Becoming a god starts with one certificate becoming eternal.

Chapter 91 Time Can't Be Delayed

Outside the Star Hall, the fog had not yet dissipated.

The newly hung star-patterned flag above the entrance still had the old, heavy base, but the flag itself had been refurbished. "Stars,"

The two characters are like a cold, bright spot in the night. A gust of wind pulls them into view, making one's heart tighten at the mere sight of them.

Xue Chan did not enter.

She stood only half a step outside the threshold, the toes of her shoes an inch from the door line. The hem of her clothes was damp with dew, gleaming coldly, but her eyes were clear and steady, fixed on the tightly closed door.

The gatekeeper, seeing her approach, instinctively tensed up and quickly bowed in a low voice, saying, "Miss Xue."

Xue Chan immediately said, "I won't go in. I'm not suited to gang territory."

The gatekeeper hesitated for a moment, then immediately replied, "Yes."

Xue Chan took out a medicine packet wrapped in a fine cloth from her sleeve. The cloth was clean, without any dust or blood. She didn't hand it inside, but simply placed the medicine packet on the stone stool outside the threshold, pressing it down with a small pebble.

"It's for Ye Xiao." She said calmly, "Do it according to your gang's rules, don't disturb him."

The gatekeeper's eyelids twitched, and he replied in a low voice, "Understood."

Xue Chan then said, "Please pass on a message for me."

The gatekeeper immediately perked up his ears.

Xue Chan's voice remained calm: "He can go back to the martial arts school anytime. He can choose which path to take; it's up to his heart."

She paused, as if hesitating, but finally said, "Let him live first, nothing else matters."

After saying that, she turned and left, swiftly and cleanly disappearing into the fog.

Only then did the gatekeeper dare to bend down, pick up the medicine packet, and carry it inside. The subsequent handover went unnoticed, glossed over, and the medicine packet and the message quickly ended up in Yan Quan's hands.

He and Ma Wu were brought to the Star Hall by Ye Xiao, and now they have been promoted to Gray Sleeves and even become managers, giving them a great deal of influence in the hall.

The lights in the side room were warm and yellow.

Ye Xiao flipped through the accounts at the table, his fingertips pressing down page by page, his movements slow but steady. The lamplight fell on his brow bone, revealing his pale complexion, dull eyes, and even his unsteady breathing.

Yan Quan presented the medicine packet and said in a low voice, "Master, this was collected at the entrance. Miss Xue didn't come in; she only asked for a few words."

He relayed Xue Chan's words verbatim.

Ye Xiao's fingertip paused on the ledger page for a moment, then he pressed back on the page, took the medicine packet, and weighed it in his hand.

He said calmly, "Just make a note of it as usual."

Yan Quan responded, "The rites register?"

Ye Xiao nodded: "Write down clearly who sent it, what it was, and how much it cost."

"Yes." Yan Quan withdrew, his steps even lighter than when he arrived.

The only light in the side room was flickering.

Not long after, a muffled thud came from outside the door.

Before the footsteps even reached the ground, the box landed first, its corner hitting the bluestone.

The gatekeeper announced in a low voice, "Master, Madam Qin from the Qin Family has come to pay her respects."

"Let her in," Ye Xiao said calmly.

Soon, two wooden crates were carried in, landing with a dull thud—no exaggeration, but enough to make many people's Adam's apples bob.

Qin Niangzi entered the room, her steps neither hurried nor slow.

She was dressed simply, but in fine fabric; her makeup was light, but her eyes and brows were bright. She didn't look at the flags, the seats, or the people outside the hall who were listening intently; she only looked at Ye Xiao.

Qin Niangzi smiled and said, "Ye Xiao, I really didn't expect that you would become a hall master of the Qingxiao Gang in just a few days."

He called out her name directly, his voice was soft, but his landing was steady.

She paused for a moment, then continued, "I heard that you staked your entire future on yesterday's battle."

The air seemed to be held down.

Those standing outside the hall were slightly startled; no one dared to mention such things inside the hall.

Ye Xiao remained expressionless, replying only, "Lady Qin is very well-informed."

"If the business's information doesn't come through, it's going to go bankrupt." Madam Qin stopped two steps away, maintaining her usual distance, neither too close nor too far, just enough to let the words reach her ears.

