Chapter 37: Senior Brother, You’re Vile
Ye Anping had already heard the man in black shouting the first time, but based on the principle of putting guests first, he helped the two Xuan Xing Sect Disciples brought by Bai Yuexin finish their physiotherapy before washing his hands and going out.
During this time, it seemed that Bai Yuexin had been making small talk with him.
As Ye Anping walked back to the main hall, he saw that the man in black’s face was a mess of colors. He didn’t know what they had talked about.
Seeing him come out, Bai Yuexin quickly approached and said, “Anping, this person is so strange. He came in and asked me if I sold Vermilion Birds. Then I asked him what a Vermilion Bird was, and he said it was a type of tea. Then I wanted him to tell me what kind of tea Vermilion Bird tea was…”
Ye Anping sighed when he heard this and said, “Senior Bai, are you a chatterbox?”
“It’s just… I was afraid he would leave, so I chatted with him.”
“Oh—it’s quite late. Senior Bai, you should go back to the sect first. I’m finishing this last job and will be closing up to rest soon.”
“Can I not stay overnight tonight?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“You hugged me in my bed last night, and I didn’t sleep well.”
Ye Anping answered frankly and then ignored her, walking directly to invite the man in black into the inner room.
The man in black had been listening to his conversation with Bai Yuexin, and after hearing about the “hugging while sleeping,” he naturally thought of dual cultivation. As he followed Ye Anping inside, his eyes were filled with surprise.
However, this was exactly what Ye Anping wanted him to hear.
After all, he was going to tell this person about the sect selection information and how to get into the Xuan Xing Sect through the great formation. If this person asked how he got the information, he could reasonably answer that “Bai Yuexin told him,” and it wouldn’t arouse suspicion.
After entering the inner room, Ye Anping waved his hand and sealed the door with his spiritual energy. Then, he affixed his self-made soundproofing Talisman Scripts around the room to highlight his professionalism.
The man in black nodded when he saw this and praised, “Young brother, who was that Inner Disciple of the Xuan Xing Sect just now?”
“Just a silly girl who fell in love with me,” Ye Anping shrugged and smiled.
“Silly… silly girl…” the man looked astonished, “I saw that her cultivation is at Mid Foundation Establishment, and she’s quite a high-ranking Inner Disciple. How did you…”
“By my looks. With my appearance, I’m a hot commodity among female cultivators. Who doesn’t like a clean-cut and handsome young man like me?”
“…”
“Are you here for information, or to gossip about me?”
“Young brother, please speak. Have you found out the contents of the sect selection?”
Ye Anping smiled and invited him to sit down, then got straight to the point. “The day before yesterday was the written test, yesterday was the sword test, and now the physical test has already begun. It will last for six days. All disciples participating in the sect selection will undergo the test in the back mountain of the Xuan Xing Sect. If you want to intercept someone midway, now is the best opportunity. After this, there will be the logistics test and the interview.”
“More specific details?”
“Everyone who passes the sword test will be assigned to the back mountain of the Xuan Xing Sect and walk about a hundred li on foot. The environment is complex, with mountain ranges, forests, snow mountains, and deserts, as well as some low-level Demonic Beasts blocking the way. Before entering, their Flying Swords will be confiscated, and they will not be allowed to fly. Moreover, there will be no Xuan Xing Sect Elders accompanying them throughout the entire process.”
“I see…” The man nodded, thought for a while, and then asked, “Since you said it’s the best opportunity, it means you have a way for us to enter the back mountain of the Xuan Xing Sect? To bypass the great formation and the patrolling disciples?”
“Us?” Ye Anping frowned. “How many people do you have? What are their cultivations?”
“Two at Early Foundation Establishment, two at Mid Foundation Establishment, and myself at Late Foundation Establishment.” The man didn’t hide anything and told the truth. “I heard that Feng Yu Die easily defeated a cultivator at Mid Foundation Establishment in the sword test. So, I found some companions this afternoon. With my formation, even if she’s a prodigy, she won’t be able to escape.”
Hearing this, Ye Anping couldn’t help but frown.
He had originally planned to send this person in, but hearing his confident demeanor, he was hesitant to send him in.
It wasn’t because he was worried about Feng Yu Die’s safety. If these people attacked Feng Yu Die, his Junior Sister would definitely be involved. Feng Yu Die had Saint Emperor blood, so she could regrow lost limbs after some time, but his Junior Sister couldn’t!
