Chapter 464 Protagonist, Wipe Your Mouth
Gu Mingxin’s lips were not as gentle as Junior Sister’s, nor as delicate as Yunluo’s. They were mixed with a slight scent of blood and rust. Her forked tongue, like a battering ram, struck the wall of teeth, attempting to break through.
Ye Anping involuntarily took half a step back with his left foot, but she didn’t yield, instead pushing forward. Her possessiveness and admiration were fully displayed in her wide-open, crimson eyes.
It took a full three breaths before Ye Anping fully regained his senses. He quickly raised his hands to hold her shoulders, using considerable strength to push Gu Mingxin away from him. Even with his sharp wit, Ye Anping had not anticipated Gu Mingxin offering him such a “grand gift.”
He looked wordlessly at Gu Mingxin’s face, his brow furrowed. A hint of surprise finally flickered in his deep purple eyes, which were usually as calm as a still ancient well.
“…”
Catching the surprise in Ye Anping’s eyes, Gu Mingxin felt a surge of delight. There was finally something he hadn’t anticipated. What further fueled her joy was the stunned, uncomprehending expression of Fengyu Die, standing five feet away, and the spirit sword that lay at her feet.
Gu Mingxin glanced at Fengyu Die, then ignored her. She looked around the now messy Snow Spirit Flower field, then beckoned, lifting the head of “Bug Headzi” from the ground with spiritual energy. She held it in her arms and presented it, saying, “Ye Anping, Ye Anping, look… This person wanted to disrupt your tribulation, so I chopped him up for you~”
She pushed the “Bug Headzi’s” head against Ye Anping’s chest. Ye Anping was still somewhat dazed and instinctively raised his hands to hold the head, looking down. “Bug Headzi” had an extremely ferocious expression, his eyes gone from his sockets. It appeared he had endured immense pain before dying. It was likely he had been swallowed alive by Gu Mingxin’s black python and slowly digested in the gastric juices of the blood fiend spiritual energy…
“Mm…”
“Congratulations on your Nascent Soul initial formation too.”
Gu Mingxin glanced at her severed right hand behind Ye Anping’s belt, then reached out with her left hand, grabbed her right hand, and pressed it against her wrist. Bloody spiritual energy instantly covered the clean cut left by Pei Lianxue, reattaching her right hand in a flash.
Just then, *Boom—!*
A rumble echoed in the dim sky above Taibai Sect. Eight massive golden spirit swords flew from the northwest, stirring rolling golden thunder and illuminating the sky above the Twelve Peaks of Taibai. Ye Anping couldn’t help but glance up. Seeing the eight golden spirit swords, he realized they were likely Yun Tianchong’s “Sword Intent” divine ability, and a hint of doubt arose in his heart.
—Why did Yun Tianchong come?
However, upon seeing the eight golden spirit swords, a flicker of disappointment appeared in Gu Mingxin’s eyes. She summoned her Blood-colored Spiritual Sword in her right hand. *Swish—* A flash of blood light fell upon her left wrist.
?
Gu Mingxin presented her left hand to Ye Anping, a slight curl at the corner of her lips. “Trade hands. Not having my right hand is too inconvenient. I can’t even beat that Feng person. Don’t use my hand for fishing! Okay? I’ll wait for you in the Eastern Domain!”
With that, Gu Mingxin slowly retreated, as if reluctant. She gazed at Ye Anping’s face, and after taking seven steps back, she turned to look at Fengyu Die, who was still standing frozen on the spot.
“Heh…” A mocking smile played on her face. Though she said nothing, this smile at that moment conveyed more than a thousand words. In Fengyu Die’s golden eyes, it felt like a thousand-pound stone had landed in her chest, causing her immense pain.
“Gu Mingxin!!!” Fengyu Die gritted her teeth and shouted, kicking up the spirit sword at her feet and grabbing it. She immediately charged forward, but Gu Mingxin had anticipated her move. Her right hand, gripping the Blood-colored Spiritual Sword, swept across the ground.
