Chapter Ninety-One: Xiao Hanyi

Having chosen the Sevenfold Ice Essence Seal, Liu Pan did not linger. He went downstairs, registered his name with the sharp-eyed man, and then returned straight to Azure Cloud Peak.

Halfway up the mountain, a flicker of surprise passed through Liu Pan’s eyes. His spiritual sense had swept the chamber beneath the summit hall and found that Elder Zhao was not alone there; beside him stood a young man whose cultivation had already reached the sixth level of Martial Master.

A newly arrived medicinal attendant? He sure moves quickly. Though mildly startled, Liu Pan gave it little thought. He truly did not care.

Yet though Liu Pan did not care, someone else did. Just as he emerged from the Primeval Forest and could see Azure Cloud Hall ahead, he ran into Zhang Pingkang.

“Brother Liu, you’re finally back! While you were down the mountain, another senior brother came as well. He said he had taken the medicinal attendant task...”

The moment Zhang Pingkang saw him, he was visibly excited and hurried anxiously to Liu Pan’s side.

“So he’s come already?” Liu Pan said with some surprise.

Zhang Pingkang’s agitation left Liu Pan with a curious feeling. His spiritual sense had long since detected Zhang Pingkang lingering nearby, but he had not expected that Zhang Pingkang had been waiting for him, and waiting specifically to tell him this.

Liu Pan understood perfectly well that a new medicinal attendant would not affect the two disciples guarding the hall, Yu Yao and Zhang Pingkang. So the reason Zhang Pingkang had been waiting here was most likely concern for him.

After all, Liu Pan was now also a medicinal attendant of Azure Cloud Peak, and before this, he had been the only one. Thus, the arrival of another attendant could easily make people think of competition for status.

“You knew another medicinal attendant would be coming?” Hearing the surprise in Liu Pan’s words, Zhang Pingkang could not help but look a little stunned.

“I did. I went down the mountain earlier to relay Elder Zhao’s meaning to the task hall: Azure Cloud Peak needed another medicinal attendant. I just didn’t expect someone to take the task and come up so quickly.” Liu Pan smiled, and a trace of interest appeared in his eyes. “Tell me, what kind of person is this new attendant? Do you know him?”

Seeing the smile on Liu Pan’s face, Zhang Pingkang froze for quite some time, then inexplicably began to relax. Since the person involved himself was not anxious, why should he be?

“I know him.” Zhang Pingkang nodded. Yet when he spoke of the newcomer’s identity, excitement crept back into his voice. “Remember the genius disciple I told you about on the first day he entered the sect a few days ago? The new medicinal attendant is him!”

“Xiao Hanyi?” Liu Pan blinked, then said in surprise, “He came to be a medicinal attendant?”

This time, Liu Pan was truly astonished. Though he still did not know exactly what kind of person Xiao Hanyi was, he had never imagined that such a gifted figure would willingly run to Azure Cloud Peak to serve as a medicinal attendant.

The next moment, Liu Pan expanded his spiritual sense once more, almost instantly locking onto the young man beneath the hall. After a moment, a faint, unreadable look appeared in his eyes.

Xiao Hanyi, seventeen or eighteen years old, sixth level of Martial Master, and awakened to spiritual sense. With such talent, in Liu Pan’s eyes he could absolutely be called a genius.

And yet, for such an outstanding person, Liu Pan did not know him.

What was going on? Liu Pan frowned almost imperceptibly. With Xiao Hanyi’s talent, if he grew into his potential, he would surely become a dominant figure in his own right. And yet there was not even the shadow of Xiao Hanyi in his book.

Could it be that Xiao Hanyi would die young?

That thought flashed through his mind, and Liu Pan immediately felt a measure of release. It seemed that only an untimely death could explain it.

After chatting a few more lines with Zhang Pingkang, Liu Pan offered a greeting, then once again stepped toward the hall.

After only two steps, a strange light flashed in his eyes, though his feet did not pause in the slightest. His face showed no change, but inside, Liu Pan could not help but sigh: this Xiao Hanyi is truly no simple character.

Two steps. Only two steps, and Liu Pan had felt himself locked by spiritual sense.

As for Elder Zhao, after more than half a month of contact, Liu Pan had long since determined that the elder’s spiritual sense was around the first or second level of the Fountain Spring realm.

For that reason, Liu Pan could be certain that the one locking onto him at this moment was not Elder Zhao, but Xiao Hanyi. Judging by the distance, Liu Pan felt that Xiao Hanyi’s spiritual sense had at least reached the fourth level of the Fountain Spring realm.

Showing no unusual reaction, Liu Pan chatted with Zhang Pingkang all the way to the front of the hall. After a brief greeting, he entered the basement alone.

As expected, Liu Pan saw Xiao Hanyi in the basement. After a slight pause, he walked over to Elder Zhao in a few steps and bowed respectfully. “Master.”

“Mm.” Elder Zhao nodded. He did not ask anything, but instead turned to Xiao Hanyi beside him and indicated, “This is the new medicinal attendant. From now on, all the work of washing the medicine cauldron will be handed over to him. You can focus on your cultivation. If there is nothing important, do not come disturb me.”

“Yes, this disciple understands.” Liu Pan bowed once more, then turned to Xiao Hanyi. With a slight glint in his eyes, he cupped his hands and said, “Then I’ll have to trouble Senior Brother from now on.”

“You are too polite, Junior Brother.” Xiao Hanyi also returned the gesture, though his expression remained utterly cold, without the least trace of warmth.

Xiao Hanyi addressing him as junior brother did not seem improper to Liu Pan at all. Though Liu Pan had come to Azure Cloud Peak before Xiao Hanyi, both of them were merely medicinal attendants and had not been accepted as disciples by Elder Zhao. Moreover, Xiao Hanyi’s cultivation was far above his own. In this world, where might made right, it was only natural that Xiao Hanyi be addressed as senior brother.

This was the first time Liu Pan had observed Xiao Hanyi at such close range. Though his spiritual sense had already swept over him several times before, Liu Pan still felt surprise and a certain ineffable sensation in his heart.

Setting talent aside for the moment, Xiao Hanyi’s appearance alone was enough to dazzle Liu Pan. Words like handsome, dashing, and elegant would not be an exaggeration in the slightest if used to describe him.

Without exaggeration, Xiao Hanyi was the most handsome man Liu Pan had ever seen in his life.

Yet what amazed Liu Pan was not only Xiao Hanyi’s looks, but also his bearing and presence. A person’s bearing often reflects their inner self.

To put it simply, he was like a frost-laced sword: though still sheathed, it did not lose its chill, nor its edge. Xiao Hanyi was that sword.

Liu Pan even vaguely felt that if Xiao Hanyi truly came into his own, then even the protagonist, Liu Kuang, might not be able to contend with him.

Could such a person really die young? Liu Pan suddenly felt that his own earlier thought was somewhat unreasonable.

If he had not discovered the strength of Xiao Hanyi’s spiritual sense, if he had not felt from close range the things that emanated from within him, Liu Pan would truly have believed that Xiao Hanyi had a very high chance of perishing early.

And yet, after sensing all this, Liu Pan felt that such a thing seemed unlikely.

If even a dazzling genius like Xiao Hanyi could die young, then just how insane was this world? Was this still the world under his own pen?