Chapter 53: Chapter 52: The Ye Family’s Jizong!

Upon hearing his identity stated so plainly and seeing the stunned expression on the man’s face, Qin Fan couldn’t help but chuckle. He didn’t dwell on the mention of the “Qin Family from Jiangzhou.”

He simply responded, “You know me?”

“My name is Ye Jizong. Ye Xuan is my daughter, Ye Congjun is my father, and Ye Jizu is my fourth brother!” the middle-aged man said, his throat parched.

At this moment, he could finally understand why Lai Zhuge had been praising Qin Fan to the heavens. The cream of the crop of the younger generation? Could they even compare to him? Although this was his first time meeting Qin Fan, he had heard the name countless times from his father and his daughter, Ye Xuan.

He had heard of these exploits and more from Old Master Ye and Ye Xuan. He recalled the stories: defeating his grandfather’s personal guard, Wang Lu, in a single move; being a sixteen-and-a-half-year-old Grandmaster of the Transformation Realm. With a single pulse diagnosis and one elixir, he had repaired his grandfather’s aging veins that were on the verge of rupturing, even resoundingly promising that the old man would live past the hundred-year threshold. He’d swept away over a billion in three rounds of stud poker at the Mountain and Water Manor. He could injure people with a mere breath—a remote-striking technique—killing Lan Xiaosheng’s son-in-law, Zhan Long, in a single move!

If anyone else had told him such stories, he might have scoffed and dismissed them as absurdly exaggerated tales. But his father and his own daughter would never joke about such matters. They had told him these things so he would be aware and could try to flatter and build a connection with Qin Fan when they eventually met. He never expected to run into him here, on Horse Hoof Ridge, hundreds of kilometers from Jiangzhou!

“Oh,” Qin Fan responded indifferently, showing no particular warmth just because the man was a member of the Ye Family. He knew that Ye Jizong was an important figure in the family, seemingly a provincial Governor. But what does that have to do with me? Besides, as for the Ye Family, if they fail to gather what I’ve demanded by the deadline, then I, Qin Fan, a man whose word is his bond, might just uproot their entire family!

“Mr. Ye, you know Young Friend Qin?” Lai Zhuge asked, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

“This is my first time meeting Mr. Qin! However, Mr. Qin is acquainted with my father, my daughter, and my fourth brother!” Ye Jizong replied honestly and openly.

This answer stunned Lai Zhuge. Ye Jizong’s father—how could he not know of him? Old Master Ye from Lingnan… the name alone signified a feudal lord! And Qin Fan, at such a young age, was actually acquainted with Old Master Ye? Moreover, Ye Jizong addressed Qin Fan as ’Mr.’ with such a humble attitude. What did that represent? This young man is no simple character! Far from it!

“I wonder what brings Mr. Qin here?” Ye Jizong asked after answering Lai Zhuge, cautiously observing Qin Fan’s expression.

“Don’t pry into things you shouldn’t know! In any case, my business won’t conflict with your Foreign Ghost Bureau. Go on, let Master Lai lead you on your search for clues. Perhaps you’ll have a fortuitous encounter!” Qin Fan said dismissively.

If he weren’t from the Ye Family, I might have been interested in chatting a bit more. But he is, and he’s a member of the Ye Family who already knows a fair bit about me. There’s no need to drag this on! Besides, at this stage, I don’t want too much contact with the Ye Family.

Hearing the clear dismissal in Qin Fan’s words, Lai Zhuge paused. He quickly provided Ye Jizong with an exit, smiling as he said, “Mr. Ye, we’re short on time. Let’s continue our search!”

“Yes, alright, Master Lai! In that case, Mr. Qin, I’ll take my leave!” Unperturbed by Qin Fan’s attitude, Ye Jizong gave a dry chuckle, showing no sign of anger or displeasure. Then, with a smiling nod from Qin Fan, he fell in behind Lai Zhuge and walked away.

Watching Ye Jizong’s departing figure, Qin Fan suddenly laughed aloud. Even a high-ranking Governor like Ye Jizong is this hungry for the Acupoint of the Foreign Ghost Bureau. It truly makes countless heroes bow their heads.

Shaking his head, Qin Fan put the matter aside. Just as he was about to step away and continue his patrol, a sensation struck him. He stopped dead in his tracks, his brow furrowing with a murderous chill.

The talismanic ward he had placed over the Gathering Spirit Grass Field was, according to his senses, being tampered with. He let out a silent, cold sneer and turned back toward the field.

“Master Yi, is this the Spirit Communication Grass? Why do we keep walking in circles and ending up back here? Could this be the legendary ’ghost-wall’ phenomenon?” by the edge of the field, a sweating Zhou Yihang asked in a hurried panic.

“It’s not a ghost-wall; someone has set up an Array! It seems someone already considers these Spirit Communication Grasses their private property!” Yi Tianji said, his brow deeply furrowed.

It wasn’t just Zhou Yihang who couldn’t enter; he couldn’t either. Even when he reached for the Spirit Communication Grass, his hand was blocked by what felt like an invisible barrier, preventing him from touching it.

“Master Yi, then… what do we do?” Zhou Yihang’s face turned ashen as he cried out in shock. His only hope for escaping his current predicament was the Spirit Communication Grass that Master Yi had told him about. To be faced with yet another setback, where he could only look but not touch, was making him frantic.

With fine beads of sweat on his forehead, Yi Tianji pursed his lips and scanned the area. His expression grim, he said, “It’s not convenient right now with so many prying eyes. Tonight… tonight, I’ll perform a ritual and see if I can break his Array! We’ve run into an expert this time!”

“An expert?” Zhou Yihang’s voice trembled, his nerves already on edge.

“Yes. Whoever could set up an Array like this is definitely no ordinary person,” Yi Tianji stated frankly.

“Master Yi, do… do you have the confidence to break it? You know I can’t wait any longer! If this drags on, there’s no telling how much more I’ll lose!” Zhou Yihang said hoarsely, his face pale with panic.

“I’m not sure if I can do it. We’ll have to wait until tonight,” Yi Tianji said, his confidence wavering as he raised a sleeve to wipe the sweat from his brow. He had a knack for things like residential feng shui, furniture placement, and techniques for attracting wealth and Gathering Energy. But when it came to Arrays, his skills were admittedly lacking, a fact he was well aware of. However, he was already in too deep to back out now; no matter what, he had to give it his best shot. “Mr. Zhou, panicking won’t help! We’ll sort everything out tonight!”

“Okay… tonight. We’ll wait for tonight. Master Yi, you have to help me!” Zhou Yihang said, his tone turning to one of near-begging, steeped in bitterness.

Just then, Qin Fan walked over.

When he saw Zhou Yihang’s profile, he couldn’t help but pause. That ingrate, Zhou Yihang? Why is he here? What use would he have for Gathering Spirit Grass?

As Qin Fan approached, Zhou Yihang turned and also recognized the familiar face. Qin Fan? What’s he doing here?

They stared at each other, mutually stunned. After a moment, it was Zhou Yihang who broke the awkward silence. Facing Qin Fan’s playful smile, he took a few steps forward, masking the panic on his face from the issue with the grass. He forced a smile and said insincerely, “Xiao Fan, what are you doing here, too?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep