The Cannon Fodder Turns His Sister Into A Soaring Phoenix – Chapter 434

**Chapter 433: Senior Brother, Alas…**

The moon was bright and the stars were clear; the night was deep.

Flames raged twenty li away on the Gobi Desert, painting the horizon red. Thick smoke billowed upwards, forming dark clouds above. A gentle breeze stirred, lightly brushing the silver strands of hair around the ears of the one gazing at the sky on the cliff’s edge.

Below, in a cave, the flickering lights from several braziers cast a dim yellow glow within.

Ye Anping was currently crouching beside a Xing Tian Division disciple resting against the wall, helping him bandage his wounds while also sharing his spiritual energy.

“You’re not in critical condition for now. Don’t use the spiritual energy in your sea of Qi for the next few days. With your cultivation, it will take one to two months of rest to fully recover.”

The Xing Tian Division disciple nodded hastily, “Thank you, Senior Ye.”

“While I’m here, may I ask what you encountered?”

“I don’t remember much of it, junior. I only recall a Nascent Soul stage demonic cultivator seemingly toying with us, letting those Ghost Spirit Sect disciples attack. My senior brothers and I fought back against the odds, and then suddenly heard fox cries. I fainted and woke up here.”

“Mm… Rest well. The demonic cultivator won’t be back.”

Ye Anping nodded and then rose, walking out of the stone chamber that had been specially carved out.

The events at Feng Yu Die’s side were detailed, as Xiao Tian had witnessed the entire process. As for the fate of the other two Immortal Ships, he had asked about it while tending to the fourteen male Xing Tian Division disciples in the cave. Now, he had a rough picture of the entire incident.

The other two Immortal Ships that had rushed forward were besieged by Fu Yuanhua for a long time. Just then, Hu Mu happened to pass by. After Hu Mu dealt with the hundreds of Core Formation cultivators and Fu Yuanhua, he didn’t concern himself with them and went directly to Feng Yu Die’s side to pick up Xue Tianqiao. However, the two Immortal Ships, having suffered heavy casualties under the demonic cultivators’ assault, ultimately crashed about 1,200 li away on the Gobi Desert. Besides the five people who fought their way out with Feng Yu Die and Yun Jiujiu, the remaining twenty-two were all brought back by Yun Jiujiu, who had gone to search for them on her sword a few days prior. In other words, out of the total 478 Xing Tian Division disciples on the three Immortal Ships, only twenty-seven remained. As for the Sword Sect disciples who accompanied Yun Jiujiu, not a single one survived.

Ye Anping had anticipated some casualties when Feng Yu Die encountered Gu Mingxin and Fu Yuanhua, but he hadn’t expected that only one-twentieth of them would survive.

Ye Anping was now reflecting.

After all, he had devised the plan.

What he hadn’t anticipated was that the Immortal Ship carrying Feng Yu Die and Yun Jiujiu would be destroyed by crashing into a mountain… His original plan was for Feng Yu Die to use the Saint Emperor Golden Dragon and Spring Aspect spiritual energy to protect the three Immortal Ships, and for Yun Jiujiu to command the more than 400 Xing Tian Division disciples to jointly deal with Gu Mingxin and Fu Yuanhua…

But in reality, Feng Yu Die and Yun Jiujiu’s Immortal Ship crashed, and the Xing Tian Division disciples on the remaining two Immortal Ships fell into chaos without leadership.

If the Demon Emperor hadn’t happened to arrive, he might have truly seen Xiao Tian fly to him with tears and snot to report the bad news…

However, this could also be considered a trial for Feng Yu Die. He wondered if she had gained any insights from this encounter…

“Hoo…”

Ye Anping sighed with lingering feelings.

In the game’s plot, Feng Yu Die had previously experienced several life-and-death tribulations. From the Chi Long Mansion at the beginning, to the Central Domain Imperial Sect, and then to the Northern Region, she and Xiao Yunluo had almost faced death each time, only to defy fate and overcome disasters. By the time of the Donghuang Great Wall incident, Feng Yu Die had already been tempered into a formidable individual.

But now, perhaps because of him, all the trials Feng Yu Die was supposed to face had been avoided.

While this saved many lives, it also caused Feng Yu Die to lose opportunities for growth.

Just like the teachings of the Xing Tian Division at the Donghuang Great Wall – “The living must carry the weight of the deceased and continue to live on.” The Feng Yu Die in the game carried the hopes of so many people. But now, she was all alone, living like a roasted chicken… It was also because of this that Feng Yu Die was so helpless after the Immortal Ship crash…

“Anping, Yu Die was really hoping for you to save her then. You didn’t see it, she was really…”

Xiao Tian continued to babble in Ye Anping’s ear. Ye Anping, for once, felt a flicker of anger, furrowing his brows and glaring at him, “She has the destiny of Tian Shu, and you are the artifact spirit of the Heavenly Scroll of the Dao. If the two of you could pull yourselves together, things wouldn’t have gotten to this point.”

