The Cannon Fodder Turns His Sister Into A Soaring Phoenix – Chapter 198

Blood dripped from the severed left arm of Xue Xinghai, but his expression remained unperturbed, as if he had seen through life and death. His gaze shifted between Yun Yiyi and Ye Anping.

He was very familiar with Yun Yiyi, but the Ye Anping beside her was different. After staring at Ye Anping for a while, Xue Xinghai vaguely discerned a calmness on his face that was inconsistent with his apparent age. His gaze then moved down, and upon seeing a tassel jade pendant hanging from Ye Anping’s belt, he couldn’t help but show a hint of terror.

“?!”

He had forged swords and refined artifacts for hundreds of years and had seen almost all the common magical artifacts in the world, yet this was his first time seeing a “Illusionary Transformation Pendant” with such spiritual charm. This Illusionary Transformation Pendant could likely allow a cultivator in the late Deity Transformation Stage to disguise themselves as a Qi Refining cultivator, and it would be almost impossible to see through. If it weren’t for the fact that this youth had directly hung the pendant on his belt, he might never have realized that Ye Anping was hiding his cultivation. It was even possible that his appearance wasn’t his true form.

At the same time, Xue Xinghai was also puzzled. If this youth wanted to hide his cultivation, he should have placed the jade pendant inside his clothes or concealed it with spells, rather than hanging it so conspicuously.

“—He doesn’t know the use of this jade pendant…”

Just as Xue Xinghai pondered this question, he saw Ye Anping, with a blank expression, raise his hand. He lightly waved his left hand in front of his belt, and the jade pendant was put away into his sleeve.

“?!”

“He deliberately let me see it?… ” Xue Xinghai’s eyes widened slightly, and his brows furrowed deeply. He felt extremely stifled, as if this youth had seen through him.

The Immortal Binding Lock now bound his limbs, but in his opinion, these things couldn’t hold him at all. He had originally intended to stall for time with Yun Yiyi, gather his Qi, and break free from the restraint of dozens of Sword Sect disciples at the Foundation Establishment Stage, but…

The youth’s deliberate act of letting him know he was hiding his cultivation was undoubtedly a warning, as if to say: “You’d better not do anything foolish, or I can easily finish you.” Xue Xinghai hesitated. He couldn’t see the youth’s true cultivation. If Ye Anping was a paper tiger, then if he broke free from the Immortal Binding Lock now, this youth would likely give him no quarter.

It was at this moment that several flying swords suddenly arrived from the direction of the Central Peak. The person in the lead was a plump cultivator in a golden robe with a round face. Behind him were two Sword Sect disciples at the Core Formation Stage.

After the three landed their flying swords, Yun Yiyi immediately stepped forward and cupped her hands in a salute.

“Elder Zhuang.”

—The plump cultivator was named Zhuang Yan, an Elder at the Nascent Soul Middle Stage of the Sword Sect.

Zhuang Yan glanced at Xue Xinghai, who was bound by the Immortal Binding Lock, then looked around. His gaze swept over Yun Jiujiu, Yun Xi, and Ye Anping, and finally asked, “So, Eldest Miss, has a conclusion been reached regarding the lives of the twenty-seven inner disciples of the Sword Pavilion?”

“Yes.” Yun Yiyi nodded. “Pavilion Master Xue has already admitted that he was the one who killed all twenty-seven inner disciples. Everyone present heard it. From now on, he only needs to be escorted to the Sword Sect’s Heavenly Prison for interrogation.”

“That’s good…” Zhuang Yan hesitated for a moment and asked, “The disciples from your Yi Shui Peak captured the culprit. I’ll credit the merit for this case to you, Eldest Miss. Do Second Miss and Third Miss have any objections?”

“Of course, we do!!” Yun Jiujiu heard this and stood up, leaning on her giant sword. Although she was unsteady, she still walked over forcefully and said, “My sister Yun Xi and I found him first. She just reaped the benefits at the end. Why should it be credited to her name?! I’m not convinced!!”

Yun Yiyi glanced at her. “Second Sister, if my husband and I hadn’t intervened at the last moment, you would have died at Pavilion Master Xue’s hands.”

“Hindsight is 20/20. How do you know I would have died at his hands?”

“You two, don’t argue!!” Yun Xi also walked over, interrupting them. Then, facing Zhuang Yan, she said, “Elder Zhuang, this case has not yet been concluded. Pavilion Master Xue has been in the Wu Tian Sword Pavilion Marketplace for hundreds of years. His motive for killing the inner disciples is not clear. For the case to be concluded, it should at least…”

Zhuang Yan immediately interrupted, retorting, “But didn’t he admit it? I can find out later using soul-searching techniques. What’s unclear about it?”

