Chapter 414: Senior Brother, Chance Encounter.
Creak—
The wooden door of the private room slowly closed.
After Ye Anping left, the private room fell silent.
Fu Xuan Shangxian and Yue Xuanming looked at the geographical map with four routes left by Ye Anping, their brows furrowed.
They had already sensed that the demonic cultivators were planning to attack Donghuang.
However, before Ye Anping arrived, it was merely a premonition.
Now that they knew the Ghost Spirit Sect’s Sect Master was leading the charge, Donghuang’s three cities were unlikely to be defended.
Fu Xuan Shangxian gave a wry smile, put the map into his storage bag, turned to Yun Tianchong, and said:
“I will take my leave as well. As Young Master Ye said earlier, I advise Sect Master Yun to bring the Sword Sect disciples and leave as soon as possible.”
“Farewell…”
Fu Xuan Shangxian and Yue Xuanming clasped their hands in greeting and left, pushing open the door.
Creak—
As the door opened and closed again, only Yun Yiyi and Yun Tianchong remained in the room.
Yun Tianchong took a deep breath, his heart filled with mixed emotions. Their primary objective for bringing the Sword Sect disciples here was to absorb the Xing Tian Division into the Sword Sect.
The secondary objective was to take Yun Yiyi and the others out to see the world and mend their father-daughter relationship, which had become as fragile as thin ice.
However, the journey had been plagued by misfortune.
They had encountered sandstorms, demonic beast attacks, and lost over nine hundred disciples. Only a little over sixty Sword Sect disciples had followed them to Donghuang. They had thought they could rest properly in Donghuang, but they had been there for less than a day when they heard the news of the Ghost Spirit Sect’s impending attack on Donghuang…
Yun Tianchong felt ashamed to deliver this bad news to the Sword Sect disciples.
Was there no limit to their bad luck?
“Alas…” Yun Tianchong sighed, looking up at Yun Yiyi, “Yier, this matter… Hey?! Where are you going?”
He had wanted to ask Yun Yiyi’s opinion, but before he could finish, he saw Yun Yiyi quickly following Fu Xuan and the others, running out.
Tap-tap-tap—
However, when Yun Tianchong got up and chased after her, Yun Yiyi had already run downstairs.
Although he didn’t know where Yun Yiyi was going, if the Ghost Spirit Sect was indeed going to surround Donghuang as Ye Anping had said, then demonic cultivators who had come ahead to gather intelligence must have infiltrated Donghuang Immortal City by now.
The Yun family’s golden hair was very conspicuous here. As Yun Yiyi and the others walked on the street, they could be easily identified by the demonic cultivator scouts hidden within the city.
Although, as a general rule, those demonic cultivator scouts wouldn’t alert the enemy by kidnapping them in broad daylight, what if there was a possibility?
Yun Tianchong thought for a moment, then quickly ran to the third-floor lobby of the restaurant, called Zhang Yihe, who was chatting with the Sword Sect disciples, and instructed him:
“Zhang Yihe, arrange for some people to call back all the Sword Sect disciples who are wandering in the city. No one is allowed to leave this restaurant without my permission. Also, have someone keep an eye on the surroundings.”
“Ah? Sect Master… What happened?”
“Don’t ask. Just do as I say. I’m going to pick up Jiujiu and the others.”
…
—
The sun had already set, and shops in Donghuang Immortal City were lighting up their lanterns one after another, hanging them on both sides of the street. Pedestrians on the road gradually increased.
Yun Yiyi rushed out of the restaurant, scanned the streets on both sides, and in the crowd, she spotted Ye Anping walking towards the East Street. She quickly hurried after him:
“Anping! Wait… Huh?”
However, as soon as she reached out, Ye Anping’s retreating figure was obscured by the passers-by.
Yun Yiyi bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, then slightly lifted her long skirt and quickened her pace, chasing after him.
“Why are you walking so fast…”
She hadn’t seen him for so many years, why did Ye Anping show no reaction?
Although the matter of the demonic cultivators he mentioned was indeed urgent, it wasn’t so urgent that he didn’t have time to reminisce with her?
Didn’t he have anything to say to her?
“Anping! Wait!!”
Yun Yiyi shouted as she chased the receding figure, weaving through the bustling crowd. But whether it was intentional or he truly hadn’t heard, Ye Anping never looked back, and his steps quickened.
Every time she was about to catch up to him, passers-by would block Yun Yiyi’s path.
“Anping!!!”
After running for several streets, when she reached an intersection, the figure that had been faintly visible amidst the crowd completely disappeared.
Yun Yiyi stopped and looked around. She slowly lowered her hands that were holding up her golden-white long skirt, covering her fair ankles and golden-embroidered shoes at the hem.
“…”
Yun Yiyi pursed her lips tightly, her eyes revealing endless disappointment. She clutched the hem of her clothes, lowered her head, and said:
“Does he really not want to see me…”
She closed her eyes, exhaled, and turned to go back. Since the Ghost Spirit Sect was about to attack the city, they had to flee quickly. There were so many things waiting for her to do…
But just as she turned halfway, a hand was placed on her shoulder.