Seeing that Ye Anping seemed genuinely angry, Xiao Tian immediately shut its mouth fearfully, biting its lips slightly. Two large tears welled up from the corners of its eyes. Xiao Tian sniffled, “Anping… It’s not our fault, Yu Die and I, back then… back then… wu wu…”

Seeing that Xiao Tian was about to cry, Ye Anping let out a light breath, rubbed his temples, and said, “I’m not blaming you. I just want to say, don’t take this luck for granted.”

Xiao Tian nodded and said weakly, “Suck… Mm… I’ll practice my punches well.”

“?

“Ah?”

“Next time, I’ll definitely make that dark, short guy kneel and beg for mercy with one punch!! Hmph~”

Immediately, Ye Anping saw Xiao Tian turn and fly towards a peculiar little wooden post in the corner of the cave, landing on the ground and beginning to practice martial arts.

“Huo!! O da!! ~~~”

*Pa pa pa…*

Ye Anping didn’t know what expression to make. He covered his forehead and sighed heavily again, “Alas…”

He didn’t know if Xiao Tian’s fist practice would be useful. In the game, it was Feng Yu Die’s strategist, like Zhuge Liang not reading military books but instead diligently practicing against a wooden post in his study… Effort? At least it looked like effort, but the direction was wrong… Ye Anping decided to talk to it again later; he didn’t want to disturb Xiao Tian’s current burst of enthusiasm. He looked around and, seeing Feng Yu Die was not there, prepared to go find her for a chat.

However, just as Ye Anping was about to go out to look for Feng Yu Die, the voices of Yun Jiujiu and Xiao Yunluo came from another stone chamber in the room.

“Second Miss Yun, I’m treating your injuries, what are you doing!”

“I told you, I’m not injured! You’re useless, go help those Xing Tian Division people, stop bothering me!”

“I’ve already treated your female disciples! Only you are left!”

“No! Go away… You’re so annoying.”

… …

Ye Anping listened and was taken aback. He didn’t know why Yun Jiujiu was so agitated. After hesitating for a while, he followed the sound.

Given the gender distinction, he had helped bandage and heal the surviving male Xing Tian Division cultivators himself, while the other few female cultivators were handed over to Xiao Yunluo. Therefore, he had previously used earth magic to create two stone chambers in the cave for treating their injuries.

As he reached the doorway of Xiao Yunluo’s stone chamber, Yun Jiujiu, with one hand flicking aside the curtain at the entrance, walked out in anger and bumped directly into him.

Upon seeing Ye Anping, Yun Jiujiu stopped abruptly, slightly twisted her brows, clenched her right fist, and asked, “What do you want?”

Ye Anping glanced up and down at Yun Jiujiu, clasped his hands behind his back, and with a flick of his sword finger, a demon-binding rope shot out from his storage bag, binding Yun Jiujiu like a caterpillar.

?!

“Hey!! What are you doing?!”

“Second Miss Yun, please listen to the doctor.”

“Hiss— I told you I’m not injured!!”

“… …”

Xiao Yunluo also ran out. She was stunned for a moment upon seeing Ye Anping binding Yun Jiujiu like a worm. She explained, “Anping, she…”

“Yunluo, did you use needles on her? Don’t use acupuncture. Don’t look at her big and strong frame, she’s afraid of needles… She was once bedridden for three months after Yun Yiyi treated her…”

Xiao Yunluo was taken aback. She had indeed been planning to insert a few needles into the acupoints on Yun Jiujiu’s back. She nodded dazedly and replied, “Second Miss Yun, you should have told me earlier…”

Saying that, she prepared to take Yun Jiujiu back.

Yun Jiujiu’s face immediately turned red. She averted her gaze, seemingly embarrassed, pouted, and cursed, “Damn it, why did Yun Yiyi tell you all that nonsense?! Hiss— You’re also very cunning. I don’t know what Feng Yu Die sees in you! Tsk…”

“Ah?”

Xiao Yunluo’s hand, which was about to embrace her, stopped. She was suddenly surprised and asked, “What? Who do you say likes whom?”

“Are you deaf?! Feng Yu Die likes him…” Yun Jiujiu pointed at Ye Anping with her chin, then looked at Xiao Yunluo, who had wrapped her forehead with cloth like an ant’s backside. She twisted her brows and asked, “Speaking of which, I wanted to ask just now, what is that big lump you’ve wrapped around your head?”

