Chapter 495: Senior Brother, a Change of Perspective
The chamber was silent, the dim spiritual lamp’s glow flickering faintly. Perhaps it was the sense of security from leaning against Ye Anping, or perhaps it was Ye Anping’s slightly elevated body temperature due to his injuries, but Feng Yu Die, curled up next to his left shoulder, unconsciously closed her eyes and fell asleep.
Occasionally, she would murmur in her sleep, nuzzling her cheek against Ye Anping’s neck:
“Young Master Ye… roasted chicken…”
Ye Anping slept lightly for a while, then slowly opened his eyes to look. He turned his head slightly to the left and caught sight of Feng Yu Die’s sleeping face, smiling sweetly.
“Still as a virgin, active as an idiot.” This was not a title he had bestowed upon Feng Yu Die for no reason.
Her slightly disheveled silver hair, coupled with her already delicate features, made her incredibly beautiful, like a pure, flawless snow lotus under the night sky, evoking a desire to protect and cherish her.
Ye Anping began to ponder a question:
— Was accepting Feng Yu Die a bad thing for him?
Ever since he married his junior sister, Feng Yu Die had repeatedly confessed her “liking for him.” This silly girl didn’t have many deep schemes or hidden motives, and her words at her master’s tombstone didn’t seem like a compromise or a lie. Since Feng Yu Die had said it, she truly liked him.
Ye Anping stared at Feng Yu Die’s sleeping face for a long time. Perhaps it was his breathing, but Feng Yu Die twitched her eyes slightly and suddenly hugged his arm tighter, as if afraid a gust of wind would blow her Young Master Ye away.
“Hoo…”
Ye Anping let out a soft breath, inexplicably finding the girl a little cute now…
After all, he was already taking care of his junior sister, Yunluo, Longling, Yiyi, and Xuanji. One more person wouldn’t hurt…
As for Gu Mingxin…
Thinking thus, Ye Anping turned his head to look to his right. The moment he turned, his heart, which had just calmed down, immediately tensed up again.
Gu Mingxin’s round, crimson eyes stared fixedly at him, not even blinking.
“…”
Seeing that Ye Anping had finally turned to look at her, Gu Mingxin quickly leaned close to his ear and whispered, “Can’t sleep?”
“You’re just staring at me?”
“If you won’t dual cultivate with me, you won’t even let me look at you? Grrr—”
He felt a light bite on his earlobe. A whisper sent a shiver down Ye Anping’s spine, and he held his breath:
“Hiss—”
“Ye Anping, you’re so wicked~ How did you play with my hand earlier?”
Rustling—
Gu Mingxin had a seductive smile, but her expression faltered as she spoke, raising an eyebrow slightly: “So big…”
Ye Anping wanted to say something but then closed his lips again.
“I used to hear the female cultivators of the Tian Mo Sect always chattering about wanting big…”
Ye Anping quickly interrupted: “Can we change the topic?”
“Hmm… Isn’t this how flirting is done?”
“A’gu, did you hate me when I forced you like that before?”
“I did~ But who doesn’t like a strong and handsome partner?” Gu Mingxin curved her lips slightly and said, “I’ve always wanted to find a man more powerful than me, but I haven’t met one in decades…”
“…”
“Ye Anping, you’re the first person who’s pushed me this far.”
Gu Mingxin pursed her lips, like a little cat in spring, leaning slightly against Ye Anping’s shoulder.
Rustling—
Ye Anping’s expression remained unchanged. He felt a strange spiritual energy, unlike anything he had experienced before, spreading from his lower body upwards, throughout his entire body. Whether it was Pei Lianxue or Xiao Yunluo, their yin spiritual energy was mostly like a clear spring. After entering his meridians, Ye Anping felt a flow of water within his body that was cool but not icy.
However, the spiritual energy surging into his body now was like scalding blood. It not only failed to alleviate his yang energy but seemed to push it, causing his breathing to quicken slightly.
