Chapter 477: Old Loli, A Chat Before Tea
Tap, tap—
Hemp shoes embroidered with the Hundred Lotus totem trod up the stairs inside the Tian Ge, step by step.
As Ye Anping ascended the staircase, he stared at the Jade Ruyi that Sun Juehu had sent earlier, a deep “Chuan” character furrowed between his brows.
In the eyes of the elders from the various sects of the Western Regions currently in the Hundred Lotus Sect, the fact that Empress Sun Juehu of Hantian Kingdom had personally come to congratulate him on his wedding had indeed brought him, Ye Ao, and even the entire Hundred Lotus Sect great honor.
Moreover, the Empress had a smile on her face the entire time and had even publicly declared that she would not hold onto past grudges and would no longer dwell on the past grievances between Si Xuanji and the Sun family.
However, he saw Sun Juehu’s intentions very clearly.
Sun Juehu’s visit to the Hundred Lotus Sect was an indirect hint to him:
—Even though the Hundred Lotus Sect was located in the heart of the Western Regions, Si Xuanji could never fully protect it.
Void Realm cultivators could enter the Western Regions and come to the Hundred Lotus Sect at will. Even if Si Xuanji found out immediately, no matter how powerful she was in the Western Regions, she could never instantly kill a Void Realm cultivator.
A single spell from a Void Realm cultivator could instantly overturn a quasi-first-rate minor sect like the Hundred Lotus Sect.
If she had been more direct, her words would have been:
—”Young Master Ye, you are an intelligent person, so you should know that whether you help Si Xuanji against me or help me against Si Xuanji is not the best choice. For the sake of the Hundred Lotus Sect, your best choice now is to remain neutral and wait to see who has a better chance of winning before siding with them.”
—”Young Master Ye, you and the Hundred Lotus Sect are merely pawns in Si Xuanji’s hand, ready to be discarded at any moment.”
This was a scheme to sow discord, as well as a warning and advice to him.
The words were crude, but the logic was sound.
Si Xuanji was inherently petty and had lived for so many years.
If she was good to someone, it was likely because that person was of great use to her.
Ye Anping had initially thought the same way. Si Xuanji had approached him because she had seen his “Reverse Star” destiny, believing he had a promising future and wanting to cultivate him into a loyal pawn.
In short, she was using him because he had value.
Whether it was giving him opportunities, protecting him, or even entrusting Yunluo to him, these were all means to make him loyal to her.
However, that was only in the beginning.
When he first went to the Xuan Xing Sect, Si Xuanji’s original intention in approaching him might have genuinely been that he was useful and handsome.
But now, he was certain that Si Xuanji’s feelings for him were not false!
He recalled the girl who had climbed through his window every twelve days when he was forming his core, using her Dao-integration spell to help him recover and alleviate his loneliness during seclusion…
He remembered the girl at the Golden Buddha in the Wu Nian Sect who, except for during the heavenly tribulation, never wanted to get off him…
The frown between Ye Anping’s brows slowly relaxed.
Si Xuanji was also his Dao companion. Although her cultivation was much higher than his, he should also do some things that a Dao companion should do for her.
For example, help her fulfill her long-held wish—to unify the entire Zhou Xing Tian Yu.
Ye Anping slowly walked down the stairs and arrived at the door of the study on the top floor of the Tian Ge. A faint smile appeared on his face. He gently knocked twice, then pushed the door open.
“Xuanji…”
?
As soon as Ye Anping uttered these two words, he froze at the doorway.
He saw that inside the room, Si Xuanji was standing by the desk in the study, holding Xiao Yunluo under her armpits and lifting her up…
Xiao Yunluo looked embarrassed but dared not move.
Si Xuanji pouted, tilted her head, and stared at Xiao Yunluo’s face for a moment. Seeing that Ye Anping had arrived, her Yin-yang eyes narrowed slightly, “Anping, you’re here?”
Upon hearing her Master’s address of “Anping,” and remembering the “Xuanji” she had just heard, Xiao Yunluo seemed to awaken from a dream. Her eyes widened slightly, and she darted her gaze between her Master and Ye Anping:
“Huh???”
Ye Anping didn’t know why Xiao Yunluo was also there. Seeing Xiao Yunluo’s shocked eyes narrowed into a single line, he didn’t know how to respond. He awkwardly nodded:
“Yes, I’m here.”
Si Xuanji pursed her lips and smiled. She let Xiao Yunluo step onto the ground, flickered, and instantly teleported to the tea table by the window, sitting down cross-legged. She patted the cushion beside her:
“Anping, sit here.”
She then pointed to another cushion across the table:
“Yunluo, you come here too and sit there.”
Ye Anping was silent for a long time, his lips parted slightly, and then he sat down cross-legged beside her as Si Xuanji had requested. Xiao Yunluo also opened her pair of shocked dragon-like eyes and silently walked over, sitting opposite the two of them.
For a moment, the room was so quiet you could hear a needle drop.
Xiao Yunluo knelt on one side of the tea table, her lips parted for a long time. She looked at her Master and husband sitting shoulder to shoulder across the table. Her clasped feet rubbed against each other under the table, and her shoulders were held straight.
