Chapter 417: Tianchong, Que Que Returns to Her Owner
Inside a street-facing window on the second floor of the Vermilion Bird Pavilion was a steaming roasted chicken, intricately carved and plated by the chef. Ye Anping and Feng Yu Die sat facing each other, cross-legged on either side of the table.
“Call us if you need anything. Please enjoy your meal…”
“Mhm…”
After watching the waiter close the door and leave, Ye Anping let out a subtle sigh. He glanced at Feng Yu Die across the table before picking up his chopsticks and began to enjoy the roasted chicken.
Feng Yu Die seemed to have eaten her fill. She didn’t try to snatch his chicken; instead, she propped her chin with both hands, her eyes narrowed, and watched him eat with a smile.
“Hehe…”
“What are you laughing at?”
“Nothing.”
… …
“Hehe…”
“… …”
… …
Ye Anping wasn’t exactly hungry, but after spending the afternoon watching Yun Tianchong, Yue Xuanming, and Fu Xuan feast on a table full of delicacies, he had felt a pang of gluttony. Later, he had encountered Gu Mingxin and his group, and his mouth hadn’t tasted anything since.
Despite Feng Yu Die’s constant gaze making him uncomfortable, he ignored it and buried his head in his food, not saying a word, contentedly satisfying his craving.
Feng Yu Die, with her chin in her hand, watched him eat for a long time and seemed to grow bored. She turned her head to look out the window.
A full moon hung high in the starry sky, and the streets of Donghuang were decorated with lanterns and streamers. Pedestrians bustled back and forth, displaying the vibrant scene of an immortal city under the moon.
Suddenly, a breeze carrying sand and dust swept in, causing her to squint. She raised a hand to tuck a strand of her long hair behind her ear, and her golden eyes revealed a hint of the melancholy of a fading pear blossom.
Seeing her expression, Ye Anping genuinely feared she would suddenly sigh and recite a rhyming melancholic poem. He followed her gaze but saw nothing. He asked, “What are you looking at? Why that expression…”
“Huh?” Feng Yu Die seemed startled out of her thoughts. She turned back, rubbing the back of her head, and chuckled foolishly, “Nothing much, hehe. I just thought… the moon is quite pretty tonight.”
“The moon?”
Ye Anping turned his head to look at the sky again. The altitude of Donghuang Immortal City was indeed quite high. Coupled with the desert sand, the moon was significantly larger than in the Western Regions. He nodded in agreement, “Mhm… it is quite pretty.”
Feng Yu Die grinned, “Right? Hehe—”
Just now, Feng Yu Die had been focused on Ye Anping’s face. It was only now, as she regained her senses, that she noticed Xiao Tian, who was perched on Ye Anping’s head, was bruised and swollen.
She tilted her head, frowning, “Ah?! Xiao Tian, what happened to you…”
“Heh~” Xiao Tian immediately rolled its eyes at her and kicked Feng Yu Die’s forehead. “Yu Die, I’ve been here for quite a while, and you only just noticed me?!”
“Ah…”
Feng Yu Die felt a bit embarrassed and chuckled foolishly. She quickly formed her hand into a sword finger, conjured a bit of her spiritual energy, and let it fall like raindrops onto Xiao Tian’s forehead.
The faint green spiritual energy enveloped Xiao Tian.
In the next moment, the bruised and swollen areas on its face were fully restored.
Once Xiao Tian’s round, soup-filled bun face returned, it stopped kicking Feng Yu Die and turned to look at the two of them. Pouting, it burrowed back into Ye Anping’s forehead. “I’m going back to lift weights! You guys enjoy your meal~ Hmph!”
Ye Anping felt a bit speechless. He didn’t know if Xiao Tian could cultivate or learn martial arts, but it seemed to handle its own affairs, so he didn’t interfere. He explained, “We ran into Agu on the way back. Xiao Tian and Xue E had a fight… that’s how it got like that.”
Upon hearing the name “Agu,” Feng Yu Die’s lips tightened. She frowned and retorted, “Ah?! She’s here in Donghuang too? Why is she so insistent on chasing us? We run into her everywhere we go…”
Ye Anping narrowed his eyes slightly, “Are you afraid of her?”
“How could I be afraid of her? Didn’t we drive her away last time? I just…”
Feng Yu Die lowered her eyes to the table, her face clearly showing a hint of nervousness. During her one-on-one fight with Gu Mingxin on the snowy mountain in the Northern Region, she had been unable to fend her off. If Ye Anping hadn’t arrived in time…
“Anping, Yu Die has actually been quite afraid of what happened last time. Don’t let her cheerful demeanor fool you when she returned. When she practices her sword alone…”
Xiao Tian suddenly emerged from Ye Anping’s forehead, holding a dumbbell, and said with a smile.