“Hoo…”
At this moment, who knows what wonderful dream Feng Yu Die was having, but she nuzzled his cheek sweetly again:
“Young Master Ye, heh heh…”
“…”
Ye Anping glanced at Feng Yu Die. Seeing that she hadn’t noticed, he felt a sense of relief and asked, “Where did you learn all this?”
“By ear, it’s everywhere in the Tian Mo Sect. I haven’t done it, but I’ve seen it.”
Ye Anping fell silent for a moment, thinking that the sooner he recovered, the sooner they could leave this place. He said no more, only sighing, “Gently.”
“Mmmph~”
Then, Ye Anping relaxed again, closed his eyes, and silently accepted this inexpressible mix of emotions…
…
Unknowingly, the sun rose, and the light rain outside the cave dwelling also stopped. After Gu Mingxin’s careful tending throughout the night, Ye Anping had recovered more than half of his strength. While the two women were still asleep, Ye Anping cautiously withdrew his numb arms from their embrace and quietly got off the bed. He went behind the screen and changed into a set of robes.
Gu Mingxin had fallen asleep in the middle of the night. Now, a faint smile of satisfaction was on her face, as if she was happy about toying with the person she loved. After changing his clothes, Ye Anping looked at the two women on the jade couch. After a moment, he finally recovered from the lingering fragrance on them. A hint of affection appeared in his eyes, but he quickly withdrew his thoughts and began to consider important matters.
Without the Chi Ghost Formation, Kong Xiangmo had no means to resist the cultivators from the Western Regions. Moreover, based on his guess, Kong Xiangmo would certainly not dare to report this matter to Gui Mu Qi. Having his great formation dismantled by a few Nascent Soul cultivators without anyone noticing, and then letting these cultivators escape. Even if Kong Xiangmo himself didn’t feel ashamed, Ye Anping felt ashamed for him.
“Heh heh…”
Thinking this, Ye Anping pushed open the outer door of the chamber, preparing to go outside the cave dwelling for some fresh air and to check on Xiao Tian and Xue E.
However, just as he walked out of the room and into the courtyard, a limbless person wriggling beneath a withered ancient tree in the courtyard caught his eye. He Ji Feng, after being thrown here by Gu Mingxin yesterday, seemed to have been forgotten. He had been left to dry in the courtyard all night, and his face was now filled with despair and pain.
Ye Anping watched for a while before recognizing him as He Buqun’s second son, He Ji Feng. Still a little unsure, he walked up and asked, “Are you He Ji… Feng?”
“…”
Hearing the unfamiliar male voice, He Ji Feng laboriously raised his blood-stained head. He looked at Ye Anping as if he had seen his last ray of hope and cried out in pleading, “Kill me… Please! Please!!”
“…”
Ye Anping was silent for a moment. He walked over, squatted down, and extended his hand to check his condition. Most of his meridians were shattered, but a few crucial ones were intact, just enough to keep him alive. Gu Mingxin’s attack was truly brutal. Just how much did she hate the He family?
Cultivators couldn’t commit suicide by biting their tongues. Furthermore, as their bodies became more refined through cultivation, cultivators like He Ji Feng at the Core Formation Stage generally wouldn’t die from blood loss. Ye Anping propped his chin and pondered for a moment. He actually didn’t know that the person sent by the Tian Mo Sect was He Ji Feng. But if Gu Mingxin had spared his life, perhaps he could be used. However, if his limbs were still intact, he might have grudgingly spared him. It was a pity that his limbs were gone.
Ye Anping took out two Fire Element Talismans from his Storage Bag and held them between his fingers. He nodded and said, “Alright.”
He Ji Feng seemed to find peace, quickly shaking his head and kowtowing to Ye Anping, “…Thank you, Senior!! Thank you, Senior!!”
The next moment, Ye Anping flicked his fingers, and two Fire Element Talismans fell directly onto He Ji Feng’s forehead. With a burst of spiritual energy, they ignited him in an instant with a raging fire.
“…Thank you, Senior!! Thank you, Senior… Thank you…”
Amidst grateful exclamations from the bottom of his heart, He Ji Feng gradually turned into ashes and dissipated under the spiritual fire formed by the talismans.
