Chapter 23

"Me?"

Jiang Yi was taken aback. He was sure that Miss Ji hadn't seen his face that day at the Ju Zhen Pavilion. How could she recognize him at first glance?

Yang Guan Shi was also stunned. The three young masters, seeing Jiang Yi with the bronze mask, were full of surprise. Miss Ji, at the eighth level of the Cauldron Casting Realm, was going to fight a mere bronze badge sparring partner? One finger would probably be enough to kill Jiang Yi, right?

However, the three young masters quickly came to their senses, thinking that this was Miss Ji Tingyu deliberately avoiding them. They didn't dare to say much and stood awkwardly in place.

"Blue Wolf, come out and fight!"

Although the Martial Hall didn't belong to the City Lord's residence, the Ji family was like a local emperor in Tianyu City. Yang Guan Shi naturally didn't dare to offend Ji Tingyu, and Jiang Yi could only bitterly smile and quickly follow Ji Tingyu into a training room.

"Bang!"

The door slammed shut. The three young masters stood for a while and then all turned and quickly left. They had been pursuing Miss Ji for several years, but she had always been lukewarm. They were long used to it and didn't dare to纠缠 too much.

Inside the training room, Jiang Yi awkwardly looked at the breathtakingly beautiful Miss Ji, his eyes flickering, almost afraid to look directly. Fortunately, he was wearing a mask, so Ji Tingyu couldn't see his flushed face.

Ji Tingyu's eyes held a faint smile as she curiously stared at Jiang Yi. She continued to look until Jiang Yi couldn't bear it anymore and said, "Master Yi, it's been a long time!"

"Indeed..."

Jiang Yi bitterly smiled. That day at the Ju Zhen Pavilion, he had used the pseudonym Yi Jian. However, being recognized, he felt less awkward. He looked at Ji Tingyu calmly and asked, "Miss Ji, how did you recognize me? You didn't see my eyes that day, did you?"

"Guesswork!"

Ji Tingyu smiled faintly and explained, "Outside, you glanced at me and immediately hid. I was just a bit surprised. When you came in, your build seemed vaguely familiar. Finally, when I saw your shoes, I guessed it was you."

Jiang Yi looked down and saw his tattered cloth shoes, and he bitterly smiled. These were sewn by Jiang Xiaonu, and because he hadn't changed them for half a year, the three patches were very noticeable.

After a while, he muttered to himself, somewhat self-deprecatingly, "Miss Ji, please don't call me Master. Call me Yi Jian! Have you ever seen a master wearing such tattered shoes?"

"You're wrong, Yi Jian!"

Ji Tingyu shook her head and said, "Who is born to be a king or a general? Our birth is something we can't control, but our destiny is in our own hands. I call you Master out of respect, not because of your background. There are many talented young men in Tianyu City, and I usually don't bother to speak to them. Do you understand what I mean?"

"I am enlightened!"

Jiang Yi's eyes lit up, and he gratefully bowed. His heart was filled with a surge of ambition. He smiled and said, "If I ever achieve great things, I will never forget your teachings, Miss."

"Hmm..."

Seeing the spirited look in Jiang Yi's eyes behind the bronze mask, Ji Tingyu was stunned. Originally, she had just said those comforting words to avoid making Jiang Yi feel awkward, but she didn't expect him to be so moved, almost like a different person. The aura around him gave her a strange sense of familiarity, as if... like the moment her father was appointed City Lord of Tianyu City.

Seeing that Ji Tingyu was silent and staring at him with her beautiful phoenix eyes filled with confusion, Jiang Yi felt awkward again and said, "Miss Ji, since you asked me to spar, let's have a match. But please go easy on me."

"A match?"

Ji Tingyu was stunned again. Jiang Yi, with his current strength, was actually preparing to fight her. Even though their yuan power was sealed, the gap was still too large, right? Was she supposed to stand still and let Jiang Yi attack? Serve as his sparring partner?