Naturally, Feng Yu Die pouted and glared at it, “Go back to your room!”
“Hehe~~”
Xiao Tian grinned, twisted its head, and disappeared back into Ye Anping’s forehead.
Ye Anping watched Xiao Tian disappear before letting out a slow breath. He put down his chopsticks and said solemnly, “Senior Sister Feng, do you trust me?”
“I suppose I do…”
“Then as long as I’m alive, she won’t be able to kill you.”
“What if you die?”
“…”
Feng Yu Die bit her lip slightly and met Ye Anping’s eyes. She whispered, “You were so heavily injured last time. That old doctor called by the Snow-clothed Guard said you were nine deaths and once alive. I don’t believe being heavily injured was part of your plan.”
*Didn’t I get that injured protecting you…*
Regarding the plan in the Northern Region, if there was anything he hadn’t anticipated, it was the first.
The first was Jiang Mo Jiao, at the brink of death, going mad and attempting to possess Gu Mingxin.
The second was Feng Yu Die losing her will to fight after a few words from Gu Mingxin.
Ye Anping shrugged noncommittally and nodded, “No one is perfect. Of course, I will make mistakes. There are no absolutes in this world. Even powerful beings like Yunluo’s mother couldn’t say that something would definitely happen.”
“Isn’t that right… What if you die next time?”
Ye Anping was silent for a moment and replied calmly, “Perhaps I will die in some event someday, but I can promise you, it won’t be in this Donghuang affair.”
“…”
Feng Yu Die naturally understood this. Her master had taught her these things when she was young.
“Yu Die, everyone will die one day. If I suddenly pass away, don’t overthink it. Just burn some paper money for me every few years. If I starve underground, I’ll haunt your dreams and spank you!”
At that time, Feng Yu Die had felt nothing upon hearing this, only agreeing with her master.
But…
It wasn’t until the day she was trapped in a cave surrounded by wind and snow for several days and returned to see Grand Void True Person’s golden cicada shell that she understood her master’s words.
She had never considered her master might suddenly pass away. So, when faced with her master’s golden cicada shell, her mind went blank. After a moment of stunned silence, she finally understood.
“Oh! Master wanted me to bury her! She also left me something! I need to go to the Xuan Xing Sect!”
… …
Perhaps it was because Ye Anping had never failed before. Whether it was matters concerning the Chi Long Mansion or the Sword Sect, Ye Anping had always been meticulous in his planning. Even when they encountered Yun Kunwu in the back mountains of the Sword Sect, Ye Anping had led everyone out safely.
Therefore, she had never considered the possibility of Ye Anping’s demise.
However, since returning from the Northern Region last time, she often recalled what the doctor had said:
“Half of his meridians were shattered. His chances of survival were slim, and he might not wake up. If it weren’t for the Heavenly Dao Golden Core and his robust physique, he would have died long ago…”
Feng Yu Die found it terrifying.
Even if Ye Anping simply disappeared from her sight for a brief moment, she would inexplicably panic, worrying that the next time she saw him, he would be gone…
It was like that this afternoon when Ye Anping asked her to have roasted chicken with Junior Sister Pei, Xiao Yunluo, and that fox.
But before a stick of incense had even burned after Ye Anping left, she worried he might be in trouble and wanted to follow him. She had even asked Pei Lianxue and Xiao Yunluo if they wanted to go with her.
However, Junior Sister Pei and Xiao Yunluo both said that Young Master Ye had asked them to wait and that it was better not to wander off…
It was this worry that led Feng Yu Die to devour thirty roasted chickens in one go.
Perhaps nowadays, only roasted chicken and Ye Anping could bring her peace…
Feng Yu Die lowered her head slightly, as if on the verge of tears, and whispered, “But if you die, Junior Sister Pei will be sad. If Junior Sister Pei is sad, I will be sad too…”
“…”
This was the first time Ye Anping had seen her like this. Although he found it a bit strange, he understood her logic after a moment’s thought and sighed, “Your mindset is like that of a mother having her first child.”
“Hm?”
“Most mothers, after giving birth to their first child, want to wrap them in clouds forever and keep everything that could harm the child away. It’s excessive protectiveness.”
“…”
“I’m not that easy to kill, and neither is my junior sister.”
Ye Anping picked up his chopsticks and placed a piece of roasted chicken into the small bowl in front of her, smiling. “Don’t worry, even if my junior sister and I face a death tribulation we can’t escape, you won’t be able to see it.”
