Chapter 413 Senior Brother, Crossing in Secret
“I, Yun, have come without notice. I hope Fairy Fu Xuan and Commander Yue can forgive me. This meal is a token of my apology.”
“Not at all, not at all. It’s just that I’ve been busy with official duties lately. Otherwise, I would certainly take Sect Master Yun around well near Donghuang…”
“Commander Yue is too polite…”
… …
In a private room on the top floor of Clear Sand Pavilion, at the two ends of a slightly larger rosewood round table, Yun Tianchong and Yue Xuanming clasped their fists and exchanged polite greetings for a while.
Among the three people at the table, two were cultivators in the Deity Transformation Stage, and one was in the Nascent Soul Stage. Therefore, Ye Anping also followed etiquette and sat by a tea table by the window in the private room, quietly using his teacup lid to gently stir the tea leaves on the surface of the tea.
He had originally intended to speak with Fairy Fu Xuan and Yue Xuanming, but since this banquet was hosted by Yun Tianchong, it would be impolite to steal the spotlight and seem like he looked down on Yun Tianchong.
Therefore, Ye Anping also planned to wait until Yun Tianchong and the others finished talking.
However, he still underestimated just how boring the pleasantries of these two middle-aged men were.
“Donghuang is completely different from when I, Yun, came here three hundred years ago… I remember that the marketplace wasn’t this large back then.”
“Alas… after the Demon Race occupied Tianan City, many cultivators from the Central Domain fled to Donghuang for refuge. This originally remote border city suddenly had several hundred thousand more people. We couldn’t just leave these hundreds of thousands of people without shelter…”
… …
Yun Tianchong and Yue Xuanming chatted about these random things for half an hour.
Ye Anping, beside them, was almost yawning, but he wasn’t in a hurry. Moreover, as a junior, interrupting their conversation would be impolite, so he remained silent.
Seeing that his teacup was empty again, Ye Anping picked up the teapot to refill it for himself, only to find that it was empty.
“Alas…”
Just as he sighed, strands of golden hair brushed past his eyes. Yun Yiyi, who had entered the room without anyone noticing, walked up to him with the teapot and refilled his empty teacup.
“Young Master Ye, please,”
Yun Yiyi seemed to have put on light makeup specifically, her lips were as red as cherries, dewy, and she exuded a faint fragrance.
Ye Anping didn’t look at her much, nodded, and said, “Thank you.”
Seeing that he seemed not to recognize her, Yun Yiyi parted her lips slightly, as if wanting to say something, but in the end, she didn’t. She just sighed softly, picked up the teapot, and sat on a nearby chair.
Her light green eyes kept glancing at Ye Anping’s profile, but Ye Anping had no intention of speaking to her.
Did he really forget me?
It shouldn’t be! How could he forget something like that…
Did he leave no space for me at all?
Or is he simply ignoring me…
He’s so mean…
… …
Yun Yiyi’s imagination ran wild, and then she sighed:
“Alas…”
She looked up at her father and Yue Xuanming, who were friendly chatting about trivial matters on the table, and then noticed Ye Anping yawn beside her. After thinking for a moment, she stood up:
“Father.”
Yue Xuanming and Yun Tianchong, who were engrossed in their conversation about sword arts and spear arts, their voices abruptly stopped, and they looked over at her.
“Commander Yue is busy with official duties. Why are you keeping him here talking? Let’s get straight to the point.”
Yue Xuanming waved his hand and said with a polite smile, “It’s nothing…”
However, as Yun Yiyi provided a step down, Fairy Fu Xuan, who had been silent since the beginning, finally spoke:
“Sect Master Yun traveled thousands of miles with Sword Sect disciples to Donghuang. Surely you didn’t come just to chat about these trivial matters with Xing Tian Division?”
“Ahaha… there are indeed serious matters.”
Yun Tianchong chuckled awkwardly, then took out a jade slip from his storage bag and presented it to Fairy Fu Xuan, saying, “Since Nancheng City’s death, Xing Tian Division was forced to bring the remnants of the Imperial Sect and establish themselves in this devastated land of Donghuang. Therefore, I, Yun, wish to invite Fairy Fu Xuan to my Moon Shadow Sword Sect. I am willing to offer the position of Grand Elder and three immortal spirit peaks in the Southern Domain.”
“Hmm…” Fairy Fu Xuan lowered her eyes and shook her head, as if joking, “So, Sect Master Yun, you’ve taken a fancy to me? Do you want to take me into your harem?”