“This… but…” Yun Xi felt something was amiss, but she couldn’t articulate the reason.

She and Pei Lianxue had just chased down that Qi Refining Stage disciple named Yun Shulong. Yun Shulong had said that he was called to the Wu Tian Sword Pavilion by his father, Yun Kun, and then he escaped, only to be pursued by his brothers… In other words, the father sent his son to his death, the son escaped, but was then hunted by his brothers… This matter, no matter how one thought about it, was problematic.

Why would Yun Kun send Yun Shulong to the Wu Tian Sword Pavilion? Why was Yun Shulong captured by his brothers, and why did Xue Xinghai emerge to kill him at the last moment…? Yun Xi had a premonition that this matter was both murky and deep.

“Elder Zhuang, I believe this matter is absolutely not…”

Zhuang Yan shook his head and waved his hand, interrupting her. “It’s understandable for you three to vying for merit, but finding excuses to slander others is not the right path. This matter is concluded. The truth will be revealed when I escort Xue Xinghai to the Heavenly Prison.”

With that said, he gave a look to the two Core Formation Stage Sword Sect disciples behind him. The two took out their spirit swords and approached Xue Xinghai, using their magical artifacts to restrain his body. They then took him and flew towards the Central Peak.

After the two left, Zhuang Yan glanced at Ye Anping again and asked, “Is this the Young Master of the Hundred Lotus Sect? He is indeed elegant and handsome, with good aptitude and destiny. He’s already at the Early Foundation Establishment Stage.”

Ye Anping cupped his hands in a salute and replied, “This junior greets Elder Zhuang.”

“Hmm… You’ve married into the Yun family, so you are now a disciple of the Yun family. In a few days, I will have someone send you an Identity Token so you can freely enter and exit the Sword Sect.”

“Thank you, Elder Zhuang.”

“—Wait!!” Overhearing this, Yun Xi hurriedly stepped forward and once again interrupted loudly. “Elder Zhuang, Young Master Ye’s marriage into the Yun family is not appropriate!!”

“Hmm?” Yun Yiyi furrowed her brows and asked, “What’s inappropriate about it?”

Yun Xi glanced at Ye Anping, momentarily conflicted about whether to reveal the “illegitimate child” matter in front of the Elder. But before she could speak, Zhuang Yan interrupted her again. “Third Miss, the marriage between Young Master Ye and Eldest Miss is not something for you to decide. All the Elders have agreed to this. You should focus on how to compensate for the eleven Sword Sect disciples who died in Chi Long Mansion.”

After speaking, Zhuang Yan glanced at Ye Anping one last time, then stepped onto his flying sword and left.

After Zhuang Yan had flown far away, Yun Xi frowned and looked at Ye Anping. She quickly stepped forward and said, “Young Master Ye!! Do you still remember me?!”

Ye Anping feigned a moment of recollection and replied, “I seem to somewhat remember, but this junior should be meeting Third Miss Yun for the first time.”

“Chi Long Mansion!! You don’t remember? You saved me.”

“I was indeed present during the matter with the Demonic cultivators in Chi Long Mansion, but I saved too many people. Please forgive me, Third Miss, I truly don’t remember.”

“Then…” Yun Xi bit her lip, unable to hold back any longer. She pointed at Yun Yiyi beside her and said, “In any case, you can’t marry her!!”

Yun Yiyi’s brows furrowed deeply upon hearing this. She immediately stepped forward, frowned, and glared at her. “Third Sister, what do you mean? My business with Young Master Ye is not for you to dictate!”

“No… He! He’s our biological brother!! How could I marry you?!”

“?” Yun Yiyi was stunned for a moment, but then her brows furrowed even deeper. “Third Sister, this is no child’s play. Do you have proof?”

“He practices the Inquiring Sword Art!! Isn’t that proof enough?”

Upon hearing this, Yun Yiyi’s eyes widened, but she quickly regained her composure. She didn’t believe Yun Xi’s words. The Inquiring Sword Art was a secret technique, only passed down to males, never females. However, all the male heirs of the Yun family were dead, and their father had not passed it down to anyone. In other words, Yun Xi had no reason to have seen someone perform the Inquiring Sword Art, and since she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she couldn’t possibly recognize someone’s sword art as the Inquiring Sword Art.

“Have you seen the Inquiring Sword Art?”