However, since Jiang Yi had spoken, she didn't want to embarrass him. Moreover, not sparring in the training room would raise suspicions. Ji Tingyu didn't want others to know that Jiang Yi had brought a pill with a dan pattern, so she smiled and said, "Master Yi, please give it your all!"

Jiang Yi quickly realized that he was the sparring partner. How could he take the initiative? He could only dryly laugh and say, "Miss, please make the first move. I will do my best."

During his cultivation, Jiang Yi had stored two threads of black yuan power as a backup. Now, it could support him for a short while, just enough to test the gap between him and a strong opponent.

"Alright!"

Ji Tingyu didn't hesitate. She lightly stepped forward, like a flower butterfly, and her hands moved in the air, creating illusions that dazzled the eyes. Her voice, like a silver bell, rang out, "Master Yi, be careful. This is our Ji family's high-grade human-level martial technique, Illusory Spirit Hands."

"Good, black yuan power!"

Jiang Yi muttered, his left eye flashing black. The speed of the rapidly moving hands in front of him immediately slowed down. He stepped into a confusing pattern, quickly dodging to the side.

"Huh?"

Ji Tingyu had been afraid that one move would send Jiang Yi flying, so she hadn't used her full strength, only using a human-level martial technique. She hadn't expected Jiang Yi to dodge so easily, his movements as smooth as flowing water.

"Ha!"

Her pride was stirred. She pushed off with her legs, increasing her speed, and used the Illusory Spirit Hands again, aiming at Jiang Yi.

"Whoosh!"

To her surprise, Jiang Yi, only at the second level of the Cauldron Casting Realm, still dodged easily. This time, she didn't even touch a corner of his clothes.

"This is strange. Is Master Yi hiding his true strength?"

Ji Tingyu was secretly surprised and no longer held back. She pushed off the ground repeatedly, her speed like a gale, and her hands moved as if playing a piano in the air, creating a field of illusions that enveloped Jiang Yi.

"The eighth level of the Cauldron Casting Realm is indeed powerful! Relying on physical strength alone, the speed is comparable to the third or fourth level of the Cauldron Casting Realm, right?"

Looking at the countless hand shadows, Jiang Yi sighed inwardly. He didn't want to lose face in front of such a beautiful woman. Knowing that his speed couldn't match Ji Tingyu's, he stopped dodging and focused his gaze on her hands. His mind raced, calculating her attack trajectory, and his hands moved like seaweed, reaching out.

"Bang!"

Before Jiang Yi's Binding Silk Hands could grab Ji Tingyu's palm, he was struck by a palm blade. A sharp pain shot through his hands, and he was forced back three steps by the impact. Ji Tingyu stood there, smiling at him.

"Miss Ji, you are powerful. I am impressed," Jiang Yi bitterly smiled. The combat strength of an eighth-level Cauldron Casting Realm warrior was indeed formidable. If not for the seal on his yuan power, he probably wouldn't have been able to withstand even one move.

Ji Tingyu smiled and shook her head, her beautiful eyes sparkling with admiration. "Master Yi, you gave me a pleasant surprise. I attacked with full strength just now. Even the gold badge sparring partners here might not have been able to withstand it. Alas... it's a pity that your realm is too low. Otherwise, you would surely have a great future. Of course, don't be discouraged. This world is full of late bloomers."

Ji Tingyu inwardly sighed. At Jiang Yi's age, being only at the second level of the Cauldron Casting Realm, unless a super powerful family used a large amount of resources to cultivate him, his achievements in this life would be limited. The higher a martial artist's cultivation, the more difficult it became. Relying on pills alone couldn't create a strong warrior, and most families couldn't afford it. At least, the families in Tianyu City didn't have that capability.

Jiang Yi didn't feel anything. He was already at a low realm, and instead of being discouraged, he was incredibly eager. As his realm improved, reaching the fourth or fifth level of the Cauldron Casting Realm, how powerful would his overall combat strength be?

