Chapter 557: Senior Brother, Returning with Xuanji
The myriad things in the frosty sky do not cease to exist because a powerful venerable has fallen.
The wind has quieted, but the snow continues to fall.
Under the silver glow of the full moon in the sky, the falling snow transforms into tiny white fireflies, drifting and falling, covering the shattered world.
Ye Anping held the hilt of the Snow Jade Myriad Spirit Sword, looking at the two dim, semi-transparent “ghosts.” He sighed, realizing he was still just a human, unable to predict all future possibilities.
“Master, can you explain this to your disciple?”
“Hmm? Aren’t you, kid, so clever? Can’t you tell just by looking?”
Yun Tianmi walked to Sun Juehu, who had transformed into a void spirit, and said with a smile:
“The sword realm is vast enough; it’s too big for me to live alone. It’s rare to find a pretty lass like you. It’s good to have someone to chat with… Lass Sun, how about it?”
Sun Juehu finally understood. Just before her soul vanished, Yun Tianmi had taken a wisp of her residual soul into the Snow Jade Myriad Spirit Sword. This prevented her soul from being reabsorbed by the world and allowed her to remain in existence through the spirit sword.
Yun Tianmi was the cultivator who had gone the furthest among sword cultivators in the past ten thousand years, almost achieving unity of man and sword.
In the past ten thousand years, he was likely the only one capable of such a feat.
However!!!
Sun Juehu glared with wide eyes, looking down at Yun Tianmi, who was shorter than her.
“Who wants to live in this broken sword with you old fogey…”
Before she could finish her words.
*Slap—!*
A loud smack echoed all around.
Yun Tianmi raised his hand and slapped Sun Juehu’s backside. Sun Juehu froze in surprise, then her hair stood on end like an agitated tiger.
“…”
“Ouch, lass Sun, your backside has gotten quite perky, hasn’t it? Hahaha… I remember when you were a child, your backside was as hard as a stone; a slap wouldn’t even make it quiver…”
*Buzz—*
Sun Juehu’s face contorted, and she threw a punch that created an air-exploding sound, heading straight for Yun Tianmi’s nose. Even the hair of Ye Anping beside her and her own cicada shell were ruffled by the punch.
However, Yun Tianmi tilted his head and easily blocked it with his left elbow.
*Bang—*
“Hahaha… Hahahaha! I like this temper of yours…”
“Yun Tianmi!!!”
Seeing Sun Juehu throw her second punch, Yun Tianmi turned and began to run around the edge of the pit, laughing and taunting the Sun Juehu chasing him.
Ye Anping, who was watching these two old figures in the Void Realm chasing each other like children, pinched his nose and sighed. He couldn’t help but curse Yun Tianmi.
“The old urchin is still a rogue… *Hoo—*”
It seemed Yun Tianchong’s temperament was inherited.
However…
Ye Anping looked down at Sun Juehu’s cicada shell at his feet.
Although no soul resided within the cicada shell, its skin still retained a human-like ruddy color. It was truly worthy of a body cultivator; her body had already been cultivated to the Mahayana stage. She would likely remain in this state for the next few hundred years without needing preservation talismans or spirit pearls.
If viewed from the perspective of demonic cultivators, this cicada shell could be considered an unparalleled heavenly treasure, akin to Yun Tianchong’s secondary Golden Core.
Bones of a Void Transformation stage cultivator, organs of a Void Transformation stage cultivator, even each strand of hair – which of these was not priceless?
But he only thought about it; he wouldn’t actually do it.
Just then, three golden lights descended from the south, landing in the pit where he stood.
Taishang Wusun descended from the sky with Zu Yuan and Zu Lingzhi.
Upon seeing Sun Juehu at Ye Anping’s feet, Taishang Wusun clasped his hands together and began chanting scriptures for salvation. But as he opened his mouth, he saw the two “ghosts” chasing each other and was stunned. He changed his chant to scriptures for subduing demons.
“This demon, Bajyun, does not heed counsel, perpetrating all sorts of deeds…”
However, Zu Yuan raised an eyebrow, as if seeing an old friend. A smile appeared on his face as he called out:
“Youngster Yun.”
While dodging Sun Juehu’s fists and kicks, Yun Tianmi chuckled and teased:
“Yoho? Old man Zu, how does it feel to give away your spiritual root to my disciple and lose ten thousand years of cultivation? Hahahaha—”
“Heh…” Zu Yuan smiled. “It feels very good.”
