Chapter 86: An Invitation from Chi Long Mansion
Ye Ao remained stunned for quite a while before recovering. He quickly straightened his slightly open robe and coughed twice, clenching his fist in front of his mouth.
“Cough, cough… Young Master Xiao, please wait here for a moment. This seat has some matters to discuss privately with my son.”
Xiao Yunluo, dazed, cupped her hands in response, “Ah… Your junior is aware.”
Ye Ao then gave Kong Yulan a look, signaling her to prepare good tea and refreshments. He immediately stood up, walked to Ye Anping’s side, grabbed his arm, and forcefully pulled him out of Tian Ge.
Once they were far enough away, to the point where Xiao Yunluo couldn’t possibly overhear them, Ye Ao looked at Ye Anping with a look of horror.
He had many questions for his son but didn’t know where to begin. After holding it in for a long time, he finally managed to utter a single sentence:
“How did you bring back Dan Yue Shang Xian’s daughter?!”
Ye Anping had anticipated his father’s reaction. He merely sighed slightly and replied, “She came here with a purpose. I was just guiding her. What do you mean by ‘bringing her back’?”
“With a purpose?” Ye Ao was confused. After pondering for a moment, his eyes widened even further. “Don’t tell me… you’ve caused a huge mess?”
Ye Anping looked at him with disdain.
“…Dad, am I that much of a worry to you?”
“That girl personally ran all the way to our humble sect. If it’s not you who angered her and she came to demand an explanation, then what else could it be?”
“Dad, in your eyes, am I that incompetent? Couldn’t it be that Dan Yue Shang Xian wants to offer her daughter to me as a cultivation partner…”
Upon hearing this, Ye Ao immediately took a deep breath and quickly covered Ye Anping’s mouth.
“Hiss— Ping’er, you mustn’t speak such nonsense. You don’t know, that Dan Yue Shang Xian is no ordinary Void Returning cultivator. She is one of the five Yuan Xian of the Immortal Families…”
Ye Anping removed his hand. “I know…”
“You know, and you still dared to bring her home?”
“…” Ye Anping was speechless. “I told you, she came here herself…”
Ye Ao interrupted, “Your father has never interfered with you before. That Xiao girl really won’t do. What about that Feng girl from before? Wasn’t she quite good?”
Ye Anping’s eyes darkened. “Honestly, she… she’s not suitable.”
Ye Ao shook his head and warned again, “In any case, you absolutely must not have any thoughts about that girl. Last time, didn’t you yourself tell me not to aim too high? Have you forgotten?”
“I didn’t say I wanted her as my cultivation partner,” Ye Anping shrugged slightly. “You’re the one overthinking it. She’s just here to deliver a message and also to borrow our Spirit Gathering Array to establish her foundation.”
“Ah? To deliver a message?” Ye Ao looked completely bewildered. “Why would a young miss like her be a messenger?”
“You’ll know once you read the Jade Slip she brought.”
Ye Ao fell silent for a moment, his brow furrowed. “So… you really did cause trouble?”
“No… why are we back to this again?”
Ye Anping rolled his eyes at his father, thinking in his heart that his father had no great ambitions and possessed the small-minded mentality typical of a background character.
He then decided he didn’t want to discuss this with his father anymore. He propped his chin, pondered for a moment, and then changed the subject.
“Dad, speaking of which, do our Hundred Lotus Sect and Chi Long Mansion have any connections?”
“Chi Long Mansion?” Ye Ao, not understanding why he suddenly brought up Chi Long Mansion, asked in confusion, “What? You want to go to Chi Long Mansion? Why aren’t you staying in Xuan Xing Sect and running off there?”
Ye Anping smiled slightly. “It’s a place where immortals and mortals intersect. I’m curious what it’s like. So, does the Hundred Lotus Sect have any connection with them?”
“Certainly… no.”
“Then, while I’m establishing my foundation, can you try to find a way to get two invitation letters for next year’s Chi Long Convention?”
“Ah? You want to go to the Chi Long Convention? What’s your current cultivation level?” Ye Ao’s eyes were strange, finding his son utterly inexplicable. “And two of them? Who are you going with?”
“Junior Sister Pei.”
“That Pei girl…” Ye Ao looked around and asked, “Speaking of which, why isn’t that Pei girl back with you?”