?
“…Ah?” Yun Tianchong was stunned. Perhaps out of habit, he unconsciously looked at Fairy Fu Xuan, thinking that she was indeed quite attractive…
No!!
He quickly came to his senses, bowed with an embarrassed expression, and said, “Fairy Fu Xuan is joking. I, Yun, did not mean that, it’s just…”
Fairy Fu Xuan interrupted him with a smile, “I have heard of the rumors about Sect Master Yun for a long time, saying that you want to abduct any beautiful girl you see…”
Hearing this, Yun Yiyi, sitting beside Ye Anping, was both speechless and helpless. She quickly interjected to defend the Moon Shadow Sword Sect:
“Fairy Fu Xuan misunderstands. My father has already castrated himself and has absolutely no intention as you described.”
?
Yun Tianchong’s eyes widened slightly, as if asking: Yier, you’re saying this too?
Fairy Fu Xuan seemed to have become interested upon hearing this: “Oh? Is this true? I heard a few years ago that someone posted a pair of sub-Golden Cores of Deity Transformation cultivators on the black market. I thought it was an unreliable fake rumor, but now it seems… Hmph—”
?
Yun Tianchong became even more bewildered: “Ah? Black market… sub-Golden Cores? What?!”
Hearing the topic veering in a strange direction, Ye Anping, who was currently carrying a sub-Golden Core in his bag, felt extremely ashamed. Fortunately, Yun Yiyi quickly steered the conversation back:
“…Fairy Fu Xuan, Xing Tian Division has lost the backing of the Imperial Sect and is now alone in guarding the three cities of Donghuang, so it is naturally overwhelmed. Although my Moon Shadow Sword Sect is no longer as glorious as in the era of Immortal Yun Jian, it is still a major sect in the Southern Domain. With the Sword Sect as our backing, Xing Tian Division will benefit greatly and suffer no harm.”
Upon hearing this, Fairy Fu Xuan couldn’t help but size up Yun Yiyi and said with a smile, “Sect Master Yun, your daughter is much more reliable than you. Why don’t you hand over the position of Sect Master to this girl soon?”
Yun Tianchong looked embarrassed, unsure how to respond to this.
“Uh…”
At this moment, even Ye Anping, who was beside them, couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Yun Tianchong could truly be considered the shame of Deity Transformation cultivators. Those with lower cultivation respected him out of reverence for his cultivation, but when it came to Deity Transformation cultivators of the same cultivation level, they would not give him any face at all.
No wonder Immortal Yun Jian was so annoyed with his son when he took the sword back then…
However, with Yun Yiyi as the Young Master, it could be considered a blessing for Yun Tianchong’s family. Although her cultivation aptitude was a bit lacking, in terms of character, intelligence, and courage, she was far superior to the young masters of many immortal family sects.
Ye Anping remained silent, a smile on his face, and took a sip of tea:
“Slurp~”
Seeing him smile, Yun Yiyi felt inexplicably a little happy. Then, she frowned and cupped her fists again, saying, “Fairy Fu Xuan, the Sword Sect is willing to…”
But before she could finish, Fu Xuan interrupted her with a smile and a shake of her head: “Young Master Yun, I will answer you directly. I refuse the Sword Sect’s offer of recruitment.”
“Fairy Fu Xuan, please consider for a few more days…”
“No need to consider.”
Fairy Fu Xuan seemed a bit tired. She patted Yue Xuanming beside her, gesturing for him to continue.
Yue Xuanming nodded in agreement, stood up, cupped his fists, and said, “Sect Master Yun, Young Master Yun. Our Xing Tian Division follows Huang Long and is originally the lapdogs of the Imperial Sect, guarding the vast mountains and rivers of the Central Domain. The Sword Sect’s kindness is appreciated by Xing Tian Division, but Xing Tian Division will never serve two masters and defect to the Moon Shadow Sword Sect.”
“… …” “…”
Both Yun Yiyi and Yun Tianchong were momentarily at a loss for words.
After a two-second pause, Yue Xuanming bowed to the two of them:
“Since the matter has been discussed, we will take our leave.”
Seeing that they had finally finished their conversation, Ye Anping breathed a sigh of relief and put down his teacup, sighing, “Finally, it’s over.”
