10 - Ye Mo's Face

"S-So cold… I hope my arms make it and not fall off in the middle of the street…"

Ye Mo could not help but grit his teeth as he flew out from the Ye Clan Manor. He sped towards the Leaf City's Ming Yue Sect branch, a place that was on the other side of the city.

Despite covering his skin with qi, the icy coldness emitted by Little Yin was freezing his muscles and bones.

To think that this girl was this capable despite still being a mortal…

Ye Mo could not help but feel excited. One had to know that he was an accomplished cultivator. A mortal should not have been capable of leaving marks on his skin, much less injuring him.

Little Yin was someone found and saved by the Ye Clan! As long as no one comes looking for her, she belongs to the clan!

Imagine once she started the road of cultivation… wouldn't that mean she can make ice cubes fall and snow storms erupt with a flip of a single hand? In the Body Cultivation realm, she probably had enough ability to freeze a fourth or a third of the city!

Thinking business…

During the summer, they could sell chilled cakes and iced noodles to the mortals! Those who do not pay debts, those businesses who do not pay protection money, together with those cultivators who annoy the Ye Clan.. their fates are sealed to be turned into ice popsicles!

How fuckin' awesome was that?!

However, Ye Mo feared that before he could even implement his plan, he would be the first to become an ice popsicle!

No, he could not let Yin simply fly beside him, because one his cultivation was not robust enough to do that. For several breaths, he could make her float, but it was not a long term thing. Second, he needed to touch Yin and use his qi to make sure that the tiny life force left inside of her does not flicker out.

Why was it that the Ming Yue Sect seemed so far?!

Did they move their entire estate towards the border of the city or something?!

"Cold! So cold!"

Who was the genius who decided that major powers in the city could not have residences near each other? Everyone should be neighbors! Isn't that a good way to promote camaraderie?

"Why am I even doing this?" Ye Mo could not help but be depressed, remembering how he was ordered around not only by the Patriarch, but even by someone from the younger generation like Xuan'er. "I may be newly elected, but I'm a proper Elder! I should not be running errands. With my status, I should have ordered Protector Chen to hold this brat, or anyone else who cultivates Yang qi."

After a while, he calmed down. If it were anyone of his subordinates, he was sure they would have become ice statues by now.

"Oh, brat." He could not help but sigh. "As soon as you wake up, I'm gonna make sure you pay me a service charge for this."

The Leaf City of the Northern Territory is just one of the eight first-rate cities under the rule of the hegemon alchemist power called Qing Blessed Lands. Leaf City used to be a place solely owned and controlled by the Ye Clan, hence the "Ye" character in its name, but as thousands of years passed, the clan weathered countless storms and wars. Its power and authority were eventually seized and shared with other newly-arisen powers.

The current Ye Clan had dwindled, losing two-thirds of the power to two other giants, namely the Wu Family and the Ravenrise Mercenaries. The three powers had complicated relationships among them, but usually small skirmishes and competition erupt every now and then.

The Ming Yue Sect is different. Actually, it could be said that it was ranked higher.

The Ming Yue Sect is actually one of the top colossi from the Capital, a sect that directly answers to the hegemon Qing Blessed Lands. All major cities have a sect representing the Qing Blessed Lands, and in Leaf City, it was the Ming Yue Sect.

Upon arrival at the main gate, two emotionless-looking guards crossed their spears to block his way.

"Guest, see yourself out," one of them sneered. "This place is no charity."

"You!"

It was only then that Ye Mo realized he was shabbily dressed, still in his sleeping attire. No wonder he was treated like an ant. Worse, he had left his identity medallion and spatial ring at home.

The guard continued, "Wait till the morning for the gates to be opened to the public. Even so, you have to line up and pay ten silvers to see an alchemist of the lowest level. Can you afford it?"

Ye Mo was hesitating as his face turned red and blue. Finally, he eyed the little girl sleeping in his arms and decided that, 'F*ck face! Life is more important!'

At the top of his lungs, using his cultivation realm as boost, he shouted.

"Tenth elder of the Ye Clan, Ye Mo, asks that he be granted an audience by the sect leader! A life is at stake! Please make haste!"