11: Chapter 11 Gentle Breeze Steps

"Let me go! You wicked servants!"

Wu Kui and the others stopped in their tracks, their fierce gazes all shifting toward Ye Yun. One of his subordinates barked a sharp rebuke.

"Kid! Are you blind? How dare you block the path of our City Lord's Manor!"

Ye Yun's expression remained unchanged, as if nothing had happened. He merely set down his teacup slowly and spoke in a flat tone.

"It was just a slip of the hand. No need to make a fuss."

The pouch in his palm had long since been quietly tucked into his robes, the movement so natural it was flawless.

Wu Kui frowned, sizing Ye Yun up from head to toe.

Seeing his ordinary clothes and restrained Mystic Power, Wu Kui couldn't gauge his depth. Although he had some doubts, he didn't take it to heart.

In Shiyun City, no one dared to openly oppose the City Lord's Manor.

He snorted coldly and waved his hand. "Cut the crap! Take her away!"

Su Wanqing was dragged toward the exit. As she passed by Ye Yun, she quietly looked up and stole a quick glance at him, her eyes filled with gratitude and trust.

She was then forcibly pulled out of the inn's entrance, her sobs gradually fading into the distance.

Wu Kui and the others followed closely behind. Before leaving, he made a point to turn back and glare at Ye Yun with a warning look, as if telling him not to meddle in things that didn't concern him.

Ye Yun picked up his teacup and took a light sip, his expression remaining as calm as before, as if nothing had just occurred.

Seeing the commotion settle, the surrounding diners also breathed a sigh of relief, looking at Ye Yun with a hint of curiosity.

This young man certainly had some nerve, remaining so composed even after being scolded by people from the City Lord's Manor.

Only after Wu Kui and the others had completely left did the atmosphere in the inn's lobby gradually return to normal.

Ye Yun sat for a moment longer to ensure there was no further trouble before setting down his teacup, standing up, and leisurely walking up the stairs.

Upon returning to the room, Liu Ruyan immediately came forward, her face full of worry as she anxiously sized him up.

"Yun'er, how is it? What happened outside? Are you alright?"

Ye Yun shook his head, his tone calm.

"It's nothing. Just the City Lord's Manor people kidnapping a girl. They've already left."

Liu Ruyan breathed a sigh of relief, then her brow furrowed slightly.

"The City Lord's Manor is actually so arrogant? This Shiyun City..."

"The waters are deep, but it has nothing to do with us for now."

Ye Yun interrupted her, pulled the silk pouch from his robes, opened it, took out a small book with a blue cover, and held it out to Liu Ruyan.

"Look at this."

Liu Ruyan curiously took the book. On the cover, three bold and powerful characters were written in brush: Qingfeng Step.

She opened it to find the pages densely filled with cultivation formulas and diagrams for the footwork, which were profound and exquisite.

A sense of antiquity permeated the writing, making it clear at a glance that this was no ordinary Martial Skill.

"This is..."

A hint of shock flashed in Liu Ruyan's eyes.

"Yellow Grade High Grade Martial Skill, Qingfeng Step."

It was no wonder Liu Ruyan was shocked. The Flowing Cloud Palm he had learned was only at the Yellow Grade Medium Grade Rank.

Yet in the Ye Family, or rather in Qingyun City, it was considered a top-tier Martial Skill.

Ye Yun's tone was flat, but he couldn't hide the understanding in his eyes.

"That Su Wanqing just now didn't bump into me by accident; she intentionally entrusted this Martial Skill to me."

"Intentionally?" Liu Ruyan was stunned for a moment, then she realized.

"Was she afraid this Martial Skill would fall into the hands of the City Lord's Manor?"

"Likely so." Ye Yun nodded, his fingertip tracing the characters on the cover.

"The Su Family are merchants and don't have enough martial power to protect their ancestral Martial Skill. Zhao Tianheng's kidnapping of Su Wanqing is likely not just for her beauty, but also because he covets the Su Family's wealth and this Martial Skill. Su Wanqing was powerless to resist, so she could only find a stranger to entrust it to, hoping to preserve it."

