Chapter 412: Senior Brother, A First Meeting
The blazing afternoon sun was rather dazzling. The streets of Donghuang Marketplace were a motley crew, shoulder to shoulder, filled with countless small stalls selling strange trinkets.
Yun Tianchong and Ye Anping walked along the street one after another, creating quite a spectacle. Not only did Yun Tianchong make no move to conceal his spiritual energy, but his Deity Transformation spiritual energy stood out like a crane among chickens on this street filled with Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining cultivators. Furthermore, his androgynous face naturally possessed a charming bone structure. After walking down just one street, Ye Anping had lost count of how many female cultivators had blushed from looking at him.
Ye Anping did not wish to be associated with such behavior. He deliberately pulled his bamboo hat down lower and maintained some distance. However, seeing how stiff Ye Anping was on the road, Yun Tianchong leaned forward slightly, peeked at the handsome face beneath the hat, and chuckled, “Little fellow Daoist, you’re quite handsome. Why the hat?”
Ye Anping gave it some thought and replied with a smile, “This junior knows his appearance is decent, but he is already married and it’s not appropriate to attract bees and butterflies or pluck flowers and grass outside. This would be unrighteous towards my cultivation partner…”
?
Feeling as though Ye Anping’s words were an insult to him, Yun Tianchong paused before offering an awkward smile and tapping the bamboo hat on Ye Anping’s head. “You brat, such a sharp tongue. Are you implying this seat is unrighteous towards my cultivation partners?”
“Hehe… The speaker meant no offense, but the listener took it to heart.”
Yun Tianchong shook his head slightly, a look of helplessness on his face. He sighed, “But you are indeed correct. I am aware of my poor reputation and that I was unrighteous towards my cultivation partners in the first half of my life. Over a dozen wives gave birth to a hundred children for me, yet now only three daughters remain. Alas…”
“Sect Master Yun is… blaming himself?”
“Whether it’s self-blame or guilt, there’s no regret elixir in this world. I no longer have any aspirations to break through the void. The only thing I wish for is to protect my remaining three daughters and see them grow up well…”
*Is this a case of a guilty conscience after his ‘eggs’ were removed?* Ye Anping glanced at him. Seeing the slight melancholy in Yun Tianchong’s eyes, he felt as though he had truly repented.
“It’s good that you can turn back.”
“Heh… You, a junior, are lecturing me now? But this personality of yours is quite good. Much better than your Xuan Xing Sect Master. It’s good to speak your mind directly.”
“Yes, upon returning to the Xuan Xing Sect, I will convey your exact words to the Sect Master.”
“Hiss—” Yun Tianchong glanced at Ye Anping, rolled his eyes, and tapped his bamboo hat again. “You have no respect. Your mouth is truly too straight. If I weren’t so easygoing, and you dared to speak to another Deity Transformation cultivator like that, your mouth would have been sewn shut long ago.”
“Didn’t you just say it’s good that I speak my mind directly?”
“Enough—” Yun Tianchong shook his head, looked around, and asked, “You Xuan Xing Sect disciple, what are you doing in Donghuang?”
“Saving someone.”
“Saving someone? Do you need my help? Who are you saving? Your cultivation partner?”
“Yes, my cultivation partner.”
“Was your cultivation partner kidnapped, or did she run away and come to Donghuang?”
“Strictly speaking…” Ye Anping looked at him and sighed softly. “She came to Donghuang with her own family. The Demonic Cultivators are about to attack the city, and Donghuang is about to change drastically. I am here to bring her back.”
“Demonic Cultivators are attacking the city?” Yun Tianchong was slightly surprised to hear this. He turned to look at Ye Anping and, seeing his calm and composed expression, hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. “This Donghuang Great Wall has stood here for a thousand years. Demonic Cultivators attack almost every decade. When have they ever broken through? Moreover, with both myself and Fu Xuan of the Xing Tian Division here, if Demonic Cultivators come, won’t that be…”
Ye Anping sighed again and said directly, “This time is different. The Imperial Sect has been destroyed, the Demon Race has occupied Tian’an, and the three cities of Donghuang are isolated and helpless… Furthermore, the Ghost Spirit Sect is practically mobilizing its entire force. Even with you and the Pavilion Master of Xing Tian Division here, if the Sect Master of the Ghost Spirit Sect comes…”
“Where did you get this information? The Sect Master of the Ghost Spirit Sect was severely injured by the combined efforts of Dan Yue and Zu Yuan a thousand years ago. Gui Yuan lost nearly seventy percent of his power, rendering him almost crippled…”
“But that was a thousand years ago…”
“Alright.” Yun Tianchong frowned slightly and interrupted. “I’m meeting with the Pavilion Master of Xing Tian Division in a while. Why don’t you tell her what you know and see if she believes you? Let’s get back to your matter. You want to pick up your cultivation partner, right? What’s her name? I’ll have the Sword Sect disciples help you ask around the marketplace…”
“Her name is…” Before Ye Anping could finish, he spotted in a third-floor window of a luxuriously decorated restaurant not far ahead, Yun Yiyi, clad in a golden-white dress, propping her chin and staring blankly towards the Great Wall. Her golden hair was soft, falling to her shoulders. The emerald eyes under her bangs showed a hint of melancholy and confusion, and it was unclear what she was thinking.
