Martial Sage from the Vajra Skill

To be honest, Yuan Sujie was countless times better than Huang Ling’er of the Huang Family had been, and there was nothing about her that he disliked.

But he felt no stirrings of affection for Yuan Sujie and had no desire to marry a woman he didn’t like just for some resources.

Besides, if he truly harbored ill intentions, a woman wouldn’t be enough to restrain him.

As long as the Yuan Family treated him sincerely, he wouldn’t fail the Yuan Family.

"I was inconsiderate before, but Fellow Xu, you can still consider it now. My daughter’s talent may be lacking, but her character and looks are not bad," Yuan Gang said.

"Junior Sister Yuan is wonderful, but I have no such designs on her. Moreover, I can guarantee that even without the marriage alliance, I will not fail the Yuan Family in the future." Xu Yang shook his head.

"If Fellow Xu does not agree to the marriage alliance, then the Yuan Family’s agreement with you must end here."

Yuan Gang’s face turned livid as he immediately spoke these harsh words.

He was already somewhat dissatisfied with Xu Yang. If he wasn’t even willing to marry into the family, the Yuan Family couldn’t possibly continue to waste resources on him.

As the head of a clan, he put the least faith in such verbal promises.

Only if Xu Yang and Yuan Sujie were married and tied down by children could the Yuan Family truly trust him.

Xu Yang sighed, took out a stack of silver banknotes from his robes, and placed them on the table. "Thank you for your care until now, Patriarch. This is for the resources I’ve received from the Yuan Family."

"I have already taken the Profound Yuan Qi Transformation Pill, so I can only repay the Yuan Family for its value in silver taels."

"Xu Yang, you’re so ungrateful! Is Sujie not good enough for you?" Yuan Yi shouted.

Xu Yang shook his head. "It is I who am not worthy of Junior Sister Yuan. Patriarch, Brother Yuan, I will take my leave. In the future, if the Yuan Family has need of me, you can send someone to find me at the Purple Sun Sect."

"If I can be of assistance, I will certainly do everything in my power."

Yuan Gang said nothing, simply watching as Xu Yang departed.

From behind the screen, Yuan Sujie emerged. "I told you he wouldn’t agree."

She felt no anger at being rejected. Since she had no choice in the matter herself, Xu Yang’s refusal was actually a kind of relief for her.

Yuan Gang said angrily, "It’s for the best that he refused! I was starting to look down on him anyway. Timid and afraid of getting into trouble—he’s not fit for great responsibilities."

With a personality like Xu Yang’s, if a day came when he was truly needed to risk his life for the Yuan Family, he would probably be the first to flee.

Without a marriage alliance, without the bond of offspring, a person with such a character could not be trusted at all.

Fortunately, Xu Yang knew his place and returned the value of all the resources the Yuan Family had invested in him, so there was no loss.

...

At the same time, two figures shrouded in cloaks arrived outside Cyan Yang City.

"Cyan Yang City, I, Li Tieying, have returned!" Li Tieying gazed at the majestic city and let out a low roar.

He had fled Cyan Yang City like a stray dog, but now he was back, his cultivation a step further, and he was thrilled beyond words.

"Gang Leader, have I fulfilled my promise from back then?" Wang Lun asked with a smile from the side.

Li Tieying nodded. "Almost. I still haven’t killed Xu Yang. That brat caused my life’s work to go down the drain. If I don’t kill him, I’ll never be able to vent this anger."

Wang Lun smiled. "With your current cultivation, Gang Leader, killing a mere Xu Yang would be as easy as flipping your hand."

Li Tieying shook his head. "We are both disciples of the Heaven-Burning Sect now. You shouldn’t call me Gang Leader anymore. Call me Junior Brother."

He shot a complicated look at Wang Lun beside him, then strode toward Cyan Yang City.

He never would have imagined that his own second-in-command of the Iron Eagle Gang had long been a member of the Demon Dao’s Heaven-Burning Sect. The method his subordinate had used to help him break through to Marrow Cleansing was to lure him into the Heaven-Burning Sect to practice a Demon Technique.

...

’It’s for the best that the agreement is void!’

Walking out of the Yuan Family estate, Xu Yang felt a wave of relief wash over him.

Back then, he had been forced by circumstances to agree to be a Tributor for the Yuan Family. He had worried that while being targeted by Xiao Hua, he would also incur the Yuan Family’s resentment, so he’d had no choice but to accept.

Although Yuan Gang had terminated the agreement because he refused the marriage, Xu Yang understood that his slow cultivation progress and perceived lack of ambition were also factors.

In the eyes of others, his various actions made him seem like a good-for-nothing—timid, afraid of trouble, wasting a body full of talent.

To a clan, such a person wasn’t worthy of trust or investment, and developing him would only cost more resources.

He bought the ingredients for the Gathering Essence Pill in several batches. The next day, accompanied by a fragrant aroma, the refinement of the Gathering Essence Pills was complete.