*Boom—* Thick soil immediately surged like a tide, creating a barrier between her and Fengyu Die. By the time Fengyu Die cleaved through the wave of earth, Gu Mingxin’s figure had vanished. She stood there, her right hand’s spirit sword slowly drooping, its tip hitting the ground. She looked at the Snow Spirit Flower field, now silent once more, then seemed to recall something and turned to look at Xue E, who was now standing on Xiao Tian’s back, still hammering its head with a wooden sword.
*Bang bang bang—*
“Hmph!”
“Waaah—!!”
Suddenly, as if driven to madness, she raised her sword and swung it at Xue E. But, as expected, the sword passed through Xue E’s body without touching it.
“Hm?” Xue E looked up at Fengyu Die. It had been too engrossed in hitting Xiao Tian and only now noticed that its Mingxin had slipped away. With a final forceful tap on Xiao Tian’s head, it flew up.
“Ye Anping, Mingxin came specifically to see you. I’m going back with her.”
“Ahhh—!” After saying a word to Ye Anping, Xue E ignored Fengyu Die’s spirit sword, which was constantly being swung at it, and transformed into a black streak of light, chasing after Gu Mingxin.
Fengyu Die watched Xue E fly away, utterly helpless. Suddenly, as if exhausted, her knees buckled heavily to the ground. The spirit sword fell from her hand with a thud, cutting a gash on her calf. Fengyu Die raised her hand to cover her face, sobbing uncontrollably:
“Waaah—!!!!”
Xiao Tian, who had been lying on the ground, covering its head, heard the heart-wrenching cries and finally snapped back to reality. Astonishment flickered in its eyes.
“Ah?! Yudie…” It quickly floated over and gently patted Fengyu Die’s head. “Yudie, calm down. Your spiritual energy is unstable. If this continues, inner demons will infest your soul…”
“Waaah…” Xiao Tian stomped its feet anxiously. It could clearly feel the house it had built in Fengyu Die’s soul realm collapsing. Even Old Jiu, who usually didn’t talk much, transmitted a message: “(Tianyi, the soul realm is collapsing. Inner demons will surely seize this opportunity. This is a death omen.)”
Xiao Tian was in a panic, its mind completely blank. It remembered reading about such things in the Heavenly Scroll of the Dao, but now it couldn’t recall anything.
“An… Anping!! Yudie, she…”
Although Ye Anping couldn’t hear “Old Jiu’s” transmission, seeing Fengyu Die’s current pained state, he could guess it was likely due to inner demons. He was silent for a breath, then tossed “Bug Headzi’s” head aside into the dirt. He reached out his right hand and gently placed it on top of her head.
“…”
As his hand landed above her messy silver hair, Fengyu Die’s body stiffened. Xiao Tian received another transmission from “Old Jiu”:
“(She’s alive.)”
“…”
A breath later, Fengyu Die slowly turned her head, looking up at Ye Anping, who was patting her head. She sniffled, then bit her lip and stood up. Grabbing her sleeve, she used it to wipe Ye Anping’s mouth.
?
“You… Woo woo…”
“…” Ye Anping was also taken aback by her reaction. After stepping back several paces and realizing he couldn’t dodge, he grabbed her wrists to stop her strange gesture and asked with a frown, “What are you doing?!”
“…” Fengyu Die froze, her lips moving several times before she whispered, “She kissed you. I’m wiping it clean for you…”
“…Sigh.” Ye Anping sighed, feeling weary, and looked up at the eight massive golden spirit swords in the sky. Yun Tianchong was not part of his plan. The Moon Shadow Sword Sect was located on the northwest border of the Southern Domain, bordering the Western Regions, tens of thousands of miles away from Taibai Sect. The demonic cultivators’ surprise attack on Taibai Sect had only begun a few hours ago. Even with Yun Tianchong’s Deity Transformation cultivation and extremely fast travel speed, the news couldn’t have spread so quickly. In his original plan, reinforcements would come from the several second-rate sects closest to Taibai Sect. Five to six days later, the Sect Master of Wunian Sect would also receive the news and rush to help.