Noticing Ye Anping had fallen silent, Yun Tianchong stopped in his tracks, looked sideways at him, and then followed his gaze towards Yun Yiyi in the third-floor window. He then quickly pulled Ye Anping’s hat down a bit further to obscure his vision. “What? You’ve taken a liking to my daughter?”
“… …” Ye Anping snapped back to attention, pouting speechlessly, and adjusted his hat. Yun Yiyi, catching a glimpse of her father’s golden hair out of the corner of her eye, turned to look at the two of them. The previous thoughtful expression instantly turned cold. Yun Tianchong put on a smile and called out, “Yi’er~~ Daddy’s back. I bought some pills for Xi’er. Where is she?”
“… …” Yun Yiyi, perched on the windowsill, did not reply. After a pause, she closed the window with a reach and retreated into the room.
*Bang—* A breeze swept through Yun Tianchong’s golden hair. He awkwardly lowered his raised hand and sighed. “Alas…”
“It seems Sect Master Yun and your daughter really don’t get along.”
“Hehe…” Yun Tianchong chuckled and shook his head. “It’s all my fault. It’s nothing. Right, didn’t I say I’d invite you for tea? We’ll have it here. The Pavilion Master of Xing Tian Division will be here shortly…”
“Okay.” Ye Anping cupped his hands in agreement and followed Yun Tianchong into the restaurant, ascending to the main hall on the second floor. As he sat down with Yun Tianchong on a wooden couch by the window, footsteps sounded from upstairs. Yun Yiyi, with a dejected expression, leaned on the railing and descended from the third floor, walking towards them.
“Father, what did Xing Tian Division say? Will they help find those scattered Sword Sect disciples?”
Yun Tianchong nodded and said, “I invited the Pavilion Master of Xing Tian Division to meet here, she’ll be here soon. Oh, right… this.” He took out the Jade Dragon Pill he had just bought from the pill shop and handed it to Yun Yiyi. “This is the Jade Dragon Pill. Take it to Xi’er… she’ll be able to get out of bed after a day.”
“Got it.” Yun Yiyi took the box, glanced at Ye Anping, who was sitting cross-legged opposite Yun Tianchong, his face hidden by a bamboo hat, and asked with a slight grimace, “And who is this?”
“Oh~ he’s a Xuan Xing Sect disciple. I ran into him at the pill shop just now, so I invited him for a cup of tea.” Yun Tianchong smiled, intending to introduce him, but then realized he’d forgotten to ask his name. He turned to Ye Anping. “Little fellow Daoist, I forgot to ask your name just now.”
Ye Anping paused for a moment, then nodded his head. “Ye Anping.”
Yun Tianchong nodded and then turned back to Yun Yiyi. “That’s a nice name. Yi’er… go ask the shopkeeper for a pot of good tea.”
However, Yun Yiyi seemed frozen, her eyes fixed on Ye Anping, who was now wearing a bamboo hat, and gave no response.
“… …” Just as Yun Tianchong was wondering what was going on, the jade box Yun Yiyi was holding slipped from her hands and fell towards the ground. Ye Anping immediately raised his right hand to catch it. “Miss Yun, please hold on tight. The Jade Dragon Pill cannot be dropped…”
“Ah… An…” Yun Yiyi pursed her lips, seemingly about to call him “Anping,” but then glanced at her grumpy father and closed her mouth. “Thank… Thank you, Senior Ye.” After bowing, Yun Yiyi hugged the small box containing the Jade Dragon Pill and quickly ran down the stairs to the first-floor lobby.
Yun Tianchong watched Yun Yiyi’s flustered retreating figure, feeling somewhat perplexed. He leaned his elbow on the table and said, “Young Ye, I’m warning you… that’s the Eldest Miss of my Sword Sect. Don’t get any improper ideas. Don’t think I’m easygoing and act recklessly.”
Ye Anping smiled, took off his bamboo hat, and placed it on the table. He nodded. “What do you mean, Immortal Yun? I’m merely helping to bring her back.”
“Heh…” Yun Tianchong rolled his eyes at him and then laughed. “Come on, let’s talk about you. I’m truly curious how you, with your dual spiritual root aptitude, managed to form a Heavenly Dao Golden Core without being struck by lightning.”