“Ah…” Yun Xi was stumped. After a pause, she said, “But Father passed down the Leaf Shadow Sword Art to me, and it’s compatible with the Inquiring Sword Art. I can recognize it!!”

“Since you haven’t seen it, how can you recognize it?”

Overhearing this, Ye Anping couldn’t help but interject, “Third Miss Yun, the sword art I cultivate is from the Hundred Lotus Sect. I’ve never heard of the Inquiring Sword Art.”

“But but but… Junior Sister Pei, what do you say?”

Yun Yiyi frowned slightly. “Junior Sister Pei? Who?”

“It’s his junior sister! Pei Lianxue, she knows the Leaf Shadow Sword Art. I saw it with my own eyes, and she’s already practiced it to the fifth level.”

Ye Anping feigned surprise and asked, “What about my junior sister? How do you know my junior sister?”

“I met her on the road before. She heard you were marrying into the Eldest Miss of the Sword Sect and followed you here.”

Yun Xi was silent for a moment, thinking that no matter what, she had to break off Yun Yiyi and Ye Anping’s engagement first. As for other issues, they could be resolved later. So she said, “Young Master Ye, your junior sister has liked you for a long time. She’s never said it, but didn’t you grow up together? You don’t need to marry Yun Yiyi.”

Ye Anping’s brows furrowed in surprise as he retorted, “What did you say?”

Yun Yiyi could no longer hold back. She stepped forward and grabbed Yun Xi’s collar, demanding, “Yun Xi, are you jealous or something?”

“I just want Young Master Ye to think clearly. He has such a wonderful girl by his side, yet he wants to marry a trash like you. Young Master Ye will definitely regret it in the future!”

Yun Xi tilted her head up to meet Yun Yiyi’s gaze, then reached out and poked Yun Yiyi’s two small watermelons on her chest. She suppressed Yun Yiyi with her aura and said, “Let’s go again. Young Master Ye and Junior Sister Pei grew up together. Besides having bigger breasts than Junior Sister Pei, what else can you do that she can’t?”

“… …”

“If you can withstand one move from Junior Sister Pei, I’ll consider you the winner. Want to try?”

Boom—

Just as she finished speaking, a loud noise came from a house on one side of the street, and several stone bricks flew out from a hole in the wall. Pei Lianxue walked out from the wall with a frown. Although she was not injured, the sky-blue long dress she wore was now covered in dust, and her hair was a bit messy.

Holding her spirit sword, she looked around. Upon seeing Ye Anping, she quickly ran over and opened her arms, wanting to hug him. “Senior Brother!”

Seeing her run over, Ye Anping formed a rabbit hand seal with his right hand and scolded with a frown, “Junior Sister Pei, why didn’t you stay at the Hundred Lotus Sect and chase after me?”

Pei Lianxue saw Ye Anping’s hand gesture and froze. Her eyes fixed on the rhythm of his right index finger and thumb being brought together. She slowly said, “I… don’t want… Senior Brother… to marry into… I… want to marry… Senior Brother?”

Ye Anping shook his head slightly and continued to gesture with his fingers. “Junior Sister, this matter concerns two sects. Although you and I grew up together, we are not cultivation partners. You should go back quickly. This is not a place for you. My engagement with Eldest Miss Yun will not be canceled.”

Pei Lianxue looked at Ye Anping’s hand gestures and read his unspoken message: “I’m lying to you. I won’t marry Yun Yiyi. Don’t worry.”

This somewhat reassured her, but she still felt unhappy. She immediately frowned and looked at Yun Yiyi beside her, gripping her spirit sword tightly.

Afterward, Ye Anping turned his head and said to Yun Yiyi beside him, “Eldest Miss Yun, now that things are clear, let’s return to Yi Shui Peak.”

Yun Yiyi only snapped back to attention when Ye Anping called her. She looked at Pei Lianxue beside her, inexplicably feeling a mixture of emotions. However, when Ye Anping took her hand, her irritation subsided. She tilted her head and smiled at Ye Anping, even showing a hint of smugness towards Pei Lianxue. “Husband, let’s go back, shall we?”

“Mm.”

Ye Anping finally gave Pei Lianxue a signal with his hand: See you tomorrow night.

“Mm…” Pei Lianxue watched her Senior Brother and Yun Yiyi walking away hand in hand. Although she knew her Senior Brother was acting, she still felt a lump in her heart. Tonight, she would definitely kiss Senior Brother’s lips until they were swollen!! Hmph!!

After watching Ye Anping and Yun Yiyi fly away with the surrounding Yi Shui Peak disciples, Yun Xi approached with an awkward expression and comforted her. “Junior Sister Pei, are you alright?”

