Chapter 380: Senior Brother, Did You Miss Me?
Patter—
Under the night sky, a cold wind whipped light snow, howling over the mountain peaks. Four masked cultivators, clad in white, gathered inside a spacious cave with a clear view. They played dice and drank.
“Big! Big!! Big!”
“It’s out~ Hey, Little! Junior Brother, keep drinking!”
“Are you fucking ripping me off? I’m not playing anymore!”
One of them, seeing the pips in the dice cup, flipped the table in anger and stood up, walking towards the biting cold and howling cave entrance.
The others in the cave paid no mind, righting the table and resuming their raucous calls.
Clatter, clatter—
The sound of dice colliding in the cup continued incessantly. The dealer slammed the dice cup onto the wooden table with a “Dong—”.
“Come, come! Place your bets! Big or small!”
However, just as he finished speaking, an unusual sound echoed from the cave entrance:
Shua—
“Uh…”
The remaining three paused slightly, looking towards the entrance in unison. The junior brother who had gone out for some air had vanished without a trace.
“Junior Brother?”
“… …” No one replied.
In an instant, only the whistling of the wind and snow outside the cave and the pattering of burning firewood in the nearby campfire remained within the cave.
“Junior Brother? Did you fall down the mountain?!”
He shouted again. Seeing that his junior brother still hadn’t replied, he put down the dice cup and walked towards the cave entrance.
“Junior Brother?! Junior Brother!! Ju…”
As he stepped out of the cave and glanced to the side, he saw a corpse with its neck pierced by a sharp weapon, resting peacefully against the side of the cave.
The man’s open mouth froze, and his eyes slowly widened.
Although his mind registered the presence of an unwelcome guest, his body failed to react immediately.
Shua—
A flash of silver light streaked across his neck, and his entire head spun 180 degrees backward.
The last thing he saw in his life was a pair of emotionless deep purple eyes and a face that, even through a veil, appeared extraordinarily handsome.
Ye Anping, holding a dagger, slit the man’s throat, then shoved him onto his junior brother’s body. He then transformed into a white shadow and darted into the cave.
“Ah?! Quickly, ring the bell…”
Shua—
“Ahhhhh—!”
Shua—
With two sounds of flesh being pierced, silence returned to the cave.
Ye Anping, holding a spare spirit sword, indifferently looked at the two demonic cultivator corpses at his feet. He used a Fire Element talisman to reduce them to ashes, then looked up at the bronze bell placed inside the cave.
He immediately took a step forward and cut off the bell clapper.
“It seems to be around here. They’re hiding quite well.”
He tossed the bell clapper onto the ground, bit his index and middle fingers, and blew two soft whistles. Li Longling, who had been waiting outside in the wind and snow, then entered, cradling the Fire Phoenix.
Li Longling scanned the demonic cultivators on the ground and asked, “Anping, we’ve already killed seventeen demonic cultivators. How many people did that Jiang Mojiao manage to summon?”
“I’m afraid he’s summoned all the demonic cultivators within a five-hundred-mile radius using his Demon Summoning Order.”
Ye Anping sighed with mild helplessness. He felt pity for the elders of the Six Sects Demonic Cult. How could such a black sheep emerge from their ranks?
The primary mission for the Six Sects Demonic Cult’s disciples entering the Northern Region was to divert the attention of the Hantian Kingdom while simultaneously searching for the Hantian formation core.
In other words, this was a mission that required stealth.
However, that idiot Jiang Mojiao, with one “Demon Summoning Order,” had called all the demonic cultivator disciples within nearly eight hundred miles. It was as if he were inviting the Hantian Kingdom to capture them all in one go…
Ye Anping pinched the bridge of his nose, surveyed the cave environment, then took out several talismans from his Storage Bag. He turned to face Li Longling, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes: “Longling, you…”
Seeing this, Li Longling quickly interrupted, “Don’t worry about me. I told you, I’m not a vase. Just do what you need to do with peace of mind.”
“Mm…”
Ye Anping nodded, took a step forward, and placed the talismans in her hand. He then turned to the Fire Phoenix on her shoulder, which was puffing out its chest and glaring at him:
“A’Feng, protect your master.”
The Fire Phoenix’s crimson eyes slightly opened, it turned its head, and proudly flapped its wings, as if to say, “Hmph! Do I need you to tell me that?!”
Ye Anping reached out and patted its head, then added a log to the campfire. He put his Bamboo Hat back on and headed out of the cave.
The wind and snow howled all around. Under the influence of the Hantian cold energy, his breath turned into thick white mist beneath his mask.
Ye Anping glanced back at Li Longling, who had already sat down to meditate inside the cave, then walked into the wind and snow, leaving a trail of footprints in the snow leading towards the snow forest. His figure was gradually swallowed by the wind and snow.
A moment later, a fiery red figure leaped out of the cave.
Ying—!
It soared thousands of feet into the sky.
The surrounding mountains within a hundred-mile radius came into Li Longling’s view.
…
Ye Anping entered the snow forest alone, his gaze warily scanning his surroundings, searching for Jiang Mojiao’s cave dwelling.
The tree trunks in the forest bore more or less traces of Gu insect gnawing.
