Ye Kaishan activated his space laws, manipulating the space around him.
In the very next second, the sword-wielding girl with sharp eyes lunged forward, slashing her sword toward the beggar girl.
"Just in time," Ye Kaishan murmured.
Seeing the incoming blade, the beggar girl didn't flinch. She simply closed her eyes, as if accepting her fate.
But before the sword could reach her, it froze mid-air—visibly suspended, unmoving.
"W–What's happening?! Why can't I move my sword?" the sharp-eyed girl exclaimed, struggling to pull her weapon back. It was as if the blade had been glued to the air—completely immobile.
"What have you done, you beggar?!" she shouted furiously.
Another male cultivator beside her, unable to stand by, drew his sword and slashed at the girl. Yet, just like the previous blade, his weapon froze in mid-swing.
"What's going on? Who is doing this?!" she yelled, looking around frantically at the crowd. But the onlookers were all ordinary townsfolk and a few minor cultivators—none with the power to interfere at this level.
Her eyes snapped back to her suspended sword. She let go of the hilt, and it remained floating in the air for a second—then dropped to the ground.
The crowd began to murmur in disbelief, their voices rising in a mix of curiosity and awe.
"Qing Lin, we should leave this place," the male cultivator beside her said nervously. "Someone's interfering... and judging by the method, they must be a senior cultivator."
Qing Lin clenched her jaw. She didn't like the idea, but in this situation, it was the wisest choice.
"Let's go. We won't waste our time on this beggar," she spat, picked up her sword, and turned away with an ugly expression.
With that, the gathered crowd began to disperse, leaving only the beggar girl lying weakly on the ground.
Ye Kaishan stood silently, observing her.
"Hey, beggar! Don't lie in the middle of the road!" a passerby shouted impatiently.
Crimson blood still flowed from the beggar girl's forehead. Struggling, she managed to stand and staggered into a remote, dark alley. Once there, her legs gave out and she collapsed again.
Ye Kaishan sighed softly and walked toward her.
"If I leave her like this, she'll die in no time," he murmured.
He opened his pouch and took out a small bottle containing healing pills—pills that could be used by non-cultivators. Song Yan had specifically given it to him, knowing that as a non-cultivator, he might one day need it.
"Take this," Ye Kaishan said, extending his hand toward the beggar girl, a pill resting in his palm.
At first, the girl recoiled, glaring at him with cold eyes. But after a moment of observing his calm and indifferent expression, her body slowly relaxed. With trembling hands, she accepted the pill and placed it into her mouth.
To the naked eye, the bleeding stopped almost instantly. The bruises on her abdomen from the earlier kicks began to fade. Her wound-cloaked forehead slowly healed. In less than a minute, she looked almost entirely recovered.
She opened her eyes—still weak—and stared at Ye Kaishan.
He was now sitting on a small wooden stool at a nearby table, chewing on a meat bun, completely relaxed.
"T–Thank you… for saving me," the beggar girl said softly, bowing her head.
"No need to thank me. I just did it on a whim," Ye Kaishan replied, continuing to eat.
She looked at the meat buns in his hands. Gradually, saliva pooled in her mouth, and though she quickly looked down to hide her face, a droplet fell to the ground, betraying her hunger.
Ye Kaishan gently smiled and turned around.
"Here. Take this." He tossed the packet of meat buns toward her.
The beggar girl caught it instinctively.
"N–No, sir. I… I'm not hungry. You already saved me—that's enough," she said hesitantly, trying to return the packet.
"Don't misunderstand. I'm full, so I don't need it. Do whatever you want with it. Throw it away, give it to someone—I don't care." With that, Ye Kaishan turned and walked away.
"S–Sir, what's your name?" she called out hesitantly.
"My name? It's Ye Kaishan."
"J–Jiang An… my name is Jiang An," the beggar girl said softly. "I'll remember your kindness."
Ye Kaishan didn't turn around. He simply kept walking.
Jiang An opened the packet. Inside were four meat buns. She picked one up and took a small bite.
The bun melted in her mouth. Tears welled in her eyes and dripped onto the dusty ground.
"Well, I'm glad she ate it," Ye Kaishan murmured, now sitting on the roof of a nearby pavilion, watching her from above. A moment later, he disappeared from sight.