“Mm… I’m fine.”

“Really fine? You’re not going to listen to your Senior Brother and return to the Hundred Lotus Sect, are you?”

“I’m not going back.”

“That’s good! Don’t worry… I’m on your side.”

Yun Xi pouted. Although Ye Anping and Junior Sister Pei were like siblings, she felt that problems should be solved one by one. First, she had to break off Ye Anping and Yun Yiyi’s engagement.

But then again, why did Ye Anping lie just now? She had clearly seen Ye Anping use the Inquiring Sword Art in Chi Long Mansion with her own eyes. Could it be that Ye Anping knew early on that he was Yun Tianchong’s son, but still deliberately married into the Yun family and Yun Yiyi? What was he thinking?!

Yun Xi felt more and more questions in her mind, and the murder case in the Sword Pavilion also had many suspicious points… She rubbed her nose bridge and let out a heavy sigh, muttering to herself, “Forget it, one thing at a time. For now, I need to find Yun Kun and ask what’s going on with Yun Shulong.”

It was at this moment that a shout came from Yun Jiujiu from in front of a house on the other side of the street.

“Hey!! Yun Xi!! Come help!! My Yu Di is stuck in the wall!!”

“Yu Di…” Hearing this, Yun Xi was slightly stunned. She suddenly remembered that Yun Jiujiu hadn’t spoken much just now. Turning her head, she saw her waving at her from in front of the stone wall that Feng Yu Die had smashed open. It seemed that while they were talking, Yun Jiujiu had gone to dig someone out.

She had to admit, the movement technique and sword art displayed by “Yu Di” when fighting Xue Xinghai were extremely exquisite. And the most crucial detail was the silver hair. The situation had been too sudden then, and she hadn’t reacted. Now, she suddenly remembered that more than half a year ago, she and Zhang Yihe had been wandering on the streets of Chi Long Mansion when they saw a girl being thrown out of a gambling house. That girl also had silver hair and exceptional movement techniques. But the person just now was dressed as a scholar…

Holding her doubts, Yun Xi also walked over and looked into the wall of the civilian residence that Feng Yu Die had smashed open. She saw a person whose upper body was vertically stuck in the bricks and stones. After a moment of hesitation, she took out a talisman from her storage bag and threw it at the wall. With her fingers in a sword stance, she waved.

“Rise!”

Boom—

A hexagonal hole was directly dug in the brick wall, and it fell from the wall. Feng Yu Die landed on her feet, and Yun Jiujiu on the side quickly went up to help her remove the stones from her body and asked, “Yu Di?! Are you injured?!”

“No… it’s just that my head is buzzing a little…” Feng Yu Die pouted. Seeing that Pei Lianxue’s clothes were also covered in dust, she quickly wiped her hair and said, “Miss Pei, are you alright? We were together just now…”

“I’m fine.”

“Oh… That’s good.” Feng Yu Die looked at Yun Xi beside her and replied, “I am Feng Yu. May I ask Miss Pei’s name?”

Pei Lianxue tilted her head, thought for a moment, and then replied, “Pei Lianxue.”

It was at this moment that Yun Jiujiu, watching from the side, stepped forward and rushed to Pei Lianxue’s front, separating her and Feng Yu Die. Then she said to Yun Xi on the side, “Thank you!!!”

Yun Xi was sprayed with a face full of saliva and looked perplexed, pouting, “You’re welcome?” Afterward, she grabbed Feng Yu Die’s wrist and dragged her away. “Let’s go!! Yu Di, I’ll find a doctor to help you.”

“Ah…” Staring at the two running away, Yun Xi was stunned for a while before returning to her senses. What was going on now? Was her second older sister jealous just now? Because that Yu Di and Junior Sister Pei were too close? What an utter mess. Also, why did that Yu Di look like she was disguised as a man?

“… …” Yun Xi rubbed her temples, already finding it difficult to sort things out. Although the Yun family had always been quite chaotic internally, this situation had descended into utter chaos.

“Junior Sister Pei, let’s return to Xi Ri Peak first. I’ll let a doctor from the sect examine you. What if there are internal injuries, that wouldn’t be good.”

“Mm…” Just as the two of them walked out of the civilian residence, Zhang Yihe suddenly ran over with five or six Xi Ri Peak disciples from a distance.

“Third Miss!! I’ve brought people!”

“… …” Seeing Yun Xi’s look that resembled looking at an idiot, Zhang Yihe shrunk his head and quickly knocked on the wooden fish in his hand again.

Clack—

… …