!
Yun Yiyi was slightly stunned.
Could it be?!
Then, she quickly turned her head.
And then she heard:
“Older sister, why are you standing in the middle of the street?”
Yun Jiujiu, with a wine jar twice the size of her head on her left shoulder, looked up at Yun Yiyi, her brows furrowed into two waves, looking very confused.
“It’s Jiujiu…”
?
Yun Jiujiu looked bewildered and shouted back, “What’s wrong with you? Why are you so unhappy to see me? I just went to buy wine. Sister, let me tell you, the wine in Donghuang is excellent, sweet and mellow! You and third sister will definitely like it. I got such a big jar for you two. We’ll order some roasted chickens later and have a feast!”
As she spoke, Yun Jiujiu knocked on the wine jar on her left shoulder.
Clang clang—
Yun Yiyi sighed softly, glanced at the wine jar, and said, “Third sister is still in bed, she can only watch us drink…”
“Oh, right. Then shall the two of us drink?”
“…”
Yun Yiyi looked dejected, waved her hand in acceptance, and turned to lead Yun Jiujiu back towards Qing Sha Pavilion. But as she took a step, another hand was placed on her shoulder…
“Jiujiu, what is it again…”
However, this time, it wasn’t Yun Jiujiu.
Ye Anping, wearing a bamboo hat, stood behind her. Seeing her turn, he glanced at Yun Jiujiu, who was carrying a large wine jar next to her, and smiled:
“…You sisters have a good relationship, don’t you.”
Yun Jiujiu didn’t notice where he came from. After squinting at him for a while, she suddenly realized, “Oh! Ye Anping! What a coincidence? Why are you here?”
“Thanks to you…”
As Ye Anping spoke, Yun Yiyi, who was staring at him blankly, suddenly opened her arms and lunged into his chest, forcing Ye Anping to take two or three steps back to stand firm.
Yun Yiyi hugged him tightly, bit her lip, and looked up:
“You scoundrel! I thought you had forgotten me! Ye… Ye Anping!! You… I hate you!!”
Ye Anping looked helpless and retorted with a smile, “If I’m so hateful, why are you still hugging me?”
“…”
Yun Yiyi pouted, lowered her head again, rested her forehead on his chest, closed her eyes, and asked softly, “Why didn’t you talk to me just now?”
“I wanted to, but your father was here. If I had talked to you, your father would have spanked me.”
“Why be afraid of him? My grandfather has accepted you as his personal disciple. If he dares to spank you, show him grandfather’s sword. Even if he spanks him, he won’t dare to retaliate.”
?
“That’s how it is, but…”
Ye Anping shrugged slightly, put his arm around her shoulders, and relaxed. However, seeing Yun Jiujiu standing there like a lightbulb with a wine jar on her shoulder, he awkwardly patted Yun Yiyi’s shoulder, signaling her to hug him later.
“Second Miss Yun, your husband should be on East Street.”
?
Yun Jiujiu was slightly taken aback, a vein throbbing on her forehead. She raised her right hand into a fist, “Feng Yu Die is my husband? I’m not a mirror polisher. Making fun of me, believe it or not, I’ll beat you. By the way, why did you come here?”
Ye Anping looked at Yun Yiyi, who was clinging to his waist and refused to let go, and replied with a helpless expression, “To save you.”
“Ah?”
“I heard you were coming to Donghuang, so I rushed here from Xuan Xing Sect overnight. You guys too, why did you decide to bring your families and come here?”
Yun Jiujiu didn’t quite understand and looked at Yun Yiyi with furrowed brows.
Yun Yiyi pondered for a moment and then looked up, “Anping, you came for us?”
“Yes, to be precise, I came for you.” Ye Anping pinched her nose, like reprimanding a kitten, and said, “If I hadn’t come to tell you about the Ghost Spirit Sect, you would have probably stayed here. When the Ghost Spirit Sect attacks the city, you, your two sisters, and your father would all surely die.”
“…”
Ye Anping frowned slightly, pinched Yun Yiyi’s face again, and admonished, “You’ll have to compensate me handsomely. I owe quite a few favors this time. Demon Emperor, Dan Yue Shangxian, Fu Xuan Shangxian…”
Thinking that Ye Anping was really angry, Yun Yiyi lowered her eyes submissively, pondered for a moment, and finally let go of his waist, leaning on his shoulders and standing on tiptoe.
Peck~~
Their lips met.
Yun Jiujiu looked at the two of them, getting goosebumps all over, almost dropping the wine jar on her shoulder. Her face contorted, and she let out a roar like Zhang Fei:
“Wa-ha-ha-ha-ha…”
Noticing that the surrounding pedestrians were all looking at them, she turned her head and suddenly stomped her foot.
Boom—
The muddy ground of the street was stomped into a large pit by her single step.
“What are you looking at?! Haven’t you seen people kissing before?! Keep looking and I’ll knock your teeth out!!”
However, Yun Yiyi didn’t seem to care at all. Instead, she hooked her arms around Ye Anping’s neck and bit his lip to prevent him from pulling away.
