The Martial Saint Started from Scavenging

Just as the two brothers were talking, the gate to Liuyuan Courtyard was suddenly kicked open from the outside. Two figures, one in front and one behind, blocked the entrance.

The leader was a young man in his early twenties, dressed in the outer disciple's robes of the Qingyun Sword Sect. He had a hooked nose, triangular eyes, and a sinister and arrogant air about him.

A fine steel longsword hung at his waist, and he exuded a sharp aura.

"He is a cultivator at the seventh level of Qi Refining."

Ye Sheng thought to himself, he could tell the young man’s cultivation level at a glance by relying on his sense of qi and blood.

Behind the young man followed a servant from the abandoned alchemy room. The servant had a fawning expression and bowed and scraped to the young man like a lapdog.

"Senior Brother Du Tao, this is the place."

The servant pointed at Ye Sheng in the courtyard and said in a shrill voice, "This kid must be the murderer who killed your cousin! Because that afternoon, I saw with my own eyes that it was him who injured Brother Qiang, but that very night, your cousin was afflicted by insects. What a coincidence!"

The young man known as "Senior Brother Du Tao" had his gaze, sharp as a venomous snake, instantly locked onto Ye Sheng.

"You're Ye Sheng?"

His voice was cold, and his tone carried an arrogance and gloom.

Upon hearing this, Ye Sheng knew that the visitor was up to no good, so he immediately shielded Ye Kai behind him, his brows furrowing slightly.

Actually, when he heard the servant call out Du Tao's name, he knew that the person who came must be Du Qiang's cousin.

Previously, when Ye Sheng left the abandoned alchemy room, Pang Fu said that in his eyes, Du Tao was just a mere Qi Refining Level 7 cultivator, not worth mentioning. However, in the eyes of the other outer disciples, he was considered to have considerable strength.

What Ye Sheng didn't expect was that the servant in the alchemy room next to Du Tao had the audacity to reveal to Du Tao that Du Qiang had been seriously injured before his death.

He remembered that Pang Fu had publicly warned all the servants not to gossip about Du Qiang's death.

There must be something fishy about this.

"I am Ye Sheng, what can I do for you, Senior Brother?"

Ye Sheng clasped his hands in a fist salute and answered calmly.

"very good."

Du Tao sneered, stepped into the courtyard, and asked coldly, "What does my cousin's death have to do with you?"

"no."

Ye Sheng said calmly, "Manager Pang of the Abandoned Pill Room reported this matter to the sect's Enforcement Hall long ago. Your cousin Du Qiang died from the insect plague, which has nothing to do with me."

"Heh heh, a plague of insects?" Du Tao laughed wildly as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world.

Suddenly, his expression changed, and he shouted, "Do you think I'm a three-year-old? I know my cousin's character better than anyone!"

"He's just a cowardly bully who picks on the weak and fears the strong. How could he possibly go to the pile of ash pills to lure poisonous insects to his death! Besides, he's been in the abandoned pill room for so many years, how could he suddenly be affected by the pill poison and waste gas and lose his mind?"

His shout abruptly ceased, his eyes flashing with murderous intent. He coldly said, "Don't fucking play dumb with me! I've already found out. That afternoon, it was you who broke several of his ribs on the mountain road in the servants' quarters, seriously injuring him! You dare say his death has nothing to do with you?"

"It was indeed my doing that your brother was injured in the chest," Ye Sheng admitted frankly. "He brought people to extort money from me, tried to steal my things, and even tried to poison me. I was just acting in self-defense."

"Good! What a fine example of legitimate self-defense!"

Du Tao gritted his teeth and said, "Then let me ask you, how did you, a new handyman, get the strength to cripple my cousin and six or seven of them all by yourself?"

He stared intently at Ye Sheng, seemingly trying to find a flaw in his expression. Ye Sheng, however, simply met his gaze calmly without replying.

But in Du Tao's view, this silence was tantamount to acquiescence.

"Good! Very good!"

Du Tao, enraged, laughed coldly and said, "Kid, you've got guts! You must have used some underhanded tricks to harm him, but you're too coward to admit it, aren't you? Today, I'm going to get justice for my cousin!"

Before he finished speaking, his long sword was drawn from its sheath with a clang, its blade shimmering with spiritual light, and a sharp sword aura instantly locked onto Ye Sheng.

