Hearing what her grandfather said, Nie Qingzhu was momentarily stunned.

"Go home?"

"Grandfather... what's going on?"

"We just set up the stall, why are we going back so early?"

"Qingzhu... don't ask so many questions. If I'm taking you home early, there must be a reason!"

Seeing her grandfather speak like this, the usually obedient Nie Qingzhu didn't ask any more questions and replied obediently, "Alright... I'll pack up the stall now!"

Sensing that the man in the gray robe might not have good intentions, Ye Tian couldn't help but ask, "Old Nie... what's going on? Who is this person?"

Old Nie shook his head, not answering Ye Tian's question, but instead said, "Young man from the Ye Clan, don't ask so much either. You should head home early too! If you haven't had enough of the tofu pudding, just come back tomorrow! I'll make sure you have your fill then!"

Seeing Old Man Nie's reluctance to speak, Ye Tian didn't know what to say. He could only watch as Old Man Nie packed up the stall and left with Nie Qingzhu.

...

"Grandfather... this isn't the way home! Why are we leaving the city?"

After packing up the stall, Old Man Nie didn't take Nie Qingzhu home but instead led her out of Lieyang City into a dense forest. Hearing his granddaughter's question, Old Man Nie spoke directly, "We can't stay in Lieyang City anymore. Let's find another town to continue selling tofu pudding!"

What? We can't stay in Lieyang City anymore? Nie Qingzhu was still confused, but the gray-robed man following them couldn't help but laugh, "Find another place to continue your tofu pudding business? Is Senior Nie so confident that you can leave safely from my hands?"

Old Man Nie looked up at the gray-robed man, "Earlier you mentioned that due to internal rules, you couldn't reveal your real name. If I'm not mistaken, you must be an assassin sent by the Godslaying Pavilion! It's quite impressive that you found us living in such a small place like Lieyang City! Being known as the Number One Pavilion Under Heaven, your Godslaying Pavilion certainly lives up to its reputation! Your cultivation is quite good, at the seventh level of the Spiritual Infant Realm. Such cultivation must make you a top assassin in the Godslaying Pavilion, right? May I ask where you rank among the Eighth Heaven?"

The gray-robed man didn't hesitate to answer, "Thanks to the favor of the Pavilion Master, I've managed to secure the eighth rank!"

"Eighth rank, huh? Not bad. If the seventh level of the Spiritual Infant Realm only ranks eighth, the overall strength of the Godslaying Pavilion must not be weaker than the Xuantian Sword Sect!"

Hearing this, the gray-robed man smiled, "Whether we're weaker than the Xuantian Sword Sect is hard to say, as we've never faced them directly! But compared to the Taiwang Sect of a hundred years ago, we certainly fall short!"

Taiwang Sect, huh? Truly an unforgettable memory! Old Man Nie sighed, "It doesn't matter anymore. No matter how strong, it's all just dust now!"

"Yes, it doesn't matter anymore. No matter how strong Taiwang Sect was, it's all in the past!" The gray-robed man smiled slightly and said, "Senior Nie must know why I'm here. Will you hand over the item willingly, or do I need to take it by force?"

Old Man Nie looked at the gray-robed man, "If I give you the item, will the Godslaying Pavilion stop hunting us?"

"They will... because you're both going to die here today. Once you're dead, the pursuit order naturally gets canceled!"

Hearing the gray-robed man's answer, Old Man Nie laughed, "Makes sense. The Taiwang Sect's secret treasure, who wouldn't want it? To keep the secret, there's no way they'd let my granddaughter and me live! But it's fine, we've survived this long without begging for mercy! Facing just one person, you do have some courage. But it's a pity your cultivation is a bit lacking. No matter, this is just right!"

"It's been years since I've had a fight, today is a good day to stretch my muscles!"

In an instant, the previously hunched Old Man Nie erupted with a fierce aura, and in the next second, he launched a bold attack on the gray-robed man!

[Name: Nie Qingfeng]

[Identity: Great Elder of Taiwang Sect]

[Cultivation Aptitude: Supreme]

[Special Physique: Divine Wind Body]

[Special Talent: None]

[Learned Techniques: Taiqing Formula, Divine Wind Secret Record...]

[Current Realm: Great Perfection of the Spiritual Infant Realm]

[Note: Due to injuries, can only exert power equivalent to the sixth level of the Spiritual Infant Realm!]

...

[Name: Eighth Heaven]

[Identity: Godslaying Pavilion's Eighth Heaven Assassin]

[Cultivation Aptitude: Supreme]

[Special Physique: Thunder Spirit Body]

[Special Talent: None]

[Learned Techniques: Godslaying Scripture, Five Thunders Soul Refinement Method...]

[Current Realm: Seventh Level of the Spiritual Infant Realm]

...

Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV.

Although Old Man Nie's strength was limited to around the sixth level of the Spiritual Infant Realm due to his severe injuries, he had rich combat experience, and his techniques were top-tier from the Taiwang Sect. Despite having a lower cultivation level than the gray-robed man, it took less than half an hour for the gray-robed man to fall into a disadvantage against Old Man Nie.

Seeing this, Old Man Nie laughed heartily, "It's rare to make a move and have a master from the Godslaying Pavilion become a ghost under my hand, how satisfying!!"

"Senior Nie, you're not as good as you used to be!" Despite being at a disadvantage, the gray-robed man's expression didn't change much, and he smiled, "If Senior Nie were at your peak, I wouldn't last even half an incense stick's time against you!"

"Haha, young one, you're too arrogant. If I were at my peak, one breath would be enough to make you perish on the spot. But it doesn't matter anymore! Early death or late death, it's all the same, just a matter of time!"

Seeing her grandfather battling fiercely in mid-air with the gray-robed man, Nie Qingzhu was utterly bewildered!

Grandfather... wasn't he just a tofu pudding seller? When did he become a cultivator? And such a powerful one at that?

While Nie Qingzhu was still in a daze, someone suddenly ran over from a distance, calling out to her anxiously, "Qingzhu, my sister!"

Seeing the newcomer, Nie Qingzhu was also stunned, "Huh? Brother Ye Tian... why are you here?"