Tang Yan's swordwork in that moment was exquisite-within his own rank, he would scarcely find a match.

Lin Dongxue had no choice but to bring out her Yellow Rank strength.

One force breaks a hundred techniques!

Below the Yellow Rank, all were as ants. With overwhelming power behind her, Lin Dongxue was certain she could shatter Tang Yan's guard this time.

Facing the ferocious thrust of Lin Dongxue's sword, Tang Yan advanced rather than retreated. The longsword in his hand drifted like white cloud, and in an instant it wrapped her slender blade within its folds.

Ting, ting, ting-a rapid clamor of crossing steel rang out. Under the startled gazes of both women, Tang Yan's longsword turned aside Lin Dongxue's assault and shot toward her throat.

One force breaks a hundred techniques-but one skillful move breaks a thousand pounds!

Tang Yan's form never faltered, his speed blistering, and this single thrust carried an extraordinary momentum, fierce and deadly. Lin Dongxue actually froze where she stood, watching the longsword close in with terror in her eyes.

"Stop!" Seeing that Tang Yan's blade had already broken through Lin Dongxue's guard, Wu Xuan let out a sharp cry and struck out with a furious palm, trying to stop him.

"You lose!" Tang Yan's longsword halted steadily one cun from Lin Dongxue's throat. Just as he was about to flash what he reckoned was a dashing grin, a tremendous gust of force slammed into him from the side. His heart lurched-he had no chance to resist before a massive power flung him away.

Bang! Tang Yan flew backward and crashed hard into an ancient cypress, the thick trunk shuddering several times from the impact.

Pfft! Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. Ten thousand curses ran through Tang Yan's mind. Who the hell did I provoke this time?

"Tang Yan!" Lin Dongxue cried out in alarm and rushed over to check on him.

"Young Master Tang, are you all right?" Wu Xuan had not expected him to still pull his blow in such a state, and she hardly knew how to put her feelings into words. She drew a Pill from her robes and slipped it into his mouth.

From its scent alone, Tang Yan judged it to be a healing Pill, second-tier low grade. Before he could swallow it, the Heaven and Earth Creation Cauldron, which had stayed silent all this while, suddenly hummed and began to tremble. A cool current welled out from within it, racing through his body and forcibly pressing down the restless True Qi churning inside him. It did not mend his internal injuries at once, but it eased the worst of the harm.

Feeling the change inside him, Tang Yan was secretly delighted. So the Heaven and Earth Creation Cauldron even guarded its master of its own accord?

Feigning composure, he swallowed the Pill, then knit his brow and let out a slow breath.

It was a good thing Wu Xuan had not used her full strength. Had she brought that palm down at full force, two lives would not have been enough to save him.

"Young Master Tang, I'm so sorry, I... I..." Wu Xuan looked at him with guilt and asked softly, "Are you hurt?"

"You were the one who asked me to spar. You were the one who just wounded me. And when Lin Dongxue pushed herself up to the Yellow Rank, you were the one who didn't stop her. Miss Wu Xuan, I want an explanation."

Tang Yan knew full well that Wu Xuan had only meant to hold him back. Still, he'd taken a palm for no reason and very nearly suffered a grave injury. If he didn't squeeze some benefit out of this, he'd be doing himself a disservice.

Faced with his relentless questioning, Wu Xuan grew flustered for a moment and said in a low voice, "Young Master Tang, I thought you couldn't pull your strike in time. I panicked, and my hand slipped."

"Panicked? And so you sent me flying with a single palm? Wu Xuan, do you take my life to be worth nothing?" Tang Yan demanded angrily.

"Young Master Tang, Sister Wu Xuan didn't mean it either. What's done is done-there's no use in saying more. I'll compensate you." Lin Dongxue stepped in to smooth things over.

"You think that just because I'm hurt, all I want is compensation?" Tang Yan pressed, feigning indignation-then, without missing a beat, his tone shifted. "So what are you offering?"

"Three first-tier Middle Grade Pills, and one first-tier High Grade Pill. How does that sit with you, Young Master?" Lin Dongxue laid out her terms.

An ordinary person would have been thrilled beyond words. A few families might manage to buy first-tier Middle Grade Pills, but first-tier High Grade Pills rarely circulated in Yun City at all-worth a fortune, and still near impossible to find.

But Tang Yan was another matter. In his past life this fellow had been a ninth-tier Alchemist. Forget first-tier-second-tier, even third-tier Pills, in his eyes, were worth no more than the cost of the herbs that went into them.

Inwardly he kept turning the numbers over. He was still short by ten thousand-odd taels of silver. He'd just forced Lin Dongxue to call on her Yellow Rank strength, and on top of that he'd crossed blades with her for the better part of a shichen-surely that was worth ten thousand taels in sparring fees? And with the Tang Family battered on all sides, swaying like a house in a storm, getting the Myriad Pill Pavilion to owe the Tang Family another favor would buy them one more layer of safety.

His mind made up, Tang Yan put on a weak, pained voice. "Since Miss Wu Xuan meant no harm, taking goods in payment would only make me look petty. As it happens, there are a few points of martial arts that puzzle me. If Miss Wu Xuan can spare the time soon, I'd be grateful if you'd come to the Tang Family and offer me some guidance."

"The martial talent you showed just now leaves even me sighing at my own inferiority. I wouldn't dare call it guidance-but in a few days I'll certainly call on you, and we can discuss it together." Wu Xuan's lovely eyes turned, and she regarded Tang Yan with a meaningful look.

Tang Yan might claim the matter was settled, but Wu Xuan understood well enough. As the chief Alchemist of the Myriad Pill Pavilion, were she to spend even a little while at the Tang estate, the outside world would surely start guessing at the ties between the Tang Family and the Myriad Pill Pavilion. And that alone would make the families circling the Tang Family like hungry tigers hold back their thoughts of swallowing it-at least for now.

"In that case, I'll await Miss Wu Xuan's gracious visit at home." His mind never far from the silver, Tang Yan added at once, "Oh, and Miss Lin-does our earlier wager still stand?"

"It stands!" Lin Dongxue fumed quietly. The last time she'd seen him, this fellow had been all literary brilliance, gentle as fine jade. So why was he so money-grubbing today? Could it be that Old Master Tang was still skimping on his pocket money?

Smiling, Tang Yan took the banknote from Lin Dongxue's hand. When he saw the figure-twenty thousand taels-his whole face lit up, and he tucked it away before saying weakly, "Well then, I won't trouble you any longer. I'll head back and rest."

With that, he paid the two women no further mind and hobbled toward the gate.

"Young Master Tang, wait-I'll have someone see you home." At Lin Dongxue's call, an attendant promptly came to lead him out.

Watching his retreating back, Lin Dongxue pouted. "I've no idea what sword art that fellow used, but it was that good. I drew on my full Yellow Rank First Grade strength and still lost to him."

"He really is a monster." Recalling the stunning martial talent he'd shown all through the bout, and the airtight cunning woven through his every word, Wu Xuan marveled inwardly. Was this truly the good-for-nothing the rumors spoke of?

...

Tang Yan rode home in the City Lord's Manor's carriage, drawing the notice of more than a few watchful eyes. The eldest young master of the Tang Family paid it no mind. With no real sense of safety to his name, he was desperate to raise the Tang Family's strength.

Back in his own quarters, Tang Yan wasted no time. He took up brush and paper, wrote down the herbs he needed, and sent Xiaocui off to the apothecary to buy them.