Chapter 521: Senior Brother Anping, A Nighttime Conversation
After a long while, the moonlight seeped through the window cracks, casting a silvery glow on the quiet sleeping quarters.
Ye Anping, draped in a robe, leaned his hands on the desk in the room, gazing at the map of the Eastern Domain before him. He listened intently as Yun Yiyi reported on the current disposition of the Immortal Families in the Southern Domain and the news she had received from the northwest in recent days.
The southern part of the Eastern Domain had approximately 122 Demonic Sects, but most were obscure, minor sects. Only seven Demonic Sects, led by the Hehuan Sect, were noteworthy.
The Moon Shadow Sword Sect’s attack on Tian Bei City had been formidable. Yun Tianchong had led almost all of the sect’s Core Formation Stage cultivators and above. These sects would undoubtedly send reinforcements to Tian Bei City immediately, leaving their own rear vulnerable.
The Southern Domain’s Immortal Sects, led by the Taibai Sect and Wunian Sect, had likely already dispatched forces to the rear of those seven sects.
With forces divided against divided forces, it was initially a fifty-fifty situation.
But, as it turned out…
“Yiyi, have Elder Hu lead 300 Core Formation Stage disciples to reinforce the Taihua Sect of the Southern Domain, who are attacking the Meiling Sect. As for the Hehuan Sect, leave them to the Taibai Sect and their allies to handle. The Seven Demonic Sects will be a bit more troublesome; once Sect Master Yun has recovered from his injuries, have him lead disciples to assist.”
Ye Anping pointed to the markings on the map, discussing future arrangements with Yun Yiyi.
Yun Yiyi listened attentively.
However, to be honest, she would have made these arrangements even if Ye Anping hadn’t mentioned them.
The Demonic cultivators couldn’t have foreseen that the Moon Shadow Sword Sect would capture Tian Bei City in just one day. Moreover, based on the spy list Ye Anping had provided, the Southern Domain’s Immortal Families had already dealt with the demonic spies in each sect.
Now, for the Demonic cultivators, the movements of the Immortal Families were shrouded in a fog of uncertainty.
And thanks to the information Ye Anping had given her previously, the Immortal Families were fully aware of the Demonic cultivators’ whereabouts, while the Demonic cultivators were unaware that their cards had been completely exposed.
Given such a vast information disparity, conquering the region south of the Blood River in the Eastern Domain was only a matter of time.
Seeing Ye Anping explain these basic strategies to her as if she were a complete novice, Yun Yiyi puffed out her cheeks and finally couldn’t help but interrupt:
“Anping.”
Ye Anping paused, then looked up, slightly confused:
“What’s wrong? Is there a problem with what I’m saying?”
“It’s not a problem,” Yun Yiyi moved closer to his side, her brows furrowed as she glanced at him. “Anping, do you think I’m like Jiujiu?”
“Uh…”
“I’ve read thousands of books, you know. If you didn’t say these things, I would have arranged them myself later. What you need to do now is rest and recover from your injuries. I’ve never seen you like this.”
Ye Anping seemed a little puzzled: “Like me?”
Yun Yiyi twirled her index finger in a circle and said:
“After conquering a city, a general should naturally enjoy themselves to their heart’s content. Books have recorded that a thousand years ago, the Sect Master of Baiyun Sect in the Southern Domain, after a hard-fought three-month battle to destroy the Gu Gu Sect of the Eastern Domain, immediately held a celebration banquet and spent seven days and seven nights with thirteen beauties.”
“…”
Ye Anping was silent for a moment, feeling as if she were hinting at something. He forced a bitter smile and retorted:
“I’m not that kind of person.”
“I mean, you should rest properly,” Yun Yiyi pouted and sighed. “You must have gone through a lot of trouble gathering intelligence on spies in the Eastern Domain and bringing me the map. Aren’t you tired…”
As she spoke, Yun Yiyi forcefully pinched a wound on his shoulder, causing Ye Anping to gasp in pain.
“Hiss—”
“See? You’re still injured, and yet you’re worrying about this and that. You should stop thinking about everything for these few days and rest well. The matters of the Sword Sect will be handled by me, don’t you worry about it.”
“Yes, yes, yes… Any news from the Xuan Xing Sect?”
Yun Yiyi puffed out her cheeks and complained with a frown:
“Still asking!”
“…I’ve been away for so long, I’m still quite worried about Yunluo and my Junior Sister.”
