée he looked down upon.

For someone like him, who dreamed of a beautiful romance, it was as if his heart had been ripped out and trampled on. His face was a mask of utter despair.

"Brother Jiang, we are Martial Artists. We should pursue the pinnacle of the Martial Dao. Romance is just a trivial distraction," Sun Tao consoled him.

He was the type who didn’t understand the first thing about romance. ’You’re a grand Young Master Marquis, an A-class Talent. What do you need a woman for?’

"Most women are attracted to the strong. You hid your identity and talent, which is a form of deception in itself. You wanted her to like you for who you are, not your family status, but if she were ugly, would you still have liked her?

"If she can’t like you for your talent or your family status, what is she supposed to like? Your mediocrity? Your poverty?"

Xu Yang didn’t know how to console him either, so he just shared his own perspective.

It was hard to say who was right or wrong in this situation, but Ah Ya was definitely not a good match for anyone.

"Junior Brother Xu has a point," Jiang Ping said.

Jiang Fan lowered the cup of wine from his lips, unable to take a drink. His brow furrowed. "Was I wrong?"

Xu Yang nodded. "More or less. The main problem is your terrible taste in women. To think you’d fall for a real piece of work like her."

He asked curiously, "What did you even like about her? She has no special aura, no looks, no figure, no talent. What was the appeal?"

Jiang Fan opened his mouth but was at a loss for words.

Seeing this, Xu Yang had an epiphany. "Ah, so you’re a glutton for punishment. Was it because she gave you the cold shoulder that you thought she was different from all the other girls?"

Jiang Fan’s face flushed crimson with embarrassment, while Sun Tao and the others stared, dumbfounded.

Xu Yang shook his head in resignation. "She gave you the cold shoulder because she thought you were a poor, good-for-nothing country bumpkin with no future. You, on the other hand, thought she was a girl with ’character,’ a good girl who didn’t care about your family status. The truth is, she was just looking down on you. She wasn’t ’different,’ she was just disdainful."

He was left a bit speechless. ’In this day and age, a Young Master Marquis like Jiang Fan is a true oddity.’

"What’s going on?"

Just then, Zhang Yong came running in, looking flustered but with a gloating expression. "Haha! Lu Ren... he’s been expelled from Sharp Wind Hall! Cao Rong and Yun Feng kicked him out!"

"Sharp Wind Hall has already made a public announcement. From this day forward, Lu Ren is no longer one of them."

"Excellent! Payback’s a bitch! Well done, Brother Jiang!" Jiang Ping couldn’t help but roar in approval.

He and Zhang Yong were the most delighted by Lu Ren’s misfortune.

Jiang Fan shook his head. "It has nothing to do with me. I wasn’t planning on going after him."

He might not have planned to retaliate, but Yun Feng and Cao Rong didn’t know that. Who could guarantee that Jiang Fan wouldn’t transfer his anger to Sharp Wind Hall over the incident?

Few could afford to provoke the Young Master Marquis of the Jiang Clan. If they waited for him to make a move before cutting ties, it would be too late.

"Junior Brother Lu is finished," Sun Tao sighed.

With Sharp Wind Hall casting him out, Gu Haoming would never dare to associate with Lu Ren again either.

Xu Yang shook his head. "Not necessarily. Jiang Fan has no intention of going after him."

Lu Ren was, in a way, just a victim of collateral damage. He wasn’t completely finished, but from now on he’d have to earn his own Cultivation Resources, which would just make life harder for him.

Even so, Zhang Yong and Jiang Ping were overjoyed, gloating nonstop. During his time with Sharp Wind Hall, Lu Ren had offended plenty of people. Now, they would be coming for revenge.

The power that came with the title of Young Master Marquis was far greater than Xu Yang had imagined.

A short while later, Yun Feng, Cao Rong, and even Gu Haoming personally arrived with gifts to apologize to Jiang Fan. They insisted that they had nothing to do with the Lu Ren incident and knew nothing about it.

"Get out!"

Jiang Fan was in no mood to listen and simply threw them out.

A little later, that wonderful piece of work, Ah Ya, came by crying and begging for Jiang Fan’s forgiveness.

Jiang Fan refused to see her and hid in his room. Jiang Ping, growing impatient with her crying, went out and sent her away.

「Two days later.」 Xu Yang ran into Lu Ren. Being expelled from Sharp Wind Hall had affected Lu Ren far more than he’d imagined.