“… …”
Ye Anping had previously thought that sooner or later, he would have to reveal their relationship to Xiao Yunluo with Si Xuanji. However, he hadn’t expected it to be so awkward.
Si Xuanji, on the other hand, looked completely at ease. She took out a purple clay pot and began to boil tea.
Gurgle, gurgle~~
The sound of boiling water was the only sound in the room.
Si Xuanji took out tea cups, poured a cup for each of them, and finally spoke:
“Yunluo, don’t just stare. If you have questions, ask.”
“Ah…” Xiao Yunluo came back to her senses and shook her head. “So, Master, you and Anping… is it what I think it is?”
Si Xuanji immediately replied, “Yes.”
Xiao Yunluo looked at Ye Anping again, and he also nodded slightly:
“Mm…”
“So… is that so…”
Xiao Yunluo murmured with her eyes downcast, as if she suddenly understood why Si Xuanji had said she would be her Master after she returned from the Eastern Domain that day. She also remembered what Ah Ying had gossiped back then…
She was truly stupid, only realizing it now!
Her Master, that sneaky cat! She didn’t even spare her disciple’s Dao companion!!!
Xiao Yunluo was angry but dared not speak. However, she couldn’t help but imagine the scene of them “together,” and it seemed to have a different flavor…
Her usually dignified Master, acting like a timid bird whimpering before her husband…
So… so exciting…
A slight flush appeared on Xiao Yunluo’s cheeks, and her hands, placed in front of her abdomen, began to rub against each other…
But speaking of which…
“Master…”
“Mm?”
“Can Anping handle it?”
?
Ye Anping was slightly stunned and almost choked on his tea:
“Cough—cough cough…”
Si Xuanji, however, curled her lips into a mischievous smile and nudged Ye Anping’s shoulder with her arm, asking, “Anping, can you handle it?”
“… …”
Ye Anping really didn’t want to answer this question. He put down his teacup, let out a long sigh, and said, “Xuanji, let’s talk about serious matters, about Sun Juehu.”
“Anping,” Si Xuanji interrupted, “Initially, I only approached you because I saw your Reverse Star destiny and knew you could be useful to me.”
“…I know.”
Si Xuanji propped her chin with her hand, narrowed her eyes, and retorted, “Then you don’t think I’m still using you?”
Hearing this, Ye Anping pondered for a moment, and then he roughly guessed what Si Xuanji was thinking.
Si Xuanji was probably worried that he would betray her because of Sun Juehu’s attempt to sow discord.
Ye Anping wore a slightly helpless smile and replied, “When I formed my Heavenly Dao Golden Core back then, if it weren’t for your help, I probably wouldn’t have been able to successfully survive those seventy-two Heavenly Tribulation lightning strikes. You have been kind to me, and I will not be ungrateful. If it’s using me, then so be it.”
“… …”
“Moreover, I now consider you my Dao companion, so I will naturally side with you,” Ye Anping looked at Si Xuanji and asked, “Or does Xuanji not trust me?”
“I trust you, but I don’t trust myself…”
Si Xuanji flicked her finger against the teacup, saying with some dejection, “After cultivating for so many years, I have full confidence in protecting myself, but I don’t have full confidence in protecting you and the Hundred Lotus Sect from Sun Juehu. Anping, I don’t want to drag you into my grievances with the Sun family, but Sun Juehu is relentless. I cannot refuse her now…”
“Mm…”
“I don’t have the confidence that I can protect you as I did before regarding Sun Juehu’s matter. If you get involved, it might put the Hundred Lotus Sect, your junior sister, the Yun family girl, and even that girl from the Chi Long Mansion in a very dangerous situation.”
Ye Anping shrugged slightly and smiled, “I had anticipated this. Ever since I agreed to become your companion at the Wu Nian Sect, I was already involved. Why are you now trying to persuade me to stay out of this?”
“If you stay out of it, then whether I or Sun Juehu win, you and the Hundred Lotus Sect will at least be safe and sound. How should I put it? After having you as my Dao companion, my heart inevitably leans towards you… Rather than watching you risk life and death for my affairs, I would prefer you to always be in a safe place.”
“Aren’t Dao companions supposed to share hardships and joys?”
“I have so much more cultivation than you, yet I have to rely on your help.” Si Xuanji propped her chin with her hand and looked sideways at Ye Anping, reaching out to poke his face. “I feel quite ashamed. Is there anything you want?”
Ye Anping smiled and said, “What’s there to be ashamed of? The big, round moon from yesterday is enough.”
“I should give you more compensation.”
Si Xuanji pursed her lips, closed one eye, and looked at Xiao Yunluo’s blushing face opposite them, who was lost in thought. She said, “How about I serve you with Yunluo?”
?
Ye Anping’s hand, which was holding the teacup, stopped again. Xiao Yunluo’s tuft of hair on her head suddenly stood on end. She had also been thinking about this matter, and now that Si Xuanji had brought it up, she looked astonished:
“How… how can this be… this… this isn’t… good, right?”
“Anping has been longing to cultivate with both of us for a long time.”
?