After saying this, he glanced at the Qingfeng Step.

Then Ye Yun continued.

"So for now, we might as well Cultivate this Martial Skill first to enhance our own strength."

Liu Ruyan spread the diagrams of 'Qingfeng Step' on the table, her finger tracing the profound formulas, her brow carrying a hint of thought and worry.

"Yun'er, this Qingfeng Step is the Su Family's ancestral Martial Skill. Is it really alright for us to just keep it and Cultivate it like this? Besides, Miss Su is still in the hands of the City Lord's Manor, and her situation is precarious."

Ye Yun leaned back in his chair, fingering the rim of his cup with an unreadable expression. Hearing this, he spoke indifferently.

"Since she took the initiative to entrust it, it means she trusts me. We should keep it safe and Cultivate diligently; that way, we won't let down her trust."

He paused, a hint of helplessness in his tone.

"As for Su Wanqing, the City Lord's Manor is powerful, and Wu Kui is even at the Martial Master Realm Fifth Level. We can barely protect ourselves right now and are completely powerless to save her. Rather than agonizing over this, it's better to improve our strength as quickly as possible. Once we have enough backing in the future, we can make plans."

Liu Ruyan was silent for a moment, but eventually, she nodded.

She also understood that Ye Yun was right. Their priority now was to gain a foothold in Shiyun City, and increasing their strength was the only way.

"Then shall we begin cultivating now? If you can master a Yellow Grade High Grade Martial Skill, it will surely be of great benefit to the improvement of your movement techniques."

"Alright."

Ye Yun nodded, took 'Qingfeng Step', and began reading it carefully.

The formulas were profound, and the diagrams were exquisite. Every movement required the body and Mystic Power to be in perfect alignment. What seemed simple actually contained deep principles of the Martial Dao.

Ye Yun followed the posture in the diagram and tried to take the first step, his Mystic Power flowing through his Meridians.

However, it always felt sluggish and obstructed. His movements were stiff, far from the fluid grace shown in the diagrams.

Liu Ruyan also cultivated alongside him. Although she lacked a Martial Dao Foundation, her Comprehension Ability was decent, and she could barely mimic the basic form of the movements.

Yet she was also unable to integrate Mystic Power into them, and her progress was slow.

...

Time ticked away, and the sky outside gradually darkened.

Inside the room, only the sound of their slightly clumsy footsteps and the faint hum of circulating Mystic Power remained.

Ye Yun stopped, his brow furrowed, a trace of dejection on his face.

After an entire afternoon of repeatedly pondering the formulas and practicing the movements, he had made no progress with 'Qingfeng Step', not even reaching the entry level.

He had to admit that his martial talent was indeed poor, and his Comprehension Ability was far below that of an average person.

"It seems I'll have to rely on the System after all."

Ye Yun sighed inwardly, a flash of determination in his eyes.

If his martial talent and Comprehension Ability were lacking, he could only rely on the System to compensate.

And Dual Cultivation was his only shortcut to becoming strong quickly.

He looked up at Liu Ruyan beside him.

He saw that she had also stopped. Fine beads of sweat dotted her forehead, and her cheeks were flushed. With a look of fatigue and discouragement, she shook her head slightly.

"This Qingfeng Step is just too difficult. I've practiced all afternoon and haven't made any sense of it."

Looking at her flushed cheeks and slight panting, a sudden, inexplicable heat surged in Ye Yun's heart.

Liu Ruyan was dressed in green martial attire. A few strands of her tied-up hair had fallen loose, clinging to her smooth forehead. Her androgynous features looked even more enchanting under the lamplight.

That combination of innocent charm and exhaustion from her cultivation was full of temptation.

Ye Yun suddenly remembered the System's rules.

One cannot perform Dual Cultivation with the same target three times in a row; there must be a three-day interval.

Ye Yun's gaze became burning. His Adam's apple bobbed unconsciously as he swallowed hard.

He stood up and slowly walked toward Liu Ruyan, his voice carrying a hint of imperceptible hoarseness.

"Ruyan, since you can't master it, let's stop for now. We... will use another way to increase our strength."