“They’re fine. Master Li also sent a letter a few days ago saying that ever since Donghuang was broken, the Western Domain’s Immortal Families, in alliance with the Demon Race, have wiped out twenty-seven Demonic Sects in the western part of the Eastern Domain. The Gu Poison Sect was also forced to abandon their mountain and flee towards the Tian Mo Sect…”
“I see…”
Ye Anping rested his chin on his hand and pondered, but Yun Yiyi immediately placed her hands on his shoulders and nudged him towards the bed.
“Alright!! You’re injured, so you should lie in bed and rest properly! I won’t send any disciples over for the next few days, I’ll take care of you myself.”
Faced with such an assertive Yun Yiyi, Ye Anping didn’t refuse. He took off the robe draped over his back and obediently lay down on the bed that Yun Yiyi had helped re-prepare.
Ye Anping had a premonition that Yun Yiyi would likely strip and squeeze in next, and he felt a strange sense of anticipation.
However, Yun Yiyi merely covered him with the quilt, then turned and walked towards the door.
“Anping, rest well. I’ll come to see you tomorrow.”
Ye Anping was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized his own unbidden anticipation. A wry smile appeared on his face.
It seemed that during his recent activities with Agu, pretending to be a demonic cultivator, he had unknowingly gotten into character and picked up some bad habits.
He wasn’t a lecherous person, after all.
But since Yun Yiyi didn’t have that intention, he wouldn’t say anything more.
Ye Anping shifted his gaze back to the ceiling, exhaled softly, and nodded:
“Alas… Mm.”
“What are you sighing about? Listen, Anping, are you expecting something?”
“…No.”
Yun Yiyi chuckled softly, covering her mouth. “I’m just going to fix the door.”
Ye Anping felt like he had been tricked and immediately closed his mouth, turning to look at Yun Yiyi again.
He saw her take out a stone from her Storage Bag and seal the palace’s double doors that Yun Tianchong had previously shattered. Then, she turned, unbuckled her belt, and walked back to the bed with a cat-like gait, shedding clothing at each step.
By the time she reached the bedside, Yun Yiyi had already let down her golden hair, which had been tied up at the back of her head, and was left wearing only a golden-threaded bodice.
Ye Anping was silent for a moment, then said:
“Didn’t you say I need to rest well to recover from my injuries?”
“That’s right.” Yun Yiyi smiled with narrowed eyes. “You lie there and rest well, I’ll do it myself, so you don’t have to push me into a wheelchair again. ~Besides, I have to repay you for saving my sister~”
“Repay me? We’re already engaged.”
“But you’re not married in yet, are you?”
Rustling…
The bedding that had been on Ye Anping was also draped over Yun Yiyi’s shoulders. She sat with her legs spread, tossing her golden hair, which shimmered in the moonlight, behind her. She arched her back and, seeing that Ye Anping wasn’t resisting her actions at all, she tentatively began to sway her hips slowly…
Creak~~ Creak~~
… …
… …
An hour later.
The commotion outside caused by the Sword Sect disciples fighting the Demonic cultivators had subsided. Inside, the creaking of the not-so-sturdy bed planks gradually faded into the waning moonlit night.
On the bed, the two lay covered by a red blanket, their calves peeking out from beneath it.
A pair of feet, elegant as white jade, gently brushed against the instep of the slightly larger right foot.
Yun Yiyi was now sweating profusely, lying on her side next to Ye Anping, her breathing slightly unsteady.
Seeing Ye Anping beside her still looked calm, his breathing steady, with only a slight blush on his cheeks, Yun Yiyi pouted and sighed helplessly,
“Anping, were you a bull in your past life?”
?
Ye Anping wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer.
“It’s just that I chose the wrong cultivation method when I was young. Elder Wang of the Xuan Xing Sect once said that I needed a cultivation partner one major realm higher than me.”
“Indeed.” Yun Yiyi relaxed a little, her breathing calming down. After a moment’s hesitation, she asked, “Anping, what do you think of Jiujiu?”
“What do I think of her?”
Yun Yiyi narrowed her eyes and tentatively asked:
“Well… when Jiujiu was impersonating your cauldron, nothing happened between you two…”
Before she could finish, Ye Anping tapped her forehead. “She’s my aunt. It was a necessary evil for her to impersonate a cauldron. I had to bring Senior Sister Feng and Gu Mingxin in, and gain Gong Yue’s trust. So I had to pretend to be a lustful person, and to protect her, I made her my cauldron.”
“I see…”
Yun Yiyi pouted and pondered for a moment, then said:
“I don’t mind. If you like her, when I marry you, I’ll let Jiujiu be my dowry maid.”