Her smile deepened: "When I judge a person, I never look at their current position or their current abilities. I only look at one thing: how ruthless they are to themselves, and whether they can surprise others. You fit that description."

As she finished speaking, she raised her hand.

The shop assistant opened the box, revealing neatly arranged banknotes and ingots, their cold light gleaming.

"The nominal fee was originally paid monthly," Madam Qin said, as if reading from an account. "I'll settle six months' worth today."

Some people couldn't help but gasp.

They'd never even heard of paying a six-month fee for a nominal position.

Ye Xiao didn't look at the box, only at her: "Aren't you afraid that all this stuff will go to waste?"

Madam Qin laughed out loud, not loudly, but genuinely: "I'm afraid, of course I'm afraid. But I'm even more afraid of betting on the wrong person."

She glanced at Ye Xiao again, her smile fading slightly: "You look worse than when I last saw you."

Qin Niangzi spoke softly, but no longer in a joking tone: "I've heard the rumors. You risked your life in that battle. It's truly remarkable that you came back alive and are still sitting here talking."

"That's why I'm giving you six months' salary now." She put it more bluntly, "It's not that I'm generous, it's that I'm afraid you won't be able to catch your breath."

Ye Xiao coughed lightly, his breathing becoming even more erratic.

Qin Niangzi lowered her voice slightly: "I'm not a martial artist, so I can't see where you're injured, and I won't ask. Just remember, don't try to tough it out. Use medicine when necessary, and rest when needed."

"Your most valuable asset isn't this chair, it's yourself. Don't misjudge me, that's what I hate most." She glanced outside and immediately stopped herself: "There are too many people, I won't say more, you know what I mean."

Ye Xiao stared at her for a moment: "That's it?"

"that's all."

Madam Qin stood up, straightened her cuffs, and said, "Your recovery and becoming a true martial artist is more valuable and useful than saying thank you to me."

She turned and left.

The steward asked in a low voice, "Master, should this money be recorded in the gift register as well?"

Ye Xiao paused lightly on the table with his fingertips, and said calmly, "Remember. Write it clearly."

After Madam Qin left, things didn't calm down; in fact, it was just the beginning.

The threshold of Xingchen Hall suddenly became the windswept frontier of the city, with invitations, gift lists, and messages pouring in one after another. Merchants, aristocratic families, various gangs, and even other branches of the Qingxiao Gang sent people over.

Some smiled warmly and spoke softly, first showering Ye Xiao with "congratulations" and then subtly leaning towards "friendship." Others looked at him with probing eyes, their politeness concealing a knife, wanting to gauge Ye Xiao's state over a few words.

Others immediately bring up cooperation and profit sharing.

The most hurtful ones were the other branch halls—they didn't offer generous gifts or say nice things, but they all had the same intention: to suppress him.

Yan Quan was so busy inside that he barely had time to breathe, flipping through the gift book at lightning speed and writing furiously with his pen.

Ye Xiao, however, never left the table.

He neither sees all of them nor rejects all of them.

Only a few "must-show" individuals were selected, and they were allowed a brief glimpse from afar outside the side hall to hear a single sentence and obtain a clear stance. The rest were simply given gifts, their names recorded, and responses relayed according to established rules.

As night deepened, the footsteps outside the hall gradually thinned out, and the lights finally quieted down.

Only two people remained in the side room.

Ye Xiao closed the ledger, looked up at Lin Yan, and asked in a low voice, "Still no news?"

Lin Yan shook his head, his eyes showing fatigue: "Ever since you asked me to find a place even worse than Beilu, I've barely slept. I've searched every inch of the lower city, but I still can't find it."

Ye Xiao tapped the edge of the table lightly with his fingertips, but did not speak immediately.

The inability to find the extreme environment means that the path to the Glass Bone will have to slow down. Following the proper steps is certainly possible, but it will take significantly longer.

He knew in his heart that time was of the essence.

The Green Owl Gang is most likely connected to a cult, and now that he has become a hall master, strictly speaking, he has only taken the first step. If he really runs into something from a cult in the future, even a slight difference in strength will shorten his life considerably.

Ye Xiao said in a deep voice, "Search for another half month."

"Okay." Lin Yan nodded, gritting his teeth, "I'll think of another way."