Ye Anping pondered for a moment and slowly began, “This is not something that cannot be spoken of. This junior has cultivated diligently since the age of four…”
… …
————
Meanwhile, Yun Yiyi, who had run from the second floor to the first-floor lobby, inexplicably felt as if a wild deer were pounding in her chest. As she ran down the last wooden step, she couldn’t help but bend over and clutch her chest. Her mind recalled the last words Ye Anping had spoken to her when he left the Sword Sect. At that time, she had been lying in bed, watching Ye Anping walk away from the room with his back to her, and asked a question: “Young Master Ye, will we meet again someday, or never?” He had replied, “We will meet again someday.” For many years, Yun Yiyi had eagerly awaited the “someday” Ye Anping had spoken of. And just now, what she had been waiting for had finally arrived. But… Ye Anping didn’t seem to recognize her just now. Even his form of address was “Miss Yun.” Was it because her grumpy father was there? Or had Ye Anping forgotten about her? In these past few years, Ye Anping must have traveled to many places and met many girls. She and Ye Anping had only spent a few months together…
“…” Yun Yiyi bit her lip, her heart in turmoil. Should she remind him to help him remember? But she had been the one to break off the engagement back then…
“Wuu…” Her mind was a mess, no matter how she tried to untangle it, she couldn’t. In the end, she crouched on the ground, holding her head and shaking it wildly. The restaurant shopkeeper, watching her from behind the counter for a long time, finally couldn’t help but step forward and cup his hands. “Miss Yun, are you feeling unwell? Shall I call for a doctor…”
Yun Yiyi came back to her senses, stood up, and said, “No need! Go brew a pot of your best tea!”
“Then I’ll bring it up to you shortly…”
“I’ll bring it up myself! You don’t need to deliver it.”
“Ah…” The shopkeeper was a bit bewildered but said nothing more. After agreeing, he hurried to the kitchen to boil water and brew tea. However, just as he was leaving through the back door, two cultivators, a man and a woman dressed in black robes, stepped through the restaurant’s entrance. The woman leading them appeared young, around seventeen or eighteen, but her gaze revealed a maturity far beyond her years. She scanned the restaurant lobby and, upon spotting the golden-haired Yun Yiyi, tiptoed over. “I’m not mistaken, are you the Eldest Miss of the Sword Sect?”
“Ah…” Yun Yiyi was taken aback. Seeing the Xing Tian Division emblem on their black Daoist robes, she understood their identities and quickly cupped her hands. “Yes, this junior is Yun Yiyi. Greetings to both seniors.”
The man in black beside her cupped his hands in return. “I am Yue Xuanming, Grand Commander of Xing Tian Division. This is Pavilion Master Qu of Xing Tian Division. Previously, the Sword Sect Master asked Xing Tian Division disciples to send a message to meet us at this ‘Qingsha Pavilion.’ is Sect Master Yun already waiting upstairs?”
“Yes, my father also just returned and is currently in conversation with someone in the main hall on the second floor.”
“Thank you for informing us.” Yue Xuanming cupped his hands in a salute, gestured with his hand, and then, along with Fu Xuan Shangxian, went upstairs to the second floor of the restaurant. However, as they stepped onto the stairs and saw Yun Tianchong and Ye Anping talking by the window, Yue Xuanming abruptly stopped, a hint of surprise appearing on his face. *Isn’t that Liang Zhu’s sixth brother?*
“Hiss—” Fu Xuan Shangxian heard his intake of breath and asked, “Qing Jia, what is it?”
“Replying to the Pavilion Master, the young man conversing with Sect Master Yun at this moment is the Young Master of the Hundred Lotus Sect, named Ye Anping.”
“Oh~~ You mentioned him to me before…” Fu Xuan nodded, then narrowed his eyes to examine Ye Anping, and chuckled. “It seems the Demonic Cultivator attack this time is not just for show as in the past…”
Yue Xuanming was puzzled. “Hmm? What does the Pavilion Master mean by that?” Fu Xuan Shangxian raised an eyebrow and smiled, as if joking. “This Young Master of the Hundred Lotus Sect is not ordinary. Wherever he goes, trouble follows. Haven’t you heard? The Chi Long Mansion, the Moon Shadow Sword Sect, the Imperial Sect, and even the previous Demonic Cultivator invasion of the Hantian Kingdom, all had his presence.”
“… …” Seeing Yue Xuanming stunned, Fu Xuan Shangxian covered her mouth and chuckled softly. “Just a joke, Qing Jia, don’t take it seriously.”
“… Yes.” As the two were talking, Ye Anping also noticed them. He looked over and quickly stood up, cupping his hands. “Long time no see, Lord Yue. And… this junior Ye Anping pays his respects to Pavilion Master Qu.”
Hearing this, Fu Xuan Shangxian’s eyes widened slightly, and she became more interested in Ye Anping. After all, very few people in this world knew her surname was “Qu”…
“… Young Master Ye, there’s no need for such formality.” However, Yun Tianchong, sitting opposite Ye Anping, turned to look at the two of them and after a moment of愣, stood up and then looked at Ye Anping. *Does this brat know the Xing Tian Division well?* Puzzled, Yun Tianchong also offered a salute. “Thank you both for accepting my invitation. I have already booked a private room. Please, let’s talk over there.”