Lu Ren’s eyes were bloodshot. He was like a wounded beast, emanating a shockingly ferocious aura.

’He really might be finished after all,’ Xu Yang thought.

For Lu Ren, being expelled from Sharp Wind Hall wasn’t as simple as losing a backer.

He had abandoned the Huang Family to join the Gu Family, only to be cast aside because of the incident with Jiang Fan. It was as if his pride had been thrown on the ground and trampled into dust. He felt he couldn’t show his face in public.

He felt that anyone who looked at him was mocking him.

"Have you come to laugh at me?" Lu Ren asked, his face cold.

Xu Yang couldn’t be bothered to respond. It was just a chance encounter, yet Lu Ren was already lashing out. His disposition had clearly taken another turn for the worse.

He didn’t need to deal with someone like this; someone else would take care of him sooner or later.

"Just you wait!"

Seeing Xu Yang ignore him and walk away, Lu Ren nearly ground his teeth to dust.

Even without Sharp Wind Hall, he was still Lu Ren, one of the Ten Heroes. It was only a matter of time before he rose again.

Gu Haoming, Xu Yang, Yun Feng, Cao Rong, Ah Ya, Jiang Fan...

He etched every one of their names into his heart, vowing that he would make them all regret this day.

...

[Martial Arts Longevity Points: 202]

A few more days passed in a flash.

Xu Yang hadn’t found a suitable mission, but he had gathered enough points to enhance the Blood Coagulation Pill.

’Then let’s enhance it.’

He locked his door, sat cross-legged on his bed, and with a single thought, focused two hundred points on the Blood Coagulation Pill.

In an instant, a flood of information filled Xu Yang’s mind—the complete experience of refining the Blood Coagulation Pill, along with detailed knowledge of the dozen or so herbs required for it.

[Blood Coagulation Pill (200/200)]

’It’s done!’

He opened his eyes, unable to suppress the joy within them. He was now confident he could successfully refine a Blood Coagulation Pill with nothing more than a copper pot.

He was now so confident about the dozen or so herbs involved that he felt he could distinguish their medicinal properties and age with his eyes closed.

’I’ll go to the city, buy some herbs, and test my skills.’

Strapping the Wolf Fang Saber to his back, Xu Yang rushed out of his courtyard. He made his way to the sect gate and headed for Cyan Yang City without a moment’s hesitation.

Xu Yang has left the Purple Sun Sect!

When Li Xu received the news, he hurried to find Kong Yu and report it.

Xu Yang hadn’t left the sect for so long that Kong Yu had grown impatient. If Xu Yang hadn’t left soon, he was planning on paying the Task Hall to assign him a mission off the mountain.

"He’s finally left!"

Kong Yu’s long hair was unbound as he rose from his meditation cushion. "Let’s go. He won’t be coming back this time."

He led Li Xu out of the courtyard with large strides and headed down the mountain.

...

The uniform of a Purple Sun Sect Outer Disciple was too conspicuous, so halfway to his destination, Xu Yang changed into different clothes.

’I’ve never practiced alchemy before. If I buy the herbs and succeed in creating a Blood Coagulation Pill on my first try, it would be far too sensational. That’s why I can’t do this within the Purple Sun Sect.’

As Xu Yang mulled it over, a plan formed in his mind. Using Stepping on Gang and Chasing Wind, he moved like a blur. He soon reached the city, found a broker, and rented a courtyard for five silver a month, paying for an entire year upfront.

The price was a bit steep, but he was in a hurry to find a place for his alchemy, so he didn’t quibble.

Immediately afterward, Xu Yang acquired a new set of gear: a conical hat, a fake beard, and a mask that covered half his face.

Cyan Yang City was a melting pot of all sorts of people, so such items were easy to come by. During the two-plus months he had lived in the city before, he had basically familiarized himself with its layout. Besides, plenty of people dressed this way, so he wouldn’t stand out.

Once his disguise was complete, he went to a shop that specialized in medicinal herbs. He handed over a list with the names and quantities he’d written down. "How much to fill this prescription?"

The shop boy took the list and, after a rapid clacking of the abacus, said, "That will be seventy-eight silver, sir."

Xu Yang nodded to himself. This was enough ingredients for two batches of pills, and the price was about what Zhou Yong had told him.

"Hurry and get me the herbs, just as they’re listed on the prescription."

"One moment, sir. Shopkeeper, we’ve got a customer!"

The boy shouted toward the back of the shop, and a somewhat portly, middle-aged man emerged.