Ye Anping glanced at his surroundings, then raised his hand, pulling down the brim of his bamboo hat to shield himself and Yun Yiyi’s heads slightly. He then closed his eyes, savoring the taste on their lips, which was different from Xiao Yunluo’s and his junior sister’s.
After a long while, Yun Yiyi’s heels finally returned to the ground.
She gently raised her hand, broke the embrace, lowered her head with a blush:
“I’ll pay you back the rest later…”
“No, you already broke off our engagement?”
“Breaking off the engagement doesn’t mean I don’t like you…”
Yun Yiyi slowly lowered her gaze, burrowed into Ye Anping’s arms like a maggot, leaning her face back against his chest, listening to their slightly accelerated heartbeats on the noisy street.
Ye Anping let out a sigh, glanced sideways at Yun Jiujiu, who was standing with her back to them, looking at them hesitantly, clearly conflicted. Seeing that she had also reached the Core Formation stage, he opened his mouth to congratulate her:
“Second Miss Yun has reached Core Formation?”
“It’s okay. When you and Feng Yu Die left, I went to undergo tribulation. Speaking of which, I sent something to Feng Yu Die, did she receive it? My carrier pigeon flew off somewhere and hasn’t returned…”
Ye Anping was taken aback for a moment, recalling the carrier pigeon that had delivered the egg to Feng Yu Die, which he had thrown out the window and hadn’t flown, breaking its wing…
“Ah… She received it. When Senior Sister Feng finished using it to mourn her master, she put it up for sale in the black market. It hasn’t sold yet…”
Yun Jiujiu: “? She put that thing… up for sale in the black market?”
“Uh… Who knows what she was thinking?” Ye Anping averted his gaze and quickly changed the subject, “Yiyi, let’s find a place to sit and talk. I have something to tell you both. When I was talking to Lord Yue earlier, because your father was present, I only mentioned the arrangements for the Xing Tian Division. The Sword Sect might be involved in this trip as well.”
Yun Yiyi nodded, but still didn’t let go. She looked around and saw a decent-looking small restaurant by the street.
“Okay… Let’s go there then.”
“Okay.”
Ye Anping agreed, but seeing her still holding on, he sighed helplessly, then directly tripped Yun Yiyi with his right foot behind her heel and picked her up in a princess carry.
“Hey?!”
“If you carry me like this, I won’t be able to…”
He stopped mid-sentence.
Just as Ye Anping was about to carry Yun Yiyi into the small restaurant, a clear bell sound in his spiritual sense caused him to freeze like a statue.
Ding-a-ling—
Ding-a-ling—
The bell sound was very close, seeming to be only about ten feet away from him.
Yun Yiyi saw him suddenly freeze and asked doubtfully, “What’s wrong?”
“Shhh—” Ye Anping shook his head slightly, gesturing for her to be quiet, “Don’t speak.”
“…”
Ye Anping took a deep breath and couldn’t help but lift his face, scanning his surroundings from under his bamboo hat.
His first reaction was that Xue Tianqiao had escaped from her junior sister and was wandering on the street, happening to be here. But then he thought, her junior sister wouldn’t be so careless…
However, as he held Yun Yiyi and turned to look behind him.
A dark little figure suddenly blocked his path, arms crossed, squinting and staring at him intently…
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
Ye Anping and Xue E stared at each other in silence.
His deep purple eyes were as still as water, but Xue E’s dark eyes gradually widened, a hint of terror appearing on its face. It opened its mouth and shouted:
“Ming…”
However, the moment it uttered the first word, Ye Anping frowned and commanded:
“Tian!”
Instantly, Xiao Tian rushed out from between his eyebrows, like a golden arrow, and rammed its fiery head into Xue E’s belly with a headbutt.
“Oof—!”
Xue E, unable to dodge, was hit by Xiao Tian’s head and flew through the air in a dark parabola before crashing heavily onto the ground.
“Hiss—You golden…”
Smack—
Xiao Tian didn’t give it a chance to speak, and threw a punch at its face, knocking Xue E’s head into the mud.
“Ever since you beat me up last time, I’ve been training my punches and lifting weights in my Anping’s soul realm every day. Let’s see if I can beat your face until it’s swollen this time! Hmph!”
“…”
Yun Yiyi couldn’t see Xiao Tian and Xue E, but seeing Ye Anping staring fixedly at the ground not far away, she couldn’t help but ask:
“Tian?… What Tian?”
“It’s nothing… This place is not suitable for lingering. Second Miss Yun!”
Yun Jiujiu: “Ah? Why are you calling me?”
Ye Anping didn’t say much, and wanting to leap onto the eaves of a nearby building with Yun Yiyi, he intended to leave quickly.
However, just as he was about to leap onto the roof of a nearby building, he found someone already there.
Under the dusk, two women and one man stood with their hands behind their backs on the roof of an inn by the street, looking around.
As if sensing Ye Anping’s gaze, the three on the roof slowly turned their heads to look at Ye Anping and Yun Yiyi in his arms.
…
