Chapter 419 Senior Brother Junior Sister, Beacon Fires Break the Sky
The silver moon hung high in the sky. Most of the houses in Donghuang Immortal City had their lights extinguished, and the streets were only patrolled by stray cats and disciples of the Xing Tian Division in groups of five.
In a private room on the third floor of the inn, a dim candlelight still flickered. Pei Lianxue, dressed in white, leaned against the window sill, resting her chin on her hands. She pouted and gazed at the twinkling stars in the star river, occasionally letting out a soft, unclear whine.
“Mmm…”
On the bed inside, Xiao Yunluo slept soundly, facing the ceiling. Perhaps it was fitting for the Young Master of the Xuan Xing Sect, her posture was quite majestic, with her hands clasped over her belly, resembling a mummy.
Xuetian Qiao had made a nest on her belly, curling herself into a foxy ball. To prevent her from sneaking out for a stroll in the middle of the night, the demon-binding rope around her neck was tied to Xiao Yunluo’s neck.
Perhaps startled by the candlelight ignited by Pei Lianxue, Xuetian Qiao groggily lifted her head to look. She then twisted around, presenting her backside to Pei Lianxue by the window, and let out a grumbling sound:
“Ying…”
Pei Lianxue turned her head at the sound, a hint of helplessness on her face. After a moment’s hesitation, she blew out the candle beside her, stood up from the window, and quietly opened the door, slipping out of the room.
Creak—
Although Pei Lianxue had been very quiet, the old wooden door made a slight sound that still managed to wake Xuetian Qiao.
She looked up again and saw Senior Sister Pei was gone. Immediately, she flicked her tail, hitting Xiao Yunluo’s face, startling her awake. Xiao Yunluo sat up with a dazed expression:
“What… are you hungry again?”
Xuetian Qiao blinked and smiled with narrowed eyes:
“Sister Xiao, Senior Sister Pei went to steal your Brother Ye~”
“Huh?” Xiao Yunluo looked around the room sleepily. “Steal my Brother Ye? Brother Ye… Anping has always been Lianxue’s…”
Xuetian Qiao tilted her head suspiciously:
“Did Sister Xiao steal Senior Sister Pei’s Brother Ye before?”
?
“That’s not called stealing… That’s…”
Xiao Yunluo, still groggy, felt like she was being led astray by this fox. She simply hugged her and turned over:
“Do you think humans are like you fox spirits, finding joy in stealing other people’s cultivation partners all day? Lianxue and I… I can’t explain it to you. Go back to sleep.”
“I’m hungry, I want roasted chicken.”
“Who’s going to make roasted chicken for you in the middle of the night?”
Xuetian Qiao grumbled, frowning: “If Sister Fox goes back, she’ll tell Master…”
Xiao Yunluo directly pinched her mouth:
“I’m not afraid of your Master. It’s good that I haven’t locked you in a cage. Just bear with it…”
“Ying…”
… …
Rustle—
Pei Lianxue, now in the corridor, tiptoed lightly, rounded the corner, and went upstairs to a private room in the corner on the third floor. She gently opened the door a crack and peered inside.
The lights were still on inside. On the screen placed by the door, the reflection of a disheveled youth bathing in a bathtub could be seen, with wisps of steam rising to the ceiling.
Pei Lianxue smiled charmingly, sidestepped through the gap in the door, like a little mouse stealing oil. She tiptoed step by step around the screen, arriving beside the bathtub. She slightly bent down, lowered her head, and leaned close to Ye Anping’s ear, who had his eyes tightly closed:
“Senior Brother~”
!!
Ye Anping was soaking in the hot water, his eyes closed, fully focused on refining his plan. This sudden sweet whisper startled him greatly.
“Hiss—”
But upon turning and seeing his Junior Sister’s smiling face, Ye Anping paused for a moment before relaxing. He raised his hand and tapped her forehead:
“Junior Sister, not resting in the middle of the night, why come to scare your Senior Brother?”
“I can’t sleep.” Pei Lianxue averted her gaze, looking into the basin. A slight blush appeared on her cheeks. “Senior Brother, you’ve been seen naked by me…”
?
Ye Anping blinked, then followed his Junior Sister’s gaze. He suddenly felt his cheeks heat up, a sense of shame rising in his heart.
He didn’t know why, but Pei Lianxue had already seen him naked many times before. Yet, hearing her say it so directly made him feel a bit awkward…
Ye Anping averted his gaze and replied, “Haven’t you already seen me naked?”
Pei Lianxue covered her mouth and chuckled, tilting her head to bring her face closer to his:
“Hehe—Senior Brother is shy?”
“… …”
Ye Anping was silent for a moment, then grabbed her face and reprimanded:
“Not resting in the middle of the night is one thing, but now you’ve learned to tease your Senior Brother? Your wings are getting stronger, you little girl.”