As if disturbed by He Ji Feng’s voice, hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from inside the chamber:
Tap tap—
“Young Master Ye?!”
Feng Yu Die rushed out of the room, her face filled with worry. Seeing Ye Anping in the courtyard, her worry faded. She sniffed at the still-burning He Ji Feng, ignoring him, and walked straight to Ye Anping. She shyly rubbed her messy hair and said foolishly, “Heh heh, I thought you were abducted…”
“…”
Ye Anping looked at Feng Yu Die’s concerned expression. Recalling what A’gu had done last night, he inexplicably felt a pang of guilt. He looked away and simply raised his hand to tidy her messy hair.
“Go tidy yourself up, we’ll be traveling soon. A Ghost Spirit Sect disciple died here. They will definitely be in contact regularly. When Donghuang realizes their disciples haven’t returned, they’ll definitely send pursuers.”
His tone was so gentle that Feng Yu Die was momentarily stunned. She tilted her head and looked at Ye Anping from left to right.
“Hmm?”
“What is it?”
“Young Master Ye, you…”
“Me?”
“…Nothing, hee hee—”
Feng Yu Die smiled, pursed her lips, and turned to go back into the room to change. However, just as she turned, Gu Mingxin also walked out of the room, bumping into her. Gu Mingxin showed a mocking expression upon seeing Feng Yu Die, but perhaps out of consideration for Ye Anping, she didn’t directly mention what happened last night. Instead, she greeted her amiably: “Feng Yu Die, did you sleep well last night?”
?
Feng Yu Die paused and narrowed her eyes slightly: “What do you mean?”
“Just wishing you good morning, hehe.”
Feng Yu Die hesitated for a moment and nodded slightly: “Thank you for your concern.”
Ye Anping looked at the two women, a tired sigh escaping his lips. He patted Feng Yu Die’s head and said, “Hurry and get ready, I’ll help you comb your hair.”
!
“Oh?”
Hearing this, Feng Yu Die’s eyes lit up. She glanced back at Ye Anping behind her, then immediately showed off to Gu Mingxin with a smug look, pouting and placing her hands on her hips, “Hmph hmph~”
However, Gu Mingxin smiled disdainfully, as if looking at a child:
“Heh…”
Feng Yu Die ignored her and tentatively took Ye Anping’s hand. Seeing that Ye Anping didn’t resist, she became even happier and skipped along, pulling Ye Anping towards another chamber in the Dongtian estate. She sat down obediently in a spot and pushed her hair back. Ye Anping shrugged helplessly, took out a comb from his Storage Bag, walked behind her, and gently combed her slightly thick silver hair, just as he used to do for his junior sister.
“Hee hee…”
Ye Anping couldn’t help but chuckle: “What are you laughing at?”
“Young Master Ye is so good to me today… Hehe~”
…
——
Inside Donghuang Immortal City.
As dawn broke, the ruined immortal city was patrolled by Ghost Spirit Sect disciples flying on their swords. No one had foreseen such a sudden change. Under Kong Xiangmo’s killing aura and chaotic spiritual phenomena, half of the immortal city was instantly reduced to ashes.
In the chamber in the Tian Ge building of Donghuang, jade slips and scrolls were scattered everywhere. Kong Xiangmo, clad in the great elder’s robe of the Ghost Spirit Sect, now had eyes sunken deep into his sockets, looking like an old man with one foot in the grave. When Xing Tian Division withdrew from Donghuang, they had only left a ruin for the Ghost Spirit Sect. The Ghost Spirit Sect had spent a considerable amount of Spirit Stones to rebuild it.
Now, the Spirit Stones and demonic treasures spent by the Ghost Spirit Sect had gone to waste. Half of the rebuilt immortal city had once again become ruins. Furthermore, according to the disciples’ statistics, about two thousand people had perished in this incident, including several Nascent Soul elders. However, the casualties and losses were insignificant compared to the destruction of the “Chi Ghost Formation.” This mistake was enough to get him devoured by Gui Mu Qi.
