Chapter 369: Senior Brother, Night Talk
Snow clouds hide the moon and stars, and light snow lightly covers the mountains and forests.
In a private room on the third floor of Youren Pavilion, Ye Anping stood by the wooden window, idly playing with the Returning Star Bell engraved with “Nine Phoenixes Paying Homage to the Dragon” that Si Xuanji had given him. The crisp bell sound echoed in the room:
Jingle jingle—
In the Northern Region, the sun is visible but the moon is often hidden. Every night, the full moon and starry sky are covered by snow clouds.
Ye Anping looked at the distant mountains, feeling an inexplicable sense of unease.
The case of the disappearance of young boys and girls in Tianfeng Immortal City, which should have vanished with “Wu You,” had reappeared.
This was the second time in twenty-two years that he had encountered an event whose outcome he could not foresee at a glance, and the second time he felt apprehensive due to the “unknown.”
As for the first time, it was when he first survived his predestined calamity of death related to “Wu You.”
When he took Pei Lianxue out of the Hundred Lotus Sect and went to Wu Xi Town to intercept “Wu You,” he had mentally prepared himself for failure.
Undeniably, the calamitous death of “Wu You” at that time was indeed a gamble he had made.
There were many things that he could not have predicted back then.
For example, encountering “Wu You” at a wedding banquet in advance.
If “Wu You” had not poisoned them at the wedding banquet and later, mistakenly believing their spiritual senses had been completely devoured by the蛊 (gu) worms, had lowered his guard, they would never have been able to successfully kill him in the bamboo forest outside Wu Xi Town.
However, now, something related to “Wu You,” something that should not have happened, stood before him.
Ye Anping let out a breath, looked at the Returning Star Bell in his hand, and tried to ring the bell to summon Si Xuanji.
Si Xuanji was probably the only one who could give him answers and a sense of security right now.
But unfortunately, his wife, the old woman, did not like cold places, and she did not like the perpetual night sky of the Northern Region, where the stars and moon were never visible.
It was around this time that the Snow Jade Myriad Spirit Sword, wrapped in bandages and leaning against the wall, seemed to sense his unease, and its scabbard trembled slightly.
Hummm~~
The low hum seemed to be comforting him.
Ye Anping glanced at it, and then, as if suddenly enlightened, a wry smile appeared on his face, and he mocked himself:
“When I was in the Qi Refining Stage, I could defeat Wu You with my junior sister. Now that I possess the Nine Dragon Heavenly Seal, have the Flying Sword techniques personally taught by Yun Jian Shang Xian, and have formed a Heavenly Dao Golden Core, why am I still so hesitant?”
For many years, he had always said, “I am just an ordinary dual-spiritual-root cultivator,” but now it seemed to have become a shackle for him.
Six years had passed, and he, a mere cannon fodder described in just one sentence in the game, was no longer associated with the word “cannon fodder.”
Ye Anping shook his head slightly, walked over, picked up the Snow Jade Myriad Spirit Sword, and gently stroked its blade before looking out the window again.
With the Spirit Sword in hand, his thoughts naturally settled.
“Wu You” was indeed dead and could never revive.
Therefore, the person causing trouble around Tianfeng Immortal City now could not be “Wu You.”
From his perspective, perhaps this matter was closely related to “Wu You,” but upon careful consideration, there was more than one demonic cultivator in the world who used young boys and girls to refine蛊 (gu).
It was possible that he was simply shocked by the name “Wu You” because he knew the script and encountered a coincidence.
Ye Anping lowered his gaze and pondered for a moment, unconsciously shaking his head. In the end, he chose to admit defeat to Feng Yu Die.
Matters involving the Imperial Sect, the Moon Shadow Sword Sect, and the Chi Long Mansion were all clearly understood by him with a solution because he had an omniscient perspective.
However, he had to admit that his intuition, insight, and adaptability were no match for Feng Yu Die.
Feng Yu Die, without any prior knowledge, had immediately identified a problem upon arriving at the Chi Long Mansion. In the final illusion chess game with Li Feng, she had broken the game with a single move and entered the realm.
Although Feng Yu Die could not always achieve the best outcome, her intuition was never wrong in the overall direction.
“This time, I’ll let my junior sisters find the solution. It’s time for Yunluo to undergo a trial, which will also help her transform into a dragon. She won’t grow if she stays by my side all the time.”
As he spoke, Ye Anping formed a sword finger and flicked it, taking out the “Hantian Kingdom Strategy Plan” he had written in his Storage Bag and igniting it with a fire elemental spell.
Then, he blew gently, and the paper turned into ashes, mixing with the light snow outside the window and disappearing without a trace.
Just then, Ye Anping’s ears twitched as he heard light footsteps outside the door. He quickly put on a gentle smile, adjusted his collar, and stood with his hands behind his back, looking out the window:
“Miss Xiyue, the door is unlocked, please come in.”
A few breaths after his voice, the private room door was slowly pushed open by Xu Xiyue outside. She was holding a basin of steaming hot tea and carefully walked into the room, asking:
“Senior Ye, I’ve brought some tea. Please have some if you don’t mind. I’ll be staying in the room next door tonight. Just call if you need anything.”