“… …”
“My marriage with you is a union between the Hundred Lotus Sect and the Moon Shadow Sword Sect. When two immortal families intermarry, the bride usually brings her sister along as a dowry. This way, if something were to happen to me, or if I couldn’t bear children, there would be a backup.”
Ye Anping was silent for a long time. Then he raised his hand and tapped her forehead again.
“That’s how alliances work. The purpose of a marriage alliance is to foster friendship between the two families, which is why a sister accompanies the bride. Yiyi, do you really think I agreed to marry you just to improve relations between the Hundred Lotus Sect and the Sword Sect? What are you thinking?”
“I was just saying…”
“You’re testing me, aren’t you?” Ye Anping shook his head slightly. “Jiujiu and I have nothing going on. I consider her my sister-in-law, and she calls me brother-in-law. That’s the extent of our relationship. Honestly, our personalities don’t mesh well, and she probably thinks I’m just a ‘stinky woman’.”
“That’s true…” Yun Yiyi sighed with deep emotion. “Jiujiu’s personality isn’t great. Her mother was a dancer who frequented places like Donghuang. My father wasn’t around much when she was young, which led to her personality.”
“Mm…”
“As her older sister, I should help her find a cultivation partner, but…”
“But?”
Yun Yiyi recalled past events, a hint of distress appearing on her face. “Jiujiu used to have a fiancé. He was the Young Master of the Hundred Birds Sword Sect in the Southern Domain. At that time, the Sword Sect was suffering from an epidemic and desperately needed pills to save people. They sought help from the Hundred Birds Sword Sect, and their condition was that either I or Yun Jiujiu marry into their sect. After much deliberation, the elders could only agree.”
This rumor was also present in the game, but the process wasn’t mentioned, only the outcome – it didn’t happen.
Ye Anping nodded and asked:
“And then?”
“When Jiujiu found out, she kicked the Young Master Zhou of the Hundred Birds Sword Sect in the groin the moment they met, and seriously injured him… After Young Master Zhou returned, he cried and begged his parents not to let Yun Jiujiu marry into their sect. The matter dragged on for a while before it was dropped. Later, I heard Elder Tian Xing say that he had anticipated Jiujiu doing this, which was why he agreed to the engagement.”
“That’s just like her,” Ye Anping shrugged slightly. “That’s not right. I don’t want to be beaten half to death by her.”
“You can’t beat her? I don’t believe it.”
Ye Anping immediately replied: “I can’t.”
“…”
Yun Yiyi looked at him with suspicion, then shook her head slightly.
“It’s just that with her personality, she’ll probably never find a cultivation partner. And Yun Xi too, her personality is fine, but her luck… Alas— I suspect if she got married, there would be two funeral banquets on her wedding day…”
Ye Anping saw that Yun Yiyi seemed genuinely worried about her two sisters at this moment. He wanted to comfort her, but didn’t know what to say.
If this was up to him, he wouldn’t have any solutions either.
“Don’t think about it, get some rest. Tomorrow morning, after the Sword Sect disciples clear out the Demonic cultivators from Tian Bei City, you’ll have a pile of things to do. Get some sleep.”
“Mm… I’ll rest up, and continue.”
“?”
“Hehe~ It’s rare that Junior Sister Pei and Young Master Xiao aren’t here, and you’re all mine. I don’t want any regrets.”
Yun Yiyi smiled, rolled over, and nestled against Ye Anping’s stomach again.
Ye Anping hesitated for a moment, then shook his head slightly. Afraid she would get tired, he decided to take the initiative. But as soon as he raised his hand, Yun Yiyi frowned and pressed his hands down onto the bed.
“I told you! You’re injured, rest well. I’ll do it myself!”
“…Yes, Eldest Miss Yun.”
“Hmph~”
… …
The creaking sounds, once again swallowed by the waning moonlit night, rose again, accompanied by soft moans.
However, this time, it continued straight through to the dawn.
As a bell chimed, the sect flag bearing the Sword Sect’s totem was slowly raised above the Bei Tian Pavilion of the City Lord’s Mansion, fluttering in the pre-dawn breeze.
Upon hearing the bell, Yun Yiyi stirred from atop him, rolled to the side of the bed, and wiped herself down. “Anping, I’m going to check on the Sword Sect disciples. You rest well, okay?”
“Do you want me to go with you?”
“No, I just need to arrange a few things. I’ll come back to take care of you later.”
“Mm…”
… …