However, despite his doubts, Yun Tianchong’s arrival was a good thing. With another Deity Transformation cultivator, Taibai Sect’s casualties would undoubtedly be significantly reduced. Ye Anping didn’t overthink it. He released Fengyu Die’s wrist and prepared to take her back to Baiyujing to meet with the Taibai Sect elders and discuss future matters.
However, as soon as he let go of Fengyu Die’s wrist, she threw herself into his arms. Ye Anping was stunned. Just as he was about to speak, he realized Fengyu Die had fainted. He inexplicably felt the weariness of becoming a father, hesitated for a moment, then simply strapped Gu’s left hand to his belt. Then, he slightly bent his knees, crouching a little. He brought his right arm under Fengyu Die’s knees and his left hand to her back, lifting her up. Carrying Fengyu Die, he transformed into a golden light and flew back towards Baiyujing.
“Hey! Anping, wait for me… I haven’t…” Xiao Tian, momentarily stunned, immediately gave chase.
…
————
On the plaza in front of Baiyujing’s main hall, the ground was covered in bloodstains. The outer disciples of Taibai Sect, armed with pills to dispel gu poison, rushed back and forth, sprinkling them everywhere, sweeping away the remaining demonic cultivator corpses and gu insect remnants on the plaza. Currently, disciples above the Core Formation Stage were fighting on the Twelve Peaks. Those like them, only at the Qi Refining Stage or just entering the Foundation Establishment Stage, could only help with tasks within their capabilities.
Pei Lianxue and Xiao Yunluo were also among them, helping to bandage the wounds of returning Taibai Sect disciples. Suddenly, a golden light descended from the sky. The two turned and saw Ye Anping returning with Fengyu Die in his arms. They quickly asked other cultivators nearby to take their place and rushed over.
Seeing her Senior Brother holding Fengyu Die like a princess, Pei Lianxue frowned slightly, but she understood the urgency of the situation and said nothing, asking, “Senior Brother, what do we do now?”
“Hmm…” Ye Anping swept his gaze around the surroundings. “Which Elder is in the main hall?”
Xiao Yunluo nodded and replied, “Zhong Wuji. He’s maintaining the core of the sect’s grand formation on the Main Peak.”
“We’ll clear the mountains one by one, then,” Ye Anping let out a long sigh and handed Fengyu Die to Xiao Yunluo. “Yunluo, find a place for her to lie down and rest. Then, we’ll help the Taibai Sect disciples clear the demonic cultivators on the remaining eleven peaks in counter-clockwise order.”
“Mm.” Xiao Yunluo reached out to take her. But after she took her, Ye Anping noticed that although Fengyu Die was unconscious, her hand was tightly gripping his collar. Xiao Yunluo frowned, seeing Fengyu Die clinging to Ye Anping’s collar, and chided, “You idiot, let go!” Then she tugged hard.
Fengyu Die, however, who had her eyes closed, furrowed her brow as if subconsciously sensing someone trying to pull her away from Ye Anping, and clutched even tighter. Ye Anping felt helpless. Seeing Fengyu Die gripping the collar of his outer robe, he simply unbuttoned his robe and took it off, draping it over Fengyu Die.
“Yunluo, go first…”
“Ah… Oh.” Watching Xiao Yunluo carry Fengyu Die into a room next to the main hall, Ye Anping breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn’t expected Fengyu Die to be afflicted by inner demons at this time. But it didn’t matter. In his original plan, he hadn’t intended for Xiao Yunluo and Fengyu Die to participate in the Taibai Sect’s affairs. He and his Junior Sister would have been enough. He now hoped that Fengyu Die would gain some understanding when she woke up. She was the type who learned from her mistakes.
“Senior Brother, what just happened?”
“Mm, Gu Mingxin came, and I had a fight with her.”
Pei Lianxue’s eyes sharpened, and she asked with a frown, “Should I go and kill her?”
