Chapter 58 Omen

Yang Yuanzhen’s temperament is completely different from yours—how intriguing. I never expected he could raise a son like you.” The man added this remark, gazing at Yang Ze with a meaningful look.

Yang Ze stood at Yuan Heng’s side, indifferent to the man's words, his mind instead occupied with guessing which identity could match that of this person before him.

Yuan Heng nudged Yang Ze, saying, “Young Master Yang, he’s speaking to you.”

Snapped from his thoughts, Yang Ze responded by clasping his hands in respect. “I am Yang Ze, a junior, greeting you, sir.”

“No need for formalities. Yuan Heng has mentioned you to me several times, so I wished to meet you. You seem spirited.”

“Thank you for your praise, sir.” Yang Ze managed a somewhat awkward smile. Here, he felt uncomfortable—not knowing what was expected of him, and the immense pressure emanating from this man unsettled him.

“You are considered the foremost of the younger generation in Yuyang City. I have a question for you.”

“Please, sir.”

“If those from Wuyang Martial Academy do not come, will you choose to leave Yuyang City, or remain?”

“If Wuyang Martial Academy does not arrive, I will leave Yuyang City in the future,” Yang Ze replied without hesitation.

“When will you leave?”

“When I have no hope of further advancement, I will depart. That time may be short, or it may be long.”

Hearing this, the man said nothing more. The room fell into silence for a while before he spoke again. “You are intelligent, and your talent is not lacking. Yuyang City is too small, its martial world even smaller. This is not fertile ground. The most promising years of a person’s life are limited. I trust you will make the right choice.”

With that, he waved his hand. Yang Ze had no chance to speak further, as Yuan Heng led him outside.

Even after leaving the cottage and walking back, Yang Ze was still bewildered by the cryptic conversation. What was he meant to understand?

He recalled something and turned to Yuan Heng, asking, “Sir Yuan, was that just now Master Ouyang Xin? Or the City Lord?”

Yuan Heng, who had been leading Yang Ze out, stopped, gazing at him. “Who do you think that was?”

“I believe it was Master Ouyang Xin,” Yang Ze answered.

“Your reason?” Yuan Heng asked.

The City Lord is the most distinguished person in Yuyang City and should be at the City Lord’s mansion. Moreover, I’ve heard the City Lord’s martial arts are not strong. Yet, before that man, I felt immense pressure. Even for a superior, without enough cultivation, he wouldn’t exert such force over me at this moment,” Yang Ze explained.

“Well said. That was indeed Master Ouyang Xin.”

Though he’d guessed as much, hearing Yuan Heng confirm it made Yang Ze’s heart skip—a shock that the city’s greatest expert had returned, and had met him face to face.

He couldn’t fathom why Yuan Heng had introduced him to Ouyang Xin, nor what Ouyang Xin’s words meant.

Suppressing his doubts, Yang Ze asked, “Sir Yuan, why did you bring me to meet Master Ouyang?”

“What kind of person do you think Chief Ouyang is?” Yuan Heng countered.

“He is very strong. To be honest, I’ve never felt such pressure. Even when I first met you, it wasn’t so intense. If it came to a fight, I’d have no chance before Master Ouyang.”

Yang Ze spoke frankly. That was the truth. He was no longer lacking in strength, now able to match the peak of Qi Drawing, yet still felt this pressure—which meant Ouyang Xin’s strength likely surpassed that realm.

“Your perception is sharp, Young Master Yang. Just a brief meeting and you sensed so much.”

Yang Ze merely smiled, trying not to appear awkward. In his heart, he cursed—Ouyang Xin had shown his strength as soon as he arrived, so how could he not notice? Yet he quickly realized—it might be a scheme by the authorities to intimidate him, keeping him from acting recklessly.

“If you’ve discerned Chief Ouyang’s true strength, let me ask: do you think the top experts of the martial world, combined, could defeat him?” Yuan Heng suddenly inquired.

Yang Ze’s heart tightened. Here was the crux of the conversation. He replied, “Master Ouyang is very powerful, but there are many seasoned experts at the peak of Qi Drawing. One-on-one, perhaps none could match him, but if they united, I can’t predict the outcome, so I can’t make a definite judgment.”