Feng Yu Die tilted her head. “Ah? Why?”
“If my junior sister and I were to face a death tribulation, my first step would be to sell you off.”
“?”
Feng Yu Die blinked dazedly. A mix of emotions welled up in her heart, and her face turned dark. However, after thinking about it, she felt it was actually quite good…
If such a situation were to arise, she felt she wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice herself to save Junior Sister Pei.
After all, she was devoted to Junior Sister Pei!
“Mhm… Then if that situation really occurs, before you sell me, can I have a kiss with Junior Sister Pei?”
“…”
Ye Anping rolled his eyes at her, sighed, and simply closed his mouth, continuing to eat the roasted chicken.
His fate was bound to Feng Yu Die’s. If Feng Yu Die perished, he would not survive either…
Of course, this was also worrying about what might never happen.
Seeing that Feng Yu Die seemed to have come to a resolution and a foolish smile gradually reappeared on her face, Ye Anping also breathed a sigh of relief and said no more.
Amidst the scenery of the Donghuang night market outside the window, they picked at the roasted chicken with their chopsticks. Before long, the entire chicken was reduced to scattered bones in the dish.
The moon in the sky had moved about twenty degrees. Two knocks on the door broke the silence in the room.
Bang bang—
“Please come in.”
The wooden door of the private room was pushed open from the outside, and the inn’s waiter led Yun Tianchong across the threshold, explaining, “Esteemed guests, this senior claims to have an appointment with you…”
“Mm, thank you.”
Ye Anping nodded, tossed a few spirit stones as a tip, and gestured for the waiter to leave.
After the waiter closed the door, Yun Tianchong took a deep breath. He looked at Feng Yu Die across the table from Ye Anping, swallowed slightly, and then awkwardly walked to the table, looking at Ye Anping. “Um… this must be Miss Feng, right? Haha…”
Ye Anping met his gaze with the look of someone confronting a scumbag. “Don’t look at me.”
Then, sighing, he pushed himself up from his knees, preparing to withdraw, but Yun Tianchong placed a hand on his shoulder. “It’s fine, it’s fine. No need to avoid me.”
“…”
Ye Anping looked speechless. After a sigh, he turned to Feng Yu Die and introduced, “Senior Sister Feng, this is Sect Master Yun of the Moon Shadow Sword Sect. He is your master’s cultivation partner and the one responsible for your master’s downfall.”
Upon hearing this, Feng Yu Die rolled her eyes at Yun Tianchong, who stood there with an awkward smile, and asked Ye Anping with a questioning gaze: Are you lying to me?
Ye Anping tilted his head: What am I lying to you about?
Feng Yu Die’s brows furrowed: Isn’t he a Deity Transformation cultivator? He doesn’t have any aura of one…
Ye Anping was rendered speechless and couldn’t help but re-examine Yun Tianchong.
To be fair, if it weren’t for his golden hair, the twin plum blossom embroidery on his forehead, and his golden feather Daoist robe, judging solely by his appearance, one wouldn’t guess he was a Deity Transformation cultivator…
But then again, in the game, Yun Tianchong’s avatar was dashing and stern-faced, immediately recognizable as a powerful individual…
Was it because he lost his “eggs”?
“Sect Master Yun, the matter originated with you, so it’s best if you speak first.”
“Haha…”
Yun Tianchong looked embarrassed. He saw Feng Yu Die scrutinizing him from head to toe, her face clearly expressing “disdain.” He took a deep breath.
Dong dong—
After two muffled thuds, Yun Tianchong knelt directly at the edge of the table. Feng Yu Die flinched back in fear, and even Ye Anping hadn’t anticipated such a move.
Ye Anping felt uneasy and quickly used his spiritual energy to close the nearby open window, so as not to be seen by anyone.
Feng Yu Die stared blankly for a moment before asking, “What are you doing?”
Yun Tianchong took a deep breath, placed his hands on the ground, and pressed his forehead heavily against it. “Miss Feng, I have no defense for what I did to your master, Grand Void True Person, all those years ago. I know you hate me. If you wish to have revenge, I humbly submit and am willing to take ten swords from you, hoping you can quell the hatred in your heart.”
“…”
Feng Yu Die listened, her mind going blank. She turned to look at Ye Anping and slowly asked, “Do you want to chop him?”
“?”
Ye Anping looked bewildered: You’re asking me? He didn’t wrong my master…
“Oh…”
Feng Yu Die hunched her shoulders. She seemed unsure for a moment, looking at Yun Tianchong, who was bowing before her. After a moment of hesitation, she asked again, “Young Master Ye, is he really a Deity Transformation cultivator?”
