Limitless Evolution: I Have Infinite Potential.

Ye Junlin could tell that Hong Qianye was absolutely thrilled at the current chaos. The guy was so delighted, he looked like he might throw off his disguise and join the crowd just to insult Ye Junlin himself.

"And that Blade Demon, Li Wujie! That bastard isn't even human!" someone shouted from a nearby table. "He throws his Master's name around like a weapon and bullies everyone in broad daylight!"

"Exactly!" another voice chimed in. "The arrogance on that guy made me want to spit straight in his face. I'd point right at him and say, 'Who the hell do you think you are?' How did he not get beaten to death at the Xue family's banquet?"

"Hmph! That mangy mutt's just Ye Junlin's attack dog, trained to bite anyone that crosses him!"

Suddenly, the crowd shifted focus from Ye Junlin to Li Wujie, laying into him with creative curses that somehow managed to reach back several generations in his family tree.

Already seething over the insults aimed at his Master, Li Wujie was now trembling with rage.

Why the hell am I getting flamed too?

So apparently, there was a fake Li Wujie out there as well. And judging by the complaints, this imposter wasn't doing half a bad job impersonating him.

Ye Junlin coughed lightly. "Little Li, relax. I'm here."

Li Wujie's face turned deep purple. He clenched his fists before finally barking, "If I catch that fake, I'll dice him up into stew meat!"

He might've earned his reputation as the Blade Demon, feared across multiple provinces, but he'd always walked the righteous path—well, mostly. Now some con artist was dragging his name through the mud? He'd never been this pissed off.

Meanwhile, Hong Qianye was struggling to keep his composure. His back teeth were grinding from the effort to hold in laughter.

This is gold! Absolute comedy gold!

He'd been enjoying the show from the sidelines, whether it was Ye Junlin or Li Wujie getting roasted. But now?

Now it was getting harder to contain the laughter bubbling up inside.

Just then, a burly cultivator stood up, waving his hand. "Forget that mutt Li Wujie, let's talk about Ye Junlin's grand-disciple!"

"The so-called Fairy Hong? Supposedly breathtaking, cold and elegant—every man's dream. But when I actually saw her? Nah. She's cute, sure, but there's something about her that screams red-light district."

A short man nodded in agreement, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Yeah, from my vast experience in brothels, I'd say Fairy Hong is… slightly above average at best. I don't get the hype. Hearing about her and seeing her in person are two very different things."

Another guy joined in with a pervy grin. "You guys are too polite. The moment I laid eyes on her, I almost drooled. What a beauty! I wanted to snatch her right then and there!"

"Hahahaha!"

The room erupted in laughter. The fiery atmosphere suddenly turned casual, even cheerful.

Plenty of male cultivators didn't speak, but they exchanged knowing glances.

Hong Qianye's blood ran cold.

The internal joy he'd been savoring evaporated like mist in a furnace, replaced by raw fury.

You bastards...

His teeth clenched so tightly they creaked. His eyes blazed like twin furnaces.

Next to him, Li Wujie sneaked a sideways glance, then lowered his gaze to Hong Qianye's chest—completely flat.

That glance alone was enough to hit a nerve. Hong Qianye's killing intent surged.

"Li Shidi, what exactly are you looking at?" Hong Qianye asked with a cold smile that could freeze oceans.

Li Wujie froze in place, feeling like he'd just been targeted by a primordial beast.

"H-Hong Shixiong! I-it was just dust in my eyes! Swear on my sword!"

He rubbed his eyes wildly, pretending to be blinded, though the act was so forced it only made it worse.

Hong Qianye looked like he was one comment away from exploding.

Right before things could escalate, Ye Junlin cleared his throat and teased, "Little Hong, you're awfully fired up. But why? They're clearly talking about a fake, and she's a woman. You're not a woman, are you?"

"I…" Hong Qianye looked like he'd swallowed a wasp. His expression darkened as his mouth opened and closed with no sound coming out. He had at least ten arguments lined up, but none of them could compete with cold, hard logic.

It was true. Those guys weren't mocking him. They were mocking her—a completely unrelated fake.

Ye Junlin nudged him with his elbow, smirking. "Come on, don't tell me you're finally owning the title of Fairy Hong? Why so defensive?"

Hong Qianye stiffened. "Of course not!"

"Really?" Ye Junlin raised an eyebrow.

"I said I'm not!!" Hong Qianye nearly jumped out of his seat, shouting his denial with the force of a Divine Thunder.

Ye Junlin gave him a patronizing nod. "Sure, I believe you."

Hong Qianye grit his teeth but swallowed his rage.

Meanwhile, amidst all the chatter and mockery, one person went completely unnoticed—Bai Xiaoxi.

Apparently, in everyone's eyes, she didn't even register as part of the group. No insults. No recognition. No presence.

"Dear guests, your dishes are ready!" The waiter returned, beaming as he laid out the plates.

Each dish came steaming hot, the aroma swirling through the air, rich and tantalizing.

Bai Xiaoxi's earlier gloom evaporated. Her nose twitched, her eyes lit up. "It smells amazing!"

She grabbed her ivory chopsticks and began digging in with zero hesitation, stuffing her cheeks with food like a little squirrel, eyes sparkling with pure joy.

Watching her eat so innocently, Ye Junlin chuckled. His earlier irritation faded like smoke in the wind.

He picked up his own chopsticks and said casually, "Dig in. We'll deal with everything else later."

"Mm," the others agreed, finally taking a breather.

Fortunately, the uproar didn't last. As tempers cooled, the conversation in the inn shifted toward Medicine King Valley.

The crowd buzzed with excitement and ambition. Some were hoping to find legendary herbs to push them past bottlenecks and rise to new realms. Others were merchants, ready to flip those same herbs for huge profits.

One thing was certain—Medicine King Valley was about to become a warzone.

Meanwhile, in a private corridor above, a young woman in yellow crossed her arms, smirking. "Uncle Fan, did you hear all that? Everyone's tearing Ye Junlin apart. Serves him right!"

Fan Dezhen stood beside her, sighing. "Miss, you shouldn't take their words so seriously. For cultivators of that level, the public's gossip is just noise. Even if a thousand people curse them, it changes nothing."

"Why are you always defending that arrogant idiot?" An Miaoyi pouted, stamping her foot.

Fan Dezhen chuckled helplessly. "Alright, alright, I won't say another word. Why don't you go check if your room's missing anything? I'll have the shopkeeper bring it up."

"Hmph!" An Miaoyi huffed, spinning on her heel and striding back into her guest room with an annoyed pout.

Fan Dezhen shook his head, a helpless smile on his face. "That girl…"

---