"Alright, Master Yi, I'll go back first."

Ji Tingyu got up and walked out. At the door, she turned and said, "Master, I still think you should follow that alchemist to learn alchemy. That alchemist... is very powerful, and has a bright future. Following him, you will have a life of wealth and honor..."

Ji Tingyu opened the door and left. Jiang Yi was puzzled. Follow an alchemist to learn alchemy? Which alchemist? Could it be Elder Liu? But he was already dead, and as a first-grade alchemist, how powerful could he be?

After thinking for a while, Jiang Yi couldn't figure it out and decided not to think about it anymore. He told Yang Guan Shi and left the Martial Hall, returning to the Jiang family.

Although the matter at the Martial Hall was settled, Jiang Yi was cautious. Without the ten taels of purple gold in hand and the token redeemed, he didn't reveal the details of his work at the Martial Hall to Jiang Xiaonu. He only told her that he was working at the Martial Hall, not to worry, and not to go out to work.

Jiang Xiaonu, with her simple mind, didn't think much and was happy for Jiang Yi. After all, the Martial Hall was a big place. In her view, working there meant doing important things, unaware that Jiang Yi was the lowest-level sparring partner...

The next day, Jiang Yi completed the tasks assigned by Manager Rong early and went to the Martial Hall again. Yang Guan Shi gave him three Spirit God Pills. For the whole day, except for one match requested by Yi Lingsnow, Manager Yang didn't call on Jiang Yi at all, allowing him to focus on cultivation.

This time, Yi Lingsnow let Jiang Yi attack her. Jiang Yi had no choice but to use martial techniques. The result... Yi Lingsnow was very tragic. Jiang Yi always took the initiative, easily hitting her. Fortunately, Jiang Yi always stopped at the right moment; otherwise, Yi Lingsnow's delicate body would have suffered greatly.

After being beaten, Yi Lingsnow was not discouraged at all but was extremely excited. She made an appointment to fight again the next day and left with a big step, her round, firm buttocks causing the other sparring partners to look at her with envy, clearly admiring Jiang Yi's good fortune.

Jiang Yi had no thoughts about Yi Lingsnow. He knew that the gap between him and the second miss of the Yi family was vast. He also understood that she had no interest in him, only enjoying sparring with him. As for... Ji Tingyu, Jiang Yi didn't even dare to think about her.

With an unlimited supply of free Spirit God Pills, the rich heavenly energy in the Martial Hall, and the assistance of black yuan power, Jiang Yi's cultivation progressed rapidly, astonishingly fast.

However, breaking through from the second level to the third level of the Cauldron Casting Realm required twice the yuan power. He had been at the first level of the Cauldron Casting Realm for more than a year. Even with such a terrifying cultivation speed, it would take at least half a month to break through to the third level.

In the following days, everything was calm. Ji Tingyu didn't appear again, and neither did Jiang Hen Shui or Jiang Ru Long. Jiang Yi spent his days shuttling between the Martial Hall and the Jiang family's courtyard in West Mountain. Besides sparring with Yi Lingsnow, he focused on cultivation, living a fulfilling and pleasant life.

On the tenth day, Manager Yang gave Jiang Yi the ten taels of purple gold as agreed. After receiving the purple gold, Jiang Yi couldn't wait and hurriedly rushed to the Fengyue Tower.

Since it was noon, there were no customers in the Fengyue Tower. Jiang Yi saw the manager from that day and, to his surprise, another young master from a major family, whom he had seen twice in the Martial Hall.

He didn't know the young master's name, but he knew he was surnamed Ma. The manager was fawning and whispering to him, acting like a servant. Jiang Yi understood at a glance that the powerful force behind the Fengyue Tower was the Ma family, one of the five major families.

"Trouble..."

The Ma family and the Jiang family were sworn enemies. The manager knew he was a Jiang family member, and Jiang Yi realized the situation was not good. However, the manager had already noticed him, so he had to walk in with a stiff upper lip.

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