Xiao Yunluo was stunned. She felt that this second young lady was nothing like Yun Yiyi and was not likable at all. But looking at Ye Anping beside her, seeing his expression was calm, she quickly collected herself, picked up Yun Jiujiu, carried her back to the stone chamber, and prepared to use needles to swell her backside.

So annoying, this golden-haired dwarf who reeks of alcohol…

Ye Anping watched them return to the stone chamber speechlessly. Then, with a calm expression, he let out a breath and turned to walk out of the cave. He came to the entrance and gazed at the sea of fire in the distance, which the golden cicada shells of the Xing Tian Division disciples had transformed into on the horizon.

And then…

“Hiss—”

He took a deep breath.

His usually placid face turned paler, a bit more embarrassed, and then morphed into a “囧” expression.

What did Yun Jiujiu just say?! Feng Yu Die likes him?

? Could this be possible? Wasn’t Feng Yu Die devoted to his junior sister? Ye Anping blinked blankly, raised his hand as if to wipe his face repeatedly, and then suddenly heard the sound of a flute.

The flute’s melody was ethereal and pleasant to the ear, playing a song he used to play as well – the theme song from the game’s main interface.

Following the sound, he saw that on a cliff slightly higher up the rock face, Feng Yu Die was sitting by the edge, holding a jade flute that glowed with a greenish light in the night. Like him, she was facing the sea of fire twenty li away.

Ye Anping was silent for a moment. He used flying magic to ascend, landed softly behind Feng Yu Die, and waited silently until she played the last note of the song before speaking, “Senior Sister Feng…”

Feng Yu Die seemed very engrossed in playing the flute and hadn’t noticed him approach. She was so startled by his voice that she almost slipped down the cliff.

“Eek?!”

When she turned around and saw it was Ye Anping, she finally relaxed. She twisted her brows and chided, “Young Master Ye… you’re so scary.”

“… …”

Ye Anping looked at her, remained silent for a moment, and then said with a furrowed brow, “I want to marry you.”

“… …”

Feng Yu Die was instantly stunned. She hunched her neck back, motionless. She looked at the flute in her hand, one of the few relics left by Grand Void True Person that she hadn’t sold. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and then she pouted and replied, “Are you out of your mind? Don’t you remember what I said back at the Sword Sect?”

“Oh…” Ye Anping’s brows suddenly relaxed. “I haven’t forgotten. I thought you had. Yun Jiujiu just said you liked me.”

“… …”

Hearing Ye Anping’s words, Feng Yu Die suddenly felt a dull ache in her heart for some reason. But she didn’t dwell on the topic. Instead, she let out a sigh and pouted, “You’re wrong this time!”

“Hm?”

“So many people died… Don’t tell me this was part of your plan.”

Ye Anping remained noncommittal. He simply sat down by the cliff edge like her, one foot resting on the edge, the other dangling, his hands resting on his knees. “I don’t have clairvoyance, how can I be right about everything?”

“That’s still wrong,” Feng Yu Die pouted, looking again at the sea of fire twenty li away, her eyes revealing a hint of sadness. “Young Master Ye, those Xing Tian Division disciples…”

“Everyone has their fate. Don’t overthink it.”

“…Where do they go after death?”

“I don’t know.”

“Will they resent me for not saving them?”

“I don’t know.”

“Can they rest in peace?”

“I don’t know.”

Feng Yu Die covered her mouth and chuckled, “Pfft—”

“What are you laughing at?”

“When you say ‘I don’t know,’ I find it novel,” Feng Yu Die hugged her knees, looked at him sideways, and squinted with a smile, “I thought you knew everything.”

“I’m not Xiao Tian…”

“Xiao Tian?” Feng Yu Die sighed, resting her chin on her hand. “If only it knew everything. It used to be somewhat useful, but now it’s just a chatterbox.”

Ye Anping didn’t respond, just let out a faint sigh.

“Alas…”

After a moment, Feng Yu Die pursed her lips and called out, “Young Master Ye.”

“Hm?”

“I want to eat roasted chicken. Make it for me, hee hee—”

“…Okay.”

Ye Anping replied softly. Then he stood up, took out a firestone and marinated frozen chicken from his storage bag, and set up a bonfire on the open ground behind him.

Under the night sky, in this valley devoid of birds and beasts, a wisp of cooking smoke slowly rose.

A black-haired youth, a bonfire, and a silver-haired girl squatting beside him, gazing longingly at the roasted chicken dripping oil in the fire.

And a girl’s silly laughter:

“Eh heh heh heh…”

And a youth’s sigh:

“Alas…”

… …