Jiang An stood up and walked out of the alley, returning to the main road.
"I still have three buns…" she whispered, smiling faintly as she hid the rest of them in her clothes. Then, she turned and headed outside the town toward a barren area.
After walking for some time, she came upon a small, worn-down hut.
Outside, a small boy—no older than ten—was playing alone. When he saw her, his eyes lit up with joy.
"Xiao Di!" she called gently.
"Sister!!" the boy shouted with excitement and rushed over.
But his joy quickly turned to concern. "Sister, why is there blood on your clothes? Are you hurt?"
"It's nothing. Just some red water that spilled on me," Jiang An said, smiling as she placed a hand on his head. "Look—do I seem hurt to you?"
"No… but…"
"Don't worry, I'm fine. Really," she reassured him with a warm smile.
"Come on, let's go inside." She took his hand and led him into the hut.
"Look what I have," Jiang An said, pulling out the packet of meat buns.
"Wow! What's this, sister?"
"It's called a meat bun. Try it, Jiang Mu—you'll love it."
Jiang Mu took a bite. His eyes widened in delight, and within seconds, he finished the whole bun.
Jiang An watched him with a smile. It was rare to see her little brother eat properly.
Most days, I can't even provide him with decent food, she thought, her eyes dimming with sadness.
"Sister… Sister," Jiang Mu called out, pulling her from her thoughts.
"Huh? What?"
"These meat buns are really good! You should eat too!" he said, smiling as he handed one to her.
"I've already eaten. You go ahead," she replied. "There are still two more buns. Here, take them."
"I'll be full with just this one!" he said cheerfully, stuffing the second bun into his mouth and running outside to play.
Jiang An watched him quietly, eyes filled with soft affection. But as she turned away, her expression grew heavy.
"…Why did we end up like this?" she muttered, sitting alone inside the hut.
Meanwhile…
Ye Kaishan teleported into the residential area of Mistveil Town.
There were many small and large houses, most with modest courtyards. But three manors in particular stood out to him. They were larger than the rest, and each had a distinct name carved into the stone entrance: Guan, Chen, and Han.
They were positioned in the north, south, and west, respectively. The main entrance of Mistveil Town lay to the east.
Ye Kaishan stood on the northern side.
"These must be the affiliated families of the Song Clan," he muttered, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
Suddenly, a voice rang out behind him.
"Hey! Who's there…?"
On instinct, Ye Kaishan turned around and saw two women standing behind him, swords sheathed at their waists.
They wore white dresses that resembled uniforms, with the word "Guan" engraved on their sword sheaths.
"Who are you? I've never seen you around here," the woman in front of Ye Kaishan frowned and questioned him.
"If you don't satisfy us with a proper explanation for what you were doing here, then..."She placed her hand on the hilt of her sword, eyes narrowing. "We'll arrest you on suspicion of spying on the Guan family," she said coldly.
Should I just teleport and run away? It's possible… but they've seen my face. With the help of soul power, they could transmit my image to others.Even if I explain my connection to the Song Clan, I doubt they'll accept it given my low soul energy.The recruitment competition is tomorrow—I don't want to cause a commotion here, Ye Kaishan thought solemnly.
"Hey! Are you listening?" the woman snapped, her sharp gaze locked on him.
"Oh—yes, yes! I—I'm new here. I just wanted to see the manor. I heard the Guan family name is very famous in town, so… I just wanted to take a look."
Ye Kaishan gave them a silly, harmless smile.
He pretended to be nervous.
The woman in front of him eased slightly."He's just an ordinary man—what can he even do? Go! Go away. Don't come here again."
"Yes!" Ye Kaishan quickly turned around to leave.
"Wait."The woman beside her suddenly drew her sword.
"Curiosity or not—he's still a stranger. We can't just let him go," she said calmly to her companion.
"Even if he's innocent, so what? He's just an ordinary person, not even from this town. There won't be any consequences," she added with a sneer.
Hearing this, Ye Kaishan looked over his shoulder, his gaze sharp and cold, a trace of killing intent flashing in his eyes.
"Hey, you two! What are you doing over there?"Suddenly, a voice came from behind them.
Ye Kaishan turned and saw a man approaching. Judging by his attire, Ye Kaishan guessed he was a cultivator.