"Brother!" Ye Kai was so frightened that his face turned pale, and he subconsciously grabbed Ye Sheng's clothes.

Ye Sheng simply patted his hand gently, reassuring him. He looked at Du Tao, his gaze still calm, but a murderous intent was already lurking deep within.

"Senior Brother Du, do you intend to make your move here directly? Or do you intend to do what your cousin did, violate sect rules, and harm me without cause in private?"

Ye Sheng asked casually.

Du Tao was taken aback for a moment before realizing that this was Liu Yuan, the territory of Senior Sister Liu Qing.

Even if he were arrogant, he wouldn't dare to openly attack Liu Qing's personal spirit plant master here. Moreover, he knew very well that the sect explicitly forbade private fights and infighting among fellow disciples.

Previously, although Ye Sheng had seriously injured Du Qiang and others, it was ultimately out of self-defense, and even if the sect's law enforcement hall knew about it, they would not hold him accountable.

But now, if he were to harm Ye Sheng again without cause, he would be breaking the rules of the sect. Even if he killed Ye Sheng, he would still be held accountable if the Enforcement Hall investigated, because he had no substantial evidence to prove that Du Qiang died at Ye Sheng's hands.

"snort!"

Du Tao's expression changed repeatedly, but he eventually sheathed his sword, though the killing intent in his eyes grew even stronger.

"Kid, don't get cocky!"

He pointed at Ye Sheng and said, word by word, "You think that just because Senior Sister Liu is protecting you, I can't do anything to you?"

"Let me tell you, in three months, it will be the sect's annual 'Special Selection for Outer Disciples' competition! According to sect rules, all of you spirit plant growers and spirit feeders must participate in the selection!"

"At that time, Senior Sister Liu won't be able to protect you anymore. Besides, in the selection competition, the sect rules won't apply to life-or-death sparring."

"Hmph! You just wait, I'll find a way to twist your head off and avenge Du Qiang!"

A special selection competition for outer disciples?

Ye Sheng's heart stirred. He had not only heard Liu Chui mention it briefly, but other spiritual plant practitioners had also talked to him about it during his time at the Hundred Herbs Garden.

To put it bluntly, this "Special Selection for Outer Disciples" competition was established by the Qingyun Sword Sect to give spirit plant growers and spirit feeders a chance to "leap over the dragon gate".

The selection criteria were simple: all spirit planters and spirit feeders within the sect had to participate, regardless of seniority or rank. However, the rules were extremely cruel, practically without rules or boundaries. Participants relied on their own methods, with no regard for life or death; the winner was respected, or the other side would voluntarily concede defeat.

The corresponding rewards are extremely generous. Those who rank in the top ten in the selection competition can be directly promoted to outer disciples, thus shedding their identities as spirit planters and spirit feeders, and gaining true sect inheritance and cultivation resources.

This is undoubtedly a huge opportunity for Ye Sheng, but it is also a huge risk.

"Alright." Ye Sheng looked at Du Tao, a cold smile suddenly appearing on his face. "I'll be waiting."

To Du Tao, that smile was nothing short of a blatant provocation.

"You...!" Du Tao was so angry that he trembled all over. He wanted to say a few more harsh words, but he was pulled back by the servant next to him.

"Senior Brother Du, please calm down, please calm down."

The servant, all smiles, whispered a few words in his ear. Du Tao's expression softened slightly after hearing them, and he glared coldly at Ye Sheng.

"Kid, we'll see!"

Du Tao uttered a harsh remark, then turned and left Willow Garden with the servant.

Watching the two figures disappear into the distance, Ye Kai asked with a worried expression, "Brother, will that person really rig the selection competition and send someone to get you?"

"He will, but I won't give him the chance."

As Ye Sheng spoke, there was no fear in his eyes, but rather a burning killing intent.

He walked to the medicine garden, looked at the spiritual plants that were thriving under Ye Kai's "power of creation", and then looked back at the direction Du Tao had left.

"Hmph, you want to kill me? Then don't blame me for striking first!" Ye Sheng muttered to himself, a cold smile playing on his lips.

"But why did that servant ignore Pang Fu's warning and blatantly inform on us to Du Tao? Wasn't he afraid of Pang Fu's retaliation?"

Ye Sheng was filled with doubt and uncertainty.