Ye Anping turned his head and saw Xu Xiyue, who was timidly shrinking her head like a little rabbit. He couldn’t help but shake his head:
“Am I that scary?”
“Senior Ye is different from the Core Formation Stage seniors I’ve met before, but…” Xu Xiyue shook her head, “I am just a cultivator in the Qi Refining Stage, so I should naturally have respect for Core Formation Stage seniors.”
“And the remaining three parts?”
“Naturally, it’s admiration.”
“Heh…”
Ye Anping chuckled, formed a sword finger, and used his spiritual energy to levitate the tea she was holding to the round table inside. He then closed the window and sat down:
“Your sister asked me to take good care of you, so I naturally will. Your dual-element aptitude for gold and earth isn’t exactly exceptional, but… it happens that I’m also a dual-element cultivator.”
Xu Xiyue’s eyes widened slightly upon hearing this, and a hint of curiosity flashed in her eyes, but she quickly composed herself and suppressed her expression.
Ye Anping then spread his hands and offered a seat:
“There’s no need to be so formal. Meeting is fate. Feel free to ask whatever you want to ask. If you miss this village, you might not find this shop.”
“…”
Xu Xiyue hesitated for a moment, then slowly walked to the table, hopped onto the round stool, looked up at Ye Anping, and asked:
“May I be so bold as to ask, Senior Ye, what is your relationship with Master Li?”
?
She wasn’t asking about cultivation, but this?
Ye Anping was taken aback for a moment. After thinking for a while, he replied truthfully:
“She is my wife.”
“Ah… Wife?” Xu Xiyue pouted. “Then why are you and Master Li sleeping in separate rooms? Shouldn’t wives live together?”
“We haven’t even had the wedding ceremony yet, so it’s not appropriate to live in the same room. Besides, I have more than just Longling as my wife. There are three others: the Eldest Miss of the Yun Family from the Moon Shadow Sword Sect, the Young Master Xiao from the Xuan Xing Sect, and my junior sister, Pei Lianxue.”
Xu Xiyue was surprised that Ye Anping was so straightforward, and she glanced at him furtively.
However, Ye Anping chuckled:
“Do you think I’m a bit of a dandy?”
“…Not at all. Senior Ye is young and accomplished, and handsome. Having three wives and four concubines is quite normal.”
“My wives are not distinguished as wives or concubines; at most, there’s a difference in order,” Ye Anping shook his head and said, “They give me their trust, and I give them my support. I have sworn that no matter what happens in the future, at least before I die, I will be responsible for them.”
“Mmm…”
“However, making vows is easy, but keeping them is difficult,” Ye Anping said helplessly, shaking his head. “Would you be a witness, Miss Xu? If I break my vow in the future, you can take your sword and strike me.”
“Ah?”
“This is a cultivation technique and Sword Art from a sect in the Southern Domain that I once collected. Consider it a bond between you and me, Miss Xu.”
“…”
Xu Xiyue was silent for a moment, looked at the Jade Slip, and asked:
“I… I dare not accept it.”
“Then exchange it for something,” Ye Anping’s gaze swept over the hairpin inserted behind Xu Xiyue’s head. “I see that your hairpin is quite nice. How about exchanging it for these two cultivation techniques?”
“…”
Xu Xiyue was a little confused. It was just a wooden hairpin she had bought from a street vendor in Baiyue Town.
Did she get lucky and find something good?
She remained silent for a moment, but looking at the two Jade Slips Ye Anping placed on the table, a hint of reluctance flashed in her eyes – she wanted them!
So, she decisively took off her hairpin and gently pushed it onto the table.
“Do you only want the hairpin, Senior?”
“Then what else do you want to give me?”
“…I have Spirit Stones. I’ve saved a lot.”
“I’m not interested in the few thousand Spirit Stones a Qi Refining Stage cultivator like you has saved,” Ye Anping said with a wry smile. He took the hairpin with his spiritual energy and returned the two Jade Slips to Xu Xiyue, saying:
“It’s getting late. Qi Refining Stage cultivators need to sleep. Go back to your room and rest.”
“…”
Xu Xiyue nodded slightly, took the two Jade Slips with cultivation techniques, jumped off the stool, and respectfully cupped her hands to Ye Anping:
“Mmm… Hehe. Senior, you should rest early. I won’t disturb you.”
She was already a little different from her initial reserved demeanor.
Ye Anping noticed her suppressed excitement but didn’t expose it. He nodded and watched her leave the room.
Then, Ye Anping sighed and turned to look at the paper window of his private room, only to see a small hole poked by a bird’s beak. He helplessly shook his head.
He poured himself a cup of tea and waited for a while. Just as Xu Xiyue had pushed open the door, Li Longling, carrying the Fire Phoenix, pushed it open again.
“Young Master Ye…”
“Longling, peeking is not a good habit.”
“I was just a little curious,” Li Longling said with a chuckle, covering her mouth. “To be honest, I was very impressed today. I thought you would make a move on a girl who is only twelve years old.”