Kong Xiangmo still held a glimmer of hope. Although the person named “Liang Liu” had destroyed most of the Chi Ghost Formation’s core with the Nine Dragon Heavenly Seal, the formation was originally set up by Ghost Ancestor himself and was by no means a small formation that could be broken overnight. He had also gone to check. The Nine Phases Chi Ghost Formation still had the possibility of being repaired. As long as he could repair the formation before the immortal cultivators of the Western Regions attacked Donghuang, even if he had made a mistake, he had been a great elder for a thousand years. Ghost Ancestor wouldn’t have him executed.
As for the fallen disciples, as long as he captured Gu Mingxin and delivered her to Ancestor Yu Yan, he could atone for his mistakes.
“There’s still a chance… There’s still a chance! My Kong family is not yet ruined!!” Kong Xiangmo muttered incessantly.
The book boy helping him sort scrolls in the chamber could feel a sense of impending doom. Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed from outside.
Tap tap tap—
Kong Xiangmo’s face lit up with joy. Before the Ghost Spirit Sect disciples entered, he raised his hand and pulled open the chamber door with spiritual energy, eagerly asking, “Have they been caught?”
“Ah…”
A Foundation Establishment stage disciple entered. He looked at his great elder’s ferocious face and swallowed nervously. He quickly knelt on one knee and cupped his hands in salute, replying, “Reporting to Great Elder, yesterday, twenty-seven disciples who went to search for Liang Liu and others in the direction of the Eastern Domain did not return on time. Something must have happened.”
This was not bad news for Kong Xiangmo. He quickly pressed, “Where?!”
“In a canyon about three hundred li east of the Donghuang Great Wall.”
“Good! Good, good, good… I will now…”
Before he could finish speaking, hurried footsteps echoed from outside again. Another Foundation Establishment stage Ghost Spirit Sect disciple rushed in, sweating profusely.
“Report!! Great Elder, nearly a hundred immortal flying ships have been discovered about twelve hundred li west of Donghuang. The ships are flying the flags of many sects from the Western Regions, including the Xuan Xing Sect.”
“What…”
Kong Xiangmo’s pupils constricted. He had thought that the Xuan Xing Sect wouldn’t be so fast and that he would have some time to repair the Chi Ghost Formation. How could they have arrived so quickly?
At this moment, another disciple hurried in: “Report! Tens of thousands of demon beasts are heading towards Donghuang from the southwest.”
“Demon… Demon beasts?!”
Upon hearing this news, Kong Xiangmo’s pupils shrank to the size of sesame seeds, and his breathing even stopped. He lost his balance and leaned against the desk beside him, knocking over the scrolls and jade slips that the book boy had just arranged.
Crash…
Just as the scrolls hit the wooden floor.
CRACKLE—
A thunderclap reverberated through Donghuang. Then, a booming voice from outside the western city wall of Donghuang rang out: “Kong, get out here and die!!”
Upon hearing this voice, Kong Xiangmo was stunned. He quickly stood up and went to the window, looking towards the western city wall of Donghuang. Using his far-seeing technique, he saw an old man in a purple robe, with silver lightning as his armor, standing with his hands behind his back in the sky above the yellow sand outside the city, accompanied by several late Nascent Soul stage immortal cultivators.
Recognizing the person as the Great Elder of the Xuan Xing Sect, Lei Wanjun, Kong Xiangmo seemed to give up struggling. His hands drooped, and his shrunken pupils relaxed. After a long pause, Kong Xiangmo looked sideways at the three Foundation Establishment stage disciples. He opened and closed his mouth several times before gritting his teeth and suppressing his trembling.
At least Dan Yue Shang Xian didn’t come, right? She didn’t come, did she?! Haha! She didn’t come! Lei Wanjun, that darn dragon breeder, is nothing to fear!
“Hahahaha… Hahahahaha—Ha… Nothing to fear!!! Ahahahahaha…”
…