This time, the refinement yielded only ten pills.

Xu Yang collected the pills and immediately hurried to the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion.

"Just one Ten-Perfection Rejuvenation Pill, please. I don’t need the Eight-Treasure Body-Strengthening Pills anymore."

Although he could refine Gathering Essence Pills himself, he still bought the Ten-Perfection Rejuvenation Pills from the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion. After all, the three main ingredients were too difficult to gather.

His Golden Gang Skill had already reached Great Success, so he no longer needed Eight-Treasure Body-Strengthening Pills, cutting out a considerable expense.

Over the past year, he had spent at least four to five thousand taels of silver on Eight-Treasure Body-Strengthening Pills.

"Right away, Master Xu."

Zhou Yong went to fetch the Ten-Perfection Rejuvenation Pill and said, "The Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion will be holding an auction in seven days. Will you be attending, Master Xu?"

"Of course, I’ll attend!" Xu Yang nodded.

The Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion held an auction roughly every four or five months, so he would naturally participate.

It was too difficult to acquire the three main ingredients for refining Gathering Essence Pills on the open market; it was much easier to buy them at an auction.

The price might be a bit higher, but that didn’t matter.

He still had nearly six thousand taels of the silver he had acquired from Qingfeng Stronghold, so he wasn’t short on money. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"Excellent. I’ll reserve a spot for you, Master Xu."

Zhou Yong smilingly saw Xu Yang out of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion. He had already determined that the person refining the Blood Coagulation Pills wasn’t Xu Yang, and no Gathering Essence Pills had appeared on the market.

After leaving the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion, Xu Yang headed directly for the city gates.

In a tavern near the city gate entrance, two figures hidden beneath cloaks were drinking while watching the people coming and going.

At a certain moment, a young figure appeared in both their lines of sight.

"Xu Yang is here. I didn’t expect to find him so quickly." A cold glint flickered in Li Tieying’s eyes.

If it hadn’t been for Xu Yang back then, the Iron Eagle Gang he had built from scratch wouldn’t have been wiped out by the Purple Sun Sect.

If it weren’t for Xu Yang snatching the Spirit Medicine, he could have reached Marrow Cleansing on his own.

It was all because of Xu Yang. Now, he was a disciple of the Demon Dao, hunted and cursed by all, forever living in the shadows, controlled by the Demons of the Heaven-Burning Sect.

"Gang Leader, we agreed. We leave immediately after killing Xu Yang. Cyan Yang City is no place for us. I heard the Blood Lotus Sect was active here recently. Let’s not become their scapegoats," Wang Lun warned.

"Enough nonsense. Don’t worry. Even if you wanted to stay, I wouldn’t. Isn’t it better to be free and unfettered elsewhere?"

As Li Tieying spoke, he strode outside.

"Waiter, the bill!"

Wang Lun tossed down a piece of broken silver and followed.

’So sneaky. Are you afraid people *won’t* know you have ill intentions?’

Just now, as he passed through the city gate, Xu Yang’s five senses had caught a gaze filled with killing intent sweeping over him. He hadn’t expected that after leaving the city, two figures wearing conical hats would appear and start following him.

It was only because he had now reached Marrow Cleansing—skill breeds confidence. Anyone else would have seen such people following them and slipped away long ago.

He had no idea that Li Tieying and Wang Lun didn’t want to dress like this either. But the two had long been wanted by the Purple Sun Sect. If they didn’t conceal their identities in Purple Sun Sect territory, they would have been spotted by the sect’s Law Enforcement Disciples long ago.

"Go! Don’t kill him. I want to plant a Blood Seed in him. A Ten Heroes Genius, even if he’s the last on the list, should be able to advance my cultivation."

After following Xu Yang for four or five li, upon reaching a deserted mountainous area, Li Tieying could no longer hold back and prepared to strike.

A Ten Heroes Genius... if he could plant a Blood Seed and raise him, he might one day become a Human-shaped Elixir comparable to a Spirit Medicine. To kill him would be a monstrous waste.

"Yes!"

Wang Lun clasped his fists.

The next moment, his figure soared into the air like a great bird, chasing after Xu Yang like a gust of wind.

’First, I’ll collect some interest from Xu Yang. I’ll settle the score with the Purple Sun Sect in the future.’

A cold light glinted in Li Tieying’s eyes as he also gave chase, covering several yards with each step.

"Xu Yang, there’s no escape for you!" Wang Lun bellowed, his voice like a great bell.

A scarlet light emanated from his body. His Gang Qi was like a burning flame, emitting waves of searing heat, yet it also carried a shivering, sinister chill.

’So, they aren’t common bandits out for a score, but enemies seeking revenge.’

Hearing the roar from behind, Xu Yang understood that they were here for him specifically; he wasn’t just a random target.