“As I said, we are here to deal with demonic cultivators. It’s not a marriage proposal…”
“But I am curious, Miss Xu is not old, and you are from the Hundred Lotus Sect in the Western Regions. How do you know there is a girl named Xu Xiyue in Tianfeng Immortal City in the Northern Region?”
“I dreamed it.”
“Then, is the person in Senior Ye’s dream the same person as her?”
“Naturally not,” Ye Anping picked up the teacup and smiled, shaking his head. “The person in the dream is her when she grows up, while the one I met now is her in the past.”
“That sounds quite profound.”
“It’s nothing more than the theory of reversed fate from the Xuan Xing Sect.”
“Is that so…” Li Longling placed Ah Feng on the table, propped up her chin, and asked, “What did you answer when Miss Xu asked you just now about our relationship?”
“…Didn’t you hear?”
“Overhearing and hearing you say it directly are different things.”
“Wife.”
“Then why did you reject me at the Chi Long Mansion back then? Or rather, why did you use Xiyue as an excuse to refuse me? It made me unhappy for several days.”
“At that time, I was just a cannon fodder,” Ye Anping looked at the Snow Jade Myriad Spirit Sword leaning against the wall. “I didn’t dare to take on your karma, Longling.”
“If you ask me… Anping, you underestimate yourself. I quite like the way you showed off in front of Commander Xu today.”
“I never allowed you to call me Anping directly.”
“Will you not allow it?”
“Alas… Longling, jumping will get you spanked.”
“But speaking of which,” Li Longling stroked the Fire Phoenix’s feathers, “never mind Senior Pei and Senior Xiao, how come there’s also an Eldest Miss from the Yun Family? How many romantic entanglements has my beloved attracted over the past six years?”
“…”
Ye Anping was speechless. He looked at the Fire Phoenix standing on the table, pondered for a moment, and formed a sword finger.
Swoosh—
A golden spiritual energy struck the Fire Phoenix’s belly, enveloping it and taking it out the window.
Ying—!!!
The Fire Phoenix immediately glared angrily and spread its wings to attack him, but it could not break the golden spiritual shield for the time being.
Li Longling also felt dizzy and exclaimed in fear:
“Ah?! I can’t see!”
“Isn’t it nice to see the light snow mountain scenery of the Northern Region?” Ye Anping smiled, got up, and picked up Li Longling, “We agreed that I would check your meridians tonight.”
“Ah… Then… Don’t send Ah Feng away…”
Plop—
“Huh?!”
Li Longling didn’t know what Ye Anping was doing. Her vision was now filled with the night snow scene of Baiyue Town, but she felt herself being lifted up and her shoes being removed.
“Anping… let Ah Feng come back! I was wrong! I won’t eavesdrop next time…”
“Learn your lesson, and adapt. You’ll need it later,” Ye Anping sat by the bed, grabbed Li Longling’s ankle with his fingers, and placed a sword finger on her sole. “I estimate that Senior Xiao and the others will arrive in a few days. Let’s both stay out of their sight then.”
“Ying… let Ah Feng come back first…”
“In a while,” Ye Anping replied with a mischievous smile. “We’ll let them solve the case of Tianfeng Immortal City. If they know I’m here, they’ll just have me figure everything out.”
“Anping… Ah Feng… I’m going to faint.”
“Then faint. With me by your side, are you worried about encountering any villains?”
“No… Ying… This feels so strange…”
… …
The black clouds in the night sky gradually dispersed, and the hundred-mile snow also gradually stopped.
The noise in the inn’s private room gradually subsided. Ye Anping looked at Li Longling, who had fallen asleep directly in his bedroom, and shook his head helplessly before retracting the golden spiritual energy that had trapped the Fire Phoenix.
The Fire Phoenix, its feathers stiff from the cold and snow on the roof, clawed at him as soon as it entered the room. Ye Anping said, “Your mistress is resting. Do you want to wake her up?”
The Fire Phoenix looked resentful. It turned to look at Li Longling, as if feeling guilty for not protecting her, and dejectedly landed on the head of the bed, lowering its head.
Ye Anping ignored it. After pondering for a while, he climbed out the window and secretly slipped into Xu Xiyue’s bedroom along the roof, intending to secretly send her some True Essence while she slept.
However, upon entering the room, he found Xu Xiyue hugging the two Jade Slips he had given her, curled up, and smiling foolishly in her sleep:
“Hehe… Hehe.”
“…”
Ye Anping shook his head slightly and noticed a yellowed little notebook on the table. He flipped to the last page and read:
“Hantian Calendar, August 1st.”
“I had a strange encounter today. A handsome Core Formation Stage cultivator came to Youren Pavilion. At first, he kept staring at me, which made me a little nervous, but after a few conversations, I found him to be a good person. However, he then tried to bribe me with two cultivation technique Jade Slips, so I need to wait and see.”
Ye Anping stared at this diary entry for a long time, then turned to glance at the sleeping Xu Xiyue, shaking his head,
“Giving gifts and not getting thanked? Oh well, let’s take it slow…”
… …