“Hahaha, what a diplomatic answer. It seems you’re not willing to voice your true thoughts, Young Master Yang. Well, I won’t press you.”

“But, Young Master Yang, Yuyang City is not a great stage for you now. You are still young—don’t waste your years here. To squander them would be a pity. Though the city is small, it holds many secrets, not easily unraveled by a Qi Drawing martial artist. Well, I’ll escort you this far. Farewell, Young Master Yang!”

During their conversation, they had unknowingly reached the main gates of the administration.

Yuan Heng saw Yang Ze off, making sure he had left before returning to the cottage. Ouyang Xin remained seated, and Yuan Heng sat opposite him.

“You had me bring him just to say those words?” Yuan Heng began.

“You have high hopes for this young man, so I wanted to give him an opportunity—hoping he can read the situation and not stay in Yuyang City. Otherwise, it would be a shame for such a youth,” Ouyang Xin replied.

“In the past, I never acted against Yang Ze because he had the Yang family behind him, and his talent was exceptional. Such a young man would surely not stay in Yuyang City forever. Rather than risk enmity with the Yang family by killing him, it’s better to find a way to send him away.”

“But now things are different. Since you’ve returned, why worry about the Yang family? If you kill Yang Ze, wouldn’t that remove potential trouble?” Yuan Heng voiced what he’d long kept in his heart.

“You’re not wrong, but your thinking is too narrow. Don’t imagine that with my return, the authorities can truly control Yuyang City. Without venturing into the wider world, one cannot grasp how vast it is. We’ve been closed off far too long.”

“A youth like him is rare. If we can befriend him, why destroy him? It leaves a path for the future.”

Hearing Ouyang Xin’s words, Yuan Heng frowned and pressed further, “Then why urge him to leave? Wuyang Martial Academy is coming soon. Do you think he’ll fail the assessment?”

“That’s not my concern. I’m wondering: what if Wuyang Martial Academy doesn’t come? Will he leave soon? Don’t forget, he now has a measure of power—a seductive thing. If he becomes enamored with it, refusing to leave is entirely possible.”

“Besides, the academy’s arrival has been delayed. Don’t you find that odd? Their strength is beyond our imagination. To them, even Yuyang City is insignificant. Whatever could delay their arrival must be a major event, beyond our guessing. Under such circumstances, anything could happen.”

Yuan Heng watched Ouyang Xin as he spoke. After five years apart, he seemed a different person, as if concealing something, unwilling to share.

“Fine, let me ask one last question and then I’ll leave. What realm are you at now?”

“The time isn’t right. When you need to know, I’ll tell you,” Ouyang Xin replied.

Yuan Heng’s face turned grim. Without another word, he turned and left.

After leaving the administration, Yang Ze felt no joy at having taken the Si Tong Market and secured a spot. Instead, his brow was furrowed. Ouyang Xin’s sudden return, along with his veiled threat, unsettled him. Thinking it over, Yang Ze realized Ouyang Xin was warning him to leave Yuyang City quickly, or else things would turn against him.

If anyone else had said such things, Yang Ze wouldn’t have cared. But this was Ouyang Xin.

He hadn’t spoken the truth earlier. The pressure he felt from Ouyang Xin could easily sweep aside his father and Bai Fei’s level; Ouyang Xin had certainly stepped into the Postnatal Realm.

The Postnatal Realm—no one in Yuyang’s martial world could rival Ouyang Xin. Yang Ze sensed that, before long, something major would happen in Yuyang City. Today’s events were only the prelude.

“This won't do. Previously, my strength was enough to protect myself in Yuyang City, but now, with Ouyang Xin here, it's trouble. I must make extra preparations—I can’t place all my hopes on Wuyang Martial Academy.”

These thoughts surged through Yang Ze’s mind. He hadn’t felt such urgency before, but Ouyang Xin’s appearance gave him a foreboding sense. After safely storing his assessment token, Yang Ze sped back to the Northern City.