After a brief exchange, Zu Yuan ignored Yun Tianmi and turned back to Ye Anping. He walked forward with Zu Lingzhi to stand before Sun Juehu’s cicada shell and asked:
“Youngster Ye, you don’t intend for this to be the end of it, do you?”
“After Senior Sun’s demise, the Hantian Kingdom will be without a leader, leading to chaos. And chaos is what demonic cultivators love the most. Afterward, any remaining demonic cultivators in the Eastern Domain will inevitably hide in the Northern Region, making it much harder to eradicate them…”
“Hoo… So, what do you plan to do?”
Ye Anping looked at Xu Mulan, who was lying on the ground some distance away, staring blankly at everything.
“The personal guards of the Hantian Kingdom were established by the previous monarch to protect his successor, who was not yet capable of ruling independently. For thousands of years, this position was held by only one person.”
Zu Yuan followed Ye Anping’s gaze to Xu Mulan, stroking his beard.
“This lass is the one?”
“She was the commander of the Snow-Clothed Guard. Perhaps because of my presence, Senior Sun temporarily granted her the position of personal guard… Her cultivation is not the highest among the Hantian Kingdom’s Snow-Clothed Guard, but in terms of rank, she is second only to the king, standing on equal footing with the Grand Tutor. Moreover, she was personally promoted by Senior Sun.”
Ye Anping let out a slight sigh and analyzed:
“If I recall correctly, although Senior Sun had no children, the Sun clan does have individuals capable of inheriting the throne. – ‘Sun Wuyue’, Senior Sun’s grandniece… She is thirteen years old this year.”
Sun Juehu, who had been chasing Yun Tianmi, stopped her punches the moment she heard Ye Anping’s words. She glared at Yun Tianmi, then walked back, standing tall and chest out, questioning:
“Where did you hear the name Sun Wuyue?”
Ye Anping clasped his hands in a salute.
“I apologize, but I cannot reveal that.”
Sun Juehu narrowed her eyes, a killing intent flashing within them.
“Youngster Ye, do you intend to control the Northern Region through Sun Wuyue?”
“I do not have such ambitions. I merely seek to achieve the best possible outcome… And in my opinion, this is the best way to prevent the Northern Region from falling into disarray among feudal lords… By having Sun Wuyue inherit the position of Hantian Kingdom’s monarch.”
Looking at Ye Anping’s calm eyes, as if everything was under his control, Sun Juehu felt a hint of Si Dianyue in him, and a sudden displeasure arose. She sneered:
“Don’t misunderstand…”
Ye Anping directly interrupted:
“I have never misunderstood. Senior Sun, you appointed Commander Xu as your personal guard. On one hand, it was to have Commander Xu stop me at critical moments. On the other hand, wasn’t it to provide an insurance policy for the Hantian Kingdom?”
“…”
“Senior Sun, you yourself were not confident of defeating Xuanji, and you had already prepared a backup plan. Furthermore, if my guess is correct, the only people in the Hantian Kingdom who knew you came here to fight Xuanji were your close confidantes…”
Sun Juehu gritted her teeth slightly, feeling an unpleasant sense of being seen through. But the next moment, her backside was slapped again by Yun Tianmi, who had snuck up on her.
“Lass Sun, how about it? My disciple is amazing, isn’t he?”
“Tsk—”
Seeing Sun Juehu’s tacit acknowledgment, Ye Anping continued:
“The head of the Sun clan in Hantian Kingdom, ‘Sun Juehu,’ and the Sect Master of Tian Mo Sect, ‘Gu Yan,’ fought a great battle south of Tian Mo Sect, shattering heaven and earth.
“In the end, the head of the Sun clan sacrificed her own life to assist the Sect Master of Xuan Xing Sect and the Sect Master of Wu Nian Sect in jointly killing Gu Yan and quelling the war of the Eastern Domain’s demons. And one more thing to add—
“—Before Senior Sun’s demise, she finally reconciled with the Sect Master of Xuan Xing Sect.”
Ye Anping then swept his gaze over everyone around him, bowed his head, and said:
“Seniors, what do you think of recording today’s events as I have described them in the annals of the Immortal Families? As for how posterity will judge it, that will be for them to decide.”
Zu Yuan shook his head, not because Ye Anping’s proposal was bad, but because this young man’s maturity far surpassed his actual age.