Pei Lianxue smiled and shook off his hand, sitting on the edge of the bathtub and pouting:
“Senior Brother, do you remember the night you took me away from the Hundred Lotus Sect?”
Ye Anping recalled for a moment. He remembered that day he had finalized his plan to kill Wu You, packed his bags, left a letter for Ye Ao, and then went to Pei Lianxue’s room. It turned out Pei Lianxue had been bathing at the time…
“…Mm.”
“Back then, Senior Brother was so perverted. You said I had no chest or butt, and you stared at me for a long time.”
“You really hold a grudge…”
“Of course… Senior Brother was like a block of wood back then, I was so anxious.”
Ye Anping smiled helplessly and said:
“Sorry.”
“Mn~ Senior Brother is forgiven!”
“Phew…” Seeing that Pei Lianxue seemed quite happy today, Ye Anping asked, “What’s wrong? Do you want to cultivate with me, so you came here in the middle of the night…”
Pei Lianxue pouted and complained:
“Senior Brother, do you think I’m like Yunluo?”
“No…”
Pei Lianxue sighed faintly, stirring the hot water with her hand. She lowered her gaze, a hint of loneliness appearing on her face, and said:
“There are more and more girls around Senior Brother.”
“You’re jealous…”
“It’s a lie if I say I’m not jealous, but… as long as Senior Brother likes it.”
Pei Lianxue moved down, walked behind Ye Anping, and squatted down, gently massaging his shoulders:
“I’m just worried if Senior Brother can handle it. I saw in those books Yunluo has, excessive ejaculation can lead to empty meridians, which can cause illness.”
“Does Junior Sister think Senior Brother is incapable?”
“If Senior Brother is capable, then don’t quietly dual-cultivate with Yunluo behind my back in the future…” Pei Lianxue turned Ye Anping’s head to face her and said fiercely, “Before, in Jade Pass, the Second Idiot said you and Yunluo were practicing legwork in the middle of the night, and you didn’t even call me…”
“?”
“For several days after, Yunluo’s legs were weak, and I had to help her.” Pei Lianxue blushed slightly and averted her gaze. “If Senior Brother is capable, remember to call me along.”
Ye Anping felt an odd urge to laugh. Did his Junior Sister forget how she couldn’t get out of bed for days at the Sword Sect? He shook his head:
“Junior Sister, I used to worry if you could handle it.”
“Then let’s try Senior Brother’s full effort next time.”
“Next time…”
Pei Lianxue smiled, cupped Ye Anping’s face, and tilted his head back a little. She leaned forward and gave him a peck on the lips:
“I feel like Senior Brother has changed a lot.”
“Is that so?”
“More steady than before.”
“Junior Sister, you’ve also become more like a mature young woman. I remember when you were little, you only spoke one or two words at a time and liked to act spoiled. I don’t know when it started, but you don’t act spoiled with me anymore.”
“I’ll have to give Senior Brother a little Ating in the future. Will both of us act spoiled with Senior Brother then?”
Ye Anping looked at Pei Lianxue’s face. Her clear orange eyes were still the same, yet he felt a slight change. He closed his eyes and let out a long sigh, no longer speaking.
After a pause, he stood up from the bathtub and used a spell to dry the water droplets on his body. Pei Lianxue quickly fetched clothes from a nearby rack and came to his back.
The Senior Brother and Junior Sister looked at each other without a word.
The room was quiet, with only the sound of the cold wind gently brushing against the paper windows.
Ye Anping shook his head and spread his hands. Pei Lianxue smiled and squatted down, helping him put on his clothes one by one. Then, she stood in front of him and adjusted his collar, tying his belt.
Clad in a black brocade robe, he looked dignified and austere.
Ye Anping pushed open the door leading to the balcony and took a cloak for warding off the cold from his storage bag, draping it over Pei Lianxue’s shoulders. They then went out to the balcony and sat at a low tea table.
The balcony faced the Donghuang Great Wall, stretching for a hundred li. A sliver of a crescent moon hung high above the city wall.
Ye Anping sat cross-legged on a cushion, while Pei Lianxue sat with her legs to the side, leaning against his shoulder. They gazed silently at the Xing Tian Division guards patrolling with torches above the Great Wall.
After a while, he turned to look at his Junior Sister leaning on his shoulder and said:
“Junior Sister, after a few days when the Xing Tian Division is ready, you, along with Yun Xi and dozens of Sword Sect disciples, will lead those Qi Refining Stage young cultivators from the Xing Tian Division and any rogue cultivators in the city who are willing to join, and head towards Jianmen Pass.”
“Mm, I know. I’ve seen Senior Brother’s plan.”
“I previously gave the Xing Tian Division a fake route map. I expect it has been leaked to the Ghost Spirit Sect. However, the fake route can only delay them for a while. The demonic cultivators will quickly realize the trap…”
Whoosh whoosh—
He stopped mid-sentence.
Ye Anping’s ears twitched slightly. He immediately narrowed his eyes, shifted his gaze from Pei Lianxue’s face, and looked towards the Great Wall again.