Ye Anping felt an indescribable mix of emotions. The last time his Junior Sister brought Gu Mingxin’s hand over, he had been shocked. He truly hadn’t expected his Junior Sister to make Gu Mingxin leave a hand behind and flee in disarray without the Snow Jade Myriad Spirit Sword.
“Hoo… She’s already left.” Pei Lianxue’s fierce gaze returned to calm, a hint of disappointment in her expression. She lowered her head. “…Oh.”
At this moment, another golden light descended from the sky, landing in front of the main hall’s entrance. Yun Tianchong, clad in the golden robe of the Moon Shadow Sword Sect Master, stood with his hands behind his back. As he stepped onto the ground, he glanced around at the busy Taibai Sect disciples in the plaza and prepared to walk into the main hall. But after taking a step, he suddenly realized something was amiss and sharply turned his head to look at Ye Anping.
“Hiss—” Upon spotting the Snow Jade Myriad Spirit Sword behind Pei Lianxue, Yun Tianchong took a deep breath. He quickly clasped his hands in a salute, then stood tall and upright, adopting the demeanor of a sect leader, and walked over with measured steps. “Ye… Um… Why are you two at Taibai Sect?”
Ye Anping guessed he found calling him “Junior Brother” strange, but he paid it no mind. He cupped his fist and replied, “Tianyun invited this junior to be a guest. Sect Master Yun, what brings you here?”
“Uh…” Yun Tianchong seemed hesitant to speak, carefully choosing his excuse. Five days prior, he had returned to his sleeping quarters to meditate as usual. Upon opening the door, he saw Dan Yue Shang Xian waiting by the tea table, sitting with her legs crossed, surrounded by a pile of melon seed shells. His mood was akin to when he had seen his own father fly out of Ye Anping’s Storage Bag. He feared Dan Yue Shang Xian had come to settle scores for the Yun Kunwu incident. However, Dan Yue Shang Xian simply said, “The melon seeds are good,” and then, “Get lost to Taibai Sect,” before kicking him and disappearing in a flash of starlight. And so, he had to rush here day and night.
Yun Tianchong didn’t know how to gracefully admit that “I was kicked here by Dan Yue Shang Xian.” After a long silence, he explained, “I was passing by, saw the demonic energy swirling over Taibai Sect, so I came to help.”
Seeing him like that, Ye Anping almost immediately guessed that Granny Si had kicked him over. He raised an eyebrow and nodded. “Oh~” Yun Tianchong felt Ye Anping’s expression was quite provoking. But glancing at Pei Lianxue beside him, and seeing her frowning at him, he placed a hand on Ye Anping’s shoulder and moved a few steps aside. “Let’s talk privately.”
“Mm…” Yun Tianchong glanced at Pei Lianxue, then whispered, “Young Master Ye, what rank is my Yiyi?”
?
Ye Anping blinked, glancing over. He furrowed his brow and narrowed his eyes. “Sect Master Yun, are you sure that with the current major crisis at Taibai Sect, you want to ask me this?”
“Uh…” Just then, Xiao Yunluo returned. Seeing Yun Tianchong there, she also looked surprised. “Sect Master Yun, what are you doing here?”
Yun Tianchong seemed to suddenly understand why Dan Yue Shang Xian had kicked him here – it was to be a bodyguard for Xiao Yunluo and Ye Anping. “Ah… Young Lady Xiao is here too…” Xiao Yunluo ignored him and looked at Ye Anping, replying, “Anping, that Ancestral Lingzhi is taking care of the idiot. Let’s go.”
“Mm…” Ye Anping nodded. “Sect Master Yun, please go to Kongdao Peak first and help the Taibai Sect disciples there clear out the demonic cultivators. There are many Alchemy Cultivators on Taibai Sect’s Kongdao Peak, making it extremely difficult to engage in direct combat with Gu Cultivators. My Junior Sister and I will go to Xuanming Peak.”
Yun Tianchong nodded. “Well said!”
…