Stroking his beard, Zu Yuan suddenly had an idea and asked:
“Youngster Ye…”
“Dao Ancestor, please speak.”
“I have heard that some people, upon reincarnation after death in their previous lives, did not drink enough of the Forgetfulness Soup. Thus, when they are reborn in this life, they retain memories of their past lives.”
“…”
“Did you, young man, get reincarnated without drinking the Forgetfulness Soup? Hahaha…”
Ye Anping paused for a moment, then shook his head after some thought.
“Dao Ancestor is jesting.”
“Is that so… Heh, then you’ve adapted quite quickly.” Zu Yuan patted the shoulder of Zu Lingzhi, who had been silent beside him. “Lingzhi, spend more time with Youngster Ye. You will be the Sect Master of Taibai Sect in the future; you can learn a lot from him…”
Zu Lingzhi nodded nervously. Surrounded by such imposing cultivators, he dared not act as he used to at Taibai Sect. He could only nod.
“Yes… Yes, Grand Tutor Ancestor.”
Sun Juehu glanced at Si Xuanji, who was lying on the ground. Pei Lianxue was squatting beside her, holding an umbrella to shield her from the snow.
Seeing that Si Xuanji was completely immobile and in a sorry state, Sun Juehu seemed to have accepted her fate.
She had fought with Si Xuanji and lost.
It was that simple.
“*Hoo—*” Sun Juehu took a deep breath. She glanced at Yun Tianmi, who was now grabbing his own backside, and shot him a fierce look before commanding:
“Xu Mulan!!”
“Ah?”
Xu Mulan, who had been spacing out listening to the conversation, quickly got up when called. She hobbled over, met Ye Anping’s gaze for a moment before quickly looking away, and knelt on one knee.
“Yes, Your Majesty. Your humble servant is here…”
“Take my cicada shell back to Hantian Kingdom. Did you hear what Young Master Ye just said?”
“Yes…”
“Do as he says.”
Xu Mulan mechanically replied, her mind seeming to be in a daze. She slowly crouched down, picked up Sun Juehu’s Mystic Ice Dragon Spear from where it was stuck in the ground, and then carefully lifted Sun Juehu’s cicada shell.
“Young Master Ye… just now…”
“Commander Xu, your stance was correct…”
“…Mm.”
“Please send my regards to Xiyue for me. Feel free to visit Hundred Lotus Sect sometime…”
Xu Mulan nodded, her mind a complete mess, unable to comprehend what was happening. However, since Sun Juehu had given her orders, she would simply execute them.
Holding Sun Juehu’s Golden Cicada Shell, she bowed to everyone present, then stepped onto her flying sword, soared into the snowy sky, and flew towards the northwest.
After she left, Sun Juehu turned her head and glared at Yun Tianmi, who was rubbing his backside, as if she could kill him.
“How long are you going to keep rubbing it?”
“It’s just a little rub, what’s the big deal? I rubbed it when you were little, didn’t I? Heh…”
“…”
Veins bulged on Sun Juehu’s forehead, but she felt a sense of helplessness.
“Take me to see the cave dwelling where I’ll be living.”
“Alright, let’s go~ Have a drink with me later, hahaha…”
Yun Tianmi snapped his fingers.
*Click!*
Their spectral figures vanished from this world without a trace…
That old rogue… Ye Anping muttered to himself. But suddenly, he thought about how Yun Tianchong would react if he learned his father had suddenly gained an old partner, making himself a stepson, and that stepmother was Sun Juehu…
“Alas—”
Ye Anping dared not imagine what would happen, but Yun Tianchong’s expression would undoubtedly be quite spectacular.
At this moment, Zu Yuan beside him suddenly had a benevolent, mischievous smile on his face. He gestured with his chin towards Si Xuanji and asked:
“Youngster Ye, your Dao companion has been lying there for a long time. Aren’t you going to check on her?”
Seeing his obvious desire to watch a good show, Ye Anping let out a slight sigh. He retracted the Snow Jade Myriad Spirit Sword stuck in the ground into his storage bag and walked back towards Si Xuanji and his Junior Sister.
Pei Lianxue, holding her umbrella, was using her finger to rub Si Xuanji’s cheek, a mischievous cat-like smile on her face, thinking about who knows what.
Si Xuanji looked at her smug expression with utter speechlessness, clearly wanting to spank her.