Just after the gentle breeze, the air seemed to freeze.
The ceaseless sandstorm stopped, and the chirping of stray cats in the alleys of Donghuang City ceased.
The wind died down, and all was hushed.
Pei Lianxue seemed to sense something as well, a hint of vigilance flashing in her eyes:
“Senior Brother…”
“Phew… Faster than I expected.”
As the last word of his sentence fell…
Dong—!
Dong—!
Dong—!
A muffled drumbeat, as if it could shake the sand plains, came from the Black Rock Great Wall tens of miles away, shattering the silence of the city once again.
Beacon fires one after another ignited on one of the watchtowers of the Black Rock Great Wall and spread to both sides, piercing the night sky at the horizon.
Ye Anping immediately stood up:
“Junior Sister, wake Yunluo and Feng Yu Die and go to Xing Tian Division.”
Rumbling—
A sandstorm rolled in, like an earth-yellow tsunami. Accompanied by flashes of eerie green lightning, it swept in from the east, crashing against the outer spiritual barrier of the Black Rock Great Wall like an overwhelming force.
The Vermilion Bird Pavilion itself, nearly twenty li away, shook violently from the impact.
“Ah!! Young Master Ye!!”
Feng Yu Die, wearing a thin white nightgown, climbed out of the window and leaped over the balcony railing.
She paused upon seeing Pei Lianxue. She scratched the back of her head and chuckled:
“Junior Sister Pei is with Young Master Ye…”
“… …”
Ye Anping looked at her disheveled appearance, as if she had just woken up and jumped out, and let out a faint sigh. He took out a piece of clothing from his storage bag and threw it to her:
“Get changed and go to Xing Tian Division…”
The next moment, hurried footsteps could be heard from behind.
Xiao Yunluo, hugging Xuetian Qiao, burst into the room:
“Anping, don’t be with Lianxue first…”
Seeing no one in the room, she stopped mid-sentence and quickly ran out from the window. Seeing Ye Anping already dressed and ready, her first thought was that Ye Anping had finished so quickly…
“Anping, that…”
Xuetian Qiao, held by her, rolled her eyes and said:
“Brother Ye, Sister Xiao thought… Ying—”
Before she could finish, Xiao Yunluo pinched her mouth shut.
Ye Anping sighed, took a deep breath, then forcefully waved his sleeve and commanded sternly:
“Go back to your rooms, get dressed, pack your belongings, and head to Xing Tian Division.”
“!!! Yes!!!”
The three nodded in agreement and then almost simultaneously leaped over the railing.
Ye Anping glanced at the door that Xiao Yunluo had pushed open, sighed softly, and then looked towards the tower in the western district of Donghuang. His brows furrowed as he muttered:
“The demonic cultivators are acting a few days earlier than I predicted. I hope Pavilion Master Qu and Lord Yue are prepared.”
He then turned back into the room, took out the Snow Jade Myriad Spirit Sword from his storage bag, wrapped it with bandages, slung it over his shoulder, put on a bamboo hat and a veil, went down the stairs to the lobby, found a chair, and sat waiting for them.
One after another, the other guests in the inn rushed out of their rooms in a panic, carrying various illuminating magical artifacts and running downstairs.
The once quiet inn was like a new opening, with panicked shouts echoing endlessly.
“What happened?”
“What was that loud noise just now…”
“I saw the beacon fires on the Great Wall being lit. Have the demonic cultivators attacked?”
“Silence, silence!! Don’t panic, with the Xing Tian Division here, the demonic cultivators can’t break in…”
… …
However, when everyone ran into the lobby and saw a mysterious figure wearing a bamboo hat and veil, a Core Formation cultivator, leaning on a sword wrapped in bandages like a cane, they all stopped at the top of the stairs.
Ye Anping scanned them with his spiritual sense and found that the highest cultivation level among them was only Mid Foundation Establishment. He sighed softly and, lowering his voice, transmitted with his spiritual power and aura:
“If you wish to live, leave Donghuang immediately. After that, it’s up to your own abilities.”
“… …”
At this moment, Pei Lianxue and the others had finished packing and jumped down from upstairs.
The three of them were not wearing the skirts they usually favored, but rather had on waist-cinching riding boots and attire suitable for rangers. They wore bamboo hats, and their hair was tied into ponytails. Xuetian Qiao was perched on top of Feng Yu Die’s bamboo hat.
“Senior Brother.” “Anping.”
“Young Master Ye, hehe…”
(→_→) (‘ `) (←_←)
Ye Anping was speechless, and sighed again, paying them no mind:
“Alright, let’s go.”
Ye Anping slung the Snow Jade Myriad Spirit Sword back onto his shoulder, glanced at the stunned rogue cultivators, and said nothing further. He then pushed open the inn door and, with Pei Lianxue and the others, flew on their swords towards the West District.
… …