Upon hearing this, Yue Xuanming, who had already turned around and was about to leave, stopped. He had been wondering why the Young Master of the Hundred Lotus Sect was here, but seeing that he was silent, he thought it was just a coincidence with the Moon Shadow Sword Sect…
But now…
“Does Young Master Ye have something to say?”
“If there’s nothing to say, I, a junior, wouldn’t have traveled thousands of miles from the Hundred Lotus Sect to this desolate city of a thousand li of yellow sand.” Ye Anping cupped his fists and saluted, “I’ll be direct. Lord Yue, Pavilion Master Qu, please have Xing Tian Division abandon the city and flee the Central Domain immediately.”
“Hmph~”
Fairy Fu Xuan’s eyes revealed a hint of curiosity at these words.
Yue Xuanming looked at her expression and became serious, asking back, “Young Master Ye, you want us to flee for our lives?”
“Yes… and you need to escape according to the route I provide. As for the reason, the Ghost Spirit Sect also gathered all its disciples months ago, led by their Sect Master Gui Muqi, with nearly ten Deity Transformation Stage cultivators. They are now on their way here, and will likely arrive in a few days.”
“Young Master Ye, where did you get this information?”
“A while ago, when I passed through Tianan City, I happened to encounter a Nascent Soul Stage Elder of the Ghost Spirit Sect leading a team to visit the Demon Emperor. They kidnapped the Demon Emperor’s direct disciple as a threat, to prevent the Demon Emperor from interfering in the affairs of the three cities of Donghuang… We set up an ambush on the road and rescued the Demon Emperor’s direct disciple.”
… …
Ye Anping stared into Yue Xuanming’s eyes and said calmly, “Lord Yue, please listen to my advice. If you stay here, your only outcome will be complete annihilation. Xing Tian Division alone cannot deal with the formidable Ghost Spirit Sect.”
Yue Xuanming fell silent. If the Ghost Spirit Sect truly mobilized its entire force, then even with the ancient formations in the Great Wall, Xing Tian Division wouldn’t last long.
In the past, if such a situation arose, Nancheng City would have come from Tianan to oversee things here.
But now…
Yue Xuanming looked at Fairy Fu Xuan beside him. Seeing Fairy Fu Xuan gesturing for him to make his own decision, he pondered for a moment and then cupped his fists in reply, “Thank you for Young Master Ye’s kind reminder, but Xing Tian Division will never be defeated without a fight.”
“Alas… why bother? Staying here is a dead end.”
“You don’t need to worry about that, Young Master Ye,” Yue Xuanming replied after a moment of silence. “Xing Tian Division originated from the order of Huang Long and was entrusted by Huang Long to guard the Central Domain… Although the Demon Race occupies Tianan City now, this Central Domain is Xing Tian Division’s root. By stationing ourselves here, we are also guarding the last three immortal cities belonging to Huang Long.”
“You cannot hold them.”
“Young Master Ye, Xing Tian Division is by no means a mob. Moreover, the Imperial Sect has already been destroyed. We have nowhere else to go. As I said just now… Xing Tian Division will never be a slave to two masters.”
Ye Anping listened, and suddenly felt a bit weary. He sighed and took out a bloody jade seal from his storage bag. Engraved on the seal was a phoenix with its head held high:
“Lord Yue, I am not saying that Xing Tian Division should be subordinate to any sect. Have you forgotten that the Empress and the Second Princess are still alive?”
… …
“Although Nancheng City is dead, the bloodline of his Nancheng family is not broken. With the help of my Brother Liang, the Second Princess escaped the Central Domain and is now practicing sword arts at the Xuan Xing Sect. I, Ye Anping, was entrusted by the Empress to escort Xing Tian Division back to the Xuan Xing Sect to pay homage to the new Emperor.”
Saying this, Ye Anping gently held up the jade seal he had obtained from Tong Zilan, infused it with spiritual power, and said, “Receiving the Heavenly Mandate of the Nine Dragons, the Empress decrees: The Pavilion Master of Xing Tian Division, ‘Qu Ruyun,’ and the Commander, ‘Yue Xuanming,’ along with the twelve principal officers of Xing Tian Division, obey this order.”
Waves of spiritual energy surged from the jade seal, condensing into a scroll of spiritual light embroidered with a golden phoenix in front of Ye Anping.