He followed these traces, leaping along the branches towards the west. About half a mile later…
Ding-a-ling—
An unexpected bell sound rang in his mind.
Ding-a-ling—
Upon hearing the bell, Ye Anping’s eyes widened slightly. He immediately formed a Sword Finger with his hand and took out the bell that Si Xuanji had given him from his Storage Bag, spreading it in his palm.
The Returning Star Bell, engraved with a Nine Phoenixes Welcoming Dragon totem, was now emitting a faint glow, just like when he encountered Ye Wan’er in the Central Domain.
Ye Anping’s first thought was, “Is Si Xuanji here?”
But he quickly dismissed the idea. Si Xuanji had a deep enmity with the Empress of the Hantian Kingdom; she would never come here.
“Is it Ye Wan’er? Also impossible.”
Ye Anping frowned and shook his head. He had a general conclusion in his mind but was utterly confused: “Why would that old woman Si Xuanji hang a bell for Gu Mingxin? When? When we were at the Imperial Sect?”
If Si Xuanji had sought out Gu Mingxin after they had driven him away, why didn’t she help them finish him off?
What was the purpose of giving Gu Mingxin a bell?
Was it so he could always feel Gu Mingxin’s location, allowing him to set up a trap in advance?
Or was it for her own convenience to find Gu Mingxin later?
…
This was developing completely differently from the game. Ye Anping couldn’t figure out Si Xuanji’s intentions. The possibilities were simply too numerous…
He remained silent for a moment, then stopped overthinking.
Regardless, this saved him the trouble of searching for Jiang Mojiao’s cave dwelling. It also confirmed that Gu Mingxin and his group had indeed joined forces with Jiang Mojiao.
His words had come true.
Ye Anping gave a helpless smile and addressed the Returning Star Bell in his hand, “Little Gu… Three years no see, do you miss me?”
As he spoke these words, Ye Anping’s ears perked up. Amidst the howling wind and snow on the mountaintop, he instantly caught the sound of gears from a Divine Movement Boat coming from the southwest. He looked up.
A flying boat, bearing the Hantian Kingdom’s flag, emerged from behind a distant peak.
Countless beams of golden Flying Sword light surrounded the boat.
—Junior Sister is here.
Ye Anping slowly exhaled, lowered his Bamboo Hat slightly, took down the Snow Jade Myriad Spirit Sword from his back, gripped the hilt, and, following the direction of the Returning Star Bell in his mind, darted away.
…
————
On the deck of the Snow-clothed Guard’s boat at Tianfeng Immortal City, over twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators and two early Core Formation cultivators, clad in silver armor, stood in a straight formation, holding spears.
At the front of the deck, Xu Mulan, Pei Lianxue, Xiao Yunluo, and Feng Yu Die stood in a circle around a map.
Xu Mulan and Xiao Yunluo discussed the arrangements in low voices, while Feng Yu Die stood by the ship’s railing, leaning over the guardrail and gazing at the distant snow-covered mountains. She gnawed on a roasted chicken that Ye Anping had prepared for her earlier.
Xiao Tian sat on her shoulder, crossing his legs.
『Yu Die, why do you look so glum?』
Feng Yu Die pouted slightly, leaning on the railing, and replied, “I feel uneasy again. Dr. Zhou told me there was nothing wrong before I reached Core Formation, but…”
As she spoke, she slightly pulled open her collar, revealing the spot where Ye Anping had given her a “quality check stamp” back then.
The ink marks had slowly disappeared during her Core Formation.
She used to think the unease was caused by Ye Anping’s Nine Dragon Heavenly Seal, but a few days ago, when she went to Ye Anping’s place for roasted chicken, she realized that perhaps the culprit behind her unease was Ye Anping himself.
Just seeing Ye Anping’s face calmed her heart.
But when she wasn’t by Ye Anping’s side, and thought of him, her chest would start to tremble again.
Moreover, the roasted chicken Ye Anping gave her tasted better than the ones she bought herself…
Feng Yu Die looked at the half-eaten roasted chicken in her hand and pondered for a moment before tilting her head and asking, “Xiao Tian, do you think Young Master Ye put something in these roasted chickens?”
Xiao Tian looked dazed, spread its hands, and sighed, “『Do you want to hear the truth?』”
“What truth?” Feng Yu Die twisted her eyebrows, snatching the answer with a look of disdain, “Are you going to say again that I’m in love with Young Master Ye? I’m not that kind of flighty person.”
“『You can even answer before I speak~』”
“Get lost!”
Feng Yu Die rolled her eyes at it and turned back to look at Pei Lianxue, who was earnestly planning the Snow-clothed Guard’s operational strategy with Xu Mulan, revealing a look of gratified smile.
“Junior Sister Pei is so cool!”
Xiao Tian sighed softly and ignored her. It gazed into the distance, and with just that glance, it vaguely saw four or five figures in white on a distant mountain peak.
“『Yu Die!! Over there!!』”
“Huh?!”
Feng Yu Die looked in the direction Xiao Tian was pointing. Before she could squint to see clearly, a bell chime suddenly echoed through the valley below.