If his Junior Sister were injured, it wouldn’t be good.
After thinking for a while, Ye Anping said, “It should be fine. I can send you in, but if you want to come out, you need to bring me along.”
“Bring you along?” The man frowned slightly and quickly declined, “You’re only at Qi Refining level three, and you’re a ‘shop’ owner. This doesn’t comply with the rules. If something happens to you, then…”
—A “shop owner” of the Seven Kill Gate cannot participate in bounty missions, and if a disciple is caught, they are not allowed to reveal the identity and location of the “shop owner.” If they implicate the “shop owner,” they will be severely punished according to sect rules.
These were the rules of the Seven Kill Gate. Information was their lifeline and their source of income, the most important thing.
Ye Anping raised his hand to stop him. “I know. If I die, the Seven Kill Gate will hold you accountable. But think about it, you’re planning to sneak into the Xuan Xing Sect. If you fail, you’ll still die. Besides… without me to lead the way, you won’t be able to get in. And even if you get in, you won’t be able to find Feng Yu Die. There are nearly ten thousand people in the back mountain of the Xuan Xing Sect now. Finding one person among ten thousand is like finding a needle in a haystack.”
The man was silent for a moment, looking at Ye Anping hesitantly, and reminded him, “We won’t have enough manpower to protect you then.”
“Don’t worry, I have ways to protect myself. If there’s a real emergency, I might even abandon you and run.” Ye Anping smiled and poured him a cup of tea. “Also, if this matter is successful, I’ll take thirty percent of the bounty.”
“Two percent at most. The bounty for the Gu Poison Sect’s Grand Tutor’s Storage Bag is ten thousand Spirit Stones, and the bounty for capturing Feng Yu Die alive is five thousand Spirit Stones. I still have to split it with four other people.”
Hearing this, Ye Anping twisted his brow and asked, “Didn’t you say this afternoon that the total bounty was ten thousand Spirit Stones? How come there’s an extra five thousand?”
“Just this afternoon, the sect issued a new bounty: capture Feng Yu Die alive.” The man paused and said, “Little boss, I have a request, please grant it, little boss.”
“Go ahead.”
“I haven’t told the other four people I invited that the Gu Poison Sect’s Grand Tutor’s Storage Bag is on that Feng Yu Die. They are all here for the bounty for capturing Feng Yu Die alive. Therefore, I hope you can keep it a secret from them. How about I give you an extra two thousand Spirit Stones after we succeed?”
Ye Anping was speechless. This person was still thinking of secretly taking a share of the profits.
However, if calculated this way, his thirty percent plus two thousand Spirit Stones would be five thousand.
That was not a small amount. If he had five thousand Spirit Stones, he could buy a lot of good food for his Junior Sister and take her to the marketplace to buy some jewelry for girls.
From childhood to adulthood, all his Spirit Stones had been used to buy medicine and pills. Now that Pei Lianxue had grown up, as a Senior Brother, it was time to give her some nice jewelry and rouge.
Ye Anping rested his chin on his hand and began to think. He wasn’t pondering whether the distribution was reasonable; he was thinking about how to get more out of this.
Ye Anping remained skeptical about the man’s claim that his formation could definitely capture Feng Yu Die alive. However, if the formation was indeed too powerful, he would definitely intervene to prevent these people from accidentally injuring his Junior Sister.
But if this person couldn’t capture Feng Yu Die, then his share would be gone.
That was five thousand Spirit Stones!
It seemed that he would have to find an opportunity to talk to Feng Yu Die privately later, to see if he could get her to be willing to be captured by the Seven Kill Gate so he could swindle the bounty, and then lead people from the Xuan Xing Sect to destroy the Seven Kill Gate.
“Okay, I can,” Ye Anping nodded and asked, “When do we leave?”
“Anytime. The matter of going in will be arranged by the little boss.”
Ye Anping looked in the direction of the paper window and saw that it was completely dark outside. He said, “Then let’s go now. It’s easier to move under the cover of night. May I ask for your name, Senior?”
“Liang Zhu,” the man replied, cupping his fists.
“Senior Liang, greetings.” Ye Anping quickly cupped his fists in return and said with a wicked smile, “I am Jiang Ziya.”
…