Yue Xuanming stood there, stunned, for a long time, not recovering his senses. Why did the Empress give him the jade seal…
However, Fairy Fu Xuan beside him smiled, unconcerned about Yun Tianchong and Yun Yiyi. She slightly lifted her skirt, knelt on one knee, and said, “Xing Tian Division, Qu Ruyun, obeys the decree…”
“Ah…” Yue Xuanming saw her kneel and quickly knelt on one knee as well, “Xing Tian Division, Yue Xuanming, obeys the decree…”
Ye Anping exhaled a long breath, then frowned and said, “The twelve departments of Xing Tian Division shall, from the moment they receive this decree, obey the command of Ye Anping, the Young Master of the Hundred Lotus Sect, and proceed to the Xuan Xing Sect to pay homage to the Second Princess.欽此!”
Huala la—
The scroll slowly closed and then floated above Fairy Fu Xuan’s head.
“Pavilion Master Qu, receive the decree.”
“Qu Ruyun receives the decree.”
Fairy Fu Xuan lowered her head, cupped her hands, and received the imperial decree made of spiritual energy from above her head, then put it into her storage bag and slowly stood up.
Then, as if joking, she curled her lips and retorted, “Young Master Ye, you are truly audacious.”
This was likely referring to her taking out the jade seal and kneeling down in front of an outsider like Yun Tianchong.
Ye Anping smiled awkwardly, put away the jade seal, and bowed in apology:
“…If Pavilion Master Qu is angry, please direct your anger towards Lord Yue. If not for Lord Yue’s unwavering loyalty, refusing to leave Donghuang voluntarily, I would not have brought out the Imperial Phoenix Seal.”
Qu Ruyun glanced at Yue Xuanming, then asked, “Then what are Young Master Ye’s instructions?”
“Please trouble Pavilion Master Qu to quickly gather all the members of Xing Tian Division in the three cities of Donghuang and divide them into four teams.”
Ye Anping walked to the table, took out a geographical map from his storage bag, spread it on the table, and pointed to one of the four routes drawn on it:
“The cultivators of Xing Tian Division at the Nascent Soul Stage and above will form one team, led by Pavilion Master Qu, heading towards Tianan City;
“The cultivators of the Core Formation Stage within the division will form another team, led by Xuan Xing Sect disciple Feng Yu Die, taking this route towards Jianmen Pass;
“The cultivators of the Foundation Establishment Stage will be led by myself and Xuan Xing Sect Young Master Xiao Yunluo, heading towards Jianmen Pass via the Seven Dragon Valley;
“The disciples of the Qi Refining Stage and ordinary rogue cultivators in Donghuang will follow my Junior Sister and enter the Southern Domain via the Pu Yuan Mountain Range.”
After speaking, Ye Anping looked up at Fairy Fu Xuan and Yue Xuanming and asked, “Are there any problems?”
Yue Xuanming stepped forward and looked at the four routes drawn on Ye Anping’s map, saying, “Why is the arrangement like this? Wouldn’t it be better to divide the Nascent Soul cultivators into four teams? Or is one of the teams a decoy?”
Ye Anping hesitated for a moment and asked back, “Lord Yue, this is to divide the pursuing forces of the Ghost Spirit Sect. If you were the Sect Master of the Ghost Spirit Sect, how would you arrange your pursuers?”
“Then it must be…” Yue Xuanming realized, “That my Pavilion Master and I would lead all the cultivators at the Nascent Soul Stage and above of the Ghost Spirit Sect towards Tianan City. Then the remaining three teams would not encounter demonic cultivators who are two or three major realms higher than them…”
Ye Anping added, “That would naturally be the best-case scenario, but it’s not guaranteed. Therefore, I have a few backup plans.”
“However, you are having the Pavilion Master lead the Nascent Soul cultivators of Xing Tian Division towards Tianan City…”
“I have found a rather powerful helper for Lord Yue and Pavilion Master Qu. You should encounter them on your way to Tianan.”
Yue Xuanming remained silent for a moment, then sized up Ye Anping again and asked, “Last time I asked you…”
Ye Anping immediately replied, “Eight years old.”
… …
Ye Anping smiled, cupped his fists, and saluted Fairy Fu Xuan and Yue Xuanming separately:
“Then I will take my leave for now. In a few days, I will bring Young Master Xiao and others to visit Xing Tian Division to discuss the remaining matters.”
Saying this, Ye Anping glanced back at Yun Yiyi, who was still standing there, and Yun Tianchong, who was dumbfounded in his seat, nodded in acknowledgment, and then quickly strode out of the private room and left Clear Sand Pavilion.
… …