Dong—!! Dong—!!
Two bell chimes drew the attention of Pei Lianxue and the others, who were still conversing.
Pei Lianxue narrowed her eyes, looking outside the ship’s railing, “Commander Xu, please. Yunluo, I, and Second will go collect the Nascent Soul demonic cultivator’s head. The rest of the demonic cultivators will be dealt with by you.”
Xu Mulan nodded slightly and cupped her fists in reply, “Mm, have a safe journey. Please be careful.”
At this moment, a blood-red pillar of light shot up into the sky from the depths of the snow mountain ahead.
A second, a third!
A total of five pillars of light, centered on the snow mountain, formed a barrier, enclosing an area of tens of miles.
Simultaneously, dozens of purple Flying Swords rose from the surrounding mountain peaks, encircling them.
Xu Mulan, holding her spirit spear, turned to face the neatly lined-up Snow-clothed Guards behind her and forcefully struck the ground with the butt of her spear.
Dong Dong—!
“All Snow-clothed Guards, heed my command!! Engage the enemy!!”
“\”\”Yes!\”\””
The voices of over twenty women, like thunder, resounded through the mountain forest. They each summoned their Flying Swords and, holding their spirit spears, flew from the deck like fireworks, scattering in all directions.
In an instant, waves of spiritual energy and the clanging of swords illuminated the snow-swept mountain pass, causing it to flicker in and out of brightness.
Pei Lianxue grabbed Feng Yu Die by the back of her collar, nodded to Xiao Yunluo beside her, and leaped off the ship’s railing. She stepped onto her Flying Sword and charged straight towards the central mountain within the formation.
…
————
Drip, drip, drip—
Water droplets from the stalactites fell slowly, creating rhythmic, clear echoes in the spacious stone room.
Gu Mingxin, lying on a soft couch, her body wrapped in bandages, suddenly opened her eyes as if sensing something and sat up from the bed.
But as soon as she sat up, she felt an unbearable pain in her forehead, and let out a muffled groan:
“Mmm…”
Beside the bed, Wu Tianci was reading a cultivation technique by the dim light of a candle. Behind a screen, Lu Meimei was engaged in an intimate act with a junior brother demonic cultivator who had come over a few days ago, in a manner that could not be reviewed.
Gu Mingxin glanced at Lu Meimei’s side with disgust and asked, “Junior Brother Wu, how long have I been asleep?”
“It’s been nine days since we arrived,” Wu Tianci said calmly, putting down the book. “In these nine days, Jiang Mojiao’s Demon Summoning Order has summoned nearly seventy-nine Foundation Establishment demonic cultivators. Besides us, there are two Core Formation stage cultivators.”
“… …”
Hearing this, Gu Mingxin suddenly felt an urge to rush out and kill Jiang Mojiao. His actions had completely exposed all the demonic cultivators secretly infiltrating the Northern Region.
However, Wu Tianci nodded with satisfaction, “Senior Sister Gu, this means someone is taking the blame for us. At least when we return to the Eastern Domain, we’ll have an explanation for the elders.”
“… …”
Initially, there was a wanted poster for demonic cultivators exposed to the three of them. But now that Jiang Mojiao had caused such a massive incident, if they attributed it all to him upon their return, they could virtually escape all responsibility.
Wu Tianci gestured for her to rest assured, saying, “After we help him deal with the Snow-clothed Guards in Tianfeng Immortal City, we’ll kill him and use him as a substitute for our atonement.”
“Understood.”
Just then, a thunderous “Boom—” sounded, and the entire stone room felt a violent tremor.
Wu Tianci looked at the stalactites on the ceiling and sighed, “It seems the Snow-clothed Guards have found us… Senior Sister Gu, I’ll go help out. You should continue resting.”
Gu Mingxin nodded slightly. She had no intention of fighting the Snow-clothed Guards, so she simply lay back down and waved her hand.
“Just help out a little.”
“I know my limits.”
Wu Tianci nodded and stood up, preparing to go out and help.
But at that very moment.
Ding-a-ling—
A clear bell sound rang out, making Gu Mingxin pause. Her eyes widened instantly, and she quickly took out the bell she had obtained from that peculiar young girl in the Central Domain.
“… …”
Wu Tianci, who had just reached the stone room door, noticed Gu Mingxin’s unusual expression and asked, “Senior Sister Gu?”
“… Liang Xiaoliu!!!”
With a sharp cry, Gu Mingxin immediately shifted her position, rolling off the bed. She summoned her Blood-colored Spiritual Sword from her Storage Bag, pushed past Wu Tianci, who was standing at the door, and rushed out first, carrying the bell.
Lu Meimei was still bewildered. She stopped her indecent act and looked over.
“What’s wrong, Little Sister Gu?”
Wu Tianci frowned. Without looking back at Lu Meimei, he quickly followed. Seeing them both leave without a word, Lu Meimei tugged at the emaciated junior brother beneath her.
“Little cutie, wait for Senior Sister to come back~~”
Bo—
She leaped off the demonic cultivator junior brother, completely naked, and chased after them.
“Little Sister Gu! Junior Brother Wu!! Hey!! Wait for me!!”
…
