Ye Qingyi nudged closer to Ye Bufan, who in turn shifted slightly away.
"Quick, look, the proprietress is flirting again," some of the regulars nearby began to whisper amongst themselves upon seeing Ye Qingyi's actions. Others, however, stared at Ye Bufan with eyes full of murderous intent.
"Proprietress, is this how you introduce the dishes at your Azure Bamboo Tavern?" Ye Bufan asked with a helpless smile, feeling a flicker of nervousness.
Ye Qingyi indeed possessed considerable beauty and a graceful figure, accentuated by her qipao.
"Proprietress, could you move aside a bit?" Ye Bufan chuckled, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Ye Qingyi blinked in surprise. Ye Bufan's hand reached out towards her. She paused, wondering if he was about to make a move.
However, Ye Bufan's hand only reached her ear. With a subtle flick, a flying knife appeared in his grasp.
Ye Qingyi gasped, turning to see several flying knives suspended mid-air.
To Ye Bufan's surprise, Ye Qingyi wasn't terrified by the sight. Instead, she calmly stepped aside.
"My dear brother, it seems you draw attention wherever you go," Ye Qingyi remarked with a wry smile. Ye Bufan immediately swept his spiritual sense over Ye Qingyi, only to find that he couldn't sense any aura from her.
"Art of Concealment!" Ye Bufan's eyes gleamed. His sixth sense told him that Ye Qingyi was no ordinary person.
However, the most pressing matter at hand was dealing with those in the Azure Bamboo Tavern who intended to harm Ye Bufan.
The owner of the flying knives was likely seated at the most prominent table. As Ye Bufan scanned the entire tavern, only the individuals at the central table exhibited vigilance, while the others watched with detached amusement.
"Three Great Martial Venerables, one half-step Martial Saint." Ye Bufan lightly stretched his muscles, plucking the hovering flying knives from the air one by one.
"I didn't expect the martial artists of the capital to be such cowards, resorting to sneak attacks. Even with the proprietress here, they'd throw knives without regard for life or death," Ye Bufan commented. "It seems I overestimated the martial artists of the capital."
"Ye Bufan, since the Bounty Order of Huzhou failed to eliminate you, we will finish the job today," declared a man with a scar on his face.
"If five Martial Saints in Huzhou couldn't do anything to me, do you really think you, a mere half-step Martial Saint, can take me down?" Ye Bufan challenged.
Upon hearing this, the men behind the scarred man exchanged glances, their resolve wavering.
"Brothers, have no fear. As far as I know, Ye Bufan was severely weakened after his battle with the five Martial Saints of Huzhou. It hasn't been long, so he certainly hasn't recovered. If we combine our strength, we can certainly defeat him!" The scarred man not only tried to convince himself but also the three Great Martial Venerables behind him.
"Brother Chi, perhaps we should proceed with caution. After all, those are just online speculations. Look at Ye Bufan; he doesn't appear injured at all," said the Great Martial Venerable to the left of the scarred man, urging for calm.
"You're all a bunch of cowards. Let me show you how it's done."
The scarred man, brimming with confidence, leaped forward and hurled several flying knives at Ye Bufan.
Unhurriedly, Ye Bufan tossed the flying knives that had just been thrown at him back towards the scarred man.
The scarred man, thinking the knives were aimed at him, dodged. However, the flying knives collided with those he had thrown, creating a clatter as they fell to the ground.
"Hmph! Nothing special." The scarred man's confidence surged.
"Flying knives!" Ye Bufan feinted throwing a flying knife, startling the scarred man into dodging.
The scarred man checked himself, finding no harm, and realized Ye Bufan had been toying with him.
"You're playing with me!" The scarred man's face contorted with rage as he lunged at Ye Bufan.
"Flying knives!" Ye Bufan again made the motion of throwing a flying knife. The scarred man flipped in mid-air, evading to the side.
He once again checked himself, finding no trace of Ye Bufan's flying knives. Enraged, he roared.
"Hahahahaha," Ye Qingyi's laughter rang out, unreserved. "The one most skilled with flying knives gets tricked by flying knives twice. If your flying knife skills get out, you'll be laughed to death."
"Ye Bufan! You're seeking death!" The scarred man exuded a terrifying aura.
"Flying knife," Ye Bufan subtly gestured towards the scarred man. The scarred man felt a sudden discomfort, then looked down to see a flying knife embedded in his chest.
"You—"
"You—"
The scarred man stammered for a moment before finally expiring.
Ye Qingyi stared at Ye Bufan in disbelief. In plain sight, no one could discern when Ye Bufan had thrown the flying knife, not even the scarred man himself.
"Xun'er, dispose of the body," Ye Qingyi instructed the server who had previously appeared.
"Yes," the server, Xun'er, walked slowly to the scarred man's corpse and carried it out of the Azure Bamboo Tavern.
"Will you leave on your own, or shall I escort you out?" Ye Qingyi asked the men who had accompanied the scarred man.
"We'll leave on our own." The men, showing great sense, prepared to depart the Azure Bamboo Tavern without another word.
"Wait a moment."
Just as the three men took a few steps, Ye Qingyi called out to them.
"Proprietress, what do you mean? Are you not letting us leave?" the man who had previously advised the scarred man inquired.
"You may leave, but settle your tab first," Ye Qingyi said coldly.
Upon hearing this, the man's face flushed red. He looked down, paid his bill, and hurried away.
Ye Bufan sat in his seat and said to Ye Qingyi, "Proprietress, serve the food."
Ye Qingyi's expression returned to its smiling demeanor. "My little brother Ye, tell me what you want to eat, and I'll cook it for you."
"Did I hear correctly? The proprietress said she'd cook for Ye Bufan?"
"He did indeed say that."
"This Azure Bamboo Tavern has been open for so many years, but has anyone ever seen the proprietress cook? I don't think so."
"Could it be that the proprietress has taken a liking to Ye Bufan?"
The patrons nearby chattered amongst themselves. Ye Qingyi glanced at them and said, "Everyone, gossiping excessively is not a good thing."
Hearing this, they obediently fell silent and resumed drinking their wine.
Ye Bufan casually ordered a few dishes his master used to make. Ye Qingyi listened to the menu and then left the front hall.
Half an hour later, another group of people arrived at the Azure Bamboo Tavern…