I haven’t… Ye Anping’s mouth twitched slightly, and he almost blurted it out.
Xiao Yunluo’s cheeks became redder and redder. Whether she had actually wanted this or had believed Si Xuanji’s words, she shyly whispered, “Ah? Then… then if Anping wants to…”
?
Hiss—You little dragon!
Ye Anping glanced at Si Xuanji, feeling that she found Xiao Yunluo’s reaction amusing. He sighed, and turned the topic back, “Xuanji, Sun Juehu’s visit to the Xuan Xing Sect this time, claiming to reconcile with you. It’s likely a preparation for the Immortal Alliance’s counterattack on the Eastern Domain. How do you plan to respond…”
Si Xuanji shrugged slightly and sighed helplessly, “The matter of Zu Yuan returning to the mortal realm has now aroused the righteous indignation of Immortal cultivators from all Four Domains. These days, the Xuan Xing Sect has also received many Jade Slips of petitions denouncing the Demonic cultivators of the Eastern Domain. It’s likely Sun Juehu is fanning the flames from behind the scenes. She wants to unite the Xuan Xing Sect and the various sects of the Southern Domain to attack the Eastern Domain from three sides.”
Ye Anping nodded in understanding.
Sun Juehu’s goal was actually very simple—to personally avenge her father and bury Si Xuanji.
However, as long as Si Xuanji remained in the Western Regions, she was almost invincible.
Sun Juehu also knew that she couldn’t fight Si Xuanji in the Western Regions, so she had been trying to lure Si Xuanji out of the Western Regions and create a situation for a one-on-one duel.
But Si Xuanji was inherently petty and extremely cautious. Even if the sky fell, she would basically not leave the Western Regions.
Last time, during the incident in the Central Domain, she had gone incognito, barely daring to use her spiritual energy on the road for fear of being discovered by Sun Juehu.
When she went to the Southern Domain to help him earlier, she had cautiously sought out Yun Tianchong first, and then sought the guidance of the Sect Master of the Wu Nian Sect before daring to reveal her spiritual might in full view.
And this time, Sun Juehu was also using the matters of Zu Yuan and the Demonic cultivators to incite the hatred of the Immortal cultivators of the Four Domains towards the Demonic cultivators, forcing the Immortal families to attack the Demonic cultivators of the Eastern Domain.
If Si Xuanji refused now, the entire Xuan Xing Sect would be branded as “cowards.”
“This is an open scheme; it cannot be avoided.”
“So, Anping, are you telling me to comply with that surname Sun?”
“Xuanji, if you trust me, then comply with her this time and take the Xuan Xing Sect to the Eastern Domain. Besides, it’s time for the Immortal families and the Demonic cultivators to settle their scores.”
Si Xuanji pouted and was silent for a moment, then asked, “How are Feng Yu Die and Gu Ming Xin?”
Ye Anping was silent for a moment, then recalled.
One was foolish, and the other was eccentric.
He sighed immediately:
“Sigh… they should be fine.”
“Mm… then it’s decided,” Si Xuanji sighed with her eyes downcast. “I’m returning to the Xuan Xing Sect. Yunluo, cultivate well, eat more food. You haven’t grown at all…”
Xiao Yunluo came back to her senses and nodded blankly, “Ah… okay.”
Then, Si Xuanji lightly kissed Ye Anping’s cheek, stood up, and transformed into wisps of spiritual light, disappearing from the room.
After she left, Ye Anping raised his hand and pushed open the window to look outside. Seeing that the sunset was about to descend, he also stood up:
“Yunluo, let’s go…”
“Ah… okay.”
Xiao Yunluo nodded, tidied her skirt, and followed Ye Anping out of the study. When they reached the first floor, she couldn’t help but pull on Ye Anping’s sleeve and ask:
“Anping…”
“Mm?”
“Anping, when exactly did you and my Master…”
“We’ll talk about it another day.”
Ye Anping looked speechless. He reached out and tapped her on the head, changing the subject, “Did you understand what Xuanji and I were discussing just now?”
“Ah… yes, I understood. The matter of the Empress of Hantian Kingdom…”
“Think about it when we get back.”
The two of them pushed open the doors of the Tian Ge and walked out.
However, just as Ye Anping was about to go to the side hall to pick up Pei Lianxue and return to the Eastern Peak of the Hundred Lotus Sect, two or three disciples from the Hundred Lotus Sect suddenly flew over from the direction of the back mountain, their faces filled with anxiety as they landed in front of the Tian Ge.
Upon seeing Ye Anping, they immediately stepped forward:
“Young Master!!! It’s bad! Something has happened in the back mountain!!!”
“Mm?” Ye Anping frowned upon hearing this and asked with narrowed eyes, “What happened?”
“Someone dumped a body!! Several pageboys found a severed hand in a corner of the cave dwelling where poultry is kept in the back mountain. It looks like it was just cut off, and that hand…”
“… …”
Ye Anping’s brows relaxed, and he sucked in a sharp breath:
“Hiss—”
Right! I forgot about her.
With a dark expression, he pinched his forehead and said, “Alright, I understand. Lead the way…”