“Junior Sister is establishing her foundation in Xuan Xing Sect.”
“I see…” Ye Ao thought for a moment, then nodded. “Alright then, it’ll be good for you to broaden your horizons.”
“Thank you, Dad.” Ye Anping cupped his hands, grinning. “I’ll have Dan Yue Shang Xian come to have tea and play chess with you another day.”
Ye Ao hesitated to speak, then directly rolled his eyes at him.
“…If you can actually get Dan Yue Shang Xian to come, I’ll change my name to your father. Alright?!”
“…”
Ye Anping shook his head and smiled, then walked directly back towards Tian Ge.
Upon returning to Tian Ge, he saw Xiao Yunluo sitting beside his mother, her face flushed with embarrassment, while his mother wore a doting smile.
After a brief thought, Ye Anping guessed what she had just been discussing with Xiao Yunluo.
“Little Xiao, do you like our Anping?”
“?!”
Xiao Yunluo’s hair stood on end. Before she could speak, Kong Yulan nodded understandingly.
“Such a big reaction, it must mean you like him. Little Xiao, Ping’er is really great. Look how handsome he is…”
“Ye… Madam Ye, what are you saying…”
Something along those lines…
Ye Ao also walked in from outside at this time.
He assumed a dignified demeanor befitting an elder, puffed out his chest, and looked at Xiao Yunluo. “Young Master Xiao, if I may ask, what is the purpose of your visit to our Hundred Lotus Sect?”
Xiao Yunluo was slightly taken aback. She quickly stood up, took out a Jade Slip from the Storage Bag at her waist, and presented it with both hands.
“Ah… Your junior is acting under the orders of Elder Qi of Xuan Xing Sect to deliver this Jade Slip to Sect Master Ye.”
“I see. Thank you for your trouble.”
Ye Ao nodded sagely, took the Jade Slip, and released his Spiritual Sense to examine it.
Instantly, his sage-like demeanor vanished, and his eyes nearly bulged out of his sockets.
“What? Young Master Xiao, is this matter true?”
“Ah…” Xiao Yunluo flinched and quickly replied, “Your junior is unaware of the contents of the Jade Slip. Please, Sect Master Ye, make your own decision.”
“…”
Ye Ao swallowed hard and glanced at Ye Anping beside him. After a long silence, he said, “Anping, you take Young Master Xiao to rest first. You must be tired from your journey.”
“Understood.” Ye Anping glanced at the Jade Slip in his father’s hand, then suddenly sighed and spread his hands. “Senior Sister Xiao, follow me.”
“Ah… Mm.”
Xiao Yunluo nodded shyly, then cupped her hands in a salute to Ye Ao and Kong Yulan before following Ye Anping.
After the two left Tian Ge, Ye Ao closed the door, sat back at his Desk, and stared at the Jade Slip in his hand with a worried expression.
“Old man, what’s wrong? What does it say?”
“Two things. First, Xuan Xing Sect will manage the Spirit Stone mine in Chi Yun Valley for us. Second, Anping is to be Xiao girl’s companion reader.”
“Isn’t that good?” Kong Yulan raised an eyebrow. “Just now I asked, and that Xiao girl clearly has feelings for our Ping’er. She has a good personality and is also good-looking, just a bit short.”
Ye Ao looked at her speechlessly.
“Yulan, that’s Dan Yue Shang Xian’s daughter!!”
“Doesn’t that further prove how good our Ping’er is? To be favored by that old monster and arranged to be a companion reader for her only daughter… Ping’er is much more promising than you, his father.”
“…”
“Back when you were fifteen, you were chased up a tree by two dogs and stayed there for three days and three nights. It was I who came and rescued you. Look at Ping’er, also fifteen, why is there such a big difference?”
Ye Ao was stunned for a moment and then suddenly asked, “Speaking of which, Yulan, why did you agree to become my cultivation partner back then?”
Kong Yulan looked at him speechlessly, hesitated for a moment, and said, “You were good-looking, and you seemed honest and kind.”
Ye Ao’s eyebrows shot up. “Wasn’t it because you had immense strength back then and weighed two hundred jin, and no one else wanted to be your cultivation partner? Although you’ve slimmed down to become a fairy now…”
*Swish—*
A Spiritual Light flashed on Kong Yulan’s right hand, and a leather whip appeared in her hand.