“…Yes.”
“Then… then I won’t chop him.” Feng Yu Die murmured, “One or two swords won’t kill him anyway… He’s already apologized. Why don’t you go kowtow at my master’s grave someday and see if she jumps out to chop you?”
“… …” “… …”
Yun Tianchong was bewildered by Feng Yu Die’s logic and stood frozen.
Ye Anping didn’t want to interfere, but seeing Feng Yu Die’s indecisiveness and Yun Tianchong’s apparent sincerity in changing his ways, he hesitated. While he was the shame of Deity Transformation, he was still a late-stage Deity Transformation cultivator.
A Deity Transformation cultivator kowtowing to a Core Formation cultivator was sufficient to show his sincerity.
Ye Anping almost wanted to take out the Snow Jade Myriad Spirit Sword and see if Yun Jian Shang Xian’s remnant soul would emerge but decided against it. He said, “Senior Sister Feng, do you forgive him then?”
Feng Yu Die looked at Ye Anping, blinked, and then had a sudden realization.
“Mhm, oh right! I almost forgot!!”
She formed a sword finger and took out the glazed bottle wrapped in oilcloth that Ye Anping had given her earlier. “Forgive you if you buy this.”
Yun Tianchong was confused, but he looked at the bottle wrapped in oilcloth and nodded without thinking. “I can do that… Miss Feng, what’s the price?”
“Uh… two million?”
“Hiss—”
So expensive, what could it be…
Yun Tianchong hesitated. The price was a bit painful for him, but considering he owed Feng Yu Die’s master half his life, if two million could resolve Feng Yu Die’s lingering feelings…
“Deal!”
He stood up from the ground, took out a golden-threaded storage bag from his storage pouch without a second word, and presented it to Feng Yu Die. “Here are ten high-grade Five Elements Spirit Pearls, each worth several hundred thousand spirit stones. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, Miss Feng, please inform me anytime. No matter what it is, if I can do it, I will never refuse.”
“Oh.”
Feng Yu Die took the spirit pearls and casually peeked inside, nearly blinding herself with the spiritual light. She quickly sealed the bag and put it back into her storage pouch, then tossed the glazed bottle over.
Yun Tianchong caught the bottle and eagerly prepared to tear off the oilcloth to look inside.
But to prevent any accidents, Ye Anping quickly stepped forward and stopped him. “Wait. This item is extremely rare. You should wait until Yun Jian Shang Xian returns before opening it.”
“Uh… Mhm.”
Yun Tianchong nodded, put the bottle back into his storage pouch, and looked at Feng Yu Die as if wanting to sit down and chat properly. However, Ye Anping interrupted him again. “Yun Jian Shang Xian should return soon. There are Demonic cultivators mixed within Donghuang Immortal City, so Miss Yun and the others are not safe. We’ll meet again at the Xing Tian Division in a few days.”
“By the way, the item just now was given to Miss Feng by the second daughter of the Yun family.”
“I see… Then I shall not linger.”
Yun Tianchong hesitated for a moment, cupped his hands in a deep bow to Feng Yu Die, then nodded to Ye Anping, and left the room.
After the door closed, Ye Anping let out a slow breath. He slightly pushed open the window and peeked out towards the inn’s entrance.
He saw Yun Tianchong, escorted by the waiter, step onto the street. He took out the bottle again, pulled off the oilcloth, and looked inside.
Ye Anping felt a sense of foreboding and quickly closed the window.
Immediately after, a sound like a groundhog’s shriek echoed through the entire street.
“Ah—!!”
The noisy clamor of the street instantly fell silent after the scream.
After a moment of silence, Yun Tianchong seemed to realize what had happened and roared again. “Jiu’er!!! That stinky girl!! Hiss— Ah—!!”
Then he sprinted towards the direction of Clear Sand Pavilion.
Ye Anping sat in his seat, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He let out a long sigh. Regardless, the item had been sold…
The next moment, Feng Yu Die, sitting opposite him, covered her mouth and chuckled.
“Pfft—”
“Hm?”
“Young Master Ye, it’s rare to see you breaking out in a cold sweat…”
Ye Anping blinked. He hadn’t even noticed. He touched his forehead and realized he was sweating cold. He shook his head and chuckled, “You’d be sweating too if you sold Que Que to someone like that yourself.”
“Hehe…” Feng Yu Die placed the bag of spirit pearls that Yun Tianchong had given her on the table. “Let’s split the spoils. You get two, I get eight, how about it?”
“Fifty-fifty.”
“Thirty-seventy!”
“Mhm… Fine.”
… …