But she couldn’t even speak, let alone raise her hand.
– I’ll deal with you later, you little brat!! Don’t be so presumptuous!!
Just then, a pair of strong arms suddenly supported her back, and she was easily lifted up.
*!*
Si Xuanji was startled. She turned her head and saw Ye Anping carrying her in a princess carry. For some reason, she suddenly felt shy.
Her Yin-yang eyes stared directly at his handsome face, and she inexplicably felt a sense of happiness, like a hero saving the damsel.
When she was young, she had fantasized about the time she ventured into the martial world with her sword, suddenly encountering a crisis, and being rescued by a man. Afterward, they would fall in love and become a renowned, loving pair of sword companions.
However, back then, she was too strong, defeating all under heaven single-handedly.
That romantic dream had vanished.
But thousands of years later, a person named Ye Anping made her remember her childhood aspirations.
Si Xuanji subtly curled up, resting her face against Ye Anping’s shoulder, like a kitten wanting to be pampered.
However, when her peripheral vision caught sight of a motionless “light bulb” in the distance, an old man with a doting smile, and the old man’s great-granddaughter standing there staring at her, a wave of shame washed over her face.
Si Xuanji quickly struggled, wanting to get down from Ye Anping’s arms. But she didn’t even have the strength to speak, let alone struggle.
Ye Anping asked helplessly:
“Xuanji, you’re not lightly injured. Don’t move so much.”
Si Xuanji opened her lips, emitting sounds like a baby’s coo.
“Ah… Ah… Ahhhahahah…”
“Hmm?” Ye Anping pretended not to understand and smiled. “It’s okay, I’m here. I’ll hold you, just rest peacefully in my arms…”
Zu Yuan’s mouth was almost crooked to the back of his head. But seeing Si Xuanji’s eyes gradually turn fierce, he quickly made his escape.
“Taishang, escort us back, hahahaha… See you at the victory banquet, Youngster Ye, hahahaha—!”
“Amitabha.”
Taishang Wusun clasped his hands together, bowed to Ye Anping, and his cassock subtly fluttered. He then took Zu Yuan and Zu Lingzhi, transforming into three golden lights that flew away towards the south.
Si Xuanji, her brows furrowed at the departing figures, now turned her brows to glare at Ye Anping, her eyes seeming to say:
– Anping, just you wait until we get back!!
Ye Anping pretended not to understand, smiled, took out a blanket from his storage bag, wrapped Si Xuanji snugly like a swaddled baby, and cradled her. He then looked around and said:
“Junior Sister, go find Yudie and the others.”
“…Mm.” Pei Lianxue was silent for a moment, then asked, “Senior Brother, may I hold Sect Master Si?”
Ye Anping looked down at Si Xuanji’s resentful expression. He felt that if he teased her any further, he would truly be spanked. He shrugged and shook his head.
“Forget it, I’ll carry her. Otherwise, Senior Brother will be beaten…”
Pei Lianxue’s brows furrowed as she earnestly replied:
“Don’t be afraid, Senior Brother! Junior Sister will help you beat them back!”
Ye Anping shook his head helplessly and smiled.
“Wait until you’re a bit older…”
After a moment of recuperation, they summoned their flying swords, stepped onto them, and transformed into two streaks of light cutting through the Eastern Domain’s sky. They flew north for about seven hundred li and soon saw the girls lying on the ground, with Xiaotian and Xuee lying on top of their bellies.
Ye Anping was stunned for a moment. When he landed, he realized that
Feng Yudie, Gu Mingxin, and Xiao Yunluo had all fainted from excessive spiritual energy consumption. Even Xiaotian and Xuee looked dazed, their eyes spinning, showing signs of spiritual energy depletion.
“Hiss—”
He had forgotten about this.
Although the three of them had exceptional spiritual energy reserves for Nascent Soul stage cultivators, they had just used a formation belonging to a Void Transformation stage cultivator…
Ye Anping stood in the center of the three, looking at Si Xuanji in his arms, who had already fallen asleep. He then looked at the three lying on the ground and his Junior Sister, and puckered his lips in distress.
“Junior Sister, how many can you carry?”
Pei Lianxue pursed her lips and thought for a moment.
“Hmm… The black one and the white one.”
“Alright, then I’ll carry Yunluo… We can have these two little ones on our heads… Put the little black one on my head.”
“Oh! Okay!!”
